Muggle Magic – Chapter One

Ottery St Catchpole was a sleepy sort of village, and Allison Masters felt suffocated there. Meeting Fred Weasley was about to change all that.

A/N – Disclaimer – I own nothing.

A quick word. This is my second Fanfic after Behind These Eyes, and I wanted to do something totally different, which is why I've decided to write something involving Fred Weasley. He is my favourite character in the books, and I was gutted at the end of Deathly Hallows. That aside however, I'm quite new to the world of fanfic, so this might be a storyline that has been done to death. If it is, let me know and I will drop this one.

This is going to told in alternating POV between Fred and my OC.

Chapter One – Getting to Know You.

The quiet village of Ottery St Catchpole baked under the August sun. Out on the brown and parched village green a group of cricketers seemed more interested in drinking cold beers from the pub than playing any sport. The large oak on the outer edge of the houses was providing shade for a group of kids, and a couple of mums and toddlers were feeding the ducks in the nearly dried up pond.

Allison Masters paid little attention to any of it. She crossed the green and walked up past the pub without glancing at anyone. If anyone glanced at her they may have noticed that she was singing along to the music on her mp3 player, but she was oblivious.

Just past the pub she turned off the pavement and up the two steps into the small newsagents. She pushed open the door and tugged her head phones out of her ears.

"Ally! There you are. You're late."

She glanced up at her father's annoyed expression. He hurried out from behind the counter, pulling on his coat as he went.

"Now, just watch the shop. If anyone wants the post office, tell them I'll be back later. I shouldn't be too long."

Ally rolled her eyes and her dad sighed as he left the shop.

She watched him go and then stepped round behind the counter. A tiny security monitor in the corner showed the one corner of the shop she couldn't see, and a quick glance confirmed the place was empty.

Settling herself on the small stool she reached into her bag and pulled out a book. The Lord of the Rings. Her favourite.

Half an hour later she was so engrossed that she barely even heard the tinkle of the bell over the door, but someone coughed and she looked up.

"Hello dear."

Ally forced a smile onto her lips and the plump red-haired woman facing her smiled back hesitantly.

"I wonder…do you have a felly…uh…telephone?"

Ally raised one eyebrow and then pointed towards the far corner of the shop. The woman thanked her and hurried away. It was a moment before Ally realised that someone was still stood by the counter.

She looked up and met a broad chest, she looked further up to find a pair of bright blue eyes, and a crooked smile.

Oh my! She couldn't help the smile that crept onto her lips. How had she never met him before? He looked about her age, and every teenager in the village went to the same school in the nearby town. She was certain she'd have noticed someone as gorgeous as him.

"Um…Fred…can you come here a moment."

He finally glanced away from her. "Coming mum…"

Ally watched him go, and a frantic whispered conversation started up just out of sight.

"Which bit does the money go in? Which end do I speak into?"

Ally frowned and glanced at the small monitor beside her. The boy and his mother were stood by the public telephone her father had installed in the shop a few years back. Ally thought it was a waste of space – after all, everyone had mobile phones these days right?

A few minutes later they had finished on the phone and came back round into the front of the shop.

The woman hurried straight out the door with a quick thank you, but the boy paused by the counter and grinned down at her.

"Thanks for letting us use the telephone. See you around…"

"Yeah…" Ally breathed as he left the shop. "See you around."

****

Two years had past since that day, and so Ally was a little surprised that she recognised him the moment he stepped through the door of the paper shop. He was a little taller, a little broader in the shoulder and chest, and there was a hint of stubble on his previously boyish face. But it was definitely him. There was also two of him.

"Hi…"

He flashed her a quick grin. "Hi. I don't suppose you remember me…"

"I do…" Ally groaned internally. Could she sound anymore pathetic? "I mean, yeah…kind of…"

"I'm Fred, and this here is George."

George gave her a quick wink and turned to look around the shop. Fred seemed to hesitate for a moment and then approached the counter.

"I wasn't really expecting to see you here. I'd have thought you'd have moved on to bigger and better things."

Ally shrugged. "It's my dad's shop…with the heart attack…" She stopped herself quickly. He didn't need to know her whole miserable life story. "What about you? Still living round here? Are you not off to university or anything?"

"University?" Fred looked at her blankly for a moment, but his twin turned round and muttered something in his ear. "Oh right…of course. Oh god no, my future lies outside the world of academic achievement…"

Ally laughed. "Oh really?"

"Yeah…me and my brother are businessmen…"

"What kind of business is that then?" She asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Allow me to demonstrate…" He slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out a pack of cards.

A/N – Right, so that's the start. It's not great yet, but it will get better I promise. I just wanted to try and set the scene. Next chapter from Fred's POV. I always wanted to write this since reading that line in HBP when they say they are going down to see the pretty muggle girl in the paper shop who thinks their magic tricks are just like real magic! But if this is rubbish, tell me and I'll write one of my other story ideas.