Of all the places for Fred to manifest as a ghost, George supposed that Hogwarts was one of the few that he could live with (albeit unhappily). If only he'd manifested at the store, George could have lived happily ever after. If only a lot of things, he mused. If only Fred hadn't died in the battle, if only George had been just a few seconds faster. If only little Lily hadn't come home for winter break talking about how she saw a ghost, only it was a ghost that looked like George ("only with an ear, George! He was you. But with an ear."), and that the ghost hung around the Great Hall late at night when it was empty.
"How do you know there's a ghost when the Hall is empty, dear?" Mum had inquired when Lily brought it up during a lull in conversation at dinner. "Did you see him?"
The older children had fallen silent, curious for Lily to explain, but among the adults, whispers started up. George leaned in more and exchanged a look with Mum. "Are you sure it wasn't just another ghost?" he asked.
Lily shook her head, full of childish surety. She stabbed at the peas on her plate, apparently uninterested in continuing her story, but George pressed it and asked, "Lily, can you tell us how you met the ghost?"
"Well," she started, her mouth full of peas, "I forgot my Herbology book at the table, so I went back and got it and he was sitting in Professor Dumbledore's chair. So I told him, I said 'you shouldn't be sitting in Professor Dumbledore's chair!'"
"What did he say back, sweetie?" Ginny asked her, taking a sip of her wine.
"He laughed at me! He said 'I'd always wanted to sit in this chair when I went to Hogwarts. I figured now it wouldn't matter.'"
The adults glanced amongst themselves, unsure of where to go from there. That certainly sounded like Fred (although even George doubted that Fred hadn't managed to get into the chair at least once while at school), and the kids picked up their chatter again. George's oldest, Fred, leaned in close with James and they took up secretive whispering, not unlike how George and his twin had done themselves, since birth until Fred's death.
"Why don't you kids head out into the living room and let the adults alone for a while, alright?" Mum shooed the kids away from the table, and the boys that George privately thought of as the new twins both took their plates and hightailed it upstairs. "You remember to bring those back down, you hear?" Mum called after them. "Don't leave them to mold up there, or else!"
As soon as the last grandkid out, Lucy, passed through the door, it swung shut and a few wordless spells from Hermione sealed the sound in. She squeezed George's shoulder, then bustled around helping Mum remove the dishes from the table.
Harry and Ron glanced at each other, and then at George; he sat his elbows on the table, his head resting on his interlaced hands. A strange look plastered itself across his face, and he couldn't decide whether to be extremely excited, or doubtful. Everybody knew George wanted to see Fred again more than anything, but it seemed almost too good to be true. A myriad of emotions rushed through him. He wanted to jump up and fly his broom all the way to Hogwarts at the thought of seeing his twin again, but he couldn't believe that after twenty-one years, Fred was back. George fought off the urge to break down right there; even after twenty one years, Fred's deaths stung like it had when he felt their connection disappear on that last horrible day at Hogwarts.
"What are you thinking, George?" Ron asked. He placed his hand on George's shoulder, and startled George out of his pained reminiscing. He plopped down next to George, and Harry took up the chair on George's other side.
George kept his thoughts to himself; even as he spiraled into a nearly panicked I had to learn how to live without you, I can't unlearn that only for it to not be true! "I don't know," he said. In a sense, it was true. After all, it wasn't like he could honestly claim to have any idea what he was doing to do next. "Iā¦need to be alone. Fred and Roxy are staying here, right, Mum?"
"Of course, dear," Mum agreed, entirely unsurprised by George's question. As far as she knew, the children were supposed to be returning with their father, but it was no problem to put them up for the night. Fred and James were practically inseparable anyhow, and Roxy got on well enough with all her cousins to be able to bunk with any of them. "I'm sure Angelina can pick them up in the morning. I'll send off an owl tonight."
"Don't worry about it, Mum," Ginny said. "I'll owl her. You should be resting."
Mum smiled at Ginny, and pointedly began washing the dishes. Ginny rolled her eyes and leaned on George's shoulder. "If my opinion counts for anything, I think one of us could go check it out for you. Just in case." She ruffled his hair, then Summoned her coat. "Come on, dear. Leave him alone to his thoughts."
"If you want help, you only have to ask," Harry said. George gave him a halfhearted smile, but it faded and he returned to staring blankly into space.
