A/N: Saw a picture on Facebook that prompted this. I hope you enjoy it! I'll update when I can!
Plus also, I don't own Harry Potter.
Fred sat with his back against the tree, his legs crossed in front of him. Tears slipped out of his azure eyes. He palmed the ground in front of him, feeling the Earth. The soil was rich and dark; moist to the touch. Twigs were scattered here or there, but there were no dead leaves. The leaves were green and perfect and very much alive: unlike him.
He was aware that he was dead. He remembered it all. Percy. He finally came to his senses and fought side by side with his family. The joke. The Death Eaters. The cures.
The wall.
A blinding light, a sound like thunder, and then there was nothing. And then there was the woods.
George. Oh Merlin, what was George going to do? His heart broke thinking about his twin. He slumped onto the ground and cried until his tear stained face stung and he could cry no more.
"Fred," a voice said.
Fred startled. He looked up through teary and hooded eyes.
"Harry… how?" He rubbed at his eyes with the heel of his palm. "Not Harry," Fred said, getting off the ground with a push. He walked closer. His breath hitched.
"James?" he asked.
James took the young red head into his arms and held him.
"At your service," he said, stepping away.
"You're just in time," said a booming voice. He turned to see the face of a man he very much missed.
"Sirius," he said, running into the waiting embrace. Like James, Sirius held onto the boy. "I've missed you."
"I've missed you too kid," Sirius said, and like James, he stepped back to get a good look at the young prankster. "You're too young. And your parents… I can't imagine."
Grief flashed on Fred's face.
"We needed a fourth," said another voice, one so familiar; the calm and quiet voice that could only belong to one person, person who should still be fighting. He turned.
"Oh, Remus. No."
"Oh, Fred. No. You're too young. I, at least, had a chance to live my life. You had so much going for you."
Remus embraced the young boy, and let him cry into his shoulder.
Fred released Remus and stepped out of the hug, drying his eyes.
"What do you mean, you need a fourth?"
"We're a Marauder short," said Sirius, very nonchalant.
Fred stared at him, his mouth open.
"You're not… you can't… there's no way… this whole time?" he said, his eyes the size of gallions.
Remus grinned at him.
"Of all the people I was grateful to discover our map, it was you and George. Who better than the nephews of the Prewett twins. They were the resident pranksters before us."
"Fabian and Gideon? They were pranksters?"
"Well, where did you think you got your prank genes from? It certainly didn't come from your mum," said Sirius, his barking laugh contagious.
"And we need you, Fred." James beamed at him, brightly.
Fred smiled back. He may not be with George, but he knew that he was in good hands, and whatever would happen would happen, and in true prankster fashion, they would meet it with laughter.