Alone
Written listening to I want you back by The Kooks
George felt empty. Yes, that's the only word to describe it. Here he was, standing right in the center of the garden, nothing else to think about than his overwhelming loneliness. It was almost two months after The Battle, as they called it. Two long months since Fred left him, since it wasn't Fred and George anymore. In those eight weeks, he had gone through all kinds of emotions, from anger to pain, to sadness, from guilt to happiness for being alive and well. Life was starting to make sense again, thanks to his supporting family and to Angelina, who seemed to have taken permanent residence in his apartment since he went back. Life was getting better and better, he had reopened the shop and had started to smile again, but it was at times like these, when he was at the Burrow for a weekly family lunch, that he felt the most miserable. Not that he didn't want to see his family. He did. He needed them. But he felt more alone than ever. Angelina could not come today; she had to work on her Quidditch schedule. When George looked to his right, he could see Harry and Ginny in the sky racing their brooms. He could hear them shouting and laughing together. In front of him, sitting on the grass, were Bill, Fleur, Charlie, Percy and his parents playing with Teddy and Victoire. They were all smiling at the children and seemed like they were having a good time as a family. To his left, half hidden by the bushes, were Ron and Hermione, sitting by the river. Hermione's head was on Ron's lap as she was lying on her side and his little brother was caressing her hair like it was the most natural thing in the world. George had seen their relationship blossom in front of his eyes for the last few months and he really thought it was sweet. Angelina was always telling him it was fate, that they were soulmates. She'd been saying this since they all were in school. She'd been right, of course. She was always right, or so George let her think. But she was right, two months ago, when he had wanted to die and had confided in her. She'd told him that he would never forget Fred but that his pain would gradually fade, that if he died, his family would suffer much more unnecessary sadness. He had listened to her, and she'd not left his side since then. Nobody asked what had changed when she started coming to dinner at the Burrow, nor when she was the one to answer the door at the appartment. For that, George was grateful and he thought he had his kid brother to thank for. As he was standing there, looking at all those smiling faces, he could remember everything about his childhood. The frog-hunting with Fred, throwing rocks in Percy's bedroom with Fred, chasing gnomes with Fred, swimming in the pond with Fred. He was rapidly getting overwhelmed and had to sit down. The tears, those seemingly never ending tears started to come down his cheeks. Suddenly, a hand touched his shoulder. Damn it, he thought, rapidly drying his face with his sleeve. When he turned around, he saw a dark hand and quickly followed this known skin up the arm of its owner. She was here. She was always there when he needed her. His rock. His soulmate.
End