This is written for QLFC Training Camp. I'm Chaser 1 for the Banchory Bangers.
Task: Write about Fred Weasley. Bonus Prompts: Forgetful, Ridiculous, and Shadow.
This is also written for The Golden Snitch, Through The Universe.
51. Double Star: Fred and George Weasley.
[WC: 1505] [Each section is exactly 301 words!
~oOoOoOo~
Fred Weasley stood in the Great Hall of Hogwarts, the battle that had been raging over everyone had ceased so they could collect their dead and injured.
Fred stood there - watching his family grieve over his cold, hard body. The body that would no longer be warm; the boy that would no longer mischievously look at his twin; the body that would never play a prank again.
He didn't know what he was, because surely they would have saw him by know if he was a ghost. He had tried screaming and crying in front of each of them. He tried pinching them, he had even resorted to punching them.
None of it worked.
So now, Fred Weasley stood in the middle of the Great Hall, - surrounded by death, and cold, and despair - lost and alone and afraid.
He wanted George. He wanted the rest of his family - his mum, his dad, Charlie, Bill, Percy, Ron, and Ginny.
But he couldn't reach them. He only wanted to reach them.
Time passed, what felt like minutes had been an hour, and the battle continued. Harry died, Harry came back, Harry won.
We won! The Order won!
The ecstatic joy that Fred had conjured disappeared like the snap of a hair tie against skin.
Reality crashed against him, crushing him, suffocating him.
He was not alive - he would never be alive. He would never be with George again.
Desolate once again, Fred made his way back into the hall; into the hall of the dead.
He knew somehow, that he would not be complete until George was with him again, but he would never wish this on George.
He prayed that George would pull himself through this. He wanted George to live a long, happy life filled with love and joy and warmth.
~oOoOoOo~
Months had passed, in what felt like days, and Fred had followed George around like a lost - albeit unknown - puppy.
He watched as George cried, and screamed, and fell into his own pool of despair.
Fred wanted better for him - but how could he change it?
George was becoming a shadow of himself, he was no longer happy, or joyful, or joking. Now he was always somber, and meticulous in staying calm. It was in those times that Fred would use as much energy as he could to push something of theirs closer to George - begging him to know that it was him.
Why couldn't George tell he was there?
He needed George to move on with his life, to live a life that was long and happy. But why couldn't George see it? They would be together again one day, but they couldn't be right now, so why not take it and enjoy it?
Continue their joke shop, have Christmas with family, find a girl and fall in love, have children, and then grandchildren, and then great grandchildren. But George wasn't doing any of it. He had been stuck in grief for over ten years, and nothing his family were doing was helping.
So Fred did the only thing he could think of - he wrote a letter:
George,
This is Fred. For proof, when we were four you destroyed mums kitchen and when she caught you, you said you were me. Since then, we've went by the other.
You need to get out of this funk, I'm right here with you and it's killing me. You may not see me, or hear me, but I'm right here with you!
Stop wasting your life, stop being ridiculous and forgetful, and enjoy life!
Fred
Shockingly, it had worked. George was living once again.
~oOoOoOo~
He watched as George smiled, and laughed, and fell into his own pool of glorious happiness.
Fred wanted to join him - but how could he change it?
He knew it was ridiculous, him still entertaining thoughts of being alive. It had been years since Fred last breathed in a fresh breath of air, or felt the beat of his heart.
But he still hoped, dreamed even, of being fully reconnected with his twin. And if there was one thing that Fred was serious about, it was that he didn't wish this fate on anyone, especially not on George.
At first, he thought he was becoming a fully fledged ghost. But his ethereal form never came. Then, he thought he was going to pass on after he saw his families goodbyes to him, but peace never came.
Instead, he had to walk around like someone invisible, yet knowing that he would never feel the warm embrace of anyone again.
He had hope however, when his letter had changed George for the better. Their joke shop was thriving, and he was coming up with inventions almost daily. He spent as much time with family. However, when George showed them the letter, they almost all thought George wrote it himself. Only Percy believed him, from having learned everyone's individual handwriting.
They both sought comfort from the other. Hell, even Percy quit his job at the Ministry to help run the shop with George. Percy brought normalty to George's life, reminding him to let loose once in a while. Shockingly, it was George who had to remind Percy to be serious every so often.
Nevertheless, Fred loved seeing the spark that Percy brought back to George. It made Fred happy again, but it also made him yearn to be by George's side fully once more.
~oOoOoOo~
He watched as George flirted, and snogged, and fell into his own pool of love.
Fred wanted eternity for him - but how could he change it?
At first he was shocked when he saw the bloomings of romance between George and Angelina. But, he held no jealousy and cheered them on from his own sidelines.
He watched as they dated, as they fell in love, as they argued.
He watched as they married, as they had their first kid who they named Fred. To which Fred cried for most of the week that followed. Then they had a daughter, Roxanne.
He watched as little Fred grew up, with his sister, turning into a brilliant young man. They never had a peaceful and quiet life, since Fred took after his namesake. He watched as Fred took over the joke shop, with Ron and Hermione's son - Hugo.
He watched as they all got older, George turning Grey, Fred getting married. Until, eventually, the joke shop went to Fred's son - who he had named George.
At this point, Fred had to shake his head. There were too many Fred and George's in one line of family. He hoped George had not started a lifelong prank of every offspring alternating the toy boy names - but if he did, it was genius.
Fred enjoyed watching his family grow, but he couldn't bare watching as his parents passed, as his siblings passed. Time was a glorious, but evil thing. One that he wished would speed up and slow down at the same time.
Fred had no want to be alive again, now he just wanted it all too end. He wanted to stop having to worry, to fear, to want, to never stress. He could feel time running out - to which he was both joyous and sad.
~oOoOoOo~
Fred knew it was time, he could feel it in his non-existent bones. He watched as George prepared himself for bed, kissing his equally old wife goodnight - neither of them knowing it was their last kiss together, their last night. Fred watched as George flitted off to a peaceful sleep. He sat back and waited, feeling the hours tick down to minutes, from minutes to seconds.
Fred closed his eyes when he knew it was time, he would never be able to watch his twin die.
Suddenly, he felt a warm hand on his shoulder. Looking up, Fred saw his other half, but not in his older form, no, George was young again, the same age as himself he guessed.
Jumping up, Fred engulfed George in a hug, savouring the warmth that he provided, that he hadn't felt in over a century.
Fred never wanted to let go.
When they finally pulled apart, they both noticed a white light in the distance that kept creeping closer to them.
"What do you say," started George.
"That we take one last," interjected Fred.
"Adventure?" they both finished.
They both threw an arm over the others shoulder, before they started towards the floating ball of light. With each step, they both looked forward to spending the rest of eternity together. THey were finally complete, and they would take the rest of their steps together.
George gave one last gaze to his sleeping wife, feeling love and pity rumble in his gut; but he knew she would make it, and one day - soon - she would join them.
Before long, they both stood in front of the ball. It was large, but didn't feel ominous - in fact, it felt inviting, and warm, and they knew everything would be okay. Sharing one last look, they stepped through.