I don't own Harry Potter, only my OCs

It's been an intense few chapters.

Chapter 16: Make It Home

After a short discussion, it was decided that Cedric would come back to the Burrow instead of walking home alone. Molly would send Errol or Ron's new owl, Pigwidgen, to his mother to let her know he was safe and welcome to stay the night.

Fred had taken to carrying Kat all the way back home. She was tucked close to his chest, the back of her knees and her shoulders supported by his arms. Ginny was riding on the back of George, arms slung carelessly across his chest. Both girls had fallen asleep.

Molly was waiting outside for them when they got back to the Burrow, worry aging her face.

She ran up to the four of them, hugging Fred and George so tight, their heads banged together and Ginny and Kat woke up.

"I am so sorry I yelled at you, my poor boys," Molly was saying, going on and on about how she could have lost them and the last thing they would have heard from her was her being angry with them.

Kat looked around in the dark and tears started flowing again.

"Mum," Fred began, "Kat needs something, I think she hurt her voice." Molly reached for the small girl, but Fred didn't let her go. They all just silently made their way into the house.

"I don't mean to intrude, Mrs. Weasley," Cedric started saying as they came into the living room.

"Nonsense. You're always welcome. Why don't you send your mother a message so she isn't worried sick," Molly said, waving him towards the kitchen.

"I'm going to go put Ginny to bed," George said quietly, Ginny still clinging to his back.

Molly looked at them both and placed a kiss on both their heads. "Alright, then come right back here."

Fred and sat on the couch, Kat scrunched in his arms, her face turned into his chest. The crying never stopped.

"Kitty Kat. Mum's gonna take a look at you, yeah?" Fred spoke softly as if he were trying to calm a wounded animal.

Kat just turned to Molly. When Molly asked her to open her mouth she did. Turned her head when asked. Sat still. There was nothing in her eyes.

"Alright, it looks like she just bruised her throat and there was some swelling. Nothing I couldn't fix," Molly told Fred, even though Kat was sitting right in front of her. "She shouldn't yell or sing for a few days though."

"Where is Boston?" Kat asked.

If Kat was looking at the tall ginger next to her she would have seen pity lining his face, but as it was, she was facing the window, eyes glazed over, not really seeing anything.

"She'll be here soon," Fred said softly.

She nodded slowly.

George walked down the stairs and his chest tightened at the image of Kat's vacant eyes. Fred was rubbing small circles on her back. Molly got up and walked back towards the kitchen, not really knowing what to say.

It wasn't long before the rest of the family came home. Amos had come along to collect Cedric who had said a quiet goodbye to everyone before they departed.

"Boston, dear. Will you be needing to go home to your family?" Molly had asked when they all came back. Boston just shook her head and headed to the kitchen to start in on her letter home.

Kat had been asleep on Fred's shoulder for the past hour or so. Boston had come in to see it and before Fred could shake her awake Boston indicated that she wanted Kat to remain asleep.

George went into the kitchen to start making tea again, Hermione had just finished the last of it when he saw Boston addressing her letter.

"I know that name," George said without thinking.

Boston snatched up the letter and quickly gave it to Errol who promptly flew into the glass side of the open window. The old bird dusted itself off and went into the night with the letter.

"How do you know them?" George asked.

Boston didn't even let her face answer, she just kept glaring.

Molly walked in, taking over making the tea from George, whose magic had paused in the middle of preparations. "Did you write to your family, Boston dear?"

Boston didn't tear her eyes away from George as she nodded slowly.

Molly didn't notice as she bustled around in a nervous flutter. "Oh good. I hope your guardian doesn't mind us taking you to the train tomorrow, I know I would mind, but then again I'm not sure what I would do. Oh my, I am just so happy you are all alright." Molly pulled the glaring Boston into a tight hug that Boston refused to reciprocate.

Molly soon bustled out as quickly as she came in.

George and Boston just looked at each other for a long moment, only the dining table between them.

Kat's voice carried in from the living room and Boston's face changed slightly, still glaring at George, but her eyes kept drifting towards the sound of her small friend's voice.

"She knows doesn't she?" George asked.

Boston nodded, then pushed past him towards the living room.

Kat was still curled slightly into Fred but unfurled herself when she saw Boston. She stood and reached out towards her dark-haired friend.

George was trying to focus on Kat and how she was a strange combination of relaxed and tense all that the same time, but his focus kept drifting slowly towards the taller of the girls.

Guardian, not parent.

It never really bothered him that no one seemed to know her last name until now. Boston who?

She was pale, much like he was, freckles in the same places. But her hair was dark like black. Straight through. Her eyes. He had seen those eyes before. Where he couldn't say but he had seen them before.

She looked nothing like her guardian, and there was no sign that they were actually related, though he doubted she would say she was related to him anyway, there were witches and wizards who would look down on her just for that. He wondered who else knew.

"I still need to write to Draco," Kat mumbled against Boston.

Boston nodded. She locked eyes with George.

"Errol is out, but we can grab Ron's owl while you write if you want, darling." George was a little shocked by how well he understood Boston.

Kat nodded and moved towards the stairs, but Boston maneuvered her towards the kitchen.

To an untrained eye, it could have looked like Kat was the one who needed Boston with the way she was clinging to the girl, but George saw the way Boston's eyes stayed glued on Kat's face. She was stressed and stiff and close to feral if anyone got too close.