"Katie!"
His voice is frantic. He's worried about her. But somehow, fifteen-yea-old Katie Bell can't find it in her to care bout anything right now, even her best friend in the world.
"Katie!" Fred yelled again, closer this time, and it was then that Katie realized she wasn't going anywhere. Looking around, she searched frantically for a place to hide. Deciding it was the only place, she threw herself into the broom shed and curled up amongst mountains of Quidditch gear.
In a desperate attempt to keep quiet, Katie began to choke on her own tears. Fred found her easily, following the sound of coughing and hacking and sobbing, and when he opened the door to the shed, he was ambushed by a dust cloud intent on treachery.
"Katie," he wheezed, then coughed heavily, his throat feeling more and more raw with every dust particle he inhaled. "This has to be killing you."
Katie looked up at him, and Fred saw misery in her eyes that he hoped never to feel. Swallowing half his pride, most of his dignity, and a great deal of dust, he closed the door to the broom shed, shoved aside a few broomsticks and an old Quaffle, and plopped himself down next to his best friend.
"I-"
"Don't say it!" Katie cut him off fiercely, her voice full of enough venom to put every rattler in Texas out of business. "Don't say you 'understand' or you 'know how I'm feeing' You still have both your parents, safe and sound!" She coughed up dust again, and put her face in her hands. "Just don't," she added pitifully.
"I wasn't going to," Fred assured her. And it was true, though he didn't know what the bloody hell else he should say. He settled for wrapping his arms around her and holding her close to him.
Just then, the broom shed opened, revealing the face of none other than Harry Potter, who immediately turned an unnatural shade of red and sputtered out an apology before slamming the door and running off, despite the fact that Wood had specifically told him to get his broom and not be late to an emergency practice session.
Stunned into momentary silence, Fred was surprised to hear a very unladylike snort from his best friend, and turned o see that she was suppressing laughter behind her tears.
"C'mon," Fred said at last, pulling Katie to her feet. "We should get to practice."
As she was pulled out of the dusty shed, Katie couldn't help but remember Madame Zylstra's words.
The one who makes you laugh when no one else can.
Gazing at her best friend, Katie just couldn't figure it out. She didn't think she was in love with him. In fact, she was sure she wasn't. At least, she thought she was sure. But wouldn't she know if she was in love with him?
"Kates?" Fred asked. "Why are you staring at me?"
Katie was at a loss for words, but Fred grinned teasingly. "It's because you're secretly in love with me, right?"
Katie laughed again. "Oh yes," she said dramatically, flinging her arms around his shoulders. "Hold me Frederick!"
Fred feigned anger at her use of his whole name, regretting telling her in the first place.
"But seriously," Katie said in a much more solemn tone, her eyes suddenly filled with the same sadness she had felt only moments before. "You're my best friend."