𝘀𝗺𝗲𝗲, george weasley

˗ˋ 12

CHAPTER TWELVE
✧
-: the beginnings :-

── IN WHICH SOMEONE HELPS

. . .

The Lovegood girl made her way slowly back to the Apothecary that night, the April sun having long gone down and a blanket of stars covering London. She couldn't really see it - the light from the city was way too much for that - but it was comforting to know it was there.

Her feet dragged on the cobblestone, face lit up by the amber-twinged street lamps that alternated either side of her. Barely anyone was within Diagon Alley now, just those who lived there or who were returning to the Leaky Cauldron or another inn along one of the many side roads.

She turned up onto the main street within the area, jumping out of her skin when she felt something fluffy wind it's way around her legs.

"Oh - Clemency." Rhea let out a sigh of relief, crouching down to properly greet the cat. Her finger curled as she tickled under her chin and then scratched behind her ears. "Have you been waiting?" The Lovegood girl asked.

Clemency purred in reply, and Rhea had the odd feeling that she was saying something about Clover. But nothing was actually said (of course, she was a cat), and just left Rhea nodding along to the tiny noisees she was making. 

"The wrackspurts haven't been bothering you, have they?" Rhea noticed the cat moving to scratch itself behind her ears more than usual, and looking a little confused. "I'll write to my dad and ask for some more glasses and spray to get rid of them. Come on - I'll try dig out my old pair anyway and see if I can get rid of them." 

Rhea already had pulled her keys out and was ready to get her wand out and produce light from that in order to find her way up to her apartment, but it seemed that there was no needs. As she approached Mrs Bixby's Apothecary, she was surprised to find that there was still light within the shop. 

She pushed the door open, not even sparing a glance to the strange-sounding bell that alarmed Ferelith that a customer had come in - it was often rather crowded within that shop, and so she had installed it rather badly herself, which resulted in it changing it's noise completely, and made her way towards the light, twisting around the several aisles and the long wall of potions ingredients that was displayed to customers so they could see what she had in stock.

( It was a rather useful system actually, if you ignored the sheer size and cramped-ness of it. All you had to do was point your wand and say what you were looking for the and the labelled box would light up. From there you could see how full the box was - empty and she had none, halfway full and she had some and so on. )

"Mrs Bixby - I didn't expect you to still be up." Clemency was still following Rhea as she made her way into the Apothecary, and now she left her side, jumping up onto the counter and sitting down on Ferelith's lap.

"I had to make sure you got your sausage casserole, didn't I." The woman produced a plate with a wave of her wand, as well as a stool and cutlery. "Please, sit."

"You know about it, don't you." Rhea had barely eaten two mouthfuls when the question slipped.

"Know what dear? That George forgot to tell you about the casserole? Because I predicted that - they're very busy, aren't they?" Mrs Bixby did indeed know, but it seemed as if she should at least pretend not to. 

"Yeah they are." Rhea took another bite of sausage. "But I meant about the job offer - you know, don't you?"

"I didn't know exactly. But I assumed it wouldn't be long until they asked." Ferelith hummed. "Well - there's no need to worry about what I'll say, don't worry at all. You go and work that job."

"Actually.. I haven't accepted yet." Rhea admitted, her focus on the plate below her nose, feeling Mrs Bixby's gaze on her. "I wasn't sure if I should.."

"And why ever not?" Ferelith leaned her elbows on the table, balancing her chin on her palms. "They're your age, young, and their shop seems large and quite frankly rather airy. Much less of a health hazard then in here."

"I don't want to stop helping you though - you've been so kind to me since I arrived and I don't want that to go unnoticed." Rhea pushed, a round slice of carrot balanced on the end of her fork.

"Like I said, don't worry about me. I'll be perfectly fine, and there is absolutely no need to repay me - I was showing what should be normal courtesy. Just make sure my cat doesn't go hungry and I'll be happy." Ferelith stroked a purring Clemency between her ears.

"Really?"

"Oh of course - you should go for the offer. It'll be good for you to have some certainty rather than just doing odd jobs here and there. And they seem like perfectly nice young gentlemen." Ferelith's words were heavy in implications that Rhea didn't quite pick up.

"Right.. maybe I will accept." The Lovegood girl was mostly talking to herself, who had been calmed from her conflicted mood. "It's not like I have anything else to do."

"That's the spirit - find something to take up your time that's fun and get paid for it. It's a win-win." Mrs Bixby slid from her stool, Clemency jumping off of her stool. "I have a couple things left to do, so I should get on with that whilst you finish that and I can go to bed - I'm not young like you, you know. Goodnight, Rhea. I really think it's good if you accept."

And with that, Ferelith began to walk into the dim shop, leaving the Lovegood with her thoughts.

✧