19 year old Katie Bell tripped five times going up the crickety stairs of the Burrow. She stubbed her toe three times, banged her knee twice and got a splinter in her left hand. But she didn't really notice. And she tried to ignore the fact that a certain redhead had made her vision so blurry, raising the tears all on his own. Well not completely on the own. The war had broken her but he had devastated her.
With one last resounding sniffle, she glared around the bed room her feet had shuffled her to before flopping on the bed and sobbing heaves into the pillow.
"So you're going back to the reserve," Katie said softly, drumming her fingers against her tea as he made his own.
"Well, yeah," Charlie shrugged his shoulders as he sat across from her at the Burrow kitchen. "I can't stay here forever Baby Bell. You know that."
She was still 18 then, three months until her birthday would pass. Three months until she would spend her first birthday without the flaming redhead which had light her life since before they could walk.
"Are you going to be back by March?" she asked helplessly as she glanced out the window towards the cold January weather. Towards a brand new year she simply did not want to face.
"I don't know," he sighed, unable the mask the irritation in his voice.
"Charlie?"
"What is it?"
She caught the steely look in his deep blue eyes and downcasted hers towards her tea. At first she was grateful they were blue rather than the brown that, now missing, left a void. She thanked Merlin's spotted socks that there was atleast one quality that separated him from his younger brother, one trait that he received from his mother rather than his father.
"What is it Katie?"
She caught sound of her name. Her name. Not his nickname for her. Not a term of endearment he had used since she realized how annoying it was. Katie and not Baby Bell.
"Nothing Charlie," she utter as coldly as her tea was getting. "You tell me if I'm wrong."
"You can be so selfish," he muttered, pushing his chair away with a resounding screech. He left the kitchen, throwing his own cup of tea in the sink where it broke.
"Oh I'm selfish?" she cried, running towards the sink with her wand out. "What about you?"
"What about me?" he rebounded back, returning once again with his brow furrowed deeply. "What about you? Do you expect me to stay here until I grow gray? I'm 24 Katie and I'm not going to rot here. I'm not going to let the war stop me after it's ended."
"Do you even realize what has ended? Do you realize Fred will never make it to be 24?" he voice cracked with the mention of his name. "Do you realize that maybe something other than a dragon just might need you to hang around for a bit?"
"It's been six months Katie!"
"And how many more do think I'm going to be without him? Oh, that's right," she added lightly, "Only until I die."
He looked at her with something that could've been remorse, "Katie, that's not-"
"-Funny?" she finished enraged. "You know what else is bloody funny?" she questioned, nearly spitting as she stepped closer to him with a finger pointed at his chest, "That you always run off! That you always can offer an owl because that alone doesn't force you face things! Send a parchment and be done with it. When Percy left you went back early. When the war picked up you always found a way to be stationed as far away as possible. Now with Fred gone and when I need you more than ever, you go back to some dragons. Dragons! But go. Go. End your misery Charles Theodore Weasley, if hanging around is just too hard for a coward like you!"
"So I'm the coward," he said quietly, nodding almost unnoticeably it was such a subtle action. "Well if that's how it is I hope you enjoy all of your birthdays .And all of your holidays," he made his way out again, "don't expect parchment anymore."
As he went up the stairs, no doubt towards the seclusion of his room, she scrunched up her nose and strode out the backdoor, letting it slam resolutely behind her.
He left two days later in the dead of night, leaving only a note to his mother so she wouldn't fret.
She hadn't seen him since. And like he promised hadn't sent her the smallest scrape of parchment. It cut her deeper than she could've thought possible. Charlie had long been there for her, more than her own older brother, and she would've never dreamed that he would've gone to such lengths to hurt her. Although she testified that his letters were never enough, she would've given her left arm for one now.
Choking back another onslaught of tears, she pulled her face out of his pillow and sat against the wall on Charlie's bed. She fumbled into her pocket and pulled out an old, faded letter and a still unopened letter.
Uncrinkling the first, she spread it out on her knee
Happy March Baby Bell
Yes, I know, you're 16th birthdays coming soon and I promise I'll send it on time this year. That and I'll make sure I don't send Errol with it so it'll be sure to get to you on time and mum won't have a right fit over the long journey. Just wanted to let you know I was thinking of you – Diana, the welsh green, let out a mighty burp this morning and I thought It was not unlike you.
Cheerio love
Charlie
It was stupid and utterly him.
She dug the butt of her palm into her eye, wiping away remaining tears as she passed the envelope from one hand to the other and back again. It had remained on her person for the last month but she was unable to bring herself to open it. For her name was scribbled in handwriting she knew far to well.
She needed the quiller at the moment desperately, however, and finally scourged up the rest of her respect and ripped open the top, beginning to read the letter Fred had constructed for her.
Katie Kate, my lovely lovely Katie Kates Kate.
How are you, love? Doing well I hope, because you desperately need this letter if it -unfortunately - comes into your possession.
I know over the years I've asked a lot of you. Asked you to help pull of pranks and in consequence practically ask you to accompany me to detention. Asked you to sexually tease our Scottish captain into holding less practices. Asked you to set me up with Angelina. Asked you to make sure she says yes. Asked you to help get George face the facts that he and Alicia are, in fact, meant to live and die old together.
You get the picture.
And you've always been happily, perhaps a tad reluctantly, to oblige.
But I'm afraid I have to ask three more small favors of you.
One I believe is obvious: help Alicia with George. The girl is stronger than she looks, both emotionally and physically (remember that one time she practically carried me back when we got completely drunk that time we snuck out to Hogsmeade?) but she's going to need you. George is going to need you. When George gets all depressed Alicia will be able to handle it for a while, but she's going to need you to keep supporting her while she supports him. They'll both listen to you.
Second: I need you to keep living. Knowing you you've spent most of your time either sulking or getting irrationally mad. You're not pretty when you're mad Katie Kates. Be happy for me. Name a kid after me if you must but don't stop living life because I have. I do not deserve that guilt on my undeniably broad and macho-man shoulders. I love you and only want you to find the best and that's not in watered-down tear-tea or depressing novels. You were a light in my life – near the magnitude of a sun - and I won't have it snubbed out simply because I left. You're too good for that Kates.
Third, and lastly to which I'm not going to give any explanation to: forgive Charlie.
I know, vague and mysterious yet I have a feeling it'll be fitting.
I realize these seemingly favors could soon turn into a burden. But I'm one of the few who was ever to kick your stubborn tendencies to the sidelines for a bit. I had to kick you into gear. But I only do it because I love you.
Yes, that's right, despite the fact that I have long been dipping your pony tail into ink while you weren't looking, I love you. I really consider myself lucky, how many people can say without a shadow of a doubt that they've loved someone until the day they die. I've known you since you were born Kates and there wasn't one day where I wasn't sure.
So that's why I need you to do these last favors for me.
Whistfully hoping you'll comply to the above instructions,
Fredrick Weasley the Great who was here and undeniably changed everything, though perhaps for the worst at times with no regrets.
PS. How dare you think that I would ever leave you.
Katie gave the letter a teary smile before falling back into uncontrollable sobs and an unbreakable oath to answer Fred's last wishes for her.
i know, fred's still killing me. but yeah, good news is i officially have more time than before to put forth writings for you guys!! yay! that is, if youll still have me after my long absemnce...please? answer my prayers and review :D
lots o love!