I spent the rest of the day in my room. I was miserable, and had no idea what to do with myself. I did not have my head on enough to be presentable. I had a feeling that if I went downstairs, I would probably just be cranky and rude. I would also probably beat Harry up. At the same time, I managed to be incredibly hurt and filled with a huge anger. I was so angry at him. I hated him.
I sat there, staring at the ceiling and thinking about everything that I had given up over the last ten months. It seemed like so much: my family, my friends, Adam, any sense of normalcy. I gave up hot water and real meals. I lost the chance to be a teenager, and instead became a person on the run. It was a terrible lifestyle.
But at the same time, I wanted, no, I needed to continue it. I had to see this done. I had to see Voldemort dead, his Horcruxes destroyed, and know that I had played my part in that. I wanted to see us victorious; to stand there and know that everything I gave up, I gave up for that. But Harry was denying me that.
They would move on soon, and I just had to accept it. I would have to watch them leave. Actually, knowing Harry, he would not make any fanfare about leaving. They would leave in the middle of the night.
That night, I waited until it was fully dark. I put my ear to the door, and couldn't hear any voices downstairs. Usually, at night, there was a game of Exploding Snap or something going on, and I wanted to make sure that was over. When I was sure I heard no voices, I opened my door, and tiptoed downstairs.
I stopped in the room that Ron and Harry were sharing. Ever so slowly, I opened their door, checking that they were still there. As soon as I cracked the door, I could hear Ron's loud snoring. Yes, they were still here. I could see Harry, asleep in the far bed. He slept on his stomach, and I could see his wand lying next to his pillow, his right hand curled around it; ready. I shut the door, and moved on.
In the living room, the fire had yet to burn low. I sat in front of it, resting my back against the couch. I pulled a soft quilt off the back of the couch and got cozy. A deep breath and I could smell the smoke of the fire. Faintly, the smell of the chicken Fleur had made for dinner. I knew from this spot, I would know if they left. I would wake up.
At some point, my eye lids grew heavy and I dozed off. I slept straight through to morning, only to be woken up by someone shaking me. I was startled, and reached for my wand. "Are they-" I started, but saw it was only Bill. I stopped and sighed.
"He isn't going to take you with him," he said, gently, "even if you manage to catch him leaving."
"Doesn't hurt to try," I said, shrugging it off. I was a little embarrassed to be caught. Was I being pathetic? Maybe a little.
"Come, I am making breakfast!" Fleur called, happily. She always seemed to be able to put on a happy face. And she always looked amazing, even first thing in the morning. I made a cup of tea and sat at the table while she cooked eggs. Slowly, but surely, everyone streamed into the kitchen to get some breakfast. It seemed, to me at least, that for today, I was safe.
~.~
That night, I did the same thing. I waited until everyone was asleep, and then tiptoed to my place in front of the fire. I knew they would be leaving soon. They had already been here longer than seemed necessary. Everyone had healed up, rested, and then they had stayed here a few extra days. Plus, I had seen the three of them exchange a few interesting looks today. I knew the departure was coming.
I tried to stay up as long as I could, but eventually succumbed to sleep. It was fitful sleep, I seemed to wake up every so often. Every time I did, I was concerned that they had left, but the house was quiet. It was still very dark out.
The third or fourth time I woke up, it was light out.
Slam.
The door in the kitchen closed loudly. I was up, without any further thought. I grabbed the bag of potions that I had made in the last week, and ran to the door. I saw Harry, Hermione, and Ron were heading away from the cottage.
"Wait!" I screamed, throwing open the door and taking off after them.
They all turned around, but said nothing. They stopped and looked at me.
"I... I made some potions," I said, slowing my run down as I got close to them. I held up my bag. "Pain potions, sleep potions, blood replenishing... everything you might need out there."
"Thank you, Kat," Hermione said, taking the bag from me.
"Are you sure..." I started, but felt stupid. "Are you sure I can't come?"
"Positive." Harry said, but he did not look angry or annoyed.
Adam's Point of View
"Hey, mate, Mum's just about to put dinner on the table and you know how she hates when we're late," George said, poking his head into the room that he, Fred, Lee, and I shared. I hoped down off the bunk bed and moved downstairs.
"Do we have company?" I asked, wondering why Molly was making such a fuss. I had been here for a few months, and fusses usually meant company.
"Tonks and Remus have come for dinner," he said. "And Remus has lots of news to share..."
That piqued my interest. Would we be broadcasting another Potterwatch? I could certainly use some excitement.
We all sat down around the big table and Molly's food started flying around and serving itself. I had never eaten so well as I had in the past few months here. I was so grateful that Lee and I had escaped from the Snatchers and found our way to the Weasleys.
"Tell us the news, Remus!" Arthur insisted.
"Right, right," he said, his mouth full of potatoes. He chewed and swallowed, and we all leaned in to hear. "So, I went to Shell Cottage on the night that Teddy was born, to tell Bill and Fleur, and they had guests. Harry was there!"
"Harry?" I asked. If Harry was there, then surely, Kat was too. An icy feeling made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.
"Was Ron there?" Molly asked, quickly. "Why didn't Bill tell us?"
"You knew he had visitors," Arthur said.
"Well, I knew he had visitors, but he did not tell me my son was there!" she said, her voice rising. I would hate to be Bill right now, to have what would surely be an angry Molly after him. "He was there, right, Remus?"
"Yes, yes, of course!" Remus said. "Ron, and Hermione, too. And Katherine Hammond, who's been traveling with them."
She was there, which meant she was safe. She was alive and whole and safe at their house. I could probably even see her. My nights of lying awake and worrying about her were over.
"How is she?" I asked, though my question got lost in the outbursts of everyone else around the table.
Tonks, who was sitting across from me, caught my eye. "Remus said Bill told him that she had been bit by Greyback."
"The werewolf?" I asked, suddenly feeling sick. She nodded, and then turned her attention to the baby asleep in her arms.
I became very angry. She had gone with Harry and he had not kept her safe. I wondered how bad the bite was... would she ever get to live a normal life? Or would she be permanently haunted by her time with Harry?
I tried to swallow all of my ill feelings, they were just making me sick. But I had to find a way to see Kat.
Harry's Point of View
"Positive," I said, gently. I watched as her face crumpled up and she started to cry. The Kat that began this journey with us would never have cried in front of us. She had been worn down and reduced to this. That was why she needed to stay. She needed time to heal, and I was not helping her.
I opened my arms and she stepped forward, into them. "Please, don't go," she said, quietly.
This would be the last time I ever saw her, so I tried to take it all in. She was far too skinny; her fingers were bony against my body. But her hair was soft against my face and the embrace felt good. She leaned out of it, her eyes meeting mine. They were gray and watery, and I was worried she would cry. For the first time, I saw exactly how badly she had been hurt by the attack on Malfoy Manor. Her nose would forever be crooked, she would always have those scars...
"I'm sorry," I said quietly. "I won't hurt you anymore."
"It's not about that," she said, her voice cracking. "You know it's not."
"I know," I said. She grabbed a hold of my shirt, learned in and kissed me. And I let her. I should have been embracing her this entire time. She was hurting, and Bill was right: she needed me. I had been terrible to her. So I had to leave.
I was not leaving her behind because I did not love her. I was leaving her herebecauseI loved her. Because she needed to stay. She deserved to have a life beyond this, she had given up so much already, but I could not risk losing her. I needed to know that she would be safe and live beyond this stupid war, and the only way I could know she would for certain was to leave her behind. I knew that Bill and Fleur would make certain that she was taken care of for now. After this stupid war was over, she would be able to move on with her life.
Kat's Point of View
I kissed him, because this was our goodbye. Mercifully, he kissed me back, and waited for me to pull away.
"This will be the last time I ever see you guys," I said, and could feel tears start to slip down my face as I realized the implications of what I said. It was harsh, but it was true. Hopefully, with any luck, they would soon face Voldemort and bring him down. But what would they sacrifice in achieving that?
"Oy," Ron said, sounding a bit hurt. "Have a bit of faith in us, yeah?"
I tried to laugh, but didn't do so well with it. It came out as a pathetic, watery chuckle. Ron stepped forward and crushed me in a hug. "We'll come back. I promise," he whispered into my hair. "I'll make sure he doesn't get in too much trouble."
We both knew that was a promise that he could not keep. "Thanks, Ron," I said anyways.
"You take care of them," he said knocking his head towards the house.
I nodded. "Of course," I said. I looked at them all and started to cry. "Are you sure I can't-"
"I'm really going to miss you," Hermione said, hugging me. Then, before I knew it, she had brought her wand arm up to my temple. "Stupefy!"
And my world went dark.
Author's Note: Another chapter done! I am so sincerely loving all of these reviews you are leaving me. Nothing makes me happier than the feedback and answering questions about the story! It's honestly why I write. So don't hesitate to pass on some constructive criticism or questions you have! Thanks to potter-reading-coastie for betaing. Let me know what you think!