Blood In The Stars

24. Saint Patrick's Purgatory

"the tired sunsets and the tired people-it takes a lifetime to die and no time at all." -Charles Bukowski (a german-american poet who encouraged people not to try for it will come and if not, then wait)

4004 words

Fred forced George downstairs, sat him down at the table and fetched two beers courtesy of Charlie out of the fridge before placing his hands on the table.

"Explain to me..this is absorbing the curse thing." Fred waved his hands, before pressing them flat on the table on the table once more. 

"I couldn't just let you lay there and bleed out, Fred." George whispered, taking a small sip before continuing. "So I..I..it's old magic, Da explained it to me after the fact, but I basically..well-" George coughed, and rubbed his chest before tilting his head to the side.

"I really need you to say this, George." Fred stated quietly and sternly.

"It's hard to explain, Fred!" George whisper shouted, before shaking his head. "Listen. You were dying-"

"So we've determined." Fred whispered under his breath. He sighed, as if overwhelmed and snatched his beer up to take a long sip. 

"So I took my wand out, and I placed it against your chest and I..I well I talked to the god's, Fred or the spirits or whatever the fuck, and begged them. Begged them to bring you back and you..you took a breath." He nodded, rapped his knuckles on the table top before dropping his hands in his lap.

"You pushed your wand against my chest, talked to the spirits and I came back to life?" Fred asked calmly, as if it was the weather or a Quidditch match score. 

"Yes." George nodded.

"I don't remember any of that." Fred argued.

"Well... you were dead, so I don't imagine you would." George whispered, picking at the label on his beer bottle.

"And this caused you to absorb the curse?" Fred clarified, tilting his head as he regarded his brother as if he had died rather than he himself. 

"Da explained it as an old magic bond, I..I took your fate, I am so sorry Fred." George shook his head, pushing the pad of his thumbs to his eyelids before shaking his head. Overwhelmed as the truth spilled out on the table top, running over the edges and a sob threatened to break George's lips. 

But Fred hardly noticed, too caught up in the whirlwind of how precious his life had suddenly become. 

"Why are you saying sorry, George?" Fred scoffed. "I should be thanking you-Merlin, I owe everything to you-my god Lee!" He exclaimed, before glancing over at the clock on the oven. "I should propose to Lee." He stated at once, rising out of his chair.

George sat stunned, watching as Fred rushed up the stairs. Taking them two at a time, a gleeful bounce in each movement. 

He hadn't even said goodnight-because why would he. His life had suddenly bloomed before him, while George's felt like his was steadily decaying. 

"I took your fate, Fred." George whispered, before pushing his self out of his seat and starting up the stairs.

Slowly, each step a drag of his toes to get where he desperately wanted to be.   

He pushed into his shared bedroom with Hermione, to find her sitting up in bed in one of his tee shirts, a book propped on her knees and a pair of glasses perched on her nose.

It was everything he had ever dreamed of. All sat together, bundled up and gazing at him gently. 

"You wear glasses?" George teased, letting the door click shut behind him.