Word Count: 796
It's October in Diagon Alley, and it really shows. The air has that briskness to it that only comes with autumn. Once, it would have made George happy; autumn was always his favorite season. This year, however, autumn reminded him that it was another season without Fred.
He wonders if he will ever go a day without missing his fallen twin. He doubts it. Not when every reflection shows his brother's face.
Someone leans against the outside wall of the joke shop, their face obscured by the hood of a dark cloak. George resists the urge to roll his eyes. The person must have seen George leaving the shop to get his morning coffee and assumed the place was open.
"Not for another half hour, mate," George calls.
The cloaked person looks up, the hood falling away. Percy stares at George, eyes wide with surprise. "I didn't realize you weren't in there," he says. "I wasn't expecting to…"
He doesn't finish the sentence, but George can guess. Since the war, Percy hasn't been in touch with anyone in the family. Maybe George understands. Still, it breaks their mother's heart. Sometimes it feels like George lost two brothers that night.
"Come in," George says, unlocking the door. "Sit and talk for awhile."
Percy looks like he's ready to decline the offer. He opens his mouth, but George cuts across him. "Please, Perce. Please come in."
And just like that, Percy's resolve seems to melt. He nods, following George into the shop. They walk to the back where a few dozen projects lay unfinished on the table. "What's this?" Percy asks, prodding a finger against a lime green owl-shaped piñata.
"Ah. The punch-yata," George says proudly. "It hits back. Hermione informed me that it's actually in violation of some Ministry regulations, so I've put it aside to tinker with a bit more."
Silence hangs between them after that. George watches the way Percy shifts, clearly uncomfortable. He would really rather be anywhere but in the shop with George, and that hurts him more than George can say.
"You're still family, you know," George says softly, breaking the tense, awkward silence. "That's what family is about. The good and the bad, we still have each other."
"I don't deserve family. Our brother is dead. I made a joke, and Fred suffered the consequences," Percy says. His voice is thin and trembling; he is so close to breaking. "It wasn't even a good joke, and now he is dead!"
And just like that, the floodgates lift. Percy shakes as a violent sob grips him.
George steps closer. He should have known Percy would blame himself. But George never blamed him. None of them did. Percy has been punishing himself, forcing himself into isolation.
"For what it's worth, Fred died laughing," George says. "I think I can safely say that he would have been happy with that circumstance."
"I screwed up," Percy says.
"You didn't. You and Fred fought side by side. We missed you so much, and you made his last few moments better than you realize."
It seems strange to be the one doing the comforting. Since the war, everyone has comforted him, telling him how great Fred was and how sorry they are for his loss. But George has come to terms with it. Percy has not. Percy has spent months seeking atonement, as though he is actually in need of redemption, when his only crime is being human.
"Mum's having a family dinner tonight," George says. "Charlie received a promotion in Romania, and we're all celebrating." George takes his hand. "You do deserve a family, Perce. You have nothing to be redeemed for, but if you are that desperate to make it right… Come home. Come back to us."
For a moment before the final battle, George thought they would be a family again. Percy was back, and his parents looked so happy. Things were supposed to return to normal, but life had other plans.
Now is the chance. Percy is there for a reason. Maybe George can give him that sense of rede and help him feel like his slate has been wiped clean.
"Are you sure they would want me?" Percy asks.
George shakes his head, a ghost of a smile on his lips. For someone so clever, Percy really is a bit of an idiot. He can understand complex magical theory, but he can't understand a universal truth about family being there for one another. "Of course." George glances at the store sign, still turned to closed. He waves his wand, writing out a note. The store can remain closed for the day. The world won't fall apart. Today, he and Percy are going home. Today, the Weasley family will finally learn to heal.
