Author's Note: I seem to be on a roll with these stories, don't I? :D hahaha well anyways, this oneshot was actually written for the lovely Awesomescottishgirl for asking me to do a story where Fred dies :P I hope you all like it! Read and review if you can! :D

Disclaimer: I don't own anything in regards to Harry Potter or the Weasley twins.

Rating: K :)

Not Gone

This isn't happening.

Those were the only words that I could summon up. The only words that actually made sense around here. Fred was not dead. I'm his twin, I know these things! The bloody half-witted tosser was pulling another one of his pranks that would get himself actually killed by Mum. I always warned him not to do that.

Granted, Fred's body was unnaturally still and pale, but that could easily have been conjured up with dust and simply refusing to move. No, Fred Weasley wasn't dead. Because if he was I would've gone with him.

"Fred, wake up you git," I rolled my eyes, poking him in his most sensitive area - his ribs. There was not so much as a flinch or a upturn of his lips. I frowned. Fred had never been able to resist bursting into violent howls of laughter if anyone so much as got near that area. Which only I had ever been brave enough to do. "Fred, I will leave you here," I warned, annoyed and poking him once more with my toe. I sighed. Damn my brother's stubborness.

I looked up to find, much to my surprise, everyone shooting me sympathetic looks. "What?" I asked them, a bit grouchy at how guillible they were. Didn't they realise that this was a joke? "You can't honestly think he's dead?" I snorted.

"George?" came Ginny's soft voice. Her eyes were red and puffy. "Percy saw it happen. So did Ron, Hermione, and Harry wherever they are. It's real."

I stared at her for a second before I split into a grin. "I see. How much did Fred pay you to pull this off, eh?"

Ginny simply shook her head, obviously at a loss for words. I shrugged as she walked away back over to our mourning parents. My smile suddenly flipped back into a frown again. This was not like Fred to make others suffer this long. I knelt down close to him and growled playfully, "You've got to be daft to keep this one up, mate. When Mum finds out you're a dead man."

There was no answer, though I hardly expected there to be one. If Fred was going to go the long haul on this one, he surely wouldn't ruin it now of all times. He was probably waiting for the most oppotune moment to shock the knickers off of them. I chuckled slightly, standing back up. "Cheers, mate," I said, tipping an imaginary hat off to him. Though it wasn't exactly the most appropriate time to pull this kind of prank, God knows we needed somewhat of a laugh, even if it was only us two that was doing it.

I walked over to Mum, Dad, and Ginny and smiled. "So, what do we do until Harry reveals himself to us?" They all looked at me like I had gone mad. "What?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "Do not tell me you didn't hear that ghastly voice ol' Voldy's got himself. You know, the one about running for their money and trying to guilt Harry into knocking himself off?" There was no response except for their wide eyes. "C'mon guys, give me something," I begged. Blimey, would it kill them to crack a smile for once?

"George, you're b-brother is..." Dad croaked out, but seemed unwilling to voice it.

"Playing dead?" I finished, amused. "I know."

My parents shared a glance. "H-He's not playing," Mum weeped into Dad's shoulder.

I stared at them like they were the ones off their trolley. Okay, no way would they have gone along with this too. I mean, they knew Fred nearly as well as I did. They knew how much he loved pranking, and this wasn't the first time Fred tried to fake his own death. Though, now that I think about it, he always couldn't stop himself from roaring with laughter at the shock on Mum's face when she first walks into our bedroom to find Fred lolling on his bed.

So why was it taking him so long to react?

And then it hit me.

"Oh God," I breathed, my knees failing me. Lucky for me, Dad caught me before I could crash to the ground. But I pushed him away as soon as I righted myself, flying over to where my brother lay. "Freddie?" I whimpered, combing my hand through his hair. "Freddie for the love of all that is mischievous and good, please say something!"

The silence was the loudest sound I had ever heard.

I leaned over on his body, crying unabashedfully and hysterically. I didn't care that other's were probably gazing at me awkwardly or pretending I didn't exist. I didn't give a damn if Voldemort himself burst into the Great Hall and killed me. All I cared about was that my twin, my...my soul was lying dead on the ground, cold and unmoving. "Please Freddie, don't leave me," I sobbed. "Don't leave me all alone." My breathing was haggared and I felt like I might pass out. "Please don't be dead, Fred please. Please."

Who now would stay up all night with me inventing other pranks and jokes? Who now would comfort me when something was off without me even needing to ask? Who else could tell when I was feeling down and tried to hide it? Who else would start or finish my sentences, be my best friend, be closer to me than just a simple brother? WHO?

I hugged Fred's body to me, craddling his head.

Because to me, I didn't just lose a brother. To me, I lost myself.

"George?" a faint whisper entered my room, stirring me from my musings as I stared at my ceiling. It had been another night spent crying, crumbling, and cursing. It had been another night alone, without my soul.

"Yeah?" I groaned back, my body practically being dragged down by the bags under my eyes. How long had it been since I last slept? Days? Weeks? I lost count after six.

They say spending more then seven days not sleeping is potentially fatal, but I didn't care what was fatal or not. Hell, if I died from that I'd at least be with Fred again.

"It's time to go," Mum's voice told me softly.

Go. Go where? Go to visit my dead twin being buried while I simply stand there and watch? I couldn't. It'd be like watching him die all over again. Whatever tears I had left to produce sprung forth, staining my already tracked cheeks. But I couldn't argue with Mum. Not now. On any other circumstance? Yes. But not over the funeral of my beloved brother. Not this.

"Okay," I murmured back, not sure if she was around to hear my answer or if she could've heard it anyway. I stood up, glancing at the bed I had slept in. Or should I say, Fred's bed.

I knew, if he had been around, he'd have hated me sleeping in it. He always did, unless he verbally invited me to. But...I couldn't bare to see it lying there, empty, with no loveable, impulsive, wise-cracking ginger to fill it up. My bed being alone was something I could handle. Fred's bed was out of the question.

Sluggishly I somehow managed to pull my clothes halfway over my head, but I stopped. I didn't know what possessed me to do it, but I couldn't wear my clothes today. I couldn't be George. Let someone else be George, I thought, taking them off. I want to be Fred.

So with more determination to do this than anything else in my entire life, I stode over to my brother's usually occupied side of the room and took out anything that blatantly screamed Fred. Which included his jumper with a giant letter 'F' on the front. I grimaced. It even smelled like him still.

I looked in the mirror and gave a grim smile at my reflection. 'Hullo, my name is Forge. Pleasure to meet you.' For some reason, that sent me into wild, maniac fits of giggles. I blame the over-tiredness for this one. I gripped the counter to keep myself upright as tears streamed down my face, only this time it was for a different reason.

Finally composed with pink cheeks, I stumbled downstairs. Despite there being only one half of a twin now, no one even question my apparel. They seemed to agree with me that it seemed only fitting that his favourite jumper be a member of the party.

We all ate in silence, no one saying much. Even Harry, someone who should be boasting about his victory over the darkest wizard of all time (at least, it would've been the next logical step for Fred and I) was eerily quiet. I merely poked at my food, simply looking at the substances before me made me feel ill. I had gone nearly as long without food as I had without sleep. Not like I was trying to or anything, I just was never hungry. And meal times were always the hardest to get through. The silence at the table, usuallyb broken up by Fred and I, was stifling.

"Time to go?" Dad questioned gruffly, the first words anyone had spoken this entire morning. With silent nods we all pushed back from the table and walked solemnly to the front door. We walked a ways away from the Burrow, looking for the right spot to apparate. None of us had gotten quite over our paranoia to take down the enchantments around the house, so we simply left them there. Not like it's going to harm us. We finally found the place and we all briefly took hold of one another before disapparating.

The funeral, as we weren't told, was apparently going to be held at...Hogwarts?

"What's this?" I demanded, glaring at my parents.

They looked somewhat surprised. "Fred's-"

"I bloody well know what it's supposed to be!" I shouted, feeling my face go red with anger. But I didn't care. I was never one to lose my cool so quickly, but they were doing this all wrong. For Fred of all people. "Fred wouldn't have wanted to be buried here!"

Everyone gave me the same look they gave me when I believed Fred was still alive. "Don't just stand there and gander at me, relocate all of this!" I gestured towards the crowd of people who appeared for Fred's funeral.

"Where?" Dad argued, his blood already visibly starting to boil. "Where in the ruddy hell are we supposed to go then? This was where he died George!"

I had never wanted to punch my father so badly then at that moment. "Never-" I choked, too overwhelmed with fury and pain to form a proper sentence. My fists clenched and I glowered at the man before me. "Bury him at our shop," I managed to snarl. "It was his pride and joy and where he would want to rest."

"Isn't that a bit...morbid?" Ginny whispered to me.

"Does it matter?" I cried, flinging my arms up in the air. "I know him better than any of you lot. I know that's where he would've wanted!"

And before Dad could yell back, my elder brother Charlie cut in. "Dad? George has a point. He did know him best, and I do think Fred would've...liked it better than here," he finished in an undertone.

"Did?" I pestered, my previous grateful attitude towards him vanishing.

Charlie paid no attention to me however, and simply gave Dad a meaningful look. Why my father listens to him, I will never know, but with a curt nod of his ginger hair made it clear that I had won.

Mum said hurriedly, "I'll go tell everyone where it's being relocated." And she hussled off into the crowd.

I smiled my first genuine smile of the day. Granted it was small, but I knew that somewhere Fred was rooting for me.

"We are gathered here to note the bravery of this young man," a tall and loud wizard spoke sorrowfully as he gesticulated towards my brother's...coffin. Our shop stood solemnly in the background, looking down at it's owner lying broken and battered.

I swallowed the lump in my throat painfully as I forced myself not to cry. Don't cry anymore Georgie, Fred always hated it when you cried. It was true. Fred had once told me when we were little that he didn't like to see me cry because he said that it made him feel like crying too. I never forgot that, even though that was ten plus years ago. It really made me see how closely we truly were connected. When one twin hurt, so did the other. And when one twin died...

So did the other.

I felt sick as the wizard up there spoke about Fred like he was a piece of history, like he was something just easily shoved away in the past. This wasn't right. None of this...none of this was right.

"Excuse me," I stated loudly, standing out of my chair.

Everyone turned to stare at me in surprise, but I didn't care. Not even when Mum hissed, "What are you doing?"

"Why do you go on like Fred's no longer here?" I demanded, looking pointedly at the startled wizard.

"W-Well he is, you know," the man fumbled, looking highly uncomfortable.

"And?" I raised an eyebrow, my hands trembling. "Just because you can't see him doesn't mean he's not here!" I turned around and looked at all the people gathered for Fred, feeling my throat tighten. So many people, yet none of them...none of them knew him as well as I did. So I would be the one to stick up for him. "None of you seem to understand that Fred is not gone!"

"George, honey," Mum started quietly, for once not being the angry woman I knew. She reached out for me, but I recoiled.

"No!" I shouted, feeling for the hundredth time my eyes start to water. "You lot don't get it! Fred would never leave me...us without all of us coming with him! And why the bloody hell are we letting some bloke who has never even met him talk about him!"

"George, sit down," Ginny stood up to whisper as calmly as she could to me, but she sounded a bit frightened. "George, please-"

"You all didn't know him like I did!" I choked out, backing away from the funeral procession, everyone's eyes on me. "He was my twin and my best friend! You didn't bloody well know him!"

And with that I took off, running anywhere that wasn't here and as fast as I could. Buildings, wizards and witches alike all blurred in my vision as I continued to sprint, stitches raging in my sides and my heart straining against my chest, but I didn't stop. I couldn't-

Oi, Georgie.

I skidded to a stop, collapsing and gasping on a deserted street. I really am going mad, I thought anxiously, trying to recover from what I had heard. Because what I heard was Fred's voice.

It's me you git. You're ever beloved twin?

My eyes went wide. "F-Fred?"

Ah, look who's catching on.

I could hear the humour in his voice though I could not see him. "I miss you Freddie," I weeped, pulling my legs up to my chest and burying my head in my arms. "Why did you have to go?"

George, I never left, it scolded me. I'm here with you now. I could never leave you behind, dear brother. Gred and Forge forever right?

But that only made me cry harder. "I don't know how to move on from this, Fred. You're my best friend."

What did I say Forge? We're together no matter what. Through thick and thin.

"W-Will I still be able to talk to you like this?" I asked, fearful of the answer.

Of course. You'll be the only one who can. I stayed for you, remember?

I smiled weakly, the pain lifting a bit at the prospect. "I love you Freddie, I never got to tell you that before you died."

I love you too George. There was a slight pause before Fred's voice came back wonderingly, Where is my funeral being held?

I winced at the word but I responded quietly, "At out shop. I thought you'd like it."

Brilliant! Fred cried, sounding gleeful. That's bloody brilliant George. Now I can haunt the place.

My heart stopped. "Y-You mean I'll be able to see you?"

What do you think?

I had never smiled any bigger then I had then.