A/N: I own none of the characters or any of the Harry Potter franchise as much as I wished I did. Any original ideas you see belong to me obviously. Thanks for reading :)

The cold and now empty corridors of Hogwarts held countless memories for George and as he walked down through the stone arches high above his head he sighed, casting his mind back to the year before.

'You're joking Perce! You actually ARE joking… I don't think I've heard you joke since you were…'

If he closed his eyes now he could still hear the sickening crack of the wall falling down on them, crashing against Fred's whole body, crushing his brother, his best friend and then the horrific silence that followed. That was the worst part. George was used to the deafening sound of the wall caving in, he almost took comfort in the sound, but the silence after… that was what kept George awake at night. That was what kept him from sleeping, eating, talking or even functioning properly for the past year.

It had been Hermione's idea that he visit Hogwarts again, letting go she had called it. It didn't feel like letting go to him. It felt like saying goodbye and George wasn't ready to do that just yet. His head pounded as he walked closer and closer to the site where his twin had left him. Hermione had told him that it would hurt, that he wouldn't be okay but he knew she was right. He had to at least go back once, see if anything had changed. If it had all been just a bad dream.

Hermione was the only one who could get through to George now. He refused to talk to most people, not being able to stand their pity and their looks of sadness as they told him 'Fred was such a good guy' and 'He didn't deserve to go so young'. But with Hermione she just looked at him and told him he was being stupid and 'Fred wasn't gone so you could mope around feeling sorry for yourself for a whole year and not looking after the shop'. He listened to her now more than ever after one night of them getting drunk together after she had ended things with Ron she told him she had always loved Fred and when he had died she was so alone and scared that she just threw herself at Ron. She knew Fred almost as well as George knew him.

Rounding the corner he looked over his shoulder, seeking the support of his new found friendship with the bookworm, to find she was still stood at the start of the corridor. He could visibly see her shaking as she stared, unseeing, into the emptiness before her. Carefully and gently he raised his arm, holding his hand palm up and called out to her.

'Hermione?'

'Yeah?' She called back.

'Come with me.' It wasn't a question but she stood and considered her decision for a moment.

'I'm scared' She retorted, her voice breaking as fresh tears fell down her face.

'So am I.' George confessed. At this Hermione tentatively stepped forward and, one step at a time, began to walk towards him. As she reached him she placed her small, dainty hand in George's rough, larger and calloused one and gripped it tightly. They stood like that for a while, both staring at each other, gaining strength from the other as their hands clasped onto each other. She nodded signalling that she was okay. George took a deep, shaking breath and nodded back. They turned and walked together down the rest of the hallway.

A/N: Feedback?