Not sure how long New Year will go on. This is a prelude to some George-angst I'm afraid.

(LOL - when I started this story, each event was only going to be one chapter. That fell by the wayside, didn't it?)

New Year

I. 30th December 1998 – Lee and George

All day Lee had been acutely aware of the letter in his pocket. It had arrived by owl the previous evening, and should have done nothing but make him happy. Hell, it did make him happy, but George was having a bad enough day already – despite the "Sorry, no fireworks" sign in the window, he had just had what seemed like the twentieth argument of the day with a customer complaining that a joke shop should have fireworks at New Year – and Lee knew that what he had to tell him would only make things worse. He sighed. He could chicken out and not tell George till after the New Year he supposed, but that would hardly be fair. And he didn't want to spend the next two days worrying about it. He wanted to get it over with. So, as they were shutting up shop at closing time he broached the subject.

"George..?"

"Mm, what?"

"I need to talk to you before I go."

"That sounds serious." George smiled at him, somewhat wearily. I had been a very long day.

"It is…" Lee glanced at Ron, who took the hint, and disappeared towards the stairs, muttering something about a cup of tea.

"What's up, Lee?" asked George, perching himself on the desk in the tiny office, and looking at his friend with a slightly perplexed expression.

"You're going to hate me for this."

"For fuck's sake, what?"

"I've-I've had a job offer. From the Wizarding Wireless Network. A daily programme of my own. I can't turn it down, George. Hell, I don't want to turn it down. But I feel awful about leaving you in the lurch. I can't carry on working here too – there aren't enough hours in the day."

George's mind was racing. Lee working in the shop had only ever been supposed to be a temporary thing after Fred died, but he had got so used to Lee being there that he had conveniently let himself forget that. What would they do without him? There was no way he and Ron could run the place on their own. They'd have to hire someone else, he supposed, but he hated – hated – the idea of a stranger in the shop right now. It was bad enough without Fred as it was; he couldn't cope with someone new too. Verity was long gone – she had been working in Eeylops Owl Emporium since shortly after he and Fred had had to go into hiding at Easter, and George knew she was unlikely to want to come back. So it would mean someone completely new… Belatedly, George realised that Lee was looking at him with a worried expression, waiting for him to say something.

"Congratulations," he managed, hoping his voice didn't sound too flat. "It's what you've always wanted, isn't it?"

"Yeah, but…"

George looked at his friend. Lee clearly felt bad enough about this already, and George realised that despite the impulse to yell at him and ask him how the hell he could abandon him, there was no way he could make him feel worse than he already did.

"It's okay, Lee. It was never supposed to be permanent, you working here. I always knew that."

"I feel awful letting you down. It-it feels like I'm letting Fred down too…"

George shook his head. "Don't be an idiot. I'd never have managed to continue with the shop when-when Fred died without you. I'm grateful. You know that. And-and Fred would be too. There's no way you're letting either of us down. When does this job start?"

"Next week. The eighth. I know that gives you practically no notice, but I only just found out myself. I did the audition ages ago, and I'd nearly forgotten about it. I'm sorry, George."

"It's okay. We'll manage. Don't look so upset, Lee. This is your big break, isn't it?"

"Yeah." Lee smiled finally. "I'm still pinching myself. I can't believe they've really offered it to me – a daily show. I'd've been over the moon if they'd given me a weekly one, but apparently 'Potterwatch' impressed them."

"I should think it did. It was pretty damn good." George managed to grin at his friend, and wrapped his arms round him in a hug. "Will you still talk to me when you're famous?"

Lee laughed. "I might, if you're lucky. Might even give you my autograph." Lee returned the hug, grateful to have got this difficult conversation over with, and that George had taken it better than he expected. "Look, mate, I have to go. Ange and I are going out to celebrate. I'll see you on Tuesday."

"Yeah, yeah, of course." George was not sorry Lee needed to go. Right now he felt he needed some time on his own to process what Lee had just told him. "Have a good New Year."

"Yeah, you too…" Lee's voice tailed off. Saying that to George felt wrong, as saying "Merry Christmas" had done the previous week. Did wishing George a Happy New Year just rub in the fact that he was facing it without his twin? But not saying it would feel wrong too. Lee didn't know what the answer to that was. He clapped George on the shoulder and turned to go, George following him to lock the shop door behind him.

Once Lee had gone, George leant against the door with his eyes closed. Lee's defection – it felt like a betrayal, though he knew logically that it was nothing of the sort – seemed like more than he could cope with right now. He sighed, and headed for the stairs, wondering if he had the energy to deal with telling Ron, or if he could put it off till tomorrow. He decided to put it off. Ron would probably be furious that he hadn't told him straightaway, but he'd worry about that tomorrow. Right now, all he wanted was a shower and a cup of tea…