Secrets Unknown
Chapter Two: "Guilty emptiness"
George stepped out of the fireplace and stood still as his eyes adjusted to the dark. The room was momentarily lit by the green flickering fire he had just stepped out of but it soon died down and the room was thrown into darkness once more. Pulling out his wand he gave it a flick and muttered under his breath. The room was thrown into brilliant light as all the lamps in the room burst alight. George sighed as he wandered the familiar path to the back of the store where a staircase led to his own home, until recently, shared with his twin.
Heart beating quickly and loudly against his ribs, he got to the top of the stairs and pushed open the door. Shaking himself mentally, George muttered the same spell as the one he had used downstairs and every candle in the room burst into flame, a small flame flickering at the end of each wick, lighting the room. George surveyed the room, not entirely sure where to begin. Finally he chose an area of the room and began to wave his wand lazily, directing different objects into a suitcase that he had pulled out from under his bed.
Clothes, towels, shoes, different books and even some of the supplies he and Fred had had lying around the small apartment, leftovers from some of the products they had invented and successfully marketed, flew into the suitcase, packing themselves down neatly. When George could think of no more things he would need, he picked up the suitcase and headed towards the top of the stairs when something stopped him. Without thinking, he dropped the suitcase next to him on the floor then turned in the opposite direction from which he had just come. Coming to a door, he reached down to turn the silver handle shaped like a firework. The symbol of their trade. As the door creaked open, an image flashed into his mind, horrible and twisted. He gasped and shook his head to clear the picture still vividly shocking in his memory. Mentally shaking himself, George walked further into his twin brother's room, marvelling slightly at the way he managed to keep it so unbelievably messy. The last time he had been in this room was exactly a week ago when he had entered the room to see why Fred was still sleeping. Keeping this disturbing memory in mind he began to wander about the room, picking things up and turning them over before placing them back where he found them, making sure they were exactly the way he had found them.
His throat was unusually tight as he ambled around the room that used to belong to his twin, handling the objects that belonged to him, the simple things he never went without. Even his wand was still in there as nobody had felt it right to take it with them. George had assumed that it would eventually go to Angelina but it had taken a lot of persuading and special favours from the Ministry of Magic to stop it being destroyed entirely first.
George looked at his watch and noticed the time was a lot later than he had thought. He had spent over an hour in his brother's room and he was supposed to only make it a quick trip. Any longer and his mother would probably send a search party out to look for him, he thought to himself with a grim smile. Reaching down under the bed he groped around until he found what he was looking for. He knew his brother kept a shoebox underneath his bed full only of the things he felt close to him. George wanted to take it with him, not intending to open it but merely to have it with him. He knew Fred wouldn't mind. He always knew what Fred was thinking; he had done so since they were born. Then again, George thought, his stomach churning unpleasantly, he hadn't known what his brother had been thinking to make him feel that life wasn't worth living anymore. Ignoring the feeling of guilt for not picking up on what his twin had been planning he found the shoebox and pulled it out gingerly. George had the sudden feeling to open it up and see if it contained anything that might prove a reason for Fred's sudden parting but he denied this sentiment and merely held onto the closed box as he stepped out of the room and closed the door softly behind him. George made his way back to where he had left his suitcase at the top of the staircase and bent down to pick it up, struggling to keep the shoebox underneath his arm. Sighing, he looked around at his apartment before pulling out his wand with his available hand and muttered "nox" and all the lights in the rooms went out.
Descending the stairs George was a little alarmed at how calm he felt. His best friend had died and he was never going to see him again and he felt...nothing. With this feeling of guilt he wandered back into the shop and stepped into the fireplace, extinguishing the lights in the shop as well. Throwing a handful of the same glittery powder into the fireplace underneath him from a small box next to him he said as clearly as he could, "The Burrow." And he was gone in a whirling of green flame.
A/N: So, that was the second chapter. Does anyone like it so far? I'm sorry the story hasn't been very informative so far but that WILL change in chapters to come. PLEASE review because I love getting reviews and they motivate me to write more chapters. Also, if anyone knows the proper spells for making lights turn on and off or if you can make some up that sound good, do tell me!