"Yes," Ron replied to the sole remaining Weasley twin, not quite looking
his brother in the eye. "We already read the ones for us. There's one for
you."
George, still pale, sat down abruptly on the floor near Angelina and Ron. Angelina gave George's arm a reassuring squeeze, but George seemed not to notice it. Instead, his brown eyes were focused on the letter held in his youngest brother's hands.
After an awkward moment of silence, Ron spoke again, concern in his brown eyes. "Do you want to read it? We could leave you up here to..."
But George interrupted, "No, don't leave me up here by myself. You read it, Ronnikins."
"But," Ron protested, not exactly wanting to read this letter, not wanting to intrude on the obvious bond the twins had. It'd be even more unnerving than reading Angelina's letter.
"Read," George said shortly, "Please." George suddenly looked weary, tired and older than he was.
"Go on Ron, read the letter," Angelina said quietly.
Broken out of his hesitation, Ron took the envelope and carefully ripped the top of the envelope with his finger. He pulled out the letter, opened it slowly and then flattened it. Taking a deep, chest rattling breath, the youngest Weasley boy began to read the letter.
"George, Gred, Brother, Twin," Ron began reading the salutation. George managed a weak smile at this part of the letter.
After a pause, Ron continued reading. "If you are reading this, George, than something I never wanted has happened. I am sorry for that, but I admit I'm glad its not me in your place. I can't remember a time when you weren't there, ready for a new plot to drive everyone else around use crazy. Though I think there were a few precious minutes where I was alive and you weren't as I am the oldest Weasley Twin.
There was something magical about being a twin. You were always there, my constant companion, from my earliest memories on. The first thing I can remember is the two of us launching our oatmeal at little baby Ron and mum finding out and yelling. She seemed to do a lot of that when we were just having a bit of fun.
Heading to Hogwarts would have been scary by myself. I remember having nightmares where we were sorted into different houses before we started our first year. Luckily that didn't happen and Gryffindor was certainly never the same after we started there-all the passages we found, the pranks we pulled, beating bludgers on the Quidditch field.
But it was also at Hogwarts that we began to grow apart, which was difficult. I started going out with Angelina and suddenly there was something we didn't share in common. You were angry with me at times about this which was not easy for me to deal with. However, nothing could stop us for long, could it?
After graduation, when we left Filch with the start of a second filing cabinet dedicated to us, we finally got to start our dream and mum couldn't throw out our products anymore. We opened our joke shop for real, no more inventory sheets and hitting up Gryffindors to buy and test our products. Though making new stuff was much more interesting than the business aspect.
I am sorry that I'm not there George, that you're the one who has to figure out how to be without a twin. Take care of Angelina for me George. Now stop sniveling and finish up whatever prank we were last working on. Oh, and make sure that you keep Ronnikins' life interesting. He gets dreadfully too serious. And check in on my kids, they need their Uncle George. And if Percy comes by, harass him as usual. He's not as stuffy as he used to be, but he's still too formal. Make him remember what it was like to have a good time.
Fred"
Ron finished reading the letter. He was torn between smirking at Fred's comments on Percy and crying anew for the loss of his brother. However, George had a different reaction. Color back in his face, he jumped up and ran to the attic door. He darted down the stairs loudly. Then the footsteps stopped and came thudding back up. Head poking out of the doorway, George looked at Angelina and Ron still sitting on the floor.
"What are you two doing down there? We've got things to do!"
"What do you mean George?" Angelina asked, puzzled at this sudden switch in mood.
"Why, Fred's last prank he was working on should be ready for bottling now. It takes two weeks to congeal."
Shaking her head at the irrepressible nature of red-headed pranksters, Angelina got up and helped Ron back up to his feet. Ron placed the letters in the notebook again and carried the lot down the stairs.
"So what does this prank do anyway?" Ron asked George loudly as George was already down the staircase.
"It's a potion that causes your thoughts to be written across a person's forehead," George explained as he grabbed a jacket and a broomstick.
George, still pale, sat down abruptly on the floor near Angelina and Ron. Angelina gave George's arm a reassuring squeeze, but George seemed not to notice it. Instead, his brown eyes were focused on the letter held in his youngest brother's hands.
After an awkward moment of silence, Ron spoke again, concern in his brown eyes. "Do you want to read it? We could leave you up here to..."
But George interrupted, "No, don't leave me up here by myself. You read it, Ronnikins."
"But," Ron protested, not exactly wanting to read this letter, not wanting to intrude on the obvious bond the twins had. It'd be even more unnerving than reading Angelina's letter.
"Read," George said shortly, "Please." George suddenly looked weary, tired and older than he was.
"Go on Ron, read the letter," Angelina said quietly.
Broken out of his hesitation, Ron took the envelope and carefully ripped the top of the envelope with his finger. He pulled out the letter, opened it slowly and then flattened it. Taking a deep, chest rattling breath, the youngest Weasley boy began to read the letter.
"George, Gred, Brother, Twin," Ron began reading the salutation. George managed a weak smile at this part of the letter.
After a pause, Ron continued reading. "If you are reading this, George, than something I never wanted has happened. I am sorry for that, but I admit I'm glad its not me in your place. I can't remember a time when you weren't there, ready for a new plot to drive everyone else around use crazy. Though I think there were a few precious minutes where I was alive and you weren't as I am the oldest Weasley Twin.
There was something magical about being a twin. You were always there, my constant companion, from my earliest memories on. The first thing I can remember is the two of us launching our oatmeal at little baby Ron and mum finding out and yelling. She seemed to do a lot of that when we were just having a bit of fun.
Heading to Hogwarts would have been scary by myself. I remember having nightmares where we were sorted into different houses before we started our first year. Luckily that didn't happen and Gryffindor was certainly never the same after we started there-all the passages we found, the pranks we pulled, beating bludgers on the Quidditch field.
But it was also at Hogwarts that we began to grow apart, which was difficult. I started going out with Angelina and suddenly there was something we didn't share in common. You were angry with me at times about this which was not easy for me to deal with. However, nothing could stop us for long, could it?
After graduation, when we left Filch with the start of a second filing cabinet dedicated to us, we finally got to start our dream and mum couldn't throw out our products anymore. We opened our joke shop for real, no more inventory sheets and hitting up Gryffindors to buy and test our products. Though making new stuff was much more interesting than the business aspect.
I am sorry that I'm not there George, that you're the one who has to figure out how to be without a twin. Take care of Angelina for me George. Now stop sniveling and finish up whatever prank we were last working on. Oh, and make sure that you keep Ronnikins' life interesting. He gets dreadfully too serious. And check in on my kids, they need their Uncle George. And if Percy comes by, harass him as usual. He's not as stuffy as he used to be, but he's still too formal. Make him remember what it was like to have a good time.
Fred"
Ron finished reading the letter. He was torn between smirking at Fred's comments on Percy and crying anew for the loss of his brother. However, George had a different reaction. Color back in his face, he jumped up and ran to the attic door. He darted down the stairs loudly. Then the footsteps stopped and came thudding back up. Head poking out of the doorway, George looked at Angelina and Ron still sitting on the floor.
"What are you two doing down there? We've got things to do!"
"What do you mean George?" Angelina asked, puzzled at this sudden switch in mood.
"Why, Fred's last prank he was working on should be ready for bottling now. It takes two weeks to congeal."
Shaking her head at the irrepressible nature of red-headed pranksters, Angelina got up and helped Ron back up to his feet. Ron placed the letters in the notebook again and carried the lot down the stairs.
"So what does this prank do anyway?" Ron asked George loudly as George was already down the staircase.
"It's a potion that causes your thoughts to be written across a person's forehead," George explained as he grabbed a jacket and a broomstick.