George is 18 when he loses his ear. He cracks a joke about it [and not a very good one at that] before going to stand in front of a mirror, watching a trail of blood run down his cheek before dripdripdripping onto his shoulder. It was painful, of course, but it's numb now. He sighs and turns away from the mirror.
A few months later, George loses his twin. He isn't there to witness his death, but he feels it, feels something go numb inside him, feels his blood re-coursing within him, feels his heart change its beat, so that it beats only for one, now, not two. He chokes back a bitter sob and continues on with the fight, putting on a brave face.
George is 20 when he re-opens Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes with the help of Ron. The children come flooding in on the second day its open, screeching and laughing as if they'd forgotten the horrors of the world, and maybe they have. George notices two children, twins, looking particularly interested in sugar quills, and for a moment, a moment, he allows himself to be jealous.
George is 29 when Angelina has their first child, a son with bright red hair. "What should we name him?" she asks, looking exhausted but pleased. George doesn't hesitate, opening his mouth before he can even think. "Fred." he murmurs, speaking from a memory of happier times. He glances down at the gurgling child, who coos, opening his mouth into an awkward grin. George cannot look him in the eye.
George is 35 when he wakes from a nightmare, dripping with sweat and unwanted tears. He feels lost, desperate, his heart thumpthumpthumping in his chest, searching for the heartbeat that matches. He eases himself from his bed, careful not to wake Angelina, and moves towards the bathroom, one hand resting over his heart. George cannot look in a mirror anymore, cannot bear to see his reflection, so he covers it with a towel. His ear burns, but it doesn't matter; he wishes he was brave enough to stand up to his reflection.
George is 41 when his son, a handsome boy with curly dark hair, goes off to Hogwarts for the first time. The Hogwarts Express whistles mournfully, and at that moment, George is transported through memories. He remembers the last time he and his siblings went off to Hogwarts, cracking jokes and laughing uproariously. Angelina squeezes his hand and the moment is lost, filed into a corner of his mind he rarely goes back to. He waves to his son and turns away. He cannot bear to watch him leave.
George is 52 when he realizes he's no longer as young as he used to be. He's no longer quite as agile as he was, no longer able to fly away and match the pace of his son. His hands aren't as nimble when he ties up packages for children, and that makes him laugh, though he's not sure why. He thinks of Fred, at that moment, right when he's tying a bow, and he stops what he's doing. He can hear Fred calling his name and he's not sure why. Not yet, notyet, the voice murmurs. Soon, soon, soon. George smiles and hands the package to the eager child.
George is 65 when his heart skips one too many beats. His breath catches in his throat, and he groans. It hurts, or at least it's supposed to, but he doesn't mind. He's falling, now, fallingfallingfalling into memories, and he doesn't hear Angelina's cry as he falls to the floor. This memory is different, though, it's making him smile. Fred is laughing at him, looking young, whole, alive. He's grinning, holding out his hand.
"C'mon, old man, let's get you young again. It's time." George doesn't fight the tears this time, doesn't fight the memories that come flooding back or the way Fred's eyes shimmer with an unearthly light. He grasps Fred's hand through the tears, his weariness and age falling away. They link arms, laughing together as one, and George's heart sings as it finds its old partner at last.