A/N: This is dedicated to my special friend Ahe.
Disclaimer: Wish I did because I really need the money but I DO NOT own Harry Potter.
Skylar's Promise
It had been two months since the battle of Hogwarts, before George started coming to terms with things. With Fred by his side every day, things were fairly normal. Of course, George was grieving for Remus, Tonks and everyone else who'd died, but at least he had his family around him. He spent every day in his room only coming downstairs for dinner. The funerals had been on the same day, with the same service for all who died. George himself had designed the booklets with things to say about the deceased. Fred had laughed at the tears in his brother's eyes as he wrote about the Fred he loved.
"Stop that." George muttered, still with his quill in his hand, trying to think of the words to summarise his brother.
"It's funny! Since when do you cry? What have you got to cry about anyway? I'm the dead one-,"
"SHUT UP!" George had screamed and threw his quill at his twin brother, who of course didn't feel a thing.
The day after the battle, George cried more than he had ever cried in his life. Fred was dead; George had lost his best friend, brother, the boy who shared every thought with him. The Weasleys seemed to have cried an ocean between them in the two months that followed, but finally they seemed to be coming to terms with Fred's death. George didn't need to come to terms with it; Fred was always with him, but of course, no one else could see Fred. It was the twins against the world, the way it always had been.
There was a knock on George's bedroom door.
"Georgie, are you OK?" Molly Weasley spoke anxiously from the other side of the door that was always locked except for when George went to get food and took a trip to the bathroom.
"I'm fine Mum- just trying out a few spells for the joke shop."
Molly Weasley heaved a light sigh and headed back downstairs, leaving a tray of tea and biscuits outside the door.
Weasley's Wizard Wheezes had been the hardest part of life without Fred. Even though George had designed a "Fred collection" he simply didn't feel that he had the daring in him without Fred. Sales were still through the roof, but everything seemed damper without his twin.
"I don't see why they couldn't have lopped my ear off and put it on you, you know." Fred grinned from on his made bed- the bed that didn't seem to have been slept in for weeks- but George knew it had.
"You know why." George muttered gruffly, bending over his desk to finish off the Fred Finish designs – a new hair colour that was meant to turn your hair any colour you were thinking of- but turned you ginger instead.
Fred sighed. "The wizarding world is full of hypocrites. They're fully tolerable of Muggle-borns, pure-bloods, half-blood etcetera, but as soon as you're ginger the whole world hates you!" It was such a typically Fred line that sometimes George had trouble believing that Fred…wasn't real.
"I AM REAL!" Fred yelled, scowling.
It was impossible for George to spend time with his family- he had to talk to Fred. They'd all think him barking for thinking Fred was there, so the joke shop and his bedroom were the only private places George could talk to his brother. Once August afternoon rush had finished, and George was on the tills (with Fred of course) when the strangest of things happened…
"Hi, can one of you help me reach that Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder?" A girl with dark hair and a beautiful smile had walked up to the desk. She was medium height, slim build, blue eyes and had a streak of pink in the fine, straight black hair that lay on her shoulders.
"Well she's foxy." Fred said out loud to George.
The girl raised her eyebrows.
"Excuse me?" George couldn't believe his ears. Or his eyes. Neither could Fred. The girl was staring straight where George could see Fred standing.
"Umm…nothing!" George hit out at his brother and came from behind the till to get the powder for the girl.
"Six sickles please." He rushed his words, avoiding all eye-contact, with the black haired girl.
"What's wrong?" the girl asked cautiously.
"Ask her on a date you moron!" Fred hissed at George.
The girl raised her eyebrows again. "Are you going to?"
"Going to…what?" George asked.
"Whatever. I'm out of here." The girl picked up the Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder and began to walk towards the shop door. Fred glared at George. George sighed.
"Wait!" She stopped, raising her eyebrows again.
"Yes?"
"Wo…Would you l-like to go for a…Butterbeer…sometime?" George stammered. The girl beamed and held her hand out for George to shake.
"Skylar Roberts."
"Oh I'm George Weasley…" George said, taking her hand and shaking it.
"So this must be Fred, right?"