Halfsies
A.J.
Summary: post hollows. So...what became of George Weasley, the Weasley Wizarding Wheezes legacy, and the rest of the Weasleys, anyway?
Disclaimer: If I owned it, Fred would have lived.
A/N: I was rather put out with that sorry excuse for an epilogue at the end of Hollows. I was kind of disappointed that Rowling didn't tell us what happened to George and the other Weasleys. If you're going to have an epilogue, be all inclusive! Anyway, this is my epilogue.
Story:
I couldn't believe my eyes. Fred, my Fred lay broken on the ground in front of me. I fell to my knees and took his head into my lap. I ran my fingers down that still-warm face. His mouth was still turned slightly upward from his last laugh. His eyes, however, were wrong, all wrong. They were dull as denim. The ever-present sparkle was gone, leaving two glass marbles staring up at the ceiling. The light had left the eye of my twin forever. Mother cast herself across Fred's chest–a chest that bore a scar right in the middle–an accident from one of our first Hogwarts pranks involving a few wizard crackers and a firecracker. My father held his hand tightly–the hand that had put the finishing touches on new plans for Wheezes merchandise, corrected mistakes I made in setting up pranks, and cast a thousand mischievous spells. At Fred's feet stood Percy, his face white with horror that must have matched my own. I stopped looking around and stared at the still face of my brother.
"Don't be dead...wake up." I whispered, running my fingers through his red hair over and over. "Please...it's all a joke, right, Fred? It's just a joke. You're...you're gonna wake up and laugh at us all for being so ridiculous, aren't you? I know you are. How'd you do it, Fred? How? Is it–is this a new part of the Skiving Snackboxes? Where's the antidote? Fred...wake up..." I leaned forward and rested my forehead on his, tears streaming down my face. I put my arms around him as far as I could.
"Don't be dead, Freddie. I can't have halfsies by myself."
"George..." Mother was pulling me, trying to separate me from my twin.
"No...he's just...no, Mum..." I set Fred's head on the ground and flung myself at her. I felt as though I was six again, and all it would take to fix anything in the world was a hug from Mum. She wrapped her arms around me and buried her face in my hair. I felt Dad's arms go around Mum and me. Then Percy. Ginny wriggled under one of my arms, burrowing into my side. Bill and Charlie came over in turn. Charlie let out a grand curse. Fred and I would have normally laughed, waiting to see Mum's reaction. Bill joined our circle, as did Charlie a moment later.
Still, even as we stood there as one, big grieving family, I waited for another familiar set of arms to join us. I waited for Fred to nuzzle my shoulder mockingly and tease me about everything I'd just said, and then laugh at our shocked expressions and at Charlie's curse and tease us about how sentimental we all were over his "death" but it didn't happen. Our group hug was incomplete. It felt strange and wrong.
The battle ended and You-Know-Who was gone forever. All around us people were celebrating, screaming with joy. Death Eaters ran away, frightened, with Stunning spells following them. My family, one by one, drifted out of our muddle of grief and began to help restore some order to everything that was happening. Soon, I was alone again. I sat down on the floor by Fred's body and buried my face in my hands, my knees to my chest. There I sat amid the cheering and celebrations, sobbing my eyes out. Nevers and No mores were flying through my head at break-neck speeds. Never again would we switch names. Never again could I tell someone I was Fred–but I was just kidding, I'm George. There would be no more late nights, the two of us talking in half-spoken sentences about everything under the sun. No one would understand me perfectly, and no one would let me solve his problems as well. There would be no more date-trading or guessing games. There would be no more closeness. For the first time in my life, I wasn't a twin anymore. There was no more "we." There was just me, and I was the loneliest person in the world.
I don't remember the celebration. I think I sat somewhere in a corner, watching as Ginny and Harry announced that they were together once again. I think I applauded mechanically when it was announced the McGonagall would be head of Hogwarts, and again when my father was offered a position teaching Muggle Studies. I think I nodded and thanked a thousand people for their sympathy.
I don't really remember much of anything until the funeral. I hate that word. Strange, we used to use it so lightly–"You really want to ask her to the dance? Well, your funeral!" I stood by the coffin and received a thousand hugs and a million handshakes. I only looked once and shivered; first because it looked like my body lying there on those white silk pillows, and second because it was my Fred. I always told people he could sleep anywhere. Those pillows were the last place I would ever find him sleeping. He would never wake again. I suddenly couldn't take the thought anymore. I walked through the church, looking for somewhere I could be alone. Between our friends, family, merchandise partners and fans, and admirers from the war, the old cathedral was packed. I finally found a set of stairs and climbed it, higher and higher. I came to an old wooden door, which I pushed open, then closed behind me. I found myself in a dusty room with a small, round table and two spindly chairs in the center. A huge stained-glass window shed multi-colored lights on the worn carpet. I walked over to the window and dusted it off with my hand, staring at the dust as it settled onto the floor, making colorful sunbeams as it fell.
"George?" A quiet voice said behind me. I turned. To my surprise, Hermione Granger, my little brother's girlfriend, stood behind me. Sadness and concern were written all over her face.
"Hey, Hermione." I said, running a hand through my hair. "Come to send me back downstairs?" She always was such a stickler for rules. I'd always liked that about her. So had Fred.
"No, I just saw you leave and I thought I'd make sure you...well...none of us are all right, but you know what I mean," she said. I tried to give her a reassuring smile, but I failed. I walked over and sat down at the table, putting my head into my hands. I didn't move when she sat across from me.
"George..." Hermione said softly, reaching across to touch my arm. I looked up at her. My blue eyes met her brown ones. For a long time, I looked at her. Then, without really knowing why, I spoke.
"Wizarding twins aren't like muggle twins. Identical ones aren't, anyway. We share more than just identical looks, we have one magical core. We're always connected. You'll never find one twin far from the other. We always know where the other one is. I could tell you what spell he cast the moment he cast it. I could tell you how tired he was or if he was sick. I could tell you how he felt, if he was happy or sad. Your magical core, of course, is affected by your mind, body, and heart. We knew every inch of each other." I explained. "When...when he died...I felt it. I felt his last laugh, and then shock, and then nothing. It was the worst feeling I'd ever felt. I felt nothing at all. I felt emptiness. It was like suddenly becoming blind or deaf without really understanding why or how. All of a sudden, he was gone. For the first time in my entire life, I'm truly alone."
"Wow..." Hermione murmured. "I came up to try and make you feel better...but I don't know what to say. I can't imagine..." I finally managed a half smile.
"I don't know what I'm going to do. When I realized what had really happened...that he was gone...I just sat there and waited to die. I mean...how can one of us live without the other? I always thought that if he died, I would too. I wanted it...I hate this separation from him. But...that eternal minute turned into an hour, and the hour into two, then the night passed and the sun rose, and then a day went by, and then two days, and then three...and I'm still here. I'm alive. And still I-I don't know what I'm going to do." I admitted to her.
"You'll keep on living." Hermione said firmly, her voice strong. I looked up in surprise. Her eyes were filled with assurance. "You'll get through today, and tomorrow, and soon it will be okay. It will never be the same...I can't tell you that. But you will keep on living. And you'll laugh again, and you'll love again, and slowly, piece by piece, your heart will come back. And you'll never forget him, and your heart will hurt every time someone mentions his name, but every day you will live, you'll live in his memory, because he's a part of you." I nodded, wiping at a stray tear that trickled down my cheek.
"He was half of me. Everything was halfsies with us. I've never been just George before. I don't know how to be anything but the "and" between us." I said. "When I lost my ear, I thought I lost a part of me. But that was nothing. I would lose my ear a thousand times over, and my other one, and my eyes too if I could have him back. If I could have my other half back. If I could be more than just the other twin left behind."
"You're not half a person left behind. You're your own person. And I know you seemed like one person, but there have always been differences between you two. You're the quiet one, the more reasonable one, the one who made everything that he came up with work. I never saw you as an "and," I saw you as your own George Weasley." Hermione informed me. "If you two were exactly alike, the world would've exploded...I don't think the world could have handled two of either one of you. Two of you the way you were was bad enough!" To my surprise, I laughed.
"You know, of our siblings' friends, you were our favorite. Back when we thought you were going to get with Harry, Fred insisted he was going to steal you away from him. But then you started dating Ron, and your were off limits. Shame, too. We could have used your brains for our shop." I said. That, too surprised me. My voice, for the first time since that night, sounded like my own voice. Hermione looked shocked, then smiled warmly.
"It would have never worked out. He was a rule breaker, and I'm a pretty strict rule follower." she replied.
"I pointed that out, but he always told me that opposites attract." I said. "He was crazy, after all." Hermione smiled at me for a minute. Then she stood and kissed me on the forehead.
"I should go back downstairs. But George, if you need me, I'll always be here for you. You won't be alone. I promise." Hermione said. I nodded.
"Thanks," I said, meaning it for the first time that day. I watched her leave. It was really strange, I thought to myself, being kissed by my little brother's girlfriend. Fred would be jealous when–I stopped myself. That was why she'd done that...Fred wouldn't be anything anymore. He was gone. My momentary cheeriness faded. Emptiness filled me again. I closed my eyes and searched my core for anything resembling Fred. Memories and shared moments flowed through my mind.
"May I...May I join you?" Another voice said. I opened my eyes. This time, Percy stood in the doorway, looking pale. I hadn't seen him much since That Day. I supposed he'd been around, but I realized we had somehow continually missed one another. I nodded slowly. He came and sat down at the table. He looked down and began drawing idly in the dust. His hands shook.
"Percy?" I asked gently, unsure of why he was there. The hand on the table curled into a fist.
"George, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Percy whispered fiercely. Tears suddenly spilled down his cheeks.
"What for?" I asked, bewildered. Percy took off his glasses and set them on the table. He wiped at his eyes uselessly.
"I failed you...both of you. You...when you two were born Dad took me and told me I was a big brother now. I promised I would look after you no matter what. Bill and Charlie always played with each other, and I was happy to have someone of my own...you two were my favorites growing up. But, when we got older, you two became so carefree and I was so...I loved the rules and order. It was hard to reach for the stars like the two of you when I had my eyes to the road ahead of me," Percy said hoarsely. "We drifted apart. I thought...I thought you didn't need me to look after you anymore. You always seemed to have it together, and I had to work hard to get anywhere. If anything, I thought you should have looked after me."
"Perce," I began, but Percy shook his head.
"I was wrong to ever leave. But Bill and Charlie left, and you two had each other, and Ron went off to school and got his friends, and...well, Ginny loved all of you more than her boring, bookish big brother. No one needed me anymore. So I...I left. I thought to make my own life, where someone needed me," he explained, dropping his face into his hands. "I was wrong. And...I wasn't there...not 'til the end. And now...now he's gone."
"Percy, we never outgrew you. We teased you something awful, I know. Sometimes Fred and I wondered if we didn't drive you off. But the truth was, we admired you for being so successful. And it really hurt our feelings when you left, but...we forgive you. Both of us did. You were always Fred's favorite older brother. The last...the last smile on his face was because of you, Perce. You didn't fail us at all." I said, reaching out to my brother.
"It was...I had made a joke while fighting the late Minister of Magic." Percy laughed, though tears still streamed down his pale face. "I was pleased with myself...I should have seen–."
"Percy, it's not your fault." I said firmly. Percy looked up at me, his eyes large and round.
"What am I going to do now, though?" He asked suddenly. I blinked. And I took a deep breath. As I looked into Percy's face; a face full of grief, fear, and confusion, my head finally cleared. For the first time, I knew how I was going to survive.
"We'll keep on living. Together." I said, remembering Hermione's words. "We'll take today, and tomorrow, then the next day. And slowly, it'll be all right. Not the same, mind you. It'll never be the same. The world got a little darker when it lost our Fred, but we'll be all right. We'll keep living. And one day we'll laugh again and we'll love again and piece by piece, our hearts will mend. We'll never forget him...but we'll live every day in his memory. For Fred, we'll keep living."
"Together." Percy whispered, reaching across the table and taking my hand. I nodded. Warmth for my older brother flowed through my fingertips and into my cold heart. Percy could never take Fred's place, but I knew then that neither of us would be alone. Never again. Suddenly, I smiled at him.
"So, Perce, I understand you resigned from the Ministry of Magic." I said thoughtfully, releasing his hand and running my own hand through my hair. Percy nodded.
"I don't think I'll work there again." he said, looking away, his jaw set.
"You're in need of a job then." I said suggestively. Percy looked up at me, putting his glasses back onto his face.
"You don't mean..." He said, a slight gasp to his voice. "I couldn't..."
"Be my partner, Perce. Weasley Wizarding Wheezes could use a level-headed bloke like you. Besides, we're already legendary for being run by two brothers. Why not keep it that way?" I said.
"George..." Percy shook his head uncertainly. "I..."
"Percy. Come on. He would've wanted it this way. Stay with me." I said. "Please." I held out my hand again, this time formally. Percy hesitated a moment more. Then he sniffed once, smiled, and grasped my hand.
"All right, I accept." He said. I shook his hand, my smile widening.
"Welcome to the team, Mr. Weasley." I replied. Everything would be all right.
That day, I buried my twin. I buried the one person who meant more to me than anything else. But I gained a brother I'd lost. No one could ever replace my beloved Fred, but that day, Percy promised to fill the void the best he could.
Nineteen Years later
"Dad! You can stay here! You don't have to come all the way onto the platform with me. I'm fifteen now." I laughed.
"Fred, I will go onto the platform with you until you're fifty." I said, ruffling my daughter's red hair. She yelped.
"This is why! You're so embarrassing!" she complained.
"She's got a point, you know." My business partner, best friend, and brother walked up. He laughed.
"Hello, Percy." I said.
"Uncle Perce!" Fred's pout turned into a smile. She was so wild, just like her mother.
"Hello Fred, George, Katie." Percy greeted us. Fred, George. I shook my head quickly. Our names in that order still made me look around for my twin...had it really been that long?
"Hey, Percy." My wife said, smiling warmly. "Where's Penelope and Rebekah?"
"They're coming...Bekah is sure she forgot everything...again." Percy shook his head at his daughter's worrisome behavior, looking somewhat exasperated.
"Sounds like someone else I knew." I nudged him. He laughed.
"Oh, be quiet." he replied. "By the way, is Lee ready to go?" I nodded.
"Yeah, we're all ready for the launch tomorrow." I said.
"Excellent!" Percy said, his eyes sparkling. I smiled. Over the years, he'd really picked up a knack for jokes. I came to realize soon after we became partners that Fred and I had rubbed off on him more than we'd thought.
"Oh no. What is it this time?" Penelope asked, walking up. Percy made a face at her and took the trunk from her hands.
"You're six months pregnant, Penny. You shouldn't be carrying that! Why didn't you get a trolley?" he asked, setting the trunk on the ground and hurrying away to get one himself. Penelope shook her head, laughing.
"He's so silly sometimes, I swear." She looked at me. "So what are you boys launching now?"
"Copycat Cards." I said, grinning. "Place one in the area you want to copy and in ten seconds, you can go wherever you like, while an illusion of yourself appears to be doing whatever you were doing before you leave."
"Very nice." Penelope shook her head. "I envy the fact that you've never grown up."
"There, now. Bekah, you push the trolley, give your poor mum a rest." Percy said, directing his twelve year old daughter. "Go on, let's not be late." We stood together, letting our families run through the barrier before us.
"Did I tell you? There's two of them in there." Percy said, watching his wife walk calmly through the magic barrier. I looked at him in surprise.
"Twins?" I whispered. Percy looked back at me, putting a hand on my shoulder. An old hurt appeared in his grey eyes.
"I'll...I'll take better care of this pair. I will never, never let them separate." he said to me, grabbing my forearm. I smiled at my brother.
"They have the best man in the world for the job," I told him. "Come on, Percy. You've never missed a train before. Why start now?"
Together, we walked toward the barrier. Just like that day so many years ago, when two boys walked through together for the first time, hand in hand.
My dear Fred, I thought to myself, After all those times we tried to teach him our way, we finally did it. You did it, really. Mischief managed.
End.