People are talking and laughing. They are celebrating. Voldemort is dead and the war is over. I never thought this day would come. I never thought it would end like this. I'm sitting between dad and Bill. Mum and Ginny are opposite. Ginny's eyes are closed and to most people she looks asleep. But we know better. We are her brothers and we know her better than that. She's hiding the tears. I don't blame her.
I hear Luna shout out but I don't look. What's the point? Something is bubbling up inside of me and I can't hold it down. I want to scream. I need to scream.
I stand up abruptly, startling dad and Bill. Mum looks up at me but quickly looks away. Ginny doesn't move. I walk past everyone. I can't look at anyone, not even Lee, though he looks at me. I can feel people staring, whispering. So this is how Harry feels. Interesting. I don't like it.
I leave the hall and head to the room where the dead are being kept. I stop at every single body. Colin, Remus, Tonks. All dead and gone. Finally I arrive. Lying before me is my best friend, my twin, my brother, my other half. Fred. He looks so peaceful lying there. He could be asleep. Lost in a dream, a dream where he's alive and playing a joke on someone.
I fall to my knees at his feet. His face, my face, is plain. There is nothing there. No emotion, no laughter, nothing. Ron said he died laughing. I can see that. I'm glad he died happy. I'm not glad he's dead. I need him back.
What am I going to do without him?
Who am I without Fred?
We aren't the twins anymore. I'm just George. There is no 'us'. There is no 'twins.' Just me.
I wish it had been me. I wish I had died and Fred had lived. He was always been the stronger one. Always more out there. Always at the front. He was older than me by two minutes. But, I suppose, that I'm technically older than him now. It's been more than two minutes since he died and so I'm older. I don't like being older than him. It's not right.
I hear the door open behind me and someone sits down next to me. Ginny, my baby sister, who has been through so much. Her eyes are clear and there is sadness in them. And a deep exhaustion. A year of fighting two Death Eaters, Slytherin house and Snape will do that to a person. Ginny looks as though she'd like nothing better than to find a bed and sleep for a few days. And yet she's here with me. She doesn't say anything, she doesn't need to. She needed to get away as much as I did.
We don't speak at all. We just sit at Fred's feet for hours. It's Bill who finally finds us. Apparently he, Charlie and Percy have been looking for us for two hours. We look up as he moves towards us. Bill's face, once handsome, is covered in scars from his encounter with Greyback. And yet, somehow, he's still good looking. Bill's face is a mask for pain and sadness. He only tells us how long we've been gone and that they were looking for us. He speaks quietly, as if he doesn't want to disturb the sleep of the dead. He glances at the other bodies, his eyes linger on Remus and Tonks, then sends off a Patronus to Charlie and Percy. He sits down next to Ginny.
Charlie arrives first. He isn't as tired as the rest of us because he got there later, and he hates himself for it. We can all see it in his eyes. Charlie has always been the strongest Weasley kid, but not anymore. I think that title has fallen to Ron. Charlie sits next to me. When Percy arrives he hesitates for a second. He's only just rejoined the family and he still isn't sure that he's wanted. Percy's robes are splattered with blood and I'm thankful it isn't Fred's. Bill motions for Percy to sit with us and he does. He very nearly collapses to the floor beside Bill.
I'm not sure how long we sit there. But soon the sun starts to rise and still none of us move. We can't take our eyes of Fred. I'm drinking in this image. I don't ever want to forget it. I can't. Chances are this is the last time I'll see him. I'll only see him in my reflection from now on. The others will always see him in me. I don't know how I'm going to cope with that.
The door suddenly opens and we look up. Standing before us, tears in his eyes, is Ron. He stares at us, glances at Fred, and instantly collapses, his hands over his face. As one we move over to him. Ron, who we never saw as anything special, is breaking down in front of us and so we go to him. It is natural thing, it is Weasley thing. We comfort each other when we are hurting, and we lift each other up when we are falling. As we comfort him, tears come to the rest of us and we hold each other. Now, more than ever, the Weasley kids need each other. But we're missing one.
None of us can escape it. Fred is gone and we are short one. There are only six of us now. It's even but it's odd. There have always been seven Weasley kids. It felt right, and now we are short one.
Several people come to the room housing the dead. But when they see the grieving Weasley kids they leave. Even if they need to see their loved one. Our grief is too overwhelming for them and they don't want to interrupt us.
The tears have long since dried up and the only evidence that they were shed are the dry lines on our faces. That is the only evidence of our tears for Fred. There is nothing else on the outside. Inside our hearts have broken. They are no longer whole. Without Fred our lives will be quieter and we will be worse off for it. We need him, we need our brother. How can we be whole without him?
The door opens again. I hear a gasp and then a sob. None of us have to look around to know that it's our mother. We knew she'd find us eventually and we were waiting. Dad is with her. He doesn't make a sound but we know he's there. They come into the room and sit down with us. No one speaks. There are tears from mum and dad, but none from us. We're all cried out for now. It won't last long though. The tears will always be there. In the middle of the night, on the anniversary. The tears will always be there. Along with the pain and the hurt.
I'll always be with you, George, my brother. Always.
I hear his voice in my head and I'm not surprised. I close my eyes and he's there. He's smiling at me.
You'll be fine, Gred. Just make sure you keep the shop going. Get Perce to laugh some more. Charlie too. They'll need it the most. Look after Ginny and Ron, and don't let Bill give his kids stupid names. Fleur will talk him into it, I'm sure.
I will, Forge, I promise.
Good. Don't give up, bro, please. We can't both leave this lot. They'd never laugh again.
Fred smiles again. It's going to be okay.
It's going to be okay.
I open my eyes. Ginny's watching me. I smile slightly at her. I know that it doesn't quite reach my eyes but it's there and that's what's important. If I can find the strength to smile, even just a little, then so can she. And she does. Soon there are small smiles everywhere. None are truly genuine, and they all slip, but it's a start.
As we begin to leave, I glance back at Fred's body. There's a smile there.
'Goodbye, my brother.'