Disclaimer: Don't own.
A/N: Takes place a year or two after the Battle of Hogwarts.
Please find it in your heart to donate a review to the 'FIght for Creativity' (FIC)TM foundation. An organisation charged with the welfare and protection of underrated fiction. With every review, we could save up to three fics from abandonment due to the fatal affliction of writer's block. So far your donations have helped save thousands of fics from abandonment, but we still need your support. So please, start donating reviews today and change authors' lives. Their future is in your fingers. Thankyou.
The picture of Fred above the mantle dozed in his seat as Harry, Hermione and the other Weasleys milled around the Burrow, sharing quiet conversation. The crackling fire cast a warm haze upon the living room, coaxing its two occupants, already sluggish from food and drink, into a greater state of lethargy.
George and Harry had both chosen to sit on the settée away from the bubbling family members, the warmth of the flames soaking into their bones as they sipped on malted tea.
George smiled and let out a single, "Heh," in recall of a memory. "He materialised shortly after we moved him into the Great Hall with the others, you know," he said fondly.
Harry looked up, confused. "Sorry, what?"
George 'Hmm'd.
He suddenly clocked on to what the elder Weasley was talking about. "I thought only those who feared death were able to return as ghosts."
"That's right, and that's still the case, but Fred never was one for rules," George said, warmly. "If there's one person in all of human history who had to rebel against Death himself then it's my twin."
Harry was fully facing the elder Weasley now in full attention, a sad smile on his face.
George carried on in a more sombre tone, looking into the room. "We were leaning over him, shortly after setting him down, when suddenly there was the sound of a commotion getting nearer and nearer. At first I thought one of the death eaters was being brought into the hall or something, but then a white mist began to materialize in front of us, and the voices were getting louder and louder until suddenly this mist turned into the forms of Fred, my uncles Fabian and Gideon Prewett, mum's late brothers, you know, and a few others I didn't recognise."
He turned to Harry in apparent amusement. "I was so gobsmacked I couldn't do anything but stare!"
"What happened!?"
"They were apparently in some sort of disagreement, Fabian and Gideon had a hold of Fred who was kicking up an absolute shitstorm by the sounds of things, screaming bloody murder, he was! Eventually though he managed to break free and he got right down in front of me."
"George listen to me very careful- PISS. OFF. GIDEON, I DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT THE 'POWERS THAT BE', THE POWERS CAN SHOVE THEIR RULES UP THEIR ARSE AND SPIN ON THEM!"
A particularly hard shove sent Gideon flying backwards into Fabian who, before catching his brother, had been looking at Fred with a mingled expression of determination and remorse.
"Georgie…"
George had watched the exchange with minimal comprehension, but the sound of his name coming from his twin's mouth sent him careening back into reality.
He let out a choked sob as he gazed brokenly into his brother's eyes for what he knew would be the last time. "Freddie, I…wh- you c-c-can't b-"
"LISTEN to me very carefully," said Fred stonily over the sound of his twin's heart-wrenching crying and the wails of his mother in the background. "I don't have long and I shouldn't be here, but I had to come back to tell you face to face that if you get the idiotic and appalling idea of joining me on the other side before old age brings you there, equals be DAMNED, I will blitz down to that gateway, personally turn you across my knee, and then drag you back to the land of the living by whatever remained of your solitary, tongue-lashed ear. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME."
George in his near delirious state still managed a fleeting wobbly smile and a laugh before the tears came again and he nodded thickly.
In a last ditch effort for closeness, George clasped the space in the air where his brother's wet face was and guided their foreheads together as the beings began to pull Fred back into the beyond. He was shocked to find that a warm, solid presence pushed back against his skin.
But it was over too soon.
"I -OW! Fabian for Merlin's sake! KEEP WHEEZES ALIVE…AND I WANT STRIPPERS AT MY FUNERAL!"
And they were gone.
"Oh my God…" Harry managed amidst gales of laughter. "Oh my stomach…"
"Before that I'd never really seen Fred relay anything serious to the world, I'm not sure I'd even recognise the signs, but I knew then and there that he was being totally, one hundred percent, deadly serious," George chuckled, soggily.
"Why am I only hearing about this now?"
The redhead shrugged. "Took me a long time to finally convince myself that it actually happened. It isn't everyday you hear of a soul flipping Death 'the bird' and coming back briefly to lay the smackdown on deceased relatives, and threaten his loved ones with more of the same."
"I can't believe your mum wouldn't honour his final wish."
"Near drowning herself in tears, she was, but still put her her foot down and said 'Under n-n-o circumstanc-es am I having ladies of-f the night in my house!' But me n' Charlie managed to convince Ange to flash a boob during the ceremony, so it wasn't all in vain."
Harry near lost it again.
"Ey, what you two saying about me?" said Charlie with a thick grin, coming over drink in hand.
"Just tellin' ol' Harold here about the time you first met Fleur and tried convincing her you were actually Bill under polyjuice potion just to get laid."
From a short distance away, Bill stopped mid-conversation and snapped round to glare at Charlie. "You WHAT?!"
"You just made that up you little shit!" Charlie yelled at George, laughing heartily.
Grin.
Bill calmed but pinned his glare on George instead, raising an exasperated but inquisitive eyebrow.
"Because your lovely mug had 'gullible' written all over it in nice bold italics," George teased.
He scoffed and turned back.
"You don't want to get on his bad side too early, you know, after tomorrow it'll just be the two of you plus the 'rents," said Charlie.
George turned to Harry. "Dear Charles here is bouncing off somewhere exotic after reports of a migrant beastie."
The older redhead let out a pleased, lungful of air. "Yep, all in day's work."
"Where you going anyway? Gotta know what language to send you off in."
"Palau."
The fire snapped.
George waved.
Charlie rolled his eyes and wandered over in the direction of the kitchen. "I knew you were gona do that."
A comfortable silence descended upon Harry and George.
"I take it he never made good on his threat, then? Fred did?" Harry, after finally mastering his laughter, piped up.
Eyebrow.
"And me leave Wheezes, our baby, all on its lonesome in the big bad world to battle Zonko's? Not on your nellie. They'd have to put shock absorbers around the cemetary, Fred would be spinning in his grave so hard."
The Boy-Who-Lived chuckled silently.
"Well, that was the main reason."
"What was the other?"
George sat back against the cushions and swilled his tea around his cup. "I'm no Volde-Slayer, but I'd like to think I've seen some frightening things in my life; monsters, dementors, great aunt Tessie in a swimming costume. But never in all of creation, Harry, have I ever been more terrified by my own face."
Harry sprayed tea everywhere.
fin