Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, this is not my invention that has rocked the world. It is my story line though.
A/N: Tissue alert! Major tear jerker chapter!
A/N 2: I am editing the older chapters, the newly edited ones wil have a 'be' in the title. Thanks to eclipsed heart for betaing this one!
'be' George's Attempt
The trio showed up in the common room after lunch to get Ginny and then go for a walk. They walked around the school and watched the construction for a while.
"Hey, we should go see if the Room of Requirement still works," Ron suggested, and they all turned to walk to the seventh floor. As they got to the area, Ron and Ginny slowed down, realizing what went on here that night. Harry and Hermione noticed that the sibling pair were slowing down and slowed with them. As they neared the hallway and they saw the destruction before them, Ginny broke down and started crying. Seeing Ginny's tears started Hermione crying. Ron was obviously having a hard time trying to be a man about his emotions, but Harry saw through him easily. Harry had Ginny crying on his shoulder and Ron had Hermione on his. Harry reached over and placed his hand on Ron's shoulder, and Ron closed his eyes. A tear rolled down his face and he angrily swiped it away.
"Ron, it's okay. It's just us four. We're not going to judge you if you cry. He was your brother." Harry's kind words caused something in Ron to break and he fell to his knees bringing Hermione with him, he sobbed into Hermione's hair and she cried on his shoulder. Harry brought Ginny to the ground a little gentler and they held each other and cried together.
A half an hour later, the four of them were just sitting on the floor staring at the gaping hole in the wall several stories high. They sat in silence, thinking about their fallen friend and brother.
"You know," Ginny broke the silence. "I'm going to miss the way they finished each others conversations. You never knew who was talking, and sometimes it gave you a headache bouncing your head back and forth to follow them, but it was funny and it made me laugh every time." Ginny giggled while a tear rolled down her cheek.
"I'll miss the way they joked with Mum about getting their names mixed up, and switching places. I'll never forget the Gred and Forge bit they did." Ron chuckled while he also had a tear escape.
"You know what? I think that's the first joke I ever heard them do. It was when your family helped me get onto the platform the first time. I was fascinated by the way they acted, because I had grown up where jokes were practically forbidden. I didn't know people actually acted that way until I met them." Harry laughed quietly. Hermione giggled.
"I remember the first time I met them. It was on the train to school. It was right after I met you two for the first time. They overheard me tell Ron he had dirt on his nose as I left the compartment. They followed me and came into an empty compartment with me and Neville. They sat there and told me things about Hogwarts that were both fascinating and wildly untrue. They said things like, every student had to drink their potions they made in potions class to get rid of them, so I'd better make them perfect each time or I'd be poisoned…I wonder if that's why Neville was so bad at potions. Anyways, after a while they asked us if we wanted a sweet, because the wait until dinner would be a long one. Neville and I said sure and they gave us an early version of the canary creams, except they turned us purple. When I changed back I yelled at them until we arrived at the school. They laughed at me, and as they walked out they said something along the lines of 'We need to get that one in our clutches, she'll be great to try things on.' I was so furious. I never would have thought that I'd look back on that and laugh." Hermione was giggling. The three of them reminisced for a while before Harry stood up.
"We came up here to see if the Room of Requirement still worked; I forgot until now. Should we try it?" he asked them. The three stood up and followed Harry a little ways down the hall. "Which room should I ask for?" he asked.
"Well, I wouldn't ask for the room of junk that burned. Ask for something simple, like a small library with some comfy sofas," Hermione suggested.
"Only Hermione, would ask for a library." Ron whispered which earned a smack from his girlfriend. Harry smiled and walked back and forth three times. He didn't expect a door to show up and when he opened his eyes he gasped. There before him was the door. Ron and Hermione were still arguing and Ginny was watching them with a smile on her face. None of them noticed the door Harry stood before, until he cleared his throat. They all turned and collectively gasped.
"Merlin's Beard! It worked!" Ginny exclaimed. Ron and Hermione were gob-smacked. Harry chuckled and reached for the door handle. Hermione screeched out a loud no and he snatched his hand back as if it were burned.
"What? What's the matter?" he asked quickly.
"Harry, what if the fire is still going? If you open it, it'll escape!" Hermione was getting frantic.
"Okay, well what do you suggest we do? Never let it open again? How are we supposed to do that? We can't guard the door all day everyday. What should we do, put a sign on the door that says, 'Don't Open! You could let a FiendFyre escape.'? I don't think anyone would listen to that," Ron said in a snarky tone of voice.
"I'm not suggesting that Ronald, I'm just saying we should be prepared for if it is still in there. We should go the library and look up the counter curse, just in case," Hermione replied. Ron groaned.
"I've had enough of research to last me a lifetime. We should just open the door, the fire would have burned out by now anyways. And besides, Harry didn't ask for the room with all the junk in it, he asked for a library," Ron finished sarcastically.
"Ronald, just because he didn't ask for the room the fire was in doesn't mean it won't show up in the library. The fire was in one room, just because the room changes doesn't mean the room isn't the same room. I'm going to the library to find the counter curse. Don't open that door until I get back and I mean it." She turned and stalked off. The three of them stood there for a minute until Ron groaned.
"She's going to be really angry if I don't go help her find the spell, won't she?" he grumbled. Harry and Ginny both nodded. Ron groaned again and walked away. When he was out of hearing distance Harry laughed. Ginny giggled.
"He is wrapped around her pinkly finger," Harry said. Ginny looked at him.
"What is that supposed to mean, Mr. Potter? Are you implying that that's a bad thing? Because if you are you have another think coming." Ginny was yelling at Harry, and he cowered under he glare.
"I'm, no, I didn't say it was a bad thing. I mean look at them, they love each other, and he enjoys being wrapped around her finger," Harry stuttered, until he saw the evil grin on his girlfriend's face.
"Oh, that is so not cool," he said. She giggled and replied with, "Oh, you are so wrapped around my little finger." He reached over a grabbed her around the waist and tackled her to the ground. They began a tickle fight, which Harry let Ginny win. They laid there on the ground panting, and Harry reached over and kissed her on the nose and said, "I may be wrapped around your finger but I wouldn't have it any other way." She smiled and kissed him on the lips and a snog fest began and lasted a while.
"Ergh, why do you have to do that where I could see you? Gross, like I need to see my little sister snogging my best mate, gross." Ron walked around the corner then quickly backtracked and spoke to them from around the corner.
"Well, mate, how do you think I feel every time I see you and Hermione snogging. She's like a sister to me," Harry replied from the floor. He and Ginny hadn't moved yet and Hermione pushed Ron back around the corner.
"Oh, Harry is that true? I'm touched, I feel the same way about you. I've always wanted a brother," Hermione sniffled.
"Well," Harry started as he pushed himself off the floor, "You've always treated me like a younger brother, making me do my homework and providing an ear to let me vent. Of course I see you as a sister." Hermione hugged Harry hard enough to rival Mrs. Weasley.
"Tell you what Ron, you try to stop kissing Hermione around me and I'll try to stop kissing Ginny around you, deal?" Harry laughed as he stuck his hand out for Ron to shake. Ron hesitated.
"Er, well, I'm not sure how well that'll go. I mean, Hermione's pretty irresistible to me." Ron's ears turned red, and Hermione's blushed.
"Okay, ew Ronald. I didn't need to know that." Ginny laughed. "Well, if you can't resist Hermione, what makes you think Harry can resist me?"
"Oh, jeez, Ginny. You're putting images into my head." Ron closed his eyes and shook his head wildly with a grimace on his face.
"Okay, you two. Let's save this discussion for another time, we came here today to do something important. Did you guys learn the counter curse?" Harry asked.
"Well, we couldn't find it in the library, so we did the next best thing: we asked Dumbledore's portrait. He told us the incantation and the wand movement." Hermione repeated the spell to the others and they practiced.
"Okay, well, here it goes. If it gets out of control, and we can't control it, we're agreed, we run screaming and yelling down the hallway until we find someone to help, right?" Harry asked and everyone nodded. As Harry reached for the handle, Ron spoke.
"I still can't believe that Crabbe, of all people, was able to conjure this spell," Ron said, shaking his head.
"I wonder if his body is still in there," Hermione whispered. Ginny's eyes widened. Harry grimaced. Ron whispered back, "Don't worry. It was probably burned to ashes in that fire."
"Oh, Ron that's a horrible thing to say!" Hermione said weakly. Ginny giggled faintly and said, "Hey, do we want to stand out here forever, or do we want to fight some cursed fire? Harry, open the door. We're ready."
Harry reached forward and slowly took hold of the handle, his hand rested that way for a moment before he slowly began to turn the knob. He stopped took a deep breath and pulled open the door very fast, and they all shouted the counter curse. When the light from their spells dimmed, they saw that there was no fire in the room.
"Wow, talk about anti-climatic," Ginny said. Harry looked at her and started to laugh. Ginny, Ron, and Hermione joined him. They all walked into the room and sat down on the comfy couches Harry had requested over an hour before. They sat and talked for a few hours avoiding the hard-to-talk-about topics, namely death and the past. They talked about their futures and what their dreams and goals were now that they were free of the war. Shortly before dinner time they decided to go to the common room and travel down to dinner with the rest of the Weasleys.
As they stepped out of the Room, they were still talking and it was Harry that saw George first. Harry stopped the others and they looked up and saw George also. Hermione and Ginny both gasped and went to start walking forward but Harry stopped them.
"Go get help, now. Ron and I will slow him down. But we need someone to get help. Go!" The two girls knew that the time to argue was not now, so they ran off in the other direction. Harry and Ron inched closer to their friend and brother, who happened to be standing on the open ledge by the gaping hole in the wall ready to jump.
"George, mate, why don't you get down from there, and talk to us. We can help you get through this," Harry started slowly, and quietly enough to avoid startling him.
"It won't help, nothing will help. There's no point. What am I supposed to do without him. I feel…like I was ripped in two…and the other half of me died. How can a heart survive when it's broken?" George whispered. As quiet as he was, the two boys slowly inching their way closer heard every word.
"George, you're my big brother. Even though I have a few of them, you and Fred were the one's I looked up to the most. Not Percy, not Bill, not Charlie, but you two. You both lived life to the fullest, you didn't let the little things get you down, hell, you didn't let the big things get you down either! We all miss Fred, but I can't even begin to understand what you must be going through. But if you let us, we can help you through this. That's what family is for. Being there together for each other through the good and the bad times." Ron was crying openly, and was slowly trying to make it to his brother. Harry was on the other side trying to make it to George also with his wand out and pointed down but ready.
"Stop! Don't come any closer, seriously. I can't stay in this world anymore, Ron. We were twins, we did everything together. We were hardly ever alone for more than a few hours. Now I…I just can't imagine my whole life ahead of me without him there. He was always the one to come up with ideas, I was always the man to make his ideas work. With out him to make up ideas, what am I supposed to do?" George was crying fairly hard now. Ron was crying, but now he was getting angry.
"If you jump what am I supposed to think about my role models, when one of them killed themselves. At least Fred died heroically. You're taking the easy way out, and that is not heroic!" Ron was shouting at his brother. Harry gaped at him.
"Ron, shut up! We're trying to get him down, not push him over ourselves," he angrily muttered to Ron.
"No, Harry, he's right. I am a coward, but I can't see a future for me. Ron, Harry, go away, I don't want you to see this. Keep Ginny away and Mum and Dad, too. I know you sent them to get help, I just don't want them to see me give up.
"Harry, Fred and I weren't going to tell you this until after the war was over, but I kind of forgot after everything happened. We made you a partner in our business. Since neither of us will be alive, it will all go to you. We'd both appreciate it if you kept it going in our memories. Take care of Ginny; I couldn't have hoped for a better guy for my little sister, and I know Fred would agree with me.
"Ron, take care of Hermione. Be a good husband, let her win the fights or you know you'll regret it. You don't want to see the business end of her wand. Help Harry with the shop. He's not quite a fully fledged Weasley yet, and he'll need your expertise at inventing things." As George was saying his goodbyes to the boys, Harry mouthed Accio to Ron who nodded. They raised their wands together just as a crowd of Weasleys came running around the corner.
Everyone arrived just in time to hear George whisper, "Goodbye," as he moved forward.
"NO!" shouted six new arrivals. The family surged forward as if to grab him before he fell.
"ACCIO GEORGE!" shouted Ron, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny at the same time. George, who had just began to fall, felt his body swing upwards and fly back into the arms of his family. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were the first to grab George and both were crying hard into his shoulders, asking him why. Bill, Fleur, Charlie, and Percy all surrounded their parents and brother making a family hug. Everyone present was crying and thanking whatever God they could think of, and asking George why he didn't think he could live and what would make him think that they couldn't help him.
Harry and the other three all stood to the side hugging each other and crying onto each others shoulders. Harry was holding Ginny, letting her cry on him for the second time that day when he looked up and gasped.
"Fred?" Harry whispered. Ginny looked up and screamed.
"FRED!"
Everyone looked up and over and saw the pearly white-silver of Fred Weasley standing before them. They were all shocked and gob-smacked.
"Fred? No. Oh, no," George moaned. Fred looked around at everyone with a huge smile pasted on him face.
"I know what you're all thinking and no, I'm not a ghost. I'm a spirit. I've been allowed to come and say goodbye to my twin. I'm just lucky that you're all here at the same time. I can say goodbye to everyone." Fred's spirit walked over to the group and they parted so that he could reach his twin. George was openly sobbing and couldn't take his eyes off the one person he missed the most.
"I'm not supposed to tell you this brother dear, but when have I ever followed the rules? You, my dear twin, will marry a beautiful witch that I whole-heartedly approve of. You will grow old with her, and die old and wrinkly in your bed while you sleep. It's not your time now." He turned and spoke to everyone.
"I knew someone in this family wasn't going to make it through this war, and in hindsight, I'm glad it was me. Don't get me wrong, I'm not glad I'm dead, just glad that you're all alive. Now I get to watch you all grow old and wrinkly while I stay young and handsome forever!" He said while he ran his fingers through his hair. Everyone laughed through their tears. Even in death Fred was the same old Fred.
"Besides, I have my heroes to hang out with and learn from. The Marauders are here, and, I might add, Dumbledore sure knows how to play a prank or two!" Fred turned to George. "I'm in the middle of a prank war with James, Remus, Sirius, Lily, and Dumbledore, and I think I may be in for more than I bargained for on this one." Fred laughed and George joined him, laughing through his tears. Fred smiled at his brother, before turning around and walking over to his mother.
"Mum, I know I never really said this when I was alive, but I love you, and couldn't have appreciated you any more. You were a lot of fun to pull pranks on because we knew you would take our stuff away so we knew that you would be a challenge to prank. I love you so much, you were the best mum a guy could have asked for." She was crying extremely hard now, and she whispered back.
"I love you too, Freddie. Say hello to Fabian and Gideon for me. Don't cause too much trouble. I'll…I'll miss you so much." With that she put her head down on her husband's shoulder and sobbed. Fred smiled at her sadly and looked up at his dad.
"Dad, I may have teased you about your Muggle fascination, but I never loved you more than when you were fiddling with your plug collection or asking people about the function of rubber ducks." Arthur chuckled sadly. "You were an awesome dad. Keep Mum together; she'll need you a lot in the next few months. I love you and I'll miss you too," said Fred as he winked at his dad.
"I love you too, son. You make me very proud. You grew up to be a very well-adjusted man, yet still a trouble maker. I'll never forget that about you. Goodbye, son." Arthur smiled back and put his head next to Molly's to comfort her.
"Bill, William, Billy. You were the bother that I looked up to the most. I may have teased you a hell of a lot when you became Prefect and then Head Boy, but I was never more proud of you then the day you got you Head Boy badge. Take good care of your hot wife, have lots of babies, and live your life from one adventure to the next. I love you and can't wait to watch you try to have kids." Fred was laughing, and Bill was laughing hard.
"Only you little brother, can make everyone laugh when all they want to do is cry forever. I'm gonna miss that. You take care of yourself. I'm going to miss your laugh, and having to eat carefully when you were around. Well, I might not miss that, but I'll miss you for sure. I know that when I'm changing diapers and feeding a bunch of kids you'll be up there watching and laughing you're arse off. I love you." Bill smiled at Fred, who turned to Fleur.
"Fleur, I'm sorry, but it would never have worked out between us." She laughed as did Bill. "I'm just glad Bill has you to lean on. He'll need you, don't be afraid to show him who wears the pants in the family." She laughed and he leaned in and whispered something in her ear. She gasped and looked at him shocked.
"Really? How do you know that?" she asked him.
"I was told I could tell you. Wait until I'm gone before you tell everyone. 'Kay?" she nodded at him, and he told her he loved her.
"Charlie, my man, you are the brother I looked up to and wished I had your skill and bravery. I know you'll have the easiest time with my death, mostly because that's your style. And because you can't be thinking of me while you wrestle dragons. Could be fatal, man. Watch over Percy, he needs someone to help him recover. I love you, be careful and find a woman already, you're driving mum crazy." Charlie and Molly both chuckled. Charlie told Fred he loved him and Fred moved on to the next brother.
"Percy. Percy, Percy, Percy. You estranged yourself from the family and you wait until right before I die to un-estrange yourself. But what's even better, I got to hear you make a joke. You are the reason I died with a smile on my face. Don't ever sell yourself short, remember that you are a Weasley no matter what. They'll all forgive you for your mistakes because that's what families do. They forgive. Especially this one, they're extremely forgiving. Don't blame yourself for my death, I know you are right now, and I can tell you now, stop. It wasn't your fault, it was my time to go. I love you and I always have, even when you were being a git." Percy was crying pretty hard and had to be held up by Charlie.
"I'm sorry Fred, I'm so sorry. I made a stupid joke and I distracted you, and if I had just shut up, maybe you wouldn't have…" Percy broke down and couldn't speak for crying so hard. Percy and Charlie were both on the ground so Fred crouched to speak eye to eye.
"Percy, look at me. I don't blame you, you are blameless. But I understand what you need to hear right now and I'll give it to you. I love you and I forgive you." Fred was crying now, and he stood up and walked over to Ron and Hermione.
"Ron, Hermione. I knew that day I saw Hermione tell you that you had dirt on your nose that you two would end up together. It was like an epiphany to me. Besides the facts that you two are perfect for each other, and I must say, it's about time! It only took you seven years. Hermione, in my minds eye, you are now a Weasley. I love you both." They whispered 'I love you', to Fred as he turned and walked away.
"Ginny-bean, I love you so much. You're my favorite little sister. Harry, she's a hellion and you are stuck with her, good luck. Ha, ha, just kidding, but seriously, Gin, you have to go on. Give Harry lots of babies, and grow old with him. Watch over George. He needs someone to be there for him and I know you and Ron will be a lot of help. I love you and wish you and Harry the best of luck."
"Thanks Fred, I love you so much and I'm going to miss you so much." She turned and hugged Harry because she couldn't hug Fred.
"Harry, I've met your parents and I know you'd love them. They told me to tell you that they love you and they're so proud of you. I know that's not much coming from me, but they can't come; they've been gone too long. They can hear you talk to them, so if you ever need them, you know what to do. Sirius says, "Great choice in women," and that you made him proud. Remus and Tonks say that they know you'll be a great godfather to Teddy, and that they're sorry to have left you with the responsibility at such a young age. They all love you, and send their approval of my sister. Which, by the way, is a very weird message to give you!" The three of them laughed. "And finally, Dumbledore told me to tell you that he was happy seeing you at Kings' Cross, whatever that means." Harry gaped at him with wide eyes. He hadn't told anyone about that trip. All he had mentioned was that he had been hit by the killing curse and it didn't work on his soul, just Voldemort's. Everyone was looking at him curiously. "Goodbye Harry. I'm going to miss you. Take care of my sister and George."
Fred looked over to George who seemed to know that his turn was next. Fred walked up to his sobbing twin who was kneeling on the ground surrounded by family. Fred kneeled down next to George. He waited until George looked up at him. Fred was crying again now, too.
"You will always be my twin, George. Never forget that. All you have to do is think about me and I'll hear whatever you have to say. I may not be able to talk back, but hey, we practically shared a brain, you'll know what I'd say anyways." They both shared a teary laugh.
"I love you…Gred," George said though his tears. Fred chuckled and they all saw the pearly tears coming down increase.
"I love you too, Forge. I'll be waiting for you, goodbye."
They all watched as Fred's spirit faded away leaving George alone, kneeling on the ground and sobbing. Everyone sat and cried with him until he was finished. Everyone heard him whisper, "Goodbye Fred."
A/N: I'm crying right now. But I needed closure. Fred was my fave character. Read and Review please! I can't get better without knowing where I suck! Is it believable? Can you see it happening? Let me know!