A/N: This one is a little depressing, sorry about that. Written for a contest at The Third Corridor. Please review. :)

Brighter

"If you run away now

Will you come back around?

And if you ran away

I'd still wave goodbye

Watching you shine bright..."

'Brighter' - Paramore

Chapter 2: Revelations

George ran out the back door and found his twin brother sitting outside the shed, looking up at the darkening sky.

"Oy, Fred. You okay?"

"Yeah mate. Just couldn't keep my mouth shut in there. Didn't want Mum to jinx me, or make me de-gnome the garden again."

George nodded. "Just checking."

"Yeah..." Fred absently picked at the grass.

"You miss her, don't you?" George sat next to his brother.

Fred sighed. "Oh, like hell. I hate waking up everyday without her."

George patted his brother on the shoulder. Ever since the war, Fred was having a hard time. Angelina, Fred's long time girlfriend, had been killed in the final battle. Ever since, Fred had been having nightmares, and was skiving off sleep to avoid them. He'd been a completely different person, and George had been trying to help him though it. It wasn't easy though.

"I'm sorry, George. You must be tired of hearing all this."

"Gred, honestly. I've been listening to you talk about the same things for years. I could never tire of it." He grinned. "You just do what you need to do, mate. I'm here for you."

Fred smiled. "Thanks, Forge. But what we should really be discussing, is your crush on a certain bushy haired maiden known as Hermione Granger."

"Now that's the nosey twin I remember having." George made a face. "Do we have to talk about this?"

"Yes, we do. Now this is her last dinner here before she moves. Are you going to tell her?"

"No."

"Well, why the bloody hell not! She's leaving, mate. You're not going to see much of her after this. It's your last chance!"

George rubbed his eyes and sighed. He hated when his brother had a point. It was infuriating. He wanted to tell Hermione everything. How much he liked when she chewed on her lip when she was deep in thought. How he adored when she absentmindedly twirled her hair on her finger when she was reading a particularly good book. How cute she looked when she rolled her eyes at them. How he loved when she shot a comeback at them when they teased her. He snapped back to reality when Fred waved a hand in front of his face.

"Earth to twin...are you in there?"

"Yeah, sorry. Lost in thought."

"Look, George. You need to tell her. I mean, how do you think it'll feel if you never get to tell her? You'll feel like I do."

George looked at his brother. Fred was visually upset. "You mean...?"

"I loved Angelina. And I never got to tell her that, because I was too afraid she didn't love me as much as I loved her. And then...she..." Fred stopped. His eyes were watering.

George's thoughts ran a mile a minute. What if something happened, Merlin forbid, and he never told Hermione how he felt? She was going to a different country, and he wouldn't see her much, what if she met someone else?

"I guess getting rejected is better than never knowing if it could happen or not."

"Exactly, mate." Fred attempted to smile. "Do it tonight. Or I'll have Ginny do a Bat Bogey hex on you."

"Yes, sir." George stood up. "You okay to go inside?"

"Not just yet. Give me a few minutes." George nodded at his brother and headed inside. He'd do it tonight then, after dinner.