Bill Weasley got carefully out of bed as he did every night for the past few months. He moved silently across the room and out the door. Within a few minutes, he was sitting at the kitchen table at Shell Cottage with a cup of tea liberally laced with Firewhisky.
He sat there, holding the cup between his hands, staring into its depths wishing for an answer to the one question he couldn’t answer.
Why did Fred have to die? he thought, not for the first time in the five months since The Battle.
“Because it was my time,” came a voice from the shadows of the kitchen.
Bill jumped to his feet. The voice sounded a lot like Fred, but it couldn’t be. Either someone had gotten into the cottage and was playing a cruel joke, or he was losing his mind. He reached down patting the pocket of his robe for his wand.
“It’s upstairs on your nightstand where you always keep it at night,” said the voice again. “And you are just as sane as you always were; though, that isn’t saying much since you are a Weasley.” Fred stepped from the shadows and closer to Bill.
“George?” Bill asked, though he knew it wasn’t. Fred shook his head. “Fred?” Bill asked, shock and disbelief in his voice.
“Can’t get anything past you, now can I?” asked Fred as he sat down at the table. Bill continued to stand where he was. “Why don’t you sit down before you fall over or I get a crick in my neck looking up at you. Wait, can I even get a crick in my neck now?” he asked as he twisted his head side to side and up and down.
Bill sat down in the chair and took a large gulp of his tea. As the tea burned his throat, he continued to stare at the brother he thought would never to see again.
“Don’t look so shocked, bro. Did you think a little thing like dying would keep me away from one of my family when they are hurting?” Fred asked.
“I…I don’t understand. How are you here?” Bill asked.
“Why is it the first question I am asked is either 'how are you here' or 'why are you here'?” Fred said as he smiled. “To answer both questions, I am here because you needed to see me.”
“Is that the answer for question one or question two?” Bill asked. He picked up his tea again and took a small sip. He knew it wasn’t the Firewhisky making him think he was having a conversation with his dead brother. Until this hallucination started, he hadn’t even had a mouthful.
“Both and I am not a hallucination. I may not be alive, but I am very real.” Fred told him. Fred reached out and placed his hand on Bill’s shoulder. He watched as Bill jumped and then shuddered.
“Okay, so you are real, so to speak…but why are you here?” Bill asked.
“Let’s see, you are sitting here in the middle of the night alone while your very pretty wife is upstairs asleep alone. Do we see a problem with that?” Fred asked seriously.
“So, I came down for a cup of tea…”
“Laced with Firewhisky,” finished Fred.
“Fleur is asleep…”
“Alone,” Fred again finished his sentence.
“Godric, that is annoying. How did George stand it?” asked Bill, his tone sounding a bit aggravated.
Fred laughed. “Never thought about it, it was just something we always did. We always knew what the other was thinking and it was natural to finish each other’s sentences. You are just upset because you know I am speaking the truth,” Fred said smugly.
“That’s neither here nor there. Why are you here?” asked Bill again.
“I told you, because you dear brother, are driving yourself crazy wondering why. There is no why. It just is. It is just the way it was supposed to be,” answered Fred.
“But why? Why is it just the way it was supposed to be?” asked Bill sounding like a questioning three year old.
Fred sighed. For the first time in all his visits to his family, he wished for a Muggle tape recorder. It seemed as if he kept having to answer the same questions over and over again. At least Bill hadn’t yet said it should have been him, though Fred knew it was coming.
“It was just my time,” said Fred simply. “And before you even say it, it shouldn’t have been you, and you couldn’t have stopped it even if you were there.”
“So now you can read minds?” asked Bill.
“Only some things, like when you were wondering why. That was what brought me here, your unspoken question. I just have gotten the same question and the same guilt from Dad, Percy, George and Charlie. I know you are feeling the same way.” Fred looked at Bill daring him to deny it.
“For your information, I don’t think it should have been me. I don’t think it should have been any of us. I knew there would probably be deaths, but I had hoped…” Bill let his sentence trail off.
“You had hoped after everyone we had already lost, we wouldn’t lose anyone else,” said Fred. Bill nodded. “The odds were against us. You need to be thankful no one else was killed. It could have been so much worse.”
“Don’t you think I know that?” asked Bill angrily. “I know we could have lost more. I watched as Mum battled Bellatrix and took her down. I stood by and watched as Harry battled Voldemort, alone in the middle of the Great Hall. I did nothing to help either of them.”
“You weren’t meant to. Mum wouldn’t have let anyone help her. Yes, I saw her fighting Bellatrix. And Harry had to fight Voldemort by himself; it was the way it was meant to be.”
“So, what you are saying is everything in our lives is already set? Nothing can be done to change it?” asked Bill, his voice still held a note of anger.
“Yes… and no. Fate is a funny thing. Some things, bigger things, are destined, but little things can change that destiny, for better or for worse,” Fred told him.
“You sound like Dumbledore,” Bill said smiling.
“Well, I’ve spent some time talking to him about all this when I first got there,” Fred said.
“Guess that means you did go to Heaven. Always wondered if you would…” said Bill as he began laughing.
“What do you mean, if I would?” asked Fred shocked.
“Well, all your pranks… You can’t tell me they were all ‘for the greater good’.” Bill said still chuckling. “Like your trick on Harry’s cousin… Ton-Tongue Toffee, wasn’t it?”
Fred looked at his brother and realised he was right. “Okay, so maybe the toffee was a bit much, but he deserved it,” Fred said defensively almost daring his brother to disagree with him.
“Yeah, I guess he did. So, I am guessing you are here with some sage advice for me, some words of wisdom to make me see your death in a different light?” asked Bill.
“I can’t make you think differently about my death. After all, I wouldn’t want you to start thinking it was a good thing,” said Fred. “It wasn’t, but it was…”
“Meant to be,” finished Bill smiling.
“Good job,” said Fred smiling back at his older brother. “Listen, you need to realise what happened, happened. Nothing can change it, and sitting here alone half the night, every night questioning it is only going to drive you insane. Let it go,” Fred told him.
Bill sat quietly looking at his brother. Fred could tell he was thinking about what he had said. He had always figured Bill would be the easiest to convince and to make understand. Of course, deep down, he hadn’t expected to have to visit him at all.
When he heard Bill’s thoughts run through his mind, he was surprised. He had expected those he had already visited to need him. He knew he would eventually have to visit his mum, but he never expected to have to visit Bill.
“I’m not sure I will ever truly understand the why, but I guess I can let it go. I’ll never… I’ll never let you go, though,” Bill said sadly. “Not a day will go by that I don’t miss you and know something is missing in my life.”
Fred didn’t know if ghosts could cry, but he felt what could only be tears well up in his eyes. He stood quickly, knowing if he didn’t leave, he would embarrass both of them.
“Listen, you have a gorgeous wife upstairs, and a wonderful life ahead of you, don’t waste it on the whys or living in the past. Life goes on, and this family needs to go on,” Fred said as he stood there looking down at his oldest brother.
“Go back to bed, Bill. And tomorrow, try just enjoying the day and…” Fred’s voice trailed off as he walked deeper into the shadows. “Try finding something else to do with your nights other than sitting down here drinking tea.”
Bill heard his laughter fade away as he shook his head. Leave it to Fred, to make sure he had the last laugh, he thought as he stood. Placing his cup in the sink, he went up to his wife and for the first time in a long time, looked forward to the next day.
Visits From Fred by mudbloodproud
Chapter Notes: Chapter Summary; Bill Weasley had a gorgeous wife sleeping upstairs and still he sat at his kitchen table night after night trying to answer a question without an answer. Would a visit from someone he never thought to see again make him see things in a different light?
I would once again like to thank my beta for this series of one-shots, Alyssa (harry4lif).
I of course do not own anything you recognise in the story. It all belongs to J.K. Rowling. I am just thankful to be able to play in her world.