Percy scrambled around desperatly in the rubble. His body scratched and bruised, his lungs choked by the remaining dust, a result of the collapsing building.
Stumbling over the fallen debris Percy frantically searched for his two younger brothers and their friends. He muttered what sounded like prays. Quiet pleas to find his younger siblings alive and safe. "Please" He whispered "Please, please".
Suddenly, Percy tripped landing on his from with a painful hiss and glanced around to look at what had caused him to fall.
Percys eyes fell on his worst nightmare, a still body belonging to a young, redheaded man, the ghost of his last laugh etched on his face. Percy reached out a trembling hand and placed it onto the still chest of his little brother.
Fred Weasley.
George Weasley stood panting, he was tired and warm blood dribbled from a mild cut to his stomach. He felt dizzy. As he aimed a quick stunning spell at the first Death Eater he saw George was suddenly overcome with a bitter, empty feeling.
He put a hand to his head, his stomach and the position on his chest just above his heart. desperatly trying to discoverer where this sudden feeling of emptyness.
No, it was more than emptiness. He felt as if a part of himself had died. George wrapped his arms around himself, he felt an empty, numbness spreading from his centre outwards. His brain slowed, trying ti comprehend the sudden sense of loss he was feeling.
Two worn hands cupped his face and George raised his glazed eyes only to be met with the face of Remus Lupin. "George?" he asked, worry etched in his words, both George and Fred had adored Lupin from his first day teaching as Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. George managed to slur out a response "Something wrong".
Lupins brow creased, know with both confusion and worry. "What do you mean?" George gasped, tears trickeld from the corners of his eyes. He looked like a broken little boy. "Its like..." he choked "its like a part of me has died" Lupin was looking at George with a sudden look of deep sadness but also understanding and he looked George up and down, taking in the cut, the bruises and the look of utter pain and grief that replaced the sparkle in his eyes. "Find your brother" whispered Lupin as he spottered two Death Eaters approaching them. "You showed me what it was like to laugh again, like it did with Sirius and James at school. You're brilliant so please stay strong. Your family need you"
Lupin pushed George around the corner of an empty corridor watching as George stumbled, as Lupin knew, to find the body of his dead twin brother.
Lupin turned slowly, reading to face the Death Eaters and his death.
George ran clumsily down the corridor the echoes of shouts disapearing behind him. The burning desire to see his other half, his twin brother, was growing. It was the only thing giving him the energy to keep running, to fight the heavy unconcsiousness that clouded the back of his mind. As he turned another corner George slowed to a walk. He could hear quiet talking and the sound of sobbing, "There was nothing you could of done" the familier comforting but still distraught voice of his father. Arthur Weasley.
George walked slowly, robotically, to the small huddle of people. "Dad" he croked stopping a few metres away. Someone was on the floor and George glanced around, glad to see the miserable but alive faces of Percy, Arthur, Ron, Harry and Hermione. Arthur Weasley stood up slowly, showing the bottom half of a body on the floor. "Daddy" George croked sounding more like a tiny child.
Arthur Weasley looked at George with incredible heart wrentching pain and pity. "Georgie" he whispered in the same voice he used when both Fred and George were children,. Arthur looked at his son taking in the mild, bloody cut. "Is someone hurt" George questionned his father with such innocense that a tear dribbled down his fathers cheek. "We need to get you sorted first" said Arthur pressing a hand to George forehead and reminding him of how dizzy he felt. George glanced at the faces of those around him, they were all watching him with worry, apart from one face. Percy refused to look at the body or at George. He looked guilty.
"Is it Charlie? Bill?" George questionned persistantly. His father tightened the hold he had on the upper part of Georges arm when he noticed the growing glazed look in Georges eyes. "P..please George" his father pleaded."you...you wont be able to take this". George looked at his father and then to Ron who had moved to comfort Hermione, revealing the body.
It was Fred.
George paled, his breathing speeded up and his body stiffened all at once. "F-fred" he choked "whats wrong with him" Arthur did not answer him. George fell to his knees and closed his eyes "No". He opened his eyes slowly and crawled to his twins side"please" he lifted a hand to his brothers face.
"You promised" a tear dribbled down Georges cheek and landed on his brother pale and identical face. "You said we'd die together. Born together die together, remember?" George was shaking. "George I beg you please" his fathers voice broke through his grief. "You're going into shock you need to see a healer, please"
Arthur jumped backward when his son twisted to look at him with tortured eyes, "Why am I still here? Why am I not dead? Why am I not with him?" "Georg-" "We said we'd die together!" George shouted in pure agony.
George tried to stand up but the blood loss, fatigue and the grief caused black dots to dance in front of his eyes and he collapsed into his fathers awaiting arms. "My poor boy" George heard his dad whisper. "George? Hold on, please, just hold on. A few more minutes while we get you some help"
George was crying "but he said we'd die together" His father stroked his hair "I know he did and i'm sorry i'm so so sorry"
"Let me die to. Please" "Not a chance" his dad muttered holding on to him. As George drifted off into a haunted unconsciousness the final words of Remus Lupin echoed in his mind. "Stay strong"