Letters

little_bird

Story Summary:
A series of letters by different characters...

Chapter 23 - Mischief Managed

Posted:
05/04/2009
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1,044


George dug though the clothes that were spilling out of the drawers of the small bureau. Half of them weren't his - they were Fred's. He was looking for his favorite jumper, one he'd bought with some of their first earnings when they opened the shop. Like most of his jumpers it was blue, but the hue of this one hovered around deep midnight blue. He wanted to wear it to the party Lee Jordan was throwing for New Year's Eve at the Leaky Cauldron. He tried to tell himself it wasn't an attempt to look good for Katie, but he knew Fred would be lying on his bed, howling in hysterical laughter at George's obvious attempt.

His hand closed around soft cashmere and George pulled the jumper from the back of the drawer. A folded piece of parchment slipped from its folds and landed on the floor, one corner landing painfully on the top of George's foot. George bent and picked up the parchment, wondering who had folded it into his jumper. Just one word was scrawled across the front - George in Fred's untidy scribble.

George ripped it open, hands trembling violently.

20 April 1998

Dear George...

Obviously, if you're reading this bloody thing I'm worm food. If that's the case, I'm not going to turn this into some slush-fest. Makes me a bit queasy just thinking about it.

At any rate, there are only two things I want to tell you, because I know you'd ask me about it if I was there.

First of all, I think you should try and bring Ron into the shop. Keep it in the family. I know... He says he wants to be an Auror, but after he gets done doing whatever it is he's doing with the Missus and the other half of his brain - if he survives, that is - it might be enough for him to be done with it all. At least offer it to him. Be patient with him, because well... He's Ickle Ronnikins, yeah? Knowing Ron, he'll cock something up royally more than once.

Harry ought to have at least a twenty percent share of the shop. And if he doesn't come out of this alive, either, just... Find something he'd like and donate it every quarter. Or give it to the poor students' fund at Hogwarts. Either way, just find something that Harry would approve of.

And buy Ginny a good broom for Quidditch. Merlin knows she'll need to have a good one. If things end well, she'll need a good one. I think she'll end up better than Charlie, and that'll be saying something, isn't it?

The last thing I'm going to tell you, you gormless fool, is don't let Katie wait too long for you to get your head out of your arse. It's obvious you fancy her. And if I know you, you're going to dither about it and not tell her, deny it until you're blue in the face. But don't wait too long, eh? Birds like Katie don't come round too often. And Katie's not the type to fanny about waiting for a bloke to come to his senses.

Mischief managed, bro.

George slowly folded the letter and picked up the trousers lying across his bed. He slipped the thin rectangle of parchment into one of the pockets and pulled them on. He shook out the jumper and yanked it on over his head. 'Bloody git,' he mumbled, shoving his feet into his shoes. 'Still has to get the last word in...'