Disclaimer: J.K Rowling owns everything. I own nothing. Super thanks to my awsome beta Beauty_In_The_Breakdown!
Verity Marks was trouble. She was a ravishing blond with short hair that framed her thin, pointy face beautifully. From the first time they met, George Weasley noticed something sinister and strange in her stunning, silver-gray eyes. Curvy yet thin, with a flawless body and perfect poise, she was the sort of girl who caused mature, married men to stop in their tracks to stare and whistle at. Verity played with her enraptured admirers easily and skillfully; with the tiniest wink here and lightest touch there. It was probably the second thing George noticed about her.
Normally, George Weasley had bigger things to worry about than the girl who worked in the fascinating joke shop he owned with his identical twin brother, Fred Weasley. George was the more practical (although no one could even dream of calling him serious!) one in the business- he conceived marketing techniques, hired all the employees, set up the budgets and basically was in charge of the revenue. To do all of that for a booming business like Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes was a difficult and demanding, though rewarding, job indeed. George often thought Fred, who mainly worked creating their amazing joke products, would be the twin more concerned with womanizing.
George could distinctly remember the first day Verity came to their store to apply for a job, nearly a week after he and Fred opened up the business in a small, wayside shop at number 93, Diagon Alley. Already several people had inquired about working in the store or even becoming a third partner in the business, but Fred and George had stubbornly refused. Then Verity entered.
The young blond had strutted into the store, leaving a gaggle of pre-teen boys staring at the door in her wake. She seemed to float elegantly through the blaring colors and over-stuffed shelves of the store, navigating her way to the front desk. George couldn’t really remember the particulars of the conversation she had initiated with Fred about working as a clerk in the store. All he knew was nearly five minutes later she was hired.
Fred didn’t think twice about hiring Verity, despite his aspirations for Weasley’s Wizard Wheezess. Fred wasn’t blind or dumb. He knew, without question, that having a gorgeous salesclerk was a big bonus of owning a big-time business. For him, Verity was just what he needed in the picture of success he was swiftly painting.
George, however, realized there was something very, very fishy about Verity. He tried to keep his distance from the enticing salesclerk. When they were working together in the store, he acted in a way so dignified and professional his demeanor was nearly unrecognizable from the personality of his stuffy elder brother Percy. When she made a flirtatious remark or playful comment to him, George did not feel butterflies in his stomach or a cool sense of accomplishment but a chilling feeling of dread down his spine. When Verity “accidentally” rested her hand or head on George’s arms and chest, (which she did often) the only sparks that flew were from Fred’s eyes as something akin to jealously fired within.
Fred seemed oblivious to the heartless way Verity treated her admirers, to the way obnoxious way she strutted through the store as if she owned it, to the cool, empty look hiding something incredibly sinister in her cold gray eyes. Once Verity realized she couldn’t secure George, she turned to her second choice and began playing her coy game with Fred. Fred fell for the bait like a fish does to bread. Before long, Fred and Verity were in a steady relationship.
George wasn’t what you call happy for his brother- he still deeply mistrusted Verity and was rather tired of being the butt of all his friend’s jokes for turning down such a catch. However, he was obligated to put on a happy face- the Weasley twins never fought, never experienced jealousy, and never ceased to lighten a serious moment, forget about making grim a happy time. George knew if he tried to tell Fred that he disliked Verity, Fred would think he was jealous. They had made a silent, secret pact from nearly the moment they were born never to be jealous of each other. After all, when you have five other siblings, what’s the need to be jealous of the one you’re closest to? George knew if he mused over his mistrust of Verity to Fred, trouble would arise.
George wanted to warn Fred of Verity and the gut feelings he experienced about her, but there was no possible way. After all, it was most unlike a Weasley twin to feel any trepidation about anything, much less a beautiful, seemingly innocent woman. Fred would probably think George was suffering from some kind of serious illness and force him to see a doctor. As George loaded gaudily decorated boxes of gift-set Canary Creams onto a shelf sagging under the weight of millions of joke items in the noisy center of the store, he wondered if maybe he was sick.
Suddenly George looked up. He had no idea why, but his gaze settled on a dark storage closet in the back of the store. The door was slightly ajar, and the movements of what seemed to be more than one person could be heard inside. As he walked closer, still carrying the box he had been unloading, George noticed a small sheath of shimmering silverfish-blond hair- Verity was in the room. Suddenly, the dim shape George recognized as Verity’s curvy body moved, and with a pang, George saw that she was in there, making love with Fred, it seemed.
“And these are our latest color of Pygmy Puffs, aquamarine,” George heard his twin brother’s voice say loudly. George glanced across the room, and saw Fred was showing off moving, blue balls of fur to a gaggle of giggly, preteen girls. His heart beating rapidly, George squinted into the storage closet. This time, he recognized the other shape. George felt his mouth drop open as he observed Verity passionately kissing their joke store’s rival, Ernesto Zonko, the handsome eighteen-year old son of the owner and founder of Zonko’s, a famous shop in Hogsmeade.
George felt sick, truly sick. How dare Verity betray his brother like that! As hot, bubbling anger erupted inside him, George knew that there would be no way to tell Fred his beloved girlfriend was a liar and a cheater. I wish Fred could see what I just saw, George thought longingly. Suddenly, a small bottle fell out of the box he was carrying and broke all over his big toe.
Fred felt dizzy. His mouth opened in shock as hot, fiery pain cascaded in his head, suddenly taking over his entire body without warning. The Pygmy Puff he had been holding fell to the ground as all went black. In a second, it was over. Slightly shaking, Fred screwed his eyes shut, willing himself not to scream out due to the agony in his big toe.
“So… what was I saying?” Fred asked, trying to keep his professional mannerisms despite the fact he thought he must have just had a heart attack. He was greeted with silence, dead silence.
Fred willed himself to open his eyes, a mix of feelings ranging from panic to wonder at what the hell had just happened bubbling inside him. The gaggle of little girls no longer surrounded him anymore. Instead, he was standing near one of the many dark supply closets, very close to the back of the store.. Since when did I learn to Apparate without thinking? Fred thought curiously. Then he shrugged it off, thinking, That was cool!
George felt pain- pain in his toe from where the bottle had fallen, sudden pain in his head, sudden pain everywhere. Colors, shapes and memories seemed to swirl around him until all went black. Once he thought all was over, that he was dying, he heard a high-pitched, girly voice yelling, “It’s excaping!”
George’s eyes flew open. “Where am I?” he muttered out loud. He was shocked to realize he was surrounded by a group of giggly girls, all looking around the ages of ten or eleven, nearly all clad in pink. Approximately half of them had their attention riveted on him, with an awed look in their eyes, and the rest of them were staring, spell bound, at a miniscule, bluish tuft of fur running like crazy about six feet away in the store.
“Merlin,” George whispered, almost to himself, desperately searching back in his mind to what had happened. He had been standing over there… Almost unwillingly, he drove his gaze to where he had been standing. Much to his shock, he saw himself standing there exactly as he was before whatever had happened had transpired.
I’m dead, George thought in a stunned, disconnected way. I’m some kind of weird ghost or spirit, and I’m seeing myself live. Even though that was probably against some law of physics or another, even in the Wizarding world, George could think of no other explanation.
Agony riveted through George’s stomach as he felt an unexpected blow. As he staggered, with his hands clutched to his body, George realized he was definitely not a ghost- ghosts could not feel pain. Glancing down, he saw one of the chubbier and shorter girls, an angelic blond with devilish piggy eyes, had her hands curled in fists. “Well, aren’t you going to try and catch that stupid Pygmy Puff?” she asked in a curious yet obnoxious way.
Pygmy puff! The two words seemed to jog George’s mind. When he last saw him, Fred had been holding an aquamarine Pygmy Puff, surrounded by a swarm of little customers. Now, he stood in Fred’s place, watching himself where he had been. A flitting, impossible idea ran through George’s head. Nah, he thought, reassuring himself. I must have just learned to Apparate without thinking! Cool!
Savoring the thought of his new power, George closed his eyes, wondering what he was going to do next with his awesome ability. When he opened them, the hordes of girls were gone, chasing after the blue Pygmy Puff, which looked back at George with a terrified and betrayed look in its eyes. He flinched as he saw Verity walking towards him with a purposeful stride he knew all too well. The filthy cheater! George thought angrily.
Glancing around, Fred tried to get his bearings. Try as he might to feed himself the Apparation theory, he knew something was very, very wrong here. Almost unwillingly, afraid of what he might see, Fred glanced over to where he saw George standing near the Pygmy Puff cage, looking rather stunned. Verity was walking over to him.
George didn’t quite know what he expected Verity to do to him after she had reached him with that seductive look in her eyes- all he knew was that Verity was up to no good and there would be trouble. However, the last thing he expected was for Verity to press herself against him and passionately lock her small lips on his.
Fred felt his mouth fall open as anger and pain coated with pure shock filled him. He wanted to call out, “Verity, my sweet!” but he seriously doubted that the words would leave his mouth, which felt like sandpaper. Even then, what difference would it make?
As Fred reached up to feel his forehead to see if he was running a fever, he noticed a small freckle that he had never seen before, barely distinguishable from all the others, on the side of his hand. “Where did that come--,” Fred asked aloud before his voice broke off in shock. He did know that freckle. It was the one and only physical difference that separated him from his brother. Only I don’t have that freckle! Fred thought frantically. George does!
His brain swirling wildly, Fred noticed the small, dark bottle that lay broken on his feet, the contents everywhere. Picking it up, Fred read in small letters aloud with a sinking feeling, “Zonko’s Body-Switching Potion- To Be Kept Firmly Capped At All Times.” Suddenly Fred understood everything- the bottle must have broken all over George’s foot and got on his skin, causing the two twins to switch bodies. Fred contemplated the problems and joys this scenario could potentially have. Except for the fact it would look like he was endorsing Zonko’s products, the twins were so alike it was unlikely anyone, even their mother, would notice a difference in their behavior. The only potential problem was…. did George recognize the switch? Judging by the expression on his face as Verity kissed him, Fred thought not.
George couldn’t believe it. Verity was such a filthy cheater! At first, he tried to resist, but Verity proved too eager. Within a few seconds though, George began noticing things, odd things; things like how Verity smelled like a refreshing mixture of fresh flowers and the back of the store, things like how Verity’s lips were soft and gentle yet her kiss passionate and true. Things like how Verity’s curvy body fit into him like two halves of a ripped paper heart with jagged edges. A choking feeling overcame George as some odd and profound sense of loyalty told him what he was feeling for his brother’s girlfriend. Breathlessly, he pushed Verity away.
Anger and rage flew through Fred as he watched George kiss Verity. Was it possible that George had initiated the body switch out of jealousy? Was his ulterior motive to make love with Verity? A few moments ago, Fred would have thought it was impossible for the brother he knew and loved so dearly to commit such a betrayal for a woman, but watching the look of what seemed like bliss on George’s face as he eased into Verity’s kiss, Fred realized the theory was probable and likely.
“What’s the matter, Freddy-kins?” Verity asked, her eyes wide and innocent.
“Freddy-kins?” George repeated incredulously. Suddenly, he realized why Verity had kissed him. George sighed; he was used to being mistaken for his twin, but it was annoying every time all the same. “I’m not”,” Suddenly, George broke off, staring at the small metal nametag on his magenta robes that so clearly said “Fred” on it. Could it be that the impossible option he so easily dismissed was true? In an instant, George realized that this freaky, impossible body switch held the answers to all his problems. He got that special, nervous yet excited jive that only came from a good prank.
“I’m not crazy about that nickname,” George whispered softly in a desperate attempt to finish the sentence he started, telling the most blatant lie he had ever told. Not crazy about that nickname? He was surprised none of his ribs had cracked from trying not to laugh.
Fred stood frozen, his hands still on the bottle. Sighing, he wrapped it in the lace-edged, flower-printed handkerchief Verity had given them on their one-month anniversary, and frantically, began waving his hands in the air. “What are you doing?” he mouthed at his brother.
George sighed. He knew exactly what his brother was saying, and realized his plan would be harder than it seemed. The Weasley twins had a closer relationship than pretty much any other siblings in the world. George had never, ever played a major prank on anyone without his brother’s help, forget about playing a trick on Fred. The thought was unthinkable. Suddenly, George thought about his trick “ and the consequences it could have “ in a new light. He thought of telling Verity about the odd, unintentional yet still handy body switch, but as he remembered the sight of Verity and Ernesto Zonko in the closet, he realized, It’s for the better.
As Verity rambled on and on about something silly and utterly pointless, like the company’s quarterly revenue, George let his mind wander. How was he going to chuck Verity? George wasn’t the most experienced when it came to women, or at least when it came to steady relationships. He had entertained many, many young and beautiful girls in his short life, but the relationships had all been broken off by petty things like George finding another girl or mutual disagreement. Suddenly, as he eyed the lace-edged blouse that Verity wore under her open magenta robes, an idea formed in George’s mind.
Fred thought his ears were deceiving him when he heard George squeal in an extremely high and girly voice, “I like, love, your shirt. Where did you get it?” He knew something was up “ his brother would never be caught dead saying something like that! Unless… Fred gasped as he realized George would never be caught saying that; in all technicalities, those fatal feminine words were uttered from the lips of Fred Weasley.
“Oh, you do, don’t you?” Verity said in a deep and seductive voice, moving the lace slightly to offer George a better view of her already impressive-looking chest.
Damn, wrong approach! George thought frantically. His face flushed a little, and in one breath, he yelled in a strangled voice, “Verity, I’m gay!”
Do I really need to describe the reactions of all who heard this announcement? Wow, George thought as an explosion of shouts and yells similar to the volume nuclear warfare rang out, I should go into whatever they call those mundane moving Muggle picture-box thingies. I’m a good actor.
“What did you mean by that?” Fred asked in a livid and dangerous way as they were preparing to close up the store hours after George’s “confession”. The two had still not found a way to switch back bodies, and George hadn’t spoken to Fred since he had come out of the closet, or so everyone thought.
Fred was furious. His brother had managed to somehow switch their bodies, make out with his girlfriend, and tell what seemed like the entire world that he was gay; which needless to say, caused that said gorgeous girlfriend to dump him. Fred wanted to get back into his body before George could make the situation any worse (although that didn’t seem possible!), but he knew once he was himself again, his life would be pure and utter hell.
“Look, Fred- er, George,” George said quietly. He didn’t want anyone to know he and his brother had switched bodies, as that could lead to awkward questions, yet it felt uncanny to be addressing himself. “I had a reason for that.”
“So, are you really…” Fred’s voice trailed off, hoping that George’s confession was false.
“NO!” replied George quickly. “I just… wanted to dump Verity for you!”
“You WHAT?” Fred replied. He was beginning to like the first option. “Why?”
“Well…” George paused. He knew he never had great eloquence to begin with. His way of coming out of the closet, though fake, had been one of the worst confessions in history. Now, how was he going to tell his twin brother, who he cared about more than anyone in the world, that the love of his life was a nasty, lying cheat without breaking his heart?
“Follow me,” George said in the gentlest way a Weasley twin possibly could. He led his brother to the supply closet, where he just knew he would find Verity and Ernesto snuggled against the Peruvian Darkness Powder and Decoy Detoners. Opening the door, the Weasley brothers found the two lovers well… making love. After performing Memory Charms on the staring ten-year old girls who still lingered in the store (the twins felt that the preteens shouldn’t be exposed to such a mature sight at such a young age) and giving adequate time for the two love-birds to put all their clothes back on, George entered the storeroom and told the entire tale.
Fred felt nothing but numb as he listened to George tell of how he had caught Verity and Ernesto snogging, and of how the twins had accidentally switched bodies. Fred explained about the potion, which he guessed must have gotten inside George’s trainers after he spilled the bottle, and pulled it out. With a sad smile, Fred noticed the handkerchief was ruined. A few days ago, he would have treasured the horrendous piece of cheap fabric, the token of his and Verity’s so-called love, somewhere up there with his life. Now, however, it meant nothing to him.
“Wait a moment,” George said slowly, trying carefully to move the cloth covering the label without getting the watery brown potion on his hands. “This is a Zonko’s product. We don’t see anything made by Zonko’s.” He glared accusingly at Ernesto.
“I admit it,” Ernesto said, his dark eyes flashing. “Verity told me about one the cretin she was going out with. She said she hated him, but didn’t have the heart to chuck him. I brought the potion with me as I came to the store today, and hid it in a box. I meant to switch bodies with Fred, make it look like Fred fired Verity and broke up with her, and then take my sweet Ver and leave, but the other twin beat me to it.”
George stared. “It was an accident!” he said. “I never would have purposely switched bodies with Fred to take his girlfriend! Fred, don’t you see I only made it look like you had broken up with Verity to save you. I knew she was bad news and I was only trying to save you!”
“I believe you,” Fred said intensely. “I know you would never do that.” To Ernesto, he said, “Now, what’s the reverse for this body switching spell?”
For a second, neither twin thought Ernesto was going to answer as a shadow of hatred closed over his swarthy face, but then he said, “It automatically reverses in twenty four hours.”
Both brothers sighed simultaneously. Then, Fred grabbed his brother’s hand and pulled him to the back of the store. “Goodbye!” he called to Ernesto and Verity with mock kindness. “It was nice to see you-- not! Don’t stop by again! Verity, you can keep your employee robes “ I’ll clear out your employee locker and send you your stuff.” Fred tried to stifle a laugh as he imagined their family’s feeble owl, Errol, trying to pick up Verity’s huge, over-stuffed designer leather bag, make-up box and diamond jewelry. “Have a nice life!”
A few minutes later, George stood in the now empty, closed store as he watched his brother lock all the doors using his wand. The two brothers had decided to deal with the fact they were living in each other’s bodies for nearly the entire next working day by taking a vacation. They were about to Apparate to Aruba, but before they left, George had one more thing to get off his chest.
“Hey, Fred,” he said. “I’m sorry for causing this huge mess.”
“No, it’s my fault for getting in so deep with Verity. She was coming between us and she was trouble,” Fred responded.
“Yeah,” George had to agree. “Next time you want a girl to come between us, could you make an effort to choose a nice one?”
Fred laughed. “George, the thing is, I don’t want another girl to come between us. I don’t need one, really. I didn't realize it until I met Verity, but the brotherly ties that bind are a lot stronger than any relationship I'll ever have with a girl. I’m happy as I am.”
George was deeply touched by his brother’s statements, but he didn’t want the situation to become too mushy. “You know, instead of going to Aruba, we could always go to a topless beach,” he said.
“Nah,” Fred responded. “Seriously, George, now that Verity’s gone, it’s like I have my life back. I’m not afraid of what she’ll say or do anymore.” He paused, and then added, “And you know what? It’s good to be back.”