Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling. I do not own any characters or anything else you may recognize. I am making no money from the writing of this. I just like to play in this world.
A/N: I have never lost a sibling, but I have had my brother off fighting a war overseas. I tried to think of how I would feel if I lost my brother and I listened to "I Drive Your Truck" by Lee Brice. This was written for the Gemstone Competition using the prompt Ruby: write about an act of strength. Alternatively write about a member of the Weasley family. I think this fits both.
I Ride Your Broom
George Weasley was sitting on the couch in his parents' living room. There were people milling about everywhere; in the living room, the kitchen, the garden. They were all dressed in black. The funeral of Fred Weasley had just taken place.
His mother had gone up to her bedroom long ago. She had lost a child, so it was understandable that she would want to grieve in private.
His father was making the rounds thanking the mourners for coming. He had lost a son and he would grieve in his own way later. Or he may go up to the bedroom he shared with his wife and grieve with her.
George on the other hand had lost a brother. Not just any brother, but his identical twin, his other half, his partner in crime.
The other Weasley children had lost a brother also, but it was different for George. He didn't feel whole. He felt lost. That's why he was sitting on the couch. Without Fred, he had no idea what to do. He tried to think like Fred to figure out what he should be doing in this situation. He couldn't do it. He got frustrated with himself.
Suddenly, he stood up from the couch. He realized what his problem was. He couldn't feel his brother's presence here. He needed to find him. There had to be a place where George could feel Fred. If he could feel him, he could think like him. If he could think like him, he would know what to do.
He went up to the old bedroom he had shared with Fred for the first eighteen years of their lives. There were the beds they slept in, the remains of discarded experiments, some unused fireworks, but there was no feeling of Fred.
George walked through the crowds of people ignoring all the condolences passed his way. He even ignored Lee Jordan, his best friend, next to Fred. He walked to the apparition point outside of the protection spells that hadn't been taken down yet. He had to find his brother.
First he apparated to the flat he shared with Fred above Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. He walked into Fred's room. Nothing was there. All of Fred's things were where they had been before the Battle of Hogwarts, but there was no presence. He went down into the shop. He walked up and down the rows of shelves. He walked into the office they had shared. Still there was nothing.
He went back up to the flat. He walked back into Fred's room and sat on his bed. He rested his elbows on his knees and rested his head in his hands. He began to talk to his brother. He knew Fred wasn't there, but he wanted to talk to him all the same.
"Fred, I don't know where you are. I can't find you anywhere. I can't feel you anywhere. Tell me what to do. I'm lost without you. Help me."
Just then a noise in the quiet room startled George. He looked around and noticed Fred's broom had fallen over. It was a Nimbus 2000. The store had been doing so well they had been able to buy the brooms just before their birthday.
Suddenly George got an idea. He went to his room and changed clothes to jeans and a tee shirt. He went back to Fred's room and picked up the broom. He walked out of the building, mounted the broom and kicked off.
He kept climbing higher and higher. Finally! he thought. I feel you here, brother.
He flew around for a while and then decided to head back toward his parents' house. There was a clearing in the woods nearby that he and Fred had discovered when they were eight years old. He flew over to the clearing and landed.
"Fred, I feel you here, too. Thank you! Anytime I need guidance or am just missing you I will fly your broom here. I'll probably be coming here every day for a while. I will never forget you Fred. You're my best friend. I love you and miss you so much."
George sat down in the middle of the clearing and sobbed. He finally felt like he could cry without breaking. He let out the sense of loss, the despair, the anger, the fear, and the pain he had been feeling since the final battle. When he was cried out, he stood up, remounted Fred's broom and flew back to the flat.
George landed in the clearing. He leaned his brother's Nimbus against a tree and sat on a log he had levitated to the clearing on one of his visits. He sat in silence for a long time, just letting the sunlight hit his face. He thought back to all the times he had visited here. After the first year, George only came on the important dates; weddings, birthdays, engagements, births. The last time he had been here was April 1, their birthday. Today was the tenth anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts.
"Hey, Freddie. I know I haven't been here in a month. Today is the anniversary of us defeating Voldemort. They are having a ceremony and ball later today to commemorate the event. Part of the ceremony will be remembering those lost. I have never forgotten. I remember every time I look in a mirror.
"I can't believe it's been ten years. It seems like just yesterday we were tormenting Umbrage and setting off the portable swamp.
"Mom's been asking me if I've been by your grave lately. I have, but you know that's not where I feel you. I feel you when I ride your broom and come here.
"I told Little Freddie about more of our exploits at Hogwarts. Angelina yells at me every time I do, but I want him to know who his uncle was.
"I still miss you, brother. I will until the day I die and we meet on the other side. I know you will be the first to greet me when I get there. Until then, I will live life for the both of us. I love you, Fred."
By the time George finished talking to Fred, the tears were flowing freely. George sat there until the tears stopped flowing. He stood up to leave and said, "Oh I almost forgot, Ginny had a girl. Lily Luna. She looks just like Ginny. I've got to get ready for that damn ceremony. Talk to you later, Fred."
He mounted the broom with a smile on his face. He was ready to face the crowd at the ceremony now.
A/N2: I cried while writing this. It hurt in some places. It has been brewing in my head for a while and I was finally able to get it on the screen. I have read several different stories where George comes to terms with Fred's death, but most of them involve Fred's grave. What if George didn't feel his brother's presence at his grave? What if George felt him somewhere else? Riding Fred's broom would be a good time to feel him. Also in a place that was special to the two of them. I just felt like I needed to write my own version of events. As I stated earlier, I used the song I Drive Your Truck by Lee Brice as inspiration.