Fred looked down at the fresh cuts which he had formed on his arms with pure satisfaction; if he hurt himself he could bear the weight of the emotions that were threatening to crush him. He quickly pulled down his shirt sleeve as he heard the sounds of George's footsteps coming closer; his twin couldn't see what he was doing to himself, it would tear at his heart to see Fred's pain.
"Happy Halloween Fred", George smiled as he entered the shop floor, bearing an armful of Halloween decorations. "Help me put these up would you?"
Fred grinned, but when George turned his back he checked that the mask which he wore was still firmly in place. Together the twins hung up fake spiders and carved faces into enormous orange pumpkins, setting them aglow with balls of light which they suspended inside the lanterns. George stepped back to observe their handiwork with pride and turned to smile at Fred. "Looks quite festive doesn't it?"
Fred nodded and smiled back, "now we just need to look the part, though if we make you look anymore scary we might give some of our customers heart attacks", he jested.
George snorted, "remember when we thought we actually had a dead customer on our hands?"
Fred laughed remembering when an old lady had been perusing their display of fake wands and had suddenly collapsed. "Yeah, it wouldn't have been good for business, but she was a sturdy old thing wasn't she. So what do you fancy for our second Halloween here, I was thinking vampires".
"Wicked", George grinned. "Girls will be begging you to bite them", he said.
"Oh no handsome, they'll be wanting to join you in immortality", Fred flirted back. "Imagine if Voldemort managed to make himself immortal", he contemplated fearfully.
"The world would be fucked", George replied bluntly. "Shame we can't be immortal though then I wouldn't need to worry about you so much".
"Our Boggart would have to find another form", Fred said quietly. George put down the box of remaining decorations on the counter and slipped his arms around Fred's waist from behind, pressing his chin to his shoulder. Warmth immediately spread through Fred's body as George pressed against him, he held tightly to the arms that had snaked closely around him and murmured contentedly; they stood like that for several minutes until George pressed a kiss to the side of his neck and drew away from him.
"Perhaps Mum shouting at us", George suggested.
"Perhaps", but Fred knew that his Boggart would always be losing George, if not to death then as a result of his taboo feelings for his twin.
"Come on then, let's go and make ourselves more vampiric", George grinned, grabbing his twin's hand and leading him up the stairs to their flat. He pulled out a box from underneath his bed which contained their black dress robes from the Yule Ball; Fred thought back to that evening nearly three years ago, he couldn't believe that it had been so long ago. Although he'd enjoyed the evening, he couldn't help but imagine if he had took George to the ball rather than Angelina.
"These should still just about fit us," George's voice broke through his twin's daydreams. "We'd already got to six foot by then and Mum had brought them three inches too long".
Fred smiled as he took what may have been his robe or George's from his twin and unfolded it. "Our grow spurts were Mum's worst nightmare".
George chuckled and stood up, brushing the dust from his jeans. "I know a charm we could use to grow us some fangs."
"As long as it doesn't go wrong and leave us stuck with extra pointy teeth", Fred smiled.
"When have I ever lead you wrong Freddie?"
"Never", Fred replied smiling; throughout the years George's plans had always been well thought out and crafted down to the smallest detail while Fred still had a tendency to rush into things. George approached Fred with his wand held out and pointed it at his twin's mouth, making his canines sharpen and grow another inch. Fred examined his reflection in the mirror and laughed.
"I think I look more stupid than scary", he said grabbing George by the shoulder and pretending to bite his neck. He drew out his own wand and repeated the spell for his twin.
"Well these are a little uncomfortable, I can't close my mouth properly", George said as he attempted to close his lips over the fangs. "We'd better get a move on, the shop opens in ten", he added, as he began to strip off his shirt and pull on the dress robes.
Fred nodded and drew his fingers to his shirt buttons but paused remembering the state that he had left his arms in. "One min George, just need to use the loo", he called over his shoulder as he beat a hasty retreat. Closing the bathroom door he rolled his sleeves up and healed the cuts, leaving the skin as smooth as before. He fought the urge to inflict new ones, biting his lip to repress what had quickly become instinct whenever he thought of the hurt that he'd caused.
"Come on Fred", his twin called from the bedroom. Fred emerged and crossed over to their room which was shrouded in darkness. "George?" There was no answer, as Fred felt around for the light, nearly tripping over the box which had not been pushed back under the bed. Suddenly, he was pushed backwards onto his bed and pinned down; Fred laughed and attempted to free himself from his twin's grip.
"I vont your blood", George drawled in a Romanian accent.
"You already had some your holiness", Fred giggled, drawing out his wand again and muttering lumos. He started at the figure revealed by the light; George had paled his skin and there were dark shadows surrounding his eyes. He grinned, revealing his elongated teeth as he dived in towards Fred's neck, nuzzling his skin with his nose rather than sinking in his sharp fangs. Fred smiled at the loving gesture and slipped a hand through George's short ginger locks. George raised his face from Fred's neck and trailed a finger along his cheek affectionately, "so do I look scary?"
"Terrifying", Fred grinned. "Although Georgie, I don't think that Vampires need bandages", he said looking pointedly at the white linen bandage that was still wrapped around George's head. George drew further back frowning and shook his head, tapping his fingers against his thigh as he always did when agitated.
"No...I think I still need it. You know, to stop it from getting infected again," he countered.
"George, it won't if we make sure it gets washed out properly every day," Fred insisted. He saw the embarrassment in George's dark brown eyes. "What's wrong, why don't you want to take it off? You can't go around wearing a bandage forever mate", he said attempting to maintain a light-hearted tone.
"When...When we weren't... well talking", George said avoiding Fred's eyes, as Fred remembered their argument with a pang. "I went for a walk and the alley was more packed than it had been for ages, every single person I walked past stared like I was completely disfigured or something; one girl that I tried to talk to just walked away from me laughing." He shuddered, "I've never felt so awkward and uncomfortable in my entire life Fred". His twin placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and gently unwrapped the bandage from his head exposing the scar tissue , but to his surprise George didn't resist; although the slumped shoulders and the way that he hung his head filled Fred with sadness.
"I wish that I could stop them George I really do, but their laughter will mean nothing as long as you don't let it get to you", Fred said gently.
"I already have", came the quiet reply. Fred drew his arms around his shoulders ignoring the fact that they were now late for their shop opening.
"I shouldn't have kept calling you your holiness, I'm sorry Georgie". George's head jumped up from where he had laid it against Fred's shoulder and he shook his head rapidly.
"Oh Fred, I like you calling me that, it's touching because I know you're not saying it because you think I look ugly or something, it was that awful joke I made", he smiled.
Fred shook his head smiling too, "Not just that Georgie, but because with your wonderful personality you really are the holy twin."
George smiled with true joy to hear Fred's loving words and he reached to caress Fred's cheek. "I love you mister, but just you remember you're not the unholy twin."
"I love you too", Fred replied tenderly, as he rushed to pull on his own dress robes and allowed George to pale him up so that they both looked the part. "I think the fanged Frisbees will sell well today", he added with a cheeky grin.
The twins descended the stairs two at a time and went to open up shop, both surprised and delighted to see that for the first time in a while there was a queue of people waiting outside for them to open, despite the two hooded figures that had remained a fairly constant presence since the Weasley family had been placed under surveillance. Feeling particularly bold one evening, Fred had yelled across the street inviting them in as they must be getting quite cold standing there, before laughing and slamming the door. George had been sure that their shop would get trashed again in retaliation, but perhaps the death eaters had finally seen the humour.
"Welcome to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes Halloween spectacular-
We've got all sorts so you can give your mates a scare they won't forget in a hurry", Fred finished, as their customers laughed at their vampire get up. The twins exchanged glances and laughed too, knowing that really they looked ridiculous rather than terrifying. Fred waved cheerily at the death eaters watching the shop with their hoods casting their faces in shadow. "Happy Halloween", he added cheekily as he waved the line of customers inside.
Business boomed all day, reminding the twins of how the shop had been when they'd first opened; its happy atmosphere seemed restored, as if everybody had temporarily forgotten about the war. The twins were satisfied to hear the constant clinking of the till opening and closing as it was filled with galleons, sickles and knuts. Fred wiped the sweat away from his forehead as he helped a customer pack up their purchases, it was hard work keeping the shop going themselves he thought. After the busiest day they'd had in months the twins were slumped against the counter exhausted but relieved to see that the till was full to bursting; they'd be able to make the final payments to their investors after all. George moved to open the till and count their takings for the day when the charm that they'd put on the door alerted themselves to a presence.
"We're closed", Fred called in the direction of the door, as he began to help George count their takings; it would be nice to hear a chink in their pockets again as they walked.
"Is that anyway to greet an old friend", Lee Jordan chuckled, as he entered the shop and marvelled at the Halloween decorations which were still hung up, before catching sight of the twins in their costumes and letting out a hearty guffaw.
"Long time no see, but you two are still the buffoons that I remember", Lee chuckled.
"It's a shame we haven't had much opportunity to catch up mate", George said as he came forward to hug Lee, followed by Fred; both twins dwarfed their friend and he had to crane his neck to look up at them.
"Yeah, it's my fault really, you've asked me about hanging out loads of times", he grinned. "Thanks for the skiving snackboxes you sent me, they got me out of writing that Quiditch report".
"Why'd you want to anyway, you love your commentating", Fred asked curiously.
"Oh, Angelina finally said yes to us going out. I hope you didn't mind mate", he said turning to look at Fred. "Anyway it didn't last very long, she broke up with me after a week"; he said his expression glum.
"Why would I mind, we were never really properly going out Lee. It was only a couple of dates after all", Fred said, drawing out his wand and reducing his and George's teeth back to their normal size.
"I thought you might still fancy her", Lee chuckled, as he examined their newest product. "What are these George?"
George had turned away from their conversation to fiddle with one of their displays, no matter how hard he tried he could never banish the jealous feelings that sprung up whenever Fred and Angelina were spoken of as a couple.
"They're cheering chocolates, you can try one for free if you want", he replied distractedly, allowing himself to think about how Fred had briefly kissed him when they'd been making them. He'd never asked his twin if he and Angelina had kissed on those dates, he supposed that they must have done, filling him with feelings towards Angelina that were far from friendly.
"I'm sorry about your ear George", Lee interjected suddenly, his gaze resting on the side of George's head.
"Well it could have been worse", George muttered; he saw Lee scrutinising him and realised that he must be acting oddly, but to his relief Fred changed the line of conversation.
"How have you been then with the war and everything".
Lee shrugged, "It's almost like there isn't one, apart from the Quiditch League being cancelled and everybody shuffling around terrified. I suppose you two have been caught up in it with being in the Order; I should have joined really but my Mum refused to let me. I'd come to ask if you wanted to come out for dinner in November sometime. Angelina, Alicia, Katie and Oliver Wood have already agreed to; it would be a nice little reunion don't you think?"
Fred made eye contact with George, reading in his face that he was hesitant to do so; Fred himself felt reluctant to go with his current turmoil of emotions he wasn't feeling particularly sociable, they might notice that he wasn't himself and start asking awkward questions. George however didn't want to hurt Lee and nodded. "Sure why not". Fred nodded too, realising with panic that they'd expect him to be his usual entertaining self; they had no idea of the changes that had occurred in him and Fred wasn't feeling funny in the slightest.
"Awesome, I'll send you an owl with the time and stuff", Lee beamed, as he waved and left; the door telling him to make sure that he'd paid for his purchases or he'd be jinxed. This made him pause and look back at the twins who laughed.
"You'd be surprised how many people try to nick things from us", Fred grinned. "There's no jinx really Lee."
Once Lee had left Fred turned to his twin who had begun counting the money again, his brow creased in concentration.
"Are you sure you're well enough to go George", Fred rested a hand on his shoulder, the muscles felt tense and knotted.
"Yes I'm fine now Fred, the headaches aren't as bad as they were." George hated how weak and self conscious the injury made him feel, although he was incredibly grateful for Fred's consideration, he couldn't deny that it stung his pride.
"I wish you didn't have them at all", Fred sighed and handed him the money bags. "Shall we both go to the meeting with the investors tomorrow and just open the shop for half a day?"
Fred expected him to agree, as personally he couldn't bear the thought of being apart from him for any length of time but to his dismay George shook his head.
"No, we need to keep the shop open, we need every customer through the door that we can get. I don't like it either you know", he said observing Fred's expression to his reply; "but we're going to have to get used to it I suppose".
Fred nodded, but inside he was thinking why should we get used to it; if they didn't want to be apart then why force themselves to act like normal brothers, just because people would think it was strange for two nineteen year old men to never be out of each other's company. The old defiance to rules and conventions was once again coursing through Fred's veins, he wasn't going to care what the world thought of his feelings; the world would just have to keep its dictatorial opinions to itself. What he did care about was George's reaction and he hadn't quite achieved the level of confidence required to reveal all to his twin. Fred doubted whether he ever would; he had too much to lose, the friendship, the laughs, the pranks and the love. Although Fred had taken many risks in the past, this was a gamble that the elder Weasley twin was unwilling to make.
Dusk lengthened the shadows of the buildings lining the main road into Hogsmeade, where the Weasley twins were waiting outside The Three Broomsticks for their friends. Only a few passers by could be seen hurrying along the lanes of Britain's sole all wizarding community, with the war going on nobody lingered or took their time anymore, rather choosing to seek the illusion of the security to be found in their homes. The twins however had reason to know that nowhere was truly safe as long as Voldemort had control over the Ministry and remained undefeated.
"If they don't show up in a minute we'll go inside", Fred told his twin who nodded and stamped his feet against the autumnal cold that made itself felt inside his very bones. It wasn't safe standing out in the open where they presented two easy targets for those lurking in the shadows. Fred patted the back of his jeans where his wand was concealed in an effort to reassure himself and moved closer to his twin so that their shoulders were bumping together.
"It's bloody freezing", George muttered, his breath visible in the air as he spoke.
Fred moved to tug George into the warmth so that he wouldn't catch cold and become ill again, when the sounds of laughter could be heard in the near distance. The twins looked down the street to see their old Quiditch team apart from Harry along with Lee Jordan approaching them.
"Hi guys", Alicia, Lee and Katie greeted them.
"Getting into more mischief I suppose", Oliver Wood added.
Fred grinned, "you could say that". George nodded beside him smiling, glad that Fred seemed willing to do most of the talking.
Angelina stepped past Alicia to place herself in Fred's direct view, she was wearing a knee length purple dress under a denim jacket and was smiling widely at Fred. "Hi Fred", her voice was soft, as she attempted to attract his attention.
"Hey Angie", he replied smiling back, as Lee winked at him suggestively from behind her view.
"It's been a while eh", she said directing the question at Fred and still overlooking his twin's presence. She placed a hand on her hip and smiled widely showing the whites of her teeth, whilst Katie and Alicia giggled behind her.
"Er you look nice Angelina", Fred gave her the complement she was seeking and smiled awkwardly, wondering if she was going to acknowledge George's presence at all that evening. It irked him considerably when she did that and was one of the reasons why he'd never asked her out on a third date and made it official; if he had she would have tried to persuade him to stop hanging around with his twin all the time. If Angelina knew him at all, then she should have realised that snubbing George was not the way to get into his affections, praying that they could all enjoy themselves without any awkwardness. He had made it clear to Angelina that he just wanted them to be friends but had a feeling that she wasn't content to leave things at that.
"George and I have been doing some work for the Order", Fred said leading the conversation as they walked inside to find a table in an effort to force her to acknowledge George. Angelina merely nodded at him and stepped between the twins slipping an arm through Fred's and pushing him gently into a seat next to her, with Alicia Spinnet sitting down on his other side; leaving George to take a seat further along the table out of easy speaking distance with his twin. George's expression was carefully moulded into a polite smile, but Fred could tell that he was offended by her attitude towards him. Fred had never understood what Angelina's problem with George was, they'd always got on really well until he and Angelina had broken things off; part of him suspected that she blamed his twin in some way. She couldn't have been further from the truth, George had never tried to persuade him against dating her, but had been as supportive as ever despite Fred's gut feeling that he hadn't been overly fond of the time Fred had spent away from him with Angelina. Fred imagined that Angelina's hostility towards George would only increase should she ever suspect that his love for his twin made him disinterested in her in the romantic sense.
"Can you believe that they've cancelled Quiditch", Oliver said clearly outraged, as Fred resumed his attention on the conversation. George stifled a laugh, Oliver's love of the sport had always bordered on obsession.
"Well there is a war on Ol", George smiled.
"Yeah, but whenever something happens why do they have to cancel it", he insisted. "It's like when we couldn't play at school that time because of some stupid great snake slithering around the castle."
"Safety first", Fred smiled as everyone apart from George started at his words.
"Who are you an what have you done with Fred Weasley", Lee chuckled.
Fred shrugged his shoulders. "I've always been concerned about not going too far as a matter of fact", he replied, thinking about how he'd always fretted over George's safety.
"Well you two have changed", Alicia exclaimed. She picked up a menu and began to peruse the dishes on offer, looking up she glanced at George and then stared, noticing for the first time that he was missing an ear; the menu dropped out of her hands making everyone look up from where they'd been reading their own menus.
"George! What happened to your ear", she exclaimed in shock. George suppressed a sigh, it had been too much to hope that his altered appearance wouldn't make interesting conversation, but he thought that it was about time that he started exploiting the joke potential from the injury.
"What? It should be right here", he said, clamping a hand to the side of his head. "It's gone!"
Fred smiled at him, glad to see that George had taken his advice about the injury. "Fighting for the Order", he said, launching into the story of Harry's escape from Privet Drive and making sure that George sounded as heroic as possible in a bid to impress Angelina. However, rather than gasping over the story in awe as he had hoped she looked from Fred to George and smiled at George in a condescending manner.
"Looks like you're definitely the best looking one now Fred", she said snidely. The smile instantly vanished from George's face and he picked his menu back up from the table, raising it to his face.
"So I guess you're deaf in one ear then George", she asked pointedly. Fred wanted to bang his head against the table in frustration; she was using even less subtly than Ron usually employed.
She smiled nastily seeing how uncomfortable she had made him. "No, the ear drum is still intact, just if people are speaking quietly I sometimes struggle to make out what they're saying if they're standing on that side of me."
The evening wore on and Fred felt himself growing more and more annoyed with Angelina, as she constantly snubbed George and interrupted him when he tried to speak, especially to his twin. George was feeling left out with Angelina and Alicia keeping Fred engaged and Oliver, Katie and Lee immersed in their own conversation; he couldn't help but feel invisible. He'd thought that it might be fun to see their old friends but he guessed that they must have only asked him because they wanted Fred to come. Seeing Angelina flirting with Fred aroused jealousy so strong that he felt ashamed of himself. He knew that if Angelina had her way tonight her and Fred would be dating again and with his newfound shame for Fred he didn't think that he'd be able to stand her trying to come between them. Considering that she didn't seem to like him, it would be inevitable that the time he got to spend with his twin would be significantly reduced. Sadness engulfed him. He'd accepted that he could never be with Fred, but he couldn't accept losing him to Angelina who hadn't wasted a single opportunity to throw him triumphant looks.
"Fred, when is that..." He had tried to crane his head around Alicia to make eye contact with Fred, but she shifted her position to block his view. It seems like it's a team effort then so Angelina can have his full attention.
"Oooh Fred you look good in that shirt you're wearing", she said, moving his jacket to the side so she could look at it properly.
"Thanks, George must look good too then", he responded dryly, as they were both wearing the same shirt, but with jackets in complementary colours.
"You still wear the same clothes", she stated in a disparaging tone. "Don't you think you're a bit old for that now Fred, I mean sure it was cute when you were younger but you should really develop your own style. I could help you pick out some things that would look good on you."
"Oh, are there some clothes that don't suit people with one ear Angelina?" George's voice was strongly laced with sarcasm as he was getting fed up of her constant digs.
Angelina ignored the remark but Fred laughed and tilted his chair backwards so that they could make eye contact. "Georgie you look good in anything", he smiled. George read in his eyes an unspoken apology for Angelina's behavior, but George shook his head at him slightly in a way that said don't be silly it's not your fault.
"We don't always wear the same thing no, but when we don't its normally just in different colours", Fred smiled, but he felt defensive as he realised that people would think their similar attire strange now they were adults.
Angelina stood up and extended her hand to Fred. "Come and get another drink with me honey", to Fred it sounded more like a command than a question. Nevertheless, he stood up and took her offered hand, determined to question her about her behavior towards George, who watched them go resentfully. Angelina ordered them two butterbeers and looked at Fred expectantly; as if programmed to do so he reached into his pocket for money.
"Make it three", he said to Madame Rosmerta. "George's glass has been empty for a while", he said in response to Angelina's raised eyebrows. She frowned at the answer draining away the last of Fred's patience. What right did she think she had to treat his twin like a piece of filth she'd stepped in? A bartender placed their drinks in front of them, Fred picked his up clutching the glass tightly in an effort to quell his temper.
"Something the matter Fred honey?" Fred glared at her, but Angelina stood firm under a stare that many others would have wilted under. A stare that looked out of place on Fred's soft and usually smiling features.
"Yeah your attitude towards George. You used to get on well with him and then suddenly you started behaving towards him like he wasn't even there. He doesn't deserve to be treated like that by anyone, especially not by somebody who's technically supposed to be his friend."
Angelina bit her lip looking mildly guilty, but in Fred's opinion nowhere guilty enough. "Well then he shouldn't try to control you all the time should he?"
Fred looked astounded at what he was hearing. "George, control me? Our relationship isn't like that, it's...equal".
"Yes he does, we dated a few times in our last year at Hogwarts and then you refused to go on another one because I know he told you not to!" Angelina's dark eyes were now also flashing in anger.
"Don't blame George just because things didn't work out, it was never anything serious anyway; a couple of dates and that was it".
"He was clearly jealous", Angelina spat. "He's probably always been jealous of you, because you're everybody's favorite Weasley twin".
Fred shook his head in exasperation. "Why are you doing this? Look I broke things off with you because I wasn't ready for a serious relationship". However, he had only partially told her the truth, he hadn't been ready or willing to move on from his twin to start leading an individual life and now two years later, he knew that he never would be.
Angelina smiled then and Fred knew what was coming; but he couldn't avoid this forever, it wouldn't be fair for her to hold hope for them as a couple. "I see", she said softly. "I see now that it wasn't really George's fault, I'll apologise to him". Fred nodded stiffly, but he was far from forgiving her.
"So handsome, what about a date next Saturday?" Her voice was seductive and Fred felt unusually lost for words.
"No", he replied bluntly.
"What do you mean no?"
"Angelina I don't feel that way about you. I'm sorry, I really am. Find yourself somebody, you deserve it. You're a great person, well most of the time, but I can't pretend to have feelings that I don't have. Wouldn't you prefer me to be honest with you?" Fred eyes appealed to her to see reason, but Angelina was full of wounded pride and simmering rage.
"You're a bastard. Leading me on all this time; I suppose you thought it was funny. I bet you've laughed about it with him haven't you?" Fred shook his head and clutched the full glass tighter. He glanced across at the table and saw the others watching their confrontation, Lee and Oliver looking amused, Alicia and Katie staring at him accusingly and George... George was looking guilty, he briefly met his twin's eyes from across the room and quickly looked down at the table. Oh Georgie.
"I've done no such thing", he said quietly, having lost the will to argue; he had enough to deal with without this as well. "You saw something that was never there and I'm really sorry Angelina, nothing about this is funny to me. Nothing is funny anymore." He walked away from her then, leaving her to gape angrily after him. He drew a chair up to George and handed him the glass of butterbear. George met his gaze with the silent question are you ok, in his chocolate brown orbs. Fred shook his head briefly, fighting back the tears that were brimming up in his eyes; whilst underneath the table George rested a hand on his knee in comfort.
Alicia and Katie got up to join Angelina at the bar and the three of them left without saying goodbye to the twins.
"Gee mate I think you pissed her off. Maybe she'll have me back", Lee said hopefully.
After another ten minutes the twins said goodbye to Lee and Oliver; the latter of whom was giggling from having had too much to drink. In silence, they left the pub and walked a short distance up the lane. Fred's heart felt heavy as the spat with Angelina was added to the weight upon his conscience, as he felt that she wouldn't have behaved so unreasonably if he hadn't been in some way responsible. He held George's wrist as he apparated them to their shop and they walked up the stairs to their apartment. Fred sat down heavily on his bed and rested his head on his hand, feeling the bed dip slightly as George sat down next to him and placed an arm around his shoulders. Fred told him everything that she had said and waited for him to speak.
"Well she was partially right. I was... jealous about you getting a girlfriend because...I thought you'd spend less time with me", George admitted softly. "I'm sorry Fred".
Fred drew George close to him and tipped his head up so that their eyes met. "Well you didn't show it Georgie, no this was my fault. I should have been more clear with her. Everything's always my fault", he allowed a single tear to fall, but quickly wiped it away. "I thought you wanted a girlfriend anyway George".
His twin shook his head rapidly. "No, I only wanted one because I thought you did. Really I hated the thought of us separating from each other".
Fred smiled then and rubbed George's arms affectionately. "We're both idiots aren't we? Normally we're completely open with each other and don't end up in this sort of mess."
"Things have been difficult lately", George said heavily. "But we're all right aren't we Fred?"
"Of course we are, I just don't want things to change. No girl could accept being a second in my life, could never understand that you'll always be the most important person to me. I'll always love you more than anyone else." Fred reached a hand to touch his cheek, sorely tempted to confess everything then and there, why he'd closed himself off, why he hadn't been completely open with him. He could sense too that there were things that George hadn't told him, but closed his lips tightly; his abnormal feelings were going to remain an invisible barrier between them. As Fred drifted off to sleep that night, he thought that no George everything isn't alright. I'm not ok. I feel lost. He fell asleep with tears lining his cheeks, completely devoid of all hope.