Overzealous

Overzealous

Fred Weasley was now twenty-three years old, just like his brother, George. The two ran a joke shop chain, Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes, which now had multiple locations including Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade, Paris, Sofia (the capital of Bulgaria), Nanjing, and, most recently, Salem, Oregon. They had all the top magical schools covered.

However, even though he was independently wealthy, Fred had a problem. He could never get the girl of his dreams to go out on a date with him. This was not from lack of trying. He had asked that girl out more times than he could count. George, on the other hand, kept a journal of tally marks, one for each attempt. It had started out as a simple piece of parchment. At the moment, he counted that his brother had been rejected by Angelina exactly six thousand, nine hundred thirty-seven times.

"Why, dear brother, are attempting this insane venture?"

"Because, dear brother, I love this girl with all my heart and she will give me a chance. I know she'll like me if she tries dating me."

"Fred, other than quidditch, you hardly know the girl. How could you possibly love her?"

"Maybe you'll understand someday George."

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Three days later, a cry of jubilation could be heard coming from Fred's potions lab.

"Finally!" He cackled. "It's finished!"

The scene looked like a mad scientist in his lab.

'Probably not too far from the truth...' his brother mused.

Five days later

Fred crawled into his mansion. It had been a long day.

'I am so dead.'

He repeated that to himself over and over until it almost became a mantra. He hauled himself into the kitchen of his five story home and tiredly grabbed a bottle of Old Ogden's Firewhiskey and pulled himself into his den and into his favorite chair.

Of course, in his worst hour, his fireplace filled with green flames and showed the head of the one person he really did not want to see right now.

His mother.

"Why Fred dear! How have you been lately?"

Fred heaved a great sigh. "I'm fine Mum."

"Do you know where your brother is, by any chance? Katie Bell was here earlier and was asking where you two moved and is on her way."

"You sent her over?! Without asking!?"

"I just told your brother's girlfriend where you moved to! Now don't use that tone with me young man!" There was a great clang as the doorbell was rung. "That should be her now. Go get the door."

"Yes ma'am."

Fred slinked over to the door, dreading what he was going to have to tell these two women. After a moment, he gathered his courage and opened the door.

"Fred! I've missed you! So where's your brother?"

"Umm, Katie, would you mind coming to the den with me? I have something to tell you and my mum, and I don't think I could tell it twice."

"I guess..."

"Okay, follow me."

When they reached the den, Katie exclaimed, "Thank you Mrs. Weasley! It's right where you said it was."

"You're welcome, dear. Now Fred, where exactly is George?"

Fred looked decidedly uncomfortable. He stood on one leg, scratching his calf with the other foot, with his hands behind his back. He looked like a child caught in the cookie jar.

"Well, that's a really funny story, you see..."

"Fredrick Arthur Weasley you will tell me what happened to George this instant!" two voices bellowed at the same time.

"Okay, okay. Well, you see, I got tired of asking Angelina out, and I knew that if she just gave me a chance, she'd love me, so I brewed a love potion that makes the drinker ask out the first person they see, planning on giving it to Angelina. But after I poured it in her goblet, Lee had the bright idea to switch it with George's when no one was looking. Apparently, he thought the drink would turn her into a parrot or something. George drank it and happened to be looking at Pansy Parkinson at the time, who had just walked into our shop where we were having lunch-"

Katie interrupted, "So that's where he is? On a date with Pansy?"

Fred visibly winced at the amount of anger pouring off the woman. "Not quite."

"Then where is he!?!"

"It turns out that I have fallen out of practice with potions, what with George being the inventor, me being the thinker and tester, and I made the potion wrong. Instead of asking her out, he got down on one knee and proposed. It seems Pansy's always held a soft spot for George and she accepted. They're now on vacation celebrating their engagement in Cuba. But don't worry, the potion will wear off and he'll call it off in three days time. You guys won't tell anyone about the potion, right? I mean it's pretty illegal to make love potions..."

"No Fred, I won't tell the Aurors. I'll punish you myself!"

"Yes Mum."

Katie was already halfway to Auror headquarters.

One year later

"Well Fred I hope you learned your lesson."

"Yes Mum."

"At least they let you off easy and sent you to a muggle prison."

"I know, I know, but this is bad enough! Stupid fellytone. Stupid bullet-proof glass. Stupid Bubba."

"I heard that Weasley! I'll be seeing you in the rock yard!"

"Crud."

Fin