April 1st, 1999

*Angelina's POV*

As I had expected, George and I didn't talk about our moment in the grave yard. It was like the Yule Ball all over again, after all these years. I was once again left guessing as to whether it had really happened, if we had really almost kissed, or whether my imagination had just gotten carried away.

Even aside from that, I didn't see George much. No one saw much of him these days. Even when we (we usually meaning Lee, Katie, Alicia and I) managed to get him out and about, to catch up like old times, it was never anything but small talk; Always silly things to distract him from the sadness, never anything we really needed to discuss. It wasn't how it used to be.

That was, until late March the next year, when I received an owl from Ron Weasley. Ron, from what I gathered during the tiny conversations I'd had with George, had been helping to get Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes running again. George hadn't felt up to it at first, but he eventually came around. He and Fred had worked so hard to make the shop what it was, he would never have forgiven himself if he let all that go. I think being back at the shop was good for George, he even looked half happy the last time I asked him about it.

It was the shop that Ron was asking about in his letter. April fool's day was coming up soon and, for obvious reasons, it was the busiest day of the year for any prank based business. Ron didn't want George to get overwhelmed with so many customers to take care of, so he was bringing in some reinforcements: a couple of George's closest friends to help around the shop for the day. He figured this would take care of things at the shop running smoothly, as well as making George feel more at ease if he was around people he knew.

I got there early that morning to help set up, and was swiftly greeted with a thwack to the arm.

"Pinch 'n a punch for the first of the month." Teased a grinning Lee Jordan, already dressed in the stores magenta uniform.

"It's half-five in the morning Lee, I wouldn't get on my bad side." I joked back.

I spotted George at the far side of the room, stacking boxes of dungbombs. He gave me a small smile and a wave, which I returned. I also noticed Ron at the counter, having some apparent difficultly with the cash register, and went up to talk to him.

"I appreciate you doing this for him, Ron." I told him as he yanked the register draw "It's really thoughtful over you."

Ron shrugged modestly. "Hermione's been a good influence on me, I suppose… There we go!" Ron cheered as he finally managed to open the register. His elation was short lived, however, as this was soon followed by an eruption of colourful feathers that seemed intent on attaching themselves to his face.

"April Fools!" Called a delighted Lee from upstairs.

I soon found a steady rhythm working in the shop, serving giddy children, restocking joke quills when they ran out, being the occasional victim of a random customers prank. I was too busy to be left to my own thoughts, as I so often was these days, and too busy to think about George apart from the occasional passing hope that he was being kept as busy as I was.

I was not pulled from this rhythm until we began to close up for the day and Ginny, who seemed to have skipped school to help out, approached me with her arms full of miniature Puffskein's.

"Have you seen George about recently?" Ginny asked with concern.

"Uh… no, I haven't seen him for a while now that you mention it." I answered her, suddenly regretting having let my mind stray from him for the day.

"I've checked the whole shop and I can't find him, I think he must've run off somewhere." She explained, struggling to keep the colourful creatures in her grasp. "I should go find him."

"No, you're busy rounding up the Pygmy Puff's. I'll look for him."

*George's POV*

Angelina found me in a dark corner of the Leaky Cauldron. She sat herself down beside me at the bar and looked over at the glass of cheap firewhiskey clutched in my hand.

"Now George, you know that stuff's bad news." She said softly. "Don't you remember fifth year?"

I cracked half a smile in spite of myself. "We snuck some into the Gryffindor common room."

"Yeah, and McGonagall caught us! Then Fred tried to convince her it was research for potions, but he was so smashed…"

"…He called her 'Prollesser MaGammanargel'!" We finished at the same time, laughing for what felt like the first in ages. Usually it hurt to talk about Fred, but with Angelina it didn't feel so bad. She was the only person who could tell an old funny story about him without feeling the need to add something depressing at the end like 'that's how we should remember him' or 'I can't believe he's gone'. I had forgotten how easy she was to talk to, and began to wonder why I had been avoiding her for these last couple months.

"…Today was our birthday." I admitted to her after a long, yet surprising comfortable pause.

"What?" She asked, surprised.

"Today, April fool's day, it's me and Fred's birthday. I guess it was another one of those things he never wanted to tell people, like how he wouldn't tell which of us was older. He didn't want to ruin the fun of a day dedicated to pranks by having anyone give us special treatment."

"April fool's day." Angelina smiled. "That certainly is… fitting."

I smiled back. "We always thought so. Anyway, that's the real reason Ron thought my friends should be around, and why Ginny insisted on helping out even though she had school. This is my first birthday without Fred. That's why everyone's treating me like a little kid. They think I can't deal with it."

"They don't think that, George…" She said consolingly.

"Why not?" I asked, gesturing to the growing collection of empty firewiskey bottles around me. "They're hardly wrong."

Angelina grew quiet, knowing when to stop arguing with me. She let me finish my drink, ordering one for herself, but stopped me from ordering myself another.

"Okay." She said after a long while, "Time to get you home." I stood to leave, but stumbled under my own weight. I must have been drunker than I had thought. Angelina slung my arm over her shoulders and helped me out of the pub.

It seemed to take a very long time to reach the shop after exiting the Leaky Cauldron, despite the fact it was just down the street. By the time we got there it was evident that everyone had closed up and left, which I should have guessed at already by the darkened sky outside.

"Thank you." I whispered tiredly into her ear once we entered the dark store.

"That's what friends are for."

"No, truly. And not just for today. Thank you for everything. You're the best person I know." I told her honestly, wanting, needing, to let her know before the alcohol released its grasp on me.

"Really, George, it's no problem…"

Then, before I even knew what I was doing, my lips were pressed against hers. The long awaited kiss that always seemed to linger between the two of us was finally released. Her arms wrapped around my neck and her fingers locked themselves in my hair, as I pulled her in close by the waist and allowed a hand to run up under her sweater and explore her back. All I felt was soft skin and full lips, and the slightest of bumps as one of us pushed or pulled the other against a nearby shelf. And with that bump something came crashing down.

A joke box, something from the surprise 'unlucky dip', started making a rambunctious noise. My lips broke apart from Angelina's, and I peered down to see my twin staring back at me. We stood arm in arm on the boxes logo, laughing whole heartedly with no idea of what was to come.

Suddenly my body was wracked with sobs, overcome with panic and guilt, and I crashed to the floor just as the box had a moment before.

"George…" Angelina whispered soothingly, hesitantly reaching out to place her hand on my shoulder. I shook her off.

"Just leave." I choked "Please leave."

And after a moment she did.