Harry told him about it, but he wasn't sure it was completely real.
But now as he looks in the mirror, he knows its real. He hears it (fredfredfred). He feels it, cool to the touch (painpainpain) . It pierces and pricks his skin, sending little needles of want and regret into his blood.
Fred is standing there next to him, his arm around his shoulder, laughing merrily.
He knows its not real but that doesn't stop the PAINPAINPAIN from coming in. Tears are streaming down his weathered face and he wants.
He doesn't want it to just be a tampered reflection. He wants it to be real. He wants Fred. Wants him to be here with him.
Want is savage. It t e a r s a person apart. Rips a beating heart at its seams and lets the painpainpain come through again. The painpainpain hadn't been there for a while, so as it rips through his being, its re-opening holes.
Tear after tear streams down his face, and Fred is still smiling next to him. wantfredneedfred. Painpainpain.
He collapses to the floor, sobs wracking his thin frame. He wants and he needs and he cries and pain ravages his body. He feels like a hole has been ripped through him, letting the pain in again.
It hurts.
It hurts
It HURTS
Tears form a little pool on the ground around his flaming red hair, water and fire existing together.
Fred was always the loud one, George thought. Fred knew what to say, always. He was rambunctious and spirited and he was lively and he was passionate and he was fire.
George was quiet, George was calm, George was clever, George was water.
Existingtogetherforeverwe'llmeverevereverbeapart
But now the fire was gone, flame extinguished inside a wooden box six feet under.
Painpainpain
The Mirror of Erised continued to show an image of two boys, exactly identical (other than a mole or a freckle or two), smiling twin grins, laughing twin laughs, fire hair a halo around their heads.
One of them isn't here anymore, the other survives. George hurts. George has painpainpain. George wants George needs.
George needs Fred.