Chapter 2: Grief
Charlie's life passed slowly before his eyes. 13 years had passed since people gave up all hope of finding Katerina alive. He figured that when he graduated they would get married but for her graduation never came. He walked along the cages holding dragons. Many times before he had thought of throwing himself at them, lunging into his own death, but he knew it was not something Katerina would have wanted.
***Flashback***
"Hi, Kat." Charlie said. "Hi, Charlie." She said. They stood a moment. "So…" she said. "So… Ready to head down to Hogsmeade?" He said. "Yup… I think…Mum gave me 50 Galleons…I know it's not that much but-" She said. "Not much!?! I got 5!" He exclaimed, embarrassed. "I can lend you money. You really don't need to pay me back." She said. "No that's ok. Let's get to Honeydukes before all the good sweets are gone. I also need parchment and my little brother, Ron-he's teething, he chewed my best quill." He said. "Ok…Let's go." She said. He took her hand and they walked off.
That Night
"Thanks for spending the day with me…And part of the night." She laughed. "I had a great time. You're great company." He said. Without thinking he bent over and kissed her. When they finally moved away from each other her face was flushed and his hair matched his face. "Sorry." He said quickly. She giggled. "That's ok." She kissed him on the cheek, waved, and walked through the portrait hole leaving him stunned. He heard laughs from behind him. He turned. Bill, his friend Kyle, Barnaby Jones, and Kent Baderman stood there laughing. "What!?" He demanded. "You kissed one of the hottest girls in the school!" Kent and Kyle exclaimed. Bill walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "That wasn't a good idea. The Dark Lord has it in for the Potters. You'll end up brokenhearted, bro." He said.
***End Flashback***
Bill was right. He hadn't even looked twice at a girl since Katerina. People said he had to get back into the real world and leave his fantasies about Kat, but it was impossible for him, he loved her with all his heart and never would forget her. He walked into his small hut. The fell back onto the cot he slept in. He lay there thinking. Today would be Kat's 24th birthday. September 15th, 2004. He thought to himself as he fell asleep.
"Are you up yet!" The bouncy four-year-old said jumping up and down on Katerina's bed. She opened her eyes. "I'm up! I'm up!" She laughed. She stood up, stretched, and walked over to the bed next to her's. "If I have to get up you do, too!" She said pulling the covers off her friend. "Get up!" She said. He jumped up quickly. "I'm up! Sheesh! Can't you let a guy sleep late???" He said. "Who is more important in this orphanage you? Or me?" She said picking the four-year-old up. "Me." He said. "That's what I thought." He said. He picked up his clothes and walked into the bathroom. "Good morning, Kat." Said Mrs. Green the caretaker. "I just woke up Erik, Mrs. Green." Kat said. "Thank you, dear." She said. "I also have something to tell you, Katerina, so when you're done helping Jess, there, get dressed if you could come to my office?" She said. "Yes, ma'am." She said. She went back to putting on the four-year-old's shoe. About 15 minutes later she had managed to get away from children because they now had Erik to pounce on and be waited on hand and foot by. She knocked on the door. "Kat?" She said. "Yes. What did you want to see me about?" She asked. "I didn't want to say this in front of the children…" She said. "Is something wrong?" Kat said walking to a chair. She sat down. "No…Where did you say you came from?" She said. "I lived in Godric's Hollow with my brother and parents." She answered. "But why would you want to know about that?" She said.
"Was there anything…uncommon about your family?" She asked. She wasn't normally one to ask about people's backgrounds. "W-why?" Her voice quivered. "Well I was wondering." She said. "Yes there was." She admitted. "What was that?" She asked. "My…My parents were a witch and wizard. But please don't tell anyone!" She said. "I won't. Well…I was wondering that because there are men coming today to look at the children here to see if they are eligible to go to the school and I was just wondering if it was very expensive…I don't want to have them come and choose children who'd be able to, send that letter thing, then break their hearts." She said. "Well… I'm not one you should ask. My family had enough to send me and my brother there but my brother died so…" She said looking down. "Yesterday was your birthday! I forgot!" She exclaimed out of the blue. "Yes it was. 29." She said. "Well I'll have to order you something. I mean…you don't have to stay here and yet…you choose to stay and help an old lady." She smiled. "You're only 59! You are not that old!" She said.
About three hours later there was a knock at the orphanage door. Mrs. Green opened it hoping it wouldn't be the Headmaster of the school. It was. Along with the largest man she'd ever seen. "Reubus Hagrid ma'am. An' here is me boss Albus Dumbledore." Said the man. "Welcome." She said. "What age did you say?" She asked Albus Dumbledore. "10." He said. "Easy enough." She said. They began to walk up the stairs. Katerina walked down the stairs quickly. She bumped into Dumbledore, tripping, then falling headfirst down the stairs. "Katerina!" Mrs. Green gasped. Dumbledore drew his wand and froze her in the air. She slowly floated back toward them. Katerina shook. "Hello." Dumbledore said. "Miss would you mind turning around? You look a lot like a student I had 13 years ago." He said. She didn't move. She knew the old headmaster's voice. "Professor Dumbledore?" She turned. "Katerina Potter. You look exactly like Lily but you and your brother have different eye colour. His are green…your's grey." He said. "Harry's eyes were blue when he died-" She started. "Died? Harry is a student at Hogwarts. We all thought you dead." He said. "Harry's alive?" She said.
They sat in Mrs. Green's office talking. "I thought Harry died. You say they arrested Sirius? He escaped Azkaban? Wow. No one's ever done that, right?" She said. "Right. But I can say one effect that changed the lives of too many people, kat." He said. "What's that?" She was almost afraid to hear the answer. "Charlie Weasly hasn't looked twice at a woman since you." He said.