George sat on the edge of the bed, looking around at the empty dormitory, the sense of loss just as overpowering as it had been a few hours earlier.
Everyone left had been offered the house dormitories to rest in. The Weasley's, Harry, Hermione and adopted the Gryffindor tower along with a few other students and their kin.
George had declined offers of company, though both Ron and Harry said they'd share a dorm if he wanted company but he'd declined, taking the , but now realised that it was a mistake, because now he was alone in the room the realisation of what had happened, the extent of what he had lost in a mere matter of seconds, was magnified tenfold by the five empty beds in the room, and the neighbouring one to where he was now sat was all he could look at and yet that was the most painful thing to do, it was a looming reminder…
Sleep couldn't provide any release either, each time he tried to close his eyes, he saw his brother lying on the stone floor, still, his last laugh haunting his silent features….
Unable to put up with the solitude for a moment longer he stood up, none too slowly and left the dormitory. He descended the stairs careful not to make a noise so as not to disturb anyone attempting to rest.
When he reached the bottom of the stairwell he looked around the common room. He took a seat in one of the squashy armchairs residing beside the fireplace, which for the first time he could remember, contained no fire, not a single ember to brighten the tarnished grate and only few pieces of blackened timbers still inhabited the hearth. He returned to his feet just as quickly and retired himself to pacing back and forth across the room.
'wow, you're a mess ' said a voice near the portrait hole. George turned and froze...
'seriously you're making me tired just watching you and under the circumstances that's a bigger achievement than the time we shrunk Percy's new robes and got away with it, remember how Mum couldn't get over how much he'd grown overnight?'
George answered instinctively,
'yeah, and he had to wear Charlie's old ones instead, and we got the new ones'
Under any other circumstances he would have been laughing loudly at the memory, but he couldn't even force his features into a smile, he just stared as he registered the identity of the speaker in disbelief.
Finally he seemed to regain some control over speech,
'is it really...? I mean you're... How... Fred?' the last word was hardly audible as though by speaking too loudly, he would wake himself up and he so wanted this to be real.
His twin smiled,
'it's me George.' he promised. '…well, sort of.'
George continued to stare wordlessly at his brother 'how? You 're...' he asked tripping over his words.
'dead' Fred finished. 'yeah, we'll its not preferable but I'll just have to live with I guess'
he cracked a grin at his feeble joke but there was something sad in it as well, melded with an unspoken apology.
'sorry, probably not the right time to be making cracks about mortality.' he chuckled humourlessly.
'But how are you here? Is this real?'
'it's definitely real...or rather you're not imagining this, if that's what you're worried about, though if you were just fantasising about me- and come to think about it that wouldn't be too creepy considering my dashing good looks- that's what I'd say anyway so I guess you'll just have to make up your own mind .' he said smiling.
George looked carefully at the figure before him, it looked like his brother and it sounded like him too, but there was something not quite...right. His red hair didn't seem red enough and eyes, a slightly paler shade of brown and his skin was a little too pale ; the previously prominent mass of freckles which marked him as a Weasley, now a barely visible grey.
'are you a ghost?' George asked, Fred puzzled this over for a second before answering,
'I suppose you could say that, but not like Peeves and the other ghosts around school.' George looked at him questioningly and Fred's tone was much more serious when he continued
'I can't stay' he told his twin sadly. George nodded gravely, he understood. He knew it had been too much to expect this to last.
'why are you here then?' He asked.
'to see you' Fred said simply.
George stared at his brother then the full realisation then the realisation of the situation swept over him and he fell to his knees.
'why did this happen its not fair'
Fred crouched down by his brother. 'yeah, we'll, life's not fair. We've always known that haven't we? but we never let that stop us before, why is this any different?'
George looked at his brother. Fred looked back. Finally George broke the silence.
'I don't know what to do?' he choked out
'I'll tell you what you're going to do you're going to be the best that you can be. And look after the rest of the family. '
'I can't do it alone' he whispered hoarsely, fighting back tears.
Fred smiled sadly,
'you don't have to, our family are right there with you, you've got friends to hold your back, and you still have me, even if you can't see me. I'll be there if you need me, as long as you remember me in here. Promise you won't forget me?'
'I promise ' George whispered 'I couldn't, you know that'
'I know, but I needed to make sure you did. Don't forget me and I'll always be with you, even If you can't see me.' Fred turned suddenly to look behind him as though he'd heard something, but George could detect any sound.
'I have to go.' Fred said as he turned back to face his brother. George nodded knowing there was no point protesting. He wasn't sure but it looked to him as though Fred were beginning to fade.
Fred looked seriously at his twin.
'don't forget what I said alright?'
George nodded, knowing that his brothers words would stay with him for as long as he would live.
'good, that's the important thing.' then Fred grinned suddenly
'you know what? I think this makes me more holy than you!'
All of a sudden the atmosphere shifted, and George laughed for the first time since his brother had died.
'not necessarily, if we're talking literally you can't say just because you're dead your more holy. You have an unfair advantage by actually being dead.'
Fred laughed too.
'alright I guess well just have to wait until you pop your clogs to answer that one. I'm still better looking than you though.'
'you wish, I've got 'ears on you mate' George grinned.
And with a shared smile, George watched his brother's figure grow vague until with a breathed farewell, he vanished.
George stared at the spot where Fred had disappeared. He looked wistfully at the empty space on carpet.
But now he realised that the hole in his heart he thought had been left in place of his brother, wasn't an empty space at all. Fred was still there, his legacy, life, love were left behind. He would never be gone, he would live on in the memories of those who loved him, he would not be forgotten as long as people were there to remember. Just like Mad eye, Remus, Tonks, Dumbledore, Sirius as long as those who knew them remembered they would never truly gone. Sure, not everyone would be able to recall the red headed joker. But those who mattered would and that was the important thing. Who cared if there was some guy in Germany or France or had never heard of Fred Weasley. Those who mattered would for the rest of their lives, and George knew that no memory charm could make him forget his brother, ever. And he was going to carry on, continue with their business and do his damnedest to spread mischief cheer and laughter to as many people as he could because Fred couldn't do that any more, but he could and now he had to live for the both of them.
It wouldn't be easy without his brother by his side but he wasn't alone, he had the rest of his family and Fred wasn't really gone he was just inside him now.
They'd always been two parts of a whole, As though they'd been split into two . And now the pieces had been put back together again and they'd simply become one person.