FIC: Under My Umbrella [Mandy/George, Theodore/Rose]
Title: Under My Umbrella
Author: nightfalltwen
Prompt: # O20
Pairing(s): Mandy/George, Theodore/Rose
Word Count: 5050
Rating: PG-13
Warning(s): Age disparity with one pairing
Disclaimer: Harry Potter characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Notes: This story is not compliant to TCC or any Pottermore canon as I don't consider either to be real canon. Special thankyou to my lovely beta.
Summary: Welcome to Mandy Brocklehurst's Magically Enchanted Umbrella Emporium. They protect you from the rain but what else do they do?
2010
Number 92 Diagon Alley stood in direct contrast to number 93. This wasn't surprising to most as nearly all of the buildings in Diagon, no matter how fantastic their contents, were in stark contrast to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes and the bright facade that graced its exterior. Number 92, however, had once held a small second hand shop for old, outgrown students robes and people looking to consign old models of broomsticks. The shop had closed up during the dark times of the Ministry and when the war was over, the building remained vacant for more than a decade.
"I don't know, Mandy." Michael ran his finger along a glass display case, taking up a thick coating of dust. "You're the one of the best charms reversal witches they have at St Mungo's. You're going to give it up for a shop?"
Mandy rolled her eyes and folded the lease agreement, tucking it into her purse. All of her friends thought she was mad. Michael and Terry especially. But she was just so tired of doing what was expected of her. She was good at charms, brilliant rather, and by all rights she was excelling at her job. But she felt empty. She didn't love what she was doing and every morning she woke up with a sense of dread in her stomach. For a while the dread would often fade by lunch, but soon it became a constant turmoil inside her gut.
And there were only so many antacid tablets she could take in a day.
"Gran told me to find something that would make me happy. So I'm doing just that," Mandy explained. "And maybe I won't succeed, but I'm going to enjoy trying."
Michael gave her a look and a nod, but she knew he didn't really get it. He was far too much of a Ravenclaw to understand that she wanted to take the risk. Nearly all of her friends did and were. It was just unfathomable to them that she would voluntarily choose to leave a career like the one she had at the hospital. It was akin to learning things before you were supposed to and that was the trait of a Hermione-type and not a proper Ravenclaw. But none of them knew. She'd never told them that the hat had considered Gryffindor for her before placing her with the other eagles and somewhere deep inside Mandy always wondered if it had made a mistake.
"You'll see, Michael." Mandy smiled, leaning on the dusty counter and putting her signature on the lease agreement she'd brought with her. "If anything, at least I'll be able to tell people that I tried.."
2026
It was the sort of day that no one really enjoyed. The clouds moved rapidly across the sky in such a way that the weather went from sun to pouring rain in a matter of minutes. Another typical day in early April and the Londoners that marched along the city streets kept their umbrellas hooked over their elbows, ready to unfurl at the next 'first drop' of rain. Rose Weasley stood in a covered doorway, paper cup in one hand and plastic lid in the other as she blew softly across the foamy top of her drink. The people passing her by spared no second glance and as the rain started to fall, she was blocked from view by a swaying sea of black (and occasionally red or blue) arched fabric.
By the time the downpour had finished, Rose had left the safety of her spot and returned to Diagon Alley. She hurried down the cobblestones, dodging puddles and the daily push of witches and wizards looking for products to buy.
"Are you looking for anything specific?" she asked a woman as she stepped into the shop, tossing her wet bag and cloak behind the cash counter and smoothing down her wild hair. "We just put out the spring collection. Ms Mandy has some lovely ones with charms that warm your face and make you feel like you're walking in a field of flowers instead of puddles."
She flashed a smile and gave Trixie, the other shopgirl, a nod as she led the customer over to a display of soft green umbrellas with tulips and wildflowers all around the outer edge. And because no one in Mandy Brocklehurst's Magically Enchanted Umbrella Emporium subscribed to the notion that it was improper or unlucky to open an umbrella inside, Rose encouraged the woman to try out a few of the models. Finally they settled on one with lilies for herself and another with rainbows for her daughter.
"Since you don't like showing up on time for your shift," Trixie said as Rose handed the wrapped umbrellas to the customer, "and since I have an incredible third date planned with Nathaniel... you wouldn't mind dragging out the old stock from the basement, would you?"
Rose opened her mouth to point out that Mandy had already asked Trixie to bring the boxes of old stock upstairs two days ago. Twice. But seeing as her coworker did have a point and this really hadn't been the first time that Rose had been late nor would it likely be the last, she decided that the easiest course of action was to acquiesce. Trixie could go on her incredible third date with Nathaniel and Rose could relax in knowing that her occasional tardiness wouldn't be a bone of contention between the two of them.
"Don't mind at all," she said and twisted up her hair, sticking her wand into the curls to hold it in place. "I'll be back in a bit.'
Twenty minutes later, Rose was still sorting through the boxes in the storage room below the shop. Everything was meticulously labeled and categorized by season or holiday. But each box had to be taken down and all the older models inside were to be removed from their wrappings and set aside so they could be de-charmed and redone with some of the new spells that Mandy had developed in recent years.
Rose had already broken two nails. No wonder Trixie had been avoiding the task.
Stepping onto a stool, she reached for another old box, but stopped when she saw a small stack of unboxed, rather plain looking, umbrellas tucked away behind it. She stood on her toes and carefully tugged them out from behind the box one at a time. None of them had labels; not even the little description cards that came with all the other umbrellas that were sold in the shop. That in itself was unusual since Mandy was always such a stickler for her labels. Rose hooked them on her elbow and returned to the shop above.
"Has Mandy come in yet today?" she asked Trixie, setting down the unlabeled products.
"She's next-door helping your uncle with something," Trixie answered, not looking up from the till receipts she was sorting through.
Rose glanced toward the wall that separated Weasley's Wizard Wheezes from Mandy's emporium, but eventually decided that her question could ultimately wait until later. Instead she returned to her task, bringing all the old stock up into the shop. Trixie passed over a list. Some of the old stock was going to be placed on clearance (it was a good idea to have at least some discounted products available instead of just reusing old umbrellas with new spells), the rest was to be stripped of their charms and set aside.
"Wherever did you find these old things?" Trixie asked, opening up one of the mystery umbrellas that Rose had brought up.
"They were behind a box. I don't know what type they are."
Trixie pointed her wand at the handle to try and get the charm to reveal itself. Mandy's newer stock had back up spells that explained the umbrella type in the event of missing labels. This had been suggested and implemented after what Trixie described as The Great Macmillan Triplet Tornado of '22. Nothing appeared and when she attempted a simple sunshine charm (warm rays of sunshine to shine down when the umbrella was open), nothing would take. With a small shrug, she handed it back to Rose.
"They're charmed, I'm just not sure with what. We'll have to ask Mandy when she gets back," Trixie said.
And that had been the plan. The umbrellas were tucked away, both Trixie and Rose meaning to ask about them when Mandy returned to the store. But as the day progressed, the weather darkened - rain falling in decidedly heavier bursts as the afternoon wore on- and the customer traffic increased. Customers came into the store, first for shelter and then to discover the types of umbrellas that were sold. No one wanted to be reminded of the long grey, miserable spring days that lay ahead. Everyone wanted an escape and Mandy Brocklehurst's Magically Enchanted Umbrella Emporium was now providing this escape.
"The pair of unlabeled black ones," Rose asked as Trixie rang in the sale of a Sandy Summertime Beach for a customer. "The ones we were going to ask Mandy about? There's only one under the counter... where'd the other one go?"
Trixie paused for a moment before handing the change over to the witch with the beach umbrella. "I sold it."
"You did what?"
"There was this bloke. Super handsome. Suit and tie sort. He wanted a plain umbrella with no frills and we tried both of those black ones and nothing happened when either of them were opened. So I sold it as a defect."
"Trixie! You know Mandy doesn't like defective products leaving the store."
"I know, but he said he was fine with the spell not working and that he'd come back if there were any problems. It's no big deal. Mandy got the sale and we won't have to worry about the old stock."
Rose held out her hand to a young, pregnant, witch and rang up the purchase of a small Sugar & Spice or Snips & Snails parasol designed for the recent craze of gender revealing parties that had infiltrated the wizarding world from the muggle one. She supposed it wasn't so terrible that Trixie had sold the defective umbrella. If the spells didn't work, it would at least keep the man dry and that was its primary purpose after all.
Hopefully keeping someone dry was all it did.
2012
Mandy let out a shriek and shielded her face from the wild, snowy wind that now gusted about her workroom. It was her third attempt at creating a Winter Wonderland Escape and none of the tries (sleet the first time and shocking cold the second) had been successful. Now the umbrella seemed to have a mind of its own as it appeared to almost flap itself out of her reach, dumping more and more snow on the floor around her. Mandy pointed her wand to stop the magic, but the umbrella dodged every spell. So much for giving inanimate objects a bit of intelligence to have them know the intensity they should project.
"Keep distracting it!" A voice shouted from above the howling wind.
Mandy had no idea what was meant by that and could barely see above what was now becoming blizzard-like conditions in her workroom. There was another shout from above and she could just make out George Weasley as he leapt from a table, grabbing onto the handle of the umbrella and dragging it down with his weight. Once it was low enough and had no chance of being missed, Mandy pointed her wand and cast finite incantatem. All at once the winds died down and the remaining snow drifted to the floor. She stared at George as he brushed snow off his shoulders and out of his hair.
"How did you..."
"Get in here?" he finished her question. "There's a door under the stairs that goes into the Wheezes lab." George pointed to a door that had been pushed open, boxes shoved aside.
"I had no idea."
"Not many people do. We used to store products in here until they started looking for new tenants."
Mandy vanished away the remaining snow and walked over to the little alcove under the steps, peering through the open door. The lab on the other side was filled from floor to ceiling with boxes of stock as well as various cauldrons bubbling away and puffs of colourful smoke being vented up the chimney. She glanced back at George, just now noticing the blue smudge across his forehead. Her battle with the winter umbrella must have interrupted his own inventing.
"If you need some space," she said. "I don't have a lot of products just yet. You could move some of your things here and give yourself a bit more space."
George opened his mouth and looked as if he was going to decline, but Mandy waved her hand, wanting to hear nothing of it. She was done with experiments for the day and proceeded to move a couple of work tables, conjuring a broom to sweep away the dust and spiders. In the end, George called down his children, putting them to work with the smaller boxes after introductions were made.
Angelina came later, briefly helping with a couple of the larger items before taking the kids with her.
"They're lovely children," Mandy said, watching as George worked on taking the door under the stairs off its hinges. While moving things they both decided it would just be easier if the rooms were open. George could have access to his stock more easily and if Mandy needed a hand with wayward umbrellas, George could pop by.
"I'll make sure they don't come over here and play with your things when they're visiting," George said.
"Visiting?"
"Angie and I parted ways about a year and a half ago." George said nonchalantly. "It just wasn't working. So the kids live with her in Brighton."
"Oh. Oh, I'm so sorry." Mandy awkwardly stooped to pick up a few wrapped toffees that had tumbled out of one of the boxes that Fred had toddled over from his dad's shop. She held them out to George.
"Don't be. I mean you can, of course. It's not exactly a happy fantastic thing to talk about. But it didn't end dramatically; we just realized it wasn't the right fit." George tucked the sweets into his pocket.
Mandy nodded and began erecting a number of shielding charms around the wheezes so that if things went awry on her end, none of his things would be damaged. She glanced over to George who had moved over to have a look at some of her newer umbrellas. She was particularly proud of the one he had started to open, smiling at the surprise on his face when sunlight started to shine down from the inside of the umbrella. When it rained, she'd always enjoyed imagining that she was on some sort of tropical beach, so creating an umbrella that made one feel like they were walking along a sunny, sandy shore was the first thing she'd attempted.
The result was rather ingenious if she said so herself.
George turned to look at her, a thoughtful look on his face. "We should collaborate on these sometime," he said, closing the summer sunshine umbrella.
"And have them explode confetti all over the shop?" Mandy chuckled. "I'm not sure if that's the best idea."
He ducked beneath the slope of the stairs and looked back at her from the opening between his lab and hers. "Just... think about it."
2026
"I thought you put the Birthday Surprise! up high enough so that little fingers couldn't get their hands on them," Rose said, trying to brush the confetti and streamers out of her hair.
Trixie waved her wand at a small flock of parakeets that zoomed around the shop tweeting madly. "They were on the top shelf. But Mrs Longbottom's youngest really, really wanted it. Suddenly it was in her hands and she was opening it! I swear. Parents just don't watch their children. It drives me mad."
Trixie vanished a few birds that had alighted on a lampshade, still trying to catch the other four. Rose managed to get the confetti and streamers cleaned up, resetting the charms on Birthday Surprise! before placing it away and out of sight. Trixie managed to catch the last of the parakeets, muttering something about the use of avis charms indoors as she put away the blue umbrella that had spawned the tweeting hoard. As she passed the front door, she flipped around the open sign and twisted the little bolt that locked the door.
"Go," Rose said, opening the daily ledger and the cash drawer. "Go have your incredible third date with Nathaniel. I still wanted to talk to Mandy about those unlabelled umbrellas I found. I can close the store."
Trixie brightened, letting out a little squeal of excitement and darting forward to give Rose a hug. Once she'd gathered her things and left, Rose started tallying up the day. Outside the sky went dark again and rain started to come down in sheets. Leaving the ledger behind, Rose drew up close to the window, peering down the alley through the rivulets of water that had now begun to stream down the glass.
This time it didn't look like the darker weather would subside anytime soon.
Counting all the coins, Rose made up the deposit for the store, tucking it all into a bag and digging the store's vault key out from beneath the register. Walking to Gringott's was usually not an ordeal. It wasn't terribly far from the shop and she didn't even mind the queue as she waited to deposit the shop's sales. But she dreaded going outside today, especially with how the weather was behaving and desperately wished that she could apparate. For years no one had been able to apparate in or out of the bank; it was a security thing and had been for what felt like forever. Even if she popped herself to just outside the bank's security wards, she'd still be in the rain and there would be no difference. She might as well just walk the whole way.
Looking over to the wall behind the counter, she saw the black umbrella she'd brought upstairs from the storage room, its pair sold to the 'suit and tie' type. Taking an unsold product wasn't strictly frowned upon. Mandy didn't ever seem to mind. But she did like to know when either Rose or Trixie had taken one. Scribbling a quick note for Mandy, Rose grabbed her jacket and purse.
Outside the rain still came down in sheets. Water had already begun to pool around the drains in the middle of the alley, the pipes struggling to keep up. None of the shops were in danger; the Diagon Alley Business Association had made sure all storefronts had flood protection charms on them. But that didn't make walking down the street any easier or very much fun. So Rose sat down on the driest step in front of the shop and took a moment to charm her shoes to keep dry.
"Mind if I join you for the walk?"
Rose looked up and smiled. "Not at all."
Theodore Nott held out his elbow, tipping the large black umbrella to shield her. The rain pattered heavily against the open canopy and she knew from the angle that the other side of his body was most likely getting soaked in the downpour. Rose glanced at him and shook her head with a wry expression.
"Suit and tie type... I wondered if it was you." She looked up at the open ribs of the umbrella. "You know we don't know what this one does, don't you?"
"I wasn't terribly concerned."
"Because you have an in with one of the shop girls?"
"Exactly."
2014
"Don't crowd," Mandy chided with a smile. "I have one for everyone."
She started passing out the small umbrellas, telling each of the children from Roxanne to little Lily that they were to wait until her signal before they opened them. Though she should have known better because it only took a few minutes until James was teasing his brother and suddenly there were bangs and puffs of smoke and confetti going everywhere and with two Birthday Surprise! umbrellas already going off it was only a matter of time before everyone's was.
"What's all this?" George's voice came from the front door of his shop.
"Happy Birthday!!" a chorus of tiny voices shouted from amongst the shower of confetti and ribbons.
George looked around the joke shop at the mess, then the children and then finally Mandy. He started to laugh. "So I see how it is," he chuckled. "We collaborate on one project and suddenly all the mess has to be on my side? In my shop?"
Mandy held out a cone hat to Hugo and told Rose to help him put it on. "You're the one who insisted on the collaboration. And kept coming over." She pointed her wand at the cash counter and levitated a cake from a shelf behind it, letting it float across the room as candles started to attach themselves to it in every which manner.
George blew out the candles. "And my wonderful siblings and siblings-in-law?"
"At your mother and father's house setting up for your birthday supper. I volunteered to keep the kids entertained."
"Look, Uncle George!" Lucy waddled across the room with two large black umbrellas in her arms. "Regular brollies!"
"Lucy-doodle," George took the umbrellas from his niece and held them out for inspection. "Not regular. I don't think there is an umbrella or parasol or person in the emporium next-door that could be considered anything but extraordinary."
Mandy felt her face flush. Over the last couple of years, working with George had been a pleasure. They had such an easy camaraderie with one another and she enjoyed his company and his humour. She was constantly impressed with his ability to look on the bright side of things especially after how his life had been so drastically changed by the war and she had a sneaking suspicion that the children helped him a lot with that. In the last few months, Mandy had felt her feelings shift from easy friendship to a desire for something more. But she'd kept that to herself, not wanting to impose herself or change the dynamic between them.
He had an ex. He had children to keep him busy. He couldn't be looking for the start of a relationship at this point.
"So what do they do?" George's voice cut through Mandy's thoughts.
"Sorry?"
"The umbrellas. I just tried opening one and nothing happened. Was Lucy right? Have they not been charmed yet?"
Mandy looked at the black umbrella in his hand and then cast her eyes around until she saw the mate being ridden like a broom by Louis while his sisters played on the floor with a couple of pygmy puffs. She hurried over and traded him the umbrella for a bag of gobstones, shooing him off to play with Albus and Hugo. She carried the umbrella back over to where George was now crouched, wiping some black powder off of Lily's cheek and telling her that it's not a good idea to cover her face in Peruvian Instant Darkness. He tucked the handkerchief into his pocket and sent the little girl off to play.
"Open that one," Mandy said, pointing at the umbrella he'd been holding moments ago.
George complied, twirling it over his shoulder and whistling a few bars of 'Singing in the Rain' as he did so. Mandy took a deep breath and opened the second umbrella, resting it against her shoulder. She reached out and touched his arm, his skin warm against her fingertips. Looking up, Mandy watched the black fabric of the umbrella and waited. A few moments passed and she carefully pulled her hand back.
"Is it supposed to do something?" George asked.
"It is... well it should have..." Mandy felt her face going hot and stumbled over her words. "It doesn't matter. Maybe it doesn't work just yet. I might not have gotten the spells right."
George's eyebrows knit together.
Holding out her hand, Mandy took back the umbrella and excused herself. She hurried from the room, heading down to his lab and then through the little doorway into her own storeroom. Grabbing a chair, she took the two umbrellas and shoved them high on a shelf behind another few boxes. She leaned her head against the edge of the shelf, eyes closed. What on earth had she been trying to do?
"Mandy?" George spoke from the doorway under the stairs.
"I'll be right up. I was just putting those away." She heard him approach and slowly got off the chair. "Lucy was probably right. They're just regular umbrellas. It's silly. They were supposed to change colour under certain circumstances. And they didn't. So it probably wasn't charmed properly."
George tilted his head. "I highly doubt that. Over the last handful of years I've not once seen you charm something improperly. What were the circumstances?"
Mandy winced slightly and tried to find something else to look at besides his inquisitive expression. "The person you were meant to spend your life with," she said, barely audible.
"Sorry?"
Mandy sighed and finally met his gaze. "The person you were meant to be with. It's silly. It was supposed to turn from black to red. They were going to be for the summer wedding season or for Valentine's day... I had this whole line of products thought out and I thought it would work because, I thought we might..." She trailed off.
Of all the responses she'd been preparing herself, George bursting out into laughter was not one she'd expected. Mandy felt a bubble of shame creep up into the middle of her chest and she frowned at him, folding her arms across her chest. George saw her expression and waved his hands, trying to collect himself and keep her from running from the room.
"I'm sorry," he said, pressing a hand to his side.
"Well it's not funny. It's embarrassing," Mandy said a bit more tartly than she would have liked.
"No... It's a little funny." George stepped closer and touched her elbow. "I've been trying to pluck up the courage to ask you out for weeks." He dipped his head to get her to look at him. "Mandy, I don't need some umbrella to tell me that I'd like to try and see what we have. Do you?"
Mandy looked toward the shelf where she'd stacked the failed romantic umbrellas. He was right. The umbrella's spell was probably off anyway. One attempt and she was giving up? What sort of Ravenclaw would she be if she gave up after one try? That's not how they learned things.
"I do."
There was a cheer from the little door under the stairs and Mandy spun around to see Roxanne and Fred peeking into her workroom, the rest of their cousins poking their heads through to see as well.
"Kiss her, Dad!" Fred stage whispered from the doorway. "Now's the time!"
And it was. And he did.
Who needed love predicting umbrellas anyway?
2026
"Sales were good today?" Theodore asked as they walked, carefully sidestepping the larger of the puddles that had collected on the cobblestones.
"Are you asking as the accounts manager for Mandy Brocklehurst's Magically Enchanted Umbrella Emporium?" Rose stepped closer to him to avoid a witch plowing through the rain with her head down. "Or as someone who has become quite intimate with one of its employees and is hoping she'll be in a good mood tonight?"
He took a turn, clamping his arm a little tighter around her hand so that she was tugged along with him. Rose let herself be maneuvered into the little alcove, let him press her up against the wall, let him kiss her possessively. When the tryst between her and Theodore had started, she'd been so surprised. She was newly twenty and visiting his office at the bank to look after Mandy's books while she was on holiday with Uncle George. Theodore was a handsome man, far too much older than her and somehow she just didn't care. He treated her well and she knew it likely wouldn't go anywhere serious and that was alright.
"You're keeping me from making this deposit..." she said, sighing as his lips pressed to her neck.
"You have an in with the business accounts manager," Theodore said gruffly, his hand skimming under her blouse to slide over the arch of her back.
"A business account manager that forgets to set his alarm in the morning and makes me late for work." Rose said. She placed her hand against the middle of his chest and gave a bit of a shove. "Let me do the deposit. I'll be by your flat afterward."
She lifted the umbrella she'd taken from the shop and started to open it. When it was unfurled, the black started to fade away and change from black to grey to red. Theodore looked up at his own umbrella still resting against his shoulder and watched it match the colour of hers. He gave it a quizzical look and then shot Rose the same expression.
Rose twirled the bright red umbrella over her shoulder, making a plan to talk with Mandy about the meaning behind the colour change. "Well, at least we know they're not broken."
She darted forward and kissed him under the pair of red umbrellas. In the morning she would ask about the charms and perhaps, just perhaps, it would change everything.
Author: nightfalltwen
Prompt: # O20
Pairing(s): Mandy/George, Theodore/Rose
Word Count: 5050
Rating: PG-13
Warning(s): Age disparity with one pairing
Disclaimer: Harry Potter characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Notes: This story is not compliant to TCC or any Pottermore canon as I don't consider either to be real canon. Special thankyou to my lovely beta.
Summary: Welcome to Mandy Brocklehurst's Magically Enchanted Umbrella Emporium. They protect you from the rain but what else do they do?
2010
Number 92 Diagon Alley stood in direct contrast to number 93. This wasn't surprising to most as nearly all of the buildings in Diagon, no matter how fantastic their contents, were in stark contrast to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes and the bright facade that graced its exterior. Number 92, however, had once held a small second hand shop for old, outgrown students robes and people looking to consign old models of broomsticks. The shop had closed up during the dark times of the Ministry and when the war was over, the building remained vacant for more than a decade.
"I don't know, Mandy." Michael ran his finger along a glass display case, taking up a thick coating of dust. "You're the one of the best charms reversal witches they have at St Mungo's. You're going to give it up for a shop?"
Mandy rolled her eyes and folded the lease agreement, tucking it into her purse. All of her friends thought she was mad. Michael and Terry especially. But she was just so tired of doing what was expected of her. She was good at charms, brilliant rather, and by all rights she was excelling at her job. But she felt empty. She didn't love what she was doing and every morning she woke up with a sense of dread in her stomach. For a while the dread would often fade by lunch, but soon it became a constant turmoil inside her gut.
And there were only so many antacid tablets she could take in a day.
"Gran told me to find something that would make me happy. So I'm doing just that," Mandy explained. "And maybe I won't succeed, but I'm going to enjoy trying."
Michael gave her a look and a nod, but she knew he didn't really get it. He was far too much of a Ravenclaw to understand that she wanted to take the risk. Nearly all of her friends did and were. It was just unfathomable to them that she would voluntarily choose to leave a career like the one she had at the hospital. It was akin to learning things before you were supposed to and that was the trait of a Hermione-type and not a proper Ravenclaw. But none of them knew. She'd never told them that the hat had considered Gryffindor for her before placing her with the other eagles and somewhere deep inside Mandy always wondered if it had made a mistake.
"You'll see, Michael." Mandy smiled, leaning on the dusty counter and putting her signature on the lease agreement she'd brought with her. "If anything, at least I'll be able to tell people that I tried.."
2026
It was the sort of day that no one really enjoyed. The clouds moved rapidly across the sky in such a way that the weather went from sun to pouring rain in a matter of minutes. Another typical day in early April and the Londoners that marched along the city streets kept their umbrellas hooked over their elbows, ready to unfurl at the next 'first drop' of rain. Rose Weasley stood in a covered doorway, paper cup in one hand and plastic lid in the other as she blew softly across the foamy top of her drink. The people passing her by spared no second glance and as the rain started to fall, she was blocked from view by a swaying sea of black (and occasionally red or blue) arched fabric.
By the time the downpour had finished, Rose had left the safety of her spot and returned to Diagon Alley. She hurried down the cobblestones, dodging puddles and the daily push of witches and wizards looking for products to buy.
"Are you looking for anything specific?" she asked a woman as she stepped into the shop, tossing her wet bag and cloak behind the cash counter and smoothing down her wild hair. "We just put out the spring collection. Ms Mandy has some lovely ones with charms that warm your face and make you feel like you're walking in a field of flowers instead of puddles."
She flashed a smile and gave Trixie, the other shopgirl, a nod as she led the customer over to a display of soft green umbrellas with tulips and wildflowers all around the outer edge. And because no one in Mandy Brocklehurst's Magically Enchanted Umbrella Emporium subscribed to the notion that it was improper or unlucky to open an umbrella inside, Rose encouraged the woman to try out a few of the models. Finally they settled on one with lilies for herself and another with rainbows for her daughter.
"Since you don't like showing up on time for your shift," Trixie said as Rose handed the wrapped umbrellas to the customer, "and since I have an incredible third date planned with Nathaniel... you wouldn't mind dragging out the old stock from the basement, would you?"
Rose opened her mouth to point out that Mandy had already asked Trixie to bring the boxes of old stock upstairs two days ago. Twice. But seeing as her coworker did have a point and this really hadn't been the first time that Rose had been late nor would it likely be the last, she decided that the easiest course of action was to acquiesce. Trixie could go on her incredible third date with Nathaniel and Rose could relax in knowing that her occasional tardiness wouldn't be a bone of contention between the two of them.
"Don't mind at all," she said and twisted up her hair, sticking her wand into the curls to hold it in place. "I'll be back in a bit.'
Twenty minutes later, Rose was still sorting through the boxes in the storage room below the shop. Everything was meticulously labeled and categorized by season or holiday. But each box had to be taken down and all the older models inside were to be removed from their wrappings and set aside so they could be de-charmed and redone with some of the new spells that Mandy had developed in recent years.
Rose had already broken two nails. No wonder Trixie had been avoiding the task.
Stepping onto a stool, she reached for another old box, but stopped when she saw a small stack of unboxed, rather plain looking, umbrellas tucked away behind it. She stood on her toes and carefully tugged them out from behind the box one at a time. None of them had labels; not even the little description cards that came with all the other umbrellas that were sold in the shop. That in itself was unusual since Mandy was always such a stickler for her labels. Rose hooked them on her elbow and returned to the shop above.
"Has Mandy come in yet today?" she asked Trixie, setting down the unlabeled products.
"She's next-door helping your uncle with something," Trixie answered, not looking up from the till receipts she was sorting through.
Rose glanced toward the wall that separated Weasley's Wizard Wheezes from Mandy's emporium, but eventually decided that her question could ultimately wait until later. Instead she returned to her task, bringing all the old stock up into the shop. Trixie passed over a list. Some of the old stock was going to be placed on clearance (it was a good idea to have at least some discounted products available instead of just reusing old umbrellas with new spells), the rest was to be stripped of their charms and set aside.
"Wherever did you find these old things?" Trixie asked, opening up one of the mystery umbrellas that Rose had brought up.
"They were behind a box. I don't know what type they are."
Trixie pointed her wand at the handle to try and get the charm to reveal itself. Mandy's newer stock had back up spells that explained the umbrella type in the event of missing labels. This had been suggested and implemented after what Trixie described as The Great Macmillan Triplet Tornado of '22. Nothing appeared and when she attempted a simple sunshine charm (warm rays of sunshine to shine down when the umbrella was open), nothing would take. With a small shrug, she handed it back to Rose.
"They're charmed, I'm just not sure with what. We'll have to ask Mandy when she gets back," Trixie said.
And that had been the plan. The umbrellas were tucked away, both Trixie and Rose meaning to ask about them when Mandy returned to the store. But as the day progressed, the weather darkened - rain falling in decidedly heavier bursts as the afternoon wore on- and the customer traffic increased. Customers came into the store, first for shelter and then to discover the types of umbrellas that were sold. No one wanted to be reminded of the long grey, miserable spring days that lay ahead. Everyone wanted an escape and Mandy Brocklehurst's Magically Enchanted Umbrella Emporium was now providing this escape.
"The pair of unlabeled black ones," Rose asked as Trixie rang in the sale of a Sandy Summertime Beach for a customer. "The ones we were going to ask Mandy about? There's only one under the counter... where'd the other one go?"
Trixie paused for a moment before handing the change over to the witch with the beach umbrella. "I sold it."
"You did what?"
"There was this bloke. Super handsome. Suit and tie sort. He wanted a plain umbrella with no frills and we tried both of those black ones and nothing happened when either of them were opened. So I sold it as a defect."
"Trixie! You know Mandy doesn't like defective products leaving the store."
"I know, but he said he was fine with the spell not working and that he'd come back if there were any problems. It's no big deal. Mandy got the sale and we won't have to worry about the old stock."
Rose held out her hand to a young, pregnant, witch and rang up the purchase of a small Sugar & Spice or Snips & Snails parasol designed for the recent craze of gender revealing parties that had infiltrated the wizarding world from the muggle one. She supposed it wasn't so terrible that Trixie had sold the defective umbrella. If the spells didn't work, it would at least keep the man dry and that was its primary purpose after all.
Hopefully keeping someone dry was all it did.
2012
Mandy let out a shriek and shielded her face from the wild, snowy wind that now gusted about her workroom. It was her third attempt at creating a Winter Wonderland Escape and none of the tries (sleet the first time and shocking cold the second) had been successful. Now the umbrella seemed to have a mind of its own as it appeared to almost flap itself out of her reach, dumping more and more snow on the floor around her. Mandy pointed her wand to stop the magic, but the umbrella dodged every spell. So much for giving inanimate objects a bit of intelligence to have them know the intensity they should project.
"Keep distracting it!" A voice shouted from above the howling wind.
Mandy had no idea what was meant by that and could barely see above what was now becoming blizzard-like conditions in her workroom. There was another shout from above and she could just make out George Weasley as he leapt from a table, grabbing onto the handle of the umbrella and dragging it down with his weight. Once it was low enough and had no chance of being missed, Mandy pointed her wand and cast finite incantatem. All at once the winds died down and the remaining snow drifted to the floor. She stared at George as he brushed snow off his shoulders and out of his hair.
"How did you..."
"Get in here?" he finished her question. "There's a door under the stairs that goes into the Wheezes lab." George pointed to a door that had been pushed open, boxes shoved aside.
"I had no idea."
"Not many people do. We used to store products in here until they started looking for new tenants."
Mandy vanished away the remaining snow and walked over to the little alcove under the steps, peering through the open door. The lab on the other side was filled from floor to ceiling with boxes of stock as well as various cauldrons bubbling away and puffs of colourful smoke being vented up the chimney. She glanced back at George, just now noticing the blue smudge across his forehead. Her battle with the winter umbrella must have interrupted his own inventing.
"If you need some space," she said. "I don't have a lot of products just yet. You could move some of your things here and give yourself a bit more space."
George opened his mouth and looked as if he was going to decline, but Mandy waved her hand, wanting to hear nothing of it. She was done with experiments for the day and proceeded to move a couple of work tables, conjuring a broom to sweep away the dust and spiders. In the end, George called down his children, putting them to work with the smaller boxes after introductions were made.
Angelina came later, briefly helping with a couple of the larger items before taking the kids with her.
"They're lovely children," Mandy said, watching as George worked on taking the door under the stairs off its hinges. While moving things they both decided it would just be easier if the rooms were open. George could have access to his stock more easily and if Mandy needed a hand with wayward umbrellas, George could pop by.
"I'll make sure they don't come over here and play with your things when they're visiting," George said.
"Visiting?"
"Angie and I parted ways about a year and a half ago." George said nonchalantly. "It just wasn't working. So the kids live with her in Brighton."
"Oh. Oh, I'm so sorry." Mandy awkwardly stooped to pick up a few wrapped toffees that had tumbled out of one of the boxes that Fred had toddled over from his dad's shop. She held them out to George.
"Don't be. I mean you can, of course. It's not exactly a happy fantastic thing to talk about. But it didn't end dramatically; we just realized it wasn't the right fit." George tucked the sweets into his pocket.
Mandy nodded and began erecting a number of shielding charms around the wheezes so that if things went awry on her end, none of his things would be damaged. She glanced over to George who had moved over to have a look at some of her newer umbrellas. She was particularly proud of the one he had started to open, smiling at the surprise on his face when sunlight started to shine down from the inside of the umbrella. When it rained, she'd always enjoyed imagining that she was on some sort of tropical beach, so creating an umbrella that made one feel like they were walking along a sunny, sandy shore was the first thing she'd attempted.
The result was rather ingenious if she said so herself.
George turned to look at her, a thoughtful look on his face. "We should collaborate on these sometime," he said, closing the summer sunshine umbrella.
"And have them explode confetti all over the shop?" Mandy chuckled. "I'm not sure if that's the best idea."
He ducked beneath the slope of the stairs and looked back at her from the opening between his lab and hers. "Just... think about it."
2026
"I thought you put the Birthday Surprise! up high enough so that little fingers couldn't get their hands on them," Rose said, trying to brush the confetti and streamers out of her hair.
Trixie waved her wand at a small flock of parakeets that zoomed around the shop tweeting madly. "They were on the top shelf. But Mrs Longbottom's youngest really, really wanted it. Suddenly it was in her hands and she was opening it! I swear. Parents just don't watch their children. It drives me mad."
Trixie vanished a few birds that had alighted on a lampshade, still trying to catch the other four. Rose managed to get the confetti and streamers cleaned up, resetting the charms on Birthday Surprise! before placing it away and out of sight. Trixie managed to catch the last of the parakeets, muttering something about the use of avis charms indoors as she put away the blue umbrella that had spawned the tweeting hoard. As she passed the front door, she flipped around the open sign and twisted the little bolt that locked the door.
"Go," Rose said, opening the daily ledger and the cash drawer. "Go have your incredible third date with Nathaniel. I still wanted to talk to Mandy about those unlabelled umbrellas I found. I can close the store."
Trixie brightened, letting out a little squeal of excitement and darting forward to give Rose a hug. Once she'd gathered her things and left, Rose started tallying up the day. Outside the sky went dark again and rain started to come down in sheets. Leaving the ledger behind, Rose drew up close to the window, peering down the alley through the rivulets of water that had now begun to stream down the glass.
This time it didn't look like the darker weather would subside anytime soon.
Counting all the coins, Rose made up the deposit for the store, tucking it all into a bag and digging the store's vault key out from beneath the register. Walking to Gringott's was usually not an ordeal. It wasn't terribly far from the shop and she didn't even mind the queue as she waited to deposit the shop's sales. But she dreaded going outside today, especially with how the weather was behaving and desperately wished that she could apparate. For years no one had been able to apparate in or out of the bank; it was a security thing and had been for what felt like forever. Even if she popped herself to just outside the bank's security wards, she'd still be in the rain and there would be no difference. She might as well just walk the whole way.
Looking over to the wall behind the counter, she saw the black umbrella she'd brought upstairs from the storage room, its pair sold to the 'suit and tie' type. Taking an unsold product wasn't strictly frowned upon. Mandy didn't ever seem to mind. But she did like to know when either Rose or Trixie had taken one. Scribbling a quick note for Mandy, Rose grabbed her jacket and purse.
Outside the rain still came down in sheets. Water had already begun to pool around the drains in the middle of the alley, the pipes struggling to keep up. None of the shops were in danger; the Diagon Alley Business Association had made sure all storefronts had flood protection charms on them. But that didn't make walking down the street any easier or very much fun. So Rose sat down on the driest step in front of the shop and took a moment to charm her shoes to keep dry.
"Mind if I join you for the walk?"
Rose looked up and smiled. "Not at all."
Theodore Nott held out his elbow, tipping the large black umbrella to shield her. The rain pattered heavily against the open canopy and she knew from the angle that the other side of his body was most likely getting soaked in the downpour. Rose glanced at him and shook her head with a wry expression.
"Suit and tie type... I wondered if it was you." She looked up at the open ribs of the umbrella. "You know we don't know what this one does, don't you?"
"I wasn't terribly concerned."
"Because you have an in with one of the shop girls?"
"Exactly."
2014
"Don't crowd," Mandy chided with a smile. "I have one for everyone."
She started passing out the small umbrellas, telling each of the children from Roxanne to little Lily that they were to wait until her signal before they opened them. Though she should have known better because it only took a few minutes until James was teasing his brother and suddenly there were bangs and puffs of smoke and confetti going everywhere and with two Birthday Surprise! umbrellas already going off it was only a matter of time before everyone's was.
"What's all this?" George's voice came from the front door of his shop.
"Happy Birthday!!" a chorus of tiny voices shouted from amongst the shower of confetti and ribbons.
George looked around the joke shop at the mess, then the children and then finally Mandy. He started to laugh. "So I see how it is," he chuckled. "We collaborate on one project and suddenly all the mess has to be on my side? In my shop?"
Mandy held out a cone hat to Hugo and told Rose to help him put it on. "You're the one who insisted on the collaboration. And kept coming over." She pointed her wand at the cash counter and levitated a cake from a shelf behind it, letting it float across the room as candles started to attach themselves to it in every which manner.
George blew out the candles. "And my wonderful siblings and siblings-in-law?"
"At your mother and father's house setting up for your birthday supper. I volunteered to keep the kids entertained."
"Look, Uncle George!" Lucy waddled across the room with two large black umbrellas in her arms. "Regular brollies!"
"Lucy-doodle," George took the umbrellas from his niece and held them out for inspection. "Not regular. I don't think there is an umbrella or parasol or person in the emporium next-door that could be considered anything but extraordinary."
Mandy felt her face flush. Over the last couple of years, working with George had been a pleasure. They had such an easy camaraderie with one another and she enjoyed his company and his humour. She was constantly impressed with his ability to look on the bright side of things especially after how his life had been so drastically changed by the war and she had a sneaking suspicion that the children helped him a lot with that. In the last few months, Mandy had felt her feelings shift from easy friendship to a desire for something more. But she'd kept that to herself, not wanting to impose herself or change the dynamic between them.
He had an ex. He had children to keep him busy. He couldn't be looking for the start of a relationship at this point.
"So what do they do?" George's voice cut through Mandy's thoughts.
"Sorry?"
"The umbrellas. I just tried opening one and nothing happened. Was Lucy right? Have they not been charmed yet?"
Mandy looked at the black umbrella in his hand and then cast her eyes around until she saw the mate being ridden like a broom by Louis while his sisters played on the floor with a couple of pygmy puffs. She hurried over and traded him the umbrella for a bag of gobstones, shooing him off to play with Albus and Hugo. She carried the umbrella back over to where George was now crouched, wiping some black powder off of Lily's cheek and telling her that it's not a good idea to cover her face in Peruvian Instant Darkness. He tucked the handkerchief into his pocket and sent the little girl off to play.
"Open that one," Mandy said, pointing at the umbrella he'd been holding moments ago.
George complied, twirling it over his shoulder and whistling a few bars of 'Singing in the Rain' as he did so. Mandy took a deep breath and opened the second umbrella, resting it against her shoulder. She reached out and touched his arm, his skin warm against her fingertips. Looking up, Mandy watched the black fabric of the umbrella and waited. A few moments passed and she carefully pulled her hand back.
"Is it supposed to do something?" George asked.
"It is... well it should have..." Mandy felt her face going hot and stumbled over her words. "It doesn't matter. Maybe it doesn't work just yet. I might not have gotten the spells right."
George's eyebrows knit together.
Holding out her hand, Mandy took back the umbrella and excused herself. She hurried from the room, heading down to his lab and then through the little doorway into her own storeroom. Grabbing a chair, she took the two umbrellas and shoved them high on a shelf behind another few boxes. She leaned her head against the edge of the shelf, eyes closed. What on earth had she been trying to do?
"Mandy?" George spoke from the doorway under the stairs.
"I'll be right up. I was just putting those away." She heard him approach and slowly got off the chair. "Lucy was probably right. They're just regular umbrellas. It's silly. They were supposed to change colour under certain circumstances. And they didn't. So it probably wasn't charmed properly."
George tilted his head. "I highly doubt that. Over the last handful of years I've not once seen you charm something improperly. What were the circumstances?"
Mandy winced slightly and tried to find something else to look at besides his inquisitive expression. "The person you were meant to spend your life with," she said, barely audible.
"Sorry?"
Mandy sighed and finally met his gaze. "The person you were meant to be with. It's silly. It was supposed to turn from black to red. They were going to be for the summer wedding season or for Valentine's day... I had this whole line of products thought out and I thought it would work because, I thought we might..." She trailed off.
Of all the responses she'd been preparing herself, George bursting out into laughter was not one she'd expected. Mandy felt a bubble of shame creep up into the middle of her chest and she frowned at him, folding her arms across her chest. George saw her expression and waved his hands, trying to collect himself and keep her from running from the room.
"I'm sorry," he said, pressing a hand to his side.
"Well it's not funny. It's embarrassing," Mandy said a bit more tartly than she would have liked.
"No... It's a little funny." George stepped closer and touched her elbow. "I've been trying to pluck up the courage to ask you out for weeks." He dipped his head to get her to look at him. "Mandy, I don't need some umbrella to tell me that I'd like to try and see what we have. Do you?"
Mandy looked toward the shelf where she'd stacked the failed romantic umbrellas. He was right. The umbrella's spell was probably off anyway. One attempt and she was giving up? What sort of Ravenclaw would she be if she gave up after one try? That's not how they learned things.
"I do."
There was a cheer from the little door under the stairs and Mandy spun around to see Roxanne and Fred peeking into her workroom, the rest of their cousins poking their heads through to see as well.
"Kiss her, Dad!" Fred stage whispered from the doorway. "Now's the time!"
And it was. And he did.
Who needed love predicting umbrellas anyway?
2026
"Sales were good today?" Theodore asked as they walked, carefully sidestepping the larger of the puddles that had collected on the cobblestones.
"Are you asking as the accounts manager for Mandy Brocklehurst's Magically Enchanted Umbrella Emporium?" Rose stepped closer to him to avoid a witch plowing through the rain with her head down. "Or as someone who has become quite intimate with one of its employees and is hoping she'll be in a good mood tonight?"
He took a turn, clamping his arm a little tighter around her hand so that she was tugged along with him. Rose let herself be maneuvered into the little alcove, let him press her up against the wall, let him kiss her possessively. When the tryst between her and Theodore had started, she'd been so surprised. She was newly twenty and visiting his office at the bank to look after Mandy's books while she was on holiday with Uncle George. Theodore was a handsome man, far too much older than her and somehow she just didn't care. He treated her well and she knew it likely wouldn't go anywhere serious and that was alright.
"You're keeping me from making this deposit..." she said, sighing as his lips pressed to her neck.
"You have an in with the business accounts manager," Theodore said gruffly, his hand skimming under her blouse to slide over the arch of her back.
"A business account manager that forgets to set his alarm in the morning and makes me late for work." Rose said. She placed her hand against the middle of his chest and gave a bit of a shove. "Let me do the deposit. I'll be by your flat afterward."
She lifted the umbrella she'd taken from the shop and started to open it. When it was unfurled, the black started to fade away and change from black to grey to red. Theodore looked up at his own umbrella still resting against his shoulder and watched it match the colour of hers. He gave it a quizzical look and then shot Rose the same expression.
Rose twirled the bright red umbrella over her shoulder, making a plan to talk with Mandy about the meaning behind the colour change. "Well, at least we know they're not broken."
She darted forward and kissed him under the pair of red umbrellas. In the morning she would ask about the charms and perhaps, just perhaps, it would change everything.