The shop had been open for a few days now, and Fred was trying his best to be normal. He hoped doing the daily routine of running shop would make him feel alright, but so far it was not helping. The nightmares were still coming, the aches, the chills, the voices. Fred was seeing shadows in the corners, and sometimes the faces of the customers seemed to turn. It was all too much at times, so Fred would often sneak back up to the flat to get away from the crowds. This worried George at first, but soon he realized his brother just needed his space.
George had also noticed the recent decline in Fred. Things were looking like they were getting better, but ever since the Ministry got involved, Fred was reverting back to how he was when he first got back. He was shaking again, distant, and the nightmares only seemed to be getting worse. Fred often woke up screaming and refused to go back to sleep no matter how tired he was.
One day George had noticed Fred go up to their flat earlier than he had the last two days. Usually he headed up their closer to closing time, but it was still the early afternoon. The shop was as busy as it had been since they opened, but no busier than the days previous. George was answering a question a customer had when he drifted off and stared at the spot Fred had previous occupied. He jumped at a hand on his shoulder. Lee was standing next to him.
"You should go check on him, I can handle this down here."
George nodded and gave Lee a silent thank you before heading upstairs. Their door was past a curtain down a hallway hidden by magic. No customers could get in, but Fred and George could get through easily. George was about to open the door when he heard voices on the other side, well one voice. Fred's voice. George opened the door slow, and found his brother pacing back and forth mumbling to himself.
"No, no. Just go away and leave me alone…I-I can't…no, that's not….just stop."
George approached him with caution not sure what was happening with his brother. "Fred?" His voice was gentle, but loud enough that Fred could hear, though his brother did not seem to notice him.
Fred was still pacing back and forth like a million things were going on in his head.
George reached out and grabbed Fred's shoulder to stop him. Fred jumped away from George.
"No, please…I didn't…no…"
"Fred?" George walked closer and grabbed Fred preventing him from moving. "It's George, can you hear me?"
Fred made eye contact, but he did not seem to be looking at George. He shook his head like he was trying to knock something out of it. "They won't stop."
George looked at him with wide eyes. "What won't stop Freddie?"
"All the voices, the shadows keep getting closer, they want me back."
Fear welled up inside of George. "What?"
Fred seemed to calm down a little, but was crying now. "I don't want to go back there George, I can't."
George pulled Fred into a hug. "I won't let them Fred, no one is going to hurt you okay?" He pulled him out of their hug. "How long has this been going on?"
Fred looked away. "A while." He put his hand to his head. "Can't get them out."
"Come on, sit down." George led Fred over to the couch where they sat down in silence.
Several minutes went by before Fred spoke. "I think it's time I told you everything, George. What happened, how I got here"
"Fred, you don't have to…"
"No, I do." Fred looked at his brother. "Maybe then we can figure this whole thing out. I was too scared to say anything, you already have to take care of me so much. I thought it was just a side effect, but it's not."
"We take care of each other Fred, so go on and tell me." If George were honest he did not want to know the details of what happened to Fred, but he knew they may be important in saving him now, so he sat there and listened to everything Fred had to say.
Fred took a deep breath. "When the wall hit me, I felt a brief moment of pain, and then nothing. All I could think about was where you were and if you were alright, but then I woke up. It was all white, and I felt so different."
"Incomplete." George knew that feeling all too well.
Fred nodded. "I knew I was dead, but I couldn't accept that, and then Dumbledore was there, course he was."
George laughed a little.
"He told me what I already knew, but I knew that couldn't be right because we weren't meant to be separated."
"You told Dumbledore no?"
Fred smirked a little. "I made him show me you, saw you and everyone else crying over my dead body, and I knew I couldn't stay there, I wasn't meant to. I knew there had to be a way, but he wouldn't tell me, told me to get on the next train, but I told him I'd sit there for all eternity if I had to. Finally I got him to tell me there was a way, but he said it depended on us both and had very little chance in working."
George stared down at his palm thinking about the day he sliced it open on Fred's grave. If he had not done that, Fred would not be there.
"When your blood fell it opened a portal where I was, once I went in I had to keep my goal in mind at all times and never stop going. It felt like years there, but if I gave up even for a second I would have been trapped forever." Fred pulled his knees up to his chest. "It wasn't all just physical pain either, sometimes it was a loop of that day, but it was you instead, sometimes you got hit by the wall, others a curse. I relived that day over and over again, so many different ways. Don't get me wrong though, the pain was bad too. Ever possible thing someone could imagine I went through. There-there was one where I couldn't move, but this creature tore my skin off bit by bit, if I hadn't known I was already dead I would have wished it…"
"My God." George could not believe what Fred had gone through to get home.
"I almost got used to it after a while. Pain, torture, but then nothing and I just had to move until the next thing came around, and it went like that forever, but then one day a crack of light seeped out of the ground and I ran to it, and then I was here. I thought it was another trick or something, but then when I saw you I realized I had made it. It was all worth it to be back."
"I'm so sorry Fred."
"Like I said, it was worth it. I still get chills and aches, and I can't seem to get the memories out of my head, but I wasn't seeing or hearing things that weren't there until Bill said he saw something at my grave. I think they let something out, and it can't be here if I'm here. I think it wants to send me back so it can stay."
George's eyes widened. "We won't let that happen, Fred."
"It's getting worse every day…I should have told you sooner."
"Yeah, you should have. We shouldn't have any secrets, Fred, especially not now."
Fred nodded. "I don't know how to stop this. I'm not sure there is stopping this."
"We'll find a way, we always find a way. You didn't crawl through Hell just be dragged back by something lurking in the shadows."
That night neither man slept, instead they thought of ways out of their current situation.
"Did Dumbledore say anything about anyone else that had done this sort of thing before?"
Fred shook his head. "I'm not sure when it had been done before, or even if it had. I'm not sure many would attempt it, let alone get through it."
"This whole thing may be over our heads…I think we may need some help." George had one person in mind that may be able to help them.
"Hermione."
George nodded, they both knew if anyone could help it would be her.
The two had decided not to have the shop open every day yet because they knew it may be a lot, so the next day they headed back to the Burrow. Molly could tell something was wrong with her sons when they walked through the door.
"What's wrong?"
George gave her a smile and put a hand on her arm. "It's alright Mum, we just need to speak to Hermione if she's around."
"Yes, yes, I believe they are upstairs dears." He put a hand on Fred's face. "You alright?"
His hand met hers. "I hope so."
They boys went upstairs leaving Molly to worry in the kitchen. Fred had forgotten how far of a walk Ron's room was from the first floor of the house. He was out of breath when they got up to the top. Ron heard them walking upstairs so he came out to help them.
"You alright, Fred?"
Fred nodded. "Just not in my pique physical shape at the moment."
Ron helped Fred into the room where Harry and Hermione were. Fred sat down on Ron's bed as the three younger wizards stared at him with an unease.
George sat on Ron's dresser. "Don't make him feel uncomfortable by staring or anything."
The three realized they were staring and all looked away.
"Very inconspicuous everyone." George gave them a look.
Ron shifted. "Sorry, it's just…" He turned to Fred. "I thought you were getting better."
Fred sighed. "I was, I guess…but lately something has been happening."
George came over to Hermione and knelt down next to her. "We were hoping maybe you could help us figure out more about Fred's return. Maybe see if there is any reference to another person doing this in the past. We think that maybe it was done before a long time ago."
"It had definitely been attempted before, I'm just not sure if anyone ever made it, but I just can't believe that I'm the first to come back this way." Fred shook his head.
"I'm not even sure where to start." Hermione looked very unsure about what the boys were asking. "I can think of a few places maybe, but it won't be easy."
"Never is…but we know you have the smarts to figure this out. We just need to get any information that we can." Fred looked at the floor.
"What exactly is going on?" Harry was beginning to worry about what could be happening with Fred.
"I think something followed me out, and I've had these dreams like it wants to send me back."
"I'll try and find something, anything that may help." Hermione gave Fred a sad smile.
"Thanks, we really appreciate that." Fred nodded at her, hoping she would find answers for them.
Everyone noticed the far off look Fred seemed to gain after they went quiet. Hermione grew more concerned about this.
"Do you think you should mention any of this to the Ministry? You know they would want to know."
That snapped Fred back. "No, they'll lock me up, do more occlumency, Merlin only knows what else."
George put a hand on Hermione's shoulder. "We can't tell them, that is very important, understand? We are trusting all of you with this, but if we have to, we'll disappear. We aren't risking things getting worse."
"Whoa, don't talk like that George. You two aren't going anywhere alright?" Ron did not like the words coming out of his brother's mouth.
"Yeah, we won't tell anyone, we just want to help any way we can." Harry made sure he understood.
George nodded. "Good."
The three younger wizards were worried about what was going on. They all hoped they could help find a solution, but were scared at what would happen if they could not.
000000000
AN: Thanks for reading!
