Jenny drummed her fingers impatiently on the countertop, glancing again at the clock by the door and scanning the street outside for new customers. Not that there would be any. If anyone were crazy enough to brave a blustery December day like today, their refuge of choice from the biting wind would certainly not be here. It would be some warm, cozy tea room, the kind with buttery crumpets that dissolve in your mouth. Or that sweet shop across the street with the twenty new flavors of hot chocolate. Who wandered into the streets in the middle of a snowstorm to go to the paper shop? She had been trying to convince her boss all week that if they were going to stay open during the holidays they should at least carry Christmas cards, but her reasoning had fallen on proud ears, and so Jenny found herself standing between envelopes and last month’s magazines, very much alone.

Honestly, the clock must be broken. Hadn’t it been three o’ clock the last time she’d looked, too? And since then she had reorganized the magazine rack alphabetically, stacked the coins in her till by year, and watered the potted iris on the counter. The iris was the only lively part of the store, and it was she who had brought it, out of the necessity for some change in the shop's environment each day, however slight. Maybe she should just close up early today. It’s not like her boss ever stopped by to see if she was dying of boredom or not. She could swing by the corner store to finally get those ice skates she’d been saving up to buy for weeks. Or she could go to the cinema, or see if any of her friends were already enjoying a steaming mug of cocoa across the street. Or—

Jenny looked up as the silver bell over the door tinkled. In through the door came a swirl of snow, an icy draft, and a very cute boy. Shaking his snow-laced red locks out of his eyes, the boy glanced around the shop, his eyes resting briefly on her, before opening the door again, sticking his head out, and shouting “Oy, Fred! In here.�

A second boy, nearly as cute as the first, entered the shop. No, wait, he was just as cute – they seemed to be identical twins. They looked to be older than her, but not by much, maybe only a year. Rosy from the wind, their cheeks clashed horribly with their flaming orange hair and maroon sweaters, but Jenny had always had a soft spot for a boy with freckles. And here were two very freckly, very cute boys, and they were pulling up stools to her lonely counter. Wait, stools? Jenny had never noticed before that there were stools in the shop. Her boss must have brought some in this morning and she hadn’t noticed, because otherwise they must have just appeared from thin air.

“Mind if we hide in here for a bit? The storm’s getting right nasty out there.� The first boy smiled at her, snow still clinging to his lashes, and Jenny found herself unable to remember how to speak.

“Ah, we haven’t even introduced ourselves!� the second boy cut in. “So rude of my brother. My name’s George, and this here is Ludovic—“

“Hey! Don’t listen to him, my name is George, and this is my prat brother Caratacus—“

“He’s only joking, neither of us is George, but you’d go by George too if your names were Caradoc and Perpetua—“

“Perpetua is a girl’s name, don’t be daft, Elphias—“

“Elphias? Elphias?! I’ll elphi your –“

“Hey! We’re in decent company!�

“Okay, okay, he’s George, and my name is Fred.�

Jenny’s eyes were bouncing back and forth from one brother to the other, and suddenly she was laughing so hard she was finding it hard to breathe. Which was a problem, because as Jenny’s little brother so often liked to point out, Jenny’s laugh made her sound like a choking elephant.

Fred looked around in alarm at the sudden noise. He had thought there was no one else in the store when they came in, but then who (or what) was making that noise?

George was quicker than his twin. He ran around the counter to thump the poor choking girl on the back, but his efforts only seemed to make her choke harder. Waving him off, the girl took a couple deep breaths and slowly composed her face. “Sorry,� she grinned, trying very hard to avoid succumbing to both deep embarrassment and renewed giggles, “it’s just been a very boring day and I really needed a laugh.�

“Oh, you were lau—?� George silenced Fred with a look, something Fred found quite odd. Since when did his twin miss an opportunity to make fun of someone?

“—lacking interesting customers?� George finished for his brother, returning to his stool. “Never fear, the Weasley twins are here.�

“Oh, well, I’m Jenny.� Jenny really wished she had something more interesting to say, but she had just noticed the striking shade of George’s eyes and was finding that rather distracting at the moment.

“So, Jenny, do you believe in magic?� George raised an inquiring eyebrow as he pulled a deck of playing cards from his pocket. Jenny giggled. Wasn’t she too old for magic tricks? But then again, wasn’t she too old to be giggling like an idiot any time a cute boy looked her way?

**********

If anything, the snow had gotten worse since they had entered the shop. Fred and George were feeling quite warm and toasty due to the Warming Charms they had discreetly re-cast on their sweaters before braving the storm, but there was no avoiding the swirling flakes dancing in front of their eyes. They had even tried Hermione's Impervius Charm that had served them so well in many a Quidditch match, but, where the rain had run off their faces then, the snow hung suspended in the air as though clinging to an invisible pane of glass. It made visibility even worse, not to mention how odd they must look to Muggles.

“Your best trick was definitely the floating aces,� recalled Fred, nearly shouting to be heard as the wind whipped his voice away. “Although I was worried you might be taking things a bit too far.�

“Yeah, me too, especially when she said it was 'almost like real magic'. It's hard to keep straight what's possible in the Muggle world and what's not. It's no wonder Dad makes so many arrests. Like with that girl from the post office last summer – who would have thought it's illegal to give a girl a framed photograph? How was I to know they're not supposed to move?�

“George, that's not illegal, that's just pathetic. A framed photograph? Although, maybe we can convince Ron to give one to that girl Ginny was telling us about...� Fred trailed off, a mischievous grin already creeping across his face.

“You know, brother, I reckon I know just the camera for the job,� smirked George, breaking into an identical grin, his mind already racing with ideas for their next prank. But he wasn't as fully focused on the prank as he normally would be; part of his mind couldn't stop thinking about the way Jenny had laughed as he pulled a sickle from behind her ear...

**********

Ten seconds...five seconds...three, two, ONE. The hour hand jerked to the seven, and Jenny let out the breath she hadn't even realized she'd been holding. Her shift finally over, she grabbed her coat, turned out the lights, and stepped out into the street, locking the door behind her.

The sun had long since set, and the orange street lamps were casting an eerie glow on the softly falling flakes. Jenny set off for home, enjoying the crisp winter air on her cheeks and the majestic silence of an empty street blanketed in fresh snow. She'd only moved to Ottery St. Catchpole a few months ago, with the rebellious desire to get as far away from France and her mother as possible. Jenny's mother had never understood her desire for a simple life and was forever pushing her to further her education and apply to a job that afforded rapid upward mobility. But all Jenny had wanted, after seven years of intensive education at boarding school, was a chance to start fresh and live in a cute little cottage in a cute little town. And that's exactly what I've done, she smiled to herself as she opened the wrought-iron gate and walked down the cobblestone path.

“I'm home!� Jenny yelled as she walked through the door. Something smelled delicious – Alicia must already have supper in the oven.

“You're just in time, I'm about to slice the roast,� Alicia called. Jenny hung her coat in the hallway and went down the hall to wash her hands before supper. She'd never figure out how Alicia did it all. She worked a full-time job, picked up an extra shift after work down at the tea room, and still managed to cook remarkable meals every night. Jenny used to feel guilty for never being home in time to take her turn at cooking, but once she compared Alicia's sumptuous feasts to her own pitiful, half-edible attempts, she decided to find other ways to make herself useful around the house.

“So how was work today?� Jenny asked, taking a big bite of her pork. “Mmm, this is wonderful.�

“Thanks,� said Alicia. “The office was busy today, with reports flying in from up and down the country. We're always busiest during the school holidays, and especially at Christmas. I think the joyful mood of the season makes parents forget to keep a close eye on their children.�

“I find it easy to forget the frustration of those days now that I'm of age,� mused Jenny, now tasting a spoonful of the most heavenly mashed potatoes, “Although when I'm at work, it's almost like I'm back in school, with all the old restrictions.�

“Speaking of school, two of my old classmates walked into the shop during my shift today!� Alicia's eyes took on a temporarily glazed look as she reflected fondly on her school days. “I didn't realize I knew anyone who lived around here. But I suppose I shouldn't be surprised; it is a mixed community.�

“You know, I find it fascinating not to know which half of the community someone belongs to when you meet them. I had a customer today doing card tricks in my shop, and I swear they couldn't be possible unless he was using real magic, but of course I couldn't say anything.� Jenny could feel the color rising to her cheeks, but determinedly ignored it. “It kind of adds an air of mystery and excitement to meeting new people, doesn't it?�

Alicia nodded, refilling both their wine glasses with a casual flick of her wand. Lifting her glass, she gave her roommate a knowing look over the top of it. “Why so breathless, Jenny?� she teased, “I thought this was just a regular customer?�

Jenny sighed. She and Alicia may have only known each other a few months, but Alicia already knew how to read Jenny like a palm. “Well...I guess he wasn't just any customer,� Jenny admitted, “he was a very cute customer.�

“Does he have a twin?� Alicia joked. She and Jenny were always trying to set themselves up on double dates.

“Actually, he does. Identical, and nearly as gorgeous as he is. They lied about their names a few times, but I think they finally settled on George and Fred.�

Alicia choked. “George and Fred?!� she exclaimed. “Flaming red hair?�

“Yeah, have you met them around town before?� Jenny asked.

“Met them! I went to school with them. Played Quidditch with them.� Alicia smiled mischievously. “So you think they're cute?�

“Well, yes. I know it's silly because I just met them, but I think I may have a thing for George.� Jenny felt her cheeks flaring up even more, if that was possible, and quickly set about getting the ice cream out of the freezer.

“You know, I bet we can come up with the perfect way to get you and George alone together, and to get back at him and his brother for all the awful pranks I've had to endure over the years,� said Alicia. “Now, tell me everything that happened today.�

**********

The next day, Jenny got off work at five. “Thanks so much for taking the end of my shift,� she said to her friend Mark, who usually only worked weekends.

“No problem, I need the extra money, pounds don't grow on trees,� Mark smiled, taking the key from her. Jenny was confused for a moment, because from what she knew about Muggle money, it did come from trees, but she shook the thought from her mind. She could puzzle about that later, but for now she had somewhere to be.

It wasn't snowing tonight, but yesterday's storm had left a good half-meter of snow covering the ground. The street the paper shop was on was for pedestrians only, so no one had taken the time to plow it yet, and Jenny found herself trudging through untouched, knee-deep snow to get to the tea room. She was longing to perform a simple warming charm to melt a path in front of her, but part of the plan was for her to appear as non-magical as possible.

Jenny pushed open the door to the tea room and immediately felt its warm, herb-scented air engulf her. The shop was nearly empty, except for the table by the window, where Alicia sat with two familiar redheads. The twins had their backs to the door, as planned, but Alicia spared Jenny a second of eye contact before finishing her sentence, “--for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Last month I was dealing with a nasty case of intentional exposure in front of Muggles, but it's mostly underage warnings this time of year. My roommate and I were just talking last night about the joys of being of age.� Alicia looked up, and faked a look of surprise as she spotted Jenny. “Ah, there she is now. Hey, Jenny! Come meet my friends,� she said, waving Jenny over.

George and Fred turned around, and Jenny saw recognition light up their faces. “You know Alicia?� Fred marveled, “You're a witch!�

Jenny gasped and took a step backward, as though she had been slapped. “I beg your pardon!� she cried, shocked.

“N-no, I only meant, um, you can do magic, you know, like this!� Fred jumped to his feet and pulled out his wand and gave it a fancy twirl, so that a bouquet of twelve red roses blossomed from the end. Catching them in the air, he presented the flowers to Jenny with a sweeping bow.

Jenny screamed, and collapsed into a chair at a nearby table, her eyes bugging out of her head. Taking several deep breaths, she finally steadied herself enough to gasp, “How did you do that?�

A look of panic crossed Fred's face, and he looked from Jenny to Alicia, flabbergasted. “But, but, you s-said she's your roommate!� he stammered. “You talked about coming of age!�

“Yes, because we're both eighteen, the drinking age in England,� Alicia explained, expertly faking exasperation. The emotion was second nature to her when dealing with the Weasley twins, after all. “Fred, I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to arrest you.�

“You can't be serious, Alicia,� George pleaded. Fred looked terrified now, an expression that George didn't recognize on his twin's face, never having seen it on his own, identical face before. They had gotten into loads of trouble over the years, but had always stopped short of affecting real consequences.

“I'm afraid I am serious, it's my job,� Alicia said, taking the wand out of Fred's still-outstretched hand. “Jenny, please excuse us for a moment.� Alicia pulled Fred and George into the back room.

“Fred, you are under arrest for a serious breach in the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy. I'm taking you to the Ministry.� Alicia turned to his twin. “George, I need your help here. Jenny's my roommate, and I refuse to modify her memory. I've lived a perfectly Muggle life with her for four months, and I don't want to set a precedent of wielding my powers as a tool in our relationship. I need you to stay here with Jenny, and don't leave until you have convinced her that there is a logical, non-magical solution for everything she just saw and heard.�

“How on earth am I supposed to do that?� asked George, disbelieving.

“Oh, I'm sure you'll think of something,� said Alicia with a deadpan stare. “I seem to remember you inventing all sorts of stories to get out of Quidditch practice during rainstorms.� And with that, she took a firm grip on Fred's upper arm and marched him out of the shop.

George didn't move at first, floored by what had just happened, but he quickly pulled himself together. Time to put my improvisation skills to the test, he mused.

When he walked back into the front of the shop, Jenny was sitting where he had left her, staring at the bouquet of live roses in her left hand, her right hand resting over her heart. Despite the enormity of the task in front of him, George couldn't help but notice how pretty she looked with her cheeks still pink from the cold.

“Hey, Jenny,� he said, sitting down across from her. “Have you ever seen a ship in a bottle?�

“Wh-what? A ship – oh, of course,� Jenny stammered. She glanced at him, and almost lost her resolve when she saw the mix of uncertainty and determination in his eyes.

“Well, Fred and I run a joke shop, see, and that wand was one of our current test products. It's the same principle as a ship in a bottle. A whole bouquet of roses, carefully stored inside a vessel much too small to feasibly hold them. When released, they give the appearance of emerging from the tip of a magic wand!� George was impressed with his own creativity. “So, see, Fred only called it 'magic' because, well, it's all part of the act.� Rather a lame finish, he thought, but a convincing story nonetheless.

Jenny, however, did not look entirely convinced. “Then why did Alicia arrest him?�

George couldn't remember ever thinking this hard, not even on his O.W.L.s. “Er, she arrested him, because, well, you know where Alicia works, right?�

“For a private detective agency, yes,� Jenny supplied. “Only high-profile cases.�

“Yes. So, you see, Alicia's been tracking this guy for awhile now, this bank robber,� George invented wildly. “The only link they can find between the cases is a bouquet of red roses, left behind at the scene of each crime. She must have thought the bouquet was proof of Fred's guilt.�

“So your twin's a bank robber?�

“No! That's not what I meant. Just that it appeared that way to Alicia.�

“Are you saying my roommate's not good at her job?� Jenny fired back.

“No, that's not what I--� George was fumbling for words now.

“How did you say you know Alicia?�

“We went to school together.�

“To an all-girls boarding school?�

“We—I, I used to be confused as a kid, I had really long hair, and, uh, I pretended to be a girl so that, uh...� George felt like he was digging himself deeper and deeper into a hole as the story became more and more absurd. He looked up, totally at a loss for what he was going to say next, when to his surprised he saw a smile breaking out across Jenny's face.

“...so that what?� she asked, fighting the impulse to dissolve into giggles.

“So that I could have an excuse to run around in girls' lingerie?� George finished, and suddenly Jenny was laughing, or rather, choking like an elephant.

“You are a witch, aren't you?� George scowled.

“I am, and you just got pranked,� Jenny grinned. He was really quite cute even when he was scowling.

George couldn't help it, he tipped back in his chair and laughed so hard it brought tears to his eyes. He couldn't believe it: this girl was beautiful and could pull off a prank like no other. Regaining his composure, George leaned across the table, and said “You know, I was lying about the pretending-to-be-a-girl thing.�

“I know,� said Jenny, leaning closer as well.

“And you don't want those.� George gently took the roses from Jenny's hand and placed them aside. Pulling out his own wand, he conjured a small bundle of purple irises, and silently handed them to Jenny.

“How did you know?� Jenny whispered, looking from the flowers up into George's eyes. She could see herself reflected in them.

“Magic,� said George, simply, and gently brought her lips to his.

Maybe it was the insanity of the last few minutes, or the intensity of the attraction each had felt since they first laid eyes on the other, but both Jenny and George knew that there was something special about this kiss, something you didn't find every day, and much less in a Muggle tea room. After what felt like days, the kiss ended.

“Wow,� Jenny murmured, “now that is almost like real magic.�