A/N: Hahaa SilaOfCreo, Fred is not-dead, I love it! And I so agree. We might be crazy… but what's the alternative?? No, I see no reason that Fred is really dead-dead. Hence, MUAHA! I am so glad you are all enjoying the story!! Its really helping me as well, like therapy. I'm playing the OotP game right now and have not once burst into tears, not even when I was playing as Fred! I'm getting used to the idea (also, Lupin and Tonks, they didn't even have to die! Aaaaargh!), but still, this fic tells me there's more about that whole "death" than we were led to believe ;) And illusen, yes it's out there, that was sort of the point – if we have to be delusional, let's do it right:P And that wasn't a jab at H/Hr shippers, just to clarify, that word has become like taboo in the HP community… oh well, on with the story!
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Chapter 6: Ray of Hope
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A few days later, George was still sitting by that blasted pond where he'd nearly drowned fourteen years ago. Mostly his family had left him alone – George suspected they just didn't know what to say to him. And he'd noticed that they seemed to be avoiding looking at him, which he supposed was understandable – he was the child and brother they'd lost, sans an ear really. At first glance anyway. He couldn't blame any of them for feeling this way… only it made it ten times worse. Only Percy, ironically enough, seemed to be able to look at George as George, and not as one of the two, part of an inseparable pair that had been severed, leaving the remaining half to flounder helplessly, slowly suffocating in the aspect of one of its vital organs. But how long would Percy be able to look him in the eye, when would it become easier to just look away? George hadn't smiled since he'd seen his brother's body, mainly because there had been no reason to, but he was also terrified that if he did smile… he would become Fred to them. And they'd wish he could be. Their eyes would fill with hope and happiness for a brief moment before they realised that no, it was only George. Fred would never come back. George hadn't let himself think about the future at all, leaving WWW products to rot in an increasingly dusty store, but now he suddenly got a flash of himself five, ten, twenty years away – alone, only another Weasley son, avoiding family dinners because his mum would always, if she accidentally caught his eye, get a haunted and teary look, remembering what had been lost. What kind of life could he possibly ever lead?
He heard footsteps, but didn't bother looking to see who was approaching. They'd leave, or else make themselves known.
He was slightly surprised when the figure sat down next to him, and he got a look at her out of the corner of his eye. He couldn't help himself, he turned his head and stared at her, focusing his attention on another human being for the first time in days.
"Hey George," Katie smiled, looking quite at ease with the situation. George didn't know whether to hug her, for being the first person who'd spoken to him normally, or shake her for not acknowledging his loss. His loss – it felt strange to even think it. Fred, half of the Weasley twins, had become George's loss. How ridiculous. Fred was no one's anything!
George settled for nodding his head at Katie, but held her gaze. He hadn't seen her for years, except for their brief encounter in the Room of Requirement before the Final Battle. She was as pretty as he remembered her at Hogwarts – long dark blond hair and brown eyes, and the sweetest smile he'd ever seen… George and Katie had never been more than friends, much to George's chagrin – and Fred's, for that matter. Fred had been dating Angelina in their final year, and thought it would have been brilliant if George took up with one of her best mates – Fred had been convinced they'd all get married eventually and live in neighbouring apartments, each have a set of twins – they'd laughed for ages imagining the look on McGonagall's face when not one, but two sets of Weasley twins had walked down the entrance hall for the first time, turning plates into toads as they went… George shook his head. He couldn't let himself remember, ever. It just hurt too much.
Katie sighed and broke eye contact, seemingly sensing his distress. George knew Katie had suffered her share of pain and loss in the war – she'd lost her parents half a year ago, and last year of course there was the horrible cursed necklace. When Katie had been transferred to St. Mungo's, Angelina had apparated into their apartment in complete distress and they'd all gone down to see her – but only Angelina had been allowed by Katie's parents to go in, George and Fred having been deemed not close enough. Not good enough, George had scoffed and Fred nodded grimly. They'd never liked Katie's parents much after that, but their deaths had still come as a big shock – as all deaths of people they knew had done. George had once again attempted to get in contact with Katie, but she'd been impossible to find – gone into hiding, undoubtedly, like so many others.
And now she sat beside him, close enough to touch… come to help him, undoubtedly, in any way she could – because that was Katie, and why he had fallen in love with her all those years ago. But what did any of it matter? He'd never be able to come home from a date and stay up all night talking about it with Fred, or to discuss which ring to buy with Fred, or to pace the waiting room anxiously, Fred by his side, sharing his anxiousness, yet sure to find something funny about the situation when George could not… and George would never be able to do the same for Fred.
Katie glanced over at him, and tentatively took his hand. She never spoke, and George knew she understood. No empty assurances, no attempts to make him feel better about something no one could change. George glanced down at their entwined hands, and felt the ghost of a smile tug at his lips. This was why he loved her.
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Just a short little chapter, sorry, not much plot – I am going to start the real action soon, but this was a very important chapter for me to get in there. One of the first things that made the Harry Potter series stand out to me, I remember very vividly, was that before Harry got into Hogwarts, before he was saved from a horrible life in such an unlikely way, there actually seemed to be another small light at the end of the tunnel for him. Harry would have gotten into Stonewall High, and though his uniform was awful he'd be away from Dudley and his friends, and Harry's existence might just have improved – no magic involved. It meant everything to know that without Hogwarts, Harry wouldn't have been completely doomed – sure it saved him in many ways, but it wasn't like the only way out. This is the same – Fred might actually be dead (river in Egypt, river in Egypt), and in that case there has to be something that would eventually be able to help George have a good life, albeit not half as good as if Fred had been in it. We've solved that problem, but it's nice to think that George is not completely dependent on Fred to be alive… sigh, I hope. Oh also, I realise that I've done the unthinkable – the author's note is almost as long as the chapter itself! Engorgio chapter 7! I promise!