It seemed too bright, today being what it was shouldn't mother nature cooperate and shower down buckets of rain? Shouldn't the sky be as dark and stormy? So it would match how the rest of the world felt to him now, now that he was gone. He hadn't spoken a word since he'd heard the news. Every time he prepared to open his speak, he was just overwhelmed by how much better it would sound broken into fragments, half spoken by one just for the other to pick up some where in the middle.

The memorial had been a blur of speeches and sobbing. Someone had asked him at one point he wanted to say a few words but all he could do was stare back at them blankly before nodding his head and wandering off in the other direction. He felt like a ship with out wind, bobbing about where ever the current took him, not even a rudder in the water.

Without any direction from his brain his feet had taken him inside the castle. He wandered aimlessly paying no heed to where he went, after all, it didn't matter where he went any way. He'd still be alone.

An out of place cackle ringing out among the silent corridors brought his attention to the surface. He looked up to see Peeves stringing a large bucket of what looked like stink sap on a wire attached to a large wooden door to his right.

"All alone." Peeves stated as he glided down ward abandoning his project momentarily. "Left for a fancy party where all the world was laughing." He dipped and twirled gracefully, well practiced moves he'd been using for years.

"Bugger off." George smiled a little at himself. He would have been proud at the choice of first words.

"He offered an invite but I don't think I had on the right tie." Peeves was missing the wicked twinkle in his eyes and George found it a little disturbing. He stood still for a long moment. Not caring if he moved forward or stood still, it was all the same. Time passed and it meant nothing to George, Peeves began soaring upward again, attending to his string and bucket. He was just about to step forward again, head back so his mother didn't work herself into a tizzy about not being able to find him, again, but then he stopped.

"What do you mean? 'offered an invite' Did you speak with him?" It wasn't impossible after all, Peeves wasn't Peeves also dead and he would have been around. In fact now that he remembered it hadn't he seen Peeves in that hallway. He thought hard to the moments he'd been trying to avoid since they'd happened.

He had stood there, which was odd for Peeves who usually zoomed in and out of places too quickly to get caught by anyone. Was his memory playing tricks on him or did he actually recall Peeves chatting with someone while fiddling with his tie, someone who wasn't there?

"Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps. Not a lot of good though, had a party to attend."

"What did he say to you?" Georges quite voice was an urgent plea.

"Little bits of this, little bits of that." Peeves wandered slowly around him so that George had to turn in circles to keep his eyes on him.

"Please, I need to know."

"So serious, I tried to tell him I'd be better at it. We would have been great." Peeves has a faraway look in his eyes as he continued circling George, laying on his back mimicking a swimming stroke.

"Tell him? Great at what?"

"The best tricksters in all of history, that's what I offered." Peeves flipped over and started doing the breaststroke, looking like an odd frog in a bow tie with a propeller ball cap on his head.

"You asked him to stay? What did he say, why did he leave?" his voice was confused, on the edge of panic.

"The party was calling, sounded so fun. Said he was already part of a team and wasn't looking for an understudy." George's brain seemed to be moving too slow for what he was hearing. Like all the gears were covered in goo and couldn't get back up to speed. He'd said that? He was already part of the best tricksters in history. Fred, he winced internally, still not able to say think his name without the hole in his chest widening, He said he wasn't looking for anyone else to pull pranks with.

His insides warmed and he knew without question he wouldn't have accepted Peeve's offer to stick around and pull pranks without the aide of his brother. He muttered a thanks and began wandering down the corridor again.

"Gave me a message the other half." George whirled around in shock. A message, was he serious? He tried not to hope, Peeves wasn't to be trusted with anything but trouble making. Peeves continued on in response to his silence.

"Said you were the best. The best in the world." Peeves eyes seemed to be saying more to him, there was jealousy and resentment there. How badly had this poltergeist coveted what they had? Part of him was suddenly terrified of Peeves but when he looked back the look was gone. His eyes were once again filled with mischief and merriment.

"Thanks," and with that he began walking again. His mind racing at the new prospects before him. Fred had known what he was doing, he chose to move on. And even though it didn't change anything at all everything in George's world changed completely. When he stepped outside the sun was no longer too bright, the clouds weren't a disgusting fluffy white any longer and he even enjoyed the gentle breeze rustling through his hair.

His brother was okay, better then okay it sounded. A party, somehow George was okay with that much more than the image of his slowly descending casket into the cold dark earth. He'd be waiting for him, he knew it. He knew that when his time came Fred would be welcoming his to that party with open arms and most likely a dishy little bird on his arm. It just seemed right that way.

He smiled for the first time in along time, reached into his pocket and withdrew a small box. Opening it his small smile turned into a mischievous grin.

***

Loud pops and bangs rang out over head and for a moment the crowd erupted into panic. Until they saw the swirling glow streaking across the sky in dizzying swirls of color of sparks vivid greens, deep violets, sparkling reds all crackling and popping high in the sky above them.

"Who in the world is lighting off fireworks at an event like this?" Hermione huffed in shock as she folded her arms across her chest. "Completely inappropriate." Molly walked up beside her and wrapped her arm around the young woman's shoulders.

"I don't know about that. I think it's rather perfect." She kissed the top of the girls hair before letting go of her. A soft smile playing along her lips as she wandered toward her husband.