Chaaaaapter 2 (:

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Anyway... I'm not going to write an essay before the chapter even starts... I do that too much

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George appeared with an identical crack, standing on a bed of leaves in a forest. He had intended to apparate into somewhere quiet, so he wouldn't have to talk to anyone, and the forest on the outskirts of Ottery St Catchpole was the first place to come to mind.

The sky was a pale blue now, like watery ink, and George, tentless, was going to have to spend the night outside. He hadn't thought about that too well, but at least he had a sleeping bag. And whatever the floor was made of wasn't really going to change the restlessness that was sleep. He walked through the leaves for a minute or two, sighing.

Going away wasn't really going to change anything in the long term. Nothing would. But the fresh breeze cleared George's head a bit and he started to realise quite how much energy he had lost on two hours sleep a night.

Finding the softest part of the forest floor he could, he pulled out his sleeping bag and wrapped himself in it. He had once been for a walk in this forest with Fred. Molly had taken their Weasley's Wizard Wheezes product lists and burnt them all in the fire. Both of the twins had started yelling at her, and before she could yell back at them any longer, Fred and George had run out of the house and into to the forest, walking silently whilst scowling at every tree, plant and creature. But that was never going to happen again, and just the memories caused George's head to ache. Checking he really was deserted, George lay down, his head resting on his rucksack as his bloodshot eyes drooped in the darkness.

George's sleep, as always, was restless. Every leaf crunch made him panicky. So Voldemort had been destroyed, but there could still be death eaters in the shadows, and a man who hadn't eaten or slept properly for days wasn't at all hard to attack. Several times in the night he awoke, covered in sweat and breathing heavily. And he could always remember the dreams. When they weren't haunting memories, they were horrible, sick dreams. Bellatrix crucio-ing Fred, Fred screaming for mercy, and the final two words and a flash of green light. Several times, George had assumed he had woken up screaming, for Ginny would come running in, holding back tears as she helped her wreck of a brother off the bedroom floor onto which he had fallen and back into bed. But no-one could hear screams in a forest at the dead of night and Mrs Weasley wouldn't be there to secretly slip him a sleeping potion in a glass of water. He was going to have to get through this night. And many, many more.

Golden light streamed onto George's pale face; It was dawn. Birds sang as George, finally asleep, shifted uncomfortably on the forest floor. Opposite him, a girl sat on a stump, staring at the man with her cold, green eyes.

He blinked, the light and birdsong finally waking him. Sitting up, George noticed the girl. She was sitting on a tree stump that George had not noticed in the dark of the previous night, and looked quite calm, as though teenage girls often stared at people sleeping.

'So you're here?' she said, in a clear, slightly interested voice as she looked from George's bed-hair to his rucksack on the ground. 'I've been waiting for you, George Weasley.'

She knew his name.

She must be a witch; no-one in the muggle world knew his name. And she had a wand. That was often a bit of a giveaway.

George's heart sped up a little as he looked uneasily at the girl. She was young, no older than fifteen. Her dark hair fell down her back with ease and something about her face, her piercing green eyes, made her look not quite human. George sat up a little straighter. Now was not the time to speak to some freaky kid.

'Listen, I've got to go,' George said, noticing how hoarse his voice sounded; he had not spoken all week.

'Really?' She raised a dark eyebrow, studying George. 'I'd thought you'd have wanted to see me. I've been looking for you.'

He stared. Freaky kid just got freakier.

'Uh, really, I have to be, uh, somewhere,' George lied, attempting to stand up.

She laughed. A cold, icy laugh that made him shiver.

'No. Stay,' she said, half commanding, half menacing, and George could have sworn he felt himself being pushed down.

So freaky girl needed to tell him something. George stared at her. He didn't really have the energy to run if she tried to hurt him, and he didn't curse teenage girls, however evil they seemed. Heart racing, he looked down. He was a beater once. And she was about fourteen. He could surely defend himself. She was hardly a death eater, although her cold manner made him feel as though not to underestimate her power.

'What do you want from me then?' he asked finally.

She looked at him for a few seconds.

'I think you want something from me George. Something you lost. Something I can bring back.'

Something inside him snapped. Fred? Did she mean Fred?

As though she had read his mind, or maybe only his eyes, she nodded.

'How?' George asked, fear and excitement rising inside him. He didn't stop to think. She was a teenage girl. Not even fully trained, and nothing could bring Fred back, yet something about her made him think different.

She played with her hair for a second.

'A swap,' she said, looking him in the eye.

'What? What do you want?' George asked, excitement building.

'Something loved.' She replied, her eyes cold. George sighed. There was always a catch, but he didn't even need to think for a second to realise she was losing out on this deal. Fred was way more important than anything else in George's life. She was bound to take the shop, but that didn't matter if he got Fred back.

'Yeah,' George said, eyes lighting up. 'When can I swap?'

'Are you sure you want to do this?' she asked, her pale face still free of emotion.

George nodded. He was going to see Fred again. To hear his voice. To hear his laugh, and to laugh with him, free of the weight that he never thought would leave.

'Well if you're sure,' she said, and George missed the cold smirk on her face.

With a swish of her hair, the girl disappeared into a dark part of the forest, leaving George to wait. A single tear fell from his eyes. Fred was coming back.

Fred was coming back.

Realisation had only just started to dawn on George. He was getting back the life he thought he'd lost forever.

A few moments later, the girl had returned from the forest, now wearing a long, green cloak that swept the leaves beneath her. George was too excited to notice her smirk was even bigger.

'Well?' he said, looking over her shoulder as if Fred would suddenly appear.

She laughed again. 'Tonight. At midnight. He will return, and your swap will leave the Earth. Forever.'

She pulled her cloak over her head and disapparated, but this time, even George couldn't miss the cold, harsh laugh as her green eyes met his brown.