Turns out, however, that Fred's a lot harder to kill than even he suspected.

Figures.

After being transported to St. Mungos, following the end of the war and Helena's epic victory over the Voldemort, Fred immediately underwent surgery to try and repair the damage that the explosion caused.

In truth, the burns themselves were the least of the healers' problems, most were a mix of first- and second-degree burns. However, with the help of modern medicine and magic, while it would scar horribly, even with the elder wands help, which Helena had instantly offered to aid the love of her life once she found out what happened.

Because of course, as Fred later found out through his mother's ramblings, that instead of getting her own injuries seen to, she had instantly rushed to the hospital to aid Fred in whatever way she could with her newly acquired wand and infinite magical supply.

Either way, even though he'd never look the same again, always looking like someone had casually decided to drive a tractor over the left side of his body with all the permanent wrinkly reddish skin and the milky white eye, that George promised made him look badass.

"Like a pirate especially if you had an eye patch and hook" George had commented with a teasing smirk.

The severe burns weren't actually his worst problem according to the healers who spoke to him after waking up.

Because apparently the worst was that during the explosion, some of the shrapnel got into his lung and the healers were unable to get it out safely with just healing spells and had to result to more muggle solutions such as getting rid of the damaged parts of his left lung since it had partially collapsed.

By doing this it was guaranteed that Fred would live a long life if only slightly strained by extended labour due to shortness of breath brought on by the fact that he only had one and a half of functional, working lungs. But thankfully, as time went on, Fred slowly began to heal— physically at least.

And while he put on a good façade for his friends and family, only George and Helena could tell that something was bothering him. So much so that one night, George, who hadn't gone home even once in the 5 weeks since Fred had been admitted— always by his side day and night along with Helena— finally had enough.

Sitting in the uncomfortable hospital chair that he had made home for a month, George sighed—Helena, uncomfortable with the tense silence, had gone to get a snack from the vending machine downstairs, so it was just him and Fred for now—looked to the left where his twin was lying on his back, quiet and solemn as he had been for weeks, George let out a another long exasperated sigh.

"Alright enough is enough, I've had it, Fred!"

It took a minute of George trying to catch his gaze before Fred finally deemed to look him in the eyes.

Good, at least he isn't too far gone.

"What is this? And don't tell me it's nothing or to not worry about it because clearly, it's pretty damn important if you've been moping about it for days! And it isn't just me you're hurting with your silence. Hell, you were happy the morning you woke, and Helena and I thought everything would go back to normal, but the minute you looked in the mirror and the healers came and left, it's like you can't bring yourself to even glance at Helena!" George roared, irritably pacing back and forth across the polished hospital floor.

"And while she's been understanding for all of these weeks of your health and state of mind, even Helena's starting to feel a certain way about how you're acting right now. Anyone with eyes can tell that your avoidance of her and only her has been eating away at her conscious. Fred, she feels like you're rejecting her or at the very least upset with her. Yesterday, she told me that she feels like a part of you blames her for her inability to save you when this all happened and, later, her inability to completely restore your body. I tried to reassure her that neither was true, and you just needed time but I'm starting to doubt that conclusion. Is that it, Fred? Do you refuse to look at her and pretend you're okay to everyone else because you blame her for this?

NO! Never! I love Helena she means everything to me! You wouldn't understand; you've never loved someone like that before!

"THEN EXPLAIN IT TO ME! If you love her so much, then why— "

"BECAUSE IM HIDEOUS NOW!" Fred cried.

"I avoid her gaze and I'm trying to distance myself from her because she deserves more than half a man. And make no mistake, brother, that's what I am. I will never be able to do strenuous work anymore like difficult spells or time-consuming runes. I will never be able to walk down the beach for long periods of time with her or pick her up and spin with her in my arms or else I will tire. Hell, I won't even be able to have sex with my own girlfriend, my fiancé, the woman that I want to marry and have children with, for longer than a couple of minutes without becoming winded like I ran the Tokyo marathon in under an hour when it's only been a minute.

Not that I think she'd ever want to be with me like that again with me looking like a half-melted Ken doll! I can't be the husband she needs, the father to our— future— children with a body that's only half working, if barely.

Do you understand now, George?! Fred sobbed desperately.

Don't you see that by pushing her away I'm saving her from a life of constantly having to compromise what she wants from what I am able to actually do?

Helena is the savior of the Wizarding World, the "Girl-Who-Lived", the "light-bringer" of the world. She is a queen amongst women, and is descended from or the direct inheritor to three different pure-blood, noble families. And while we may also be a pure-blood family, you know that she would be better off marrying someone even half as amazing as her and compared to all that, George, I might as well be the Hunchback of Notre Dame for all that I don't deserve her.

So, no I don't blame her, and I didn't fall out of love with her or hate her for not being able to restore me. I'm doing this because

.her.

Because I'm in love with her and if there is one truth in this world that I know will never fade it's this.

The sky could fall. The sea could wither and cease. The very heavens could rain brimstone and fire upon us all and I would still love her with all my being, with everything that am and will ever be. That's why I'm willing to set her free, George.

Be-because when you love something, truly love it, you set it free.

"Do you understand?", Fred whispered voice strained and eyes streaming fat tears down his face. "You set it free."

Sea blue eyes filled to the brim with despair and self-loathing and longing for something that he would never have again.

And in that moment, George understood.

He was about to say something, needed to, for a second. Because his twin, his other half, was hurting, and he didn't know what to do when he heard a voice he wasn't expecting and from Fred's slight flinch neither was he.

"Your such an idiot" Helena choked as she stood at the door slightly adjacent to Fred's bed, tears streaming down her scarlet checks and face a terrible miscellany of hurt, pain, and anger.