A/N: I've been getting a lot of really urgent requests to update this story, so it must be about time…honestly, I've put it off because I knew that before I got to the stuff I want to write in this story, there needed to be a filler chapter. So I'm sorry to those of you who have been waiting so patiently for an update that this chapter isn't very thrilling. I think the next couple should be, though…please review, as always! Much love…
XxX
"Katie?!" Angelina's disbelieving voice rang shrilly through the air and stung Katie's ears. She used one hand to steady herself against the doorframe and the other to clutch her head.
"I—I wasn't sure where else to go," she managed to finally get out. "Not George, not Oliver…and I can't…Alicia…the things I said to Alicia…"
She suddenly felt dizzy again and stumbled slightly backwards into Lee, who caught her instantly.
"It's okay," Angelina said quickly, guiding the pair of them inside the apartment. "It's okay, it's okay…just come in. Alicia's not here right now, she's working late tonight."
Katie let Angelina grasp hold of her fully and set her down on the couch in the small living room.
"Lee, get Katie some cider," Angelina commanded without removing her eyes from her friend.
"Ange, I don't need anything, really…" Katie trailed off.
"Trust me, honey, you do," the tall girl said definitively. "You need something warm; you look chilled to the bone. Did you walk here?"
Katie admitted that she had. "I hadn't used magic in so long, I just thought…" she stopped and gazed away. Angelina nodded.
"No, you were right not to apparate," she commended. "But God, Katie, why didn't you floo over or send an owl? You know we would have come to you in a heartbeat."
Katie shrugged as Angelina wrapped a few blankets around her and started a fire in the fireplace with a flick of her wand. "I—I wasn't sure what to think, I guess," she said. "After everything. I've been so selfish."
Lee reappeared with a mug of hot cider and handed it to her wordlessly. Katie drank deep and felt the warmth of the liquid flow through her whole body. She shivered slightly and felt a little better.
"No, honey," Angelina said soothingly. "No, you haven't. Trust me, we all understand."
Lee nodded. "Are you daft, Bell?" he grinned slightly. "If anyone has the right to have been a little selfish lately, it was you. We're just glad to see you."
Katie still shook her head, setting down the mug. "No," she said softly but firmly. "No, I've been an arse. George knew and he called me on it, and well…"
Angelina furrowed her brow. "What?" she said quizzically. "You saw George? He never said a word! Lee, did he to you? We've been trying to get him over there for weeks! And he came? When?"
"Yeah," Katie said dismissively. "A couple of days ago. But it doesn't matter because it was awful and I don't think he's ever going to want to see me again."
"What, are you kidding?" her friend almost laughed. "We're owling him right now, this is ridiculous!"
"No, Angelina," Katie said firmly, reaching out and pulling Angelina back down to the couch. "I can't see him."
"Why the hell not?" Lee almost burst out. "Kates, you're his best friend."
"No, I'm not," she whispered. "Not after what I said to him. And you know, he just…he just knows me too well. He's right, I'm just…addicted to my own sadness."
"He said that?" Angelina asked, appalled. She exchanged glances with Lee.
Katie shrugged, looking away. "I don't want to talk about George," she said decidedly. "And I don't want to see him. Alright?"
"Of course not, if you don't want to," Angelina said. "It's just good that you're here. But honestly, whatever happened, I seriously doubt…"
"I said I don't want to talk about him, okay?" Katie said, almost on the verge of tears again. Angelina retreated instantly.
"Okay," she agreed calmly. "How's the cider? Do you want anything else?"
Katie shook her head. "I'm fine," she said faintly. "I just want to sit for a while."
"Of course," Angelina said. "Whatever you want."
After a pause, Katie spoke. "I didn't know where else to go," she repeated.
"You can always come here," Lee said firmly. Angelina nodded.
"You can," she affirmed. "Even though Lee doesn't live here and technically has no right to extend the invitation."
Katie suddenly smirked and Angelina's face widened into a broad smile. Lee rolled his eyes.
"Why is the sudden icebreaker always at my expense?" he asked moodily. The girls just laughed.
XxX
Hours later, Katie lay awake on the pull-out trundle bed on Angelina and Alicia's couch. She huddled into her blankets and watched the embers in the fireplace slowly die down, wondering how in the hell she was supposed to reconstruct her life after going AWOL. She absent-mindedly stroked the ring that hung around her neck; she did not regret putting it there, but she missed its familiar warmth around her finger.
"Fred, please help me get through this," she pleaded underneath her breath.
She had already decided with Angelina that she would finish out this weekend, visit her family and Oliver, and return to work on Monday. Angelina had even helped her write her boss to inform her she was returning. And she had forced Katie into agreeing to talk to Alicia as well. As to George, she had let the matter drop. Katie assumed she would probably be unable to escape meeting with him at some point, but they could never be what they were. She was too ashamed of the things she had said, and the selfish feelings she had entertained. No matter what Fred had been to her—what he still was--, it was nothing to who he was to George and Katie knew it. To have assumed she could sympathize with him had been haughty and wrong—she was too humiliated to face him again. He had even softened that afternoon, before she had screamed at him to get out. She hadn't even given him a chance to apologize.
Katie's thoughts were interrupted by a fiddling at the door.
"Oh, sod it," whispered a voice. "Alohomora."
Katie quickly ducked underneath her blankets to avoid Alicia Spinnet, who was currently walking through the door. If she had to face Alicia, she would wait until the morning. The day had been exhausting already.
Alicia fumbled around daftly, knocking over a lamp and swearing underneath her breath, just as she used to do in school. Behind her, a male voice chuckled. Katie almost jumped.
"Are you always this skilled at navigating in the dark, Alicia?"
Katie threw a hand over her mouth to keep herself from gasping as she recognized her brother's voice. What was Michael doing here? She knew he had been casually seeing Alicia; she had no idea they were…involved. She bit her lip in trepidation.
"You know I'm like this, Michael," Alicia scolded in a hushed voice.
"Yes, I do seem to recall," the older Bell said mischievously.
"Shh!" Alicia hissed. "That's probably Lee on the couch…"
"So?" Michael asked in a carefree voice. "We've got nothing to be ashamed of…I'm just a gallant gentleman who escorted a vulnerable young woman home to her apartment after a trying shift at work. Let him hear."
"You know that's not what I mean," Alicia returned. After a pause, she added, "How was the Weasley's anyway?"
On the couch, Katie strained to hear more.
"Not bad," her brother returned effortlessly. "Charlie asked me about you…"
"Oh, did he really?" Alicia asked coyly.
"Mmhmm," Michael hummed. "Cheeky bastard."
They were silent and then Katie heard definite sounds of snogging. She had to forcibly restrain herself from groaning. After a few minutes, the former Gryffindor chaser was contemplating making herself known; she could not endure much more of this. But, Alicia and Michael must have broken apart, because she heard Alicia giggle slightly and then sigh.
"You told him, didn't you?" she asked seriously.
"Leesh," Michael said, in a pleading voice Katie recognized as the one he adopted when he knew he was about to be scolded for something.
"Michael!" she hissed. "What if it gets around? What if it gets around to Katie? I've already messed her life up enough lately."
"Alicia," Michael said sternly.
"Well, she perceives it that way, anyway…" Alicia finished dubiously.
"You know that's not true. She didn't mean those things she said, I've told you a thousand times. And besides…what's going to get around to her? She only sees me!"
Alicia was silent for a moment and then asked, "Did you talk to George? Will he see her again?"
Katie's ears perked up and she clutched the edges of her blanket. However, at that moment, Angelina tumbled out into the living room and said in a very tired voice, "Alicia, tell Michael good night and get to bed. It's been a very long night and I want to sleep."
It wasn't hard for Katie to picture Alicia's flushed face and Michael's bemused one as she heard them bid each other good night and Alicia retreat back to the hallway. She silently cursed Angelina for entering at such an inopportune time. What had happened between George and her brother?
Much as she wanted them, however, answers were not going to come that night and eventually she slipped off into sleep.
XxX
Before anyone knew what was going on, dozens of them began spilling out of the Room of Requirement, shouts and blasts echoing down the halls. Katie gripped Fred's hand hard, but the momentum of the flood of people strained their grip on one another. Her knuckles were white.
"Fred!" Katie shouted desperately as the twins began to be pulled apart from the main body of their friends. George's grip on the ground was ebbing and Lee and the rest of the girls were soon pulled apart from the Weasleys.
A few meters out, Katie was shouting his name repeatedly, jumping up and down to see over the heads of the swarm of Dumbledore's Army. "Fred!" she called. "Fred!"
"It's okay, Kates," Fred called, still relentlessly cheerful. "I'll see you when this is over!"
He waved madly, his freckled face standing out among the masses.
"Don't you leave me!" Katie shouted.
"Never!" he called back. "Oh hey…Kates, catch!"
And without any kind of romantic overture, Fred reached into the pocket of his jeans, pulled out a tiny box and lobbed it over the heads of about three dozen people.
Astonished, Katie's chaser reflexes kicked in and she snatched it from the air. Hardly daring to believe what was inside, she flipped open the top of the little box and a simple silver band glistened in the dim light of the castle. She looked up, flabbergasted.
Fred's face was split into a wide grin.
"I love you!" he shouted.
Katie's eyes filled with tears. "I love you, too, Fred! I love you!"
XxX
Katie awoke to a high-pitched squeal and someone throwing themselves onto her body. She sat straight up, whirling around wildly.
"Angelina barely told me you were here!" Alicia shrieked. "I can't believe it, it's so good to see you!"
Alicia threw her arms around Katie, squeezing her so tightly she could barely breathe. Astonished, Katie withdrew.
"Why on earth are you happy to see me?" she asked, unable to prevent herself. "I was awful to you…"
The blonde girl waved her hand dismissively. "Water under the bridge," she said. "I'm so glad you're here! I thought you were Lee when I came in last night!"
"I know," Katie replied, without thinking. Her friend suddenly looked horrified, a pink twinge appearing at her cheeks. Katie quickly backpedaled. "I mean, I assumed," she reassured her. "I was obviously sleeping when you came home…"
Alicia looked relieved and quickly recovered her cheerful demeanor. "Come on, Lee came over and he's making breakfast!"
Without another word, she grabbed Katie by the wrist and pulled her over to the kitchen bar where Lee was attempting to cook pancakes in Muggle fashion. His dreadlocks stood out unruly and ridiculous from a chef's hat he had found somewhere.
"Lee, I had no idea you were such a proficient chef," Katie said in a forced light-hearted manner. Her heart was still pounding slightly from her dream.
"Yes, well it's not my fault you were always too busy snogging Fred in Muggle Studies to notice my superior gastronomic skills," Lee returned, flipping a pancake in the air. "Now, Miss Bell…do you have a pancake shape in mind?"
Katie's heart still caught in her throat at the mention of Fred's name, but her recovery was quicker. She forced a grin. "Make me a hippogriff," she demanded, to Lee's cries of dismay and Alicia's laughter.
At that moment, Angelina entered the kitchen in much more formal kitchen attire. "Lee, what are you doing?" she snapped. "You're getting flour everywhere."
Lee just stuck out his tongue and placed some on her nose. Angelina smirked in spite of herself and planted a kiss on his lips.
"Sleep well, Katie?" she asked in what was very obviously an attempt at a casual tone. Katie ignored it.
"Wonderfully, Ange. Thanks."
"Good," she said. "After breakfast, you can use the washroom. It's the first door on the left. You've got lunch with your mum and your aunt at noon at the Paper Dragon."
Katie gave her a look.
"What?" Angelina asked, avoiding Katie's direct gaze. "You came to me first—this is what I do. I sent letters to everyone."
Katie laughed in spite of yourself. "Yes, yes it is what you do….who did you send letters to exactly?"
Angelina shrugged. "Your mum. Oliver. Michael. Your boss. LeAnne."
"And?" Katie prompted.
Angelina rolled her eyes. "And not George," she said. "Though you really ought to let me."
"No," Katie said shortly. "Dealing with my mother today is going to be difficult enough…"
"Hey," Alicia said, taking her hand. "It will be fine. They're your family."
"Yeah," Katie answered. "I know."
And in all honesty, she supposed it would be fine. If all of this could melt away so quickly, especially with Alicia, maybe everything would be alright…
XxX
George quietly tugged on the latch that opened the trap door in his ceiling and climbed out onto the roof. It had been a long day; he and Ron had spent most of it cataloguing merchandise. It was a long and dull chore and something he and Fred had often had Verity do, but it was necessary. Immediately afterward, Ron had sped off to meet Hermione somewhere and despite his mother's pleadings that he could come home, George remained in the flat above the shop. He knew his family did not want him alone, but he knew if he stayed with them they would simply plague him with questions he did not want to answer.
How was he? Did he have enough food in his pantry? Was he sleeping well? Was he sleeping at all? Was he getting out? Was he seeing friends?
None were questions he wanted to answer. George was tired of being fussed over, and tired of the underlying question he knew they most wanted answered and the one he least wanted to address: had he seen Katie?
As far as George could figure, his family was still treating him like a twin. They did not believe he could function on his own. Perhaps they were right, but it wasn't something George cared to dwell on. And he knew his family had unwittingly replaced Fred in George's life with Katie—Katie, who was someone he could depend on, be with, take care of, and who could take care of him. Another twin. He would never admit that to his family, however. It would just cause them more pain and even more calculation when they spoke to him.
They must realize, George thought, that Fred was irreplaceable. Deep down, they must; Katie must be a distraction for them. And maybe she had been for him, too.
Yet, he had promised Michael he would see her again—try to make things right. George was afraid, but he had promised. Still, what if he started to take over her life the way he felt he had unwittingly started to with Lee? George was terrified of continuing to need her the way he had. The whole purpose of life after Fred was to prove he could handle life after Fred—life as George Weasley, not one half of the Weasley twins.
George sighed as he stretched out on the rooftop and tipped back a bottle of bourbon, emptying the contents down his throat. Alcohol was the only thing that made sense anymore.
His vision of the night sky was interrupted by a large tawny owl he recognized as Angelina's. It circled the rooftop and then flew down to him, a short letter enclosed in its beak. George sat up and accepted the letter, and the bird watched him with large amber eyes. He frowned at it as he ripped open the envelope.
George,
I promised Katie I wouldn't write to you, but I have to—she showed up at our apartment last night, totally exhausted and unstable. She seems better today, I sent her off with her mum and I think she's staying at her house with Michael and her aunt tonight. But I'm still worried about how she's going to transition back into everything—she's going back to work on Monday and I really don't want to see her turn back around into how she was immediately after Fred's death. You know, the workaholic automaton without any visible emotion. I think you need to see her. You'll have to take her offguard somehow, she won't agree to arrange anything, but you really need to come.
I don't know what happened between the two of you when you went to see her, but you both need to forget it. Katie thinks you don't want to see her again. Convince her otherwise. But don't tell her I wrote to you—she will skin me alive. And you and me both know what it's like to be on the receiving end of Katie rage.
Write me back—I told my owl to wait for a response from you.
Love,
Ange
George's brow furrowed intensely as he reread the letter, dwelling especially on a couple of passages. His emotions were rather inexplicable—Katie was out? And she didn't want to see him? George's frown deepened.
"Go away," he muttered to the owl. The bird just cocked its head.
"I said, go away," he said more sternly, waving it off.
Angelina's owl seemed to narrow its eyes.
"Well go!" George finally shouted.
The owl simply looked at George, reached out and bit his finger, and then took off into the night.
"Damn it," George swore, immediately sucking at his finger. He discarded the letter, and lay back down on the rooftop.
George stared into the cold night sky and up at the stars. Back at square one.
XxX