Left Behind (A Fred & George fanfic)

20. The Tale Of The Three Brothers

“See?” Ginny said. “It can be fixed, everything can be fixed. If only you give it some time.”

Angelina's cheeks were now wet with tears. She hated how much she had been crying lately. She hated how she was crying over a damn teacup at that very moment. She hated the current situation. She hated herself for thinking and over-thinking the way she had been doing lately. But she loved George, and she loved Fred, and she wanted the best for both of them. And in her heart she knew that the way things were right now wasn't 'the best'. Far from it. How she knew this? No idea; maybe that motherly instinct she'd been waiting for all those years since little Fred was born had finally decided to show up. Would be about time.

Realising she had been lost in thought for some time once again, she searched Ginny's face. Nothing but confusion and wonder was to be read from it.

“It's... dangerous.” Angelina started off. “Or potentially dangerous.” She shook her head. “I don't really know. Either way, it might have something to do with magic. Not the good kind of magic.”

Ginny still looked confused. “What? What kind of horror has George gotten himself into?”

“Horror? No!” Angelina nearly exclaimed, taking a hold of the empty cold cup. “ He hasn't been happier! That's the tricky thing.”

“You really aren't making things any clearer.” Ginny simply stated.

Angelina let out a thoughtful sigh. No way of returning now, mrs. Weasley-Johnson, she thought.

“It's Fred.” she said.

“Little Fred?” Ginny answered with a tiny bit of false hope in her voice, as if she knew what Angelina was about to say already.

“Old Fred. Your brother. The one who should be dead.” Angelina's voice broke.

Ginny's eyes grew wide, like she was caught up in both happiness and terrified shock. “Wh-what do you mean?”

Angelina buried her face in her hands, the way George always did when he was upset. “George found some rock in the Forest at Hogwarts and since then he's been able to see Fred whenever he wants.”

“See Fred?”

“Whenever he holds the stone. He appears to be some kind of ghost, but not quite.” Angelina sniffed, trying to retain her tears. “You can only see him by keeping a hold of that rock and thinking hard about him.” she explained.

“Have you – ” Ginny started, but Angelina nodded immediately.

“I saw him. Only once.”

“Woah.” Ginny put her index fingers to her temples. “Are you both delusional?” She shook her head, as if realising that was a bit of an insult. “I'm sorry. I mean, F-Fred! My brother! I need to see him! It can't be true, I have to talk to him! Tell him I love him! I... I – ”

Ginny trailed off, obviously confounded about this brand new information.

“Shhh...” Angelina tried to calm her down by rubbing her back. “Just... Let it sink in. It's quite a lot to take. I shouldn't have told you in the first place, should've known it'd only confuse you. This shouldn't even be happening right now. I should just – ”

“A rock, you said?” A low voice sounded from the hallway. The two women heard steps and soon Harry Potter stood in the kitchen, his eyes peering suspiciously through his all-too-familiar round glasses. “What did it look like?”

Both Angelina and Ginny looked at him in shock. How long had he been standing there? He wasn't supposed to hear any of this!

“What did it look like?” He asked once again, though now his voice sounded more urgent.