Lullaby
May 2, 1985 (The twins are six.)
Fred awoke to the sound of sniffling and muffled gasps coming from the bed next to his. "Georgie?" he whispered cautiously. "Georgie, are you okay?"
Fred walked over to his twin's bed and put a hand gently on his arm. "George, Georgie, ssshhh, it's okay, it's all okay, I'm here…" George opened his eyes slowly. "Freddie?" he murmured sleepily, before throwing his arms around his beloved twin in a bone-breaking embrace, while weeping steadily into his hair.
"I-I had a nightmare…That you were -t-tortured and killed…and I only watched, I couldn't stop it, I'm so sorry Freddie…" sobbed George. Fred was still rubbing his back in small circles, and whispering comforting words in his ear. "I'm here, Georgie, I'm not dead, I would never die before you, even heaven would feel like hell without you… George's sobs weakened but he was still sniffing. Fred didn't know what to do. Then he remembered a lullaby he had once heard Mum sing to Percy a few nights back. It couldn't hurt, could it?
Fred slowly rocked his twin in his arms as he sang the lullaby to him:
"In this quiet night, I'm waiting for you
So come take back the smile you forgot back then
Just a little time has passed since then
And the memories have become gentle
In the place where stars fall
I was always hoping
That you were smiling
Though now we're far apart
We can meet again, right?
When did your smile become so fleeting?
Since it was broken by that one mistake
Change only what's precious to you into light
With strength that can cross over the distant sky
I want to send my feelings to you
To the place where stars fall
I will always be at your side
To embrace you when you're cold
And though we're far apart now, we'll surely meet again
In the quiet night…"
Fred finished the lullaby and looked at George, who was by now fast asleep and content in his twin's arms. "Good night, Georgie. Sweet dreams. Whispered Fred, before kissing his twin's cheek, crawling into bed with him, and falling asleep cuddling him.
13 years later
George stared, horrified, down at the face of his dead twin. No. No. This had to be another nightmare. Any moment now Fred would come shakehim awake and laugh at him, telling him he screams like a little girl.
"We'll let you have a moment." Said Molly, her voice thick with tears and her face red and blotchy, much like George's own. She and the rest of the family moved away as one, leaving George cradling the corpse of his soulmate, his world, his everything.
He remembered that night all those years ago, when Fred had sung him a lullaby after he woke up from that nightmare. Surely he could return the favour? And after all, was death really anything more than sleeping an eternal slumber?
With a shaky voice, George began to sing a lullaby to his dead twin, all the while rocking him like a baby…
""In this quiet night, I'm waiting for you
So come take back the smile you forgot back then
Just a little time has passed since then
And the memories have become gentle
In the place where stars fall
I was always hoping
That you were smiling
Though now we're far apart
We can meet again, right?
When did your smile become so fleeting?
Since it was broken by that one mistake
Change only what's precious to you into light
With strength that can cross over the distant sky
I want to send my feelings to you
To the place where stars fall
I will always be at your side
To embrace you when you're cold
And though we're far apart now, we'll surely meet again
In the quiet night…"
George finished singing to his twin and, even though he hadn't done it since he was seven, he kissed his twin. Right on the cheek. "Good night, Freddie. Sweet dreams." He whispered. before falling on top of his brother, cuddling him as he cried himself to sleep and did not wake up until the end of the battle, woken by all the whooping and cheering.