The Last Joke
George hated Percy.
Not because Percy left the family. And no! Definitely not because Percy had lived and Fred had died.
But the truth still stood that he hated Percy. He hated him because he was jealous.
It was a week after the Battle and the only thing Percy had told him so far was that Fred had died laughing. Other than that, he hadn't had a proper conversation with his other brothers yet.
George had been with Fred for everything – all the jokes and pranks, the Quidditch, their lessons, their fights, all the detentions, in the joke shop...
And that's why he hated Percy. Because, after doing everything together, he never got hear Fred's last laugh, share one last joke. It was Percy who had had the special privilege; he hated that it wasn't him.
And he hated himself more, for being selfish that way. But he couldn't help it. Everytime he thought of Fred, he was forced to imagine what his twins last moments must have been like. It depressed him more and more each time, to realise that he would trade anything, anything in the world to –
'Hey George?' he turned, startled, to find Percy in the seat opposite him.
'Perce? What is it?' he asked, noticing how fidgety his brother was.
'Ummm... I... I just wanted to know,' he said, 'when was the last time you heard me joke?'
George looked at Percy appraisingly; what was this about? He saw an unrecognisable emotion in Percy's eyes and put his own problems aside. He tried to answer honestly, acting like his old self would have done.
'Joke, you?' he said, his old smile subconsciously creeped back onto his face despite his current mood. 'Why my dear boy, I haven't heard you joke since you were ten and tried to imitate your pompous older brother! Oh wait! That was Fre..'
The last word died in his throat. He felt like he was about to cry and fought to keep himself under control.
'That,' Percy said, his hand on George's shoulder, voice tight but even, 'is what he was about say.' And he walked out
George looked out of the window as he realised how stupid he was being. He didn't need to be with Fred physically, he never had. Percy had just proven that. A part of Fred had always been with him, inside him. It would never leave him.