Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling.
It had been more than six weeks since Lord Voldemort had been defeated at The Battle of Hogwarts and people were celebrating like never before.
The Dementors were driven from Britain and the days became long and warm again and everyone was taking advantage of the warm weather. But George Weasley didn't feel like celebrating.
The loss of his twin brother was fresh and it felt as if George had lost a part of him. His entire family had grieved the loss of Fred and they were trying to move on, but George couldn't.
How could he move on?
He sat beside his brother's grave for twenty-four hours a day, keeping vigil. Mum would call him in for meals, but George ignored her and she would bring his meals out to him but George didn't eat much.
The thought of food invoked the thought of Fred and the memories of meals when they had everybody laughing at their jokes.
Whenever George got tired, he would sleep on the bench, but his dreams were filled with Fred; He would reach out to grab Fred only for his brother to disappear into nothingness and George would wake up in a cold sweat.
He knew his family was worried about him, but George wanted to wallow in the memories of his twin brother.
'I'm acting a lot like Harry,' he had thought darkly.
But Harry was doing a lot better these days thanks to George's sister, Ginny. He had spied the couple taking romantic walks in the orchard, holding hands and laughing together.
He and Fred would've teased the pair of them by now, but George had no strength for humour - That part of him died with Fred.
His happiness died with his brother and the world was playing a cruel joke on him.
He had heard rumours that the dead would sometimes reach out to their loved ones, that they would somehow offer comfort from beyond the grave. George didn't know if these stories were true, but he desperately wanted a sign from his brother.
He didn't know how long he sat on the bench - It could've been weeks for all he knew, but George had the feeling that he was being watched.
Thinking it was one of his brothers coming to try and cheer him up, he looked up to see a Robin perched on the fence watching him.
George grunted out a greeting and the Robin began to sing.
Its song struck up something very peculiar in George; It reminded him of the times he and Fred used to sing in celebration whenever Gryffindor won a Quidditch match.
The Robin finished singing and to George's surprise, it hopped onto Fred's gravestone.
"That's my brother Fred," George said sadly. "He had the nerve to die on me and I'm left alone."
George felt something peculiar in his stomach after he said that.
It was a feeling that he hadn't felt in a while and it was one that he mostly associated with Fred whenever they were caught giving Ron Acid Pops or turning Ginny's hair pink because Mum said she wasn't acting ladylike; It was guilt.
"Well, I'm not completely alone," George muttered. "My brothers have been nagging me to see if I'm alright, but I just want to be alone. I haven't moved since the funeral. I might decide to make this bench my home as long as Mum doesn't start charging me rent."
To George's surprise, he laughed. After Fred died, George thought that he would never laugh again. But here he was laughing at his stupid joke.
He felt a great weight lifting from his shoulders as he laughed; It was as if he was light and free and the grief in his heart wasn't as profound.
"I just needed some time to myself," George said. "I wanted to be as close to Fred as possible without being six feet under."
George reached out to touch the grave, desperate to be as close to his twin brother as possible. But to his surprise, the Robin hopped onto his hand and looked up at him.
There was something about this Robin and George felt as if he had encountered it before; It was daring, cheeky, the only one who could make George laugh when he was feeling down and it had a certain boldness about it.
Could it be?
"Is that you, Freddie?" he whispered and the Robin looked back at him and within its eyes, George saw a shade of the brother he had lost.
At that moment, the part of himself that he lost when Fred died returned and he realised that he simply couldn't live life lost in memories of Fred.
He had to go on and George didn't think that Fred would want him to spend his days moping by his grave; Fred will always be gone and George needed to live his life. He would always remember his twin brother and the years that they spent together and Fred will always be in his heart.
That was what the Robin seemed to be telling him at least or what George already knew deep down.
"Thank you," George whispered to the Robin.
George felt the tears well up in his eyes as he stroked the Robin's head and the Robin looked back at him and chirped as if telling George to take care. It then flew off into the distance before disappearing over the horizon.
George looked up at The Burrow; The last time he had been inside, he was preparing for Fred's funeral. His stomach rumbled loudly and he realised that he was hungry. He had hardly eaten anything for days and he fancied one of Mum's breakfasts.
With one last look at his brother's grave, George got up and made his way to the kitchen.
He peered through the kitchen window to see if anyone was there and to his surprise, he saw Harry and Ginny wrapped up in a passionate kiss and it looked like none of them was going to be parting any time soon.
'Of course, I should've known', he thought.
He was well aware of Harry and Ginny's romantic shenanigans even though that they tried (very poorly) to keep it a secret.
George pushed the door open with a creak, but Harry and Ginny didn't seem to hear it. They were still wrapped up in each other's arms and kissing passionately.
George was pleased that Ginny had found someone like Harry to be with and he liked the bloke very much. But at that moment, his hunger took precedent over anything else.
George let out a cough similar to Umbridge's and Harry and Ginny both jumped apart.
They both saw George and their eyes widened with shock; Oh, the fun George was going to have.
"Morning," George said, grinning at the pair of them.
Ginny stood there staring at George before rushing forward and tackling him in a fierce hug.
"What are you doing in here?" she asked, her eyes blazing the same way Mum's did.
"I was going to get some breakfast," George said after Ginny let go of him. "It seems that you two are already having yours."
It pleased George to see Ginny turn a furious shade of scarlet. Harry's face was bright red as well and he was refusing to look at George.
"Hey, don't worry about it," George said bracingly. "I've seen you two lovebirds sneaking off plenty of times. I'm just glad you're happy."
Harry and Ginny's faces looked a lot less red as they caught each other's eye and Harry came forward and took Ginny's hand.
"Thanks, George," Harry said quietly.
"All I can say Harry; if you break my sister's heart, then good luck to you mate, because my Ginny looks after herself and she'll make old snake face look like a walk in the park," George said seriously.
"I know," Harry said, a soppy grin appearing on his face. "It's why I love her."
Ginny gazed intently at Harry, her face flushed pink. Harry looked at her and wrapped his arms around her again and they both leaned in for a kiss.
"And Ginny," George said sharply, causing them to break apart again. "You look after Harry and don't break his heart. That boy needs all the love in the world."
"I've already started," Ginny said slyly, giving Harry a cheeky grin and wrapping her arms around Harry again which caused him to blush and George laughed.
George's laughter must've attracted some attention because a moment later he heard footsteps and Ron appeared in the kitchen doorway. Harry and Ginny sprang apart again.
"Blimey!" Ron exclaimed. "What are you doing in here, George?"
"Can't a man get some breakfast?" George asked as Hermione appeared next to Ron.
"George!" she said, running up to him and hugging him. "It's so wonderful to see you come in. We were all worried sick about you."
"Nice to see you too, Hermione," George said, patting her on the back. "I'm feeling a lot better. Now, who wants some eggs?"
"Is that you, George?" Mum shouted from the living room before appearing in the doorway next to Ron.
"Alright, Mum?" George said brightly. "Any chance of some breakfast?"
Mum just stood in the doorway, staring at George in shock. George braced himself and sure enough, Mum flew forward and gave George a bone-crushing hug.
"Oh, thank goodness," Mum sobbed. "I didn't think you would ever come in! I was ever so worried about you sitting out there day and night, dear."
"I'm fine now," George said, patting Mum on the back.
Dad, Bill, Fleur and Percy heard the noise in the kitchen and were elated to see George and he spent the next few minutes being hugged by his brothers and being kissed on the cheek by Fleur.
"Bill was so worried. We didn't think you would ever come in," Fleur said as Percy hugged him for the seventh time.
Percy had been deeply affected by Fred's death and George had never felt closer to his brother.
"It's so wonderful to see you here," Percy said thickly. "We were all at a loss on how to bring you inside and Mother was getting frantic. What made you come in?"
"I think we'd all like to know that," Bill said and George paused for a moment, wondering how to answer.
"I've been doing a lot of thinking," he said finally. "Fred's never going to come back and I can't spend the rest of my days by his grave waiting for him to pop out of the ground going ooohhh, I'm alive! I've got to live my life without him. I've got to move on and to be honest, I don't think he would want to see me like this."
Mum let out a sob and rushed towards him, giving him yet another bone-crushing hug.
"I'm so glad you're back, Georgie," she whispered, holding him tight. "I thought that I was losing you as well."
"We were all very worried," Dad said and George saw that he looked quite ashen-faced. "Percy had invited your friend Angelina Johnson over to talk to you."
George realised the extent of the pain and worry that he had caused to his remaining family members and felt a ripple of guilt.
"I didn't think I was ever going to come in," George said as Mum pulled away. "I wanted to stay out there forever, but a little birdie reminded me of the people who are left behind with me."
"I know how you feel, George," Harry said. "Right after Sirius died, all I wanted to do was just shut myself away in my room back at Privet Drive. But it's never good to do that and like you said with Fred, Sirius wouldn't want to see me like this."
"Exactly," George said, nodding at Harry. "And every day I'm not driving you up the wall with my jokes is a day wasted."
"I know what it's like to lose a brother, dear," Mum said. "Remember when Uncles Fabien and Gideon were killed? I was devastated. But I got through it because of you children and I had to go on for you."
"We're all missing Fred," Dad said. "But the important thing is that we miss him together."
"We're all with you, George," Bill said. "You're not alone, mate. Charlie is with you too and he's been quite worried about you. I'll have to send him an Owl and tell him that you came back in. He'll be thrilled to hear it."
George cleared a lump in his throat and was overwhelmed with gratitude.
"Thanks," he said. "I just needed some time to get my head around things. I'm going to have to get used to Fred not being around anymore. But I'm not going to let that stop me. Now, where's that breakfast? I'm starving."
"I'm not surprised," Mum said at once. "You didn't even touch your other meals. Look how thin you are! You're having seconds whether you like it or not."
George grinned having missed seeing that side of his mother for a long time.
"No breakfast for Harry and Ginny though, Mum," George said. "They've already had their mouths full."
Harry's face turned red and Ginny shot George a fierce glare and George's grin got broader; After spending days on that bench, now was the time to have some fun.
"They what?" Ron asked loudly, dropping the bread roll he was buttering for Hermione.
"Shut it," Ginny snarled, her face scarlet as well.
"Oh, yes," George said, grinning broadly at the pair of them. "They were getting right stuck in. I didn't want to interrupt."
Ginny swore and sent George a rude hand gesture.
"Ginny dear, do try to act more ladylike," Mum said as she sent the frying pan flying over their heads.
"Yes Ginevra, do try to act more ladylike," George said, wagging a finger at her. "You don't want me to turn your hair pink again, do you?"
Harry and Ron laughed and George was certain that he saw Ginny crack a smile; She had stopped glaring at George at least.
"Fred and I once turned Ginny's hair pink when she was five because Mum said she wasn't acting ladylike," George said to Harry. "The joke was on us though, because someone shrunk our brooms."
"Yeah and there's no telling what I'd shrink next," Ginny said as Harry and Ron roared with laughter.
After days of eating little, George had the most delicious breakfast as he reconnected with his brothers and teased Harry and Ginny. He had plans to re-open the Joke Shop and he needed to find an assistant; Perhaps Angelina could give him a hand.
He had a lot of work ahead of him but he knew that everything would work out. Fred may be gone, but he'll always have a place in George's heart.
Outside, the Robin had returned and was perched on the fence watching the family eat breakfast through the kitchen window. George looked happy as he ate and joked with his siblings.
Knowing that it had done its job, the Robin took one last look at the family before flying off. If there had been any onlookers watching the Robin, they would've gasped in amazement as the Robin vanished in broad daylight.
Robins have been believed to have been messengers from the afterlife and that a loved one is near when a Robin is around. They represent hope, new beginnings and rebirth.
I found a quote about Robins that sums up this story for me. It goes something along the lines of:
When you are visited by a Robin, a loved one in Heaven is trying to say: "Hello, I'm with you. Always."
Thank you for reading.
