DISCLAIMER: Do not own Harry Potter or any of its affiliates.
A/N: This is set straight after The Deathly Hallows. Contains MAJOR spoilers, so if you haven't read it yet…
In Memoriam
The fight was over…the lengthy reign of terror instigated by Lord Voldemort was finally at an end.
While the dark side had lost their master, Dumbledore's Army and the Order of the Phoenix had too, suffered their losses.
All mourned the deaths of Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks, but the demise of Fred Weasley had impacted them greatly.
He was the youngest to die after Colin Creevy.
To say they all felt the same would be a lie, for no one lamented for the fallen Weasley more than George. Fred had been George's partner in crime, the only one who ever truly understood him.
The brothers had a special link.
And he had failed to protect his five-minute younger brother.
Now that they were back at The Burrow, all was quiet. Nobody said a word.
Fred's hand on the Weasley's magic clock had melted; leaving eight sad faces pointing at 'HOME'.
His family tried to ask how he was, and if he was doing okay, but all he could offer in response was a non-committal grunt.
George spent most of his time in their once shared room, holding his brother's things close, crying silently into the soft material of his knitted 'F' jumper or sifting through his work books, so he could run his fingers over what little writing they did.
He now sat, on the edge of his lost Twin's bed, staring out the window at the slowly rising sun.
He hadn't slept, yet again and today was the day of the funeral.
George had already decided that he wanted his brother buried in the Quidditch Pitch at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where the funeral would also be held.
He absently folded his brother's favorite quilt and placed it neatly in the box of belongings that would be buried with him, including his beaters bat, Quidditch gear (which he would be buried in) and a set of extendable ears, so he could hear them in the next life, and in turn, be heard. A soft knock came at the door, and he was alert.
"George, it's us…" came Hermione's timid, reluctant voice. "Could we please come in?"
He wiped his eyes. "Yeah," he said, his voice cracking.
The door slowly creaked open and Hermione stepped in, with Ron and Harry close behind.
They hadn't interacted since the fight.
"George…" Hermione set the box aside and crouched at his feet.
"'M all right Hermione," he said with a sigh.
Ron and Harry sat on his bed.
"No you're not, George," Ron said. "I know you're not mate…coz I aint. None of us are."
"Ron…"
"No! It's alright to be sad…it's alright to cr—"
"I SAID I WAS FINE!" George roared, and Hermione jumped back, tears springing instantly into her eyes, but they weren't just tears of grief, they were tears of rage.
"Don't you dare yell at Ron! He is trying to be a brother! He's trying to help you! We all are, don't push him away!"
George looked up with tears in his own eyes.
"You don't understand…he was my br—"
"HE WAS OUR BROTHER TOO, YOU SELFISH GIT!" Ron yelled.
George's head fell, and teardrops fell to his jeans.
"I know…I'm sorry…"
"Look George…we know you had more of a connection with him, he was you're twin after all. He was you! But you have to understand, we all loved him too!" Hermione said desperately, gripping his hands and peering into his brown eyes with her own.
George drew in a shaky breath.
"I haven't slept in ages, Hermione…I can't look at myself in the mirror, coz it's like he's right there, staring back at me…it takes all of my strength not to break it…
He was my mirror…he was always there, he was me, when I wasn't…and he's gone…why did he have to save Percy?"
"George!" The three gasped in unison.
"What! Percy's been a downright git to the whole family for three years! I hated him, for what he did to mum! As if I was gonna forgive him! He didn't even try to save Fred! It should've been him!"
Hermione shook her head. "George…Percy was manipulated by Fudge, and everything that was going on around him. He was ignorant and stupid, but it doesn't mean he his love for you, or Fred was hindered. Of course he tried! And he got the bastard who did it! Now C'mon George…we'll be leaving soon…you should get dressed,"
Hermione stood up, helped him too his feet, then wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug.
He returned the gesture half-heartedly and ushered them out so he could change.
HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY: QUIDDITCH PITCH, 12:12 PM:
It seemed like the whole school turned up to see Fred off into the next world.
Where the females where donned in long black dresses, and the men in black cloaks, each Quidditch team wore their house colors and held their broomsticks by them.
Of course Harry had to borrow one, for he had lost his Firebolt at the beginning of the school year.
George was the last to arrive at the pitch, for he had the duty to change his brother before the burial, but when he did appear on the north side of the Quidditch Pitch, he held Fred's limp form close in his arms and walked forth with a solemn look etched on his face.
Hermione choked back a sob and Ron pulled her close as tears of his own slid down his cheeks.
The coffin lay open next to the hole in the ground; inside, the quilt lined the coffin, and several other things had been placed inside.
A bottle of butterbeer, supplied by the twins best friend, Lee Jordan and a box of Bertie Botts every flavored beans sat in the bottom end.
George reached the coffin and placed his brother inside with all the gentleness he could muster and stepped aside so everybody else could say their goodbyes.
Hermione stepped forth with Ron by her side, and placed a fresh rose across his chest, before kissing his forehead gently and moving away.
Many people did similar until it was time to speak.
George pointed his wand at his throat and cried 'SONOROUS!' and waited for all to look his way.
"We have come here today…to say goodbye to Fred. Of course he'd be sitting up there, sniggering at us, thinking we were a bunch of blubbering idiots."
Sad laughter.
"Fred was my best friend…he was everything to me…he essentially was me, especially when we were trying to confuse mum…"
Molly chuckled and wiped her puffy eyes.
"In the first year, he stood guard while I snuck into Filch's office and nicked the Marauders map, now rightly Harry's…"
A growl of distaste that obviously came from the caretaker himself.
"Our second year was probably our quietest, except for the whole Quidditch mess, which we only barely scraped due to several misplaced swings and a broken jaw…"
Mrs. Weasley gasped, and George gave her a watery smile.
"Then…we, being Fred and Ron…rescued Harry in an enchanted car. That was brilliant!"
"Was not," Molly murmured.
"What about in your sixth year?" Ron piped up. "When you and Fred took the aging potion to put your name in the Goblet of Fire…then you grew those beards? That was good."
George smiled as he got the reminiscing look in his eye.
"And in your last year, you bombarded our O.W.L.S with that fire cracker dragon and knocked old toad face on her arse?" Harry said.
George laughed. "Yeah…that was great…but my point is, Fred wouldn't want us to cry for him…he would want us to remember, everything good. Like the acid pops we gave Ron, or the time we turned his teddy into a dirty great spider…He was a great mate…and I'll miss him, like I'm sure everybody will. I wont say he's gone to a better place, because he's not at home…or at the shop, but I know he's watching me dribble on about how great he was, and laughing his fat head off because I only have one ear."
He raised his wand high in the air.
"May we always remember Fredrick Arthur Damian Weasley, for the brother and son and friend that he was and not the rebellious, rule breaking, rascal he was even more…can I add truant to that list?"
Laughter rippled through the crowd as golden sparks flew into the air.
Fireworks rippled through the sky, forming a large 'F' in the vast blue. Three bewitched bludgers flew in lazy circles over head as the coffin was lowered into the ground.
Using his wand, George filled the hole, with tears prickling his eyes as he added his own personal touches.
A silver plate on the concrete slab that was his headstone read:
R.I.PRest in Peace
Or
(Real insolent Pig)
Here lies the body of Fredrick Arthur Damian Weasley:
Beloved Son, brother and partner in crime
May your body never stink as bad as your socks do.
Thank you for WWW…
You're a git.
By the time this was carved, George had been left alone to his thoughts, for all had gone indoors for the wake.
"I'm a real insolent pig am I brother?" I voice floated across the wind and George jumped. Standing over the grave was an opaque version of himself.
"F-Fred?"
"Nah…well yeah. How you doin mate?"
"Crappy," George replied, still not able to believe that his brothers ghost was standing right there.
"Yeah, you look it. I know you've been sooking over me. Its pathetic really," Fred answered with a grin.
But it faded, upon seeing his brother close to tears.
"Oh c'mon George, please don't be like that! I'm still here!"
"You died!"
"Brilliant observation dear brother of mine," Fred said dryly.
"Why? Why did you protect Percy?" George muttered.
"Cuz he's my brother. I would've done the same for you, or Ron, or Ginny, or anyone else. Despite what Percy did, he deserved to be saved," Fred explained.
"Yeah, but now your dead,"
"Yes…that's true, I never did see what happened with Ron and Hermione,"
"Oh, they're together now. So is Harry and Ginny," George said.
"Brilliant!" Fred beamed.
"C'mon inside brother…talk to mum." George suggested.
"I cant bro…I can only talk to you…and I'll visit often. Just don't cry anymore over me, cuz its real pathetic,"
"Okay mate,"
Slowly Fred faded away into the light and George smiled.
Maybe he wouldn't be so lonely after all…
THE END!
sorry bout that lol. I LOVE THE TWINS! i was so sad when fred died. :( this is for him...lol