Left Behind (A Fred & George fanfic)

25. The Wishing Well

Hi everyone!

This is the last chapter before the epilogue. Just thought you ought to know. :)

The song I added to this chapter means a LOT to me, so please listen to it, as I think this is THE song for my fanfic and it is absolutely amazing and... Well, yeah.

I hope you'll enjoy this chapter, please tell me what you think, what I can improve on and whatnot. :)

Thank you so much for reading!

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 Had Percy taken a long time to get upstairs, George was much worse. It felt like Fred had been waiting for hours... Though it just as well could've been only a few minutes. But then, at long last, the door opened, and Fred's final visitor appeared.

George looked unexpectedly well, considering the situation. Compared to Percy he looked like an incredibly happy sun celebrating the world's mere existence.

Though that might be a bit exaggerated.

George didn't hesitate at all and, with a smile on his face, picked up the stone. It barely took a second for him to look straight at Fred. “Well, hello again!” he said. His voice betrayed him, it sounded joyous, but fake. It was a mask, Fred thought, a mask of happiness to conceal the pain underneath. Fred felt a little ashamed not to have noticed that earlier. When he had still been alive, he had been able to tell what George was thinking at almost all times.

A lot had changed indeed.

“Hi.” Fred said, not knowing exactly what else to say. This was the last time they would ever talk, after all. What do you say to someone who's practically you when you have to say farewell? “Are you doing well?”

George nodded, though he didn't reply. Something stirred in his face and the mask of happiness dropped slowly.

“I know,” Fred said, searching for words, something he'd never had to do before while he was talking to his twin, “I … I don't want to say goodbye either.”

George looked up to him, watching him carefully. “But you'll have to go anyway. You can't stay, otherwise – ”

“The second brother, the fading ghost of his lover, I know, I know. I'll just slowly drown in my own unhappiness because I don't belong in this world and all.” Fred sighed. “I felt it, the depression. It's terrible, and I don't want to feel like that ever again, like I don't belong... But that doesn't mean I wouldn't stay if I could.”

George didn't look at him, he seemed to take in the room for the first time. Then, so quietly that Fred was doubting whether he'd actually heard him say it, he mumbled. “I know. I'll miss you.”

There was an uncomfortable silence, one that had never appeared between the brothers before, not even when they'd heard their dad had been attacked by a giant snake and he was on the edge of dying.

“Anyway,” George said, his voice almost back to usual again. “We might as well make the best out of the time we've got, right?”

Fred nodded, cracking a smile. “So... Those omniscience hats are a real laugh, aren't they?” He knew it was a stupid subject to talk about at that moment, but he felt like everything would do right now. As long as they started talking

“Yeah...” George hesitated. “Yes, you did a pretty great job on them.”

“We did.” Fred corrected him.