AN: This was written for round four of QL. (Write a fic starting and ending with the same word) – Abstract noun, so I used the word Grief.

Prompts: confounding, Wide Awake by Katy Perry and Conscious by Wilfred Owen

Word count: 1,076

Family is Everything

I picked up all the pieces and landed on my feet

Grief.

That's all he felt in the aftermath of the war. Grief, sorrow and emptiness enveloped him after the lost of his twin brother. He never thought he would have to live without Fred. Not even in his worst nightmare did he ever think he would lose his twin.

It had always been FredandGeorge, GredandForge. Where one was, the other wasn't far behind. They were more than just brothers; they were best friends, business partners. Twins. They shared things that no one could understand. They were always together, for everything. Weasley Wizard Wheezes was their company – their dream that they started together.

But now, there was only one. There would be no more FredandGeorge. It was just George. He was alone because of the bloody war. He felt that things would never be the same again – he would never feel the same again.

Since the final battle, he had locked himself in his room. He refused to talk to anyone, even his family. He was muddled with all these different emotions and he didn't know how to deal with it. He thought that being alone would help, but isolating himself was only making things worse.

Though, he knew that, he couldn't force himself to go downstairs and face his family. He didn't want them seeing him like this. Broken, lost and confused – it wasn't who he was.

He sighed and rolled over onto his back, staring up at the ceiling. The war had taken too much from him, both physical and emotionally. The loss felt like a weight was on his shoulder, shoving him into the ground.

He didn't think he'd ever get over this. Everywhere he looked, he was reminded of Fred. Especially in the room he was in now. He was reminded of all the childhood memories; home quidditch games, pranking, their mum yelling at them, planning pranks, inside jokes, laughter.

He tried to shake the thoughts away – to ease the pain, but it was no use. He sighed again.

Why does it have to be this way? he thought. Why did it have to be just one of them?

He'd asked himself those questions over and over again. Though he could not answer them – he didn't know the answers and he doubted that he ever would.

A knock at his door pulled him out of his thoughts. He turned his head to the right and his gaze landed on the door. He didn't say anything in hopes that his visitor would leave him alone.

After a few minutes, there was another knock followed by the sound of a voice he didn't think he'd hear.

"George, you can't keep hiding away in your room," Percy called through the wood. "It's not healthy for you and we're all worried about you."

George didn't respond at first. He didn't know what to say although he knew Percy was right. He couldn't just hide in his forever – that much he knew. But he didn't know if he was ready to face his family just yet.

What was he supposed to say? What was he supposed to do?

He didn't exactly blame himself from Fred's death, but he couldn't help but wonder what if? He could have done something, couldn't he? If he'd been there when it happened, could he have done anything about it? Prevented it?

He didn't know and that's what killed him the most. The what ifs he couldn't stop thinking about where a huge weight on his shoulders.

"There's nothing you could have done," Percy said after a while, as if he could hear George's thoughts. "With Fred…I should know. I blamed myself for the longest. I was there when it happened and I didn't do a damn thing about it. My brother died and I blamed myself...I've only just realized that I can't change what happened – I can only try and live with the aftermath."

Percy was right. He couldn't sit around and worry about something he couldn't change. It wouldn't do any of them any good.

That didn't make it easy though. It would take a lot for him to really believe that there was nothing he could have done.

He ran a hand through is hair and rubbed his face. He couldn't help but keep asking himself why?

Maybe there are just some things he wouldn't understand or know the answers to.

"You know," Percy said, bringing George back to the present. "I'm still not sure why you so willingly welcomed me back into the family after everything I've done."

After a moment, George stood up from his bed and walked over to his door. He reached out and grabbed the doorknob and waited a second before opening it to reveal Percy standing in the hallway.

"I've already lost one brother because of something I couldn't control," George started. "I'm not going to lose another one by choice…I definitely couldn't handle that – even if said brother was a prat."

"I appreciate that," Percy said, a small smile pulling at the edge of his lips. "Even if I don't deserve it."

"If I'm not allowed to bring myself down, then neither are you."

"I guess you've got me there," Percy said.

George closed the door behind him and took a small step into the hall. Percy looked up at him and titled his head.

"Does this mean that you're actually going to leave your room?" he asked him.

George nodded. "Believe it or not, you've made me realize how ridiculous I'm being. Holding up in my room isn't going to help anything. Besides, I've also realized that Fred would yell at me right now. He wouldn't us wallowing in despair – he'd want us to celebrate the life he had."

Percy nodded, understanding. He gestured for the stairwell. "Shall we?"

George took a moment and then nodded. He followed Percy down the steps and onto the first floor. "Thanks for making me see sense, Percy."

He knew it would take a while to move on. But if he kept with it, he knew he could do it. Along the way he could slowly pick up the pieces and find a way to land back on his feet. As long as he had his family behind him and he knew he would – he could do it.

Slowly but surely. He wouldn't exactly be whole again, but he could be able to live again.

Somehow, he knew he could learn to live with the grief.