Missing You

three

GEORGE
George woke with a start. He'd just had that dream again. The dream about the night he lost his brother. His face was wet, whether from tears or sweat he didn't know, and his sheets were twisted around his legs. He must have screamed too. George sat up and put his head in his hands. More tears escaped his eyes as he remembered his brother's laughing smile. Clutching the clock hand on a chain around his neck, he rose and made his way out of his bedroom and into the kitchen of his flat.

George lived alone. This came to no one's surprise when he announced he was moving out of the attic space in Diagon Alley. There was no way George would be able to go on living there without Fred. After the war, everyone had given George his space. Ginny had periodically come over to cook for him and make sure he was doing okay, but after she and Harry had gotten engaged, her visits became less and less frequent. Hermione had also sent him care packages through Owl Post, but now she seemed more occupied with her job at the Ministry.

Ron and Hermione had gotten married last summer, but George had stayed home from the wedding. he didn't think he would be able to handle so many Weaslys without Fred by his side.

George remembered the freckled face that had been such a constant part of his life. He filled a glass with water, and sat down on the kitchen floor to drink it. He suddenly caught his own reflection in the shiny door of the small oven, and sighed. He saw a broken man, tired and depressed. His usually smiling face had lines of worry, and his signature Weasly hair was a duller color than it had ever been. However, George could still see traces of Fred in the reflection. The smile was gone, but the eyes, nose, lips.... they were all so familiar.

Draining his  glass, George got up off the floor and headed back into his bedroom. He knew he wouldn't be able to sleep, but he should at least be in bed. Fred would have wanted him to try.
.
The next morning, George rolled over and fell onto the floor. He barely been able to drift off before dawn, but now the sun was high in the sky, and he figured he should try and get up anyway.

Dragging his tired body into the kitchen, he slumped at his table. It looked like it would be another day of doing nothing. George's head dropped into his arms, and he fell into a light doze. 

Suddenly, there came a loud, sharp rapping on his front door. George ignored it. Hopefully whoever was there would soon leave. Then, the muffled voices grew louder as the people entered his house. Still, George didn't care. 

The voices moved throughout his flat, commenting on the mess and stench. George hadn't showered in a while.From the sound, it seemed like his guests were female. 

George lifted his head as one person entered the kitchen. It was Ginny. 

"George! What are you doing? Are you okay? I haven't seen you in ages! You missed the wedding!" Ginny's voice was slightly accusing. George couldn't blame her. He was barely living. It was a miracle he was able to pay rent. 

"George, you smell horrible! When did you last bathe?" said Ginny, straight and honest. George almost smiled. 

"He's in the kitchen!" Ginny called out to her companions. Excited voice came nearer and someone else entered the kitchen. 

"Luna!" exclaimed Ginny in delight, "You're back!"

Luna hugged Ginny and lightly touched George's shoulder. The human contact felt so foreign after being on his own for so long.

"I got back last night. Your mum mentioned you'd be here. I decided I'd stop by."

"Well good." responded Ginny. "We'll need all the help we can get." Ginny rolled up her sleeves and waved her wand. The few dishes in the sink began to scrub themselves clean. From the other room, George could hear the sound of his possessions being organized and put away. Another figure appeared in the doorway. 

"George, you go take a shower. Ginny, Luna and I will clean up." Hermione. Gently prodding him, Hermione herded George into the bathroom and turned on the water. Closing the door as the room filled with steam, George sighed and decided to oblige her. 

Twenty minutes later, George re-entered the newly clean kitchen, not caring about who was in his flat. All he wanted was for them to leave. 

Suddenly, he stopped short. Sitting in front of him, in the chair he had recently vacated, was his mother. She seemed shorter and there were more worry lines on her face than he remembered. But despite the graying hair, George immediately felt comforted. Crossing the kitchen, he knelt on the floor in front of her and hugged her. She hugged him back, whispering into his hair. George didn't say anything, just let himself be shielded in his mother's arms. The girls in the kitchen left them alone, moving into the living room to talk. 

Ms. Weasly held her son close, just as she had when he'd been a boy and had fallen off his broom and scraped his knee.

"I love you," whispered Ms. Weasly. 

A few tears escaped them both as the comforted each other. 

"Mum," whispered George.