Seeing Fred

A not so quite dubbelganger

"You didn't go to Hogwarts?"

"No, I'm-" Fred nodded her head to continue. "I'm a muggle."

"A muggle? You – huh – How did you get here?"

"I'll explain later. The thing is I see Fred, as a ghost, sort of."

"Prove it." He said, looking sceptical.

"Alright ask me something only he would know."

"Wait! He's here, now?" George's breath got stuck in his throat as he glanced around the room.

"Yes, he's sitting next to me." She let her hand hover over his shoulder.

"Fred." George whispered; tears started to cloud his sight. "I - What did we steal from Filch's office beside the map?"

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Leah looked at Fred when he told her what did stole, laughing. "A whip? How old were you?"

"12." The twins said in unison.

Leah looked between the two, eyes wide. "Fred, you said you two talked a lot in unison but doing it now..."

"We did?" George asked, surprised, the tears rolling down his cheek. "He's really here."

"Yeah." She gave him a sad smile.

"Freddie. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry I couldn't save you. I tried; I really did. I tried for months."

"Georgie, it isn't your fault, none of it is." Leah said narrating for him.

"It was my idea to separate!"

"And you saved Lee and Alicia that night." Fred stood up and walked closer, sitting down on the armrest of George's seat. "He's sitting next to you." She pointed to the place he was seated. "He has his hand on your shoulder."

George shivered and looked at his shoulder, placing his own hand on it. "Fred." He looked back to her. "How? How is it you can see him?"

"I don't know. I just met him... five days ago."

"Five days ago?"

"Yeah. It's quite a story to tell. Do you have something to drink?"

"I'll make us some tea and you can tell me everything." He 'squeezed' Fred's hand, his shoulder before standing up and walked to the kitchen. She leaned over the back of the couch and opened the curtains, letting in more light. Fred sighed as his brother passed him, he looked back before he made his way back to the seat next to her. Leah shifted so she could look at him, leaning her arm on the back of the couch, her head in her hand.

"This went better than I thought."

"Yeah, except the stick pointing at you. Seriously Leah, a stick?" Fred laughed.

"What?!" She laughed with him. "It is a stick, it looked ridiculous, I can't believe you can produce magic with it."

From the kitchen, George was watching Leah interact with his twin, or in his eyes with the air. As she laughed and talked away. George saw a twinkle in her eyes as she looked up at him, at Fred. The weight on his chest lightened a bit with the thought that Fred was still here somehow, even though he couldn't see him.

Leah felt being watched again by a Weasley. She turned her head away from the red head to the now brunette. She chuckled at something Fred said. "George!" George came out of his daze and walked over with a pot of tea and two cups. "Fred says you need a shower, a haircut and turn your hair back. He says it looks ridiculous."

"I couldn't look in the mirror without seeing him, seeing you." He looked at the empty space next to Leah. Fred's heart broke at his words, knowing he would do the same if it was reversed.