The air was thick with dust. It hung in the air like fog, so thick that everything was just shadows. Aidan took a breath to call out for help, but all that escaped her mouth was a hacking cough as her lungs fought to expel the dust she had just inhaled. She rolled over onto her side and gasped as her left knee exploded in pain. She tired to take stock of the situation.
She couldn't remember exactly what had happened just before the explosion. But she remembered the man. He had said his name was Redding, Mr Redding. It was almost closing time, Diagon Ally was deserted. He'd said he wanted to buy a gift for his nephew, last minute, and said he was sorry for calling at such a late hour. Fred showed him towards some of the more popular products, the man had said he'd have a look and she hadn't thought anymore about it. After about fifteen minutes George had started to get suspicious because the man seemed to be taking an unusually long time. He'd gone over to the man and said that they'd be closing soon and he'd have to leave. The next thing Aidan knew the man had pulled his wand out and was aiming it at George. Fred vaulted the counter, wand drawn, George dived for Aidan, and then everything went black.
Somebody groaned nearby. "George?" Aidan whispered, her voice scratchy and hoarse. "Is that you?"
"Aidan?" came the reply. "It's me. Are you alright?"
"I think I've stuffed up my knee," Aidan called out weakly. "You o.k.?"
"Oh, I'm just marvelous. Where are you? I can't see you."
"I don't know."
"Hang on I'm coming," George called out. Aidan heard some movement off too her right, a foggy shape was moving towards her. A few seconds later George materialised out of the gloom and crawled towards her.
His hair was caked with dust and there was blood running down the side of his face but other than that he seemed fine. George cupped her face in his hands and inspected every inch of her for injuries. She had cuts and bruises all over her. The leg of her pants was soaked with blood, and a lump on her temple was growing steadily blacker. The first thing Aidan checked on George was the cut just above his hairline, it was deep and bleeding badly, but it wasn't life threatening. Aidan started to search George's eyes for any sign of pain.
There was something about the look in George's eyes that told her something was terribly wrong. "You lied about being o.k," Aidan said, her voice quavering slightly with fear. "What's wrong?"
"I don't know," George whispered, unsure as to why he was doing so. "I feel odd."
"Well you split your head open," Aidan whispered back, hoping that it was just the head wound. "That's probably it."
"No, it's not that." George's eyes suddenly got wide. The fear Aidan saw there chilled her to the bone. "I have to find Fred! Something's wrong!"
"Help me up," Aidan demanded, as George called out to his twin through the dust. "George! Help me!"
George grabbed her arm and pulled her to his side. "Fred?" he yelled again, fear making his voice break. "Fred?"
"He was over there," Aidan pointed to where the counter had been. "He leapt the counter, remember." Aidan moved towards the place but she only made three paces before her injured knee gave out and she fell painfully to the floor. She swore loudly as George helped her up once again. Aidan leant heavily on George as they stumbled and limped to where Fred had last been.
"Aidan," George whimpered. "I cant feel him. Normally I can feel him." George was near to tears with panic and worry. What did it mean if he couldn't feel Fred? A feeling of aloneness, a feeling George had never felt before in his life, was slowly creeping up on him.
Aidan spun around in a wild panic. She couldn't see a thing. She reached for her wand, but it had been snapped in two by the explosion. "George, light your wand," she hissed.
"Lumos," said George and a small circle of light appeared around them. Still nothing.
"He might have been thrown by the explosion," Aidan reasoned, trying unsuccessfully to keep the panic from her voice. She limped of away to the left and disappeared through the dust.
George moved to the back of the shop. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a pile of rubble, part of which used to be the back wall. He was drawn to it, walking slowly towards it. A small voice in George's head told him that he didn't want to see what was under that rubble, but his legs kept bringing him closer. He was about two meters away when his wand illuminated a hand. A hand identical in every way to his own, half buried beneath what used to be the wall.
"Aidan!" he cried out as he rushed towards his buried twin. "Aidan!" George fell to his knees next to the pile and frantically started to move the rubble.
Aidan appeared out of the dust. She limped forward a few steps before she registered what she was seeing. "Oh no," she half whimpered, half sobbed. She rushed forward and fell to her knees next to George. "Oh please, please no," she pleaded.
After a few minutes work all that was left to remove was a large piece of plaster. As George threw it off his brother he heard Aidan choke back a sob. George looked down.
Fred was lying their, his head slightly to one side, eyes closed. To George he looked like he was sleeping. Aidan reached a trembling hand forward and lightly grasped one of Fred's wrists. George once again fell to his knees. He leant forwards and gently shook his twin. "Fred?" he whispered. There was no response. "Fred?" George called a little louder, shaking his brother again.
"George," Aidan sobbed. "George, it's no use."
"Fred!" George called again, shaking his twin from side to side. "Fred. Wake up!"
Aidan tried to stop George shaking his brother. "George…"
"DON'T SAY IT!" George screamed, throwing Aidan off him. "He's just asleep. He's joking. He wouldn't leave me."
"He's gone George," Aidan's voice trembled horribly. "He's not waking up."
A cry of pain and anger fought it's way from George. He lifted his brother into his lap, cradling him gently. His whole body shook, as the tears streamed down his face. "He can't be gone," he whimpered. "He just cant be."
Aidan couldn't stand the look of pain on George's face. Her heart was breaking. She crawled forward and brushed the hair from Fred's face. His face looked wrong, there was no mischief, no laughter. Aidan covered her mouth as sobs racked her body.
George and Aidan sat there, crying over Fred's body, unable to move. After a while they heard voices calling out to them. They didn't answer.
Aidan could hear her father calling her name. It was distant and echoey, like in a dream. She was exhausted. She tried to call out but couldn't. She felt numb. Aidan lay down, resting her head in Fred's lap, just like she had that night, not two weeks ago, after the nightmare she had had about George. She could almost feel his fingers running through her hair, comforting her as she fell asleep.
That's how Connor found them. George cradling Fred, Aidan laying in Fred's lap, crying hysterically, unable to stop. Unable to do anything but sit there and cry.
Lupin and Mrs Weasley entered the shop. "Have you found them?" she cried staggering through the debris. Mitchell tried to stop her but it was too late.
"NO!" she screamed, rushing forwards.
Connor caught her, "Molly," he said sternly. "Molly, you don't want to see this." Mrs Weasley's knees gave out, as Connor escorted her from the scene.
Lupin walked carefully towards George and Aidan, and knelt down beside them. He lifted Aidan up into a sitting position, she was too numb to fight it. They sat there like that for a long time. The tears had run out., George was just staring at Fred, his face completely expressionless.
"George," Lupin said calmly. "It's time to go." George shook his head, his eyes never leaving Fred's face. "We have to go, whoever did this could come back."
"I can't," George said quietly, his voice sounded hollow and cracked, not like his own.
"Can you walk?" Lupin asked. George gave the tiniest of nods.
"You bring Fred," Lupin instructed kindly. "I won't take him away from you until your ready." Lupin picked Aidan up gently, and stood ready to leave. "Ready?" he asked.
George didn't move for a second, just continued staring. Eventually he gathered his twin in his arms and stood. George walked to the exit ahead of Lupin, his eyes unseeing.