Disclaimer: No characters are mine. Or any quotes from the book. I don't own anything related to Harry Potter. :(
Dying is Tough:
"Hello, Minister! Did I mention I'm resigning?"
"You're joking, Perce! You actually are joking... I don't think I've heard you joke since you were –"
And then the spell hit me.
To die is such a strange feeling. I was ripped from my body while still laughing over my brother's joke.
Where was I going? What was happening?
By the time I realized I was dead, the tears and heartache already set in. From below my I head Percy crying, he was joined by Harry, Ron and Hermione.
Their voices floated away. Or was it me? I was floating away.
And then it all went black.
The next time I opened my eyes I was in a thick fog. I stood up cautiously and looked around. No one was in sight.
"Bloody hell, don't tell me this is where I'm spending the rest of my life." I muttered. "Our shop is so much better, eh George?"
I turned around and it felt like I was slapped across the face and stabbed in the heart at the same time.
George wasn't here. He was still alive.
I was all alone.
Tears began to pour out of my eyes. My twin brother. Gone. I had left him.
I left him all alone.
Suddenly I was scared. I couldn't see anything and I lost my will to joke. I was alone. And trembling with fear. I had never been so scared in my life. I had always had George at my back in times like these.
But not anymore.
"Hello?" I called out.
I began to hear footsteps coming closer to me.
"Who's there?" I demanded. Attempting to summon all my strength.
The fog parted for a woman to walk through.
She looked so young. And so beautiful.
She had red hair and green eyes.
Wait a second. I knew those eyes. Those eyes. People had always said he had her eyes.
"Lily Potter?" he asked foolishly.
A smile lit up across her face. "How on Earth did you know that!" she asked excitedly.
"Your eyes. People always said Harry had your eyes."
Her eyes welled up with tears slightly. "Yes, I'm Harry's mum. Lily Potter. Pleasure to meet you Fred."
I was silent for a moment. My mum would be shocked if I ever told her that I was speechless.
"Well, I'm assuming you are terribly confused?" Lily asked me.
"Err – yes. Extremely."
She smiled. "Follow me. I'll explain everything."
She began to walk into the dense mist. I followed close behind to make sure I wouldn't lose her.
"So first off, you're dead. I hate to put it so bluntly. But it is true. It's a very hard concept to wrap your mind around though. But don't worry it'll all make sense in a few years. I've been dead for around sixteen years, hence why I am able to just throw things out there like that. Second, this is your life after death. From what I know, you look like what you looked like during the best years of your life. That is why I look like I am seventeen. If I looked my actual age I would be around 37. I think. To be honest, I'm not sure. Nor do I really care. Everyone around here looks like they are around seventeen. It's really strange actually. But you get used to it. In this life after death, you can still use magic. Your wand "died" so to speak, when you did. The land scape around here is pretty odd. I live in a small cottage with James and Sirius. But judging from the joke shop that just popped up down the street. I'm assuming that would be yours?"
I nodded trying to wrap my head around all of this.
"Well, I'm inviting you over for some tea. James and Sirius will help you feel more at home. I'm more of a motherly figure, whereas those two act like morons most of the time. Ever heard of the Marauders?" she asked as we walked into her house.
"The Marauders. Dear Merlin, of course I've heard of the Marauders. McGonagall still talks about them in class sometimes. Her eyes get all watery when she does. I've hear they were geniuses. My brother and I wanted to be just like them. Ever since we found out how to work their map! We've become a huge success because of them!" I said fondly.
"Oh dear me, Sirius. Did you just hear that?" a man who looked creepily similar to Harry said.
"Why yes James I did. Dear Merlin Fred, you did know that I was a Marauder right?" an extremely younger version of Sirius Black said as he rushed into the room.
"Sirius!" I exclaimed as I ran to hug him.
He hugged me tightly. "Hey Freddie. How you holding up?" he asked me.
"Been better."
He smiled.
"It gets easier Fred. I promise." the man who I was assuming to be James Potter said.
"I'm James. By the way. Harry's father." he said.
"Fred Weasley. Pleasure to meet you sir."
He rolled his eyes. "Dear Merlin, never ever call me sir. I am James, Prongs or some other stupid nickname, no Sirius not Jamie-kins, not sir."
Sirius frowned. "He's lying, he loves the name Jamie-kins."
I laughed. Lily wasn't kidding when she said they were a riot.
"Back to the matter at hand, yes James and I are two of the four Marauders. How did you not know?" Sirius said laughing.
"It never occurred to me. So, who are the other two?" I asked.
James smiled brightly. "I'm Prongs. Sirius here is Padfoot. Remus Lupin, your ex-DADA teacher, was Mooney. And Peter Pettigrew was Wormtail."
"James! Don't forget Lily-flower now! She's an honorary Marauder. We've let her join in." Sirius said merrily.
"Wow. I've known two Marauders for years and I never knew it."
Sirius and James smiled.
Lily walked into the room carrying a tray of tea.
We sat down on the couches and they filled me on on the details of after-life. It was strange. And confusing.
But I felt like I was at home here. Lily was like a surrogate mother to me, even though we looked the same age and she constantly joked with Sirius and James. She still reminded me of my own mum. James and Sirius were like my brothers here, which is a really odd concept, that my brother's best mate's father is like my own brother. But it feels less weird than it truly is.
A knock on the door stole me from my thoughts.
James jumped up to answer it.
He came back with a mixed expression. It was half giddy and excited and half morbidly depressed.
"Who is it?" Sirius asked.
"Mooney. He – er – died."
Of course his emotions made sense now, he was excited to have his best friend back, but it meant his friend was also dead.
"Are you the welcoming party?" Lily asked him.
"Me and Sirius." he said grinning.
"Shall we go then?" Sirius asked.
"Yes good idea, wouldn't want Mooney to feel scared and alone like Freddie here probably did when Lily was late." James teased.
Lily threw a sugar cube at him. "There was no need to tell him that!"
I laughed. "It's alright – Lily. Can I call you Lily?"
She laughed. "Of course you can. I wouldn't expect anything else."
I smiled. This place really was great. Lily and James were so welcoming and nice to have a round. And Sirius was great too. I felt less alone here and less scared. I still missed my brothers and sister and mum and dad and my twin most of all, but I would be okay up here. I would wait faithfully for George. But I wouldn't let myself slip into sadness, the Marauders wouldn't let me!
Dying is tough, but luckily I've got great people up here to help me with it.