Lee Has Always Been There

[slashluv18]

Lee Has Always Been There
Rating: G
Pairing(s)/Character(s): George/Angelina, Fred/Angelina, one-sided Lee/Angelina
Warnings: canonical death, could be canon
Summary: The evolution of the friendship between George Weasley and Lee Jordan
Feedback: Yes, please

George Weasley will always remember meeting Lee Jordan. He and Fred were weaving through people, waving to other kids that they knew. There weren't many, but the two of them knew other kids due to their mom and dad. Suddenly there was a bunch of screams and Fred pointed out a giant tarantula slowly making its way to them. Unlike the other kids who were screaming and hiding in compartments, George bent down and scooped the spider up.

Like George, Fred was also interested in the animal and didn't hesitate to stroke it. "You know, we should get our own spider and put it in Ron's bed." Fred grinned at his own words.

George laughed. "He would totally flip out. It would be priceless. We should do it."

While they were making plans about how to get a spider and use it to torture their brother, a black kid that wore his black hair in dreadlocks came running. "You found him," he said, gasping for breath.

George nodded, holding out the spider, and the boy took it with a grateful smile. "Is the spider your pet?" he asked, but he immediately wanted to hit his head. Of course it was the boy's pet.

"Yep, his name is Silo. Don't ask about the name. It's an inside joke of my family."

After that, Fred and George watched Silo do tricks upon Lee's command. It was the launch of a great friendship, the new generation of Marauders before they knew who the Marauders were: Fred Weasley, George Weasley, and Lee Jordan.

Although before Hogwarts, it was only ever Fred and George—when you have a twin, who else do you need?—Lee fit in really well with them. He loved pranks and jokes. He loved getting in trouble as much as they did. He had some good ideas George had been happy to find out.

It was like kismet when the three of them worked together on pranks. When they worked together, they were always in harmony. If Fred or George was stuck, Lee usually had a viable solution and vice versa.

Lee also kind of served as their conscious. If a prank was too mean, Lee was the one who put a stop to it. In fact, if George or Fred did not have Lee, they might have gone too far awhile back.

George was thankful that Lee was always such a good person. He was thankful that Lee thought about others' feelings. It saved Fred and George a lot of heartache.

George never meant to think of pranks that were considered malicious, not even when it was the Slytherins that they were going to prank. It just happened, but Lee made sure to always put a stop to it if he had to.

That wasn't the only reason George liked Lee. It was very rare that you saw the boy frown. Lee was always smiling and laughing. In fact, Lee's laughter was quite infectious. Usually if he was laughing, others followed suit, not able to help themselves. It was just Lee's way. He was always happy and wanted everyone else to be happy, too, and he usually got his way.

George noticed how Lee always seemed to go out of his way to help if he could. In their fourth, year, Ron and Harry's second year, George saw Lee help Harry up. He had been knocked down, and by the look of it, Draco Malfoy was the culprit. Not a big surprise, George thought glumly. He would have gone after the Slytherin prat if Snape hadn't turned the corner just then.

Snape stood there, sneering, not even bothering to help Harry.

Lee had forced Harry to sit down as he had lost his glasses. Lee found them on the floor, and George saw from the distance that they were broken. He quickly repaired them before handing them to Harry.

They talked for a couple of minutes. Lee even got Harry to laugh, something that was a miracle considering the whole Heir to Slytherin rumor that was going around about Harry, but that was Lee – he could always make everyone laugh.

Snape left when he realized the show was over.

After a couple more minutes of conversation and obvious joking around, Lee came back. He took his Potions book from Fred, and they headed to class. George was already thinking about a good prank for Snape, something befitting such a bastard.

By the look in Lee and Fred's eyes, they were thinking the same thing.

When Fred started to date Angelina, George thought Lee would be hurt. It was no secret that Lee had a crush on Angie for years. Instead, all Lee did was grin and say, "I guess I'll have to apologise to Fred for hitting on his girlfriend."

When Fred was out with Angie, spending some couple time together, George found Lee laying down on his bed. His eyes were puffy and his face was wet. It was obvious that he had been crying, something he would only ever do in privacy.

George sat on Lee's bed, waiting to be acknowledged. "I'm happy for Fred. Really, I am."

George nodded. "That doesn't mean you can't be sad for yourself. Everyone in Gryffindor knows how much you like her."

"She would have never gone for me, though. Obviously Fred is more her type."

George put a gentle hand on Lee's stomach and waited for his friend to turn his head so they were looking at each other. "If Fred knew how much this was hurting you, I don't think he would go out with Angie."

"That's why he won't know," Lee said resolutely. "I can wallow in self-pity while I'm alone, but Fred is to never know. I'm not going to let him give up his girlfriend because of a friend."

"Best friend," George corrected.

Lee nodded. "Fine. I'm best friend enough to not want Fred to lose his girlfriend. Got it?"

George nodded.

"Besides, there are other girls out there. Angie is just my first crush. I'm sure I'll like a lot of other girls."

"I'm sure to."

By the time Fred and Angie came back, Lee and George were sitting up, planning their next prank on Lee's bed.

When George and Fred left school during fifth year, Lee sent them a letter every couple of weeks. George knew Lee felt hurt by their leaving. He might have even felt abandoned, but George also knew Lee would get over it.

When Fred died, George felt nothing but shocked amazement. He never ever thought Fred would truly leave him. It just wasn't possible. The two of them together were invincible.

His eyes stared at the unmoving body. The Weasleys were all crying around him, but their pain was nothing compared to his own pain. Losing a twin is like losing half of your soul.

Lee didn't try to make false platitudes. He didn't say 'Time heals all wounds.' He didn't say 'It would get better.' He stayed silent, keeping vigil over George while he wept for his lost twin.

Lee was always there. He stayed by George's side through Fred's funeral. He was there when George screamed himself hoarse, ranting about the unfairness of it all. Lee never turned away.

George knew Lee was in pain too, but he never took his attention off of George. He helped out in Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, but George knew it wasn't something Lee wanted to do permanently, despite his love of pranks.

George forced Lee to go ahead and follow his own dreams. After Potterwatch and all his commentating at Hogwarts' Quidditch games, Lee wanted to go into commentary or something to do with announcement, something George supported wholeheartedly. "Just don't let your prejudice get in the way of the job," George said, referring to his bias commentary when it came to Slytherins at Quidditch games.

Lee nodded, trying not to smile. George knew he didn't joke much anymore, and Lee probably liked to see it every now and then.

While George, and later Ron, went to work at WWW, Lee followed his own dreams.

While his daughter Roxie was with Angie, Lee was there when George confronted his son, Fred ii. "You're in Ravenclaw?! How is it possible that I raised a Ravenclaw?'

Lee was too busy laughing his head off to be any real help. George really needed to get a new best friend, but after over 20 years of friendship, it probably wasn't going to happen.

Fred ii looked sheepish, but proud at the same time.

George wanted to bang his head against a wall. He knew somewhere that his twin was probably joining Lee in his laughter at George's plight. He was surrounded.