More twists, and a great load of emo-George at the end. Oh, and the chapter title is two songs: Dear Agony is by Breaking Benjamin, and I'll Cry Instead is by The Beatles. I thought they both sumarrized what George was going through pretty well, but I couldn't choose between the two of them.
***
George walked heavily downstairs, pausing just before entering the kitchen. He took a deep breath and stepped in, staring straight ahead. He clenched his fists and bit the inside of his cheek, trying not to look at the table with the empty chair next to his own. George unlatched the door to the garden, and stepped outside, slamming it behind him.
A strong wind blew across the garden and he shivered.
"Kind of makes you feel like a piece of Swiss cheese, eh? All full of holes." George whirled around and gasped. A translucent figure stood before him, with two large wings on his back, and his hair pulled into a ponytail.
"Fred?"
"That's my name," Fred said. He pulled out his wand, and muttered a spell. A silvery fox with two small wings on its back burst from his wand tip. Wordlessly, George took out his own wand and did the same. His fox was dull and dejected, its luster gone, and its tail drooping. When it saw its twin, its ears pricked up, and it dashed forward to greet its lost friend.
Fred grinned at them for a moment, then turned to his brother.
"So, how've you been?" George shook his head and grinned for the first time in a week.
"Bloody awful, you?"
"The same. I was getting tired of you and Ash crying your eyes out over me, so I thought I'd drop by."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah."
"You lummox. Why didn't you tell me you were coming back?"
Fred looked uncomfortable.
"Ah… that would be because I'm only stopping by for a brief visit. I'm putting my affairs in order, and then I'll go back." George kept grinning, but there was a change. It was the grin of someone who was determined to keep the conversation going, and not let it get awkward.
"Go back to where?" George asked.
"Up," Fred replied, waving his finger vaguely at the sky.
"I see." George stuffed his hands in his pockets, and kicked at a tuft of grass.
"George, I'm expecting you to go back to the shop, you know," Fred said. George looked up.
"Not yet," he said softly.
"Not yet," Fred agreed, "But eventually."
"Oh, and Ash," Fred said suddenly, with the air of someone who has just remembered something he had forgotten.
"Yes?"
"Take care of her," Fred said. George stared at the ground and muttered something unintelligible. Fred grinned.
"She'll come round, don't worry. It'll take her awhile, but she'll come round."
"You sure about that?" George said ruefully.
"Positive," Fred said. "Oh, and one last thing." George looked up. Fred seemed to be growing fainter by the second.
"Fred, what's up? Why are you so… faint?"
" 'Cos I have to leave soon," Fred yelled. A strong wind had begun to blow across the garden.
Fred grabbed George and hugged him briefly before yelling, "There has to be two foxes!" over the wind. With that, he was gone, vanishing as suddenly as he had appeared.
The wind died. George sank to his knees. 'There has to be two foxes'? What the bloody hell does that mean? He flopped down on the grass, and found that his eyes were leaking yet again. Great. Just bloody wonderful. He lay on the grass and cried resignedly, giving himself up for the umpteenth time. What's the use in fighting? he thought dully. It's just gonna get worse. There's no point in trying to stop it.
He pounded the ground with his fist in frustration. His brother was dead, his family was broken, and the girl he loved only thought of him as a friend. His life was a wreck, and he couldn't do anything about it but cry.
George Weasley curled into the fetal position and cried because he couldn't do anything else.
***
Major emo at the end. Blast some Breaking Benjamin and you'll feel better, George. Oh and Ash will come round. Promise.