Two reviews. :( Oh well, it's okay. Hopefully I'll get more! Oh, and something you lot should know about me. I'll try to say this in the nicest way possible: I despise when people favourite or alert but don't review. So PLEASE, if you favourite or alert, REVIEW as well! Even if it's just a few words!
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, yadda yadda yadda.
George sank onto his bed, Fred watching him closely. He kept staring at him, letting his mind wander to images of him and George pranking people... Laughing... Hugging... And somehow, he knew what was coming next. He knew he shouldn't want to kiss him, but he couldn't help it. His brother was so perfect... So irresistible...
"Fred?" George asked, forcing him out of his thoughts.
"Huh? Oh, um..."
He looked at Fred curiously. "What's been going on with you lately?"
"What? Uh, nothing."
"Sure." George got up and sat down next to him, and Fred couldn't help but notice how close he was. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong," Fred responded airily. "I'm fine, really."
"I'm not getting up until you tell me. I can tell you're lying."
Fred sighed internally. For the first time in his life, he wished George couldn't sense what he was feeling.
"Iloveyou," he whispered, but it sounded like one word.
"Didn't catch that," George said.
Fred took a deep breath. "I love you."
George looked unfazed. "Um, okay. I love you too?"
"No." Fred shook his head, bewildered that he hadn't explained himself. "I love you in a brotherly way... But... As more, too."
George stared at him. And he kept staring. And staring and staring and staring. Fred shifted uncomfortably on his bed, unable to produce words. He mentally kicked himself for being such an idiot.
"Please say something," he blurted out after a few minutes.
George sighed, as if the news was paining him. Fred felt his heart sink very, very low.
"I know it's gross, I know I really shouldn't... But I can't help it. I'm so sorry, Georgie... You can... You can ignore me for the rest of your life if you're really that bothered about it⎯"
"Ignore you for the rest of my life?" George sounded disgusted. "I could never do that."
Fred was astonished. "But..."
"Shh. Don't." He put a finger to Fred's lips and closed his eyes. "Do you even know how much you mean to me?"
"No. However⎯"
"Let me talk. You're my entire world. If something happens to you in this tournament... I'll never be able to forgive myself. When people are mean to you... It makes me feel terrible, and when I see you sick or hurt I always wish it was me instead of you. You're my other half, do you hear me?" His tone wasn't angry; it was viciously protective.
Fred stared at him for several seconds, trying to process what he had just heard. He said nothing. He nudged George slightly, indicating that he wanted him to get up. He got into bed and turned away from his brother's gorgeous face, so many feelings engulfing him and causing him to stay awake for hours into the night. Judging by the absence of George's light snoring, he knew he wasn't the only one who was sleepless.
"Freddie?" George asked through the darkness. His voice was close. "Are you awake?"
Fred nodded, then remembered that George couldn't see him. "Yeah, I am."
He heard his brother mutter Muffliato, the silencing charm. George sat down on his bed, running his fingers through his hair, leaving Fred completely confused. Part of him wanted George to keep at it because it felt nice, but part of him wanted it to stop because he knew George was only doing it out of sympathy for him.
"I'm so sorry, Fred. I love you, you know I do. Please talk to me."
He looked straight ahead, not responding. He felt George start to breathe quite rapidly, and suddenly his ears were filled with the sound of his crying.
"Please don't shut me out, Fred. I'm sorry, I really am..." George's entire body shook with sobs.
It was extremely difficult to do, but Fred pushed George off his bed wordlessly. He closed his eyes and let sleep find him, blocking out the sound of George's desperate whimpers.
"What's up with you and George?" Ron asked Fred the next morning at breakfast, stuffing his face with bacon.
"Nothing," Fred snapped back. "Why?"
"You aren't finishing each other's sentences and he's sitting all the way over there."
Fred rolled his eyes. "It's complicated."
"Oi! George!" Ron yelled across the table, beckoning his brother over to them.
"Bloody hell, Ron..." Fred felt a hot blush stain his cheeks as George sat down next to him.
"Why aren't you two talking?" Ron asked, pressuring them into conversation.
"I'm talking to him, he's the one not answering me," George replied.
"Well, it's getting irritating. Why won't you answer him?"
"Fine! I'll talk to him!" Fred said, choosing to ignore Ron's question.
There was a short silence. George inched closer and closer to his twin, causing Ron to look at both of them suspiciously.
"Er... We have to go prepare for some interview," Fred improvised. George nodded and they set off in the direction of the common room.
They walked in silence. Both of them itched to say something to the other, but they couldn't find the right words. As they approached the boys' dormitory, they plucked up enough courage to speak.
"Listen, I⎯" they both said at the same time. George flushed in embarrassment and offered his brother a small smile, which Fred did not return.
"Sorry," he said sheepishly. "You go."
George took a deep breath. "I'm really sorry, Fred."
"You've said that a million times, it's starting to mean nothing," Fred retorted.
"Stop. Just stop." George's eyebrows were knit together and his eyes were shut tightly. He looked like he was in serious pain. Fred ignored the guilty feeling pulling at his insides. "I don't want this to change anything. We're best friends, you know that. You can't just force me out of your life. It doesn't work like that. Besides, we're both in this tournament, so we'll be forced to spend a lot of time together."
Fred glared. "It's not your fault. My expectations were too high."
"What do you mean?"
"I thought... Maybe you'd feel the same way."
George sighed heavily. "Fred..."
"No, don't bother. I don't care." It was a lie, but George didn't seem to detect it. His face was still contorted with pain, and it was beginning to scare him. He started to slowly realize that something was not right. All of his anger drained out for a few minutes, and it was replaced with pure fear. "George, are you alright?"
His brother shook his head no. "I can't do this."
"Do what?" His irritation from before was beginning to creep back into him.
"I can't lie to you," George whispered. "Do you see what I mean? I love you, Fred. I really do."
"Not in the way that I love you." Fred's voice had also dropped to a whisper.
"I do."
Fred looked up, staring into his brother's eyes. It was like looking in a mirror.
"Don't lie to me, George, I know you don't, so don't say⎯"
And then George's lips were on Fred's, and Fred forgot everything else in the world. He promised himself he would always remember this moment, the feeling of one of George's hands in his hair, the other up his shirt. He enfolded his arms around him, deepening the kiss to the maximum, wanting to make the most of it. He didn't care if this was real or just a figment of his imagination, he didn't care if people were watching them or not, he didn't care if he died tomorrow or in ninety years, all he cared about was that the love of his life was kissing him so passionately he was beginning to feel lightheaded.
Eventually they did stop, both of them trying to comprehend what had just occurred. George smiled shyly at his brother, and this time, Fred returned the gesture of kindness in such a great way that his cheeks felt stiff.
I really enjoyed writing this chapter, hopefully you liked it as well. Review please!
