Twin Dilemma

All rights belong to the aforementioned rights holders and not to me. Except for Chloe and her studio mates and the secret wizard’s painting technique. That belongs to my fish “Fang”.


Chapter 17: Double Vision


It was Friday afternoon at WWW. Verite and two additional employees were here today to cover for Fred and George so they could leave early to attend their mother’s dinner. They usually worked on the weekends and holidays. During the Christmas break and summer, Mr. Weasleys hired more help. Their store had become quite successful. They were in negotiations to buy the old Zonkos in Hogsmead and expand their enterprise. Mr. Zonko had been abducted during the war and due to the heroics of a couple of members of The Order with a penchant for gags, was rescued. He reentered the joke market but his years of abduction and imprisonment had wrecked havoc on his health so he was considering retirement. Now that Hogwarts was back up and running and the students were allowed Hogsmeade weekends, Fred and George were eager to open a premise there. They had restrained themselves due to their longtime respect for Mr. Zonkos and his profound impact upon their lives. Now they were both in the back room amicably pouring over legal papers and writing down notes for their meeting and initial offer to Zonko’s next week.

George was leaning back in his chair with his feet propped up on his desk and Fred was wildly articulating some point. They were interrupted by the pert Verite who popped her head in and said, “Mr Weasley and Mr. Weasley, your Mum’s on the floo and wants to have a word with you.”

“We didn’t do it.” They replied in unison.

Verite laughed. “Guilty conscience?”

They both blushed and walked to the front portion of their shop were their fireplace was located.

“Hello Mum. How are you?” George asked brightly.

Molly Weasley was looking a bit frazzled. “This dinner has grown into quite an affair. Not only will all the children be there so will members of the Order and I bumped into Angelina and Katie so I managed to invite them along with Alicia, Lee and Oliver. Luna and Neville will be coming as well as Hagrid and Madam Maxine. So I need some extra help. Now!”

Fred opened his mouth to protest but he noticed the tight line to his Mum’s mouth and how tired she looked around the eyes. He answered,“Sure Mum, we can leave early.”

George gave him a surprised look and asked, “What about our girlfriends?”

Molly replied, “Your Dad’s leg is bothering him again. Ron’s off on assignment somewhere. Percy can’t get away. Bill’s busy with his kids. Ginny went away with Harry and won’t be back until dinner and Charlie, Remus and Tonks are here but I need more help! Can you both just have your girlfriends floo directly here
at 6:30 and 6:40?”

“Yes Mum,” they both answered.

George went into the back room to write a quick message to “Kitten”.
He sat at his desk and picked up his Spell-Checking quill and wrote:

Dear Kitten,

Something’s come up and I can’t meet you at the shop. Can you please Floo over to the Burrow at 6:45? I’ll be waiting.

Luv,
Your personal Weasley Boy

He finished with a florish of his quill. The back door opened and a thin, gangly boy wearing maroon robes stuck his head in and asked, “Mr. Weasley, we are out of Pufferskein pellets. Mr. Weasley said you knew where the latest shipment was stored.”

“I’ll get them Noel.” George set his parchment down and went into the cavernous storage area to locate the pellets.

Meanwhile in the front of the store, Fred was besieged by a group of 13yr old boys who wanted to find out what new products he had developed and what kind of Hogswart discount would they get? Fred pointed to a display with a moving sign suspended over it flashing the words “Just In!” and extracted himself from his adoring wannabe pranksters. He walked back to the fireplace, took a pinch of floo powder and stuck his head in the fire. “Paint Smears!”
Soon his head was gazing out at Chloe seated at her table drawing. She had a nice smudge of charcol on her nose.

“Hello Beautiful” Fred called out.

Chloe turned around and smiled. “Hey there Weasley! What’s up?”

“My Mum flooed me. She’s invited loads of people and now her knickers are in a twist with all she has to do so I need to go there early. I won’t be able to meet you here at the shop. Do you mind flooing there?”

Chloe said, “Awww, helping your mother. What a good son you are. No, I don’t mind. What time shall I arrive?”

Fred rolled his eyes at the good son comment. “Why don’t you floo in at 6:30? I think that’s a cleared time by Mum.”

“Ok, I’ll see you then.” Chloe stood up and walked over and leaned into the fire and kissed him deeply.

Fred winked and disappeared.

Chloe went back to her drawing and lost track of time. Suddenly there was a tapping on her skylight. She looked up and saw an unfamiliar owl up there with a parchment. Chloe lifted up her wand and murmured a spell to open the sky light. The owl flew down and perched itself on her table and stuck out its leg. Chloe untied the parchment that was attached and reached towards a tin sitting on her table to pull a treat out for the owl. She absentmindedly fed the owl while reading her letter. She set her letter down and looked baffled. It was from Weasley and he had basically repeated himself except for an incremental time change. “His mother must be quite a force to contend with. She’s got him running in circles.”

She grabbed a piece of parchment and wrote:

Ok! I’ll be there at 6:45 unless you change your mind again. Will we be able to sneak away sometime later? I have something I want to try….

And she proceeded to draw a cartoon illustrating Weasley and herself trying out a very interesting position that was only possible by using three charms, one spell and a minor transfiguration and inspired by one of the WWW confections she bought for a nephew, a Ton-Tongue Toffee. She grinned and rubbed her hands together and uttered mad scientist laughter. She rolled up the scroll and attached it to the owl’s leg. She patted its head affectionately and sent it off through the skylight. She turned and walked over to her wardrobe. “Whatever shall I wear?” she pondered.

It was 6:15 when George glanced up. He set the platter full of appetizers on the counter and glanced around him. Molly was on the far side of the kitchen cleaning up and everyone else was outside setting up the tables or chatting with all the guests. George reached into his robe and pulled out a biscuit. He took his wand out and tapped the biscuit while glancing at his preoccupied mother. He then set the disguised biscuit on the tray. Grinning he pulled off the frilly apron that Fred had teased him relentlessly about and excused himself to go get cleaned up.

Meanwhile, Fred opened the back door and peaked in cautiously. He had checked the fireplace countless times until Molly had snatched him by the ear and sent him out to pick flowers for the table- a task that had caused his brother George much mirth. He saw that the kitchen was empty. Molly had left the kitchen to right Tonk’s disastrous attempt at table setting. Fred washed his hands at the kitchen sink. He checked his reflection in the window and smiled at himself as a way to calm his nerves.

Why was he nervous? He’d never been nervous about introducing any of his other girlfriends before to his family. Because this one is extra special, he thought.
He couldn’t believe he hadn’t introduced her to George yet. Oh well, that would change in a matter of minutes. He walked into the living room to wait by the fireplace.

15 minutes later George joined him and watched as Fred paced in front of the fire. George looked at him questioning. Fred looked at his watch and shrugged.
Just then the fire crackled and the lovely long legged figure of a young woman emerged from the flames.

“Chloe!” Fred cried out as he moved in to embrace her.

“Kitten!” clamored George as he strode forth at the same time.

“Weasleys?” squeaked Chloe as her eyes widened and she turned her head from one Weasley to the other. Her knees buckled and she sat down hard on the floor.

Fred and George towered over her as they glared at each other.

“Oh my!” exclaimed Molly from the kitchen doorway.


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Thank you to those that took the time to respond and review. It’s the pointy stick that prods me along.


Author’s other note - Joy of joys! I have located my missing tome- a 1967 Webster’s Dictionary. It was under my desk under a few things and had been used as a footrest. I have subsequently learned what a homograph meant (not a graph of certain areas of San Francisco) what a horse coper does and what the heck a howff was and why it pertained to my ancestors. I am not promising, but one could hope my spelling and grammar improves. The past tense/present tense thing is due to my time travel ability which can throw me off my tenses * a common complaint for those who experienced Slaughter House 5 * A Beta would be great as I seem to have misplaced the one I had, Emmy.