Well, I've sat here with hot chocolate and managed to get another chapter done. I'm halfway there so er... maybe I'll get some done on Boxing Day. I'm not sure. Anyway, I hope you enjoy! Please review, they mean a lot:)

George rolled over in bed, covering his head with a pillow in an attempt to block out the gentle knocking on his bedroom door. There was no point in anyone trying to wake him, for there was no point in him getting up. He let out a groan as his mother continued to knock on the door, but made no move to get up or call her in.

Molly leant her forehead against George's bedroom door as he stayed firmly on the other side, as she blinked back tears. Christmas was going to be hard for all of them this year, harder than even last year.

Arthur came down the stairs to the landing, studying his wife as she knocked patiently on George's bedroom door.

"Molly," He said quietly, gently easing his wife's hands off of the door handle. "Come downstairs, we'll make some tea," He murmured. "George will come down later."

Molly sniffed, but nodded and allowed Arthur to direct her down the stairs to the kitchen, where Ron and Ginny already sat.

"Merry Christmas, everyone," Arthur said with as much brightness as he could muster. He was determined for his family to have a good Christmas without the burden of Voldemort over their heads.

"Merry Christmas," Ron grunted back, whilst Ginny remained silent.

"Is Harry up yet?" Molly asked anxiously.

"He's awake, if that's what you mean," Ron told her, not taking his eyes off of the mug of tea in front of him.

"Maybe I'd better check on him-" Molly started, glancing at her watch.

"Molly," Arthur said easily, taking a firm hold on her wrists. "You're not going to help him by going up there, are you, love?"

"But it's gone ten," Molly pointed out, her bottom lip quivering slightly.

Arthur sighed. It was a rare occasion when someone won an argument with Molly.

"I'll go," Ginny said, speaking up for the first time all morning. With less grace than she'd have liked, she stood up from the table, setting her mug down with a loud clunk, and ascended the stairs.

She reached Ron's attic bedroom and knocked thrice on the door.

"Harry?" She called out. "Can I come in?"

"Sure," Came Harry's muffled voice.

Her heartbeat rising slightly, Ginny opened the door and closed it firmly behind her, taking in Ron's room.

Harry was sitting on a chair, his legs braced on Ron's bed. The Snitch Dumbledore had left him was flying a couple of feet above Harry's lap, and he kept reaching out to catch it before letting it free again.

Ginny crossed the room to reach him, neatly stretching her arm and catching the Snitch from in front of his face, smiling slightly.

Harry gave her a sad smile back as she sat down on Ron's bed.

"Are you coming down?" She asked. "Mum's getting worried."

"There's a surprise," Harry sighed. "Is George up?"

Ginny shook her head. "I don't think he'll be up for a while..."

Harry gazed at Ginny in concern as she averted his eyes.

"You alright?" He asked her.

"Fine," Ginny said, but the thickness of her voice gave her away.

"Come here," Harry said softly, reaching out his hands.

Ginny hesitated, but took his hands and let Harry pull her onto his lap. He pressed a kiss to her temple and tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear.

"I'm sorry," He told her, nuzzling into her neck.

"We've been through this," Ginny murmured.

"I'm sorry Fred is gone," Harry said. "Ginny I am so, so sorry."

Ginny sighed, unashamedly letting tears fall from her eyes. Harry was the one person she could cry around and not feel weak.

"Harry?" She asked, twisting in his lap so she faced him.

"Yes?"

"Can you- Can you help me get George up? I'm scared for him. He hasn't been like this since September. But the last week or so... It's almost as bad as it was when... as it was in May."

Harry nodded mutely. "D'you want to go now?"

"One minute," She told him, wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him to her.

XXXXX

"George?" Harry asked, knocking on the door. "It's me. Can I come in?"

When noise came from inside, Ginny ushered him into George's bedroom, pressing her ear to the door.

Harry took in George's room. A stack of boxes containing stock from the joke shop were piled up in between the two beds. Fred's bed still had the covers on, which were messy from where Fred had last kicked them off in the morning. That sight alone made Harry want to burst into tears, but he swallowed the lump in his throat and looked at George.

George was lying in bed, staring at the bed opposite. He didn't look up as Harry entered the room.

"Merry Christmas," Harry said lamely. He wasn't sure what to do with himself. He didn't particularly fancy sitting on the edge of George's bed, and sitting on Fred's bed would just seem disrespectful. He settled for sitting cross legged on the floor.

"What are you doing, you prat?" George asked. His voice was low and dull, but a ghost of a laugh escaped his lips.

"Err, I don't really know," Harry grinned, standing up again. He paused. "Are you gonna come downstairs?"

"Eventually," George sighed, rolling onto his back and gazing up at the ceiling.

"Good," Harry said shortly, looking at his hands.

"How do you do it?" George asked after a while.

"Do what?" Harry asked.

"Keep going?" George asked. "I mean, you've lost everyone. How do you find the strength to carry on?"

Harry paused before answering. "I haven't lost everyone," He told George. "I've got Ron, Hermione, Gin, you, your parents, Teddy... I think... It's difficult when you lose someone you've loved. Particularly for you. I mean, I lost my parents, but I never knew life with them. Even Sirius; I didn't spend every waking moment with him. I know it's hard for you trying to adjust to life without Fred – he played such an important part in your life – but, if you think about it, you're in no way alone. You've got your family. They all... We all care for you so much, George. Sometimes I don't think you realise how much. I know it's hard without Fred, but I promise you, it gets easier."

XXXXX

Arthur looked up and smiled as Harry came down the stairs, closely followed by Ginny and George. He completely understood the fact that, since Fred's death, George had often seen Harry as somebody he could talk to. Harry had, after all, dealt with more than his fair share of death.

As Ginny and Harry settled on the sofa, Arthur beckoned George into the kitchen.

"I just want to say," He said, under the pretence of making them both a cup of tea. "I know this year is going to be hard for all of us, you in particular, without Fred but I want to remind you that he... he wouldn't have wanted us all sitting around here moping, would he? He'd be here, putting fireworks under people's chair just like every other year. Just something for you to think about."

George managed a small smile. He would do more than think about putting fireworks under people's chairs.

XXXXX

It was gone twelve o'clock when Ron left the Burrow, walking through the fields to meet Hermione, who was apparating to the village from her parent's house in Oxford. He spotted her a fair distance away, laden with several large presents. He laughed out loud into the cold afternoon and crossed the field in record time to meet Hermione. Unfortunately, however, he was not prepared for Hermione to drop all her presents and throw herself at him. As she swung her legs around his hips he promptly fell back into the muddy field, both of them laughing hysterically.

"Merry Christmas!" Hermione cried.

"Merry Christmas," Ron grinned, flicking some mud at Hermione.

"OI!" She squealed, wrestling him so that his hair soon became caked with mud.

"Okay, okay," Ron wheezed, clutching Hermione's wrists to stop her.

She giggled and leant over him to kiss him.

"Merry Christmas," She whispered.

XXXXX

Everyone seemed to have made some kind of unsaid agreement to act as if it was just another Christmas. Watching the family eat dinner, one would never have known that they had lost a member just six months previously.

George didn't know how he felt. He wanted to enjoy himself, and didn't want to ruin everyone's day by sitting around, thinking about Fred. On the other hand, it seemed sick and wrong to enjoy the day without Fred. It didn't feel right, them all being here, having a good time when Fred could no longer be with them.

He turned to Harry, who was sitting next to him.

"Harry," He murmured, not wishing to draw attention to himself.

"Yeah?" Harry asked, wincing at how carefree he sounded.

"I think I'm going to go and visit Fred's grave later," George told him, surprising himself with how quickly he'd made the decision. "Can you cover for me? Tell them I'm upstairs or something? I don't want Mum worrying..."

"Sure," Harry nodded. "I can come with you, if you want?"

"Nah, it's alright," George smiled appreciatively. "I'd rather –"

George was cut off by a loud bang and a squawk from further down the table. He turned, laughing, to see Percy literally fuming (his eyebrows appeared to have been burnt off), holding the remains of a firework.

"GEORGE!" Percy shouted, whilst everyone – even Molly – erupted into fits of laughter.

XXXXX

George pulled his scarf tighter around his neck, bracing himself against the wind as he made his way up the hill to where Fred's grave was. It was a cold, December night, but it was cloudless and hundreds of stars shone in the sky. George smiled slightly, remembering the fairytale he had heard as a child in which people who died became stars in the sky.

George reached Fred's grave stone and knelt down next to it, as he did every time he came to visit. It almost felt as if he was sat facing his brother again. He sat for a while, studying the engravings. He looked up at the sky, and then back down at the grave.

"Merry Christmas, Freddie," He said sadly. "My first Christmas without you, and I just about survived it. I'm sorry for laughing. I'm sorry for smiling and joking. I'm sorry for having a good time. I shouldn't be doing it without you.

"You know, the others tell me that you'd want me to be happy. I know better, though. You're probably up there now thinking 'That git, having a good time. They should all declare another day of mourning for me'." He offered an echo of a laugh.

"There I go again," He sighed. "Laughing. See, I'm absolutely useless without you, Fred."

His voice died as a lump formed in his throat.

"I miss you, Freddie," Was all he could muster before he started to sob.