Chapter 6: Promise

Someone must hate me. Up there, someone must be laughing at my cruel misfortune and broken dreams.

I suppose that I should amend that…Someone must hate us. All of us.

It's so cruel that she died doing something that she loved. So ironic. Too ironic to be true.

But I guess that it is true. It can't not be.

It's cruel that I had to pretend to be strong when the only girl that I had ever loved in that way slipped away. It's cruel that she had to break the one thing that magic couldn't fix. It's cruel that I don't even know what to do anymore.

After the mad rush to St. Mungo's, a medi-wizard pushed me coldly into the room first, and muttered under his breath that I was the one that she wanted to see the most. I just sank into a hardly conformable chair by the side of the bed and gripped her hand.

That had to be the most frightening moment in my life, looking over and seeing my Katie's face pale and ashen. Her blue eyes squeezed shut with unimaginable pain. I was afraid for her, then, as I am afraid for her now.

She looked barely alive when I leaned over and whispered in her ear. I asked her if she remembered when we first went to Hogwarts? When we won the cup? When Fred and I first opened our shop, and she came in to test each and every item personally? When Fred and Angelina got married? When she finally made England's team?

They were all such happy memories. I was trying to keep her spirits up until the very end, though it hurt. It hurt to recount every blessed thing that happened with her and think that there will be no more times like that. No more memories.

As I was telling one of Lee's infamous 'talk-back tales', Katie squeezed my hand a little harder and her eyes flew open. "Please don't let go", she pleaded under her breath.

My heart felt like it was being ripped from my chest as I gripped her hand in return. "Never." I countered, and conjured up a sad Weasley smile. "I will love you forever, Katherine Bell."

She cast her eyes over me and a tear fell onto her cheek. "I love you George Weasley. Until the end of time." She leaned her head on my shoulder wearily.

"Until the end of time." I agreed, kissing her on the forehead.

Giving one last glance around the room and a smile to the occupants, she gave a heartbreaking sigh.

Then the pressure on my hand was gone.

"You're missing a decimal point." Katie Bell mused, as she ran her finger down the line of sloppily written numbers. "You're missing quite a few, actually. How do you two get along?" She ran her hand over the smooth oak of the desk before leaning over the edge of it and coming face to face with Fred.

"Government Secret." He confessed, grinning and holding up an ugly brown Headless Hat. "Lee's Christmas present." He called to George, as he threw it over his shoulder.

"How many does the man need?", Katie admonished, still hanging upside down over the edge of the counter. "You've given him one every year since you invented the bloody things!"

"One to go with everything that he owns, o 'course." George chimed in, dropping a box on the floor of the store. "And what Fred means is, that when you're busy, he just asks Angelina to add 'em up for us."

"Foolproof business management." Katie agreed, rolling her eyes.

"We think so. Oy, Katie, your face looks tomato-like when you do that." Fred laughed and tossed a Canary Cream at her.

George let out a laugh and pulled out another Headless Hat. "So how much did our Profits add up to this month, Katie?"

Katie sat quickly up and rested her head in her hands. "What would you boys do without me?", She giggled, and began adding up numbers again.

I don't know what to do anymore. I am so lost without her. I know that everyone else is, too, but I can't talk about it yet. All I can do is wonder where she is, if she's safe, if she's happy.

I don't know when I'll see her again. Of if I will. But I have to believe that I will, or I won't be able to go on.

Katie Bell…I don't know where you are, or if you're even listening…but I love you. I will always love you.

I don't know how much time until forever, but I will love you beyond that.

Beyond forever.

And for all time.