CHAPTER TWO
Monday had arrived and George and Ron headed to the shop. Before he unlocked the door, he looked up at the shop sign. There was a picture of Fred and George together, smiling. His heart gave a terrible pang as he removed his eyes away. He couldn't bear to see his brother smiling when he knew he was gone.
"We can come back another day if you're not ready" Ron said soothingly.
"It's now or never" George answered and then he unlocked the door. The air was stale as it had been locked up for weeks; a film of dust had covered the floor and shelves.
"You see what we need to re stock the shelves with and I'll dust and sweep everything" Ron told him, hoping George wouldn't snap for telling him what to do. George simply nodded and headed out the back. Ron noticed he was gone for a long time but left him to his thoughts, George finally returned with a notebook and quill, his eyes red and puffy. Ron knew he had been crying, but he didn't say anything.
"I suppose we should open the door, let people know we're open again" George said in barely a whisper. Ron had heard him however and walked to the door. People walked past the shop then stopped to see what was happening.
"Are you reopening?" A girl asked.
"Yes we are, come on in" Ron told her and a group of people wandered inside. All day people walked in and out, including a beautiful girl named Ledarn. She was in Ron and Harry's year. She looked at George, blushed and then turned away. Ron saw it, but if George had seen it, he didn't make any comment. When the day ended, they shut the door, packed away everything and locked up.
"Well that was a good day, people are excited you're open again" Ron said as they headed home. George just grunted a response.
"Ledarn came in, she blushed when she saw you" Ron told him hoping to cheer him up slightly. Ledarn had always had a crush on George. She never said anything to him, but Ron always told him. It used to get a smile from George, but now there was nothing. Ron made it his mission to get George happy again, even if it took him all year.
"How was work boys?" Molly asked as they got home.
"It went well Mum, everyone's happy it open again" Ron answered; George just went upstairs saying he wasn't hungry.
"How is he doing?" Molly asked sighing.
"He survived the day, but it's going to be a long road" Ron replied as he took his seat and started eating dinner. Ron had no idea how he was supposed to help George to live again, he had never lost someone so close to him before and he wasn't sure what to do. "I know now" Ron shouted, startling his family but then as his mind finally caught up to him, he sat back down, his smile vanishing from his face.
"You know what dear?" Molly asked.
"Oh nothing, he's gone as well, makes no difference" Ron replied "As a matter of fact I'm not hungry either" he added and walked up stairs to his room. It was one thing for George to miss a chance to eat but when Ron didn't eat, there was definitely a lot more going on then he was telling people. Ron sat down on his bed, letting his mind run away with him. He had thought to ask Remus Lupin, about how he moved on and kept going after loosing James and Sirius, but now he was dead he couldn't answer the question.
