AN: Okay, so this is for EvylinDevilin's Picture Prompt Challenge. My picture is here: img38 (dot) picoodle (dot) com/img/img38/9/7/18/john07/f_emolovelargm_605c20a (dot) jpg
Disclaimer: You have been disclaimed.
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"Katie's crying again," Charlie Weasley whispered covertly to his mother as he passed by her in the kitchen.
Molly Weasley sniffed, wiping away her own tears. The only thing that had kept her going the past couple of months without Fred was being a mother to the rest of her kids. In their time of need, she was the pillar that held them all together.
George, however, had been strangely alright. He'd opened the store back up, come to dinner, even gone out on occasion. Only someone who'd known him a long time would realize how much he was hurting. But it wasn't in the twins' nature to be upset. They knew each other so well, George couldn't miss Fred, because he was Fred. Instead of dying with his twin, he lived for the both of them.
But Katie Bell fell apart. Orphaned at the age of fifteen, Katie had been living by herself for years. She was strong and tough, but it was no secret that Fred had been a big part of that.
So it was hardly a surprise when George had gone to her flat to find her passed out on the floor one morning. But it was still scary. So Molly walked up to the stairs to what used to be Bill's room, but was now Katie's, and knocked on her door.
"Katie, dear?" she asked softly. There was a choked sob in reply. Molly pushed the door open.
"Katie?" she asked.
"Please go away, Molly," Katie whispered. The picture on her bedside table exploded. Katie had a tendency of blowing things up when she was upset. Molly, unsure of exactly what to do, left, closing the door behind her.
Katie had been alone for several months. She didn't talk to anyone, she didn't touch, speak of, or think about the engagement ring Fred had given her before the battle. She simply shut down.
The only thing she did do, was talk to him. And he talked back.
"Katie," his voice would say softly. And he would be there, on the edge of her bed, standing by her window, sitting against her wall.
She knew he wasn't a ghost. She knew he wasn't even really there. She knew people weren't supposed to see dead people, knew it couldn't be healthy, but she didn't care. For a while, he was there.
So close…yet so far.
"Katie," he said again. "You can't resort to blowing things up every time you have a problem. Sometimes, you need to crush things instead!"
Se smiled. A small ghost of a smile, but a smile nonetheless.
"Katie?" Charlie asked, opening her door slowly. Fred disappeared, and so did Katie's smile.
