"You'd think that parents would have the courtesy to buy their children's gifts on Black Friday, instead of waiting until Christmas Eve!" Ron laughed bitterly, setting the box of Extendable Ears in the storage room.

"Yeah, it sure would make our job a lot easier." George said absentmindedly as he filled out an inventory chart.

"It makes Christmas at the Burrow seem a lot more appealing, though." Ron commented.

"That's for sure."

"Hey! It's Angelina's first Holiday at the Burrow, isn't it?" Ron said excitedly.

"Yep." George smiled proudly. "Christmas Eve at the Burrow, then she's going home and we're spending Christmas morning with our own families, and then I'm going to her house for Christmas dinner."

"You nervous?"

"A bit. Not much about her coming to our house, she knows the family pretty well. I'm a little scared about dinner at her house, though; I'm sure it'll be a lot more formal. Our house is pretty hectic on the holidays."

"Hey, if I can survive Christmas with Mr. and Mrs. Boring Granger who have told me constantly that a joke shop manager is not the career for the boyfriend of their only and most precocious daughter, I'm sure you'll do fine." Ron laughed, and George did too.

"What's wrong with a joke shop manager?" George said easily.

"Beats me." Ron shrugged. "But...I've been meaning to talk to you about that."

"About what?"

"The joke shop thing. Not saying it'll happen anytime soon, but maybe sometime in the future...we did agree this would only be temporary." Ron began awkwardly.

"What do you mean?"

"Look, George, it's hard for me to say it but...don't you remember? When I agreed to help you out, I had the intent of becoming an Auror. Now I've been here for almost four years!" Ron exclaimed, and George's relaxed expression quickly screwed up into one of anger.

"Well don't act like I'm your charity case, Ron! By all means, leave! Nobody's stopping you!" George said hotly.

"George, I didn't mean it like that!"

"Well then how did you mean it?! Admit it, you think that this job is stupid, but you're only here because you feel it's your duty! You feel that if you leave, I'll be suicidal or something!" George spat.

Ron was taken aback. "No, George, it's not like that at all! I love it at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, I really do, but owning a joke shop is your dream, not mine. I've always wanted to be an Auror; it just makes it hard to leave because I like it so much here." Ron said seriously.

"No, let's be real, it makes it hard for you to leave because you're worried about me!" George yelled.

"Where the bloody hell is all the anger coming from?!" Ron exclaimed.

The truth was, George didn't know. Maybe was the fact that it was Christmas Eve, and it would be another Christmas without Fred. Maybe it was because Ron was the best friend he had since Fred had past, and now he would be abandoning him, just like Fred, except this time, it would be by choice.

But of course he wouldn't tell Ron that.

"Just...go." George sighed, slumping in a chair.

"George, I-"

"Just go, okay!" George snapped.

Ron stood in silence for a minute, before grabbing his coat.

"I'll see you tonight, right?" He said quietly.

"Maybe." George mumbled.

"Maybe?"

Ron bit his lip before choosing to ignore this. "Oh, I forgot to mention...never mind."

"What?"

"No, I don't want to put you in a worse mood." Ron said with narrowed eyes.

"Just tell me!" George commanded.

"Well, Harry said when he and Ginny get married next month they're going to move into Grimmauld's Place...so we have to move out."

"Great." George said sarcastically. "Spectacular! Soon I'll be without a partner and homeless!"

"George, no need to worry about it, you and I can find another flat, together." Ron said with a hesitant smile.

"Sure, leave me alone at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, but ensure we get a flat together to split the rent. I'll pass." George said with a cold glare.

"Merry Christmas, Ron." He grumbled before heading into Fred's bedroom, the only part of the flat above the shop that had not been turned into a storage room.

Ron stood in the doorway, flabbergasted. He was used to George having sudden bursts of anger since Fred's death, but he had not had one in a while. He thought George was getting better ever since Angelina came...

Yes, Ron loved his job, but part of George was right. He had always been afraid to leave because he wasn't quite sure if George was emotionally stable for Ron to leave him alone. This conversation had just proved he wasn't, but now Ron was afraid he had just jeopardized his relationship with his older brother.

Ron wanted to say something, but he knew when George was in Fred's bedroom, it was better to leave him alone.

George began to sob once he reached Fred's bed.

Another Christmas without Fred...soon he'd be losing Ron...soon he'd be kicked out of Grimmauld's place...

Arguably, it was a simple fight, but truthfully, he was using these unfortunate events to release anger over everything that had happened in his life over the past few years.

He wasn't the same without Fred. Nobody preferred him without Fred. He tried to pretend Ron was Fred; he had tried to replace Fred with his little brother! Most of the time, he seemed to fool himself into it working. Ron and Fred were a lot alike, that was why the twins got along with him so well. But then he was reminded that the joke shop was the twin's dream, not Ron's, which reminded him that Fred would never return.

Sometimes his life brought him so much joy...but times like these he just wanted to end it all.

He put on his coat, but instead of apperating to Grimmauld's Place, he took a walk.

Each step reminded him of how worthless he was. Each step reminded him he was chasing dreams that he didn't believe in anymore. Each step reminded him about how he wished to be reunited with Fred.

So by the time he reached the bridge, he couldn't feel more worthless. He squinted through the heavy snow into the endless pit of water, sloshing dangerously. It was a rash decision. He thought of what Mum and Dad would think. He thought of poor Ginny. He thought of Ron, his brother and best friend on earth. It was a pity a fight would be their goodbye. And he thought of Angelina, and how she was expecting a happy Christmas with his family. His biggest regret was that he couldn't kiss her one last time.

And then he jumped, and as he glided towards the water he could've sworn he saw Fred welcoming him.

Author's note: Fear not, readers, George Weasley will not be dying, this is only the prologue! He is about to find out what life would be like if he was never born! Yes, it is after Christmas,but it is still the holiday season, and I believe 'It's a Wonderful Life' has a lesson to be learned year round. Reviews would be great, too!