A/N: Day 27 - Substance Use - Alcohol, drugs, etc. for of the 31 days of fanfiction. Thanks to xxDustNight88 for looking this over.
Warnings: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Post-War, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Grief/Mourning, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, 31 Days of Fanfiction Challenge.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Drowning In Their Sorrows
"You can't keep doing this."
"Doing what?"
" This ," Hermione said, waving her hands about. "Drinking all the time. Lying here in the dark. Avoiding everyone."
"Sure I can," George murmured, reaching for the open bottle of firewhisky on the table.
Hermione watched, cringing as he took a large swallow straight from the bottle. "George," Hermione stressed. "Enough."
"Go away," he murmured, placing the bottle back on the table, though he nearly missed.
"I can't do that, George. Look at yourself. This isn't what Fred would want."
George scoffed. "Well, he's dead, so neither of us knows what he would have wanted."
She flinched at the harsh tone in his voice. When Molly had begged her to go and speak with George, Hermione had known that the situation was bad, but she didn't realise that it was this bad.
"You're not the only one that's hurting," Hermione said, trying to keep her voice level. It wouldn't do them any good if she lost it completely. "The loss of Fred hurts us all. We lost so many..." Hermione could feel the tears pricking the corners of her eyes. "Tonks, Remus… So many of my classmates." Hermione's lower lip wobbled. "Fred was family, George, and it hurts me so much to know that I'll never be able to talk to him again."
"It's different," George insisted.
"It's not," Hermione retorted. "You're poor mother is going to send herself to an early grave with how worried and stressed she is for you and everyone else. You're hurting her and everyone else by locking yourself in here and drinking the days away."
"Leave, Granger."
"I won't!" Hermione insisted, stomping her foot down in her frustration. At the moment, she didn't care that she looked and sounded ridiculous - she needed to get through to George.
"Fred died so we'd be able to live in a world free from the pain and suffering that we knew. He died so that we would have another chance at life. He didn't die so you could throw this opportunity away." She clenched her hands into fists and could feel her hair and the air around her crackling with magical energy. She waited for George's response.
To her utter surprise, George slouched forward, burying his face in his hands. His body shook, and the sound of his sobs filled the air.
Hermione deflated instantly, her anger and frustration disappearing. She moved towards George, sitting down next to him on the sofa.
George surprised her once more by pulling her into an embrace. He held her tightly as he continued to cry against her.
"We'll get through this, George," she whispered, her voice cracking. His addiction… their grief… They'd get through it all.