Fred and George Weasley…were something else. They were something funny, smart, and Rick suspected, highly dangerous if they really put their minds to it. When Carl had walked through the doors of their joke shop, you would have thought that he had entered St. Peter’s Gate and gone straight to Heaven.
“Granger!” Both of the red-haired twins spoke in unison.
“Been a dragon’s age since we’ve seen you,” one of the wizards started the conversation.
“Yes, we were worried that ickle Ronniekins had absconded with you and was holding you captive in Mum’s attic with the ghoul.” The twins were almost identical. The one speaking was curiously missing one of his ears.
“That’s your brother you’re speaking of,” Hermione scolded although she was chuckling just a little.
So. Fred and George were the brothers of Hermione’s ex-boyfriend, and even they couldn’t seem to take the man seriously. Interesting. Rick found himself kind of wanting to meet this Ron Weasley guy.
“What can we do for you?” The twin with two ears asked.
Hermione shook her head and smiled. “I’m not looking for anything in particular. I’d like you to meet some peoples.” She turned to Rick. “This is Rick Grimes. He’s my…my…” she faltered.
“I’m her boyfriend,” Rick supplied for her. He held out his hand to the one-eared twin and smirked when he saw the blush and delighted smile his words put on his girl’s face.
“I’m George,” the one-eared twin shook his hand. “Most folks call me Holy George.”
Hermione good-naturedly rolled her eyes. “No one calls him that.”
It was now the other twin’s turn to shake Rick’s hand. “I’m his twin brother, Fred. I ate his ear in utero.”
“No, he didn’t,” Hermione sighed. “He lost it in the war.”
‘Holy’ George put his hands on his hips. “Must you always be such a buzzkill?”
After that, the adults had been forced to wait for Carl to stop laughing before they could properly introduce him to the twins.
“I was telling Carl about your new pranks for muggles. You think you could help him pick something out?” Hermione put her hands on Carl’s shoulders.
“Absolutely.” Rick decided it was creepy as hell when Fred and George spoke at the same time.
“Nothing that’s dangerous to him or others,” Hermione began ticking off rules on her fingers. “Nothing he can use to disrupt or get out of class, and he has a twenty-five galleon price limit.”
Fred pouted, and George mirrored him. “You ruin all of our fun.”
As the twins took Carl to shop, Hermione picked a fussing Judith up out of her stroller and began to gently bounce her.
“You’re real good with my kids.” Rick smiled. “Did you ever want to be a mom?”
Hermione was caught off guard and momentarily froze before she answered him. “I’d love to have a family of my own. I just don’t want to give up a career that I love to have one.”
Rick shook his head and smiled. “I’d never ask that of you,” he promised. “The entire rescue operation would fall apart without you.” The little voice in his head told him that he wouldn’t do too well without her either. Rick tried to ignore it. It was way too soon to be thinking like that.
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