"You can go home Lee, we'll be alright." George had noticed the silence in their friend after the sun had come up. The weariness weighing on him.
"No, I said I would stay and help you guys." Lee shook his head.
"Really it's alright. We swear." Fred gave him a look that told him he was not obligated to stay there.
"I guess I am pretty useless half asleep anyway aren't I?"
George nodded. "Besides after you get some rest you should go check on the shop, I honestly don't remember the state we left it."
"I can do that." Lee got up. "If you two need anything though, just get ahold of me and I'll be right back."
"We will. See you later." George rubbed his eyes as Lee left. "He's not the only one that needs rest, I don't know how we are going to do this."
"I don't know, but if this thing can get to me in my sleep then I can't risk it."
George yawned. "What's that muggle movie? Nightmare on Elm Street…I don't think any of them make it very long."
Fred smirked a little. "Well then we need to figure out a way to be ready for it when it comes."
"We aren't even sure if sleeping matters, Fred. You've been seeing and hearing things during the day too, not even two days ago you were having a conversation in our flat with no one." George hated not knowing what was going on.
Fred's cheeks went a little red. "I know, but during the day it's different. It's like this residual thing, but at night it talks to me, and now…"
"I know, we can't risk it just in case, but I'm thinking in the long run, this thing can come whenever it wants." George hoped he was wrong.
"I can't let this thing win." Fred stared at the grain in the floor.
George sighed. "Okay, what do we know? We know this only really started happening when they opened up your coffin right?"
"Yeah, seems like it."
"So, why then?" George was hoping for a clue.
"I don't know. I'm here, and it was there, but my body, or whatever was buried is gone, so…" Fred's eyes widened a little.
"What?"
"My body, George that thing…was that created from my body? It wasn't there, but I'm here six months later like I wasn't rotting in the ground. I think this is like a trade or something."
George's heart sank. "If that's you…was you, then what happens if we destroy it?"
"I don't know."
"Maybe we should talk to Hermione again. See if she can find anything on necromancy…I'm not really sure anymore."
Fred shrugged. "Can't hurt, not sure if there is much on zombies, but you never know."
"You aren't a zombie Fred."
"I'm not really sure what I am anymore…honestly I'm starting to wonder if I'm back at all."
George shook his head. "Don't say that, Fred. You're here, I promise you this isn't some trick from that place. You're here and you're staying. I don't care what we have to do, but no one is going to let you get dragged back to that place."
Fred stayed quiet but nodded. He had to believe George was right.
A few hours later they found Hermione, Ron, Harry, and Ginny coming back from town. George told them he needed to talk to them to fill them in on what they had been thinking. They went outside with Fred under the tree to talk.
"You really think whatever is after you was created from what was left of you?" Hermione could not believe what she was hearing.
"Makes sense, nothing was in my coffin according to Bill, but something was. The same something I've been seeing. I never saw that where I was before, so I don't think it just hitched a ride with me back, I think it was created. Like a trade or something, I'm not sure it was ever meant to escape."
"I dunno Fred, that sounds mad." Ron was not sure either.
"Sure Ron, and me being here is completely logical."
"Look we don't know for sure, but it may be something. I don't know if there's anything on reanimation or demons made from the dead, but it can't hurt to look." George was trying to get to the point.
Hermione nodded. "That definitely is something to look into. Come on you guys let's go to the library again."
Hermione, Ron, and Ginny got up to go research again.
"We'll find something Fred, I know we will." Ginny gave him a smile before following the others.
Fred and George sat under the tree for a while before George realized they had not eaten much that day. He knew their mother would be making dinner soon, so he nudged Fred.
"You should eat something."
Fred did not respond, instead he stared into the woods. George could not see the dark shadow coming closer with whispers flooding behind it. Before George could ask if Fred was okay, Fred scrambled back with a look of horror on his face.
"No, stay away from me!"
"Fred!" George got up and ran after his brother.
Fred ran into the house and all the way up to their room before George caught up to him. When George entered the room, he found Fred in the corner with his hands over his ears. George slid in front of him and tried to get his attention.
"Fred? It's George, there's nothing here alright, you're safe. It's okay." He placed his hands on Fred's but Fred flinched at the touch.
At this point Molly had made her way upstairs to find out what was going on. "What is it? What's wrong?"
George shook his head. "He just started going ballistic and ran up here, I think he's seeing something."
Molly came closer. "Sweetie, it's mummy, can you hear me?"
The look of terror in Fred's eyes did not disappear. This was getting worse by the minute.
George looked at his mother. "What do we do?"
Molly looked at her two sons, but her eyes stared on George. "Madame Pomfrey gave you sleeping potion, where is it?"
"On the table." George nodded across the room.
Molly got up and grabbed the potion and poured some into Fred's mouth. He struggled, but the potion went down and soon enough he was calming down and falling asleep. They helped him to his bed and laid him down. George sat down on the edge of the bed and burst into tears. Molly, standing next to him, pulled him into a hug.
"We're gonna lose him all over again aren't we?" George cried into his mother's waist as she held him.
Molly held back tears. "No, sweetie, we won't let that happen. Fred is strong, he's gone through a lot worse than this, and he'll get through it just the same."
They stayed like that until Molly turned her attention to Fred. She stroked his hair a few times and decided to try and make a calming potion for when he woke up. She also wanted to call everyone and get them to the Burrow to discuss what was going on and what to do next.
That evening the entire Weasley clan, save George who was tending to Fred, sat in the kitchen discussing what to do.
Ron shook his head. "I don't understand what happened, we just talked to him and he was fine."
"No, he hasn't been fine has he? Not since the moment he got back." Bill had his hands clasped under his chin. "I should have said something before, I saw that thing escape from his grave, but I kept my mouth shut."
"No, you did exactly the right thing." Everyone looked at Percy in shock. "I know I'm one to always follow the rules, but the same thing would have happened to him regardless, but instead he'd be in a cell at the Ministry alone, with them interrogating him every day. Of course I believe we have our laws for a reason, but this is family. This is Fred, and I would break every law in the world if it meant not letting anything happen to him again."
"So what do we do then?" Ginny felt so lost.
"This hasn't happened before, at least not from what I've researched. No one has come back, at least not like this. I've looked into everything I can think of, but so far there's nothing." Hermione looked disappointed in the books she so often trusted.
Upstairs George had not left Fred's side once. He pulled a chair up to his bed and kept his eye on him. He was worried that the creature would attack him again like he had before, but George kept his wand close, ready to fight anything that came his way. He began to read the diary Hermione had found in hopes of discovering a clue, but as he read the more the author began to slip into insanity. The same insanity he was witnessing with his brother. Fred twitched a little in his sleep, but for the most part he stayed calm. George just wished he could figure out anything to help his brother, he needed to think outside of the box, but usually he had Fred for those things. Even when Fred was conscious the two could not figure out a plan to stop this thing, so what hope did he have now? As the night went on each member of the family made their way upstairs. They checked on Fred and then tried to get George to eat something or rest, but no one could get through to him.
"I hate to be the one to say this, but it feels like after Fred died." Charlie was in the kitchen staring at a cup of cold tea.
At first the Weasley's looked shocked, but then they understood.
"George won't eat, won't sleep, won't move. On top of that Fred is slipping, it's like this is happening all over again. If something happens, George won't be able to take it, not again." Charlie never looked up from his tea.
Molly began to cry, and Arthur put his hand on hers.
Bill sat down. "He's right. We fight this thing to the end, but I don't know if we can win without even understanding what this is."
"Shut it both of you." Ginny glared. "You talk as if he's already dead. Well he's not, this is our brother. Our brother that died and came back to us. That wasn't for nothing, he is getting through this, and we will do whatever it takes to get there."
Percy sighed and stood up. "I'm going to go check on them."
He made his way to Fred and George's room and watched the two for a moment before entering. "There were so many times I would have killed for it to be this silent in here with you two about, but now I think I would do anything to hear those explosions at all hours of the night."
He sat down on the end of Fred's bed. George said nothing.
Percy could see the stress in George's eyes. "You should go get some rest."
George shook his head. "I won't leave him."
"Then at least get something to eat or drink. I can look after him for a while. When was the last time you've eaten, or slept?"
George shrugged.
"George, really, I won't let anything happen."
George was hesitant at first, but then he got up from his chair. "Maybe just a glass of water."
Percy nodded and took his spot.
George yawned as he left the room. He headed downstairs to get a glass of water. No one was in the kitchen at the time, but then Hermione came in as he was about to leave.
"You should really get some rest you know."
"Don't want to leave him for long." George began to leave the room, but Hermione blocked his way.
"Percy is fully capable of watching over him, I think he needs it honestly, besides there is a house full of worried people that will jump at the first sign of trouble. Just sit down at least." Hermione moved out of the way and nodded towards the living room.
George sighed and walked over to the couch. "Maybe just for a second."
He took a sip of water and sat it down. Hermione could see his eyes already drooping. It was not long until George lost his battle with sleep. Hermione made sure he was comfortable as Molly came in.
"Oh good, I was hoping someone would get him down for a bit." She stroked her son's head. "My poor boys."
"They'll be alright. They're too strong not to get through this." Hermione gave her a smile as she sat back and watched over George.
000000000
AN: Thanks for reading!
