Double or Nothing
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Deceit
He lives in you,
He lives in me,
He watches over,
Everything we see,
Into the water,
Into the truth,
In your reflection,
He lives in you….
He Lives in You- The Lion King
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Aaaaannnnd here's the next one :D Here is where the result of the…somewhat of a cliffhanger is revealed! Enjoy :D
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"Fred…"
George didn't drop his hand, and nor did the figure looking back at him, a small smile creasing his features. George couldn't close his mouth, feeling tears beginning to burn in his eyes as he took in the other, much less subtle differences that George could have sworn had not been there a minute ago. A large gash spread across his twin's head, crimson blood staining his clothes and he was still dressed in what Fred had been wearing that day, in fact he looked quite different from George that the living twin was quietly surprised he hadn't seen it at once.
But no...surely not…Fred couldn't be here…
As if to confirm it, Fred pressed their palms together, his own azure eyes mirroring the tears in George's. "It's me." Was all he said, all he could say as his twin simply stared.
Almost afraid, George moved his hand, not daring to believe that his dead twin was really standing before him, the time in Russia when he'd been about to really end his own life replayed in his mind, Fred had appeared then too, but only for an instant. The look on his face would forever stick in George's memory, one so utterly distraught and full of pain, a face like that is not forgotten easily.
But now, now here he was, standing solidly before him, looking as he did when he had died, still covered in blood.
"F-Fred?" George stammered, a little louder than the first time, not wanting to blink.
He nodded, his smile growing. George swayed uneasily on his feet, half feeling like he might faint, Fred was here, he was really here. His desire to see Fred again was clouding his judgement, was this really Fred after all? Without really controlling himself George stepped forward again to embrace his twin, as far as he was concerned if he could actually touch Fred than he was there. And he could, not caring about the blood that was starting to stain his own clothes he hugged his twin.
"Let go…"
At first the words didn't register in George's mind, after all, surely Fred wouldn't say that, not when George hadn't seen him for about nine months. But then his brother pulled back and George stepped back, a look of confusion plastered on his face. Fred's on the other hand held a much darker look.
"Fred?" It only vaguely registered that that was the only word he had spoken in the past five or so minutes.
His brother looked back, the edge of his lips curling upwards in a smirk and then, before the living Weasley registered what was happening, Fred had swung his fist as hard as he could, catching George's eye and sending him staggering sideways, tripping over his own feet in the process and tumbling to the ground.
"Bloody hell! What was that for?" He cried, getting to his feet and staring in utter bewilderment at his twin.
Fred narrowed his eyes "You know bloody well what." He gestured grandly at the wound on his head. "You, George Weasley, you killed me."
George could only stare at him in amazement, still totally convinced this was really Fred. Apparently he was too silent because Fred scoffed.
"For a twin of mine you sure are stupid, George, I know you're smarter than that."
"I-I didn't kill you, Fred…it was Rookwood."
"Not directly you didn't." Fred was pacing now, almost circling George who stared, tears again stinging his eyes, how could his brother think such things?
It's not me, that's how!
George heard it but completely disregarded it, Fred was standing before him physically he was real and it would be hard to convince him otherwise, even if he was accusing him.
"You weren't there; you didn't make Dad change his mind. If you had stayed and fought with me, I wouldn't be dead!" Fred shouted now "It's your fault, George! It's your fault!" With that, Fred swung again, striking right where George's left ear had been sliced off.
George, don't listen! It is not me!
How could it not be? He was telling the truth, George supposed, crying out in pain as his old wound was aggravated, burning like anything and he could feel a trickle of something warm run down the side of his face. It was his fault though, Fred was absolutely right, if he had been with his twin like he should have been he could have saved Fred. Even if it meant losing his own life he could have saved Fred, so really Fred was right to accuse him and react in such a way. Something was wrong though, George never thought like this, completely resigned. The third strike George didn't even try to dodge, doubling over in pain as Fred's foot slammed into his gut. Why wasn't he using his wand? Get it over with quicker.
"I'm sorry…"He groaned, why was his brother doing this?
"Get up, George! Stop being a coward…crucio!"
George barely fought back a scream, instead a strangled cry escaped his lips as he collapsed twitching, he hadn't even realised Fred had his wand in his hand.
George! Please! That's obviously not me! You know I wouldn't do that!
Perhaps it was simply that he wanted so badly for Fred to be alive, even if he was torturing him that George still refused to acknowledge Fred's pleading, almost tortured voice in his head, begging him.
Fred was looking down sadistically at George staring back up at him, horror and tears evident in his eyes. "It's your fault that I'm dead. Did you even care when I died?"
Putting aside the pain for the moment, George gaped, how could Fred ask him that? He voiced his thoughts quietly.
"How can you ask that?" He asked in a voice thick with pain and sorrow, at the moment he wanted nothing more than to die, than for his own twin to kill him and make it even.
"It took you weeks to even cry for me."
George forced himself to stagger to his feet again, almost insulted now. "And I've barely stopped since." He spat "Do you know how often I literally had to cry myself to sleep like a bloody baby?"
God, George! Please? Can't you tell it's not me?
"You have never once come to the graveyard, everyone else has. Dad, Percy, Ginny, even Charlie. But not you. Because I know, George." A horrible sneer plastered itself on the face of the 'twin' "I know you've always wanted not to have a twin. So you took your chance. You took it and you killed me! You're responsible for your own identical twin's death!"
Obviously preferring to physically inflict pain on George, he viciously punched him again, following it up with a fast kick to the ribs.
George spluttered, groaning as he both felt and heard several ribs either crack or break. "Why? Why are you doing this?" The tears were falling freely now, running down his cheeks and dropping one by one to the ground.
Fine…I have to prove it. I'll not watch you be killed!
It was then when George summoned the strength to lift his head and look his 'brother' directly in the eye, to plead with him to just kill him, that his attention was caught by something else to the left of his attacker.
A man, identical to George but for his injuries and clothing, stood there, identical to the attacker although it seemed, invisible to him. There was a single difference between them, and George noticed it immediately, his physical attacker's eyes were full of sadistic pleasure, whilst the eyes of the other were full of nothing but pain and almost lost hope. It was clear which was truly his twin.
"…I'm so sorry, Fred." He muttered and lifted his face to look at his attacker. "You're not real…"
He wasn't taken aback; he had expected the man to figure it out eventually, but even now, would he be able to harm the body of his own twin? He smirked.
"You won't win."
George's own eyes mirrored the pain in those of his real twin, he may know that this was not Fred, but there was no chance he could attack someone using his appearance. It may mean literally killing his identical twin.
"You're not real." He said louder, slowly drawing his wand. "How dare you take his appearance! AND MINE!" He cried, aiming his wand, incredibly shakily at his attacker's throat.
He stood back spreading his arms and giving George a clear, easy shot. "Go on." He challenged. "Kill me!"
There was a tense, long moment of silence in which George attempted to summon the words. He knew it wasn't his brother standing before him, but he would never forgive himself for intentionally harming or murdering Fred, whether it was truly him or not.
Do it, George. Please…
'I can't…'
"Time's up." Said the sneering voice "Crucio!"
Before George had even seen the wand move he was on the ground again, writhing in agony, besieged with feelings of inadequacy and hopelessness. Whatever spell this was it was a damn good one, designed to play the victims weaknesses to extremes. And hell…it was working.
It was too much, this was literally too much for him. It was very out of character for a Weasley twin to simply give up but at the moment he really did not care any longer.
"Kill me…" He muttered, almost spitefully through the pain. "I'd rather die at the hand of my brother than any other."
'Oh look…I made a rhyme…' he thought vaguely, completely beside the point of the situation as another torture curse struck him.
"Oh, I'll kill you. I'll kill you like you killed your twin." Was the reply, it was circling him now, thoroughly revelling in the wizard's pain. "Although, your death will be far more drawn out…"
Get up, George! Please…if you die here…
'I'd rather die.'
Despite himself, George summoned the strength to begin to haul himself to his feet once again, though he had no intention to fight. A leather shoed foot slammed into his gut again, sending him back to the ground, a loud scream of pain slipped through his lips as he felt what he was sure was a shard of bone breaking off the rib.
"What the hell are you? No enchantment can do this…" He spat blood.
"I assure you, you've seen me around. Remember the little girl, Josephine? Or the Greek girl…Irene?"
It took a moment for this information to sink into George's brain "What? You're some kind of…shapeshifter or something?" He raised an eyebrow, they were very few and far between shapeshifters were.
'Fred' smirked "Or something. You were right not to trust me though, I'll give you that." Twirling the wand over in his fingers, he raised an eyebrow "You're not as stupid as you look."
"Funny you should say that…you do realise you look just like me?"
That earned George another strike to the side of the head, his head felt like it was on fire, literally.
"At any rate, you've got something I want. Or rather, we want. You see, there are more after you than just I. So either you give it to me and…crucio! And you die quickly, or you don't and you die much slower."
That was it, it was far too much now, he had to fight back…even if it meant harming his own twin's form. He gritted his teeth and gripped his wand which he had amazingly not dropped. His opponent was faster however, he caught sight of the wand before George could even open his mouth and but a quick expelliarmus later he held it in his own hand.
"I really thought you'd be better than that. God, I thought you were intelligent." He yawned. "Now, what's it going to be, Georgie?"
It couldn't be any plainer that whatever was after him was after the bottle he had hidden away, George gritted his teeth and said nothing, he wouldn't give it up, and now he so wanted to fight, he had lost his wand. In a quick, single movement, George pushed himself onto his feet and lunged forward, catching the shifter by surprise and landing a blow to his jaw.
"Bastard…" he spat.
The shifter reeled around, his eyes steely whilst baring a hint of sadistic glee that George found absolutely terrifying to see in the eyes of Fred. "Guess that's a no then."
"I'm going to kill you, George. You're going to die at the hands of dear Freddie. Whoa now! None of that!" He cried, for George had made a mad grab for his wand, his fingers brushing the wood.
"I won't…you're not Fred."
"Let me put it this way. You're gonna die. If not by me then by the next one that comes after you."
"You said you were that Greek girl…what's that make 'her' brother?"
"Do you really expect me to rattle on, telling you all about in the danger you're in?" The shifter smirked, ducking George's hand and in the same movement sending a jet of blue toward George. It struck him in the chest, sending him backwards into a tree, bruising his back. It occurred to him then that so far this quest had given him more injuries than the past twenty years had, and that was saying something considering the line of work the twins had chosen.
His vision was clouding now, he knew he couldn't beat this, perhaps if he had fought back from the start he would definitely have a chance, but he'd left it far too long. He could barely move for the pain now, it felt like every bone in his body was bruised, which to be fair, was probably true.
Oh God…George get up…
Loud laughter echoed from above him and the twin lifted his eyes and blinked, there was a wand aimed directly at his chest.
"Kill me…just do it!" He spat blood, only half fearful for his life, he was lightheaded, undoubtedly from blood loss and he felt sure he would black out at any moment.
And he did, the last thing he remembered as darkness enveloped him was the sneering of his opponent being replaced with a look of utter shock. Then all was black.
