make em laugh [cullen]

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It was a slow day at the Wheezes. Fred didn't particularly mind - he wasn't in a really smiley mood that day for some reason, and the less he had to schmooze, the happier he was. Business was so slow that Fred was considering closing up shop for the day. His dad probably wouldn't be pleased, but Fred wasn't sure if the merchandise being purchased was even worth Fred's salary. It was all knick-knacks and little things, none of the big-ticket items that kept the store in business. It seemed that as soon as everyone was about to leave so he could close up, a new person walked in. Again, Fred didn't care, but he wished that something more interesting would happen. He was boring now, though. He was an employed adult whose friends amounted to his little sister and a student from another school that he had met exactly once. Fred sighed, slumping down onto the counter. Everything was so boring.

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Cullen left Flourish and Botts, his quills in hand, before making his way to the Leaky Cauldron. Now on the same side of the street stook Weasley Wizard Wheezes. Normally, Cullen he turn his head down and look away in shame, pushing thoughts of inadequacy out of his mind. However today when he bent down to look at his feet, a muddy puddle shimmered the reflection of the bright shop straight back at him. Frustrated, he turned to walk into the shop, but then thought better of it and corrected his path back to the Cauldron. A nagging sensation grew at the pit of his stomach, until he had no choice but to stop in his tracks and make a beeline straight of Weasley Wizard Wheezes.

Like a bat out of hell he slammed the door behind him and scanned the shelves, looking for any openings for scrutiny. Many of their designs were ones that inspired some of his own. Absentmindedly, he picked up a sneakoscope and began to toss it in the air. 

Tag:@fred

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There were few people that could make Fred perk up when he was in a slump, and he wasn’t speaking to most of them, so Fred wasn’t expecting any of them to walk through the door. However, that was exactly what happened. To say that Fred could recognize Cullen Fitzpatrick on sight would be an understatement. Fred could practically smell the man the moment he had entered the shop. Cullen owned Zonko’s, which meant he was high on the list of people that Fred disliked (which was growing every day). “Fitzpatrick.” Fred said, coming out from behind the counter so he could properly glare at Cullen. “Either buy that or put it down.” He didn’t want grubby fingerprints all over his Sneakoscope. If Cullen bought the thing, it would be admitting that the Weasleys were superior, which was all that Fred really wanted. He wanted to be the best, and if he and his dad managed to buy Zonko’s out and Fred got his own managerial position…He wanted that, and Cullen was the only person standing in the way.

@cullen

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A smirk crossed Cullen's face as he continued tossing the sphere without bothering to look up. He didn't even have to see to know that it was the youngest Weasley who was pestering him. Once upon a time, the Weasley's had been in talks with Zonko about acquiring the shop in Hogsmeade. Cullen, who happened to overhear parts of this conversation, coincidentally showed Zonko his own blue prints soon after this. This led to Zonko bequeathing the shop over to Cullen with the name and legacy still tied to the old man and keeping the Weasley's from acquiring an entire monopoly over the business.

This of course, tickled Cullen to no end, knowing that he was the sole barrier between this young man obtaining his own shop. And why shouldn't he? He was just as talented, if not more so, driven, and he had experience on his side. And yet after all this, he still felt smidgens of envy and inadequacy in front of the man before him. Smiling, he coyly responded, "Now why on Earth would I want to do that, Weasley? Especially knowing I have store rooms filled with my own."

Tag:@fred

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Every time Fred interacted with Cullen Fitzpatrick, he was newly reminded of why he hated the man. He was so damn infuriating, smiling like he knew something that Fred didn’t. It was true that Fred didn’t know anything about anything important, but he knew a lot about jokes, and he hated that Cullen was able to call that into doubt with something as simple as a stupid smile. “Well if you have your own store rooms, why do you need one of mine?” Fred asked, feigning innocence. “Oh wait.” He said. “It couldn’t be because the Weasley Sneakoscopes have an average customer satisfaction rating thrice those of Zonko’s?” Fred said, batting his eyelashes at Cullen. “Or maybe because they last twice as long and are twice as effective?” He continued, continuing to play dumb. Fred drew his wand and summoned the Sneakoscope, feeling a small surge of joy when it leapt from Cullen’s hand and into his. It knew who its true master was. Even if the facts that Fred had cited earlier were a little bit tweaked to fit his own view of the world, one thing remained true no matter what: everything Weasley was superior to everything Zonko’s.

@cullen