Author's Note: Hey everyone! :D I'm back! I came up with this idea a few weeks ago (rather randomly, I might add) and I want to know if you guys think I should continue with it. It took me forever to write it, though :P I have an awful habbit of nitpicking haha. I hope you all enjoy it and let me know what you think!

Summary: Four months after 'the incident,' George has to face his attackers in court. Fred is bent on getting him through it, but can he even handle it himself?

Disclaimer: Ah. Back to this again :P But just as a precaution, I own absolutely nothing.

Rating: I'm going to go with T. Just, you know, in case :P

By Your Side

Chapter One

It was, perhaps, a good day. The sun was slowly setting, the sky was a beautiful pinkish-purple, and no clouds were visible for miles. The grass covered nearly every inch, its soft green hue seeming to just immediately slow one's heart and relax one's muscles. Yet, despite the scenery seeming to almost magically spread a sense of well-being, all nineteen year old George Weasley could do was grimace. In fact, hardly anyone had seen him smile genuinely for a long time, except for the occasional attempts at a grin for his twin's and his mother's sake more than his own. It had been several months since 'it' had happened, yet George still struggled. Fred, his twin, had been there for him every step of the way, but he knew it pained his brother to see him so despondent most of the time.

But really, all things considering, George thought he was doing pretty well. He felt like he was really turning a corner now. It was perhaps the fact that Fred was almost annoyingly determined to make George smile again that helped pull him out quickly enough. Fred had unabashedly showed his worry and protectiveness to him, desperately needing George to be okay. But George felt like he was teetering on the edge still, and he was afraid that the next few days might push him back under.

And while he wasn't as happy go lucky as he used to be, at least, for a while, he hadn't been waking up from his nightmares screaming. Which, to him, was a major improvement. And he was trying, he really was. He helped Fred invent things and run the shop and even managed to plaster on something akin to a smile from time to time, but he still had a long way to go.

It just wasn't as easy to stop the flashbacks as he hoped it would be, and the frustrating and terrifying part of it was that they would just come out of nowhere. He never knew when his subconscious was going to react to something someone said, and he was powerless to stop it once it began.

George sighed and picked at the grass blades surrounding him. He couldn't stand to be in his house at the moment, what with everyone's worried eyes following him where ever he went. So he had chosen a hill a little ways away from the Burrow and simply got lost in thought. So it was no wonder he didn't hear the footsteps behind him.

Fred Weasley had been looking for George in a slightly panicked frenzy when he came upon his brother, outside, staring at the sky. Fred stopped when his eyes landed on him, feeling his heart ache, and finding a very familiar tidal wave of rage to take over him at the people who did this to his beloved twin. But he fought it back as hard as he could; he had to remain calm - or somewhat calm - for George, because Merlin knew his brother would need all the support he could get for the next couple of days.

The incident had occurred four months ago. With him and George finally being allowed to join the Order while Harry, Ron, and Hermione were out doing...whatever they were doing, they had been put on a very basic mission. Basic, of course, meaning that they were less likely to die should something go wrong. The only problem with that was that he and George wouldn't be working side by side. While they were both on the same job, it was required for one of them to be intercepting some crucial papers while the other tried to worm information out of a Ministry official without causing suspicion. Fred, with his natural charm and wit that was slightly more pronounced than his brother's, took Polyjuice potion and went to try and see what he could get out of said Ministry official. Oddly enough, Fred had had the more dangerous job. Or so they thought.

George's job had been simple enough, and all Fred could think numbly at the time was, 'Leave it to George to make even the most innocent case dangerous.' They had a while ago found out about some secret plan the Death Eaters had created; to kill the Muggle Prime Minister. Apparently, the Prime Minister had been working closely with Remus Lupin (who everyone thought of as the unofficial new leader of the Order since Dumbledore died) on Muggle police being informed of possible Death Eater suspects and to alert the Prime Minister immediately should they spot one. And they knew exactly where the exchange was going to take place; in one of the stalls in the bathroom where officials entered the Ministry of Magic. All George had to do was resemble a Ministry official, step in the right stall at the right time to receive the envelope, enter the Ministry of Magic, hide the envelope in a designated spot so someone from the Order could pick it up minutes later, and get out right away. The purpose of hiding it was merely a precaution, seeing as the real Death Eater and George would probably be within seconds of each other.

Unfortunately, that wasn't how it happened. It started off as it was supposed to. George had flawlessly entered the stall and gotten the envelope and hid it in a loose brick in a discreet part of the Ministry building. But what neither he nor anyone else had counted on was that the Death Eater would catch a glimpse of George right before he entered his stall, and instantly know that he was going to take the assassination plans.

George then, feeling confident, headed to a nearby fireplace to Floo out of the building. But he never got that far. The Death Eater and his accomplice - presumably another Death Eater - knocked him out with one heavy blow to the head.

They took him to a hidden dungeon and tortured him for nearly twenty-four hours, trying to find out what George had done with the envelope before the Order found him. Specifically, Fred, after viciously yelling at the members of the Order to let him come, had found him chained to a wall. The image still haunted Fred, and he knew it probably always would. Fred felt like a part of him had died that day, because to see his brother, his twin, his best friend, in such conditions was...excruciating. But they got one good thing out of it; they captured the Death Eaters present.

And now, four months later, the trial against Sebastien Woodriff and Horace Brawning would take place the next day. They had pleaded not guilty and claimed that they had been under the Imperius curse. They even went so far as to say that they weren't real Death Eaters. But George knew they hadn't been cursed. They were very coherent and knew exactly what they were doing. And, to top it all off, Veritaserum would not be given. Why, no one knew for sure, but they suspected it had to do with the Ministry being corrupt; they must want Death Eaters to have a chance of getting off.

So that meant that the trial would be like any Muggle court case and George would have to relive his horrific experience in front of a jury of people who knew nothing about him. The younger twin had never given the full details of what happened to him, even to Fred. He just couldn't do it. And he didn't know how he was going to spit it out in a few days' time.

Fred walked softly towards George who sat on the top of a hill, legs crossed and arms slightly behind him in support. "Hey," Fred said quietly for George's sake, knowing how jumpy he was now.

George looked up and gave a wan smile. "Hey."

Fred sat down beside him and looked at him, eyes filled with concern. "Are you okay?"

George let out a long breath, staring out on the horizon. "I'm fine," he replied indifferently. But Fred saw through that.

"They're going to go to Azkaban, George," Fred assured him fiercely. "Those bastards won't ever see the light of day."

The ginger to his right winced slightly. "They've got one of the best defenders in the country, Fred," George told him tonelessly. "And what we were doing was pretty shady -"

"To hell with that," Fred growled furiously. "They're not getting away with what...what they did to you. I don't care if I have to take the law into my own hands, they are going to pay."

George didn't seem comforted by this. If anything, he looked more anxious, yet his tone remained impassive. "I'm just being realistic -"

"No," Fred said firmly, placing a hand on George's shoulder. "The reality is that they are going to Azkaban, alright?"

When George didn't say anything, Fred repeated, albeit kinder, "Alright?"

George sighed. "Alright."

George was moody at the dinner table that evening. Everyone seemed to stare at him as if they expected him to burst in to flames - it was aggravating. Bill, Charlie, Ginny, Fred, and his parents were all going to the trial. They were all going to hear everything. And George didn't like that one bit.

He picked at his food sporadically, not particularly hungry, and mostly pushed it around on his plate to try and make it look like he made some sort of dent. Fred watched him like a hawk, eyebrows knitted together in worry. "George, you should eat something," Fred said under his breath.

George looked up and found himself smirking a little. Fred had been basically glued to his side ever since he had found him (not that they weren't inseparable before), and in all honesty, it made George feel more secure, especially when he had to face his demons at night. His twin was always there to comfort George after he had awoken, terrified, from a nightmare in the middle of the night. Fred hovered around him twenty four hours a day and told everyone none too politely to leave George the hell alone whenever he got the feeling that George was becoming overwhelmed. Bit by bit George had confided in Fred what had happened, though Fred still didn't know the whole story. And Fred comforted him then too. It was truly all thanks to Fred that George had managed to try and get himself together.

But the men still haunted him, and now George would have to face them in a little less than twelve hours. Could anyone really blame him that he wasn't exactly hungry?

'You will be begging for death by the time we're done with you.'

George jumped as the snarling voice suddenly ran through his head. His stomach flipped dangerously and he swallowed thickly. "I'm not hungry," he murmured, pushing the plate away from him, suddenly desperate to be alone. "I'll be in our room." The younger twin could feel the distress coming off of everyone, especially Fred, as he stood and headed to his and Fred's room.

Everyone at the table watched the younger twin fly up the stairs with sadness. "Mum, I don't think George is ready for this," Bill said worriedly. "I don't want him to become depressed again; he only just got out of it, and barely at that."

Mrs. Weasley didn't answer and blinked her eyes a couple times to fight back her tears. She loved her children so much and it never ceased to reduce her to a sobbing mess whenever she had to think about what her poor son had been through. The woman had been much quieter as of late, seeming to try and distract herself with household chores and not burst out crying.

"Well, he doesn't have a choice, does he?" Ginny said glumly. "Not unless he wants those bloody tossers to go free, and we all know he doesn't." Mrs. Weasley was so distraught she didn't even reprimand her daughter for her language, but Mr. Weasley did it for her. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"But can't there be a way for George to not be there?" Charlie pressed half-heartedly. "I mean, I'm not even sure I want to hear it and I didn't live through it."

"Where's Fred?" Mrs. Weasley suddenly asked, just noticing her other son missing.

"Probably upstairs with George," Ginny replied with a slight smile. "It's a good thing Fred's here, because honestly, he's the only one George really talks to anymore."

"I just wish we could make it less hard for him," Bill mused, poking at his food thoughtfully.

"I don't think that's possible," Charlie sighed. He looked at the stairs. "Let's just hope Fred has something up his sleeve."

The nervous ginger fell face down on to his bed, groaning into his pillow. George almost wished he could just forget about the whole thing, but he knew he wanted nothing more than for those Death Eaters to be put in Azkaban for life. George just wished they could convict them without him testifying. Or being in the same room. Or just being present at all, really. And he certainly didn't want his family to be there. If they were like this now, when they barely knew the story at all, he didn't want to think about how they'd react when they did.

"Georgie?"

Ah. George knew Fred would follow him in a matter of minutes, and he though he wanted to be alone, Fred was always exempt from those feelings. He liked Fred's company; he just didn't want to talk, which was unusual from how he used to be. But he let out a grunt anyway to let Fred know that George knew he was there.

Fred sat on George's bed and silently, almost instinctively, ran his fingers through George's hair. It was the same gesture their mother had used whenever either of them was upset when they were little.

"You know, I'm going to be right by your side the whole time," Fred told him after a few moments of quiet company. "We're all going to be with you."

"I don't know if I can do it," George mumbled back, not making eye contact. What kind of Gryffindor am I?

But Fred was determined to get George through this. Those Death Eaters were going to be punished for what they did to him, and Fred knew it couldn't happen without George's testimony. "If anything gets too bad, no matter what it is, just tell me," Fred said firmly. "I'll make it better. You can do this, mate. I know you can."

George felt a rush of affection towards Fred. His brother was always there for him, and he only realised now how much he needed him. But still, the thought of having his family know details about what happened bothered him immensely. Yet he knew none of them would stay home no matter what he said. Slowly, George nodded.

"You look exhausted," Fred said gently. "You should get some sleep."

But George shook his head and sat up. "Nah. I...I think I'm just going to take a walk, actually."

"Mind if I come along?" Fred wasn't going to let George be by himself for a second.

George hesitated before shaking his head. But curiously, instead of heading towards the door, he went to the window. At Fred's surprised look, George gave a wry smile and replied, "I don't want to be interrogated tonight."

A bit unnerved at how familiar George seemed with this routine, he watched as his twin effortlessly swung his legs out of the window and then jumped the short distance below. Of course, that didn't mean it didn't take Fred by surprise.

"George!" Fred cried, sprinting to the window and anxiously sticking his head out of the window. He had assumed George would climb down, not jump. Fred breathed a huge sigh of relief, however, when he saw George smirking up at him. "Don't do that!" Fred exclaimed reproachfully. "You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"You can go through the front door," George advised. Fred hesitated, but he ended up swinging his legs out of the window. He gulped, but he was determined to do whatever George did; they were twins, it was just how they worked. "Fred, really, go through the front door," George said warningly. Fred ignored him and, with a deep breath, jumped to the ground.

He landed just fine, but the impact which he hadn't been exactly ready for sent a shock wave of pain through his feet. He cursed loudly and dropped to ground, and George was kneeling beside him. "It's okay," he murmured, hand on Fred's shoulder. "Happened to me too the first time."

"Why were you jumping out of windows anyway?" Fred demanded.

George didn't answer and stood up. He looked out in the distance but asked after a few moments, "Feel better yet?"

"Yeah," Fred replied, standing. He watched George warily; he seemed distant. "George?"

George didn't seem to hear him. He began to walk, and it took Fred a moment to realise that George didn't have his wand with him. Muttering a low Lumos and mildly alarmed now, he jogged up beside his twin. "Where's your wand?"

"Hmm?" George hummed distractedly before the question sank in. "Oh. I must have forgotten it."

Fred frowned but chose not to say anything yet. George didn't just 'forget his wand.' They walked in silence for a few minutes, Fred's wand the only source of light, and the older twin soon began to realise that George was following a sort of path that seemed to have been made by the ground being worn down over time by the trail of feet. And Fred was certain they hadn't made it before. "Do you do this often?" he asked George suspiciously.

George shrugged and replied evasively, "I've done it a couple of times, I suppose."

Fred grabbed a hold of George's wrist and forced him to stop. "You go on nighttime trudges by yourself?" he asked incredulously. "Are you mental?"

"I just needed some fresh air," George muttered.

"Then wake me up!" Fred said in a slightly frustrated tone. "Don't go gallivanting about without a wand and by yourself!"

"It's no big deal -"

"It's a very big deal, George!" Fred was starting to get angry now. "And you know it is! What if something happens again, huh? Did you ever think about that?"

George's eyes flashed dangerously. "You think I don't think about it?" he asked in a quiet yet somehow deadly way.

"You know that's not what I meant," Fred responded, no longer angry but pleading. "I don't want it to happen to you again. Do you know how terrified I'd be if I woke up and found you gone?"

George looked at his feet. "'M sorry," he mumbled like he was a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. The last thing he wanted was for Fred to worry more about him.

"Why do you go without your wand?" Fred asked, still a little frightened by George's lack of concern for his own welfare.

"I don't know," George said, throwing his hands up in the air. "I just don't."

"You don't just not bring your wand," Fred responded sternly.

"Look, I'll bring it with me from now on, okay?" George said, hoping to get off the topic.

Fred ran a hand through his hair, feeling declarations of worry bubble up to his lips. Perhaps there was some kind of self-defeating purpose behind being unarmed and unprepared that George was not aware of. At least, Fred hoped that George wasn't aware of it should that be the case. But a thought still nagged at his conscience. What if George didn't recover? Rubbish, he scolded himself. He would make George be happy if it killed him. But in the meantime, he gave his brother a crooked smile and replied, "Okay. Now let's go back, yeah?"

The younger twin nodded and Fred ruffled his hair affectionately. It turned out that to get back in their room, George would conjure up a ladder and make it disappear once he was in. Why George didn't do this going down, Fred had no idea. Perhaps it was quicker to jump? Nonetheless, it was brilliant, really, but Fred was nervous about his late night habit and for how long it had been going on.

"G'night, Freddie," George yawned once they were both in, going to go to bed.

But before he could, Fred suddenly lurched forward and engulfed him in a hug, taking the other ginger by surprise. It scared Fred more than he could say that George stiffened in his hold before relaxing. "Once this is all over, how about we go to that Muggle ice cream shop you like and get the biggest strawberry ice cream cone they have?" he offered in a gruff voice. "And then, of course, we can go to that Muggle magic shop and charm everyone there. You love it when they say it's like real magic, right?"

George smiled widely and chuckled a bit. "Yeah. But I hope you know I'm holding you to that," he grinned as they pulled back. "Good night, Fred. And...thanks."

"Anytime, Georgie," Fred replied with a beam. "And...everything will turn out right, I promise."

And George, trusting his brother immensely, couldn't help but believe him.

Reviews would be lovely :)