Seven days had passed since the epic battle of Hogwarts. Seven days since Fred Weasley had died.
They were all gathered- friends, family, so many more since the battle. The pain of their losses brought people together, and the hope for their futures sealed their bonds.
In the front, Mrs. Weasley sobbed into her hands. Next to her, her husband rubbed her back and let tears flow silently down his face. Percy, Bill, and Charlie all sat by their parents, tears in each of their eyes. Ginny sat next to George, who looked by far the worse.
His bright red hair was mussed and tangled, and stood up around his unusually pale face in every direction. His brown eyes seemed huge in his white face, and dark blue bags hung under them. His lips quivered slightly, and tears rested along the bottom of his eyes. Angelina Johnson, his girlfriend, had her arm around his shoulders, and he leaned against her, letting all of his weight drop onto her arms.
The thin, rather nervous looking wizard conducting the ceremony ended what he was saying and looked at George.
George got up slowly, running his fingers through his hair and blinking fast, and then shuffled to where the glistening silver enchanted coffin rested on the freshly turned earth.
"F-fred was…" George knelt down by the coffin, and ran his hands along it. His hands shook almost was much as his voice. " He was my twin brother. He was like another part of me, always knew what I was thinking, and I always knew what he was. He was also my best friend. Without him, I am only George Weasley, not one of the twins. Without him I am missing a part of myself. A part that I will never get back."
George closed his eyes and let three fat tears leak out and work their way down the side of his face. "Goodbye, Fred." He said at last, his voice thick with suppressed sobs.
He slowly lifted a handful of dirt up and placed it on the coffin. Then he stopped.
"No. Not goodbye. You will never really leave me. Or us."