Disclaimer- Harry Potter, and all other things beautiful, belong to JK Rowling
A/N- When I first read that Fred died in The Deathly Hallows, I sobbed! I always wanted to know how Fred was killed, because I love the Weasley twins with all my heart, so I wrote this. Please review I really need it! And if not for me, do it for the Weasley twins :)
The dark dreary pall to the sky set the mood for the funeral entirely. Molly Weasley was weeping silently, tears streaming down her face. Arthur Weasley remained the steadfast husband, and tried to comfort her, wishing he could believe the words he was telling her.
"Shhhhhh. It will be alright. We can make it through this, just hold on. It will be over soon. We still have Bill, Charlie, Percy, Ge-", then he choke on a sob and could no longer continue. Instead he said their names in his mind. They were silent list that had been playing over and over in his head since he had seen the murder of his son. It had been a comfort to him to know the well being of his other children, but now their names were just a constant echoing reminder that he had lost a child.
"Where's George? Arthur where is he?!" Molly said in a strangled voice. It had been an unspoken worry between them, that the remaining twin would do something drastic. They hadn't said anything to each other, but it had been a constant fear that they had kept at bay. Hoping that if unspoken, it wouldn't happen. Arthur and Molly both looked desperately through the crowd, praying against all odds that he would be there. But he wasn't.
George sat listlessly on a bench under a tree. He was hunched over in the cold, but it didn't really bother him. Nothing truly had since he'd lost a half of his heart.
"Fred..." he whispered to the air, as if saying his name would perhaps bring him back for a final goodbye. A tear trickled down his cheek, and he didn't bother to wipe it away. How had everything changed so fast? The days had been full of laughter and fun. Fighting against Voldemort and Snape, helping Harry in the battle, and laughing with Fred at every little prank they had pulled. He had heard something or the other that Snape had been on their side all along, but he didn't care. He didn't care at all. George had considered killing himself, but the thing was he was afraid. He had lost his other half, and yet he was terrified of the vast unknown. He didn't care about life, but couldn't end it.
The battle where Fred had last been alive had been playing over and over again in his head.
They were in one of the many windows in Hogwarts, in a futile attempt to keep the Death Eaters at bay. The Death Eaters had almost breached the enchanted wall, shrieking profanities all the while. There was an eerie calm of sorts to the castle, like the eye of a hurricane. George had found that fear had a tight iron grip on stomach, making it knot in terror. Fred and George had been the very best of friends, but weren't always emotionally invested in each other's lives. George stole a glance at Fred, his throat tightening, and saw that he, as well, was afraid.
"Fred," George said in a moment of panic, "What if we die? I'm afraid." Both of them were adept at fighting, but never had they been in a real battle, such as the one that was about to occur. Training could not prepare for the fear you felt for yourself and others before a battle starts. Fred snorted at him.
"Oh come on Georgie don't worry about it! This is the last battle we'll have to fight, and then we're done." George had to crack a smile.
"You make it sound like we've been in so many of them," he laughed. A particularly nasty spell crashed through the barrier enchantment, and hit a stone gargoyle nearby.
George winced.
"Oh come on," Fred said smiling; "don't I make a striking resemblance to a knight in shining armor?" Laughing helped George.
"You know I'm much more attractive than you!" George said, teasing his identical twin.
He heard a scream of rage below, and the barriers were down. With a loud roaring noise, that could be compared to a dragons howl, the Death Eaters charged. They flew up into the sky, to attempt to get into any entrance possible. One landed in front of them, and smiled a nasty sort of grin.
Fred and George both hexed him at the same time, causing nasty tentacles to sprout from his face before he fell off the wall.
"Nice one," George remarked. He wasn't scared after that, because he knew Fred had his back. They fought Death Eater after Death Eater, in a swirl of black and grey. A large group of them advanced towards them, and George was afraid again.
"Remember-" Fred started, but was attacked by Bellatrix Lestrange so ferociously he couldn't finish his sentence. George quickly came to his aid, and stunned her.
"This is the last battle you'll have to fight," he finished, a smirk on his face.
The smirk froze, his eyes bulged, and he slowly crumpled to the filthy ground. George had always expected that he and Fred would go out with a bang. Something monumental and memoriable. Just something. But there was no blaze, no bang. Fred really went out with more of a whimper. It wasn't graceful and in slow motion, it just was. He just fell stiffly backwards at an awkward position, and hit the ground with a thump. And George's heart stopped. Why wasn't he getting up?
"Ha!" shrieked Bellatrix, or perhaps some other Death Eater.
George couldn't see straight. His eyes were blurred and fuzzy.
It was only until the tears fell did he full realize what had just happened.
He wished he could have said he had killed the stinking bastard who did it, but in truth, he as well crumpled to the ground. It didn't cross his mind to go and revenge his twin, but instead he grasped Fred's hand, and told him all would be okay. He was refusing to believe he was dead.
He vaguely remembered Lupin and Tonks coming to his rescue, and one of them crying out as the other was hit. He hoped the one remaining had time to kill the person who had done it, but he didn't know what had happened. They were both killed in the end though, so at least they were together.
The last thing he had said to Fred was 'Nice one', not an 'I love you', but it could have been worse.
At that moment a bell somewhere in Hogwarts chimed mournfully, pulling him out of his reverie. Fred's funeral was supposed to start now, and he was supposed to read his eulogy. He wasn't going to be able to. Thinking coherently was difficult for him, let alone speaking. And in front of many people? Forget it; he wasn't going to talk about his beloved twin in front of so many people, who had never loved him as much as he had.
They had told him he was to say something, seeing as he was the one who had known Fred best. He wanted to honor Fred, but speaking at his funeral would mean acknowledging his death. It was something he had been avoiding for days. George started to hyperventilate. He rocked back and forth on the cold stone bench, trying to summon the courage. This was nothing compared to the battle. Nothing at all. This was painful in every way imaginable and unimaginable. It ripped and tore at him, threatening to consume him alive.
Just when George was about to give up, he heard a something familiar almost whispered in his ear; the last battle you'll ever fight. They were Fred's last words. Except he hadn't finished the battle. He had given up and cried by Fred's body, while those few last brave people finished fighting it out.
And now he had a whole new battle to fight.
He couldn't survive without Fred, his other half, who finished his sentences for him and knew his every fear and joy. But he had to. He must. This was his eulogy, his honor of Fred. He would live to the fullest to celebrate Fred's life. This was his last battle, his struggle. Fred would have wanted him to be happy and pranking people right now for God's sake. Instead here he was crying like a baby. George would see Fred some day again, and then he would finally be complete again. He stood up and wiped his eyes on his sleeve. Jogging to the castle spread heat up his frozen limbs and made him feel alive again.
Looking throught the crowd, he easily spotte his mother and father, by their ginger hair. to his chagrin, he saw his mother sobbing. To see someone who meant support to you break down was a bit unerveing. George knew now it was his turn to be there for her. He'd see Fred soon enough.
"Mum it's going to be okay," George said comforting her. "I'm here." She managed a wan relieved smile through her tears, and threw her arms around him. He squeezed her tightly, then released, and slowly walked to the front of the crowd.
I hope you're happy now Fred. I'm fighting the last battle I'll ever have to fight, for you. I'll see you soon enough.