A Tree called Life


Characters: George & Alicia

Word Count: 988

Summary: With Quidditch as a bond, seven people find love, laughter and long-lasting friendships, amongst other things. A series of 100 one-shots.

Author's Notes: I'm writing this for the 100 Quotes of Life challenge at the HPFFC. It's going to centre around Fred & George Weasley, Angelina Johnson, Katie Bell, Alicia Spinnet, Lee Jordan & Oliver Wood, and each chapter will use a different quote. Each character may not be in every chapter, and the chapters will probably not be in order of time. They're just moments. This first one is quite sad and angsty, sorry about that, but there will be happier ones to come!


Number 87:

"Please- pull through for me."

Alicia finds him first after the memorial service, of all people. He'd expected someone to come, but never even considered Alicia. Lee, maybe. His brothers, probably. His parents, definitely. But Alicia? Quite unexpected.

The memorial service had been awful, especially after many of the dead had only died two days ago and the grief and pain of their families was still fresh. His mother had sobbed all the way through, comforted on one side by his father and on the other, Bill, while the others had tried to help him. Only he hadn't wanted their help. He hadn't wanted Charlie's hand on his shoulder and Ginny's hand enclosed around his. He didn't want to see Ginny crying into Percy's shoulder and he didn't want to see his father's arm around Ron. He'd only wanted Fred.

There was only so much he could take, so after half an hour, he got up and left. No one except Percy made a move to stop him, but it didn't take Ron much effort to pull Percy back down so he could go.

"Hey Georgie," she says and flops down beside him. The old nickname is wasted on him if she thinks it'll make him feel better.

"'Lo." He can't be bothered with anything else. At least he responded, after all.

She looks at him and he looks back. She's not wearing black, like he'd have expected of her, or at least of the 'I play by the rules' Alicia he used to know. It suddenly occurs to him how long it's been since he's seen her. A year, at least. She's wearing blue, a nice blue that brings out her eyes if he'd care to notice, and looks very neat and tidy, although it's clear she's been crying. She's not the only one. He wonders absent-mindedly who out of the many she was crying for.

"It was a great service, wasn't it?" she says after a little while.

He wants to reply that no, it wasn't, (after all, his brother was up there as one of the fallen) but he doesn't have the heart. "Mmm."

"Yes," Alicia says. "A lovely service."

There is a long pause where neither of them say a thing and Alicia just looks at the lake and George just frowns, but then she speaks again. "Do you remember when we went to the Yule Ball together, George?"

"Yeah." He does remember. He and Fred took Alicia and Angelina into the grounds afterwards and showed them a rocket display. Alicia had held his hand until Fred accidentally on purpose threw a snowball down Alicia's dress. George can still remember her high pitched screams about them ruining her dress, and Angelina helping Alicia get rid of the snowball and drying her with her wand before picking up an enormous snowball and throwing it straight in Fred's face. He can remember his own laughter, joined by Fred's and then Alicia and Angelina's. The snowball fight had continued until it got too cold. Fred had performed the drying charms after and George had fetched the hot chocolate. He doesn't remember much about the dance itself.

"Do you remember how Fred threw that snowball down my dress?" There's a glimmer of a smile on her face. He suddenly remembers that she knew Fred too, not that it matters. No one knew Fred as well as he did.

"Yeah." He certainly remembers the look on her face when he did it. It's hard to believe that it was only three years ago- not even that yet.

"Do you remember how before that I was holding your hand?"

What does it matter? "Yes."

Alicia takes his hand. "Then you won't mind me doing so, for old time's sake."

Her hand feels warm and soft and small in his. "I guess not."

"George, I'm going to ask you for a favour, if I can." She looks at him now, right at him, and he wonders if she's looking for Fred. She won't find him. The Fred part of George died two days ago (has he really lived two days without him?) with Fred, and will be buried along with him tomorrow.

George just looks at her. He doesn't want to nod, or say yes again. He's tired and his head aches, although whether it is from Kingsley's booming voice or an after-effect of the war he fought in two days ago, he does not know.

"Please- pull through for me." She has tears in her eyes, and her hand is tightening around his. "I know it's hard, because I miss Fred too. In fact, we all do, you and me, your parents, your brothers and Ginny, Lee, Angelina and Katie, Oliver, Harry, Hermione- all of us. And that's why you have to pull through. We can help you, George, like we're helping each other already. It isn't easy, but we'll get by. We have to." She pauses and squeezes his hand again, then leans forward to kiss him on the forehead. She stands up and releases his hand from her grasp. "I've already lost one of my best friends. It'd kill me if I lost you too."

She walks away, back to the congregated people now making a move for the castle, leaving George alone with his thoughts. He wants to yell at her- screw you, Alicia, you'll never understand how I feel- but he doesn't. He doesn't have the energy, but also he knows that he doesn't mean it. He knows that people, including Alicia, are there for him, and that eventually he'll pull through, but for the meantime, all he wants is to be left alone.