"There's a world outside that's been waiting.

Life's what you make it, so don't throw it away…"

Katie tried as hard as she could to hold back the tears as she arrived in Appleby. Who would want a chaser who's already having an emotional breakdown upon arrival? Not the Arrows, that was for sure. She took a deep breath and allowed only three tears to escape her eyes as they fell down her cheeks. She wiped them away quickly, before releasing her breath slowly, trying to rid herself of the nausea she felt in her stomach. She wasn't sure if it was nerves or how upset she was over having to leave Fred again. Whatever the matter, she did her best to put on a brave face and look as intimidating as she could. Ha, Katie Bell, intimidating. Right.

She didn't look intimidating, but get her temper flaring and she could be one of the most intimidating people on the pitch. And her quidditch skills were surpassed by few at Hogwarts. Even Angelina and Alicia said they were intimidated by her during a few matches. A devious kind of smile broke out across her face as she pushed open the doors onto the pitch. There were tables set up in different areas. It looked like they were having tryouts for chaser and beater. She walked over to the chaser table, surveying the pitch as quickly as she could. There were a few guys who were much bigger than her, a few girls, too. There were a few people who simply didn't look like they'd make the cut, but Katie knew simply by being who she was that you should never judge a book by its cover. She smiled as she walked up to the table, three people seated here.

"Name?" the man with brown hair spoke up.

"Katherine Bell," Katie said, wincing slightly at her full name.

"Ah, Katie. You're the one that got the recommendation from Oliver. I'm Derek," the man said grinning as he stuck out his hand.

"Pleasure to meet you," Katie said feeling a bit dumbfounded. She'd completely forgotten about the recommendation that Oliver had given her! Merlin's beard, she really had a reputation to live up to, now. Tryouts were certainly going to be interesting…

Tryouts had been brutal, tiresome, and Katie was nearly in tears by the end. It was the most exhausting two days of her life. She ended up coming in second out of the entire tournament type competition they held, and she flew faster than most of the people on the pitch. It was exhilarating and exhausting. She was proud of herself, but a part of her wished she'd never come here. She sighed as she sat in the waiting room with the 4 other people that hadn't gotten cut. It was time for personal interviews and things of that nature and Katie had no idea what to expect. She'd been through her interview already, so now she was simply waiting. There was only one spot open for the chaser position, and she was nervous as ever.

She stared at the moving picture Fred had laminated for her, wishing to be by his side to comfort her, wondering what he was doing right at that very moment. She bit her bottom lip, not wanting to get emotional now. She'd done a rather terrific job of keeping herself in check while she was playing. She couldn't let her emotions get in the way and cause her to not play well. Still, she knew that the back of the picture was true, she wanted him here. He always knew how to make her feel better, and not having him by her side at such a big moment like this was… more saddening than she cared to think about.

Katie Bell was never a very patient girl. She hated the waiting game, and she hated silence. She needed noise, and life, and fun. The atmosphere felt like it was choking her alive.

Oh Fred… I miss you… She thought to herself as she stared at the photo. He was the person that lit up her life like no other, and somehow being away from him made her feel only half alive. She felt like a part of her was missing. She heard the door open and Derek, the captain of the team, exited followed by the conditioning coach and a woman that Katie had yet to see. Derek grinned at the 5 of them before he began to speak.

"The five of you worked harder than anyone else to get here, but unfortunately only one of you is going to be able to call yourself an Arrow. After the personal interviews and getting to know each of you a little better, the choice was still an incredibly tough one. But in the end we decided that the position is going to go to Katie," Derek said as his eyes fell on her.

She felt herself want to be sick, and it was only then that she realized that a huge chunk of her had been hoping that she didn't make it, so she could go back home, and stay there.

"If you want the position then it's yours," Derek said with a small smile.

Katie could feel the eyes of jealousy upon her. Oh how she wished Fred were by her side, or anyone, really. She inhaled, and closed her eyes for a moment, fighting off the strong urge she had to say 'no.' She knew this was an opportunity she needed to take, no matter what it meant for her relationship. They would be alright. They would always be alright. She just had to keep telling herself that.

"I'd be honored," Katie said eventually, and she heard one of the men in the room groan. Probably mad he got beat out by a chick. Oh well.

"Great to have you on the team, Bell. We have practices for the next two days, and then our first match against the Falmouth Falcons," Derek said with a smile, and Katie nodded.

"We'll have all of your things transported to your room in the center. You'll have your own small apartment. It's got a bathroom, living room, and even a guest room in case anyone ever wants to come to our home matches. See you tomorrow morning. 6am sharp," he said before walking out the door followed by the two people who had interviewed the candidates.

"Congrats Bell," a woman who had been one of the remaining five came up to her and patted her on the back. She nodded a thanks before walking out the door once more. Had she made the right decision? Was she truly ready for this distance?

It was a short walk to her apartment in the center. She was thankful for that, because all she wanted to do was curl up on her couch and cry. This all felt too familiar for her. The distance, the yearning to be next to the one she loved. She hated it. She hated the feeling in the pit of her stomach, the worrisome thoughts that plagued her brain. No, no… she had nothing to worry about. She opened the door and smiled at the site. It was an adorable little apartment. It was also spotless, which wouldn't last long. Katie Bell was constantly a mess. There was already something missing from the apartment, and it was the noise, the magic, the pranks. It was everything that made her fall in love with Fred Weasley.

She walked over to the table knowing exactly what she had to do. She whipped out a piece of parchment and a quill and quickly began writing:

My dearest Fred,

I made the team! I'm so happy. I wish that you were here so, so much. But I know you're busy being the amazing jokester you are. I can't wait to see all of the wonderful things you think up while I'm gone. I saw those love potions before I left, don't get any funny ideas, mister! I'm joking, I know you never would. I feel like there's so much I want to tell you.

I have my own apartment. It's really neat and organized, kind of scary, really. That will change fast. Practices start at 6am tomorrow and then we have our first game in Falmouth the next day. I thought of you. I know they're your favorite team. It's a shame they're going to have to lose. ;) Anyway… the captain, Derek, is really nice. He seems like he's going to be strict, but probably not quite as strict as Oliver, which is good. I haven't even met any of the rest of the team, I'm sure they'll be alright.

I'm so excited about everything, but I'm also really nervous. I even thought about turning the offer down, but I knew if I did that you'd never let me live it down. I love you so much for believing in me, and telling me that I can achieve anything. You're right, you know, and you made me believe that. You're such an amazing person. I can't wait to see what this world has in store for us, love.

I'm going to try and get some sleep. I can't wait to hear from you.

I miss you terribly,

Katie xo

She re-read the letter to herself and smiled. Their lives were about to get very, very interesting. She walked over to the cage where her owl, Chester, was and she smiled.

"Take this to Fred Weasley," she said with a smile as she opened the window. The owl hooted once before flying out.

The owl returned in the middle of the night. Katie awoke at 5am the next morning, cursing under her breath that it was too early to function. She'd never been a morning person. She never would be.

Katie,

Good morning, love! I know it's way too early for you to be awake but I'm sending you this letter in hopes of making you smile before practice. I am so incredibly proud of you, babe! I told you you were going to be amazing, didn't I? Of course I did, and of course I was right, as I always am. I figured you would have learned by now. Oh well, looks like I'll just have to stick around forever so you never forget.

I miss you too, love, but we'll be fine. See, we couldn't even go a whole day without owling each other. The distance will be hard, but we'll be alright. I miss your face, and the feel of your skin, but I know you'll be back in my arms before I know it. Until then I'll be trying to keep busy with new pranks, and going out with Al and George and Ang. We're all more happy than you know that you're back, especially me. I hope you kick the crap out of the Falcons, favorite team or not!

Now go kick some ass at practice!

Love,

Fred

A/N: Another little fluffy chapter. In the next chapter they'll be bit of a time jump, and that's when the real drama begins. ;D Reviews and constructive criticism are always welcome!