"It's been three long months

I think I've had enough of waiting for you to come home.

I don't think that I can be the one who's waiting patiently.

So when will you decide to choose the one who's been behind you all along? "

She walked inside the shop. It was completely empty of customers. She faltered for only a moment, glancing back toward the door to see if the shop was actually open. It was, which only made her more nervous. She inhaled slowly as her eyes glanced around the store for a familiar tuft of orange hair that she longed to see above all else. It was then that she heard a rather large boom coming from the upstairs loft. What in the world was going on?

"FRED!" Katie shouted at the top of her lungs, immediately running towards the loft upstairs. Unfortunately she was stopped by a stunning spell that was sent straight into her, knocking her backwards into a shelf. Landed with a thud on the ground, pain searing her back. She closed her eyes for a moment before opening her eyes to see George standing there, an anger in his eyes like she'd never seen before.

"George, please let me –"

"Get out," he said quietly, but viciously serious, "and don't you ever come back."

"No. George please let me explain…" Katie pleaded, tears welling in her eyes from both the physical and emotional pain she felt, the fear, the guilt. It all felt like too much at once.

"You've done enough damage here, Bell. You've hurt him one too many times, and I'm not going to let you twist the knife some more. Now please, just leave. I don't want to have to stun you again," George threatened, and a flash of true wickedness flashed through his eyes. Inside Katie knew he was only protecting his brother, and he knew Fred would be acting the same way if Ang were here doing this.

"No, George. Don't make me fight you. You have to know that I wouldn't do that. I'd never do that…" Katie pleaded once more, a lump in her throat.

"I don't know what you'd do, Bell. I didn't expect you to stay in the muggle world and break Fred's heart, but you did that. And then things got back to normal, and then you left again. His heart broke again, but he managed for a while, but now this? No Katie… no…" George said as he pointed his wand at her.

"George! You're not going to not allow me to see Fred! FRED!" Katie shouted loudly, silently pleading for him to come down. He was all she wanted to see. She needed to explain herself, explain this whole mess. If only they'd give her a chance.

Minutes felt like hours, and Fred didn't show. Katie inhaled before glancing to George and taking out her wand. Her eyes narrowed as she stood from her place near the shelf she'd been rammed into.

"I will fight you George," she said, her voice dangerously low.

"I'd like to see you try," George narrowed his eyes, and it was then that the front door burst open, and Angelina appeared.

"George have you seen-? Katie! What did you do? What are you doing?" Angelina shouted as she glanced between the two of them. Their wands were out. What in the world? Not letting another moment pass she took the time to scold them both.

"Stop it, stop it right now!" Angelina barked angrily. She stared at the two of them before shaking her head. George's wand fell to his side before he glared once again at Katie.

"You deal with her then," George said begrudgingly before stalking back up the stairs.

Katie felt defeated, restricted, caged. Angelina walked up to her and embraced her in a rather large hug.

"Katie…" she said, her voice stern yet worried. Katie couldn't really read her expression because she was too busy keeping her eyes shut, trying not to cry. Had Oliver Wood really just ruined everything she worked so hard to build with the one person she could see herself spending forever with by telling a bunch of lies? It was all unfair. Even this kiss was completely his doing. She felt her stomach lurch slightly before opening her eyes and finally meeting Angelina's.

"I know you probably think I'm the worst ever, but Oliver was lying. Angelina, please believe me… You know me, you know I'd never, ever do something like that," Katie said, her defeated feelings obvious in her tone. She let out a long sigh before slumping back against the broken book case.

"I know, Katie… I know… but getting through to Fred is going to be hard. But… I think he might listen to you… Wait a minute, what happened here?" Angelina asked as her brain finally registered the broken shelf behind Katie.

"George... well, stunned me into it. I called for Fred. I was in such a frenzy, and I heard what sounded like an explosion and I started running towards the loft, but George stunned me first," Katie replied honestly, knowing that that probably wasn't the answer Angelina wanted to hear. The expression on Angelina's face showed her disapproval, and Katie said nothing more.

"I'm so sorry Katie. You know he's just… moody about Fred. You really hurt him, and I can't imagine what Fred's feeling now. I can try and get him to come down… but I can't promise anything. You… just stay here," Angelina said, caring in her voice. Though Angelina had never been very good with being the sensitive friend over the years, that was more Alicia's job, she did seem to know when her friends needed her most, and always come to the rescue somehow.

Katie simply nodded in silence, remaining slumped against the book case. Angelina walked up the stairs.

"George Weasley! How dare you stun Katie into a bookcase!" she shouted angrily, and Katie felt only a faint smile cross her face for no more than a second. It was nice to know that their friendship still, in some cases, came before her relationship with George.

"I don't care I'm not letting her up here!" George shouted, and it was then that Fred's voice entered the mix. It was quiet, and Katie couldn't quite make out what he was saying. Then the door to the upstairs loft closed, and the voices were cut out altogether. There was nothing more she could do if Fred didn't come down those stairs. She'd never be able to get into that loft again, unless it was with him. She felt tears stinging at her eyes once more. It couldn't all end like this, it couldn't. She had nowhere else to go.

She heard the upstairs door open and her heart started beating fast and hard, almost as if it was going to break right through her.

She watched as the feet came down the steps, hoping desperately to see his sneakers slowly, cautiously descending. Unfortunately, it was Angelina's shoes that she was greeted with. Katie's heart sunk as she came down the stairs, and slowly shook her head no

"I tried to explain Katie, but…. Not right now. Give him a few hours. Apparently he'd just seen the news right before you got here," Angelina said quietly, pity in her voice.

Katie hated that. She didn't want to be pitied. This wasn't fair. What was going to stop her?

"He probably saw the same broadcast I did…" she said with a small sob, not being able to keep the tears from falling this time. She felt her heart breaking piece by piece, leaving her feeling empty.

"Yeah…" Angelina agreed slightly awkwardly, unsure of what else to say. It was then that she saw Katie rise from her slumped position. A part of her felt happy, not wanting to see Katie fall into a deep depression.

"I'm going up there, Ang. I don't care if George doesn't like. I don't care if he doesn't want to see me. I have a right to defend myself. I didn't do anything wrong," Katie said defiantly.

Angelina felt worry settle in her stomach, but she stood back, letting Katie have the space she needed to move freely. Though she knew how Fred and George both felt, she also knew that it was the slightest bit unfair to Katie. Katie at least deserved a chance to explain her actions, or non-actions.

"George won't hex you again, that much I promise," Angelina said with the smallest smile she could muster up. Katie was silently thankful for that. The first time it was completely unexpected, and she didn't care to relive that experience again.

"Oh, before I go up… do you have any idea what that huge boom was that I heard?" Katie questioned, and Angelina nodded.

"It was the picture you gave him of the two of you," she spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. Katie felt another small part of her heart break off as she tried not to think about the fact that he'd destroyed the one thing that had always given him faith in their relationship, no matter what trials it may have been facing.

She inhaled slowly and closed her eyes, unsure of what was to come next. She didn't know how Fred would react, or George, or what in Merlin's name was going to come of all of this, but she had to try. She couldn't just let herself walk away. She'd given up too much. She wanted him too much. She wasn't going to let a bunch of pitiful lies stop her from trying to get Fred to see the truth. He needed to see the truth… somehow.