A/N: Just an idea I couldn't get out of my head because I wanted to see a darker side of the whole ear incident. I love George for laughing off losing an ear, he was so brave, but I just don't buy that he wasn't secretly sad or hurt. I also wanted to see more of how Fred felt. Probably just a one-shot, but we'll see if it ends up the way it was in my head.
O0o0
George winced as he rolled over in bed and laid on the side of his head that had just lost an ear. Gasping, he quickly returned to lying on his back.
"So it hurts, does it?" his twin asked from where he was lying on his side on the bed across from George's, watching his brother.
"A bit," replied George.
"A bit? Come off it, George. Your ear was bloody cursed off your head! You've got to be in pain."
"I'd just rather no one make a big deal out of it, okay?" George replied bitterly.
Fred said nothing, but just continued watching his twin.
George groaned as he got up, giving up on sleep. He went to the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror. He brought a hand up to where his ear was supposed to be and gingerly lifted the bandage his mother had wrapped around his head earlier. He only had to look at the bloody dark hole in his head for a few seconds before he started feeling dizzy. He dropped down on his knees, and gripped the toilet with his hands. He retched and his stomach convulsed as the firewhiskey had drunk earlier burnt his throat before ending up in the toilet.
"Bloody hell, George! Are you puking?" Fred shouted loudly as he made an appearance in the doorway.
George shooed him away with his hand and rinsed his mouth out. No sooner had he gotten back into bed, Molly had flung the door open and came in, eyes still blotchy and red from crying. She sat on the edge of George's bed and stroked his hair.
"Tomorrow I'm going to clean up the wound. I'm going to give you a sleeping potion, alright? You need some rest without being in pain."
George hated people fussing over him, especially his Mum. George was always the mellow, happy go lucky one. He couldn't help but think that Fred would have reacted differently if it were his ear. Fred would've added dramatics along with the ear related humor. He would have loudly reenacted the scene of the curse. George, however, didn't want any attention from it. He might make a few jokes but the truth was, he really didn't want to think about how he would never have his ear back. George refused to deal with it.
George obliged and drank the potion his mother handed him. He wanted to sleep and hopefully forget that he just lost a body part. He immediately began to feel drowsy and laid back and closed his eyes.
"I'm so proud of you, my brave, brave boy." Molly whispered softly. "You're going to be alright. You don't need to be brave all the time, you can tell Mummy if it hurts."
Molly kissed her son's forehead and tucked him in when she saw that he had fallen asleep. She turned to exit the room when she saw Fred and realized he had been in the room the whole time. Fred was sitting cross-legged on his bed, not taking his eyes off his twin brother. People who didn't know Fred well would never know it, but Molly knew the look on Fred's face. He was about to cry.
" Are you alright, dear?" Molly asked carefully.
Fred didn't say anything as his mother went over to wrap her arms around him. She held him silently for a minute before he spoke.
"He just, won't bloody admit something's wrong. Or that he's in pain, or that things are not going to be the same with us anymore."
Molly frowned. "I know, dear. I know. Things are the same, though. He's going to be perfectly fine."
"How is missing an ear perfectly fine?" Fred demanded, a tear now rolling down his cheek. "Now we have something different about us, I don't like it. It scares me. And Mum, what if it was something worse? What if I lost George and it was just me?"
"Don't say that Fred, please don't". Molly sniffed.
"But Mum, this is a war."
"I know, dear. I think about it every day. And if anything were to happen, I want you two to know how much I love you, okay? And I'm so proud of you boys, you proved me wrong with your business and now you're both doing so well. I need you two to keep on going and be our funny twin boys."
Fred sniffed and rested his head on his mother's shoulder.
Molly was taken aback by how Fred was acting. He usually did not like to share his emotions like this. She didn't think she had seen him cry since he was still in the single digits.
"Would you like a sleeping potion too, love?" Molly asked, rubbing Fred's back.
He shook his head. "I want to be there if George wakes up in pain."
Molly nodded and smiled. "He's so lucky to have a brother like you. Goodnight Freddie, get some sleep." Molly kissed his cheek and closed the door behind her.
When Molly left, Fred got up and walked over to George's bed and laid down beside him, resting his forehead against his twin's shoulder.
0o0
Meanwhile, Arthur was laying in bed awake waiting for Molly. He figured she was checking up on George and was waiting for her report.
"How's George?" he asked as Molly came in and started getting ready for bed.
"Not as well as he's pretending to be, but he'll be alright. I gave him a sleeping potion and I plan on trying to clean up the wound in the morning."
"Ah, I see, so he's not all jokes about it?"
Molly sighed and got into bed next to Arthur.
"He's in more physical pain than he'll admit; otherwise I think he's come to terms with it. I had to comfort Fred, on the other hand."
"Really, now?" asked Arthur surprised. "I didn't see that one coming. He was so worried about George before we got back but after seeing that George was alright, I thought he was just laughing it off as well."
"Well, Arthur, you and I both know joking is their way of dealing with everything. They're so funny, but I think we forget they have other feelings sometimes."
"I agree, I know I'm guilty of that myself. So why was Fred so upset by it?"
"I think he's more upset than George that they have a physical difference now."
"Ah, no more switching places to try and confuse people..."
Molly nodded. "Oh, Arthur, I thought for sure I was going to lose one of my babies tonight."
"Well we all came through, Molly. We're going to continue to pull through, alright? Let's get some sleep, love. They'll need us in the morning."
0o0
"Fred..." George groaned. He had woken up in the middle of the night feeling like someone had stuck a knife in his head and was relieved to see his twin sleeping next to him.
Fred woke abruptly. "George! What is it? Are you hurting?"
George winced and nodded.
"Well, dear brother, I took the liberty of getting us something in the event that this would happen while you were puking earlier", said Fred.
Fred hopped over George and produced a half full bottle of Ogden's old firewhiskey from underneath his own bed.
"Something a little stronger than the sleeping potion?" he suggested.
George grinned despite himself. Fred always knew how to make him smile.
"Merlin knows I could use some, "George said. "Give it here"
George opened the bottle and took a swig, ignoring the burning sensation in his throat and stomach before handing it to Fred.
Fred, always the party animal, took an also large swig. He motioned for Fred to come sit next to him by the open window.
They drank in silence for a few minutes, handing the bottle over to each other.
"You know, I would have been pretty pissed if I'd lost you, "Fred said, breaking the silence.
George nodded, understanding. "Sorry about my terrible mood earlier, mate."
"It's alright. You've got to know though, that was bloody scary as hell."
"How do you think I feel?" George asked half laughing.
Fred didn't laugh. "Really, George. What would I even do if I lost you?"
"I don't really want to think about that happening to either of us, Fred. Just promise me that if I die in this war, you'll be alright, you know, eventually."
Fred shook his head. "I couldn't be."
George saw no point in arguing, and put the cap back on the bottle. "Well, fortunately, I'm still here. I'll try not to pull any more shenanigans like that."
They got back into their own beds. After a few minutes of silence Fred spoke up.
"You know, we could glue an extendable ear to your head."
George laughed. "We can try it in the morning. Night, bro. Love you."
"Love you too, George."
