Disclaimer: I own nothing. I wish I did, but I don't.
He wasn't listening to the man who was giving a speech in front of the casket. This man was supposedly an old family friend, but he hadn't really known Fred like he and his siblings had. In fact, no one knew Fred more than George had. But glancing over at his brother, Ron knew George would not be able to speak about his twin and his best friend without breaking down. He knew it would be awhile before any of them would be able to think of Fred with a smile on their faces.
Now the service was drawing to a close. The man had stopped speaking, and now the group of mourners sat in silence. It wasn't really silent, Ron mused, everyone present had tears in their eyes. Mum was sobbing harder than ever, and Dad was holding her tightly, his own body shaking uncontrollably. Ginny and Harry had their arms around each other, tears glistening in both their eyes. Even Ron himself had tears dripping down his cheeks. In fact, as Ron looked around, the only dry eyes belonged to George. How he was managing to hold himself together, Ron would never know.
Ron turned his attention to the curly-haired brunette in the seat next to him. She too was crying, and the look in her eyes made it seem as though she would never laugh again. Ron couldn't bear to see her like this; he must comfort her. He wrapped both arms around her middle and drew her close, digging his face into her hair. She placed a comforting hand on his.
They sat like that for awhile, mourning and comforting one another. Then Ron noticed Bill and Fleur rise from their seats and walk zombie-like up the aisle towards the casket. They stopped in front of it, and Ron realized what they were doing: saying their last goodbyes. He supposed he ought to go up there as well, but he waited until Bill and Fleur had stepped aside, and Charlie, Percy, Harry, and Ginny each did the same. Then he nudged Hermione and nodded toward the front. She made a motion as if to say she would wait for him, but he grabbed her hand to squeeze it, and met her eyes with his. "I can't do this without you."
So hand in hand with Hermione, Ron approached his brother's casket. He honestly wasn't sure what exactly he was supposed to do, so he placed a hand on top and began to think of Fred. Of the time Fred changed his teddy into a spider, of all the times he had been teased, called "Ronniekins", of all the times Fred had made him laugh. Then realization hit him: Fred was gone, and he wasn't coming back. He would never tell another joke, tease another one of his siblings, or finish another of George's sentences. Never again would Fred laugh, smile, or live.
Tears were falling quicker now, he felt his hand shaking in Hermione's. He noticed hers felt shaky as well, and he squeezed it, trying to be strong for her. But he couldn't. He knew he would break down soon; he couldn't spend another minute in front of Fred's casket without thinking of how his beloved brother would soon be buried in the ground, never to laugh again. "I miss you, Fred. I always will," he whispered, then let go of Hermione's hand and walked to the edge of the clearing in which the service was taking place. He stopped in front of a tree, closed his eyes, and brought his forehead against it. He let all the tears fall now, and he found he was shaking all over.
A moment or two passed before he felt a soft hand on his shoulder. He took a deep breath before turning around to greet Hermione. She too had tears cascading down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry," she murmured before wrapping her arms around his middle. He in turn took her in his arms, drawing her as close as possible. He once again buried his face into her hair, sobbing into it. She didn't seem to mind; she was soaking his shirt with tears of her own.
They stood embracing for what seemed like hours. It was funny, Ron thought, how complete he felt at that moment, holding her in his arms. He felt as though she made him whole, as if without her he could not survive, because she was a part of him. But how, he thought, could he feel so complete while feeling so empty at the same time? Fred was gone. That fact loomed over his head. He should be happy: the war was over, he had the girl of his dreams! But he couldn't be. He had lost his brother, whom he had grown up with, gone to school with, laughed with...nothing could change the fact that Fred was never coming back. Not even the completeness he felt when he was with Hermione could heal the wounds that had been left by Fred's death. It could come close, but even his love for her, a feeling more amazing than any he had felt before in his life, couldn't overcome the pain of losing Fred. Ron almost laughed dryly in spite of himself when he remembered Hermione's claim that he had the "emotional range of a teaspoon".
He brought his face out of Hermione's hair, and kissed her forehead lightly before resting his chin on the top of her head to look around at the rest of the scene. His parents and the rest of the family were talking quietly in a small circle, tears still glistening in their eyes. Mum seemed to have calmed down some, but she was still shaking in Dad's arms. The only person missing from the circle was George.
George was standing alone in front of Fred's casket. Amazingly, it appeared his eyes were still dry. But his whole body was shaking uncontrollably; he needed both hands on top of the casket to keep himself up. Ron couldn't imagine how empty his brother must feel. He was losing his twin. They had been pulling pranks and making jokes together for twenty years, but now it was all over. He felt a sudden urge to comfort George: he needed to. His brother needed him now more than ever.
Ron pulled slightly away from Hermione. She lifted her head from his chest and looked up at him with a slight question in her eyes. He nodded in George's direction. She turned around and glanced at the scene, then turned back to him and nodded in agreement. He took her hand and they walked toward George. When Ron reached him, he touched him lightly on the shoulder. Now that he was over here, he felt as though he was trespassing on an intimate moment, meant only for George. But his older brother turned around to face Ron. Looking into George's eyes, Ron saw so many emotions at once: hurt, pain, loss, desperation, loneliness, a need to be comforted...Ron could hardly bear it. He stepped forward and hugged his brother. He had been right: George was shaking so hard it was a miracle he was standing up.
After a moment or two, Ron drew back, allowing Hermione to give George a hug as well. She released him after several minutes, tears still leaking from her eyes. Ron took her hand and squeezed it in comfort. The three of them stood there awhile, not saying a word. They didn't need to. Just standing there in each other's company was a comfort in itself.
"Ron, George, Hermione?" Ginny spoke as she and Harry approached them slowly, both glancing carefully at George as they joined the group. "Mum wants us all to go in and have some food."
"Alright," Ron and Hermione agreed. They looked at George, who then raised his wand. A hole was made in the ground next to the casket, and George, still shaking, carefully levitated his brother's casket, then lowered into the hole with his wand. The dirt fell back into the hole, and a stone appeared on top. It read: "Here Lies Fred Weasley, who laughed even in the face of death. May all of heaven smile, now that you are there."
"Good-bye, Fred," George whispered, speaking for the first time in days. He then looked up at Ron, Hermione, Harry, and Ginny and made a gesture in the direction of the house, then began to walk. The others followed him soon after, each of them whispering good-byes as they passed Fred's grave. As they walked up to the house, where Ron knew the rest of the family was waiting for them. He looked at the group he was walking with: his best friend, who forgave him even after Ron abandoned him; his baby sister, who was so brave during the battle; his elder brother, so strong after losing his twin; and lastly, the most beautiful and brilliant girl in the world, whom he had loved for so long, who now loved him back. Looking at them, he felt as if the wounds were starting to mend. He felt as if everything would, in fact, be okay. It wasn't now, not yet, but someday he knew it would be. That's the way Fred would've wanted it. He wouldn't have wanted them to mourn forever. He would have wanted them to smile when they remembered him, not break down in tears. These thoughts gave Ron strength, and for that moment, he believed: one day, it would be alright. One day...