RP: Suitable Punishments and Store Openings

[anon_george]

Date: 24 May 2003
Character(s): Fred Weasley, George Weasley, et all.
Location: WWW REDUX
Status: Public
Summary: Finally...
Completion: Incomplete

Comments

[anon_james]

James was not looking forward to this, and not a little because he had no clue what the twins were planning. He didn't think they'd actually call the authorities--there were authorities in Annwn?--but he was quite sure they'd come up with something horribly appropriate.

For a while there he'd been wondering why they hadn't done anything yet, and working with Fred and George had been an interesting little dance of laughter and reminders that punishment would come, but no guarantee as to when. At least until they'd talked to him yesterday. Then it had become very clear that what they intended involved a great deal of public humiliation at the grand opening. So he thought it deserved a little bit of nervousness. As it was, it felt like his stomach would twist itself in half and then come up his throat.

James approached the Redux building, and couldn't help but grin just a little for a moment as he thought about how it'd looked flashing with the graffiti. Of course, in his memories the graffiti was a bit blurry, but that was to be expected considering how drunk he'd been.

Sticking his head inside the door, James called out, rather tentatively, "Hello?"

If I'm lucky, they won't be here....

[anon_cedric]

Cedric wasn't what someone could cal happy when he got James letter. Something about the owl hadn't added up to Cedric. Why would James have to talk to him and why, most of all, at the WWW Redux building of all places? But Cedric went there anyway.

It's not like he was avoiding James, of course. James and he had a good old time drunk. The graffiti from the bomb they had set off had been washed off and there was no sign it had ever been there. Maybe James had came to his senses when he sobered up and washed it off before anyone saw.

Cedric doubted that as he stopped outside the shop and knocked.

[anon_george]

George ushered Cedric into the dreaded back room of doom before he ushered James and Cedric into chairs, then sat on the edge of the desk and looked over at his erstwhile brother. This was going to be fun and he wanted to give Fred an ear splitting grin. Instead, he kept his features schooled and looked at the two perpetrators of what George liked to call the graffiti bomb on the side of the building event. Okay, with the news that he and Katie were...you know, he wasn't feeling very creative.

Still, the boys did deserve some type of punishment and if nothing else, George was still good at dealing out consequences. He glanced over at the two men, then crossed his arms and smiled. "So as you know, there was a graffiti bomb set off on our wall a few weeks ago. While Fred and I appreciate the prank, the problem is that the prank was pulled against us and we can't abide by that." He stood again and went to stand behind the two men, gripping the high back of each of their chairs while he said, "We know it was the two of you who did this while on a bender. We also know that we can't let you get away with this."

[anon_fred]

Fred had to work hard to keep his grin from breaking the would-be somber and serious climate that had been established in the office, purely for effect in getting back with the tossers now sitting in the two chairs like students caught out after hours at Hogwarts. Keeping his face in the proper lines to keep it going, he placed two boxes on the desk, before he glanced to George, as if letting him know that the preparations were in order and all that needed now was really just the order to execute them…

“We’ve discussed the appropriate consequences for this to great lengths,” Fred picked up where George stopped, “weighing in the different factors such as the timing of the incidence merely a few weeks prior to the grand opening, the effort and physical work put into restoring the building, the signal such… decorations sends to the potential shoppers, the loss of income that might effect, not to mention the added strain of answering enquiries about the nature of that wall.” He looked to George with a sigh shaking his head as if in regret. “And it’s come to a rather dear cost… for you two, and it will have to be settled today.”

[anon_james]

James couldn't help feeling a bit like he'd felt years and years ago the first time he'd ever been caught at a prank at Hogwarts. Over the years, sitting in the Headmaster's office had sort of lost its intimidating aura after the first few times. By the end of his first year, it hadn't been a big deal anymore. Sitting in front of a stoic-looking Fred and George, however, managed to bring back that feeling.

And you're older than they are, he thought to himself wryly.

At length, after both George and Fred had gone through their speeches--neither of which sounded good, and James had the idea he wouldn't enjoy this punishment in the least--he cleared his throat and said in a sheepish voice, "Have I mentioned I'm really sorry? I'm sure Cedric is sorry too. You're sorry, right, Cedric?"

And he did his very best to look very sorry and pathetic and not worthy of anything too terrible.

[anon_cedric]

Cedric nodded numbly. "Very sorry. It was wrong. We shouldn't... done that."

He wanted to kick James now for making it impossible not to know that it was them that set off the graffiti. "Hufflepuff Champion" and "Prongs" was just much too obvious. Couldn't he have done something more anonymous?

"But we have what's coming to us," Cedric quickly added, wishing it weren't true. With these two who knew what they had in mind to begin with? Public embarrassment probably wasn't sufficient. But if they could appreciate pranks than made it would be something... in line with what they had done. Something not too serious. Yes with the twins it probably will be one day of embarrassment and then over with. Or at least Cedric hoped.

[anon_george]

"The way we see it is that this is not only our store but also home to several people and imagine the way they felt to know their home was attacked." George frowned, then walked over to stand next to Fred. "We've done nothing but be kind to you James and this is how you repay us. By pulling a prank on us when we're getting ready to open the store."

He tsked, then looked at the two miscreants before he pointed out. "The worse part about it is that the two of you made it so easy to catch you." He crossed his arms. "Which makes us want to punish you even worse because..." George looked over at James. "You especially should know better than to leave your signature."

"Therefore, we had to think long and hard about your punishment and we've come up with something Fred and I are going to thoroughly enjoy." He glanced over at Fred and smiled before he looked at the two of them again. "We've decided the two of you are going to be clowns for the day and product tester extraordinaries."

[anon_fred]

Fred picked up the two boxes on the desk, handing one to each of them. He couldn’t help but smirk as he let go of each of the all-too-innocent looking boxes. “In here, you’ll find your Crazy Clown Cosmetics. Just swallow,” he handed them each a glass of water. “And you’ll be properly outfitted for your job today.” And the next twentyfour hours, he added in his mind, but… there was no reason in informing them of that just yet.

“It’s your job that no customers will go unserviced, whether it be by showing them how the things work or bringing them drinks or food. And even more important: Politeness. We want you to be the posterchildren for good behavior, though not once do we want to see bored people. We want them entertained, informed and buying. Got it?”

[anon_james]

Clowns? Clowns? James gave the box Fred handed him a look, one that clearly said he had not been looking forward to public humiliation.

"It wasn't an attack," he said to George, his tone somewhere between sheepish and indignant. Really, calling it an attack was a little much. It was just good, drunken fun. Maybe not well-thought-out fun, or even very smart fun, but just drunken fun. Certainly not an attack.

He did blush when George said they'd made it so easy to catch them. Somehow at the time it hadn't seemed like a bad idea, it'd been perfectly reasonable to think that using "Prongs" and "the Hufflepuff Champion" would hide their identities sufficiently. Now, of course, he knew that had just been the muddled thinking of a plastered mind.

Taking the glass of water, James listened, and winced. Public humiliation in droves. Clowns, demonstrating the products, entertainment, and somehow all while also being good. Which was a stretch for him on a normal day. "Got it," he muttered, giving the box a glare that he didn't dare give to either of his employers.

[anon_cedric]

Cedric had to resist shooting James a glare when George said they made it easy to catch them. That was James' fault not his. But of course, he was guilty too... even if just be association.

As he listened, he cringed as the twins spoke. He was going to dress up like a clown? He wasn't a clown! It wasn't quite fair, but he didn't argue. He knew he had this coming to him. He knew he deserved "punishment" and he was quite sorry for what he and James had done. They had actually broke the law by vandalizing the building.

He nodded. "I got it," he said in a firm and honest voice. He had to dress up like a clown, be a good boy by entertaining and getting the customers to buy products. That wasn't hard. He suppose it could be worse that was for sure. Like getting the authorities involved. He should be thanking them.

"I'll do my best."