I'm on a writing spree lately. I hope you enjoy this chapter, it's definitely been one of my favourites that I've written so far. Just a side note, it does get a little intense towards the end but I hope you like it regardless. Thank you as always for your support and please leave a review, I love to hear from you guys! Lots of love L.x


George ran as fast as he possibly could from the house. He felt sick. He was confused. He was distraught. Before long he became tired and the emotion caught up with him, making him come to a stop somewhere over the hill. He tried to catch his breath but the burning in his lungs was too unbearable, for a moment he thought he might pass out. His head was swimming and his eyes began to glaze over with tears. He had trusted Hermione, he thought she understood him, he thought they were friends – why would she make a sick joke like that, it just wasn't her at all. George found himself sat in a heap on the grass below, his hands raking through his hair, pulling and tugging in frustration and anger. He looked up at the milky sky, his eyes glaring intently.

"Why did you have to leave me!? How could you go and die and leave me here all alone! How could you think that I could live without you, Fred!" George screamed, the tears now falling fiercely down his face, "I can't do this anymore, I've tried to be brave, I've tried to move on but I can't, just come back, please, please come back Fred, come back!" he sobbed in his hands.

Fred could see his devastated brother grieving for him from a distance. After Hermione had left him, he returned to the outskirts of the Burrow. He knew he shouldn't have been there but even being dead could not stop the connection he had with George affecting him. The pain George was feeling at this precise moment was the pain that was running through Fred's body too. He wanted nothing more than to go to him, tell him he was there, but Hermione was right – it would ruin him. All he could do was stand and watch his broken twin cry out for him, he felt hopeless.

George sobbed quietly, wrapping his arms around himself for some sort of comfort. His throat stung from screaming. His head hurt from crying. His heart ached from the sadness. He turned his neck to take a look at the Burrow, small and far away from where he sat. Then the sun began to peak through the black clouds and began to dry up the rain from earlier. He decided he wasn't going back there tonight, not if she was there.

"So much for friendship," George scoffed as a few lights began to flicker on in the distance.

Fred couldn't stand seeing him like this and almost caved in and went over to him. He wanted to tell him he was sorry. Sorry for leaving him, for leaving all of them.

Fred could hear voices echoing in his head. This had become a new thing since he'd returned. Not only could he come and go at will, but he could also hear when the people he loved the most were in need. He had heard George's painful cries, he had heard Hermione's too. He could hear his Mum breaking her heart over him before she settled down to sleep at night. At first, it scared him, like he couldn't escape them but after a while, he learned to live with them. He knew he could hear them for a reason. His family needed him. His brother needed him. Hermione needed him. He could hear Hermione's panicked voice as she spoke to Harry.

"He must have heard us, oh Harry what are we going to do?"

"We'll think of something, just calm down,"

"Harry this is all my fault,"

He had to do something and fast. His intentions for coming back were never to break his family, even more, he wanted to fix things. He faded away from when he stood and the soft glow of white lights dropped him in his old bedroom. Carefully, he looked around and saw the old trunk wide open and suddenly it all came into place. He knew creating those Extendable Ears may cause more bad than good. Footsteps began to cascade up the stairs and he tried to disappear but nothing happened. He began to panic as the footsteps got louder and closer to the door. Why wasn't it working? He tried again. Nothing. Frustrated he rolled himself under the bed as the door flung wide open and found himself no longer alone. Hermione, Harry, Ron and Ginny had burst through the door, the two siblings flapping about George's disappearance.

"What the heck happened?" Ron asked Hermione who stuck tight to Harry.

Ginny walked over to the trunk and examined it.

"Ginny, honestly it's okay, just come away from there,"

"Why did he run off like that?" Ginny asked, her brows furrowed.

Hermione looked up at Harry.

"We – don't know Gin," Harry said calmly.

Ginny wasn't asking him. Her eyes were staring directly at Hermione's panicked face.

"What have you done?"

Hermione caught her breath suddenly.

"N – nothing,"

Ron turned to her as well, suddenly suspicious of her overly concerned behaviour.

"Why did he run up after you and Harry – what did you say?"

"I didn't know he followed us," Hermione said, her voice breaking.

Ginny put her hand on her hips.

"The Extendable Ears are gone, the original ones, George and Fred kept them in this trunk with all their original products, he must've been pretty keen to listen to what you had to say,"

"Look, let's not get too hasty here –,"

"Shh!" Ginny spat at Harry.

"What's going on guys?" Ron piped up, his face beginning to fill with angst.

"Nothing!" Hermione insisted.

"Do you know something?"

"Ginny, please," Hermione sighed.

"What did you do to him?"

"Ginny!" Hermione snapped.

"Girls, calm down!" Harry said rationally, trying to stand between them.

He could see Ginny's eyes burning with rage like she was ready to thump Hermione in the face. She was far from stupid. He was surprised she hadn't figured out what had happened.

"Tell them, Hermione,"

"Harry!" Hermione whispered harshly.

"If you don't tell them then I will,"

"No Harry, please!"

"Tell us what?" Ron growled.

"Go on spit it out!" Ginny demanded.

Hermione shook her head and glared at Harry.

"Harry please don't –,"

"Fred's alive,"

Ginny and Ron stared in shock for a moment, they weren't even sure they'd heard it right. It wasn't until they both looked at each other and burst out laughing that they registered what Harry had just said.

"Wait, what!?" Ron chuckled.

"Don't over exaggerate whatever you do," Hermione tutted, rolling her eyes.

"This is a joke, right?" Ginny asked with an amused smile playing on her lips.

But when Harry and Hermione remained standing still, there faces turned deadly serious, Ginny's smile fell.

"That's not funny,"

"It's true Ginny,"

"No, no you're lying,"

Ron held his sister close to him as the shock and disbelief began to drown him. At this point, Fred tried once again to leave and this time he succeeded, the glow of lights took him away from the house. He didn't need to hear this.

"He came to me," Hermione sobbed, "Yesterday, he – he came to me,"

Ginny laughed angrily, she was seething as Hermione continued to speak.

"He's here Ginny, he's back," Hermione breathed.

"You need to go!" Ginny seethed, Ron holding her tight to him.

"No, no, please you don't understand,"

"Why don't you go home yeah? Go home and get some help!" Ginny spat, stepping forward to Hermione ready to slap her. If Ron hadn't had hold of her arm she would've pounced on her.

"Please, please listen to me,"

"Harry, get her out of here," Ron told him, his fists beginning to tense up.

"Ron, please," Hermione pleaded, "I'm telling you the truth,"

"No, no Fred is dead, okay our brother is dead, I saw him, I held him in my arms, he's dead, he's dead!" Ron cried.

"I know it's hard to believe,"

"Hard to believe? You're sick!" Ginny said viciously, "Why would he visit you anyway? You hardly knew each other,"

Harry cleared his throat and Ginny's glare shot back at him. Hermione hung her head.

"Oh my god – oh my god!" Ginny exclaimed bringing her hands up to cover her mouth.

"Ginny –,"

"You and Fred?" Ginny gasped, the anger boiling over within inside her, "That's why you and Ron –,"

"Is this true Hermione?" Ron asked.

Hermione looked helpless.

"I'm sorry Ron,"

"Is that why you've been spending so much time with George, did you think it would be the same!"

"That's ridiculous!"

"What on earth is going on up here!"

Mrs Weasley appeared out of nowhere in the doorway and straight into the tension currently surrounding the four teens. She noticed Hermione shaking in Harry's arms.

"Hermione, dear?"

"Dear?!" Ginny snapped, "She's anything but!"

"Ginny!" Mrs Weasley scolded her.

"Just get her out of here Harry," Ron grumbled.

"Hang on, now wait a minute, what is this all about?"

"Apparently Fred is alive, Mum!" Ginny scoffed, "Surprise!"

Molly's face turned pale as she looked at her daughter in shock.

"Ginny, that is a very –,"

"Go on tell her Hermione, tell her what you just told us,"

Hermione stayed silent and still. Harry gulped.

"TELL HER!" Ginny screamed as Ron held her back once again.

Molly turned to Hermione, her face emotional and confused.

"Hermione?" she asked calmly, "Why would you say such a thing?"

"Because it's true Molly," Hermione sobbed, her breathing becoming heavy as her heart began to run away with itself, "He came to me,"

Ginny chuckled again in her angry tone, her teeth biting down.

"He's back, I don't know how or why and I know it's impossible –,"

"Please stop it, Hermione,"

"I'm telling you the truth, Molly,"

"Stop it!"

"Please, believe me, he's here, he appears out of nowhere, he's real,"

"Can you hear yourself right now?" Ron shouted.

"I'm talking to your mother Ronald!" Hermione shouted back, "Molly, I know this sounds crazy, I thought it did too – but I wouldn't lie to any of you, Fred came to see me – he's back,"

"My son is dead," Molly said sternly, "Fred died Hermione - how dare you say such things, how dare you come into our home and upset us, what has gotten into you?!"

Harry soothed Hermione by rubbing her shoulder, although he stayed very quiet.

"Molly please listen to me,"

"I don't want to hear it!" Molly shouted, making Hermione quiver inside, "I let you stay here, I practically took you in when you lost your parents – I TREATED YOU LIKE A DAUGHTER!"

"Please let me explain," Hermione cried, now begging.

"I want you out of my house!"

And with that Molly turned away in tears and disappeared into her bedroom, slamming the door. Hermione turned to Harry in fear.

"Harry, please don't let them do this,"

"Get her out of here Ron!" Ginny cried.

Ron grabbed Hermione by the shoulders and dragged her out of the room.

"Get off of me! What are you doing!?" she cried as she struggled to get away from Ron's strong grip, "Harry! Harry!" Hermione screamed as Ginny grabbed Hermione's packed bags and followed them.

Harry ran after them, as Ron pulled a wriggling Hermione down the stairs.

"Let her go, Ron!" Harry shouted.

"Harry!" Hermione cried as they reached the back door, "Ron, please don't, I never wanted this,"

"You should've thought of that before you started making up sick stories!" Ron shouted, the venom practically falling out of his mouth.

He swung the door open and let her go, sending her flying. Time seemed to stand still as Hermione and her belongings cascaded out of the house. Just as she was about to hit the ground and feel the agony shooting through her entire body, a pair of strong arms caught her Hermione's eyes fluttered open from being squeezed shut and looked up to see who had saved her.

"George?" she whispered.