Half
"Would you just stop?"
Fred crossed his little arms stubbornly and refused to budge in the face of their irate mother. If Charlie was there, he would have said that their mum definitely looked like a dragon - what with the flared nostrils, disheveled flaming red hair, and glance enough to petrify lesser mortals-
In fact, she looked very close to spitting fire.
If it was some other day, he would have laughed at her and egged her on, face innocent, eyes gleaming with mischief, taking cues from his twin-
Fred's breath caught in his throat as his eyes fell on the seat beside him - stillEmptyStillEmptywhy- and glared back at his mother, still refusing to touch the food.
"I want to see Georgie." He said again, probably for the umpteenth time that day. "I don't want to eat, I want to see him."
Molly dropped her spoon in the bowl with a resounding clang. Slamming her hands on the table that startled Ron out of his daydream, she glared at Fred. "You will finish your food right now," she gritted her teeth, "and you will stop your tantrums. You will see him when it is time. Eat." At Fred's defiant expression, the corner of her lips tightened and she spoke again, her tone promising punishment, "Now."
Ginny started to cry.
Fred's lips wobbled, eyes watering. He pushed his plate away and hopped down, sniffling.
"I'm not hungry."
He ignored Molly's call and ran to the refuge of his bedroom, their bedroom - but it was just his then, since Georgie wasn't there, Georgie was all alone at the hospital and he was all alone at home and no one cared enough to tell him what was going on.
The seven year old locked his door and threw himself on the bed. He wanted to scream and shout and howl at the world, at everyone because they wouldn't just listen-
He sobbed, face on the pillow, trying desperately to stop the tears, but they refused to follow his orders, his eyes kept on overflowing and the pain his chest wasn't going away at all. He rubbed at his eyes furiously, it wasn't the time to cry, he needed to find a way to see George, at least once, he would be alright then. It has been five days already.
His illness couldn't be that bad, right?
xxxx
He found his chance that night after dad came back from work. He had surely visited the hospital, Fred could smell the typical sterile odour associated with infirmaries. But what stopped him from throwing a tantrum was the weariness in Arthur's brows.
Fred ate quietly that night with his two younger siblings. Molly didn't bring up his actions from noon in front of Arthur - which surprised him. Rather, she gave him the silent treatment, which both of the twins detested.
He felt a little bad for acting out but he wasn't going to apologize. He understood, he really did, that it was hard for his parents too - but he would be satisfied if they at least told him what was wrong with George.
Dinner was quite that night. Even Ron and Ginny didn't make a fuss.
Fred trudged up the stairs after dinner, not wanting to stay any longer in that smothering atmosphere. Locking his door behind him, he listlessly slumped on the floor. Bringing his knees up to his chest, he hugged them trying desperately to stop his tears from falling again. He buried his face on his knees, as his efforts proved fruitful.
Fred knew people thought it was childish for him to be that dependent on his brother - but they didn't understand. They didn't understand - he had been with George forever. The first memory he had was their little hands joined together in their crib, falling asleep to their dad's gentle voice. He hadn't let go of that hand since then.
Till that moment.
George was feeling under the weather for a couple of days before the incident. Fred had forcefully put a stop to all their prank planning on the second day and took care of him.
On the third day, George's thumb started becoming transparent.
He was immediately taken to Mungo's and had been there ever since then.
Fred wasn't aware of how long he had sat like that - but was startled out of his drowsiness by a low voice coming from their parents' room. He stretched his limbs and waited for the numbness to die down, before silently unlocking his door. He mentally applauded the two of them for coming up with the idea to keep the hinges smooth - after all, it wouldn't be good for their plans if mum heard them every time they left their rooms.
It sure came in handy.
He got lighter on his feet, taking care to avoid the third plank which creaked and slowly situated himself in front of the door.
". . . that can't be true! . . . Arthur. . ." Molly was sobbing.
Times like these, he wished he had some device to listen in on conversations. He needed to talk to Georgie about that.
". . . Vanishing Disease. . . No cure. . ."
". . . dying. . ."
His ears were ringing. Surely, it couldn't be true? He walked back to his room in a trance and drifted off to sleep.
Xxxxx
"Can you take Ginny to the Lovegoods?" Molly tentatively asked a silent Fred during lunch the next day. "Pandora asked to send her over."
He nodded glumly. He poked at his food, not having much appetite after yesterday's eavesdropping. He got up after pushing around the food some more and made his way to the garden. "Call me when she is ready," he said, softly.
While Ginny was good friends with Luna, the twins liked her mum the best. Pandora was a genius at Potions and had taught them the basics of potion making. She didn't talk down to them at all, rather, she had always encouraged them to work on new ideas. She also gave them tips here and there, ideas on how to improve a prank with a wink and a grin.
He could talk to her regarding the Vanishing Disease. Surely it couldn't be as bad as they were making it out to be?
The walk to Luna's house was silent. Usually Ginny kept on chattering non-stop, but maybe she felt Fred's low mood today, because she didn't say a word. Fred was thankful for that - their little sister could be scarily perceptive at the best and worst times.
It was almost time for the sun to set and one or two fireworks were already seen. It had been a few years since the defeat of Dark Lord and people were still celebrating his defeat on Halloween. Their family never participated though. The losses were too much, the victories too little.
Luna and Pandora were standing on their doorsteps, waving as soon as they arrived. Other days, Ginny would run as soon as she saw them- but it was different that day.
She hugged Fred tightly before running to her friend.
Xxxxx
Pandora's eyes weren't smiling. The usual gentle look was replaced by a grave countenance.
His heart sank. The cookie dropped to the tray with a dull clink.
"If that's what you heard, Fred, I'm sorry, it's incurable. A person usually takes about a month to disappear, but it depends on the body surface area, it's faster in children -"
A ringing sound filled his ears - he got up and slowly, slowly backed away from her. His movements felt like someone who was petrified, heavy, unaware of the world. Pandora's voice rose, Fred saw her blurry hand move towards him through the tears.
He turned and ran.
He ran, ran, till his breathing got faster and faster, heart hammering in his chest, eyes unseeing of the world around, unknowing of the path his feet took him to.
George was going to die. He was going to leave him forever. They wouldn't be able to play pranks anymore, they wouldn't be able to open their prank shop, they wouldn't be able to become rich and famous and bloody hell, they wouldn't be able to go to Hogwarts, they wouldn't even receive their letters together, they wouldn't be able to go wand shopping together -
The ringing in his ear grew louder and louder, till he started to hallucinate a song. He crashed to the ground as the ringing reached its peak and rubbed his eyes, heaving.
Soft light illuminated the area - he couldn't remember if he had ever been to these parts - and drowned the darkness. When he looked more closely, the lights seemed to be coming from some small - fireflies? No, they had wings but their bodies looked bigger than fireflies and resembled human figures.
Fred paled and looked at his foot - sure enough - he was standing in a ring of toadstools.
He had to get out of there. And fast.
That was his last thought before he heard bell-like laughter and passed out.
Xxxx
". . . it's getting up. . ."
". . . it's a human!"
". . . round ears. . . "
"Hush now."
Fred groaned and opened his eyes to the most beautiful scene he had ever seen. Huge trees surrounded him, leaves the colours of the rainbow and flowers ranging from smaller than a button to as large as Hippogriff. A sweet, nostalgic smell lingered in the air, and somehow made him feel refreshed and drowsy at the same time. Small beings fluttered around him curiously, their voices the ones rousing him from sleep. It no longer looked like any area in St. Ottery, Catchpole, but it looked. . .
. . . like a land of the Fae.
Fred knew the rules. Don't stand in a fairy ring, don't offend them, don't lie to them, don't ask for any favors, don't receive any gifts and most importantly,
"What is your name, human?" An eerily beautiful being, features all sharp and pointed, wings like an elegant butterfly, asked him.
-don't give them your full name.
He hadn't noticed at first, but how he could have missed that throne was beyond him. It was, like every other thing there, mind-numbingly beautiful. The trunk of two trees somehow joined to form the throne, leaves and branches and flower entwining together, fireflies, actual ones, going in and out of the little crevices to give it a soft glow - it had nothing on the person hovering over it, though.
Fred gulped as their sharp smile became sharper with his silence.
"Speak human, what are you called by?"
He swallowed. Alright, only the first name.
"Fred."
"Fred," repeated the ethereal being, somehow sounding amused. "You are fortunate enough to cross the borders on this auspicious twilight. Dine with us, Fred."
Suddenly, the mood changed. The eerie, silent atmosphere somehow became lively. Voices and laughter and sounds of merrymaking entered his ears. Tables made of living trees appeared, leaves acted as plates. And the food - the food! The stories of Hogwarts' food paled in comparison to this.
The strong, heady smell intensified. Fred had a feeling that if anything, he shouldn't succumb to the temptations.
MustNotEatMustNotEatMustNotEat. . .
He bowed deeply.
"I . . . I don't have any appetite - you see, Your Highness, my brother is ill and I can't imagine enjoying this without him."
"Indeed," they nodded sympathetically. "What illness might that be?"
All the stuff of the past few days crashed on to him. He spoke as if he wasn't in control of himself - his voice felt like someone else's. He spoke and spoke and spoke till he had nothing to speak of anymore.
"We can cure your brother," their smile was all teeth. "Your story has intrigued us, consider this a gift."
"I should not impose."
"Your brother will be alive with you."
Fred hesitated.
"You promise?"
The smile grew wider.
"Speak your wish, human."
"I want to stay with George my whole life and complete Hogwarts together."
"So be it." The grin was no longer beautiful.
Xxxx
No healer could figure out how George Weasley - who had a fatal disease - recovered overnight.
Fred was found behind the Burrow that night, unconscious, but otherwise healthy.
The twins reunited the next day.
Xxxx
House: Slytherin
Class: DADA
Prompts: [emotion] separation anxiety
Standard.
Word Count. 2028 including AN
Beta. LOR.