Chapter Four:
George laid in bed on Christmas Eve, staring up at the ceiling.
Last year, he had gone on an amazing trip with Fred. His brother. His best friend. His twin. His other-half.
And now he was gone.
George sighed and climbed out of bed. His stomach felt uneasy and his heart ached. He felt like it was all just a bad dream… A dream he had been living for seven months now.
George walked down the stairs of the Burrow. Just wandering aimlessly. Without purpose.
That was him now: going places, doing things, all mindlessly. All robotic. All unfeeling, all uncaring.
George sat down beside the dying fire in the living room, staring at the faintly glowing embers.
"Why couldn't it have been me?" He asked, taking the poker and jabbing at the cinders. "It should have been me."
"Don't say that."
George jumped to his feet, wand out.
"Who's there?" He demanded, looking around in the darkness. He heard a deep chuckle and then a rotund person stepped out of the shadows. He wore a red suit with a matching hat and had a long white beard.
"Someone who solemnly swears he's up to no good," The person said.
George blinked.
"Fred?" He whispered in amazement. "Fred, is that you?"
"Yes, George, it's me, though I go by another name now."
George fell backwards onto the couch.
"What's going on?" He demanded. "You can't be my brother. You're Santa Claus."
"Santa" chuckled as he sat beside George.
"I have been and will always be your brother. And from now on, your brother will be me, Santa Claus." He said.
"Explain," George said.
Santa/Fred sighed.
"I wasn't supposed to live, you see," He said. "In a way, I did die. Basically, I just got reincarnated. Or, at least, that's how Twinkle describes it."
"Twinkle?" George questioned.
"One of the elves at the North Pole," Fred said. "She explained it to me: Jolly Old Saint Nick needs to be reincarnated every couple hundred years, to keep the spirit of Christmas alive and fresh. The one we Stupefied last Christmas was on his last year, we just helped him along. That's partly why I got chosen. All I remember was being hit with Avada Kederva, and then there was this bright light. And I woke up as Father Christmas. I'm still me, I just now have a different job and a new body."
"A fat one at that," George said with a snort.
"Hey, remember who controls the Naughty and Nice list, now," Fred reprimanded with a teasing look.
"You'd put your own brother on the Naughty List?" George asked, now grinning.
"Hey, I have greatly enjoyed personally delivering coal to ex-Death Eaters," Fred said. Under the beard, he smirked. "Let's just say, if you need coal, go to Malfoy Manor. They're literally swimming in it."
George laughed. Then he had a thought.
"So, does this mean you can come live with us again? Work in the shop? That kind of stuff?" He asked.
Fred's smile dropped.
"Magic binds me to the North Pole except on Christmas Eve," He said sadly. "Christmas is the only time we can see each other."
George's heart hurt and sang at the same time.
On one hand, he had his twin back.
On the other hand, he couldn't stay.
"George, we look nothing alike now, but we're always twins," Fred said, almost as if reading his brother's mind. Which he probably was. "As much as I wish we could be together forever, we just can't. We both have to live separate lives."
"Mum was right," George mumbled. "We can't spend our entire lives joined at the hip."
"Mum's always right," Fred said. "Never forget that."
"Hard to forget," George said with a smile. He paused and he ducked his head again. "It's been horrible without you here. Mum cries all the time, everyone rarely smiles."
Fred nodded sadly.
"I'm the same way. I miss you guys a lot," He said. "And yet I get to see you all the time. You just can't see me or interact with me."
"Fred? We can still see each other, right? On Christmas?" George asked
"Of course," Fred said. "Each and every Christmas. I'll track you down and everything. Can't run from me."
"I wouldn't try." George said. He hugged his brother, Santa Claus. "Love you, Fred."
"Love you, too, George," Fred said, returning the hug. "Hey, before I forget, you need to find yourself a girl. Angelina likes you a lot, and you like her. Ask her out sometime."
"But she was your girlfriend," George said, stunned. He ducked his head. "That's why I never asked her out at school."
"Yeah, but like I said, she likes you. A lot," Fred said. "She's been beating herself up over it, too. Tell her I said I want you two to get together. That I want you two to be happy."
George smiled.
"Thanks, Fred," He said. "For everything."
"All part of the job," Fred said with a wave. He stood up. "Now, you going to help me deliver presents and get me caught up on all the drama I missed or not?"
George grinned and stood up.
When the other members of the Weasley family, Harry and Hermione went to wake up George the following morning, they were surprised to see him sleeping with a smile on his face.
A smile they had not seen since Fred's death. And they were all happy to see it's return.
My head cannon, ladies and gentlemen. Fred does not die in the Battle of Hogwarts. He just simply becomes Santa Claus. :)
There is still the epilogue in the morning. :)