Cleaning Up After the Marauders

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When Fred had a car crash at forty three years old, he called George in his last few moments, expressing how much he loved his twin brother, telling him he was sorry for leaving so soon, and making him promise not to leave before his time. He spent the rest of the time going down memory lane.

"Remember that time at school when we pranked the first years at the feast?" Fred asked, wincing at the pain in his stomach.

George laughed through the sobs. "We got into so much trouble. Detention for a week, and we had to apologize. I didn't regret it, I still don't." He smiled, tears streaming down his face.

"I know you don't, Georgie, I don't either." Fred replied, doing his absolute best to keep the pain from his voice.

The tree branch sticking out if his stomach made that rather difficult, but he'd managed thus far, he couldn't stop now.

He could hear George's muffled sobs through the speaker on the phone, hear the shakiness of his voice as he asked his next question. "Are you hurting, Freddie?" The elder twin asked.

Fred remembered Harry's words from long ago when he had to let go of Sirius and Raven as they'd met their unfortunate deaths (hit by a drunk driver on their way back from date night), it hurt, but I think they knew it would happen. I'm just happy they went together, and then again when he'd used the Resurrection Stone to properly say goodbye, he said it was quicker and easier than falling asleep.

Fred chuckled. "No, George. I'm not. The shock has set in by now, I'm alright." He winced again, feeling awful for lying to his brother, but not regretting sparing his brother from the awful truth. "I don't have long now, Georgie. Promise you won't do anything stupid?" He asked, feeling himself begin to fade.

George didn't bother holding back his sobs. "I-I p-promise." He stuttered. "Brothers together..." He began.

"Twins forever." Fred finished. "I love you, Georgie." He murmured.

"I love you too, Freddie." George replied, chocking on his tears.

Fred smiled as his heart stopped. His breathing evened out, then his eyes fluttered shut.

Frederick Jeoffrey Weasley died on March 31, 2018, the day before he was to be forty four.

George fell apart at the funeral, and then again when he got home.

For thirty years, he managed to keep his promise to his brother, treating it like an Unbreakable Vow that he couldn't break lest his brother be upset with him.

He continued working in the joke shop, finally married Angelina Johnson (had two kids he named Fred II and Roxanne), he was very productive.

Then, George simply couldn't bear being away from his brother for so long, and his mind broke.

He started seeing Fred everywhere. In the streets, in the markets, Diagon Alley, Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, Honeyduke's, even their bedroom at the Burrow and their flat.

And though Fred was watching over his brother, he wasn't a ghost.

After two months of seeing Fred everywhere, the rest of the living Weasleys and those adopted into the family had no choice but to put George into a Wizard's Home for the Mentally Unstable.

George slowly got better, but he still claimed that he saw Fred everyday, that his twin was always right by his side.

Harry and Ron thought it best not to mention that they saw Fred too and the redhead seemingly came back to comfort his brother in his dying days.

The day he died, Teddy Lupin (Sirius and Raven's son that was taken in by the Potter's after his parents untimely deaths) came around.

While the majority of the Black and Lupin families didn't have shifter powers, there was shifter blood in both, Teddy was the first on in over a century. He didn't have the werewolf genes, something Harry (because he wasn't entirely sure how to handle such things) and Raven (because she wouldn't wish such pain on her enemies much less her son) where both grateful for.

"George?" Teddy asked softly, knocking on the door and walking in.

The elderly redhead (he'd somehow kept his flaming locks) didn't acknowledge him as he sat on the edge of the bed. Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny (everyone older had already passed on) looked up as Teddy sat down, Fred II stood, but stayed back.

Teddy drew in a breath, then willed his features to change. Those watching didn't see the tears in his eyes, but it pained him to see his best friend's father so distressed. Slowly, his blue hair turned the same shade of red as he worn in his Second Year when young Molly Weasley was first sorted. His features changed to mimic George's, freckles sprouted on his skin, his eyes (green as the grass growing outside) flashed briefly, then changed to a sapphire blue.

When the transformation was complete, Fred Weasley sat on the edge of the bed in Teddy Lupin's place.

A smile slowly crept into George's face, his dementia allowing him to believe that Fred was really there (the real Fred's ghost had left hours ago with promise that he'd be waiting for his twin when George passed to the other side.). He held out his hand, and Teddy took it.

"I'm here." Teddy whispered in George's voice. "I won't leave." He promised.

George didn't reply, too weak to do much more than breath. He smiled wider though and Teddy knew he'd made a good choice.

As the hours passed and George's eyes fluttered shut, Teddy talked to him, telling him stories of what happened in the past that George himself had told the children.

Teddy's featured slowly returned to his normal face as George's breathing slowed. He kept talking until long after George stopped breathing. Then he smiled and nodded to the others, leaving the room.

Fred II chased after him. "Hey, Teddy! Wait up!" He yelled, rounding the corner.

Teddy looked back. "Yeah?"

"Thanks for doing that, Teddy." Fred II smiled, hugging Teddy tightly. "I don't think I ever could've."

"It didn't seem right for him to die without a twin." Teddy replied.

HPHPHPHP

George opened his eyes and groaned softly, his mind feeling clearer than it had in ages.

"George," crooned a soft voice and George groaned again. "Georgie..." Singsong this time, and blue eyes snapped open.

There was only one person in the whole world who would ever call him that.

He shot up and looked around. Sure enough, there was his exact copy holding out a hand. George took it and was pulled to his feet. He used his momentum to pull his twin into a hug.

George's mind was clear, his body was strong, he felt like he could take on four Quidditch matches in a row. And now, he had his best friend back. He looked twenty again, as did Fred.

"You're here. You're back." George murmured, simple babbling flowing easily from his mouth.

"I missed you." Fred murmured back.

"I missed you too." George replied

"Come on, there's so many people to introduce you to, and say hi to, and meet." Fred pulled back and grasped George's hand, pulling him along and continuing to talk. "You'll love it here. It's so peaceful, and we can pull so many pranks. No one really minds, and we'll have tons of laughs."

George smiled, it was almost like he never left. He had his twin back.

He was home.