A/N: So, my longest chapter yet! I feel quite proud I apologise in advance for all the pov changes; I hope they're not too confusing. Big thank you to my lovely reviewers from the last chapter, chocolateMnMs and cutietrp. Your wonderful feedback makes this story worth writing. To everyone reading, I'd love it if you could leave a review, but whether you do or not, I hope you enjoy the story regardless. Over and out!
Chapter 4- Uncertainty
Seconds after George felt his eyes close, he was back in the cell, alone. Taking a deep breath, he readied himself for what he was sure was going to be a very demanding situation. Fred could be one of the most stubborn people he knew, and looking around at the very realistic cell, George wasn't quite sure how he was going to convince Fred that this was not reality.
He was interrupted by the arrival of the same guard he had seen before, who was dragging a protesting Fred behind him. The guard pushed Fred roughly into the cell, slamming the door behind him. George, who had shrunk into the shadows, grinned as his brother cursed loudly at the guard's retreating back.
Some things never changed.
"Fred?" He said quietly once he was sure they were alone. Fred spun around, and George's eyes widened at the bruises evident on his face.
"Wha- George?" He looked confused for a second before his expression changed into one similar to disgust. "Oh right, it's you."
George frowned, slightly hurt at the tone of Fred's voice.
"I've figured it out, you know. You're a death eater right? You took some of George's hair, put it in some polyjuice potion and voila; you're George."
"Fred, it's really me," George said desperately. Fred shook his head dismissively.
"Right yeah, so what's the plan? You convince me that you're George, I spill all my secrets to you, and then you kill the real George in front of me just for fun? That's the kind of sadistic thing you people do, right?" Fred spat out, standing as far away from George as he could within the confines of the small cell.
"Fred, I swear to you I am not a death eater," George said firmly. "I'm me. I'm George."
"How stupid do you think I am? Don't let those 3 O.W.L's I got fool you; I've still got a healthy number of brain cells in this noggin of mine," Fred proclaimed as he tapped his head lightly.
"Yeah well I'm beginning to doubt that right now," George muttered under his breath before continuing. "Look, if I stay in here with you for an hour, will you believe me?" he asked desperately.
"Right, because polyjuice potion is the only option." Fred said sarcastically.
"Look Fred, I don't have time for this. You're dying up there; I need to get you back before Voldemort defeats everyone-"
A loud scream interrupted George. Fred flew at the cell door in rage.
"Leave him alone you bastards!" He shouted, hitting the door angrily.
"Who was that?" George asked, although a part of him had already recognised the scream.
"That was George. The real George. They're torturing him for information about the Order, and about Harry." Fred said furiously, banging on the door one last time out of frustration.
George tried to block out the sound of his own screams as he grabbed Fred's wrist.
"Hey, let me go!" Fred yelped, trying to shake off George, who dragged him towards the mirror.
"I'm sorry, but I don't have time for this Fred!" George said desperately before pushing Fred towards the mirror. To his utmost surprise, Fred didn't disappear through the mirror as George had done earlier. Instead, Fred hit the mirror and fell back with a loud thud, a bruise already forming on his head.
"Ow, you bloody git!" Fred exclaimed. George wasn't paying attention, instead staring at the mirror.
"What- why didn't you go through?" He whispered.
"Because it's a bloody mirror! It's solid!" Fred snapped, rubbing his head ruefully. George winced as he noticed the blood trickling down Fred's face.
"I'm sorry Fred," he said sincerely. Fred shook his head, stepping away from George.
"Sodding death eaters," he cursed loudly, glaring at George. George threw his hands up in frustration.
"I'm not a death eater!" He exclaimed, ready to tear out his hair. "You know what, screw it. I'm going to go back and tell Bill and Charlie that we need a new plan," he said angrily, moving towards the mirror. Fred frowned.
"Bill and Charlie? They're… they're here too?" He asked, slightly confused.
"No, they're back at Hogwarts, most likely helping Harry fight Voldemort."
"You mean your boss?" Fred sneered, but his tone was more curious than angry.
"No, I mean Voldemort, the bad guy we're trying to defeat. The battle should be nearly over by now." George said, glancing absentmindedly at his watch. Fred was staring at him suspiciously.
"The biggest battle of all times is underway at Hogwarts right now. So why aren't you and the rest of your… your cronies out there helping your master? Why did you kidnap me and George?"
"That's just it, we- I mean they- didn't kidnap you. This isn't real Fred!" George cried out, seeing an opening. Unfortunately, Fred wasn't going to make this easy for him.
"Then prove it," Fred hissed.
George took a deep breath, forcing his emotions down. Yelling at Fred was not going to make the situation any better.
"You were fighting with Percy," he began. Fred stared at him, saying nothing. "And then the wall nearest to you exploded. You were thrown back, and a spell hit you in the chest."
"And then I ended up here," Fred said, nodding. "Great little story, but that doesn't prove anything."
"No, you didn't end up here. Your body is back in the Great Hall at Hogwarts. But your mind- the curse that hit you, it's designed to trap you in your mind. Or well, in your nightmare to be more specific. Which is where we are now," George explained, his voice wavering slightly. Fred raised an eyebrow.
"Well, you sure put a lot of imagination into that story didn't you?" He asked condescendingly. George flinched.
"I'm telling the truth Fred! Stop acting like such an arse, you don't know what it was like to find your body hidden away! We thought you were dead!" George exploded, turning away so Fred couldn't see the tears filling in his eyes.
A silence filled the cell, only interrupted by the occasional sniff from George.
Fred took a step forward, almost instinctually seeking to comfort his brother, but stopped, staring curiously at George's figure. He was confused; his mind told him that this George doppelganger was just a death eater, trying to trick him, trying to catch him when his guard was down. But his heart was telling him differently. Being one of the few people who had witnessed George shed a tear in the last few years, Fred could remember his exact characteristics down to the way he brushed a hand across his eyes twice, and it was exactly the same way the George in front of him was doing it now. There was something so familiar about this George, something beyond merely his appearance.
"George?" He whispered automatically, and George spun around immediately, slightly shocked.
"You- you called me George," he said, almost accusingly. Fred shrugged.
"Had to get your attention didn't I?" He said light heartedly, keeping his real thoughts to himself. George frowned slightly and didn't reply, instead sitting down on the floor, sighing. Fred followed suit, sitting opposite George.
"So in this Battle of yours, is everyone alright? Our- your family?" Fred said suddenly. George smiled slightly.
"Everyone's fine. Dead worried about you, but they're all alive. Well, I think they are. Although Harry…" George's voice trailed off. Fred stared at him for a second before his gaze dropped to the floor, and the two sat in silence until they heard footsteps echoing down the hall. George immediately rose and fell back into the shadows while Fred got to his feet stiffly.
"Oh, it's you again. I'd recognise your ugly mug in my sleep," Fred said pleasantly to the guard, who grabbed him roughly by the neck.
"Hey, easy there big guy!"
The guard pulled Fred out of the cell and began walking down the corridor, George following unnoticed close behind.
It was over. Harry had defeated Voldemort, the Death Eaters had fled. The war was over and they had won. Hugs were being distributed freely between strangers; families and friends clinging to each other in joy. The atmosphere was so light and jubilant that it was only when Charlie was in the midst of hugging Ron tightly to his chest that he remembered, and how could he have forgotten even for a second because it was important, it was so important. His eyes flickered up to meet Bill's, and he immediately knew that Bill was remembering too. Without a word, they both launched themselves up the nearest staircase, heading to the Great Hall.
"Hey, where are you going?" Ron called out indignantly. Neither replied, but the shooting glance Charlie shot him was enough, and Ron was bounding up the stairs after them, all smiles gone from his face, Hermione and Harry close behind. A few people in the mass crowd wondered at this sudden movement, however they soon forgot about it in the face of such a triumphant atmosphere. Only five others in the crowd recognised the importance, and they too left, heading urgently towards the Great Hall.
Bill raced into the Great Hall and came to an abrupt halt a few metres away from Fred and George, the latter of whom was still resting against the wall, clutching his twin in his arms. What alarmed Bill though was that both twins were now unconscious and unresponsive.
"George. George," Bill half yelled, shaking George's arm frantically with no result. He felt Charlie kneel beside him, looking worried.
"Neither of them are awake yet," Bill said, his voice shaking slightly.
"Are they-" Charlie couldn't continue, too afraid to ask. Bill shook his head.
"George is alright," he said as he placed a hand on George's neck, feeling for a pulse. "He feels a bit cold, but other than that he could just be asleep."
"What about Fred?" Harry's voice surprised both Charlie and Bill, who hadn't realised he was with them. Bill placed one hand on Fred's forehead, the other against his neck. His face paled slightly.
"His pulse is weaker," he said quietly, wincing at the chilled nature of Fred's skin under his touch. He looked at Charlie beside him. "I don't know if George will be able to-"
"George will be able to what?" A voice interrupted him. Startled, they turned around to see Molly, Arthur, Percy, Ginny and Fleur arriving behind them. It was Molly who had spoken, her voice shaking slightly. Charlie gulped.
"George is… he's trying to wake Fred up," Bill explained. Molly raised an eyebrow.
"How?" She asked, her voice reaching a dangerous tone.
"He err… he thought that if he could get into Fred's mind, he could convince Fred to come back," Charlie said, wincing. For a good reason.
"You mean to tell me that I am now on the verge of losing two sons?" Molly's voice was growing rapidly in volume as she advanced on her two eldest sons. "And who gave him this idea?"
"George was going to try it anyway, we just supported him," Bill said weakly.
"Supported him? It'll be you who needs support in a minute! How could you be so foolish as to encourage him when he's in such a fragile state? He's not thinking straight and then you two go convince him to try and save Fred-"
"If we don't do anything Fred will die mum!" Charlie yelled, blinking away tears furiously. "This is the only thing we could think of. It's our only chance."
Molly stared at him for a few seconds, apparently unable to decide whether she wanted to continue yelling or burst out in tears. Arthur pulled her away to calm her down.
"I'm a bit confused, exactly what is going on here?" Ron asked, breaking the silence. Ginny quickly explained to him, Harry and Hermione what George believed he had seen, and the conversation they had with Madame Pompfrey.
"Oh!" Hermione exclaimed. "Furtivus animum, I've read about that!"
"Of course you have," Ron grumbled, but he looked distinctly proud.
"You have? What did it say?" Charlie asked, rounding on Hermione.
"Well, much like Madame Pompfrey said. It's a spell designed to trap the victim within their mind, or more specifically that which they fear the most. In theory it can only be broken if the victim can be convinced that what they are seeing is not reality. But I haven't heard of it being performed for centuries," Hermione concluded, casting a worried glance over the twins.
"But it could work?" Bill pressed, looking just as worried. Hermione pursed her lips thoughtfully.
"Considering that George was even able to get into Fred's mind, which is supposed to be almost impossible unless you're a legilimens, there's a good chance. I suppose because Fred and George are twins, they share a closer bond than others. If George managed to get into Fred's mind, then as long as he can convince him to come back…" Hermione's voice trailed off as everyone winced at the 'what if' scenario. What if George couldn't convince Fred? What could they possibly do?
"I guess we can't really do anything other than wait," Ginny said sadly. The others moved in a silent agreement, each taking a place on the cold stone floor around the motionless twins. They could hear the sound of cheers echoing outside, but within the Great Hall all they could sense was a great tension and uncertainty. Harry was purposely facing away from the bodies of Remus and Tonks, Ginny beside him, Percy beside her. Hermione and Ron were less than a metre away, next to Bill and Fleur, and finally Charlie, seated closest to the twins.
It was a few minutes before Molly and Arthur joined them in their silent vigil. Molly stroked each twin's cheek lovingly before taking her seat next to Arthur.
"You know George felt it when Fred was hit by the spell?" Charlie asked his mother suddenly. Molly looked slightly surprised.
"I- no, I didn't," she said.
"He knew something was wrong straightaway. He was clutching his chest, like he could feel the pain himself. We thought he'd been hit by a curse at first, but in a few seconds he was running off to find Fred. Believe me mum, if anyone can bring Fred back, it'll be George. Because he won't give up. Not when it comes to Fred."
Another silence fell upon the group before Arthur spoke up.
"When we were on our way to the Burrow, Fred kept rubbing his ear. He was almost doing it unconsciously; when I pointed it out, he just said it felt different somehow. I thought maybe it was the effect of the polyjuice potion or something. I didn't understand until we got back and saw what had happened to George…" Arthur stopped talking, instead wrapping a comforting arm around Molly. Nearby, both Hermione and Ginny sniffed.
"The point is, those two share something deeper than we'll ever know. They'll be fine as long as they're together," he said comfortingly, and the group murmured in agreement, wanting, needing to believe.
And so they waited.