I'm not entirely sure where this chapter came from, all I know is that I started writing it and suddenly, it just started flowing pretty well. Fred jr. isn't menationed directly in the books, but I think he appears on the Weasley family tree somewhere, along with his twin Roxanne, and I couldn't help but think it's kind of...odd to name your child after a dead sibling. I guess it's an "honouring their memory" thing, but I also think it might not be so conducive for said child. So here's my take on little Fred. (I will probably do Roxie after, unless somebody asks for another kid.)

Enjoy!

He's nothing like his namesake.

Fred Wesley is a quiet boy. He didn't say his first word until he was nearly three. His father was convinced there was something wrong with him, but even after countless Doctor's appointments, they just concluded he was a slow developer and left it at that. Angelina said that they just needed to let him go at his own pace; they had thought nothing of it when Roxie spoke much earlier than most children her age. And so, they drop the subject.

But still.

The only person Fred can really talk to besides Roxie is his pet turtle, Alistair. To Alistair, he whispers his innermost secrets as the tiny reptile swims around his bowl. It's relaxing to watch him, watch the assorted greenery sway hypnotically underwater.

Alistair is the only one who knows how much Fred hates his name.

He can't say this, and sometimes he wonders if this burden of wearing his deceased uncle's names around his shoulders like a dead weight killed any sense of identity off immediately. Of course, some people might argue that it's just a name, that it doesn't define who you are.

There is no way to change what family you were born into, however. And Fred cannot shake the feeling that who he is just isn't good enough. He isn't the old Fred, and sometimes he cannot even speak when his father is in the room, because even at a very young age, Fred feels like he's always letting everyone down. They have a legend built in their minds, and he's just a little kid.

He wishes he was lucky like his sister; thanks to their mother, she does not have the traditional Wesley coloring, and instead her hair is a wild mass of chocolate brown, her skin color rendering any freckles invisible. Fred's hair is more chestnut then red, his eyes are brown, but he wishes that he looked more like his sister. The fact that he happens to be a twin only slightly diminishes this feeling; Roxie has enough personality for two people, and Fred is grateful that he has her to stand behind as she approaches things with wit, spirit and daring. Fred may be a Wesley, but he isn't sure he possesses any of these things.

What he doesn't know is, George sees so much of himself in Fred it worries him. It's not disappointment he sees- it's anxiety. Worry that he'll get pushed into doing things he's not sure is right, just like he was. George Wesley knows his twin brother wasn't perfect, and he certainly doesn't expect his children to be either. Being perfect seems like a lonely way to live.

If only father and son could find the words.

Probably the shortesr chapter yet, but I kind of like it this way. :) Thanks for checking it out.