Title: George Still Dreams
Summary: Companion piece to "Just Like Him". In that this is a one-shot that is basically what George dreams of, years after Fred's death. Her agonized cries still plagued his dreams, even now, 19 years on.
Disclaimer: I do not own! Never will! Recognizable characters belong to J.K. Rowling! Thank-you!
A/N: NO FLAMES! Thank-you, not accepted.
The Castle was ablaze and the halls were crumbling and falling apart. George Arthur Weasley was sure that the Castle would need to be rebuilt or something. It was going to be a wreck. One thing was different about this from what he remembered, where was Lee Jordan and Angelina Johnson? He remembers fighting next to them. Remus and Nymphadora Lupin too. He had watched both adults drop like stones as they were hit with the killing curse. He had watched it happen, not now. From where he now stood he could easily watch, as the Battle Of Hogwarts raged around him, his brothers, Ron, Percy and Fred fight side-by-side with Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. They were firing curses and hexes and all manner of spells at the death eaters, but there were so many Death Eaters and only 5 students. If they were brave enough they'd use the killing curse but the fact remained they had to mean it. There had to be enough force behind it to make it worth using and none of them had reason to at the moment. George watched as they fought. Suddenly he was behind Harry watching over his shoulder at his brothers and Hermione. The floor beneath him shook suddenly and he watched as the wall exploded, showering everyone with rubble. He ducked shielding his head. When the dust settled, he heard the worst thing he ever could. He had never even dreamt of it happening and now it was.
"No! No! No, Fred! No!" George's blood ran cold and his swore his heart stopped. Percy's shout was filled with hurt and pain. But, for George, it was the scream that followed that hurt him the most.
"Freddie!" Wait, she wasn't supposed to be here! She was underneath the shop! She was safe! George wanted to run to her, wanted to hold her and tell her it was going to be okay. But George, once more felt his heart breaking and he also felt as though he was being smothered. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't move. Fred was dead…how? It wasn't supposed to happen! No! It wasn't supposed to happen! Fred and Riley were supposed to get married and live happily ever after. They were supposed to have 6 kids with weird names, red hair, a flare for pranks but have brains too. George watched on in horror as Riley dropped to her knees beside Fred screaming his name with tears in her eyes. A Death Eater the one who had caused the explosion Rookwood stood a few feet away, but no one could move, they couldn't believe it. George watched feeling terror fill him as Rookwood shot a killing curse right at Riley, hitting her square in the back, allowing her to join Fred. Hermione screamed as Riley slumped forward, limp. The Brilliant Muggle-born witch turned her wand to Rookwood and fired not only the killing curse back at him but meant it with everything in her. Rookwood dropped like a stone. Though it was too little too late. Fred and Riley were gone. Hermione dropped to her knees her face in her hands as she sobbed for the loss of one more brilliant Muggle-born witch.
"Fred!" George finally found his voice, "Riley!" He ran over, knowing that had he been solid he might just have knocked Harry and Hermione over in his haste to get to his brother and best friend. He fell to his knees next to them. Fred's last laugh etched on his face and Riley had tear tracks on her face, she still looked sad. George couldn't find it in himself to smile, knowing they were together again. This just was no possible he had lost half of himself and the one person who would understand.
"Fred…Riley…" he whispered, he was heart broken for anyone to see. A voice suddenly broke throught the haze of pain her felt there in the corridor.
"George," He looked up at the sound of his name but no one was looking at him, "Georgie…come on." He suddenly realized that she could't be talking to him because she was dead, she was lying in front of him on top of his brother. It couldn't be her. It just couldn't be.
"George! Wake up!" He opened his eyes to meet her face, she was lying beside him, worry etched on her face.
"I'm sorry, did I wake you?" He whispered looking at Riley the way he imagined Fred would have when they were dating. With love and adoration that was unconditional.
"Yeah. You were having that dream again. I thought they'd stopped." She said softly, running her hand over his ginger hair like his mother used to, to calm him down.
"I thought they had too. But obviously not." He whispered as he snuggled into her a little, he closed his eyes again and wrapped his arms around her, she did the same and they shared a kiss goodnight as they both fell asleep once more. After all if Fred and Riley didn't live happily ever after, then at least Fred was letting Riley live happily ever after with her best friend. George fell asleep thinking that even now 19 years on, the agonized cry she'd let out when he's told her Fred was dead still plagued his sleep, nineteen years on.
Read & Review please! You got this far (Not that it took very long but still).