Disclaimer: I do not own any recognizable character or phrases (i.e. spells) they belong to J.K. Rowling.

A/N: NO FLAMES! Not accepted.

Chapter One: The Battle Of Hogwarts

The Battle of Hogwarts was drawing closer; everyone knew it would come soon enough. It was concerning and worrying for everyone but none more so than Fred and George Weasley. They were worried about George's Best Friend and the only 'fake Muggle-born' to work in Diagon Alley. Holly Evans. A tall slim brunette pureblood witch who loved every bit of working with her best friends. However, they wanted to hide her instead of letting her fight. She had every right to object to their thoughts. And she did so with fortitude. Until they forced her down to the basement and cornered her.

"Why not?" She'd asked putting on her best whine.

"They think you're Muggle-born, granted you're brilliant, but we can't risk it." George said. She put her hands on her hips.

"Hermione Granger is fighting." She pointed out.

"Hermione Granger is stubborn. She knows she's brilliant and she doesn't care if she dies because she knows she's saved people doing it." George said.

"And what if I don't care if I die?" Holly argued.

"Well," Fred butted in now, "I do care. I love you Holly, I'm not letting you get hurt." He said giving her a kiss on the cheek. Holly smiled.

"All right. But you make sure you come home. Both of you. I love you both too much to lose you." She said, they agreed with identical grins and they disappeared. Holly thought about why she hid who she really was. She didn't want the Death-Eaters to know. She pretended to be Muggle-born so the ones at school didn't know. But now…Holly Evans had taken the plane of who she truly was. Holly Dorea Potter.

It was the scene that George dreaded. He ran to his family, his smile in place until he saw the body of one of his family members on the ground, he could hear his mother crying and did a quick head-check. Dad, Mom, Bill, Charlie, Percy, Ron, Ginny…where was…no. Not Fred, not his brother! George sprinted forward and accidently shoved Ron out of the way before falling to his knees at Fred's head. Someone had closed his eyes, but his mouth was still turned upwards slightly in a half smile. He'd been happy when he died. He'd been laughing. George smiled softly, he'd been happy. He'd been fighting for the lives of thousands and with luck he'd probably killed some of the Death Eaters.

"He's in a better place, George." He heard his father whisper, and George nodded. He got to his feet slowly.

"I have to go tell Holly. She wanted to know." He said and stepped out of the Great Hall. George didn't have to walk out of the grounds, but it gave him time to think anyway. He closed his eyes and pictured quite clearly the basement of his shop with Fred. He disapparated.

When he opened his eyes again he was standing in front of an anxious Holly. She could tell them apart just by their eyes, but since George had lost an ear earlier that year, she already looked upset.

"We won." He said simply.

"Where's Fred?" She asked, he didn't answer, but Holly saw the tear slip free of his eyes and instantly wrapped her arms around him as sobs came from both of them. Both crying for losing their better half. Fred would live on both of them but sometimes you just have to believe that people are meant to die before their time.

"He died happy, Holly. He was smiling when he died. He was crushed but he was smiling. He was laughing." George whispered in her ear holding her close still.

"At least he was happy. He was doing what he always did. He was hardly ever not laughing." She smiled and George nodded. She was right; Fred was hardly without a smile on his face.

"I wasn't with him when it happened. Ron and Percy were." George said, Holly took a half step back and looked up at George.

"Percy was there?" She asked. He nodded.

"Yeah said he saw sense and joined us in the fight. He's still a git but he helped us fight. He actually transfigured the Minister." George said opening the trap door and taking her upstairs.

"Really? Changing the subject, I'm thinking of applying to work at Hogwarts next School year." She said.

"Really? What subject?" George asked, he sat her down and made her a cup-of-tea. It seemed funny. They'd just lost the one person in the world they loved more than anything and they were having a cup-of-tea.

"Defence." She said.

George spun around to face her, "The Dark Arts?" She nodded.

"Yeah. Fred said he fancied me as a teacher of Defence Against The Dark Arts. He said if I'd taught it when you guys were at school he might have asked for private lessons." She told him seriously. George smiled and nodded.

"That's something Fred would do. If he liked you enough. You'd be a fair bit older than him though." George pointed out, Holly just laughed, shaking her head, and her hair back from her face.

"That wouldn't have stopped him. You know what he was like George." Holly said, it was George's turn to laugh and he nodded slowly, yes he knew what his twin was like when it came to girls or witches as it were for them now. George poured two cups of tea and sat opposite her.

"So this Hermione Granger? How did she do?" Holly asked taking a sip.

"Faired well, she didn't die." George said.

"Shame that…then I'd be the singularly most brilliant 'Muggle-born' witch in all of London." Holly chance a glance at George's horrified face, "I'm kidding! It's fantastic that she didn't die! She's done well. I'm proud of all of you, you know that right?"

"Of course, we do." George almost dropped his cup and Holly screamed. She turned to see that Harry, Ron, Hermione, Molly, Arthur, Percy, Bill, Charlie, Fleur and Angelina along with a slightly swaying Ginny, had appeared behind them. Angelina and George had formed a somewhat awkward but strong relationship and Angelina understood the connection Holly had with the boys. Holly received a hug from Ginny and Ron, who knew she'd fallen for Fred, judging by the tear tracks on her face. Even Molly and Arthur hugged her tight too.

"It's going to be a very different world now isn't it?" She whispered into Harry's neck as he hugged her.

"Yeah. Very different. You won't know it. But one thing's for sure. It'll be a lot safer." He said, she nodded and accepted his kiss to her cheek. Sometimes things had to change to make the world a better place. Holly just wished it hadn't had to tip both her and George's worlds upside down and shake them around.