True Love is Blind Chapter 4

Summary: Though Charlie Weasley enjoys his job in Romania, he cannot help but feel alone. It has been years since he had seen his best friend, Katrina. Little does he know, things have changed greatly since then. Katrina has lost her sight in a horrible accident caused by Death Eaters. She had closed herself off from the rest of the world, never leaving her house, refusing to see anyone. Can Charlie save her from herself before it is too late?

A/N: Thanks again to Brook-Lucas-Fan-23 for her review. And thanks to everyone else who favorited or subscribed to this story. It means a lot to me. It makes me smile to know people like my story :)

I try to update as frequently as possibly, but lately, things have been kind of busy. With mother's day coming up, I have to shop and help my dad make a lunch for my extended family. Also, my teachers have been piling on the work and projects. I've got a literature circle paper to write, an English research paper to do, chemistry research lab, video, and paper to do with my friend, so I'm busy.

On another note, my school's Relay for Life is next week and I'm super excited. It's kind of a personal and meaningful cause for me, since my step-grandmother passed away from lung cancer, and my other grandmother is currently fighting a relapse of her cancer. So if I don't get to update soon, I'm sorry. I'll try to update as soon as possible. Thanks for sticking with me.

I heard heavy footfalls coming up the stairs; from what I could tell, there were multiple pairs of feet. Mrs. Weasley's distinct voice filled the corridor, "I want you all to go straight to bed, no talking. We've got a busy day tomorrow. I expect Ginny's asleep," she added and I almost laughed. Ginny was most certainly not asleep, as I had heard her complaining only moments ago, "so try not to wake her up."

Silence filled the hall as I heard the others trudge towards their rooms. Then, in a soft voice, she added, "Has anyone seen Katrina? Is she alright?"

Charlie spoke up, "I don't know, Mum. She refused to let me into the room. She's locked herself in the room at the end of the hall," his voice cut out then, and I struggled to catch his next words, "I think I'll be going back to Romania now. She needs space, she said."

"Oh. Charlie, don't get too frustrated with her. The poor thing is confused. She's going through a hard time, but if she wants space, I think it'd be best to give it to her. Will you be stopping in anytime soon?"

"Not sure. It was hard enough to get off today to come here. With work on the reserve and these extra Order shifts, it's been difficult to even find time to sleep," he said, a bit ruefully, "Just…let me know how she is, alright?"

I could tell he was concerned, and that touched me. If only I weren't such a coward. I didn't know why I even cared. I was so sure that he wouldn't like me, so why did it matter to me if I was convinced? I knew the answer, of course; hope. I was stupid and hopeful that maybe he wouldn't care, as unlikely as that was.

"Of course. Be safe," Molly said, more quietly this time.

"I will. Bye, Mum. Tell everyone I said bye," he replied, walking down the stairs. I heard a 'pop' and knew he was gone. I sighed. I should have felt relieved, but instead, I felt even more alone. Pushing my love away only made my world seem all the more dark and desolate.

"Asleep, yeah, right," muttered Fred right after Hermione had said goodnight to them, "if Ginny's not lying awake waiting for Hermione to tell her everything they said downstairs then I'm a flobberworm…"

I had to laugh at Fred's comment, despite my dark mood. I couldn't help it, the word 'flobberworm' was funny enough in itself, but when Fred said it, it just sounded all the more amusing.

"All right, Ron, Harry," Mrs. Weasley said from right outside the door to the room in which I was currently hiding, "Off to bed with you both."

"Night," called Harry.

"Sleep tight," replied George. I could hear the humor in his voice. I only hoped for his sake that Mrs. Weasley did not pick up on it, or he would be in for an earful.

Thankfully, she must have been too tire to notice, or too tired to pick a fight with the twins, the latter being most probable. I heard her leave, going downstairs to join her husband and the others currently staying the night. Though I was not sure exactly who would be staying, I was certain that I did not want to risk going downstairs to grab a bite to eat. I was in no mood to face Mrs. Weasley, despite how kind and caring she was.

I had hoped that Fred and George would just leave me alone and go to the room I was supposed to share with them. They'd probably be up working on new experiments for items to sell at their shop.

I should have known that they wouldn't. I loved them both; they were brothers to me. Despite the fact that they were years younger than me, they often acted as older brothers to me, giving me advice about Charlie when he and I fought, threatening to murder my ex after he had told me he was only dating me for my breasts. I know girls like to be told that they are pretty, but to me, that was a major blow to my confidance. Were my breasts the only thing that he liked about me? I went into a downward spiral after that, and as my parents provided no support whatsoever, I probably would have resorted to desparate measures if it weren't for Charlie. (there is a link to a website with what Charlie and Katrina look like on my profile, for those of you who are curious or like a visual of the characters.)

When Charlie found out that he had said that, he was absolutely livid. To this day, I had never seen Charlie angrier than he was at that very moment.

I ran into the Gryffindor common room, trying not to cry.

"Kat? What's wrong?" Charlie demanded upon seeing my face.

"It's nothing," I said, trying to brush past him.

Of course, I couldn't, as he was three times as strong as I was.

"Tell me what's going on, Kat. Was it that wanker Smith?"

The tears escaped my eyes at the mention of his name. Charlie growled, "I'll kill him. I'll kill the bloody bastard," he repeated over and over.

He stormed out of the Gryffindor common room, me at his heels, pleading with him to let it be. He refused. He stalked through the castle, fuming, until he came across my quite unfortunate ex. I would have felt sympathy for him, but after what he had said, I found it hard to feel any kind of positive or kind emotion towards him.

Charlie had him cornered within seconds, fire in his eyes, pointing his wand at my ex's throat. "If you ever disrespect Kat again, it will be the last thing you ever do. Do I make myself clear," he had growled.

"Y-yes. Crystal clear," he gulped.

Charlie whirled around, stopping only to glare at him over his shoulder one last time, before putting his arm around me and leading me back to the common room.

Once Fred and George had found out, they took a slightly different approach, choosing instead to drop dungbombs on him. I actually almost felt sorry for him, again. After all, he did have to go around for a month smelling like a stable, but it was just too funny for me to feel bad for too long. Honestly, I think those three boys were part of the reason that I hadn't had much experience when it came to boys. The story of what had passed spread like wildfire around Hogwarts and boys were terrified when it came to dating me. I couldn't blame them, of course. Those boys could be quite intimidating when they wanted to.

"Katrina?" there came a quiet knock at the door.

It was Fred who spoke, but I was sure George was with him as well. The nurse had been right; since losing my sight, my other senses had increased in strength. No matter how quiet someone was, I could tell how approximately near to me they were. I could hear better than most others. I could detect smells that others might not have sensed. It was truly extra-sensory perception. I was sure that it could be useful to the Order. It would be a definite advantage, me being able to sense other people around me, hear the quietest noises, I was sure that I could help. The only problem would be convincing the other members to let me help. They would probably say no due to my "disability". I hated being treated differently because of it. I could fend for myself; after all, I had for almost seven months.

"Yes?" I answered just as quietly.

"Will you come up to bed? You should sleep," this time George replied.

"Couldn't I just stay here? I'm not particularly in the mood to talk about anything."

"Then we won't talk. We'll just go straight to bed," Fred suggested lightly. I know he was trying to be funny, but I wasn't in the mood.

"I-I just want to be alone," I whispered.

"But that's so…lonely. Would you really leave your two favorite twins all alone in this scary old house?"

I couldn't help the slight smile that spread across my face. They were natural jokesters and I just could not resist their humor, no matter how hard I might try, "You're the only twins I know, you two."

"Well then we must be your favorites by default." Well, I couldn't argue with that logic.

"But then we're also her least favorites," George quipped, "considering that we're the only twins she knows."

"True, Forge, but obviously we're her favorites. Who could hate us?"

"Right you are, Gred, which is exactly why you should come with us, Katrina," George teased.

I was laughing at this point. I had always enjoyed their bantering. It was so entertaining to just sit back and watch them do their thing. "I'm not moving, Fred, George."

"Well then I suppose we'll just have to move her, won't we," Fred appeared in the doorway, I heard the door creak open. I could tell that he was grinning by the quality of his voice. I had become increasingly good at determining emotions based on the tone of people's voices.

Suddenly, before I had any time to react, I was picked up from the bed and scooped up into someone's arms. I wasn't quite sure who was carrying me, but I noted that these arms were distinctly different than Charlie's. Where he was muscular and well built, Fred and George were more lanky and lean, but still undoubtedly had muscle tone. I blushed. What if I was too heavy for them? That would be absolutely mortifying. I had never been skinny, and that made me self-conscious about my weight. I couldn't help but to be embarassed now that I would be carried up a flight of stairs.

"Katrina," my carrier, George, judging by his voice, whispered, "you're entirely too light. You can't weigh more than 35 or 36 kilos. Have you been eating? You're skin and bones."

"I've been trying to. I just haven't been very hungry lately. Plus…it's rather difficult to cook when you can't see anything. Sure, I can tell what things are based on their smell, but I can't tell what I'm cutting, and have ended up cutting myself quite often. Plus, I can't tell where the stove is; if I'm even putting food in the pot or pan, and I haven't the slightest clue when things are done. Tinker, my old family house elf, has been helping prepare food, but I just haven't been all that hungry," I admitted. I knew that I had lost a lot of weight, but that did not change my self-consciousness. I probably weighed a little more than half of what I had before, but why did I still feel like I was so heavy? I wasn't fat, it was muscle. My stomach was relatively flat, but I just had a different body type than most other girls.

"You need to eat, Kat. This isn't healthy. We can almost see your bones. You look…sick. Please, eat something. I'm sure Mum'd be more than happy to give you something even if it is a bit late," the twins implored.

"Fine, but not if she's asleep. I don't want to disturb her. She's done enough today," I conceded, knowing that I would never win against those two.

"Alright Forge, take her upstairs, I'll go ask Mum if there's anything left that she could have," Fred said to George, who carefully turned around, careful not to bang me into anything.

He shifted me in his arms, trying to get a sturdy grip. "You don't have to carry me, George. I'll walk," I said, not wanting him to hurt himself.

"Katrina, you weigh practically nothing. I've carried Fred up these stairs. He probably weights at least twice what you do. And as for being able to walk, I'm sure you are, but that's not an option right now. After all, I'm under Fred's direct orders, and we can't very well disobey him, now can we," he said playfully.

"Alright," I giggled. It was so easy to be happy around them. Despite the dark place I was in, both literally and figuratively, I found that they distracted me from that, and I welcomed that distraction. "But if you strain something, don't blame me. You're the one who insists on carrying me up a whole flight of stairs."

"Honestly, Katrina, you're not heavy. I can handle it. I may not be as strong as Charlie…" he trailed off, realizing what he had just said, "sorry. Sorry. I know how you fell about him right now…actually, I don't. Would you care to explain that particular aversion to my brother?"

"Can it wait until we're upstairs and Fred's back? I don't want to be explaining it over and over, alright?" At least talking about it to someone might help me sort out my feelings. After all, they were his brothers. I trusted them. I'd been friends with them for long enough. I should be able to at least talk to them a bit more freely.

"Sure. That sounds reasonable," he responded, letting a comfortable silence settle over us for a bit, "Wait. I've just thought of something. Could they have used the Conjunctivitus Curse on you? Could that be what's keeping you blind?"

"I don't think so. The healers said they tried every counter-spell they could think of. Honestly, I remember one of them screaming 'Sectumsempra,' but I've never heard of that curse before so I don't really know if there is a counter spell, but I'm guessing not, seeing as even the healers at St. Mungo's couldn't cure it. It was a good idea though," I said, not wanting him to feel bad. He was trying, and I didn't want him to feel bad because he couldn't fix my sight. It wasn't his fault. Truth be told, if it was anyone's fault, it was my own. I'd often been told that I was too stubborn, but according to Charlie, that was one of the things he liked most about me, 'As stubborn as a dragon,' he had once called me.

"Kat…can I ask you something? Promise you won't be offended," George said, almost nervously, which was highly unusual, especially for him.

"You want to know what it's like to be blind, don't you?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"Only if you want to tell me…I can't even imagine how…hard that must be," he whispered. Most people would have been surprised to see George Weasley, prankster extrodinaire, being sincere and uncertain. I was used to it. Knowing the Weasley twins, I found that for their bright personalities and eternal positive outlook on life, they could be serious too. They knew when it was appropriate to joke and when to be sincere.

"You know when it's pitch dark and you can't see a thing at night?" I felt George nod. "Well that's what it's like for me all the time. Honestly, there are still days I wake up and nearly have a heart attack because I can't see anything…

"It's hard. It's so hard knowing I'll never see anyone's face again, knowing that on my wedding day, if anyone can stand to marry me when I look like this, I won't be able to see my future husband's face, knowing that when, if, I have children, I won't be able to look down and exclaim how beautiful they are. Sure, my other senses have picked up the slack, for lack of a better term, but I feel like a huge part of my life is missing; a part that I'll never get back…" I trailed off.

George set me down on my bed, and hugged me, "You will get married Katrina. You're still beautiful. Anyone who can't see past a few scars is a git. And you'll always have us. Mum adores you, as does everyone else in this family, well maybe except Percy, but he's a prat anyway so he doesn't count."

"Thanks George," I sighed.

Fred interrupted just then. "I've brought some food for you, Katrina."

He must have conjured a table because George turned me around and guided my hand to find the utensils and bowl of stew that had been placed on a table that I was quite sure was not there when I had come in.

I gingerly felt around for the bowl before dipping the spoon in and carefully raising it to my mouth, savoring the meaty flavor, the warm broth sating my hunger. "Honestly, your mum makes the best food ever. I don't think I've had stew this good in ages."

"She'll be glad to hear it. You know…for a being blind you're surprisingly good at not spilling everything all over the place," Fred said. "Ouch! George!" he exclaimed. I could only assume that George had smacked him upside of the head.

"Did anyone ever tell you just how tactless you are, Fred?" George said angrily.

"Sorry Katrina, didn't mean any offense," Fred said apologetically.

"S'alright. Don't worry about it. I've gotten somewhat used to eating without being able to see. It was a valid observation." I pointed out. I tried not to be offended. I had always known that Fred was rather tactless, or rather, he didn't filter what he said before he spoke, but he was still one of my closest friends and I knew that he didn't mean it in a cruel way.

"Katrina? Remember what I asked you to explain on the way up here? Would you feel up to sharing?" George asked.

I nodded, trying to figure out where to begin.

"What am I missing," Fred asked.

I heard George whispering in Fred's ear. "Oh, alright," Fred responded. "Go ahead, when you're ready, that is, if you want to, I mean…I'll just shut up now."

"Well, before this," I gestured to my now disfigured face, "happened, Charlie had surprised me at my apartment. I invited him in and told him that I'd have to leave to do some investigative reporting at Borgin and Burkes… he and I got in a row. It was awful. We both said things we didn't mean. I told him to leave and he stormed out. I went to the shop and listened to th meeting, but I gave myself away by mistake."

"What d'you mean you 'gave yourself away'?" Fred queried.

"One of the Death Eaters had said something particularly shocking and I jumped. I disturbed the table I was hiding under and they found me. They tortured me- the cruciatus curse. One of them used what I believe he called 'sectumsempra'. Charlie showed up then. He saved me,' I said, tears forming in my eyes. That was probably the one function of my eyes that I had retained. I couldn't see, but I could most definitely cry.

"Even though I was absolutely awful to him. He saved me. I suppose you know how I feel about him," I sighed.

"We have an idea, but how exactly do you feel about him," Fred queried.

"I can't even imagine my life without him. I love him. I have since we first met. But he could never love me. I know that. Especially not now. And I'm afraid. I feel awful for what I said to him, but I'm so scared that when he sees me, he won't have anything to do with me. I don't know how I look right now, considering that I can't see, but I've felt my face, felt the scars. I can only imagine how I look right now. I was never that attractive to start with,but now I must be even less so," I replied.

"First off, Charlie isn't that much a prat. I'm sure he'd like you even if you looked like a dementor, as bloody frightening as that would be," George said.

"And if he was, we'd kick his arse from here back to Romania. If only you knew how he felt about you," Fred added.

"What? Fred…how does he feel about me?" I asked. Hope rose in my chest.

"Like I told him when he asked about you, that's not my story to tell. You'll have to talk to him. It'll be hard, I'm not denying that, but you need to do this for yourself. I can't do it for you," he replied almost sadly.

"I…understand, but honestly, how could he not be revolted by me? He deserves better," I know I sounded like a broken record by this point, but growing up being told I wasn't good enough had made me believe it. I didn't think I was worth it. My mother used to tell me that I would never find a husband. After hearing things over and over, especially from my own parents, they had become ingrained in my head. I couldn't get over it no matter how much I tried to.

Being friends with the Weasleys had, of course, done a world of good, but I was still far from healed. Especially with my new injury, I had suffered a major setback.

"Honestly, if you could only see yourself. You don't look 'hideous' as you put it. You've gone through hell and he knows it. Give him a chance. He hasn't given you a reason to not trust him," George consoled me. He was right. I knew he was. Charlie had done nothing but be kind and caring to me. I couldn't push him away much longer. My resolve was crumbling fast. The walls I had built were falling to pieces at the mere mention of his name, sending shivers down my spine.

Next time he came home, I would talk to him. The only thing that scared me more than facing him was the thought of losing him because I was too stubborn and afraid.

I had to stand up, face my fears. I couldn't cower in a room forever. Sooner or later, I would have to confront him.

"Alright. Next time he comes back…I…I'll talk to him, or try to. You just need to understand…this is hard for me…so much has changed so quickly…and I just need to get myself sorted before I can do this. Can you understand that?" I asked. At least if I had their support, I wouldn't feel so apprehensive and alone.

"Of course. No one's asking you to go running after him right now. Take your time. I know he misses you, but he'd wait forever if it meant talking to you again," Fred said.

"Fred? What novel did you read that in?" I teased, shocked. For once, he was being tactful, very tactful, at that. "Because you have never, ever, said anything that deep before."

"I have my moments," he laughed.

"Of course you do, Gred," George teased. "Now come on, let's get some sleep, yeah? Mum'll right near kill us if we stay up any longer. She'll probably be furious as it is."

"Alright. Night George. Night Fred." I whispered, smiling.

"Night Katrina," they choroused, "Don't let the nargles bite."

"What exactly is a nargle, then?"

"No idea," they chuckled. I smirked. Typical Fred and George, speaking at the same time. It could be extremely confusing, but it was a part of their identity as twins. I still failed to truly understand how deep their bond was. It was something I could never quite wrap my head around, having someone that you were so connected to. I knew that Charlie and I were, had been, used to be, I struggled with the proper tense, very close, but with Fred and George, there was something deeper.

That was the first night in months that I went to bed with a smile on my face.