Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.
The night after the second battle at Hogwarts, Neville Longbottom took the sword of Gryffindor and after his roommates were asleep he took an old picture out from its hiding place in his school trunk and took a good look at it. In the picture was a smiling couple with each of them holding a baby in their arms. Sometimes when he tried to remember what life was like when he had a "normal" family with parents who loved him and a brother that could have been his best friend.
"Well Edmond you would have been proud of me this past year, though I wish that you could have been here to see it and to even fight a few Death Eaters yourself. Harry Potter finally defeated Voldemort for good this time and in front of his followers, so hopefully they won't retaliate against anyone else like the last time. One piece of good news is that Bellatrix LeStrange is finally dead though I didn't kill her though I wanted to because of what she did to you and our parents," Neville told his twin brother in the picture wishing that he could have been there with him during this past year.
He decided to wait a few days before giving support and encouragement to someone else who had recently lost his twin also.
A few days later after he felt ready to tell his story and his Gran had made a chicken casserole for him to deliver over to the Weasleys with his condolences for their loss. He felt a little bit guilty that at least George had gotten to know his own twin, instead of him dying at a young age before he could know him. When he arrived at the Burrow, Mrs. Weasley greeted him at the front door and let him in.
"Well, Neville what a surprise I'll go and get Ron for you, and put this up in the kitchen with the others" she told him. "I'm not here to see Ron, I'm here to see George. How is he doing?" Neville asked and at that question Molly suddenly remembered that Neville had also lost a twin as well, even though he was much younger and he had lost his parents in a way at the same time.
"As well as could be expected, but maybe a visit from you could cheer him up a bit. I'll go get him for you, but you can wait here in the meantime," Molly replied going up the stairs to George's room.
After she left Ginny wandered into the living room and saw Neville sitting there, even though she was getting used to a steady stream of visitors at the Burrow after losing her brother.
"I didn't know that you were here, Ron's here and he can't wait to see someone else from school. Are you going back next year, or are you just going to take your NEWTS in August? Mum wants Ron and I to go back to Hogwarts this year, though it would be different somehow," Ginny asked him.
"I think that I'm going back next year, since I didn't feel that the past year was adequate enough," Neville answered her while looking around and looking nervous wondering where Mrs. Weasley had gone to.
Just then Mrs. Weasley came down the stairs with a disheveled looking George trailing her.
"I don't know why you want me to see Neville for anyway, isn't he one of Ron's friends and besides I don't feel like seeing anyone now," he told his mum.
"Well, he wants to see you and I think that he has something to say that you need to hear," Mrs. Weasley answered him trying to sound understanding but thinking that Neville may reveal something to George that could help him in his grief.
When Mrs. Weasley spotted Ginny with Neville she sent her to clean around the house, much to Neville's relief and to Ginny's annoyance.
"Is there anywhere private that we can go, I don't know if I want the others to hear this yet?" Neville asked in a timid voice.
"Sure you can go out to the garden and I'll make sure that no one else disturbs the two of you and George knows the way," Mrs. Weasley answered him sounding understanding at his wishes.
Neville stood up and left with George showing him where to go.
"Now, what is it that you wanted to tell me that you couldn't tell in front of anyone?" George asked sounding irritated that he was disturbed by his visitor.
"I wanted to tell you that I understand what you're going through right now, but at least you had the opportunity to know Fred unlike me, I never got to know my own brother" Neville answered him though he said the last few words quietly.
"How can you understand what I'm going through anyway you're an only child. Anyway you're probably glad that he's dead and not like your mummy and daddy," George answered him while Neville fought back tears at the last part, though understanding the last words were said out of grief and anger that he really didn't mean it.
"I do know what you're going through, I had a twin brother but he was killed at the time our parents were attacked," Neville told him while George looked at him in silence and he couldn't believe that he could be so insensitive.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know," George replied sounding a little bit embarrassed that Neville would be glad that anyone was dead.
"That's okay I didn't even find out that I had a twin until my grandfather died and even then I was so mad at Gran for hiding this from me. I didn't even want to live with her then I told her that I would much rather live in the hospital with my parents then with her. I even snuck out there in the middle of the night with my clothes in my suitcase," Neville answered him.
"How did she take that? I never took you for the kind that would just sneak out of the house," George replied suddenly sounding interested that this quiet and unassuming guy would do something like that.
"She didn't take it too well, since I threatened to take some of her potions that would get me admitted to the hospital. Though the Healers on mum and dad's floor finally made me talk to someone about my feelings about my family members lying to me about Edmond, that was my twin brother," Neville answered him while pulling out an old photograph from his robes and showing it to George.
After glancing at it George handed it back to Neville and remarked, "Well you certainly looked cute when you were younger.
Neville took the picture and put it back in his robes where it was previously. "Thanks, I guess. My Gran told me that when Edmond was killed I nearly died too, but right after I found out I even told her that I had wanted to die too, but since I didn't die, I wanted to live in the hospital with mum and dad," Neville quietly confessed to him.
"I fell that way now, I wish that I was killed with him so that I could be with him," George admitted.
"Sometimes I feel that way too, but then I remember that he would have wanted me to live the life that he didn't get to live like Fred would have wanted you to do," Neville reminded him.
George pondered that for a minute and then finally told Neville, "but it's too hard to be without someone that you've lived with for your entire life. It's different in your case since you never got to know your twin, like I did Fred."
"I know, but sometimes I feel as if that chance were taken away from me twice. Once when he died and once when I found out that my grandparents hid his existence from me. I later found out that it was very hard for my Gran to bury one of her grandsons and to see the other one on the brink of death, plus the condition my parents were in also added to her grief. Besides she told me about him that I feel that he's with me and sometimes I tell him about significant events in my life, like the final Battle and the battle at the Ministry a few years ago. Even though its too a picture, but it makes me feel closer to him," Neville admitted to him.
"Does that make you feel that he's close to you," George replied sounding interested at the idea that he could still talk to Fred.
"Sometimes and there are times that I wish that he was here with me and not in a picture," Neville told him.
"Well its getting late, we better get back inside before mum sends out someone to find us. Thanks for sharing with me about your twin, at least I know that I'm not alone," George answered him sounding grateful that Neville would share something private with him. "You won't be alone, you have your parents, brothers, sister and friends that will be here for you, and at least you don't have a grandmother who tries to turn you into your father. Plus, if you need to talk, I'll be here for you," Neville told him just as they were walking back to the house. George looked at him with a new respect, that they were both in the same boat, two twinless twins.