A/N: Judging by the fact that I've only gotten one or two reviews for the last few chapters I've posted, I'm guessing not a lot of people are reading this anymore. But that's okay, because the reviews I HAVE gotten have been really wonderful and positive. Thanks, guys. And if you have been reading, could you please please review? I would really appreciate it. Enjoy!

Her mother was to the right of her, her brother to the left. The open door of the tiny church showed a beautiful autumn day; sunlight streamed into the room, casting a stark contrast with the faces of the people inside. Elizabeth Garibaldi was inconsolable, though her sister was clenching the crook of her arm attempting to ease something of the blow for both of them. Katie stared at her knees, trying to block the words Artemis's younger brother was speaking; the aged man seemed to drone on without saying anything anyone in the audience could hold on to. She was also trying to avoid her brother's face.

Neither Michael nor Katie had had much time to grieve in the four days that had passed since their grandfather's sudden death. Michael had had even less. When Alicia had burst into the white washed hospital room pale-faced with two other Healers, Katie had lost control over her body and fell into a dead faint back into Michael's reflexive arms. He had sat with her until she had awoken, and the two had quietly taken over the Bell house in the ensuing days. Their mother kept to her room, and Aunt Elizabeth refused to be reasoned with, spending the day either sobbing into her pillow or destroying her possessions.

Now, she knew, Michael was finally able to feel the effects of this loss. He was glaring very fixedly at the floor seeing nothing, eyes slightly damp, a nerve going in his tightly clenched jaw. Katie was unaware of neither whatever her brother was thinking or feeling as she thought nor felt nothing herself. The shock had not yet penetrated her being, and she was half expecting her grandfather to come limping into the church demanding his "damn hot plate."

She turned her head from where she sat in the front row to observe the other members of the audience. Two rows back was Oliver Wood, looking equally unsure of where he was and how he had gotten there. He was flanked by a few members of his quidditch team Katie recognized from her brief visit to his flat last week. His soft brown eyes were wide, and she noticed his left hand trembling slightly. Wood had dealt very little with death in his life and looked wholly unprepared for how to feel or act. Another row back was Lee, Angelina, and Alicia. Angelina had tears in eyes, though Lee, lock-jawed, had his arm firmly around her. Alicia sat on the other side of Lee as pale as a sheet, trembling. Katie knew, rather than felt that Alicia was blaming this mostly on herself.

Her eyes traveled further back to where the Weasley family sat on the back row. From their grave and reflective faces, Katie knew they were revisiting Fred's own death and her heart sank a little further. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were holding hands, Mrs. Weasley frequently dabbing her eyes and looking toward where Katie's mother sat. Next to them was Bill with his wife Fleur, both looking more grave than normal. Percy was next, looking remarkably terrified and Kate could tell his breathing was quickened. His red freckles stood out starkly on his white face. She knew that he in particular was once more thinking about his brother. George sat next to Percy, his head almost not visible as he was hunched over and staring at the floor. Ron had his hand on his brother's back and was looking distinctly uncomfortable.

Katie recognized other various family members, most of their faces swirling together into a palette of black and gray. Her friends were the ones faces stood out to her in the sea of people, though most seemed to be trying to avoid her gaze. She fixed her eyes on George for a while until he lifted his head and met her gaze. They simply looked at each other for a few seconds, but Katie could feel what he was trying to impart to her: I'm so sorry, Katie, I'm so sorry. He swallowed visibly, tears in his eyes, and she turned back around.

Her great-uncle whom she had only met once before was still droning on. She returned her gaze to her knees, hating the dress she was wearing and everything that invariably accompanied it. This went on for another five minutes, and then she noticed her brother's knees shaking. She looked up at him, surprised, but found that he was not shaking out of some sad emotion, but of anger. He looked rather frightening; his eyes had gone dark and his hands were balled up into fists. She could not understand it. His jaw was locked tighter than ever.

"Michael," she whispered, trying to place her hand over his clenched one. But he would not have it. As soon as she touched him, Michael stood up abruptly, running his hand over his face and then stuffing both into the pockets of his black slacks. He strode out the open door into the morning, shaggy hair covering his eyes as he stared at the floor.

Katie sat shocked, until her aunt, as though seeing this as her cue, too exited the room at the back. Her mother looked surprised and then followed her sister.

Katie was left alone on the row. She took in a sharp intake of breath and turned her gaze to the front of the room. Her hands began to tremble slightly for some unexplainable reason, and she tried to steady herself by gripping onto the edges of her chair.

Two young men in the room noticed Katie's state. Oliver hovered at the edge of his chair about to get up and go to her when George suddenly strode up the aisle and sat down next to her. Wood frowned slightly and slid back in his chair.

George had not wasted a second. His head had snapped up at Michael Bell's sudden departure, and then stayed fixed on Katie as her aunt and mother also departed. He saw her shoulders begin to shake and her back tense as she gripped the sides of her chair. He immediately stood up and sidled past his family, walking briskly up the aisle until he got to her.

Katie barely noticed the novelty of George's presence as he quietly sat down next to her until he laid his hand on top of hers. Her muscles immediately relaxed and she looked up at him, one tear glistening in her eye. He did his best to smile at her as shifted closer to her and hugged her close to him with one arm. Katie felt a rush of relief as she breathed in his familiar scent, which lasted until the end of the eulogy.

XxX

Artemis Garibaldi was buried at the top of a hill overlooking a river on the property of the church he had attended as a child in Coswolds. The sun would not be dimmed and shined brilliantly, reflecting off the river. Katie stood at the back of the crowd, not wishing to be seen nor recognized. Her brother having stormed off to vent his feelings, and her mother attending to her aunt, her family was still missing. George remained next to her not saying anything, though glancing at her now and again. Katie did not wish for conversation.

The casket was lowered and people filed past, letting the handfuls of soil fall from their hands. The dirt felt cold in her hand. She was the last to drop the handful into the grave, and as she did so, she suddenly snapped.

"What happened?" she hissed tensely, jerking her head up to face Alicia who was standing across from her. "What happened?"

The circle of people grew quiet. George tried calm her. "Come on, Katie," he said quietly, but firmly. "Let's go."

He tried to take her hand, but she jerked it away. "No!" she shouted suddenly. "No, I don't want to go! I want to know what happened."

Lee looked uncomfortable and Angelina shifted toward Alicia protectively. "Katie…" she cautioned.

This only made her angrier. "What? Is that such a wrong question?! He had a cold! He had a fucking cold, and now he's dead?!? How is that fair, huh? Tell me!"

"No one's saying it's fair, Katie," Lee spoke up as others began to move away uncomfortably. "It just happened. Sometimes things just happen."

"No, they don't!" Katie shouted. "Let go of me, George!" she shrieked and jerked herself away as George attempted to physically restrain her.

"Yes, they do," Lee urged as Angelina restrained Wood, who was looking as though he felt he needed to do something, from going to Katie.

"NO, THEY DON'T!" she shouted louder. "NOT LIKE THIS! They happen in war and they happen when it's spur-of-the-moment, absurd, dangerous shit. People don't die of colds in St. Mungo's! What the hell happened, Alicia?!?"

She strode over to the frightened looking blonde girl who eased into Lee as Katie came within an inch of her face.

"YOU SHOULD HAVE WATCHED HIM!" she roared. "YOU SHOULD HAVE WATCHED HIM INSTEAD OF WASTING YOUR TIME FLIRTING WITH MY BROTHER! NOW HE'S DEAD, AND IT'S YOUR FUCKING FAULT!!! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?? HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?!?"

Alicia burst into tears and Lee hugged her close to him, glaring at Katie.

"It's not her fault, Katie, and you know it!" shouted Angelina angrily. "It's no one's fault! It just happened!"

"No, it didn't!" Katie screamed, starting to cry now. "It doesn't just happen! It has to be someone's fault!"

She felt weak in the knees, and the faces of her five friends looking both angry and scared of her frightened her. George still attempted to reason with her.

"Katie," he said quietly, coming toward her. "Katie, please…"

"NO!" she shouted again, sinking toward the ground.

"George…or Oliver…why don't you take her home?" Lee suggested quietly, but Katie heard it and was even further enraged.

"Come on, Kay, I'll take you home and you can get cleaned up, and then—"

Katie cut George off. "Leave me alone!" she shrieked. "God, you don't know when to quit, do you?!"

She turned on her heel to run away, but George grabbed her wrist, jerking her back. She turned around furiously, and mustered all of her strength before she punched him in the face and flew off down the hill, blinded by her tears.

XxX

Finally back in her room in her own flat, Katie closed the door and sank down against it, emotionally and physically spent.

"I'm never leaving this room again," she whispered. That door would never open again to allow the world of sorrow and suffering and hurt to enter her life.