AFTER A FEW DAYS
Ginny's POV
It's been three days since Ann died. All of us were heartbroken when we saw Georgie carrying her into the Great Hall, and the way Freddie cried, brought us all into tears. Her death has affected all of us, Freddie of all. He doesn't come out of Ann's room. He has locked himself in her room from when she died and so has Georgie, but in his room. He only came out when Professor McGonagall came home. She has left a dairy on Freddie's bed, which none of us are ready to read. It's not that we don't want to read, it's just we are not ready to listen to few things which she might have not told us, like the fact that she was pregnant when she died. Mum has agreed to me and Harry getting married and even Ron and Hermione. But both Ron and I told we wanted to be with Freddie for sometime now. The house has lost it's spark though all of us even Percy is there with us.
"Morning Ginny!" Harry said. I was sitting at the table thinking about Freddie.
"Morning Harry!" I said.
"What's wrong!?" he asked sitting next to me.
"Should I answer that!?" I said.
"Sorry!" he said.
Ron and Hermione came into the kitchen.
"Hey guys!" Hermione said.
"Hey!" I said.
"It's really boring without them isn't it!?" Ron said.
"Very!" I said in tears.
We kept quiet when we heard someone coming down the stairs. I stood up and went to the living room.
"Fred!?" I said, hoping it would be him. But it was Georgie. "Georgie!" I said with a smile and waking towards him and hugged him.
"Hey Gin!" he said.
"It's been three days since I spoke you!" I said in tears, pulling from the hug and looking at him.
"I know! Did Freddie come out!?" he asked.
"You yourself took three days to come out ofyour room! You think he'll come out!?" Ron said.
"What's for breakfast!?" he asked.
"You hungry!? Just wait for few minutes! Mum didn't cook anything!" I said walking into the kitchen.
"How come mum didn't cook anything!?" he asked.
"She sits by Ann's mum's grave almost all day! She was her godmother after all!" I said. "So what do you want!?"
"Not for me! For Freddie!" he said.
"What!?" I asked.
"I promised her I'll look after him!" he said in tears.
"Georgie we tried! He kicked us out!" I said. Freddie had gone full wild yesterday. He had locked the door. He would let us in. Ron used his wand to open the door and Freddie roared at us.
"I know! I heard!" he said. "But I'm gonna keep up my promise! That's the least I can do...afterall she died saving me!" he said as tears rolled down his cheek.
"George! It wasn't your fault!" Ron said.
"And why do you say that!?" Georgie shot back at him. "She died because of me Ron! It's because of me everyone is like this! If I could get Freddie to start speaking to everyone again...everything will go back to normal! And could we please stop taking about how it was not my fault! I am already filled with guilt!" Georgie said. Everyone kept quiet. I made some roasted bread and some nice hot coffee and kept it on the table.
"I don't know to cook much!" I said rubbing the back of my neck.
"It's okay! That'll do!" he said standing up and kissing me on my cheek. "Thank you!"
"I'll come too!" I said.
"Umm..." he said.
"Pleasee!" I asked.
"Okay!" he said and we went upto Ann's room.
"Fred!?" Georgie said knocking the door. "Fred!!"
"Get out!" I heard Freddie from inside. I turned to Georgie who looked at me. I saw Harry, Ron and Hermione too had come up.
"Come on Fred! Please! Opening the door is easy for me! But I'm not going to do that!" Georgie said.
"Then get out! Take the others who came with you!" Freddie said. I began tearing up. I looked at Georgie. He too was in tears.
"Fred!" Georgie said.
"I SAID GET OUT! STOP BOTHERING ME!!" he yelled at us.
"Come on!" Georgie said turning to me and putting his arm around me.
"Georgie we can't just leave him! He hasn't eaten for three days!" I said.
"Who said I'm leaving him! I'm not leaving him! I'll just irritate him after some time!" he said forcing a smile on his face. I started crying.
"Hey Gin! Don't cry! It'll be okay! He'll be fine!" he said reassuring me.
"Why did she have to die Georgie!? Why did she have to be the Discrete twins? Why did Freddie had to fall in love with her!?" I said sitting down on the stairs.
"Ginny! Don't ever tell that in front of Freddie! It's like someone asking you why you fell in love with Harry!" he said sitting down next to me. "Why did you fall in love with Harry!?"
"It just happened Georgie!" I said.
"The same happened with them Ginny! Neither of them knew they would fall in love with each other! Neither of them realized they had fallen in love with each other! Of course Freddie realized it a bit earlier but it took Ann years to realize she was in love with him Ginny! You can't say that! You yelled at Freddie for placing a bet on her...you can't speak like this now! They were made for each other! Just like you and Harry! Other girls liked him because he was good-looking, a tall-handsome guy but Ann loved him for who he was...a bloody idiotic git!" he said.
"I-I'm sorry! I shouldn't have said that!" I said wiping away my tears.
"Even if we searched the whole world...we wouldn't find anyone for Freddie who was as good as Ann! Who loved him like Ann!" he said.
"I'm sorry! I just want my brother back!" I said.
"We'll get him back! I promise!" he said.
"Promise!?" I asked.
"Promise!?" he said kissing my forehead.
We went down and saw Charlie, Bill, Fleur and Percy were in the kitchen.
"Hey Georgie!" Charlie said.
Georgie was in tears.
"Georgie!?" I said.
"Sorry...I just..." he wiping away his tears.
"He doesn't like being called Georgie! Unlike Fred, he doesn't have the heart to tell it to us on our faces!" Bill said.
"George! I'm sorry!" Charlie and I said. He didn't say anything. He sat down on the chair.
"So what are you doing!?" Georgie asked. Billlooked out the window. Georgie stood up and saw what they were doing. Even Ilooked out the window, they were preparing the ground for the funeral.Professor McGonagall asked whether we could bury her at Hogwarts. Mum and dad didn't say anything. They told whatever Fred told would be final. Fred wasn't even ready to listen to us. So George said we would bury her near her mum's grave, near the lake. So that was final.
"Besides we have a surprise for you George!" Bill said.
"What!? I'm not in the mood for surprises!" Georgie said.
"George!" I heard a voice. I had heard that voice but I couldn't identify it.
George's POV
"Besides we have a surprise for you George!" Bill said.
"What!? I'm not in the mood for surprises!" I said.
"George!" I heard a voice from behind me. I turned back to see it was Lee.
"What are you doing here!?" I asked him. I couldn't whether I was happy or sad to see him. I wasn't in a mood for anything or to speak to anyone but I had to because I had promised Ann. I was filled with guilt that she died because of me.
"What!? You're gonna forget me!?" he said with a pout.
"Sorry! That's not what I meant! This isn't the right time you would want to see me!" I said walking away from him.
"George! I'm your friend! And Freddie's and even Ann's!" he said pulling me back.
"Lee! You don't understand! I have to set things right! Ann died because of me! Freddie's like this because of me! I promised Ann I'll look after Freddie!" I said.
"Okay! I respect that! But you never promised her that you'll do it all alone!" he said.
"Why are you doing this!?" I asked.
"You're my friend George! I can't see any of you like this" she said.
"O-okay!" I said.
"George!" I heard someone from behind me, again. I knew who it was. It was Fay.
"What are you doing here!?" I scorned at her as I turned to her.
"I'm sorry...I heard about Mi..." she was saying when I interrupted her.
"DON'T YOU DARE TAKE HER NAME!! AFTER ALL YOU SAID TO HER...HOW DO YOU GET THE HEART TO TAKE HER NAME..." I was telling.
"Georgie!!" Lee said pulling me back.
"LET ME GO! AND DON'T YOU DARE CALL ME GEORGIE!" I yelled at Lee. I turned to Fay," WITH WHAT THOUGHTS DID YOU COME HERE NOW!? WIN OVER FREDDIE! YOU ARE WRONG MISS! I HAVEN'T SEEN HIM IN DAYS! HE DOESN'T COME OUT ANN'S ROOM!" I yelled at Fay.
"Look! I'm sorry!" she said.
"I DON'T WANT YOUR BLOODY APOLOGY! BEING A GIRL YOU SHOULD HAVE UNDERSTOOD WHAT SHE WOULD BE GOING THROUGH AND SHUT THAT BLOODY MOUTH OF YOURS! BUT NO!! WHAT DID YOU...what did you...what was that word...oh yeah...'GONE WITH THE FLOW' WASN'T IT!?" I continued yelling at Fay.
"George! That's enough!" Percy said.
"SHUT UP PERCY! YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT SHE SAID!" I yelled at him.
"What's going on in here!" dad said coming inside. Mum was next to dad.
"GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!" I yelled at her.
"GEORGE!" mum said.
"NO MUM!" I said. I turned to Fay, "YOU WERE THE REASON THEY FOUGHT BEFORE! YOU WERE ONTO HIM FROM THE START! YOU WERE JEALOUS OF HER THAT'S WHY YOU KISSED HIM! I don't want you here! You are the LAST PERSON I WANT TO SEE!" I said and turned back.
"George!" I heard Lee calling me. I didn't pay any heed to him and walked into my room. I sat on my bed, running my fingers through my hair. "George!!"
"GET OUT ANN!" I yelled. I realized what I said. I had just called Lee 'Ann'. I don't know why that came out like that.
"Lee! I-I'm sorry!" I said. My eyes began welling up.
"George! It's okay!" he said.
"NO! It's not! Stop telling me it's okay! She died because of me! She was trying to save me! She died peacefully! She left me here to die of guilt and remorse!" I said running my fingers through my hair as I began sobbing.
"What did Fay do!?" he asked.
"If she's staying here with you then you too get out!" I yelled at him.
"Hello Mister! I am trying to help you out over here! WHY ARE YOU YELLING AT ME!?" he shot at me.
"DID I ASK FOR YOUR HELP!? DON'T GO 'ALL-SYMPATHY' ON ME!" I shot back at him. He didn't say anything.
"What'z going on in here!?" Fleur asked. Even Bill and Ginny had come up.
"Nothing!" I said and walked out of the room.
I went out and sat by the lake, looking at others who were preparing the ground for her burial on the other side.
"You didn't have to yell at Lee you know!" I heard Percy.
I didn't say anything.
"By the way what did the other girl do!?" he asked sitting down next to me.
"I don't want to speak about her!" I said.
"Don't speak about her! Speak about what happened! Why and for what did she say 'gone with the flow'!?" he asked.
"There was a snatcher called Scabior!" I said.
"Yeah I know!" he said.
"He tried to...tried to take advantage of Ann." I said looking away from him.
"Oh! I'm sorry!" he said.
"And when we came back home, somehow she knew and she said that Ann should have gone with the flow instead of resisting, and few other things. And the first time they fought too was because of her, she kissed Freddie!" I explained.
"Well then! She deserved it didn't she!?" he said.
"Why did she have to die for me Percy!?" I said.
"Look George...I'm really sorry she's gone! But I also really thankful to her! She saved my brother!" he said.
"She might have saved me! But I am dying inside! And so is Freddie! I am dying of guilt! Freddie was so happy with her! We were so happy and she just..." I trailed off. He didn't say anything.
"We would have been a perfect family! Now that even you are back! It would have been perfect if she would have been here instead we are preparing ground for her burial!" I said as a tear rolled down my cheek.
I was looking at the others on the other side of the lake. I saw Ginny went inside, they would have probably told her to get something. We sat there for sometime, not speaking at all.
"GEORGE!!" I heard Ginny. I looked at her, she was running towards me. I stood up and hurriedly walked towards her.
"Gin!? What's wrong!?" I asked.
"Freddie! Something fell...!" she was telling.
"Get the others!" I said as I ran inside. I ran to Ann's room, I saw Lee was banging at the door.
"Lee move!" I said. I took out my wand and opened the door.
I saw Freddie was floor, bawling his eyes out. The table next to her bed had fallen down and the glass was broken. Photos were spread around.
"Fred!? Are you mad!?" I said kneeling down beside him. I saw the glass pieces had pierced into his skin.
"Lee get the cotton and the bandage!" I said.
"Uhh..." he stood not knowing what to do.
"What!?" I asked him. then I realized he didn't know about our house. "Tell Ginny or someone!". He went down.
"Are you crazy!? What's wrong with you!" I said taking his hand and removing the pieces.
"I'm not crazy! You're bloody sister-in-law was!" he said crying and in a different way. I could smell the alcohol in his breathe. He was drunk.
"Fred! You're drunk! When did you start drinking!?" I said trying lift him up.
"George! Why do you need the bandage and what..." I heard Charlie. "What happened!?"
"Give me that thing already!" I said. I took the bandage and took his hand.
"Let me go!" Freddie said taking his hand away.
"Bloody hell Fred! You're bleeding! Will you shut up!" I said as I took his hand.
"What was she thinking!? That she's some kind of big hero! NO!! She's just an idiot, a fool who let her to husband die alone! Can I die peacefully!? No! I have to struggle everyday and then die!" he said, sobbing. My eyes began tearing up. I tried to control myself, I didn't want to cry in front of him
"Fred! Don't say that! She loved you! She didn't do it on purpose!" I said.
"I thought she loved me! And I hope she loved me! But she wouldn't have left me if she loved me!" he said.
"Fred! You're drunk! You are going to regret saying all this when you get sober! Don't say anything!" I said wrapping the bandage around his hand. I saw he was holding their wedding photo in his other hand.
"Don't tell me what to say and what not to! The bloody idiot left me! And...and you know the best part!" he said with a sarcastic chuckle, "She was pregnant! The bloody...I don't even have the words! Only the word 'bloody' seems to come out of my mouth!" he said.
"Fred!" I said.
"Don't tell me you are not mad at her! You loved her! Even till the last moment you loved her!" he said. A tear rolled down my cheek.
"Fred! That's enough! You don't know what you talking about!" I said wiping the tear off my sleeve.
"You think I don't know!? I've seen you George! I grew up with you! I know you! All those tears...just for her!" he said.
"She was my best friend Fred!" I said trying to hold on to my emotions.
"Oh yeah!? Hermione got petrified! You cried for her? No! Angelina got hurt in Quiditch! Quiditch! Did you ever cry for her?! No! and what were they strangers!? I don't think you would have cried so much even I had died!" he yelled at me.
"FRED!! I'm not the one holding her photo and bawling my eyes out!" I said as a few tears rolled down my eyes. He looked at the photo.
"Our wedding! She was extra-ordinarily beautiful that day! I had no words for her! I loved her Georgie! I loved her so much!" he said. "Why did she have to leave Georgie!? She left me alone! What am I supposed to do now!? I thought...I thought the next time I would buy a suit for our kid's first year birthday! Instead I think I'll end up buying a suit for her funeral!" he said crying. I swallowed, trying to hold back my emotions.
"What would have happened if she loved you!?" he asked.
"Fred! She would have never loved me! It was you! From the start! It was always you!" I said.
"What if!?" he asked. I didn't say anything and neither did he.
"Come on! Let's get you back on the bed!" I said standing up. Bill helped me. We laid him down on the bed and I sat on the chair, next to the bed, till he fell asleep. He was holding their wedding photo. He kept mumbling about Ann.
"Hey! Want some time alone mate!?" Ron asked. I looked at Ron. Even Hermione was there.
"That'll be good!" I said as my eyes began welling up.
"George! It'll be okay!" Hermione said.
"Just...stay with him!" I said standing up. I took the bottle of firewhiskey which was on the floor. The one which he drank was broken. The other one was on the floor. I went down to the kitchen and kept the bottle on the table. I knew everyone was looking at me.
"Hide the bottles!" I said and turned around.
"George!" Charlie said.
"No! Please!" I said. "Not now!"
I walked into my room and laid on my bed. I looked at Freddie's bed and the dairy she had kept on his bed. I wanted to read it but I wanted Fred to read it first or atleast the starting few pages because I know he couldn't read the whole thing without breaking down. What Freddie said was echoing in my ears, he really thought all this, he just didn't say it out, now that he was drunk, it all just came out.
"George! George!" I heard Ginny waking me.
"Leave me alone Gin!" I said.
"It's Professor McGonagall! She wants to speak to you!" she said.
"Oh! Umm...yeah okay! I'll be down in two minutes!" I said.
"Please wash your face and come down!" she said. I nodded.
I washed my face and went down.
"Good evening Professor!" I said. She chuckled. "I'm sorry! What did I say!?" I asked. I didn't know why she chuckled.
"You and your brother never wished me during school Mr. Weasley. Now here you are wishing me a good evening!" she said.
"Time Professor! It changes people! Anyways what brings you here Professor!?" I asked her.
"You said no for her burial at Hogwarts..." she was telling when I interrupted her.
"I thought I made myself clear on that topic Professor! We are not burying Ann at Hogwarts!" I said.
"And I respect that Mr. Weasley!" she said.
"Then what else?" I asked.
"We are making a memorial, and a buffet and a thanksgiving tomorrow! We are hoping if your family would come!" she said.
"They'll come Professor!" I said.
"George!? 'They'?" Ron asked.
"I'm not sure if my brother, Freddie, would come! And I'm not coming if he doesn't professor! But I assure you the others will come!" I said.
"George! What are you saying!? This is Ann we are talking about!" Charlie said. I turned to Professor.
"They'll come Professor!" I said and turned around.
"George!" Charlie said.
"I never said I'll not come! I only said I'm not sure whether I'll come!" I said.
"Good day to you Professor!" I said and walked into Ann's room. I saw Hermione had cleaned up, obviously Ron wouldn't have cleaned up. I sat on the chair. Freddie had slept turning the other side. He turned to face the ceiling.
"So tomorrow is the funeral!?" he asked.
"Are you sober!?" I asked.
"Maybe!!" he said.
"I'm not telling you anything till you get sober!" I said.
"Okay! It's for the best...I guess!" he said taking the photo into his hand. It was a photo of the three of us.
"We were so happy!" he said looking at the photo.
"Get some rest Fred!" I said. He looked at few more photos and fell asleep.