Ch. 34: The Return

                                    

                                          
"Kiara Riddle."
                          
Chapter 34: The Return
                          
"And, another day, another Galleon!" George declared cheerily, waving to the last customer. The door shut behind them, ringing the bell for the final time after another busy day at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.
                          
"More than just one Galleon, Georgie," Fred said, waving his wand over the shelves to reorganise everything. Fallen boxes flew back to their rightful places. Skewed packets straightened themselves. He smiled proudly at their bright and colourful store before turning to the register. "How much did we make today, Lee? Are we rich yet?"
                          
"Over budget, as always," Lee announced, counting the bronze, silver and gold coins in the register carefully. "And, I've still got loads more to count!"
                          
"Hm," George wondered aloud. "I wonder if we should raise our budget so we can be surprised when we actually surpass it, instead of being happy with our achievements every single day."
                          
"Isn't that a good thing though?" Lee asked, counting another pile. "It means we are successful!"
                          
"Well, on that note, the school term is nearly over which means all our students will be swarming in here like gnomes in gardens," Fred pointed out. "It sounds like the perfect time to raise the bar, don't you think?"
                          
"Of course, you're keeping track of that Fred," Lee snickered. "Have you got it written on your calendar?"
                          
"As a matter of fact, I do. And, so what if I do? What is that meant to mean?" 
                          
"It means that he's just waiting for a certain blonde with multicoloured eyes to finish school and come work with us over the summer holidays," George mused with a smirk. "She might be staying with us too if mum allows it. Even if she doesn't, Fred will have her here the entire time so he can spend time with her."
                          
"Honestly, I really don't know what you're talking about," Fred said blankly, taking a sudden interest in charming a broom to sweep the floor, which was surprising as Fred rarely cleaned. He usually said that the mess contributed to the chaos and beauty of the store.
                          
"Well, I guess you wouldn't mind if I asked Kiara out for dinner while she's working here," Lee suggested, glancing at Fred's back and waiting for his reaction. "I'm sure she will say yes, I think she's always had a thing for me." He grinned. "And, I am extremely attractive."
                          
Fred turned on his heel and glared threateningly at Lee. "If you still want a job here, you better not, Jordan." 
                          
Lee and George exchanged devilish grins but didn't press the matter. Fortunately, Verity exited the back room at the same time.
                          
"Are we hiring, Mr and Mr Weasley?"
                          
"We are," George replied impatiently. Professionally, he appreciated Verity's work ethic. She worked efficiently with organising stock and determining which products were faulty or inadequate to be sold. On a personal level, however, he loathed her. From the first day, George wanted to fire her but Fred pointed out that they would struggle to replace her professionalism. 
                          
Mainly, the reason why he disliked Verity was that she flirted with Fred at any given opportunity and obviously, George didn't appreciate it. Fred was meant to be with Kiara, after all, and he wasn't going to stand by and watch someone get in the middle of that.
                          
"Do we really need the extra staff?" Verity asked. "I mean, I work in the backroom, Lee does the register while you and Mr Weasley greet and talk with customers," Her hungry stare lingered on Fred, secretly hoping that he would catch her eye. 
                          
"You can ask Fred," George nodded at his brother. "He is the one who hired her."
                          
Verity's face fell. "Her? We are having another girl?"