Chapter 22

Disclaimer: The Harry Potter world and characters belong to JKR, not me. Darn it. Of course, I have neither the time nor the desire to write the seventh book. I'll just stick to reading it. All I own are the offspring of the characters and this little bit of plot. And Ron…just kidding.

A/N: Okay, another chapter. Does this one answer the semi cliffhanger? Stick around and find out…(oh, I'm so evil…)

George was waiting for it. He knew that Alicia's appearance at the shop would eventually make Fred start to wonder about the rest of his Hogwarts friends. He was still trying to concoct some lies when Fred entered the back room, a fake wand in hand.

"You know what, George? We should revamp these things. Instead of rubber chickens, make them turn into a bouquet of flowers or something. Hey! Why aren't you listening?"

George jumped. "Sorry. I was just thinking."

Fred sat down and looked George straight in the eyes. "Why hasn't Angelina come to see me, George? Or Lee? Or Oliver? Or even Katie? Why are the only people I've seen who I got on so well with at Hogwarts you, your girlfriend, and Harry?"

George sighed. "Well, Fred, it has been three years…"

"What are you getting at?"

"Well, I went cuckoo, along with Ginny and Dad…"

"Spill it!"

"Angelina's seeing someone."

Fred looked like he'd had all the wind knocked out of him. "Excuse me?"

"Yeah. So I'm sure she'd thought it'd be awkward."

"Who is she seeing?" Fred demanded, a bit possessively.

George sighed. "Fred, calm down. We—thought—you—were—dead." He looked up at Fred. "You might want to take this sitting down."

"No. Tell me." There was no trademark teasing in his voice.

"She's seeing Lee, okay?" George cried. "So bugger off and leave me alone."

If Fred had looked awestruck before, he looked flat-out dumb now. "Angelina—Lee? What?"

"Yeah, we all thought the same thing. Ron reckons it's because he reminds her of you. Katie said all women have their type. I mean, she went with several pro quidditch players before ending up with Oliver."

"Katie's with Oliver? Wow." The reality of everything had not set in yet. George soon began to recognize the signs.

"Fred? Fred, snap out of it, okay?"

Fred began to cry. "George, I can't deal with it! Mum, Bill, and Charlie gone! And Ginny and Dad all kooky. And you aren't yourself either. You look dead inside; so does Alicia. Ron's charity keeping the joke shop alive! And now…" He took a deep breath, but this only made him hyperventilate more. "Angelina—and—Lee?" He nearly collapsed to the floor, falling instead into George. "Can't deal with it! Bloody hell, George!"

George gently placed Fred on the floor. Fred began to sob uncontrollably. "I'll be right back, okay?" When Fred didn't answer, George just pulled out his wand and apparated.

George looked around Ron's office. No one was there. Damn. Where the hell was Ron? He exited the office and ran smack into Harry.

"Uff, George! Or is it Fred?"

"It's George. Harry, where's Ron?"

Harry saw the concern etched on George's face. "In a meeting in Moody's office. Why?"

George did not stop to answer, but barreled past his bewildered friend. He opened the door to Moody's office and barreled in, Harry at his heels.

"Who goes there?" Moody cried.

"George! Bloody hell! You can't just barge in here like that!" Ron bellowed, sweeping some documents up in his arms. Then he saw George's face. "What's wrong?"

"It's Fred. He's cracking. I had to leave him at the joke shop. You know I can't do side-by-side apparition yet."

"Cracking? Like full-blown?"

George frowned. "Ginny-esque."

"Oh God," Ron sighed. He turned to Moody and handed him the documents. "Sorry Moody, but family comes first." Then he disapparated.

Harry looked at George. "That bad?"

"Yeah. Everything hit him at once. Everyone being dead, the joke shop being a dump, owing Ron for everything, losing three years of his life, and I had to tell him about Angelina and Lee."

"Oh."

"I'd better go back and help Ron."

When George apparated in the joke shop, he sighed.

"Fred, take deep breaths. Come on, calm down," Ron soothed. Fred only cried harder.

"Ron, it's not going to work."

Ron turned to George. "I just don't want to take him to the loony bin, George. They'll ask for Ginny again." He looked down at Fred. "But you're right. I'll take him to St. Mungo's. You do side-by-side and bring Dad and Ginny. If they say anything, tell them I'll smoke them if they try to penalize you for it."

George nodded. He apparated back to their flat and found his dad staring at the clock. "It says Ron and Fred are at the hospital. Why?"

George sighed. "Fred cracked, Dad."

"Oh no, not him too. How's Ron?"

"Handling it pretty well, of course. I am to take you and Ginny there."

"Side by side? But…"

"Ron said to warn them that if they don't treat us well, they have to deal with him." George smiled. "It usually works."

"Okay. Take me first, okay?"

George nodded. He grabbed his dad's left arm. "Okay, I haven't done this in a while, but—well, okay, I did it today with Fred, but I still might screw it up. Ready?"

Mr. Weasley nodded. They both appeared in the St. Mungo's lobby with a pop. Immediately a healer rushed at George and began to chide him. "You aren't allowed…"

"Ron told me to. You can take it up with him." He looked around. "Where did Ron and Fred go?"

"To the same room Ginny was in," the healer replied briskly.

Mr. Weasley frowned. "I was in that room too. I hate that room."

"What is it, the Weasley room?" George cried.

The healer shrugged. "Lately, yeah, I guess so."

George frowned. "I'll be back." He disapparated and went back to the Weasley flat. Ginny was sitting at the kitchen table, pondering over a crossword puzzle. "Ginny?"

"Hmm?"

"You need to come with me, okay? Fred's in the hospital."

Suddenly Ginny looked panic-stricken. "They won't make me stay, will they?"

George shook his head. "No. Ron crucioed them last time. This time he might just avada kedavra them."

Ginny nodded. She took hold of George's hand and the two disappeared.

Fred woke up with the next morning too a blaring light. At first, he thought he was dying, but he soon realized he was just catching an eyeful of the sun's beams reflecting off many heads of red hair. "Ron?"

His father smiled. "He's asleep. Let him be," he said, nodding to a chair by Fred's bed where Ron was snoring softly.

George smiled down at his twin. "Feeling better?"

Fred sighed. "A little. What did they give me?"

"The same potion they gave me," Ginny sighed. "Ron tried to fight them. It's dreadfully expensive. However, nothing else is as effective for the first breakdown. I get muggle treatment now though. It's not cheap either, but at least they don't treat Ron like a freak."

Fred sighed and looked over at his sleeping brother. "How has he done it?"

George sighed. "I don't know. He's always so calm and collected. He hasn't yelled properly at anyone in ages. Except Hermione, that is. And I reckon I would have yelled too." George grinned, shaking his head. "Ron a dad. Who would have thought?"

Mr. Weasley smiled. "Well, Ron deserved some good news."

Fred looked at his dad. "I've been so horrible to him."

Mr. Weasley sighed. "Just talk to him when he wakes up. We'll wait outside."

George looked crestfallen. "Oh come on Dad, I want to see him apologize."

Mr. Weasley shot George a look oddly reminiscent of his late wife. He ushered Ginny and the reluctant George outside. "I'm glad you're feeling better, Fred." And then he left.

Fred listened to Ron's snoring for about ten more minutes. He couldn't stand it any longer. "Ron! Wake up, you bloody tosser!"

Ron snorted and rolled over. "Sod off. Five more minutes."

"Ron! Now!"

Ron jumped, leaving the world of slumber behind. "What?" he asked indignantly.

Fred looked at his brother apologetically. "Sorry. I just couldn't stand waiting for you to wake up any longer. I need to talk to you."

Ron yawned. "Are you feeling better? Do you need me to call a healer?"

"No, no, not that. I'm fine. Or I guess decent. For now. I just want to apologize."

"What?" Ron looked thunderstruck.

"I know I've been a git, Ron, and I'm sorry. I just didn't realize. You pay for the joke shop?"

Ron shrugged. "Yeah. It keeps George busy, and it's all we had of you, so…"

"How did you do it, Ron? How did you keep from cracking?"

Ron looked at Fred and thought for a moment. "Well," he finally answered, "I guess it's because I cracked a long time ago."

"Really? When?"

"The night I killed Draco."

"Oh. Yeah, I forgot about that. What happened?"

Ron sighed. "He was saying all kinds of crude things. First about Harry and Hermione, then about me and Hermione. Then she came up from behind him. He heard her though, and started crucioing her. I swear, Fred, I've never been so angry in my life. I wanted to rip him apart. So I killed him. And the scary thing was that I didn't care. I was happy about it. I must have been completely mental. And you know what, Fred? Given the chance, I would do it again."

Fred looked at his younger brother, rendered speechless.

"Yeah, I know. I guess that makes me no better than a Death Eater."

"No, that's not true. Death Eaters kill because they're cowards. That was…wow, Ron." He paused. "So you love Hermione?"

Ron began to study the tile floor with pointed interest. "I don't know."

"Mmhm. Sure. So have you had a shag in the past three years?"

"Hey! Where would I even find the bloody time!" Ron cried. He blushed as soon as he realized what he'd said.

"Yup. You love her alright." Fred grinned, his eyes glimmering wickedly. "You ought to do something about it. I'm sure you're…frustrated."

Ron eyed Fred darkly. "Stay out of my love life."

"Oh, don't worry about that. I will. I don't want to end up with a broken nose like George."

Ron laughed. "Yeah. I must say, though, you did teach me how to throw a good punch, Fred."

Fred smiled. "Yes I did. You learned from the best."

The owl Hermione had hired fluttered in a window and entered the Weasley flat. The owl hooted loudly, but no one came. Looking quite indignant, the owl shook its leg until the letter detached and flew under a cabinet. He then looked around, hooted once more, and flew away.

A/N: I know, that was a bit sad, but it had to happen. It was due. I bet everyone's happy that Hermione isn't the only one not getting any action. Come on, would I be mean enough to deprive one and not the other?

Okay, I have the next chapter written, but no more. And since I have my public speaking exam tomorrow and math the day after, I may get a little behind. I hope to have this story done by Christmas, but I'm not sure if I will. It'll be 32 chapters, so I hope it'll be worth it.

Oh, I'm sure you noticed I changed it to romance/angst from romance/suspense. I decided it was time to stop lying to myself and admit the story is sad and well, angsty. Thank you for sticking to it.

Oh, and REVIEW!