Guess what? Another chapter! Yay.

Chapter 9: Feed the Beast

The four of them got back to the tent to see two cots put out in the center of the room, presumably for the older boys who were all sitting at the small table, talking about something.

Kat dumped her armful of kindling near the entrance, knowing they would also use it in the fireplace later. Boston followed suit, dusting off her hands and then looking at them. She held them up for Kat to inspect palms out. Kat looked at them, seeing dirt stuck on to spots.

"Sap?" Kat asked.

Boston nodded with a frown, but before anyone could do anything, Boston dragged her palms down the sleeves of Kat's jacket with a wicked smile.

Kat was momentarily dumbstruck but then closed her mouth that had hinged open. "Oh, I'm going to get you back for that."

Boston chuckled.

"Don't think I won't," Kat warned. "I know where you sleep."

Boston waved her off.

Fred and George put down their bundles with the girls and started to make their way towards their brothers when Kat's small frame stepped into their path. She had her hands anchored on her hips as she looked up at both of them with a stern and unwavering gaze.

"Can we help you, darling?" George asked, slight worry bobbing in his voice.

Boston had come up behind Kat to look at the exchange when suddenly Kat's eyes fluttered and she fell backward. Boston barely had time to catch her, her arms hooked under Kat's. She slowly lowered the girl to the ground, so she was lying down, her head on Boston's lap.

"Kitty Kat!" Fred called.

George was on his knees beside her immediately, putting his hands on either side of her face. She had passed out. Her eyes slowly fluttered open and George looked down at her blurry brown eyes or was it his eyes making things blurry. "Are you alright, Kat?" His voice was so soft.

"Maybe," Kat whispered. George leaned in closer to hear her and so did Fred. "If only," she started quietly, then got much louder, "someone had remembered my breakfast!" Everyone looked shocked, even the other Weasleys who were watching nervously from the sidelines. Then came the anger.

Fred, "That was not even close to funny."

George, "Worst prank you could pull."

Boston, well Boston just harshly shoved Kat off her lap and stood with her arms crossed.

Charlie, "You didn't have breakfast?"

Bill, "What the hell just happened?"

Arthur, "It's like there's three of them now."

Ginny, "That was wicked." The youngest of the Weasleys helped Kat to her feet and smiled, being the only one to find that funny. "How did you know Boston would catch you?"

Kat laughed and shrugged, looking to her best friend. "She'd never let me fall, would she. Not alone."

The anger on Boston's face melted and turned to a small smile. She reached to hug her friend, and Kat melted into her arms. Then, roughly, Boston shoved her away. She crossed her arms again and tapped her foot on the ground.

Charlie cleared his throat, and everyone turned to the table in the back. "We were just about to do lunch."

Kat beamed. "Brilliant. I'm starved." Kat nearly ran over to the table.

Hermione came through the entree of the tent with Ron and Harry not far behind. The boys set down the buckets of water next to the pile of wood. "Did you say lunch?" Ron asked, nearly knocking Kat out of the way.

"Oi Roland, watch where you're walking," Kat warned half-heartedly. "Let your elders eat first."

Ron looked at her, already towering over her. "What's that saying? Age before beauty?"

Kat tried her best not to grin, and her muscles ached with the unsuccessful effort. "Oh, you cheeky git." Kat looked at the tabletop, completely empty. "Where's the food anyway?"

"We watched you eat a muffin earlier," George chimed finally, seeming to have forgiven her small prank.

"Yeah. A muffin. I'm a growing girl. I need more than a muffin."

"Are you?" Fred asked.

"Am I what?"

"Growing?" Fred smiled to himself.

Boston smiled with him, apparently finding the comment very amusing.

"Oh, shut it, Fredward. Not all of us can grow to be taller than the doorframe." She looked at George then. "At least Georgie never makes fun of my height."

George cleared his throat. "Why would I? There's no fun in picking the low hanging fruit." The whole tent seemed to shudder with laughter.

Percy rolled his eyes. "You know, Mr. Crouch would never allow such a disorganized gathering. It is just simply inappropriate."

Ron huffed. "Yeah, Percy? And what part of this family has ever been appropriate?"

"Well, it would suit us better to strive to be more professional in public settings," Percy scoffed.

"Ah, yes, Percy, you're right!" Fred called. "In the very public setting of our own tent with no one else here!"

"Well, they are not family," Percy pointed out, motioning to Harry, Hermione, Boston, and Kat. "So technically, we are in mixed company."

"What are you going on about?" Ron asked his older brother. "Harry and Hermione are family."

"Not by blood," Percy pushed.

Kat couldn't help but feel a pit in her stomach that grew with each moment that no one stood and called her family. Boston came up and took her hand, standing slightly behind Kat. She put her chin on Kat's shoulder and leaned her head against Kat's. It said, 'we are family' better than any words.

Kat twisted and planted a kiss on the side of the dark-haired girl's head and turned back to the argument unfolding.

"They don't have to be blood, do they." Ginny piped. The young girl looked towards the two older ones huddled close together, communicating with each other without saying a word, both of their eyes a little too sad for the moment of joy that was just a moment past. But, a lot can happen in a moment.

"That's the definition of family, Ginny," Percy explained patronizingly.

Kat jumped slightly at the form that came to stand next to her. George. On the other side Fred. "Come off it, Percy," George said, more of a warning than anything.

"Yeah, come on, Perc. Mum wouldn't want you saying that, would she." Bill, always the voice of reason.

George took Kat's free hand in his own and interlaced their fingers. She let him.

"All I'm saying is, we should work on our image," Percy continued.

"Why?" Charlie asked. "Kat came to breakfast without bottoms yesterday."

"Which," Percy started in again, getting a little pink on his nose, "is completely inappropriate, and if her father knew about it-"

Kat cut him off. "I. Am. Right. Here." She wasn't loud, but she wasn't quiet either. The room became very tense.

Arthur walked back in from the kitchen, several platters of food trailing behind him. "Who's ready for lunch?" He took in all the strained faces of his children and those in his care. "What's happened?"

Kat looked over her shoulder at Boston, their noses nearly touching. Boston just nodded and stood up straight. "Nothing, Arthur. Boston and I were just saying that we were going to go explore a little more before the game." They started towards the tent flaps.

"Weren't you hungry Kat?" Arthur asked, very confused.

She looked back and beamed a smile. "Don't worry. I'm sure we can find some food." Then they were gone.

"She is dramatic that one," Percy said as he reached for a plate that had just landed on the table. The room was still, eerily still and quiet. "You know Mr. Warner is on the Wizengamot, and I am sure he would be utterly embarrassed if he knew his daughter was walking around without bottoms, and in front of her classmates and members of the Ministry." Everyone just stared, either at Percy or Fred and George, or the tent flap that swayed slightly with the breeze.

Without another word, Ginny, George, and Fred followed through the tent's opening to set out to look for the two girls.

They weren't in the immediate sight of the tent and Fred cursed quietly under his breath.

"You didn't say anything," Ginny commented over the constant low rumble of everyone around them.

"What?" Fred asked.

"When Percy said Kat and Boston weren't family. You didn't say anything."

George stepped in. "Kat and Boston know they're family."

"Do they?" Ginny asked.

Fred, now angry as they walked around looking for the two girls, "Why didn't you say anything then?"

Ginny looked angrily up at her brother. "It's not my place, is it. That would be your place, wouldn't it? You're her best friends." She threw her hands in the air and sighed. "Even Ron stood up for Harry and Hermione."

"Boston's not family," Fred said suddenly.

"What?" Ginny almost yelled.

Fred took a deep, hasty breath and ran his hand through his hair. "Kat's family, right, and that's brilliant. Boston is Kat's family, and they are joined at the bloody hip, but Boston is not our family."

George shook his head. "Kat's family is our family."

Ginny nodded. "He's right, Fred."

"Whatever, let's just find them. I doubt they went far." Fred turned towards the stands and started heading towards them, thinking they would want to hide in the crowd.

Fred wasn't mad, not really, George knew that, of course. His brother was always a little hotheaded and didn't have much of a filter. It still surprised him that Fred had never voiced his opinion about Boston anywhere near where Kat could hear, or Boston for that matter. George was fairly certain, smaller and quieter than him or not, Boston would have knocked him arse over tits.

George looked at his twin, who was stomping away, somewhere into the crowd. He shook his head and looked at his little sister. Ginny. She was just about as hot-headed as Fred was, but had more control. He nodded his head towards Fred. "Come on, Gin. Let's make sure he doesn't start any fights that we have to finish."

"That's likely," Ginny snorted.

Just want to punch Percy in the face sometimes