My Brother Fred

George looked around his bedroom. His empty bedroom. Everything was so empty lately. Absolutely everything. But mostly his life. How was he supposed to go on…to function without his brother? His best friend. His twin. Did they honestly expect him to be able to get up there and say what he had to say today as the lowered Fred into a plot of dirt?

He couldn't stand it anymore. Being in this room without Fred…it just didn't seem right. He stormed out of the house, perfectly aware of all of the people in the Burrow staring blankly at him as he left. In their defense, it was the first time he'd left his room since he'd gotten home. He'd eaten…but only when Hermione or Ginny had brought food up to him.

He sat down on a plot of grass in the garden and stared up at the sun. If Fred were here, they'd have set off fireworks to celebrate the defeat of Voldemort. If Fred were there…George wouldn't be ready to burst into tears. It was the hardest thing he'd ever gone through. Days like this were the worst by far. The sun was out, mocking his depression. Everytime George looked in the mirror he saw Fred.

Everytime he talked he heard him. George couldn't take it anymore. Why Fred? Sometimes he wondered if maybe Fred was still alive. That maybe this had been his worst joke in his entire lifetime. That maybe he'd go upstairs and Fred would be their, laying on his bed wearing that smirk that he always wore after a prank, and he'd ask if George missed him.

Sunny days seem to hurt the most
Wear the pain like a heavy coat
I feel you everywhere I go
I see your smile, I see your face
I hear you laughing in the rain
Still can't believe you're gone

And yet…George knew that wasn't it. He could actually feel a part of him aching. Missing. Longing for Fred to be there next to him. It was horrible, but George wished that anyone else had died. He just couldn't take this. Fred was gone. His twin, was gone. It wasn't fair. Fred was 19. Both of them were 19. He was too young to die. To young to leave George.

There was no other way of saying it. He missed him. He missed him more than he had ever missed another person. It was like the other piece of him just got torn away and stomped on. It was hard to deal with, knowing that there would never be another person that would come anywhere close to being…Fred. Not even Lee Jordan who had been so close to the twins that they basically accepted him as their triplet. No. No one would ever come close.

It ain't fair you died too young
Like a story that had just begun
The death tore the pages all away
God knows how I miss you
All the hell that I've been through
Just knowing no one could take your place
Sometimes I wonder who you'd be today

George remembered every conversation he'd ever had with his twin. The time when Fred confessed to him that he had the smallest of crushes on Hermione. He knew the day it arrived and the day a year later when it had left. He'd remembered Fred talking about his wedding. Not long ago even, at Bill's wedding. How Fred had said that he wouldn't make a fuss. He remembered the first and only fight they had ever gotten into. It was over the last piece of bacon.

He hated how easily their relationship had come, and how easily it had gone. George never got the chance to tell his twin good-bye. Hadn't been able to say that he loved him. He knew that Fred knew it of course. But he'd never said it. At this thought, the boy broke down and let the tears that had been there since the day it happened come out. He distinctly heard the door open, then close. And he'd heard the footsteps walking towards him.

But he couldn't help it. He just continued to cry. He felt, more than saw Ron drop next to him. He didn't wrap an arm around him, something that George was grateful for, and he didn't even look over at him. He just sat there. "He…was the most amazing person I'd ever met." Ron mumbled, looking around the garden instead of at George.

"You hated us. We were always so mean…" George mumbled. "I never hated you. Never. You…were just my older brothers. I love you. And I love him." He said, this time his gaze staring pointedly at his older brother. "He loved you too." George said, staring down at his hands as the tears hit again.

"I know." Ron mumbled to himself. "You two…always got what I wanted, you know that? You got the fame and the fortune…and you had each other. Ginny adored you, even Harry and Hermione liked you guys. But I never once wished bad things on you. Except maybe that one time with Rupert."

George actually grinned weakly at this. "George…I know it's gonna be hard. I mean, it's going to be difficult for all of us, but you have it so much worse…I just wanted you to know that I love you, okay? And me and Hermione and Harry, we're all here for you. No matter what."

George turned around and enveloped his brother in a hug. "I love you too." He said. "On days like this…it's hard to think that he's not here. I mean sometimes I just want to talk to him…you know? About the stupid stuff we took for granted. The shop…the pranks…everything." He muttered. "I know. It's so strange knowing that he's not going to pop his head around the corner with a piece of candy that turns whoever eats it into a spider or something…" Ron agreed. Maybe, just maybe, Ron did know how he felt. Obviously he had lost a brother as well…and George knew that he'd never know exactly how horrible it was, but maybe Ron did know a little of what he was going through.

"Listen…I know it's not what you want to do, but I really think it'll help if you do that speech today." Ron said. "Yeah. Yeah maybe it will." He said, not believing it, but willing to give it a try.

Ron stood up, George following suit, and the brothers walked into the house. Mrs. Weasley looked over at George as he walked in the house and threw her arms around him. "Oh Georgie. I-we-Oh Georgie." She said crying into his neck. George loosely wrapped his arms around his mother. Hermione was watching him over Molly's shoulder, and he saw a weak smile, which he tried to return.

"It's time to go." George wasn't quite sure who said it, but his mother let go of him, kissed him on the cheek, and left the room, motioning the rest of the family to follow her. Hermione stood up and took Ron's hand, then slid her other one into George's, giving him a quick squeeze as she led them out of the room. Harry and Ginny were ahead of them, arms around each other, Ginny shedding some of the first tears he'd seen her give since Ron went off to Hogwarts.

They all arrived at Hogwarts, where the ceremony was to take place. George had to talk…he had to talk about Fred. He almost turned and ran, and Ron must have sensed it because he was right behind his brother, looking ready to cry, but ready to force George up there if he had to Imperius him.

When it was George's turn to go up to the stand, he simply stood there for a minute, looking down at the people gathered there. He hardly knew what to say, and he closed his eyes for a minute, seeing his identical twin in his mind.

"My brother Fred…he was an amazing person. He was my best friend, the smartest person I knew, except for Hermione of course. He was always there for me, if I ever had a problem, he knew what it was before I even had to talk about it. I guess that's what twins are for though right? Being able to read each other's minds and stuff. But Fred…Fred had always been so much more than my twin. He was my brother, my study partner…later on my business partner. He was the only person I could talk to about everything. He always knew what to say to make me feel better. He knew how to make people laugh, he knew how to make people talk, he just knew everything a prankster needed to know. I learned so much from him, and I don't know how I'm going to go on without him. I know that he'd want me to continue my life, go on with the joke shop, get married and have kids. He'd want me to keep on being mean to Ron, just to prove how much I love him. He'd want me to be the same guy that I was with him. But I just don't know if that's possible. I feel like a part of my soul has just been torn out of me. And how am I supposed to go on with only half of my soul?

Fred would have been able to. He was the strongest person I've ever met, and he could lighten the mood with any joke. And everyone knew that everything would be okay if he was still smiling. And I just wanted everyone to know…that he's still smiling. My brother will always be smiling, that's just how he is. And just…I want you to know that everything will be okay. In the end, everything's going to be okay, because Fred Weasley knew it would be. So it has to be." George finished, tears storming down his cheek. He walked back down and sat between Charlie and Percy.

"You did brilliantly." Came the tearful whisper of Hermione from behind him. He nodded his head stiffly, and continued to watch as more and more people went up to talk about everyone they had lost. Afterwards, was the burial service. Something George couldn't bear to watch. He came back after it was over though, and he spoke to his twin. Almost as if he were alive, laying down in the bed next to his. He told him everything that had happened since he had gone.

"Fred…I love you." George whispered to the gravestone which read 'Fredrick Arthur Weasley, beloved son, brother, and twin'.

He got up and walked into Hogsmede to apparate home. He knew that it would be hard to continue living without Fred. But he knew that he had to.

A Year later

George walked from Hogsmede to Hogwarts, stopping at the place where his twin was. He dropped down onto the ground, sitting with his legs crossed Indian style. "I met someone Fred. You'd like her a lot. We aren't serious or anything, not yet anyway. She's American, but she moved here not long ago. She's a muggle, but she's so brilliant. I've told her about me already, and she's cool with it. She actually thinks its amazing…I really wish you could have met her Fred. You'd really like her mate. Ron's working the shop with me. He's been great actually. Help's come up with stuff, you wouldn't even think he's doing it all on his own. Him and Hermione are going steady. They seem pretty perfect together, just like you knew they would be. Harry and Gin are back together as well. They're really happy now. Mum still misses you like crazy. I still miss you like crazy, but I guess that's never going to change huh? But yeah…I just wanted you to know." He stood up, gave the stone another glance and left.

A/N: Okay…so this is the hardest fic I've ever had to write. I've finally accepted that he's died. I hate it, but I've accepted it. This is too the greatest character in literary history, Fred Weasley. And to the person holding the very close second place, George Weasley. I really hope you liked it. Thanks so much for reading.

P.S. The song that I used, though I didn't use all of it, was 'Who You'd Be Today' by Kenny Chesney