He told me he was going off down the opposite corridor with Percy. I said I was going with him, but Fred held me back. "Angelina, Katie and Alicia need you to fight with them." He said. Percy was calling for Fred to hurry up. I shook my head. "Please Fred." I whispered.

It wasn't that I hadn't trusted Fred. I did. We'd been seeing each other for nearly three years. I hadn't been able to see him for months now because he and his family had been in hiding. We'd been back together for only a few hours, I was afraid to lose him again.

Fred looked sorry, but shook his head. "No Angelina. Please, just go help Katie and Alicia." I knew he was right. I threw my arms around his neck and let him hold me. "I'm scared." I told him. I remember feeling him shake slightly under me. I knew he'd been scared too. He lifted my face. He kissed me.

It hadn't been our first kiss. That had happened after the Yule Ball. But I was so frightened that this was going to be our last kiss. If I had known….If I had only known….. "Come back to me." I'd whispered. "Promise me, you'll come back." He kissed me again as a yes. We held the kiss longer, afraid to part.

Someone cleared their throat behind us. We broke apart to see Percy staring at us. "Fred…" he said. Fred grasped my hand and slipped something in it. Leaning in close, so I could feel his breath on my ear, he whispered; "This was meant to be your birthday present." He gave me a swift kiss on my cheek, and we parted

I looked down in my hand to see a beautiful golden lock with a diamond-like 'A' on it. It was a promise I slipped around my neck and under my robes.

If I had known……If only I had known…..

[

No one went to look for the girlfriend when he fell. They forgot about her I suppose. I wouldn't've found out, I suppose, if I hadn't run into Percy chasing Rookwood. I'd been running like mad, tears burning on my cheeks. I'd been separated from Katie and Alicia in the fight, and had wound up face to face with Bellatrix Lestrange. She'd almost hit me, when someone had done the unthinkable. Even to this day, I had nightmares about Nymphadora Tonks pushing me out of the way and battling her deranged cousin on her own. I still cannot forgive her for taking a death that should've been mine. Or Professor Lupin letting himself die alongside of her. Never.

Running down the corridor, I heard Percy's voice shouting the killing curses, his voice more wild then I remember ever hearing it. As he rounded the corner, I saw in horror as the curse hit its mark.

"Percy!" I screamed. I suddenly realized he was crying very hard, and very alone. I ran up to him. "Perce! Perce! Wh- what-? Why?" He turned to look at me, and I realized it before he even said it. "He killed- He killed-" I didn't want him to finish. I could feel tears in my own eyes.

"He k-killed Fred!"

I don't remember screaming. I don't remember falling. All I could feel was the terrible ache in my chest. My world had seemed to stop. Fred was gone. Fred was gone. Tears had poured down my face. Fred was gone. I don't remember Percy pulling me up. He was telling me…..telling me…..I don't remember what he was telling me. All I cared about was Fred. Gone.

Through my tears, I remember asking where he was. I remember Percy telling me. I remember running there, avoiding, ducking, and ignoring spells flying everywhere.

I found the corridor where he was.

I didn't scream. I didn't yell. I saw Mrs. Weasley over the body of her son before someone else blocked my view almost instantly. I looked up, and for a moment, thought I saw Fred. He looked so much like him, George did. It was only until I saw his missing ear did I realize it wasn't my boyfriend. I saw his face, dried tear on his cheeks. I let out a sob and tried pushing past him.

"Angelina-"

"George! Let me through! Let me see him!" I choked. I pushed around him, but he grabbed my arms. I struggled against him. "Angie! Angie please-!" He began. I made a move to slap him, but was stopped. Whether it was from my sudden lack of strength to slap the man who looked so much like Fred, or from his strength to stop me, I didn't know.

I collapsed, letting tears wet my cheeks. George pulled me up. "What the bloody hell was that about!?" He cried. "Don't-call-me-Angie!" I whispered in a choke voice, trying to stop the tears in my eyes. "He-called-me-" I couldn't finish.

I looked into his eyes. So much like Fred's. "Please George." I whispered. "Let me see him. Please." George looked at me for a moment, and then led me over to him. I got my first good look of everything. Mrs. Weasley was now sobbing into her husband's shirt. He too was crying. Percy was standing in the corner, looking away, biting his lip. Ginny sat next to him, head buried in her arms. I found out later that Ron was with Harry and Hermione.

"Oh…Oh God…Oh God no…" I moaned into my hand. Someone had closed his eyes, but the ghost of his laughter was still etched on his face. I sat down slowly and placed his head in my lap. I slowly stroked his forehead, letting my tears hit his face. I bent down slowly and placed a chaste kiss on his cold lips. "Fred…" I whispered. I couldn't stand it. I screwed up my face and pressed my forehead against his sobbing.

"Come back…. back to me…..Fred…" Breathing became an issue. My breath was coming up short. I didn't mind though. I never wanted to breathe again. My vision became foggy. I was faintly aware of voices, an arm pulling me back, a light, and darkness.

[x[&hearts

I awoke in a strange room. Looking around, I realized it to be the Burrow. I sat up slowly, my head spinning. Looking around I saw Ginny, reading a letter. Ginny, hearing the rustling of bed sheets looked around and saw me. She smiled meekly. "Your up. Good." Her voice seemed as though it hadn't been used to often lately. I looked around. Maybe it was a dream, maybe….maybe…..

I felt something tug around my neck. I looked down to see the locket caught on a thread on my shirt. As my lip quivered and my throat clogged, I untangled it. Finally, I found my voice. "Please tell me it was a dream Ginny." I whispered, pushing the little heart to my mouth. "Please tell me he's alive." I looked up at Ginny. Her eyes looked worn out, and I realized she'd been crying. She sat down on the bed I was on and took my hand. She glanced at the locket in my fingers. "He gave you the locket after all." She whispered. "I told him you'd love it."

Something broke in my chest. I leaned against the head bored, refusing to cry. "It seems so unreal." Ginny said, breaking the silence. "He was the last person you'd expect to die. Him and George. They were just so-" She broke off, hiding her face to wipe away tears.

Silence filled the room. I broke it. "W-when's the fu-fu-" I couldn't bring myself to say it. "The funerals tomorrow." Ginny said slowly. "You missed Remus and Tonk's." I sat in stunned silence. "Colin Creevy's gone too." She choked.

Fear replaced anything else in my chest. Who else had been lost? "Who-who else died?" I whispered. Ginny shrugged half-heartedly. "Both sides lost so many…….." Her face suddenly brightened. "Harry! Harry defeated V-Voldemort! Angelina, he's gone!"

I let a slow breath, smiled what would've been the last true smile anyone would see in days, a leaned back against the head bored again. "So he's really gone." I whispered. Ginny gave a watery smile. "Yeah. The letter I was reading," She indicated to it. "Is from Harry. He's at Grimmauld Place right now. He's apparating here for…..tomorrow." The happiness was suddenly sucked from the room, as if a Dementor stood next to us.

Ginny stood up. "Mum has invited you to stay. You father knows, of course." I sat up instantly, feeling my head spin again. "Oh, I couldn't." I said. "I'd be a terrible inconvenience-" Ginny cut me off. "Angelina, I think it would just be better if you stayed here. Mum really wants you here and George-" Ginny glanced out the window. I stood up slowly and peered out.

What I saw made my heart nearly break. George was standing at the edge of the garden, holding onto the fence, looking out into an abyss I knew wasn't there. "He's been like that for two days now." Ginny mumbled sadly. She looked up at me. "Can you please talk to him? Please? He won't come in for meals, he hasn't been sleeping," She broke off and bit her lip. "I don't know if he knows how to survive without Fred."

I kept staring at the window at the man who was so close to me. You couldn't love Fred without George, couldn't love George without Fred. I nodded.

Ginny and I walked down the stairs into the kitchen. After being fussed over by a red eyed Mrs. Weasley, I was able to escape to the garden. I found George where I'd seen him from the window.

"George." I said. He stiffened, but didn't turn around. I didn't say anything else. No other words were needed. I walked up behind him and set my hands on his shoulders and rested my chin there too. We stood there until twilight, just grateful for each other's company. When Mrs. Weasley called for supper, I gently grasped his hand and pulled him inside. I needed his company, because I myself wanted nothing more then to watch the sun sink behind the hills. I wanted Fred back.

[x[&hearts

The funeral the next day was the longest day in my life. Dressed plainly in a black dress robe, I sat with my family and the Weasley's. I tried blocking out the wizard giving the eulogy. He didn't tell Fred like he was. Fred wasn't a model student; he didn't keep his nose clean. He wasn't a leader, he wasn't perfect at everything.

Fred, with the help of George, made life a living hell for the teachers at Hogwarts like Umbridge. He pulled pranks as simple as a muggle card trick to something with N.E.W.T magic. He and George had their own cupboard full of detentions in Filch's office. It was legendary. He was an amazing Beater, an asset to the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

When the funeral was over, everyone went back to the Weasley's. Verity, the witch who helped at the joke shop talked to George for a while. I thought she was a pretty little thing, a year or so older then myself, but shorter, blonde, and wore square glasses.

When she left, George, Lee Jordan, and Alicia Spinnet and I sat quietly in the corner. That was us at Hogwarts. But at that time, it had felt oddly uneven. Missing Fred, everything from that day felt oddly uneven. Our small conversations were filled with "Remember when-?"'s and "Wasn't it funny when-?"'s. Tears were shared. But all we needed was each others company. Something fell away from George that afternoon. After a few hours, I noticed something in his eyes. The gleam was back. It was a sad gleam, but it was back none the less.

It was then I realized that George was going to be okay. And I had to admit, at the point, for that one second I saw that gleam, I was jealous. George was going to be okay, and I wasn't sure I was.

[x[&hearts

That night, I had a dream that would change me forever. I awoke on the Hogwarts Quidditch field, alone. I walked around a bit, taking in the familiar sight. I missed it so much. I heard the sudden sound of an approaching broom. I turned towards the sound and shaded my eyes against the sunset.

The person and the broom landed and said in a familiar voice; "Hey Angie." I gasped. There, in the entire world, stood Fred. He was back! "Fred…" I whispered. I ran towards him and threw my arms around his neck. I buried my head in his chest and felt his arm encircle my waist. I fought not to cry.

"Fred...How...Why?" I whispered. He smiled. I missed his smile. He offered me an arm like a proper gentlemen. I giggled. "Let's walk." He said in a pompous like tone that reminded me of Percy. I accepted. "How are you here?" I asked. Fred sighed and rubbed a place below the hollow in his neck. I gave him a questioning look. "It's where Rookwood hit me." He explained. "Hurts like Merlin."

"How was my funeral?" He asked abruptly. I stiffened and looked away. "Dumb. The stupid wizard acted like you were a mix between Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. Totally perfect." Fred grinned. "Are you saying I wasn't?" He looked away at the past tense.

"Remus and Nymphroda died too." I said suddenly. Fred nodded. "Yeah, they're up there too. So Collin. It was terrible for him, trying to help him with…the understanding. He didn't understand why he was there first. I didn't have the heart to tell him. Snape and Dumbledore took over for me. He seems so lost…….." He shook his head. I looked up at him.

"Snape!? Snape's up there? Are you kidding me?" I yelled, thinking of the man who cut off George's ear. Fred winced at my voice but smiled. "When I first saw him, I tried hexing him. But obviously, without a wand, it didn't do any good. So I punched him." I gasped in shock, and then chuckled. Fred laughed too. "Yeah, Dumbledore told me off. It's amazing. I'm dead, and I'm still getting in trouble." The laugh felt strange on my lips.

More silence. "Hey, guess who else I met up there." He said. I smiled dejectedly. "Who?" I asked. He grinned. "Mr. James and Mrs. Lily Potter." I gasped. "Harry's parents?" He beamed and ruffled his hair, a trait I was not accustomed to see him doing. I later found out it was a trait he seemed to have borrowed from Mr. Potter. "Yeah, they're right nice folks. They wanted to know a lot about Harry. Mr. Potter...er…James likes to talk about Quidditch and pranks and stuff. They're really nice, helping me adjust and all." Silence.

"Fred, why are you here?" I asked sadly. I disengaged my arm from Fred's and held them both protectively around my body. Fred walked forward a few more feet then stopped. He kicked a clump of dirt and stared out across the Quidditch Field. I noticed the sun hadn't sunk an inch while he'd been here. At the time, it seemed strange, but later in life, I realized that in the limbo, this would be normal.

"You have no idea how many people have trouble letting go to those who they love." Fred said almost inaudibly. I bit my lip. "Are you saying I'm having trouble letting go?" I asked. Fred gave a harsh laugh. "Don't worry; you're not the only one I've visited." He informed me. "Mom, Dad, George of course, Ron, Bill and Charlie, Ginny, Percy and you."

I nodded slowly. "I noticed today…..George looked better then I've seen him in a while." Fred smiled wretchedly. "I talked to him last night." He whispered. He walked back towards me. "Angelina, I'm sorry. You were right. I should've let you come with us. But I'm afraid that if you had, our places would've been switched." I tried not to cry.

He let out a sigh. "I'm not sorry that I died Angie." He told me. "Sure, there are lots of things I never got to do, but if I hadn't died...I dunno. Perce maybe wouldn't've stayed with my family, or he wouldn't've killed Rookwood, who would've killed others." I let the silence sink in. I never thought of Fred's death that way...

Fred looked towards the sun which still hadn't moved an inch. At least to me. I had suddenly realized that he maybe saw things differently then me. "I don't have that much time left Angie." He said. I felt the tears building up inside me. I let out a dry sob and ran towards him, hugging him again. "Please don't leave me again." I whispered. Fred held me, murmuring "My Angel, my Angel." Into my hair.

He held me out and placed a hand on my locket. "If you need me, I'm right here." I let out something between a sob and a chuckle. "That's so cheesy." I whispered. He grinned. "But it's true. I'll be here for you Angel." I smiled sadly at the new nickname. "Please make this a promise." He kissed me with more passion then I'd ever felt.

After a while, he broke away. He looked to the sky. Still holding my hand, I remember seeing the moon suddenly rising. "I have to go Angie." I held onto him tight. After a moment or two, I heard him mumble; "Angie, you need to let go." It was in that moment, that sentence I realized it was pointless to keep holding on. I loved Fred, but loving him wasn't going to bring him back. Holding onto him in this limbo realm wasn't going to last. In the end, he needed to go back to heaven, and I had to wake up and live the life I now live. I realized that then. I let go.

Fred gave me a weak smile. His broom came over to him, and he got on. "Remember Angelina, I'm always here." I smiled and let my tears run down my face. Fred looked towards the moon. "Goodbye Angel." He said. And with that, he kicked off, soaring out of sight. He flew in front of the moon, silhouetted, and then he was gone. Forever.

"Goodbye." I whispered. "My Angel."

[x[&hearts