Title: Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight

Fandom: Harry Potter

Disclaimer: not my characters; just for fun. Title from "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night" by Dylan Thomas.

Warnings: spoilers for Deathly Hollows; ignores epilogue

Pairings: none

Rating: PG

Wordcount: 640

Point of view: third


Come now, little brother—what're you lookin' for? 's'not me, is it? I'm still there, right beside you; just look.

Open your eyes and see.

.

George can't stand his reflection. He can't stand the shop or the Burrow, anywhere that Fred ever went. He hates being inside and imagines a grave anytime he's surrounded by walls.

He hasn't been to Hogwarts since.

.

Mum's grief is loud, as is Dad's. Ginny comforts herself with Harry, and Ron with Hermione. Bill turns to Fleur and Teddy—George thinks they'll probably adopt Remus and Tonk's little 'wolf. Charlie has his dragons, away in the wilds of Romania. Percy almost never leaves Mum's side.

George is alone for the first time since conception, and he loathes every heartbeat of it.

.

He leaves Britain the first chance he gets, crossing the Channel. He sends an owl only once he's reached Paris. He's there for a week before he moves on.

Fred would have loved it.

Everywhere he goes, he searches for a mirror image, for the brother he's never been without.

A month, two, three—he blinks and a full year is gone. He hasn't spoken to his family in so long he's starting to forget their voices.

He drinks Muggle alcohol and stays on Muggle streets. He was finished with magic he moment it killed Fred.

.

Percy finds him on the second anniversary of the day he stopped being a twin. He sits beside George at the bar and doesn't speak. He leans in, though, resting his shoulder against George's.

George hasn't cried in a year-and-a-half. But in that dingy Muggle pub, his brother beside him, George sobs.

Percy gently tugs at George's arm and George falls towards him. Percy's taller by a scant inch but George curls in on himself.

"C'mon," Percy says softly, standing and pulling George with him.

George docily follows.

.

Percy takes him to a Wizarding hotel, leads him upstairs to a room on the second floor, lightly shoves him onto the single bed.

"Sleep," Percy tells him. George doesn't want to, but Percy settles beside him, runs his fingers through George's hair. He hasn't cut it since, and it's long past his shoulders.

"Sleep," Percy repeats. "I'll be here when you wake."

George slips under and dreams of Fred.

.

Next morning, Percy doesn't speak. He leads George into the bathroom and strips them both, shoving him into the shower stall and following.

Briskly Percy scrubs George down; George is too far gone to care. He is docile, completely pliant in his brother's care. Percy gently washes George's hair, rubbing at his scalp.

"Mum's worried about you," Percy says as he towels George off. "She asks every day if anyone's heard from you, knows where you are."

Finally, George speaks. "You here to take me back?"

Percy looks him in the eye. "Do you want to go back?"

George lowers his gaze and shakes his head. "He's not there, Percy. He's not anywhere. He left me behind."

Percy pulls George to him. "I can't be Fred. I don't want to take his place. But you shouldn't be alone, George. So wherever you're going, let me come with you."

George pulls back a little, just enough to meet Percy's eyes. "You really want to? What about your job?"

"Yes, I want this," Percy answers. "My only job is being a brother."

George falls forward, letting Percy support his weight. Percy sinks to the floor, cradling his little brother.

.

Percy leads George from the hotel three days after he led him to it. "I was thinking we could visit the Americas," Percy tells him. "If you want."

"Fine with me," George responds.

They use Muggle methods to cross the ocean and George doesn't look back.

.

See, little brother? I told you.

It'll be alright, Gred. I promise. We'll be together again, soon enough…