Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter
Written for the HPFC Challenge: 'Five Things'
Just Want To Say
I) Fred is seven years old
"And apologise to Ron. Now!"
"Sorry, Ron."
"Sorry, Ron."
Mr. Weasley glares at George who is nearly in tears. "I can't believe you did this, George. I expect if from Fred but…"
"'m sorry, Dad," mumbles George, rubbing his leg. Fred rubs his as well. It really hurts but he refuses to cry.
"I'm very disappointed in you both."
Fred can barely look his twin in the eye. The Unbreakable Vow had been his idea, not George's. Mr. Weasley thinks it had been both boys' idea.
Fred has never seen his father so angry.
"I'm sorry, Dad," George says again. Mr. Weasley huffs and walks out of the room with Ron. George is silent, staring at the floor. Fred reaches out to his brother.
"Thanks for not saying anything."
George is silent.
"George?" Fred moves closer to George. There's a strange sniffling noise coming from his brother. "George?"
The sniffling noise is louder. George ignores the hand on his shoulder. Fred takes it away and looks at his twin.
"George?" he asks again. Still no response. Suddenly he knows what he has to do. He needs to say sorry to his brother for getting him hurt. "George, look …" He licks his lips and then decides to go for it. "George, I'm-"
"Shut up," George hisses. "I agreed to do your stupid prank and I didn't tell Dad you made me. Now leave me alone." He stalks out of the room, tears streaming from his eyes.
Fred is left alone. It is the first time he has ever hurt his twin, and he knows that he will never stop feeling guilty.
II) Fred is fourteen years old
"She's eleven, Fred. Eleven. Think about how much all of this is affecting her."
"It was only some fun, Perce. Even Harry knew we were joking."
"I'm not Harry's brother, I'm Ginny's. She's having nightmares and the pair of you jumping out, pretending to be monsters, is making it worse."
"We'll stop," says George, speaking for the first time.
"But-" Fred stutters but Percy interrupts.
"I'll tell Mum," he says, pulling his trump card.
"Fine," says Fred, exasperated. "It was boring anyway. New tricks are needed, I feel."
Percy rolls his eyes. "Typical. You've never known when to stop."
"What?"
"Never mind." Percy shakes his head. "Go and apologise to Ginny."
George sighs. "Man of mystery, eh, Perce?"
"Just go."
George bows mockingly. "Yes, sir." Then his features soften. "She'll be in the Common Room now, won't she?"
"Yes," says Percy stiffly. George waits for his brother.
"I'll go now," Fred says, reading the glare. "I'm just wondering where I placed my fangs."
"Fred, stop teasing her," orders Percy. "Why can't you be a good example for once?"
A well of guilt fills Fred and he suddenly wonders if Percy is right and he really has hurt Ginny. But more than that. He feels guilty that Percy is the only one who is trying to help.
"Perce, I'm-"
"No, Fred, I don't want to hear it. I know what you're going to say: I'm stuffy, I'm boring. Just go say sorry to her."
George pulls his twin away before he has the chance to reply that he just wanted to say sorry to Percy for making him be the brother Fred won't be.
III) Fred is sixteen years old
"Three O.W.L.S. How could you only get three?"
Fred and George stay silent. Mrs. Weasley is shouting at the top of her voice.
"What am I going to do with you?" she shrieks.
"If I were you, Mum," Fred says, "I would be more worried about one of George's passes being in History of Magic."
"You passed Divination," George retorts. "Who does that?"
"Be quiet!" shouts Mrs. Weasley. "What have you two been doing all year? Was it that hard to just do some work?"
Fred opens his mouth to reply but George nudges him. Mrs. Weasley has not been this angry for a while.
"Why can't you be like Percy or Bill? What are you going to do with your lives?"
"Open a joke shop," Fred says before his brain has enough time to warn his mouth about the stupidity of this statement.
"Open a JOKE SHOP?" she screams, furious. "You'll never earn anything that way. You need a sensible job."
"But that's boring, Mum," replies George in a tone which is just a bit too light-hearted.
"Don't take that tone with me, George. Don't you think this Weasley Wizard Wheezes thing has gone far enough? You haven't even passed Defence Against the Dark Arts."
"But this is more interesting."
She shakes her head. "Go upstairs, both of you. Come back when you're prepared to be sensible."
George practically runs from the room. Fred likes to think he's a bit calmer so he turns and walks.
"Why can't you behave yourselves and be like your brothers?" she whispers. Fred turns around guiltily. She wants so much for them and they're openly defying her. They're being the sons who won't listen to her.
Fred looks at his mother's defeated form.
"Mum-"
Behind her, he sees Charlie frantically gesturing 'no'.
"Go upstairs, Fred," she hisses.
He opens his mouth to try again, to apologise for being the son who won't listen.
"Yes, Mum."
IV) Fred is eighteen years old
"Is that your brother with Tracey?"
Fred turns to look at a pretty young girl who is watching George and the shop worker talk.
"Yep. Thinks he's a ladies man," he laughs.
She smiles. "His card tricks are good though. Almost like real magic."
Fred spots a chance for some innocent flirtation. "I'm good too, you know."
"Are you?"
He winks. "Sure." Turning to George, he shouts, "Oi, George. Pass the cards?" George grins back and tosses a pack of cards over. Fred catches them and shuffles them. "OK, pick a card, any card."
The girl smiles and points at one. Fred smiles and shuffles the pack again, using a silent Accio charm to attract the right card to the top. He keeps his eye on it and then selects it. "Was this your card?"
"Yeah." She laughs. "How did you do that? It was amazing."
Fred smirks. "Trade secret."
She looks at George and Tracey. "It's good that he's got her laughing again," she says quietly. "She's been through so much."
"Oh?" Fred knows he should stay silent or be more sympathetic but he doesn't know what to say. His eyes glance at the snow falling outside.
"Yeah," the girl sighs. "Her parents and brother were on that bridge which collapsed in the summer, you know?"
"Yeah," replies Fred, his throat dry.
"She's only just begun to recover. It's been terrible, what's been happening recently." She shivers. "I don't understand it."
It's because you're a Muggle. You're a target.
It's because of You-Know-Who. Except you don't.
"No, me neither," he replies quietly.
"All these murders. Something bad has been happening. I just hope we get through it alright."
And just like that, he wants to say sorry. He wants to say sorry that something about the Wizarding world has hurt Tracey. That it's hurting her: the girl he doesn't even know the name of.
"So, any more card tricks?" The girl has forced a smile back onto her face and looks hopefully at him.
He performs another one with the same fake smile. She seems to cheer up as he does it.
"You're so good at it."
He looks at George. Does he know he's talking to a wounded person?
He still wants to say sorry: sorry he can't save these two Muggles who don't even know why they're being punished.
"I-" He closes his mouth.
"Are you going to tell me the trick behind it?" she asks eagerly.
He forces himself to wink and laugh. "All you need to know is: I'm a wizard at these things."
V) Fred is twenty years old
The chaos is amazing. Around him, spells are flying everywhere and all he knows is that he needs to get them before they get him.
He and Percy are fighting somewhere. He's not even sure where. All that matters is that he keeps fighting and keeps laughing. George has disappeared down another corridor with Lee Jordan, duelling someone, and Fred only wants to focus on keeping himself alive.
Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Harry, Ron and Hermione but he keeps on moving.
"Hello Minister!" bellows Percy. Fred glances at his brother's – and it feels good to call him brother – opponent, and then fires a spell off at his. "Did I mention I'm resigning?"
Fred knows he needs to concentrate but even now, he can't resist the urge to make a comment.
"You're joking, Perce!" he shouts and sends three separate stunning spells at his opponent, who promptly falls. He turns to look at Percy, who has turned Thicknesse into some sort of sea urchin. It really is funny. Percy never makes jokes. That's his job. His and George's. He laughs again at the thought.
"You actually are joking, Perce … I don't think I've heard you joke since you were-"
The air behind him seems to explode and something hits him. Instantly, he knows he's dead. And oddly, he doesn't feel regret. He isn't terrified. No. For some reason, all he wants to do is apologise.
He just wants to say sorry to everyone for leaving before he can deliver the punch line.