George sat at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall. The rest of the Weasleys surrounded him, yet not one tried to talk to him. None of them talked at all. Last night, after the battle, each of the family had gone to sleep. Where they had slept, George didn't know. All he knew was that he would not sleep, would not leave this table until Fred showed up.
"Mum, I…" Bill began "I think we should head back to the Burrow. It's too hard to stay here much longer."
Molly nodded slightly, but didn't speak. They sat in silence. George wasn't really listening to the conversation. He was waiting for Fred.
"Well, we can't leave without Harry and Hermione. I would never forgive myself if I just left them here all alone." said Molly. "Ron, do you know where they are?"
"Hermione was helping Madam Pomfrey. I'll get her." Ron stood up, shaking slightly, and left the Great Hall.
George couldn't stand it. Why wouldn't anyone tell him where Fred was? He didn't want to bring it up, but obviously something had happened. Why was his mum fussing about Harry and Hermione now? They weren't her kids! Here she was fussing about them when her son was missing. George was starting to get anxious.
"I haven't seen Harry since the battle ended." Molly worried. "I hope he's all right."
"He's probably off somewhere, blaming himself for everything. Bet he's sulking around instead of talking to us." Ginny sounded angry. "He does stuff like that all the time. The noble sacrifice. That's why, why he broke up with me before he went on that adventure to destroy Horocruxes!"
"He just wanted to keep you safe, Gin."
"I know Bill, and really that was fine but it's very mean of him to make Mum anxious after, after…" Ginny trailed off with a glance at George.
Why were they staring at him like that? George couldn't figure it out. And Mum forgot to point out the obvious, George thought. Not only could they not leave without Harry and Hermione, they couldn't leave with out Fred! Perhaps Fred was helping Madam Pomfrey out, like Hermione. That was a reasonable solution. After all, isn't laughter the best medicine?
"I'm going to go help Fred."
"What did you say, George?"
"I said I'm going to help Fred. In the hospital wing." Why were they staring at him again? Why wasn't Mum happy that he wanted to help out his brother? Maybe she thought he and Fred needed to spend some time apart. "Mum, I know you think I need to spend more time with the rest of the family, but I haven't seen Fred since the middle of the battle." Something had happened then. George couldn't remember what. He didn't want to remember.
"But Georgie, you can't help Fred there's nothing to do. I, I wish there was but…" the rest of Molly's sentence was engulfed in tears.
"Wow Mum. I never thought you would want me to not help out. Of course there's help needed, so many were injured in the battle." George stood up, walked out, towards the hospital wing.
"Should I stop him, Dad?" Percy asked "and is he going crazy?"
"No" replied Arthur "he will have to face it soon. He'll have to face that Fred is dead."
Draco Malfoy watched George Weasley stand up and leave. George looked thoroughly unconcerned. Was he really that unaffected by his twins death? Was he traumatized? Putting on a happy face? Whatever it was George was doing, however he managed to face people, Draco wanted to know. Some of Draco's friends, if there was anyone he could really call a friend, he thought bitterly, had died. And everyone, he was sure blamed him for the death of others.
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