Disclaimer: I own nothing (except Kathryn)… unfortunately…
Love Endures
Chapter 1: Christmas Time
"Avada Kedavra!"
"Fred?! Fred?! NO! Ginny, it was Fred."
"What?"
"I love, loved, Fred."
"Kathryn!"
xoxoxoxoxox
It's been a year and a half since the only one I ever had true feelings for left me. Fred Weasley. Fortunately Mrs. Weasley took care of Bellatrix Lestrange, so I'm not in jail after hunting her down and killing her myself. Ginny is the only one who knows I loved Fred, I think George may know, if Fred had the same feelings for me, but I doubt it.
xoxoxoxoxox
"Kathryn, Ginny, Hermione, Ron, Harry, George! Dinner is ready!" yelled Mrs. Weasley up the stairs.
"Coming," came different voices from all over the house.
We all went down to dinner and had a big meal of Mrs. Weasley's infamous cooking. Of course we had several helping of everything, even if we didn't want any. It was about two weeks from Christmas and it was time to do the annual Weasley Christmas Gift List. Even Harry, Hermione, and I filled one out. It will be my second Christmas without him, but it will feel like my first. Last Christmas everyone was mourning the loss of all who had perished. Now it's different. I feel like I'm all alone when I miss him.
"Kathryn? You haven't written anything," said Mrs. Weasley
"What I want Mrs. Weasley, I can't have," I ran out of the room crying. I could hear footsteps behind me, and I assumed it was Ginny. When I turned around on the sixth floor landing I was met with the shimmering blue eyes of a Weasley twin I missed so much, but they were the wrong ones.
"George?"
"Sorry, Kathryn. I know no really isn't the time, but I need to tell you, Fred loved you so much, he was planning to ask you out after the war. He didn't want to ask you before in case, what happened to him happened… you know? He wanted to be with you."
I ran in the room and shut the door in his face. I knew he was missing Fred as much as I was, but I didn't like to be reminded of it, and George did that, he just looked so much like Fred. I can't blame him though, it's not his fault he is a twin. I probably do the same thing to him though.
I opened the door. "George?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm sorry."
"It's fine." I started crying. George took me into a hug.
"Shhh. Calm down, it's going to be fine. Come on Kathryn, its fine."
"Did your mom make dessert?"
George laughed, "Yeah, let's go get some."
We walked down the many steps of the Burrow and into the kitchen where dessert was just being served. I took my place in between the empty chair of Fred's and Ginny. Mrs. Weasley gave me a big slice of apple pie, and her infamous hug.
xoxoxoxoxox
Two weeks later
"Kathryn!"
"hmskjfij.,mkejf……"
"Kathryn wake up, it's Christmas Day!!"
I shot up and smiled at Ginny, we ran downstairs to join everyone.
"Where's George?" I asked.
"He went for a walk," Harry said in reply.
"Are we going to wait for him?"
"He asked us to go on," said Ron.
"Okay, well then let's start."
All of us opened our presents one by one. I received a gift from everyone there. Mr. and Mrs. Wesley gave me chocolate frogs and a Weasley sweater, Bill gave me a Ancint Runes book, Charlie gave me dragon hide boots, Percy sent a gift certificate to Flourish and Blotts, Ron gave me a scrapbook of Harry, Hermione, himself, and I at Hogwarts during our 7 years , Ginny game me a Hair by Magic book. The only Weasley who was missing was George. Hermione gave me a bouquet of never-die lilies, and Harry game me a book called How to Catch a Snitch in 1000 Different Ways.
Everyone had opened their gifts and was off experimenting with them. I all of a sudden noticed a glimmer of a bow underneath the tree.
"Kathryn!"
"Harry?"
"I just noticed you don't have your charm bracelet on."
"Oh my, thanks, let me run up and get it."
Fred had given me a charm bracelet for my birthday in second year and gave me a charm on Christmas and my birthday since. In third year he gave me a charm for my two best friends, a stag for Harr, and a book for Hermione. In fourth year he gave me two charms that both said ha, so together they were haha. In fifth year he gave me a green round stone and my birthstone in a triangle shape. In sixth year he gave me my initials. In seventh year he gave me a crystal heart and a snitch. Then he died. I haven't gotten a charm since so I guess the bracelet is done.
I ran back downstairs to join everyone after getting my bracelet. George still wasn't there. The bow caught my eye again though so I crawled under the tree and found the box. I climbed back out and look at the tag.
\
I laughed remembering when I called the twins Gred and Forge instead of Fred and George. I opened the box slowly and inside was a note with two charms, F and W. Fred's initials. I then proceeded to read the note. It said:
Kathryn,
I know these will come as a surprise to you. There's something you should know. Meet me under the apple tree near the pond, we need to talk.
Love, Forge
I ran out the door to the apple tree where I found George.
"I… uh… I got the present."
"Good"
"Where did you get the charms? Wait, when did you cut your hair, and since when do you have two ears again?" My questions became slower as I realized what was happening.
"Fred?"
The boy standing in front of me nodded his head yes. I then proceeded to punch him multiple ties, while crying and asking why didn't you tell me and other questions. That is until he put his arms around me and for the first time in a year and a half allowed himself to hold me as more than my friend. I finally calmed down enough to speak.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"By the time I had gotten over the shock of George dying, you had talked yourself out of love with me. It was your way of handling the pain. Making it go away was the easiest way to deal with my 'death'."
"You're right. I talked myself out of loving you when I told Ginny pretty much the minute after you 'died'."
Fred drew me in for another hug.
"How did you keep it a secret for a year and a half?"
"I grew my hair out and didn't allow myself to touch you for more than a minute. I knew you would know it was me if you felt my touch. I love you Kathryn. I didn't want you to feel too many emotions at once; I feared you would be confused.
"I'm more confused now… I loved you too, but I don't know about now."
"Kat?"
I walked away, asking myself, Can I go through the whole process of falling in love? What if I lose him for real? What if it doesn't work? What if I lived my life in what ifs? What am I doing? I turned back around. I had only taken about ten steps before I realized. "Fred?"
"Yeah?"
"I love you too, always."
"And forever?"
"And forever."
He pulled me in for another hug as I smiled at the motto we made as friends becoming our motto as more. Fred kissed the top of my head before he released me. He took a couple of steps back.
"How many charms do you have with the addition to my initials?"
"Twelve."
"What's my favorite number?"
"Seven multiplied by two or fourteen."
"So?"
"There are two more charms?!"
"Yup, and here's one."
Fred handed me an extremely small box. I opened it and found a 14 carat rectangle cut diamond. I gasped.
"Fred, it's gorgeous."
"Here let me put it on your bracelet."
"Thank you."
"My pleasure."
I laughed. "Did everyone know that you were you?"
"Yes, I asked them all to hide it from you."
"Well, they did a darn tootin' good job."
"I reckon they did Kat. Let's go let them know I can be me Fred again."
"Yay!"