A/N: Well... this is a little bit sad. I posted the first chapter of this last July, originally it was going to be something completely different, but by the end I figured I'd just leave it as a one-shot. However, a friend of mine asked me to keep writing, and, since I had more ideas, I did. I wrote maybe half of this last August, and I really could have put it up then, I even started typing it, but I didn't. I was busy with school, and I just never got around to it. A few weeks ago, I got bored and started reading other fanfiction, and then I remembered I had to finish typing up this. So I did. When I started this last summer, I didn't actually know where I was going with everything, but now I actually know how I want to end this story, so hopefully that helps me actually keep writing. I really don't want it to be another year before I put up Chapter 3.

Special thanks to Toby, who was so amazing and made me keep writing this last summer.

And of course, this is JKR's world, not mine, and there's a Fred quote in there that's hers too. :-)

George sat on the sofa at the Burrow. He was alone, like he had been for the majority of the past few days. A week had passed and things had gotten better, but George still missed Fred more than he had ever missed anything in his entire life. He felt like there was a hole somewhere inside of him that he couldn't fix, but still; he was surviving. Like Angelina had said, he had his family and friends to help him through it all, and he had been relying heavily on all of them.

There had been a small funeral for Fred a few days after the battle, as well as a large memorial service held by the Ministry for the fifty-some wizards who had lost their lives in the Battle. George had cried at both events, just like everyone else. Several thousand witches and wizards attended the memorial service, and there was not a dry eye in sight. Even ever-composed Kingsley, the newly elected Minister of Magic, had to fight through his sobs as he gave the final goodbye to the fallen, thanking them for what they had done for both the wizarding and muggle worlds.

George had not been able to do much of anything since the service. He was unable to return to the joke shop, as there was too much of "Fred" in the store. The twins had started it together, created all the products together, run it together. Weasley's Wizard Wheezes was theirs, not just George's. George had not been able to think too hard about the future of the joke shop. Instead, he focused on other things. He helped his mother with housework, teased Ron and Hermione, talked to Angelina; he would do anything to keep his mind off his twin. The only person he ever discussed Fred with specifically was Angelina, but those discussions did not happen every day, and when they did occur, they were short and sad.

Since George was now staying at his parents' house, rather than the flat above the shop, he was continually surrounded by family and friends. With them came comforting words and gestures that George appreciated to an extent, but some days everything was just a bit too overwhelming, and all he wanted to do was be alone or with Angelina.

Angelina came over every afternoon now, and she had become the person he relied on the most and who he trusted to understand him. Their shared tragedy had brought the two friends together and had made their friendship closer than it had ever been.

Percy had also become more important to George. George's brother had known the twins extremely well, despite his disapproval of many of their pursuits. He was, after all, only two years older than them and had spent much of his time, both at Hogwarts and at home, with the duo. In addition to this, Percy's return from his time being, as Fred had called him, "a ministry-loving, family-disowning, power-hungry moron" had caused Percy to become more committed to the family than he had ever been before. Now Percy was always there to help his mother, or his father, or any of his siblings. George liked this new and improved Percy, and he was quite glad to have him, for George's own sake and for the sake of the family, their mother in particular.

George's mum wasn't doing too well. She was holding herself together, but George saw her cry when she thought no one was watching. He heard the small half-muffled sobs from her room whenever he crept downstairs for a midnight snack. He could see the sadness and despair that entered her eyes whenever she wasn't busy doing something or helping someone. He understood. He knew the look in her eyes. It was the same one that he saw every time he looked in a mirror. And he cried too. Every night he looked across their cluttered room to Fred's bed, every night the bed was empty, and every night he realized that it would always remain empty. And in that moment, George would break down. Any tears that he had been holding back during the day flooded his eyes, and it was all he could do to hold back his loudest sobs so as not to wake or worry the rest of the family.

But during the day, the whole family was coping. George's mum was prone to going 'round and giving the whole family hugs in turn, telling them that they would all be okay. George hoped both that someday he could believe what she said and that someday his mum could too.

As George sat on the sofa, he had a sudden urge to do something. He wanted to go throw himself into a project… he… he wanted to work. George immediately scratched off the idea. He couldn't do anything for the joke shop by himself, and there wasn't anyone else who he could work with. The only real candidate would have been Lee, but Lee had just begun working for Kingsley at the ministry, in addition to his new part time job as a quidditch announcer for the British and Irish League. He hadn't started announcing yet, but he would in a few weeks. Alicia was proud of him, both doing what he loved and helping to repair the wizarding world with Kingsley. Or at least Angelina had told George that Alicia was proud of Lee. George hadn't actually seen either Lee or Alicia since their meeting right after the battle. Lee was busy at the Ministry, and Alicia had resumed her Healer training, which she had taken leave from as soon as muggleborns had started being rounded up. Alicia's mother was muggleborn, so Alicia had had to help move her parents, as well as her younger brother, to a safer place. Alicia, for her part, had stayed with Angelina in their small flat, and the two capable witches, plus Lee when he had to stay there, had protected each other.

George's next option was Angelina, but she was out too. She was currently a reserve for the Holyhead Harpies, but, with one of the older chasers retiring from quidditch soon, it looked as though Angelina was going to have a permanent spot on the team. It was what Angelina, his old Quidditch Captain, had always dreamed of. Then he realized with a pang that he wasn't going to be able to see Angelina as much if she was an official Harpy team member. Even with her just as a reserve, he shouldn't have been able to see her every day like he had been for the past week. But, as luck would have it, the whole British and Irish League was currently suspended, partly due to celebration of the death of You-Know-Who and the end of the war and partly out of respect for the fallen. The confusion and chaos of the past eight or so months had almost permanently stopped all Quidditch in Britain; there hadn't been a single official match since before the Ministry fell.

Though George knew that Angelina wouldn't be able to work with him, he knew that she was the one with whom to discuss reopening the joke shop. He glanced at the clock (the actual clock, not his mother's special one that kept tabs on all the Weasleys; that one was in the kitchen) and saw that it was just after one. Angelina normally arrived a bit after lunch, so he got up and walked out into the garden to wait for her. Not five minutes later, Angelina apparated at the Burrow's front gate.

"George!" she called warmly as the opened the gate and walked toward him, "how's everything?"

"Not bad," he replied as she reached him.

Angelina smiled and pulled him into a tight hug. "Good." George savored the moment with his friend. Angelina always made him feel so much better.

"Actually," George started as she released him, "I've been pretty bored today."

"Bored? Here at the Burrow? How?" She sarcastically gestured at the hen house and the gnome-infested garden as if they were wildly entertaining and George was crazy not to think so. George laughed, and Angelina joined in.

"Really it makes sense though, doesn't it?" Angelina continued, more seriously, "You're used to excitement! Not this monotony." She laughed again. "I feel like that too, come to think of it," she added thoughtfully. "The highlight of my day is coming here, and not that you aren't great and interesting and everything, but I would like more adventure."

"I'm not fascinating enough for you, Miss Johnson? I am offended!"George placed his hand on his chest as though he was scandalized.

"Shut it, Weasley." Angelina playfully slapped him on the arm.

George laughed, but then became more serious.

"I wanted to talk to you," he began, "about the joke shop."

Angelina nodded as though she had expected this. "You're bored, and so, naturally, you want to get back to work. It's a great idea; you need something to do."

"But Angelina… that's the thing, I can't."

"George, I know you, and I know you can. You need to go back. Fred wouldn't want you to keep the shop closed. You have to do this."

"But… even if I could, I do need someone to help me. I could never run it alone, or I can't do it alone right now at least. And there really isn't anyone who can now. Lee's busy. Alicia's busy. You'll be busy pretty soon."

Angelina looked thoughtful for a moment. "What about one of your siblings?"

George shook his head. "Bill's back at Gringotts already, trying to liaise with the goblins and fix what the Death Eaters destroyed. Charlie left a few days ago to get back to Romania because he missed the dragons so much. Percy's always at the Ministry, and when he's not there, Mum needs him here. Ginny's back at school. Ron… well I don't see Ron too much. He's with Harry and Hermione all the time. But Harry's starting Auror training next week, even though he never did his NEWTS. He's getting special training for a month to make sure he's ready to start official training with the other Auror candidates this summer. And knowing Ron, I expect he'll do something like that too. He's going to go with Harry and help him no matter what." George laughed.

"What's Hermione been doing?" Angelina asked, merely out of curiosity, since no one really could ever see Hermione working at the joke shop.

"She's been studying. What else would Hermione do?" George laughed again. "She's trying to make up for her lost year of school. But she's also been spending time with her parents. They're still a little confused from their memory charm, but they're safe and sound. She spends her mornings there, comes here for lunch, and leaves around dinner."

Angelina nodded solemnly. She knew that Hermione had gone to great lengths to protect her parents, and she was glad that everything was okay.

George continued, "but anyway, Hermione said she wanted to find a job in the Department for Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures whenever she's all caught up. She's still on about house elf rights." George shook his head.

"You know," Angelina responded, "Hermione might be right about elf rights. People really should treat them better. Don't you remember during the battle when they charged up from the kitchens to fight the Death Eaters? They were brilliant! They deserve some recognition for that!"

"Merlin, not you too." George threw up his hands in mock frustration.

Angelina laughed. "I'm serious!"

"Well then go find Miss Elf Rights inside, and you two can have a right chat about how we wizards mistreat the house elves who LIKE working for us."

"Okay then, I WILL!" Angelina stomped off toward the house, but then turned around laughing. "Come on George, we need to figure out who can help you at the joke shop, and I want to talk to your Mum."

George smiled, and the pair walked inside.

George's mother was in the kitchen, busily setting the family's dishes from lunch to wash themselves in the sink.

"Hello, Mrs. Weasley!" greeted Angelina brightly.

"Angelina! Good to see you dear! How are you?" George's mother replied warmly.

"Quite well, and you?"

"Holding up, dear." George's mom offered a sad smile. Angela walked over to her and gave a quick hug.

"It'll all be okay, Mrs. Weasley," Angelina assured her.

"I hope you're right." George's mother liked Angelina a great deal, but more than anything, she liked how much better Angelina made George feel through this hardship.

Just then, Ron and Hermione walked in from the sitting room.

"Angelina!" Hermione exclaimed happily, running over to give her friend a hug. "What have you been up to?"

"Nothing really," Angelina replied with a laugh. "I get up, eat breakfast with Alicia, she goes off to healer training, then I meet up with family or friends for a few hours, get lunch, and come here. Not terribly interesting. I want to get back on the quidditch pitch!"

George and Ron both laughed at this.

"You and me both, Angelina," Ron said longingly, "at least you have a spot on an actual team though."

"True. I guess I can't complain," said Angelina with a sympathetic glance toward Ron.

"Well why don't we have a game in the orchard later?" George suggested, excitedly. "You two against me and Fr-" George stopped. He'd forgotten for a moment… He couldn't play quidditch. Not without Fred.

George's mum exchanged glances with Angelina, as George looked at the ground. "I… I need a minute. I'll be in the sitting room."

Angelina and his mother nodded seriously at him. Ron and Hermione in the corner just looked sad.

George left the kitchen and went to the sitting room sofa where he had spent much of his morning and early afternoon. He couldn't believe that he had let that happen. Everything had been so nice, just talking about house elves and quidditch. But one little thought had ruined everything. George missed his twin so much. Fred was irreplaceable. The hole George invariably felt inside himself felt bigger than ever. It was as though half of his heart and half of his soul were gone. I can't play quidditch again, he resolved, and I can't reopen the joke shop. It would just be too hard.

George heard footsteps, and he looked up, expecting to see Angelina or his mother. Instead hid dad stood there dressed in a traveling cloak, still carrying his briefcase.

"Hello, George," his dad said smiling, "you mind if I sit down?"

George shook his head, and his father took a seat in his favorite armchair.

"Did you just get home? It's so early" George was curious. In the past his dad would rarely get home for dinner. Sometimes he barely made it in time for breakfast. Of course, his dad had been promoted just a few days ago to a high up position in the Muggle Liaison office. George had never seen his father happier to go to work. It was what his dad had always dreamed of.

His father laughed. "Yes, as a matter of fact I did just get home. It's this new job! I have wonderful hours! I get to come home early some days. I suppose it's all Kingsley's doing. One of the many benefits to being good friends with the Minister of Magic." He laughed again, but then amended his statement. "Kingsley's helping out everyone though. Now that the Death Eaters are all either arrested or on the run, he's had to hire lots of new people to fill their old positions, plus he's giving those of us who've been going through a rough patch, more time to spend with our families. I couldn't thank him enough. He's doing so much for us, but that poor man's going through a lot himself. He lost some of his closest friends." George's father looked sad for a moment, but then he shook his head. "Well, we'll have to have him 'round for dinner in the coming week." He nodded to himself, seeming to will himself to remember to ask his wife about it later. Then, remembering that he was talking to George, he continued, "and, obviously, he's taken down the Muggle-Born Registration committee and sent that hag, Umbridge, to Azkaban."

"Fantastic!" George couldn't stop himself from cheering. Umbridge had physically abused Harry, Lee, and countless other students. The only good things he and Fred had gotten out of their seventh year at Hogwarts were valuable research for the joke shop and a legacy as two of the greatest pranksters in Hogwarts history. Right before the battle, George and Fred had stopped by the corridor that they had turned into a swamp their seventh year, just to see the small piece that Flitwick had left roped off. George hoped that the battle hadn't disturbed it. That patch of swamp was hopefully now a lasting tribute both to the pranking ability of the Weasley twins and to Fred's memory.

George's dad smiled. "So how's your day been? Mum said you were having a bit of a rough time."

George shrugged. "It hasn't been too bad. Just sometimes… Everything just hits me all over again, and I can't deal with it."

George's father nodded. "I understand. We're all going through the same thing right now. Trust me."

"I know. I'm glad I have you guys."

George's dad stood up and patted George on the back. "We're glad we have you too. Now I'm going to go talk to your mother."

George nodded, and his father returned to the kitchen. He could hear Ron and Hermione talking to Angelina, who sounded excited. His father's voice joined Angelina, Ron, and Hermione's, and almost instantly Angelina and his brother entered the sitting room, with Hermione following close behind. Ron looked happy and agreeable, and Angelina, positively excited.

"George!" she said, grinning widely, "I found someone to help you at the joke shop!"

"Really?" George said, excitedly, before he could help himself. He had just told himself that he could never go back to the joke shop, but somehow the possibility of him actually being able to go back sounded… amazing.

"Yeah!" Angelina seemed pleased that George was so excited. "Ron said he's love to help you!" She smiled at George's younger brother who turned and grinned at George.

George was confused for a moment. Ron? Work at the shop? With him?

"Really," Ron said, nodding, "I would love to help out. I'm not read to follow Harry into the Auror office, and that's really the only place at the Ministry I've ever considered. And I don't want to keep studying like Hermione." Ron motioned to his girlfriend who was shaking her head good-naturedly behind him. "And you need some help. Really George, I'd love to do this. I need something to take my mind of things too."

George simply stared at his brother. If he had Ron… maybe he could do this… It wouldn't be the same as before, but… maybe it could work. Suddenly an enormous smile grew on George's face.

"Excellent!" George exclaimed suddenly. "I think… I think I can do this." He stopped and corrected himself. "I think we can do this." He grinned up at his younger brother.

Ron smiled back at George. "Brilliant! When do you want to reopen the shop?"

George instantly became his old businessman self. "Well, let's see. How about in a week or so? We'll need to dust off the shelves, restock, and most importantly, advertise. "

Ron nodded. "Definitely. You'll really rake in the galleons if there's a big grand reopening event."

George shook his head at Ron. "You mean we'll really rake in the galleons," he corrected. "We're partners now, right?"

Ron laughed. "Yeah, partners!"

The brothers began to discuss the shop and what needed to be done before they could reopen it. They decided to start advertising the event in the Daily Prophet, which was no longer the muggle-hating rag it had been for the past year. George said he would take Ron to the shop the next day to start teaching him where everything was and how to handle customers. Ron seemed extremely willing to help out, far more willing than he had ever been before. George suspected that something had happened to Ron on the trio's journey this past year that had caused this attitude change.

Hermione seemed to know Ron had changed too. Anytime George glanced over at Hermione, she was smiling at Ron, her face glowing with pride. Ron kept glancing up at her too, an elated expression on his face. George realized they must have been through so much together, so he resolved not to tease them about their new relationship… very much. George still needed a little fun.

Ron and Hermione decided they needed to tell the Weasley parents the good news, and they were about to head into the kitchen when Angelina stopped them. "Wait. One more thing. We still have a good amount of daylight left. We're playing quidditch. Hermione and I against you two boys."

Ron laughed, but George stopped smiling. Once again, this was something that he had told himself he would never do again.

"Come on George!" Ron pleaded. "You've got to miss it as much as I do! We need you to play!"

George looked down, took a deep breath, looked back up, and smiled. "Okay. It's on. We'll see how good you are, Harpy," he teased Angelina.

"Unfortunately for you, I've gotten better." Angelina laughed and turned to Ron and Hermione. "We'll meet in the orchard in fifteen minutes. You Weasley boys are going down."

"Not a chance," replied Ron, as he and Hermione walked into the kitchen.

Angelina turned to George. "I'm so proud of you."

George shook his head. "I told myself that I would never reopen the joke shop or play quidditch… but I've definitely just agreed to do both. I guess that's you're fault. I suppose I have to thank you. You're pretty amazing, Miss Johnson. "

"You're pretty great yourself, Mr. Weasley." Angelina laughed. "Merlin, Fred would be so excited!"

Instantly George's face fell, and his mind was clouded with thoughts. Reopening the joke shop with Ron… that was like he was replacing Fred. The thought made George sick to his stomach. He looked down at his feet and put his head in his hands.

He heard Angelina give a loud sigh, so he looked up. She glanced at George, and he could see she was distraught.

"What is it?" George asked his friend.

"You!" she said exasperatedly. "You're so serious. Most of the time you're your usual self, but then you get serious and sullen, and I hate it George; I absolutely despise it!" She raised her voice and George looked shocked. Angelina didn't talk this way. Ever. She continued, "Everyday we do the same things. Everyday we have the same thoughts. You'll be so happy, and then, in an instant, something else gets in your head, and you become this serious person who isn't you. I know this is hard, and I know you're coping with everything as best you can. I'm not blaming you. I'm blaming the war. I'm blaming You-Know-Who. He's ripped us all apart. He's taken half the life out of you. I love coming here to see you because I love being with you, but not when you're so serious. I love seeing you when you're happy and you're yourself. It gives me hope and lets me know that we can heal, but then something happens, and it's gone." Angelina's voice was quiet now. "What I want, more than anything, is for that happiness to stay. To stay in you, and in me, and in everyone. I miss it so much. Every single day."

Angelina broke down, crying like she had right after the battle. George got up and moved toward her, wrapping her arms around her in a tight embrace. "Angelina… " George murmured to her through her tears, "Angelina, I miss it too. I miss Fred. I miss everything. I'm sorry. I try as hard as I can, you know that."

She nodded into him, and then broke away to dry her tears. "I know. I know. I feel the same way you do. But I want to be able to talk about him without either of us falling apart. I need for us to talk about him. I need for us to be happy when we talk about him."

George hugged her again, quickly. "I need that too."

When they broke apart again, Angelina was smiling. "Well, we should go. I have a quidditch game to win, don't I?"

George laughed. "In your dreams, Johnson."

Angelina stepped over and kissed George on the cheek. "I'm going to go find Ron and Hermione and figure out the broomstick situation. You, meet us out there when you're ready to lose." She laughed and then practically skipped out the door and down to the orchard.

George stood in the middle of the room and reached his hand up to where Angelina had kissed him. There was something special about that girl. He didn't understand why she had such a profound effect on him. She could make him feel better about Fred. She could get him to play quidditch and reopen the shop. She could help him face all the things he could never do by himself. All of his friends and family were helping him through this, but only when he was with Angelina did he feel truly comforted. George shook his head. He'd figure it out eventually.

From where he was standing, George could see the trees in the distant orchard blowing in the wind. As George started out the door after Angelina, he looked up to wherever he presumed Fred was now, smiled, and said quietly, "this game's for you Freddy. We're gonna win this."

George's mum, standing at the doorway from the sitting room to the kitchen, heard what he said and saw him smile. She knew then that eventually he was going to be okay. And if George was okay, she knew they all would be. Some day.

A/N: I hope you guys liked it! PLEASE leave a review! It would mean the world to me! Thanks for reading!