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"Don't touch him," George sobs, his fists wrinkling the fabric of his brother's shirt. Madame Pomfrey steps away from the cold body, withdrawing her hand. George was shaking. The world felt frozen. "Don't touch him," he repeats, his voice softer now. Hot tears track down his face, cleaning stains of ash off his skin.

Molly kept stroking Fred's hair, her eyes clouded and her chest tight. Her heart was aching. She had screamed for so long she couldn't scream anymore. She kept stroking his hair. Fred was never one to care about how his hair looked but she didn't know what else to do.

Percy sat on the floor of the cleared great hall. He didn't move, he didn't speak, he didn't look at anyone but his brother's empty face. As if staring at Fred with that expressionless stare would make him wake up again. They had just been laughing. Percy was joking again. Things were going to be normal now, right? They were supposed to be normal again.

Ginny felt like her heart had been sliced open. She felt like there was a hole there, something missing, someone gone. Dry tears stained her face, her red hair was matted. She looked half-dead herself. The girl stood serval paces away from the body. She couldn't bring herself to come any closer. The war was drawing to a close but this moment would never end for her. The rest of her life would be a part of this moment, it would never leave her.

'Wake up,' Ginny silently willed Fred. 'Wake up and tell me I look terrible. Make a joke. Wake up and give us all a good fright. Wake up,'

Fred didn't stir. He wouldn't ever again. Not here. Not on Earth.

'Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up, Fred,'

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Fred wakes up to the small guest room, his eyes opening to stare at the blank ceiling. Everything was still, the covers weighed him down and the light trickling in from the window was gentle. Soft voices met his ears; people on the other side of the closed door, speaking from down the hall.

Fred slowly sits up, rubbing his eyes and adjusting to the morning light. Usually, after a day of such excitement, Fred would feel achy in his neck or shoulders, but he didn't. He felt quite fine. Nothing was unpleasant here... besides the fact that everyone was dead. On the bedside table, there was a glass of water, probably Lily's doing, though Fred wouldn't put it past James.

Fred lets out a slow breath of air, running his fingers through his red hair and getting up from the bed. On the dresser was a change of clothing, exactly Fred's size. Just jeans and a t-shirt. It was as if they were left by someone who knew exactly what Fred would want to wear.

Fred looks down at what he's already wearing. It was the same clothing he wore into battle and they were covered in ash and rubble. The boy bites the inside of his cheek before deciding to change.

He felt weird. The quiet here was odd. Fred was a Weasley, they were used to loud and togetherness. Now Fred was alone, and the quiet was nerve-wracking. It was the first time Fred had been so far away from George; they were always together. Even with the quiet voices down the hall, Fred had never felt more alone.

The boy pulls on the shirt and glances at himself in a mirror on the wall. He still looked like himself. He felt like himself, but everything was different. Pulling the door open the voices grow louder.

"Rem, what if he-"

"He won't,"

"You don't-"

"I do. He'll be safe, I promise,"

As Fred walks down the long hall to the living room he notices framed photos covering the walls. It actually looked quite similar to the walls at the Burrow, though Lily and James kept things a bit more organized. The pictures, as expected, were all moving, smiling faces laughing and talking. Fred sticks his hands in his pockets and stops to look at a few. The one closest to him is of Harry and his brother, Ron, both of them grinning and talking about something. They had to be around fifth year, and were surrounded by a Honeydukes haul, crumbled up wrappers sprawled on the floor of the Gryffindor common room. They looked happy.

"You're awake,"

James was standing in the hallway, holding a mug of some warm liquid. He looked tired... or maybe it was just plain old emotional drain. He comes to stand next to Fred and looks at the picture. A small smile appears on his face. "I love that one," he says, his voice quiet, he sips from his mug. Fred looks back at the photo, Ron was laughing, and though the figures in the picture were silent Fred could hear his brothers laugh like the youngest Weasley brother was right in the room with him. Fred glances at James.

"You couldn't have-"

"Taken the photo?" James finishes the question, having anticipated it. Fred nods. "They're memories," He explains. "Moments from people that you care about on Earth," James was watching the photo. "Keeps you updated on things," His gaze moves along the wall. "You're in this one," He says, gesturing to it. Fred raises his brow, moving over to the slightly larger frame.

The quidditch pitch. The Gryffindor team congratulating Harry for catching the snitch. Fred saw himself ruffling Harry's hair. George has his arm thrown over Angelina and he was laughing. Katie Bell was cheering. Fred lets out a short, breathy laugh. James gently smiles over the rim of the drink. "Your house will have 'em too," He assures him. "The memories,"

That was true. Fred's house would be covered in photos of the Weasleys, and Lee, and Angelina, the list went on, and much later, the walls would grow even busier with photos of the next generation. Victories Weasleys first day of school, Rose Granger-Weasley's quidditch triumphs, Albus Potter getting sorted into Slytherin, and, of course, Fred the second laughing with his friends, among others.

"Isn't there a way we can see him?" The same voice from before drifts down the hall. Fred could recognize it now. It was Tonks. Merlin... James recognizes the sadness on Fred's face and frowns. The conversation down the hall quietly continued.

"You know if you need more time.." James starts. Fred shakes his head, looking down at his feet.

"No, I'm alright," he said, unsure if he was convincing. He sighs a bit, moving past James and toward what served as the living room. Fred was slowly getting more used to the idea of all this. Existence went on. He would be alright. Why not make the best of it?

Fred raises his gaze as he walks into the room. The conversation halts. Tonks and Remus Lupin were sitting on the couch, both looking rather pale. Tonks was wringing her hands together as they questioned Lily on the workings of the afterlife. Lily and James were the only people who could possibly understand what they were going through. Their boy, their child, Teddy, was orphaned before he could even begin to understand the concept of war. They had so little time with their child before they were ripped away. They mirrored the experience of the Potters in the most terrible way. Tonks kept asking to see him, Lily did her best to offer any comfort she could. No wonder James looked so tired. This wasn't the reunion he always thought about having with Remus. James wanted so much for Remus, so much that wouldn't happen.

Speaking of Remus, he looked different, younger, probably around the age he was just past James and Lily's death. Fred had never known him this young, and yet the man still had worry lines on his face. Apparently, he had always had those; Remus wasn't necessarily a carefree person. He sat beside Tonks, fiddling with his sleeves, he looked ill.

As Fred walks into the room, coming to a stop beside Lily's chair, both Tonks and Remus look up at him. Tonks immediately gets to her feet, gasping a bit. Sirius had told them, of course, but it was still heartbreaking to see Fred here. "Fred-" Tonks starts, she sounded like she might cry.

"Is it true you're a marauder, professor?" Fred cuts the heartfelt moment off, focusing on Remus. Lupin looks taken aback by the question. Out of everything Fred could've said, could've done, he was thinking about that map? Even now? Remus could laugh. The man opens his mouth to respond, pausing for a moment before lets out a breath. It was almost a laugh, not really though.

"Why- I-... yes," He finally responds.

"And you knew I had the map?"

"Fred-"

"You knew?" Fred was smiling now. Remus watches him, trying to read an unreadable expression.

"Yes..." he finally answers.

"And you didn't say anything?" Fred was grinning full out. He didn't know if he was more impressed with Remus's work on the map or on keeping his mouth shut for all these years.

Tonks looks between her husband and Fred, her expression different now. After a second, she takes a gasping breath, practically flying across the room and tackling Fred Weasley in a hug, laughing. Fred was just impressed Tonks didn't trip over anything as she moved so quickly. He catches her in the hug, smiling.

"Merlin, Weasley, you're mad, you know that?" She breathes out, her voice shaky and she holds him tightly.

"Yeah yeah," Fred responds, hugging her tightly before letting go. Tonks was crying, but beaming at the redhead. She had been a close family friend for years, so Fred couldn't help but feel large comfort being here with her. He thought James and Lily were great, but Tonks was someone he really knew. She and Lupin, and Sirius too. For the first time in a while, Fred felt like things really were really going to be okay.

And they were.

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