All around him people were screaming. Running, shooting off spells every which-a-way. Lee was in a near panic, surprised he hadn't been hit by a stray stunner, or whatever else was flying around him. He couldn't see any familiar faces, and anytime he did, it was typically the face of a Death Eater.

So when he had rounded the corner and ran right smack into someone, his first instinct told him to try and at least stun who or whatever it was.

"Whoa, Lee!"

His wand flew out of his hand, and it took him a moment to register that he recognized the voice. Dumbfounded, he looked to see the red-haired wizard getting to his feet. "You ok?"

"G-George?"

George held a hand down to help his friend to his feet, handing him his wand. Too relieved to even stop and think to check, Lee threw his arms around him. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you."

"Ok, easy now." George laughed, nudging him off. Soon, they heard yells, and a stampede of footsteps heading straight for them. George grabbed Lee by the arm, and dragged him into a hidden passage nearby. They pressed themselves flat against the wall, until the loud torrent had subsided.

"This is insanity." Lee bellowed, turning to face his friend. "I knew fighting a war wouldn't be easy, but I never imagined it'd be anything like this." Lee trailed off, looking around.

"Where's Fred?"

He tried to hide it, but there was a definite note of unease in George's eyes at the question. However, he shrugged, as if it were nothing. "Dunno. We got separated a while ago. I was just looking for him." George peered out from behind the tapestry. "I need to find him." His voice had trailed off into a low whisper. Lee tapped him on the shoulder. "Something wrong?"

George sighed deeply, eyes shifting briefly to Lee, then back out into the corridor "I think so… I just hope I'm wrong."

After a short while, the ruckus outside quieted down to a dull roar of sounds more off into the distance. "Come on. The coast is clear." George led the way out of their hiding place, and sprinted down the corridor - or at least as fast as he could. Lee took note that George was harboring a severe limp, though it didn't seem to deter him. There were more bangs , and Lee took off after him. "Where are we going?"

"Dunno."

"Then why are we going this way?"

"I just have a feeling Fred's down this way." George stated confidently, peering around the next corner. He took off again, heading up the stairs toward the seventh floor.

Lee just rolled his eyes, chasing after George. "Ugh. Twins."

xXx

Bill and Percy were making their way through the halls in silence. Percy had recently just told him what had happened to their younger brother, and was leading Bill to where he was hidden, when they saw Lee sprinting down the halls in a near panic.

"PERCY!"

"Whoa, what's wrong?" Percy grabbed Lee's arms as he ran straight into him, panting. It took him a moment to be able to catch his breath. "It's–it's George. Or Fred, or I dunno- both of them."

"Calm down." Bill said, clapping a hand on Lee's shoulder. "What's happened?" A knot settled in his throat, hoping they hadn't lost George too.

"W-well I-I ran into George about an hour ago. He said he was looking for Fred, and I just followed him and-"

"Hold on." Percy interrupted, the same knot twisting his stomach. "Tell me George didn't find Fred."

Lee stared at him dumbstruck. "Uh- Y-yea. He did."

Bill and Percy exchanged panicked looks.

"I have no clue how he knew, but he found Fred behind this statue and he was-"

"Percy." Bill interrupted him this time, not wanting to hear it again. "Go ahead to the Great Hall, and tell Mum and Dad what's happened. I'll go see to George and try to get him and Fred there."

Percy just stared at Lee, feeling an ice brick settle in his stomach. "I…"

"Percy?" Bill took his shoulders forcing him to look at him. "It's either that, or you can deal with George."

That prospect settled harder than explaining the dilemma to his parents. He opened his mouth to say something, but no words would come out. Instead, Percy turned, heading towards the Great Hall.

Bill then turned to Lee. "Lead the way."

Lee nodded, taking off at a dead run. Bill followed at his heels. "I didn't know what else to do. George just went catatonic when he saw Fred. He won't even look at me. I didn't want to leave him, but I had to get help."

"It's fine. Just show me where they are."

They both stopped dead in their tracks at the sight of George kneeling next to his brother's body. Bill swallowed at the knot that'd seemed to thicken in his throat. He walked slowly closer to his baby brother, catching Lee's unsure gaze.

Bill knelt next to George, trying to keep his eyes off Fred, and put his arm around his shoulder. "George?" Seeing how his voice came as nothing more than a hoarse croak, Bill cleared his throat. "George? You ok?"

When he didn't get a response, Bill shook him gently. "George?"

For the first time, that he'd seen, George blinked, his eyes shifting upward, before they landed on Bill. "Hey Bill." He croaked softly.

Bill tried to smile, but seemed to accomplish nothing more than a grimace. "You alright?"

George hesitated for a moment, staring through him. "Y-yea. I'm ok." His gaze fell back down to his twin's face. "I think Fred's hurt though."

The lump in Bill's throat dropped straight down to his chest, feeling sharper when it did. He chanced a look at Fred, having to divert his gaze immediately. "What-what makes you say that?"

"I dunno." His voice sounded distant, almost as though he had forgotten how to use it. "I can't get him to wake up."

Bill glanced down at Fred again, finding it much harder to look at George at the moment. He closed his eyes against the sting, trying to fight the urge to cry. Squeezing his shoulder, Bill shook him again. "George? You-know-who's called a cease fire, but we don't know how long it'll last." He squeezed him again, trying to make sure he was listening. "We need to get you and Fred in to safety… ok?"

George's gaze flicked up to Bill, then back to Fred. "Ok."

"Everyone's meeting in the Great Hall. Do you-" Bill cleared his throat. "Do you think you can help me carry him?"

After a moment's silence, George finally nodded. "I think so."

"Good." Bill squeezed his shoulder again, before letting go. He sniffed, wiping his eyes, and looked back down to Fred.

Neither of them moved for a short while. Both stared down at their motionless brother, Lee standing forgotten behind them. His own face burned with tears, but he stood back, feeling he had no right to impose on the brothers.

Bill was fighting every urge to cry. Not feeling like he should in front of George. He breathed in deep, rubbing his eyes again. "Come on George." Avoiding his gaze, Bill inched closer to take one of Fred's arms.

George's teeth ground on his bottom lip, his legs feeling numb.

"George?" Bill asked cautiously, holding Fred close to him, one of his little brother's arms slung over his shoulder. "Are you ok?"

George breathed in deep and started to stand. "Yea." He slid in to take Fred's other arm, unsure of why he was shaking so hard. Perhaps it was the pain from his freshly reset shoulder. Yea, that had to be it. Either way, he wouldn't stand to let that hinder him. He had to get Fred somewhere safe to recover.

"Lee?" Bill asked, glancing back at their unmoving friend. "You coming?"

Lee looked up from his spot on the ground. He felt cold, and confused, his legs not wanting to work. "I-" He had to stop to clear his throat to be able to speak. "I'll be along in a- in a bit. Y-you two go ahead."

xXx

They made it to the Great Hall to have Percy report that no one else in their family had made it back yet. He avoided looking at his brothers in the guise of going out to look for their parents.

They had laid Fred onto one of the many cots Madam Pomfrey had conjured up for the injured. George sat next to him, rubbing his twin's hands between his own. Bill was sitting in a chair a little ways away, trying his best to ignore them. His face was hidden in his hands, still hoping to hide his tears from George.

"Bill!"

Bill's head snapped up to see Fleur had just entered the Great Hall and was running right for him. He stood, crossing the last few feet to hold his wife tightly in his arms.

"Oh, Bill. Thank zee 'eavens yoo are alright."

Bill sniffed, drawing back to kiss her. "Same here, my Love." He traced a hand down the side of Fleur's face and kissed her again.

Fleur's eyes flicked to his face, uncertain. "Bill?" Her fingers brushed under his reddened eyes. "Yoo 'ave been crying. What eez wrong?"

Bill hesitated, feeling the knot forming in his throat again from his restraint. He finally managed to clear it out enough to speak, but only in a dull whisper. "Fred's dead."

The expression in Fleur's face visibly drained straight past her shoulders. "Oh no. Eet can't be." She glanced around the area, until her eyes landed on the twins.

"If only." Bill's eyes burned deeper, his head dropping. Fleur drew him into her arms again.

Any lasting restraints fractured and for the first time Bill allowed himself to fully break down in anguish over losing his baby brother. He clung to his wife, crying audibly into her shoulder. She traced her fingers through his long hair, which had fallen down somewhere amongst the battle. Bill had moved to sit back down, Fleur perched on his lap.

"Bill?" A third hand lay across his shoulder. "Bill, what's wrong?"

Both Bill and Fleur glanced up to see Charlie standing over them, worry etched on his face.

Bill scrubbed at his eyes, making no effect on the tears still trailing from them. Not wanting to explain any further, Bill laid his head into Fleur's shoulder again, and gestured behind him.

Charlie's gaze shifted to where he indicated. It took him a moment to fully register what was going on. "No." His reaction fell, similar to Fleur's, the color draining from his face. "No, he can't… Bill, is he?" But he didn't even have to ask. The answer was painfully obvious.

A short while later, footsteps diverted their attention to Percy's return. "I found Mum and Dad." His eyes flicked up to Fred and George, taking on an odd mix of pain and annoyance. "What is George doing?"

Bill breathed in deep, wiping his nose on his sleeve. "He's trying to warm Fred's hands." Fleur gasped, both her's and Charlie's eyes turning to Bill, then back to the twins. Bill cleared his throat, but found he could no longer speak without his voice cracking. "He's afraid he'll get sick."

Fleur held her husband again, brushing at her own tears.

"What's he thinking? He can't warm Fred's hands. There's no blood flow to them."

"Percy!" Bill's head snapped back up to him. "George is in a very deep state of denial right now. It's best if we just let him think whatever he wants."

"So what, then?" The weight in Percy's chest tightened. "We're supposed to just let George sit there thinking Fred's alive, when he's clearly not?" The thought made him cringe, his eyes flooding with tears again.

"Lower your voice."

"I think he knows." They glanced up at Charlie, whose hand still rested on Bill's arm. "It seems more like he's just trying to hold onto him as long as he can. Maybe if we just gave him a little more time."

"My baby!" Charlie was cut off by their mother running past them. She slowed when she saw Fred, her gaze slowly moving to George. Her heart fell further. "George?" A hand fell onto her son's head, moving onto his shoulder. "George, Honey? Are you ok?"

George glanced up at her, a confused glint in his eyes. "Yea, Mum. I'm fine."

"Oh, Georgie." Molly sat down on the bed, pulling her son into her arms.

George stared back imploringly to his siblings.

"Uh, Mum." Charlie moved closer to pry her arms from around George. "Mind if we have a word." George's eyes lingered on them a moment, before returning to Fred.

The four of them explained to their parents what all had happened. Molly stared back at her son, tears flooding her eyes. Every instinct she had told her to scoop George up into her arms and hold him, while he cried, but her children's story told her to resist this urge. Instead, she melted into holding her husband, breaking down into sobs.

The Great Hall began to slowly fill. The fallen, both dead and injured, lined the beds. All around them were sobs and loud panicked murmurs about what could be happening once the battle had resumed. From the sounds of the surrounding conversations there didn't seem to be any hope left for anyone.

The Weasleys had dissolved into silence that was only broken by their sobs. Each of which wondering how long they could possibly avoid George.

After staring at his younger brother far longer than he realized, Charlie stood and made his way over to the bed. He sat down, sliding an arm around George's shoulder and squeezed him gently. "Hey, George. You holdin up alright?"

George didn't seem to respond as fast as he had before, but nodded slowly. "Yea, I'm fine." He cleared his throat. "Why does everyone keep asking me that?"

Charlie shifted his grip to lay George's head down on his shoulder, speaking into the top of his hair. "You just seem like you're upset about something."

George shrugged, eyes still fixed on Fred's face. "I guess I'm just worried about him."

Charlie stared down at Fred as well. "Are you sure that's all it is?"

There was a brief pause after which George whispered, "I guess not."

Charlie's gaze shifted to George again. "What do you mean?"

George sniffed. "I feel kinda funny."

"Funny how?"

"I don't really know." He trailed off in thought. "I feel like… like the inside of my stomach feels cold."

Charlie squeezed him tighter.

"And my hands are kinda numb."

"That's just because you've been rubbing them for so long." He forced a laugh, pulling George's hands from Fred's. "It's ok if his hands get cold, George." Charlie wrapped George's hands in his own, trying to warm where they had lost circulation. "Fred's not going to get sick."

George finally tore his eyes away from Fred, staring up at Charlie. "He's not?"

"No. He's not." Charlie breathed in deep, trying to keep a genuine smile on his face.

George's face seemed to fall further. "Charlie? Have you been crying?"

Charlie felt his blood run cold from the question. His eyes starting to tear up again. "Y-Yea-yea. I have."

"Why?"

"Well." Charlie bit at his lip, trying to stop it from shaking. "Something happened today. Something bad, and because of that I lost someone very dear to me." He rubbed at the stubborn tears. "Now I'm starting to worry that I'm going to lose another one."

George stared blankly at him, almost as if he was going to ask him to elaborate. Then something unexpected happened. George smiled. "It's ok, Charlie. You're not going to lose me."

Charlie's expression fell at the comment. He really hadn't been expecting that. "I'm… Are you sure, George?"

"Yea." George slid his arms around him, hugging his brother. With his head laying on Charlie's shoulder, George stared down at Fred again. His expression slowly started to melt. "Charlie?"

"Yes, George?"

George clenched his shirt in his fingers. "Fred isn't sleeping… is he?"

A knife twisted into Charlie's heart. He squeezed George tighter, pressing his face into the top of his head. "No, George. I'm afraid he's not."

The last statement, from both of them, hung thickly in the air for far longer than anyone could possibly stand. "George?" Charlie rubbed George's arms, which were suddenly feeling colder. "Are you ok?"

George sighed. "Come now, Char. I already told you." He looked up at him, a timid smile touching his lips. "I'm fine."

Charlie felt his heart had stopped dead in his chest. That smile seemed natural. The expressions and the way he held himself seemed completely normal. However, there were no words to express the fear that flooded through Charlie at the look in his baby brother's eyes. The natural brown glow almost seemed to take on a hollow gaze that made them appear black. There was no sorrow. No sense of any form of anguish, or even rage at having lost his twin. There was just nothing shining back at him from those eyes that used to hold so much life.

##

AN: wow, this is gonna be a hard one to get through. I'm already four chapters into writing this, and i have cried for each of them. But i promise it's not gonna be completely sad throughout the whole thing. Just suffer through it, and i promise you rich rewards. plus, i think this is the only story I've ever started where i had everything planned beforehand. woo