I don't own HP or ROTG. Or else this would be canon.


Chapter 2

We've Reached an Understanding


"I think the man on the moon spoke to me last night," Fred said, staring at the ever-falling snowflakes Jack left behind him.

Jack kicked his legs back and forth. "Really? What'd he say?"

"Why I'm here."

"You know specifics are a wonderful thing."

Fred rolled his eyes and leaned against the window. He dared to look behind him briefly before going on, "Apparently Fred Fools is the Guardian of April Fool's day."

They were silent for a moment.

After their first encounter, Jack found Fred in the hospital on one of his casual visits to bring a little fun to any child needing it. That was when the two really started to talk. Jack learned about the Weasley family and all the turmoil that came with the passing of Fred. He learned of the twin left with only half of himself.

In turn, Jack spoke of his sister and his own adventure with death and the afterlife.

It was then that the two realized they had something: an understanding.

"How's George doing?" Jack questioned, cautious with his words because after all, it was a touchy subject.

Fred shrugged, wrinkling his nose. "I've heard the doctors say something about good progress but I don't see it."

Jack patted his friend on the back. "Hey, don't worry! My gut is telling me that everything will be fine!"

Fred scoffed, "Everything would be fine if I hadn't gone and got myself killed."

Jack stared for a long moment before throwing himself off the ledge and flying just a ways away. He motioned for Fred to follow

"Okay, that's it. Get up."

Fred stayed put.

"Don't be stubborn about this. Get up," Jack said, pointing his staff at the ginger. "Or else, I'll make you."

"You're a bloody Slytherin through and through."

"A slither-what? You know what? I don't care. Get up and come with me."

"You aren't going to leave unless I come with you, are you?"

"Aww, look whose pointing out the obvious?" Jacked mocked, lowering his staff. "Of course, now let's go."

Fred shook his head but followed anyways. Nothing could be worse than George never waking up.

George is a fighter, Fred reminded himself, there's no way he won't wake up.


He didn't know how long it took them and he didn't count. If he counted the days or hours, it would only make him question the days or hours George had left. That was something best kept in the back of his skull for now. Right now, the only thing he would question was the series of small houses surrounding one giant one.

Fred had to admit: it was quite beautiful. There were meters upon meters of untouched snow sparkling against the sun and against the intense amount of colours. It was all so extravagant and different from what he was accustomed to, but oddly enough he didn't feel out of place. Wherever this was, it reminded him of the joke shop.

Jack welcomed them in and loudly announced their arrival. Fred was too marvelled by the high ceilings and golden arches.

That was until he caught sight of the Yeti and the tiny people running about.

"Bloody hell, they make Flitwick look tall," Fred said, landing gracefully on his feet.

"Who?" Jack asked, freezing one of the elves and tipping him over.

"Nothing."

"Ah, Jack! I vas wondering when you 'ould come back!"

Fred flinched at the booming voice. He could swear that the room around him shook.

"Who eez your friend?"

Fred lifted his gaze to meet the bright blue eyes of a man that vaguely reminded him of Hagrid. Granted, Hagrid was taller, but...

"North, meet Fred Fools. Newest addition to our little circle of friendship."

"The Man on the Moon vas acting strange lately..."

"Now you know why," Jack said, gesturing to the ginger.

"Vhy did you bring him here?"

Fred bowed his head, fiddling with an object of sorts to distract himself. He could ignore attention. It wasn't typical of him, but he felt more compelled to do that rather than tell a joke while his brother suffered in a hospital bed.

There was the nothing again. Loud. Heavy. Nothing. Fred was static on a Muggle T.V. and he didn't know how to turn it off or fix the problem.

He just wasn't plugged in right. Not anymore.


Fred didn't do it. He didn't explain his situation to North. He couldn't. Saying it out loud was essentially accepting what had happened since his death, and he didn't want to accept that.

It was Jack, instead, who explained everything while Fred fidgeted with the Russian dolls on a shelf by the giant window in North's office.

North was silent. His abnormally-large finger tapped against his desk as if he were thinking. His eyes went from Jack to Fred to the dimly-lit fireplace off to his left.

How was North supposed to help someone whose reason for being helped was ultimately hindering him? Perhaps Fred thought visiting his family would help, but all it did was hurt and North could see that. The boy looked tired even though he didn't need sleep. North could see something that might have been dwindling flickers of light in his eyes, but they were so rare for someone that Jack had described as a light when there was none. War, apparently, left no survivors―not even in the living.

North couldn't bear to imagine what it was like to see the destruction you've left behind in your passing. How tragic human life was; it was only ever meant to be taken.

Quite suddenly, he slammed his fist on the desk, jumping to his feet. "I've got eet!"

Fred flinched. Boy, the man was excited about everything.

North circled around his desk and took Fred by his shoulders. "You vill stay here!"

No.

Fred had promised George that he'd come back. He wasn't going to just forget about his family to live here with elves and Hagrid 2.0.

He opened his mouth to protest, but North spoke before he could.

"For the time being. You vill be taught how to use your abilities. You vill build a name for yourself―"

"I can't just ignore all the problems with my family!"

"You can't help them if they can't see you." Jack said from the corner he stood in.

Fred shrugged off North's hands, turning to face Jack with clenched fists.

"You don't think I know that? They are never going to see me again! Don't you get it?" he shouted, feeling the blood begin to ooze as he tightened his hands. He could care less if he was hurting himself. He wanted to get back to his family. Perhaps his existence was of no real importance anymore, but the continuing existence of his family was a different story.

"I'm dead! It's plain and simple! My family will never see me again! Fuck, at this rate they might never see George again either! All because I went and got myself bloody murdered! Nothing I do will change that! But I―I need to see them! I need to make sure they learn to survive! To make sure that my mum and dad stop crying every day and that―that Ginny will stop flying away and actually talk to someone! And George―Bloodly George! I need to make sure that he stops trying to kill himself!"

"The worst part is that I don't even blame him! I wish I was mad at him, but I get it! He wants to die! I would too! He'll wake up every day for the rest of his life and see me in the mirror! He'll never stop wishing that it had been him because it's what he thinks everyone would prefer―what he would prefer! We...we were brothers. Best friends. I was going to be the best man at his wedding because Merlin knows I would have never gotten married. Maybe none of you understand that or even want to because being here or there won't change anything, but at least if I'm there, I can watch over them. I can be the older brother I'm supposed to be."

He cried to the soft sounds of crackling firewood.

"Seriously?" Jack finally said. "It might have slipped your mind, but we're trying to help you so―"

"How? By keeping me here?"

Jack swiftly pointed his staff to Fred's foot and froze him to his spot. "Just shut up and listen, okay?"

Fred bit back his comment.

"Have you ever heard of Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny?" Jack asked, keeping his staff pointed at Fred.

He shrugged. "Most pureblood wizard families don't tell their kids those stories, but my dad is fascinated by that stuff."

"Who do you think North is?"

"What?"

"Look at North. Who does he look like? Where do you think we are?"

Fred stared at Hagrid 2.0 and it was slowly that the pieces came together in his brain.

"Bloody Santa? You brought me to see Santa?"

"Yeah. Santa. The big man. Do you wanna know why now?" Jack said. "Because kids can see him."

"That's bloody impossible. Why can't they―"

"They have to believe in you first."

Fred tugged at his leg. "What?"

"If someone believes in you, they can see you."

Fred repeated that in his head. If someone believed in him, they could see him. He could be seen, but how? How were people supposed to believe in something they couldn't see?

Jack unfroze Fred without him realizing. "We are going to help you figure out your abilities, and with that, we can help spread the word of Fred Fools, the king of mischief."

"So when that happens, I can talk to people besides you and your sodding lot of friends?" Fred said, managing a smirk.

"When that happens, you can talk to your family."


It's been almost four months since I updated...

I am very sorry.

I'm also very sorry because the next chapter is short, even by this story's normal chapter standards.

This story in general isn't going to be very long. I only plan to make it about 10 chapters.

I hope this was enjoyable :)

- Stitch