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The shop was closed. The shop shouldn’t have fucking been closed. It was a Saturday in August. The shop should have been brimming with Hogwarts students stocking up for the year or Ministry officials placing orders for the week. It shouldn’t have been closed, as dark as it had been the day they had been forced to abandon it in the war.
Ron took the stairs two at a time, thanking Merlin he nicked that key when he worked there the summer after sixth year. George’s flat was above the shop but tended to have a drastically different atmosphere.
“Georgie? You in here?” The lights were off but there were other marks that another person was present. “Merlin, it sticks in here. I’m coming in.” He declared, braving the odor emanating from flat.
“Get out.” His older brother's voice murmured from somewhere.
“I talked to Angelina. And Lee said you sacked him? What the fuck, George?” Ron said, allowing himself into the kitchen and promptly opening a window.
“I didn’t sack him. He left on his own.” George stubbled into the room. Ron’s hand whipped to his face. Apparently the smell wasn’t coming from flat so much as George’s pours.
“Was there a party I wasn’t invited to?” Ron tried to joke through his gags. “I don’t know what series of events you’re talking about because Lee seemed pretty sure. Also you can’t sack him, he’s a partner.”
“Not my partner.” George mumbled.
“Shut it. What the hell happened? I thought things were going good.” Ron started the kettle and pushed his brother into a chair.
“Not good, never good.” George put his head in his hands.
He bit his lip. This wasn’t his area of expertise. Charlie, Bill, even Harry knew feelings better than he did. If there were two things he had in common with Percy they were a remarkable ability to play chess and their incredible inability to communicate their emotions. “I know, Georgie, I know.” He stuck out his hand and patted his older brother’s shoulder.
“Have you tried one of the candies?” Ron asked softly.
That was a bit of a cop out. Cheering Chocolates had become one of WWW’s biggest sellers since the war, but they were meant to be consumed in extreme moderation. He had never really liked them. He knew Harry had partaken once or twice in his worst days, the kind of days only Ginny knew about. They couldn’t change what was inside, but mind-healers had begun to prescribe them as temporary relief. His mother feared George would get dependent on them which is why he swore to her to only eat them on the worst days. This seemed like one of those days.
George shook his head. “They made me feel like I’m lying.”
Ron sighed. His mother had suffered almost as much as George. The rest of their family had struggled their own share, him included. The difference was they had chosen to try to feel better because it was what Fred would have wanted. George didn’t see it that way.
“What did Angie say to you?” He said timidly, so unlike the boy Ron had grown up with.
“Said you tried to break up with her. Tried to ditch her, told her you didn’t love her.”
George groaned. “I thought I did that. Oh, fuck me.”
“Yeah, fuck you.” Ron agreed. “Now tell me, mate. What the hell were you thinking?”
He opened his eyes a crack. “She’s pregnant.”
“Holy shite. That’s incredible!”
‘With twins.”
Ron’s face fell. Well that would do it. “That’s...that must feel like a lot at once.”
George snorted. “One way to put it.”
He sipped his tea, trying to stall time before he had to speak again. The open window had freshened the flat significantly and was making it almost tolerable to breath through his nose.
“He’s never going to have that.” George said quietly.
There was no question of who ‘he’ was. Ron had those thoughts every damn day.
“No, he’s not.” Ron answered simply. “But that doesn’t mean you can’t.”
George raised his head and just glared at him.
Okay fine. That argument hadn’t worked before in the last six years. But Ron had to try. George had to see it at some point.
“Mate, look...you love Angelina. You can’t sack Lee without a stack of paperwork, also you don’t want to. You’re going to need him to help around the shop once the kids are here.”
“He’s leaving.”
“What?”
“He was talking about a new job he’s up for. Some higher-up in the National League remembered him from Hogwarts and thought he’d be good for professional announcing.”
Well, Lee certainly hadn’t mentioned that. “And he’s taking the job?”
George shrugged. “Dunno, didn’t really hear after I sacked him.”
“You sacked him without knowing if he was going to take the job?”
“Why wouldn’t he?”
“Because he wanted to stay with you, you dolt!” Ron exclaimed.
“He doesn’t need to stick around to take care of me.” George huffed, slouching into his chair like their niece did when she was unhappy about something.
“So you don’t want him to leave or you do?”
“I--I--I don’t know!” George shouted, his stare hardening.
“Hey, it's alright.” Ron said calmly. “There’s nothing to get worked up about. I’m just trying to get what you’re thinking.”
“Why are you here, Ron?” George sneered, towering over his younger brother.
“Because you’re my brother.”
“I’m not your pity party.”
“No, but you’re a Weasley and Weasleys look out for each other.” Ron declared, rising to his feet to meet George’s eyes. He usually had a good few inches on all of his brothers, but when George was at his full height they were nearly level.
“Fred’s gone, George. I know that. I know I can’t comprehend what it's like for you but the few minutes I thought Harry was dead were the worst in my life, so I understand a bit. Fred was my brother too. Don’t you think I want him to be at my wedding, to meet my kids, to make fun of my life choices. He was your other half, I get that. I know it seems impossible to have a life when he doesn’t get one, but you don’t get a choice. Because you’ve still got the business you two started to keep afloat and Angelina’s pregnant and Mum can’t lose another son.”
They were both breathing heavily now. It wasn’t the first conversation like this George had had with one of his siblings, it wasn’t even the first time he’d had it with Ron. They were more frequent in the earlier days when the crashes were small but powerful. This time...it had been so long since he had one. This one was especially violent.
“Why did it have to be him? Why couldn’t it have been me?” George’s voice cracked.
Ron took a deep breath. He’d had that thought every night just before he closed his eyes for six years. The only person who knew was Hermione.
“I don’t know, Georgie, but it was.”
The older brother sunk back into his chair. “It was getting easier, but then...I think I was just forgetting. It’s so much worse when I forget.”
“I know, mate.”
“I’ll talk to Angie in the morning.” George said softly. His face was starting to come from a nasty color. “And I’ll make sure Lee knows he still has a job if he wants one.”
Ron watched him a second. “This is a good thing. Kids...they’re a good thing. You love Vicky and Dom. Wouldn’t it be great to have some of your own?”
George made a noncommittal sound.
“I’ll try to come by later this week.”
“Don’t send mum around.” George asked. “She’ll just worry and I don’t want to pull her back down with me.”
Ron nodded. He had been elected to check on George because he was the only one available. Bill had two little ones to chase after. Charlie was still in Romania, though there were rumors of him taking over at Hogwarts if Hagrid retired anytime soon. Audrey was about ready to pop with her and Percy’s first. And Ginny was up north with the Harpy’s. But more often than not, it was Ron who ended up going anyways. Other than Fred, he was closest with George of the siblings. It just made sense for Ron to take charge.
“I love you.” Ron said honestly. They weren’t a family who said it very often, mostly keeping to physical affection, so the times they did really counted.
“Love you.” George said softly.
Ron paused for a moment outside the door, praying to anyone that was listening that he wouldn’t hear the sounds of bottles being pulled from a cupboard, or, God forbid, something far worse.
That night they were laying on the couch watching the tellie when Ron finally got up the courage to bring it up.
It was Hermione and Ginny’s flat, technically, but more often than not it was just Ron and Hermione there. Ginny’s travel schedule took her all over Britain and sometimes on to the continent so she was rarely at home. Ron hesitated to leave Harry alone (the nightmares were less frequent but just as violent and he did better with other people around) but he happened to be visiting Ginny that weekend.
There had been talk about just switching permanently to which Ginny and Ron were forced to protest. There were a lot of things Molly Weasley tolerated about her children’s relationships, even allowing the couples to sleep in the same room at the Borrow on the extreme promise of no funny business. Living together unmarried seemed to be a stubborn holdout.
Hermione snuggled deeper into his side. She had gotten Ron into muggle television, which she joked was turning his more and more into his father everyday. He reclaimed to resent it but secretly loved the idea of becoming a man like his dad.
The ring was burning a hole in his pocket and had Harry giving him a knowing look every time they saw each other but that was not what this night was about.
“‘Mione?”
“Hmmm.”
“How would you feel about me working with George?”
“Hmmm...helping out at WWW?” She asked, tilting her head up a bit.
“I mean leaving the Aurors to go work full time with George.” He blurted out. Ron flinched, prepared for the oncoming storm.
“I think it's...I think it’s a good idea.”
Ron froze. “You do?” He sat up fully, nearly knocking her off the couch. “Really?”
Hermione laughed. “Is that so surprising?”
“Yes!”
She giggled again and placed a hand on his cheek. “Ron. You don’t like the Aurors.”
“Well, I--”
“You think they’re a lot of stuck up pricks.”
“Not all of--”
“You’re just in it because of Harry.”
That he could exactly argue with. “I mean, sure, but I don’t hate it. There was an adjustment period, but I think I’m getting the hang of it.”
“But can you really tell me you love it?” Her eyes were soft and honest.
He deflated. “I guess not, but Harry--”
“Harry is a grown man and honestly, you two need some space. You’ve been practically bound at the hip for thirteen years. I know this because I was at his other side. He loves having you there, but he knows it's not your thing.” Hermione sighed. “I think it’s not going to be his for much longer, but that’s just me.”
“Really, what do you think he’ll do?”
Hermione gave him her patented ‘It’s obvious Ronald’ stare. “Teach, Ron. I think he’s going to take the Defense job at Hogwarts once Professor Whats-His-Name gets sick of it or dies in some absurd accident.”
Ron shot her a confused look. “Does that imply Harry killed him, or--”
“No, I just meant--” She huffed. “He’s going to--whatever, that’s not the point.”
“What exactly is your point?”
“My point is: you and Harry joined at the end of the war when there was a very specific task, capture the Death Eaters. I’m not saying there aren’t still terrible people in the world, but the fight’s over. The reason you got into it is over.”
He wasn’t going to argue with her, especially since his side was much weaker, but he really just joined because Harry did and he had no idea what else to do.
“And you’d be okay with me going to work at a joke shop full time?” He asked skeptically.
She raised her eyebrows but spoke kindly. “If it makes you happy, then yes. Besides, it’s not just a joke shop anymore. But also,” She repositioned herself in his arms to look at him better. “This isn’t just about leaving the Aurors is it?”
He sighed. “I went to see George today.”
Hermione flinched. She had gone on enough of these impromptu visits herself to understand what they meant. “How was it?”
“Shite, true and utter shite. Worst it’s been since the early days. He’s a mess, ‘Mione. There was just a lot at once. Lot of change that I don’t think he was ready for. Lee got a job offer and George jumped to conclusions. Angelina’s pregnant with twins--”
“Twins!”
“Yeah, so that’s a whole ‘nother layer.”
Hermione looked a bit stunned. “Suppose it would be a bit much, wouldn’t it?”
Ron rubbed a hand down his face. “I just can’t think of anything except working there. This job offer Lee’s got...he’s mad if he doesn’t take it but I’m sure he’s worried about leaving George alone again. You know he was a lifesaver when it first happened.”
She nodded, remembering the months after the Battle of Hogwarts in vivid technicolor.
“And Angie’s got to look after herself for a while and once the babies come that’s a whole new thing.” He sighed. “I’m the only one in a good spot to come help out. The rest have already got too much to worry about as it is.” Ron laughed in spite of himself. “And I think Percy would go mad by the end of the first day.”
Hermione couldn’t help but agree with that statement. “But are you sure it's what you want?”
“I want to help my brother.”
She thumbed the palm of his hand. “I know you do. That’s just who you are and I love you for it, but Ron...what about after? Are you sure you’re ready to sign on completely?”
He looked at her hesitantly, rolling over the right words in his head. “You know, ‘Mione. We’ve talked about this. When we have kids, we were worried about taking time off when they were little, when they need more attention, but if I’m at WWW I could take them in to work and my hours would definitely be more flexible than at the Aurors.”
For the millionth time, Ron Weasley rendered Hermione Granger speechless. Tears started to well in her eyes.
“No, no, ‘Mione. Please, don’t cry. I didn’t mean it like--”
“Ron Weasley, you are one of the sweetest men I’ve ever known.” She declared, wrapping her arms tightly around his shoulders. “If this is really what you want to do, I’ll support you.”
“You’re sure?”
She nodded, slipping back into their previous position. “Absolutely.”
After one relieving conversation with Harry, one uncomfortable conversation with his mother, and one inevitable conversation with his supervisor, Ron Weasley was officially unemployed. They knew George would never accept it if he thought Ron was leaving just for him. If there was one thing he feared more than being abandoned, it was becoming more of a sympathy case than he already was. So they decided Ron would claim quitting the Aurors was an impulse decision and he had nowhere else to go.
“You want a job?” George asked skeptically from across the counter.
Hogwarts was back in session so the store had cleared out considerably. They still had a few regulars, not to mention the lucrative mail order business. A few months back, when things were a bit more stable for the remaining Weasley twin, he had explored the idea of opening a new location in Hogsmeade. Zonko was toying with retirement and was maybe going to sell his shop to his favorite customer if he offered. The old store owner was still kicking around, apparently intent on choosing the right buyer. But George certainly didn’t seem in the right headspace to take on another task.
“I quit Georgie. I just couldn’t do it anymore.” Ron announced privately.
His older brother blinked at him. “You’re serious…? You actually want a job here.”
“Yep.”
“Well, I...just because your last name is on the building doesn’t mean you get more benefits, you understand? You clock in and out just like the rest of them. And you get a starting salary, no special treatment.”
“Got it.” Ron said cheerfully.
George surveyed him once more. “Angie’s upstairs. We’re going to tell Mum and Dad the news before we tell the rest of the family at Sunday lunch. Think you can start today?”
“Absolutely.”
Just as George disappeared up the stairs, Lee Jordan materialized at his shoulder.
“Oh, Ronnie. I forgot what a terrible liar you are.” Lee laughed.
He scowled. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Lee smiled at him. “Thank you.” He glanced uncertainly at the spot George had just been on the landing. “He’s getting better, but I just...I couldn’t leave him you know. I think all of that proved it.”
Ron placed a hand on Lee’s shoulder. They had never been the closest of friends. Both Gryffindors, Fred and George’s best mate, fellow Quidditch fans, but like Harry had been his, Lee had been the twins’.
“He’ll be fine and I’ll do my best to look after him.” Ron dropped his voice. “And honestly, mate, I really fucking hated the Aurors.”