Katie hung behind George and Lee as they approached the Burrow, clutching the boysenberry pie she had traditionally bought from town. She looked up at the house skeptically as George gave a loud rap on the front door. It was one of the very few distinctions between the Weasley twins, Katie thought idly; Fred would have never presumed he needed to use the front door, let alone knock. He would have taken delight in Apparating as close to his mother as possible, terrifying her when she turned around. George was a bit more polite when left to his own devices—"a bit more" being the operative term.

"MUM!" said redhead bellowed through the door. "WHERE THE BLOODY HELL ARE YOU? WE'RE FREEZING OUR BOLLOCKS OFF OUT HERE!"

"Speak for yourself, mate," grinned Lee, who was donning a ridiculously large overcoat which looked like it might have once belonged to Hagrid, the Hogwarts gamekeeper. "My bollocks are nice and toasty."

"Too much, Lee," Katie grimaced, shoving her fists into her own pea-green parka. George took note of her and gave her a cheery grin.

"Come on, Kates, it won't be too bad," he said bracingly. "It's not as if you've holed up in your apartment by yourself and no one's seen you for a month…oh wait…"

She glared at him darkly as Lee gave a loud bark of a laugh.

"Why are you so merry all of a sudden?" she muttered, casting her gaze away from him.

George didn't have time to answer, however, as the door was thrown open and Mrs. Weasley appeared blocking both the view and the opportunity to think about anything else.

"Oh, Katie!" Molly gushed, throwing aside her own son and nearly knocking Lee off of his feet. "When George said you were coming, I wasn't sure, but--"

She descended on Katie, pulling her into a suffocating hug. Stunned, the Chaser nearly dropped the pie she was holding, staring in awe at George who was doubled over in silent laughter behind his mother.

Mrs. Weasley pulled back, beaming. "And how are you?" she asked in an overly-friendly voice.

"Fine," Katie said, in a small voice, still a little shell-shocked.

"Mum, I think you'd do better to let your guests come inside instead of assaulting them on the front porch," chuckled Bill, who had suddenly appeared in the doorway. He stepped out to assist Katie inside. "And perhaps you want to pay a bit of that attention to George? He is your son, after all."

"Oh, well, yes," Molly said, still flustered. She recovered herself and turned around, following the rest of them inside. "But of course, I almost didn't recognize him under that mop of hair, you really ought to let me cut it, George, dear…"

"Mum, we've been through this," George said irritably, jerking away from his mother who was curling the ends of his shaggy hair between her fingers and her wand. "I'm not exposing the world to the hole in the side of my head!"

"And he runs a joke shop," piped up Charlie, who appeared to be coming down the stairs. "Nobody wants to buy fake wands and sick sweets from a prat that looks like Percy…no offense, Perce."

"None taken," mumbled Percy from a corner in the parlor where he was holed up with a large book.

"You're still around then, eh?" grinned Katie as Charlie pulled her into a tight hug.

"Yeah, just for another week or so…" he answered happily. "Family'd like me here as much as possible, you know, but I'm wanting to be back to Romania soon. Your brother won't hear of it, of course."

"I should damn well think not!" called a voice from the parlor. Katie whirled around to greet her brother who was sitting on the floor, apparently entertaining Ron and Harry with some far-fetched Quidditch tale. "You'd do much better to sign on with the Kestrals, and live with me. Oh, hello, little sister."

"Michael," Katie greeted, crossing the living room and letting her brother kiss her swiftly on the cheek. "Is Mum around?"

"In the kitchen," he answered, winking. "Said she wanted to see you straight away."

"Of course," Katie answered, rolling her eyes slightly and exchanging a look with Michael. She crossed back through the entry hall where Lee was being reassessed by Mrs. Weasley who was looking at him with an apprehensive eye, and ignoring the greetings of Harry and Ron whom she still lacked the ability to speak with any degree of civility. It was ridiculous, Katie knew, but she could not help it. Little steps.

She pushed open the kitchen door, dreading the experience she was about to have. Her mother had been constantly berating her for her choice to live with George and Lee when her old bedroom at home was still vacant.

"Katie, dear," smiled Mrs. Bell, setting down the spoon with which she had been stirring the onion soup. Andromeda Tonks, a few meters beyond, lifted a hand in greeting. Katie smiled at her.

"Hello, Mum," she said with less pleasant tones as her mother swooped down and kissed her on the cheek. She took the pie from Katie's hands and set it on the counter.

"Moved in already this morning, then, did you?" Mrs. Bell asked stiffly, turning back to stir the soup.

"Yes, Mum," Katie answered. "And everything's quite lovely, so before you--"

"You know you'd have a whole room to yourself if you came back home. I've cleared out dozens of your old boxes and given the room a very nice deep clean…"

"Where's Aunt Liz?" her daughter interrupted, looking around.

"Oh, that," Mrs. Bell murmured, her lips slightly drawn. "She's out on a date."

"What?" Katie asked, incredulously. Elizabeth Garibaldi, on a date? The woman who was so formerly devastated by the loss of her husband and father? She frowned. She had always viewed Aunt Liz as something of a second self; she, Katie, could not imagine herself on a date so suddenly.

"Well don't look like that," snapped her mother. "It's been a full year since Martin died. Lizzy needs to get out. I support her one-hundred percent, and so should you. And before you get all uppity, Miss Kathryn, let's not forget who's been going out with Oliver Wood!"

"Once, Mum, once," Katie said, annoyed. Her mother had really become unbearable in the past week. Something about not being able to be the one her daughter had turned to and now, Katie suspected, her sister's getting out, had made Meda Bell a little shorter with everyone than she usually was. She had been extremely unhappy about Katie's being evicted—it had brought on the fresh reminder that her husband was still not returned to her five months after the war had ended.

"Sorry," interrupted Mr. Weasley, now emerging into the kitchen. He looked quite as thin and tired as he usually did. "But Molly insists everyone sit down at the dining table in five minutes, or I'm afraid this place won't seem nearly as pleasant."

XxX

The Burrow was quite as packed as it had been during its hay day: surrounding the table was Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Bill and Fleur, Charlie and Michael, Ron and Harry, Percy, George, Katie, and Lee, Andromeda Tonks, and Meda Bell. Hermione and Ginny were both missing, as they had decided to complete their education when Hogwarts reopened last month. Baby Teddy Lupin sat in a high chair at the end of the table, his hair changing rapidly from a fireball yellow to bright orange. Katie let the myriad of conversations wash over her, sinking as low as she possibly could in her chair and sipping her soup in silence. George paused to give her an encouraging smile occasionally, but was being engaged in conversation with his two elder brothers. Lee, on the other hand, was quite preoccupied in what looked like making very certain he would not set anything on fire again.

Katie fiddle with her spoon listlessly, tuning in and out of the conversation around her before she was brought into it suddenly by Bill.

"So you lot managed to get all of Katie's stuff in that flat, then?" he asked conversationally. "Made it fit for human living and all that?"

"Are you kidding?" Lee laughed heartily. "I don't think George has stopped to do anything else in the past few days. Our lifestyle has been completely uprooted."

"Well zat is good," interrupted Fleur who had been listening to her husband's conversation. "Seeing as 'ow you lived before. Ghastly!"

"I think it's lovely," Katie said firmly. "I'm so glad I moved in."

George smiled at this.

"So there's three of you in there, right?" Charlie asked, dunking a large chunk of bread into his soup. "How's that? Tight squeeze?"

"Shouldn't be too bad," George answered. "Got an extra closet to fit in, and the room's pretty big…"

"If Kathryn would just move back home, she would have an entire bedroom to herself," piped up her mother from the opposite end of the table. George looked startled and Katie scowled. She was about to open her mouth when her brother did for her.

"Oh give it a rest, would you, Mum?" Michael said loudly. "Kates is almost 21, she doesn't want to live at home. And when have you started referring to your daughter as Kathryn? I almost didn't know who you were talking about…"

This outburst was met with widespread laughter and served to mollify George who had momentarily lost his pluck for the day. Mrs. Bell simply sniffed and entered into conversation with Mrs. Weasley about how difficult it was to have children away from the home. Katie sighed and rolled her eyes once again, turning back to the bowl of soup and bread before her.

"Your mum certainly seems to be in a mood," George said in a low voice, winking. "Now I know her real opinion of me."

Katie made no answer apart from a small burst of air and got up to clear her plate.

XxX

The dinner party disbanded and migrated to the parlor while the dishes did themselves in the kitchen. George was entertaining a vast majority of the party by demonstrating his latest product—chewing gum that intermittently changed the color of one's hair. Teddy Tonks seemed to be especially enthralled; from where he sat in his grandmother's lap, his large blue eyes were wide. He stared transfixed at George as if horrified that someone else shared his own special abilities.

Fleur was characteristically talking over the top of everyone in loud, rapid French with Bill, and Percy retired from the room, carrying his book underneath his arm. Michael and Charlie were chatting and casually passing a Quaffle between the two of them, much to the dismay of Mrs. Weasley who kept glancing nervously at her collection of porcelain cats. Feeling slightly alienated from the room, Katie got up, made some quick excuse about needing some fresh air, and stepped outside slipping into her parka once again.

The autumn breeze was biting and Katie shoved her hands into her pockets, wishing idly that she had thought to bring a pair of gloves. She wandered without any real sense of purpose into the orchard behind the house, trying not to think of the many times she and Fred had been out here to play Quidditch, or otherwise.

The air inside the Burrow had been suffocating. She wasn't sure why. Perhaps it had something to do with her mother's relentless campaign to keep her at home, or the ever-present void that had been there since Fred died. Hell, even Fleur Delacour—now Weasley's—inability to read social context in any setting had been more off-putting than usual. Katie was simply annoyed, but could not put her finger on the reason. She longed, even stronger than she usually did, for Fred's simple presence beside her: the feeling of his fingers through her own, the sound of his steady breathing, and even just the knowledge that he had known he was meant to follow her outside. She pulled her coat tighter around her body and walked on through the peach trees, now devoid of both their leaves and their fruit.

In her most honest of hearts, Katie knew she was annoyed at the lack of attention George had been paying her tonight. She had grown used to the pair of them hiding in an obscure corner while the rest of the party buzzed on and fussed over whether or not they were feeling comfortable. Now, inexplicably, George had seemed to find a bright spot. She had never seen him happier since Fred's death than the last week. They had never once brought up the subject of their fight inside her bedroom and for that, Katie was glad, but she could not help feeling a strong twinge of jealousy at his newfound cheerfulness. She had been left to feel unhappy alone. It was selfish and unreasonable, she knew, to wish George back to the solemn figure he had been a month ago. But now she couldn't help feeling that maybe her own melancholy was unwarranted.

Katie was musing over these thoughts when she turned the corner and to, her great surprise, discovered Percy on his own and sitting on a large rock beside a row of trees. His hands were cupping his face, knocking his horn-rimmed glasses slightly askew, and was staring into the distance obviously deep in his own thoughts.

"Percy?" Katie said tentatively, not particularly wanting to speak to him, but feeling it would be rude if she simply walked away. Percy stirred out of his torpor and looked up at her, surprised.

"Oh, hi Katie," he said uncertainly. "Er…what are you doing out here?"

Katie shrugged. "Fancied a walk I suppose," she answered. "And you?"

"It was getting a little warm in there," he stated. "Do you, erm, want to sit?" He moved over slightly, allowing Katie room beside him on the large, smooth stone.

Unsure of why she was doing so, Katie nodded and sat beside him. They sat in silence for a moment, allowing her time to reflect at just how odd it was that she was spending her night at the Burrow next to who had always been her least-favorite Weasley sibling.

"I can't figure out why George is so cheerful all of a sudden," Katie said, breaking the silence. She was surprised at her own forthcoming. "D'you know?"

Percy turned to look at her with a rather strained look on his freckled face. "George and I don't really talk," he said finally. "Rather, I can't really talk to him…"

"Why?" she asked curiously, in spite of herself. "George doesn't really, you know…hold grudges…" She finished uncomfortably, remembering just how angry both Fred and George had been at Percy for several years for his desertion of the family. But they had forgiven him just as quickly, and she had never seen or heard of George speaking ill of his next-oldest brother since. She was confident this apprehension was misplaced.

Percy gave a hollow laugh. "Still…" he said.

Katie sighed and nodded. "Yeah," she answered in agreement. "Yeah, I can't really talk to Harry Potter anymore either."

Again, they sat in silence contemplating the implications of this fragmented conversation. Percy picked up a fallen tree branch next to him and began to idly draw lines in the dirt.

"You know, I reckon Fred would've never wanted to be the reason people don't speak to one another," Katie mused suddenly.

Percy shrugged. "You're probably right," he answered without elaborating.

"Perhaps we should try?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. He turned to meet her gaze and sighed.

"I suppose you're right," he nodded, straightening his glasses. "Shall we go in?"

Katie followed his lead and the pair of them walked back toward the glowing lights of the Burrow.

"So you're back at the Ministry, right?" she asked conversationally. "International Wizarding Diplomacy, I hear. That's pretty impressive."

"Yes," Percy answered excitedly. "The opportunities are incredible, only just yesterday…"

And the pair continued chatting all the way back to the house.

XxX

"There you two are, we've been wondering!" Mrs. Weasley said, chiding Katie and Percy as they came through the back door. The rest of the party looked up curiously. "Where have the pair of you been?"

"Erm…" Katie struggled. "Perce was just showing me the, er…"

"The new shed," he answered with finality, and walked over to his younger brother. He sat down beside him and examined a stick of the gum George had previously been demonstrating. "This is pretty impressive," he said, much to George's shock. "What did you use, a Disillusionment Charm?"

"Bloody Percy," Katie growled under her breath. "I didn't think we were supposed to start tonight!"

However, she took a great gulp of breath and walked over to where Harry and Ron were chatting next to the fire.

"Heya Harry," she said in the most casual voice she could muster. She slid down the back of the couch, folding her legs beneath her to join them. "How's it going? You miss Ginny now that she's back at school?"

XxX

Mrs. Weasley had sent everyone home but George, who looked as if he were in for something deeply unpleasant. Michael had once again protected Katie from her mother, and the rest of the crowd dispersed without incident. Katie and Lee Disapparated together back to their flat, and she climbed the stairs to spend the first night in what was to be her new—although temporary—home. Lee collapsed on his bed and fell almost straight to sleep, snoring loudly, his stomach full of food.

Molly had sent them home with enough food to feed an entire army for weeks. Katie did her best to shove the extra leftovers into the fridge, but was reduced to transfiguring the freezer into a little bit larger of an ice box. Determined to wait up for George, feeling it would be rude to do otherwise, she showered and pulled on her robe. Drying her dark hair with a towel, she went to her new closet and rummaged through her things, looking for pajamas. Suddenly remembering that she had not yet unpacked that particular box, she sighed and moved to George's closet. She doubted he would care very much if she borrowed his things.

Katie pulled out a pair of blue striped pajamas and hurriedly dressed. They were ridiculously long. The top hung down almost to her knees, and to try and wear the pants was fruitless. She balled them up and threw them back into George's closet and went to sit on her bed in order to wait for him.

It didn't take long. Within five minutes, Katie heard banging noises on the stairs and George appeared in the room, a paper bag over his head.

Katie laughed loudly in spite of herself. Lee gave a loud grunt and rolled over. "Muffliato," Katie said, flicking her wand lazily in Lee's direction, using a spell Harry had told her about only that evening.

"George, what the hell are you doing?" she asked, amused, crossing the room to where he was standing defiantly. "That that thing off your head."

"No," he said firmly. "Never. Never again."

"What's your mum done? She finally corner you with a pair of scissors."

"No," George said again, trying to dodge Katie who was attempting to remove the bag. His lack of sight prevented him from being successful, however, and she managed to whip the thing off in a matter of three seconds.

Katie let out a howl of laughter as she stared at George who was currently sporting a bowl-shaped haircut, the hole where his ear used to be covered by a bandage.

"Look what she's done to me!" George said angrily. "This is the haircut she gave Fred and me when we were seven! It's lovely, George dear!" he continued in an uncanny impression of his mother. "You look miles better…let's just cover this up here…a bandage will do just fine. Look at me, Kates, I'm ruined!"

"No, you're not," she laughed sportingly, inspecting the damage. "I mean, as much as I'd love to see you like this for the rest of your adult life, I'll probably be seen with you at some point, so we really need to fix this."

"You mean you can do something about it?" George brightened. "What?"

"Hmm…" Katie mused. "Well remember that hair thickening charm Snape thought Alicia had tried to use when Montague hexed her seventh year? That might work…"

"And you know how to do it?"

"The basic idea…anyway, you can't exactly look any worse, can you?"

"Oh, fine," he muttered. "Try it then."

Katie repeated the spell under her breath, using her wand to lengthen bits of George's hair at a time until it was just long enough to cover his one ear. It was still fair to his casually disheveled look, but not nearly as messy as it had been before Mrs. Weasley cut it.

"There," Katie said. "Go and see."

George crossed the room eagerly to the mirror, and grinned at his reflection.

"Thanks, Kates," he said happily, giving her a tight hug. "Nice pajamas, by the way…"

"Oh, right," Katie said embarrassedly. "Well we haven't unpacked mine yet, and I thought…"

"You look smashing," George interrupted, giving her a kiss on the forehead. "Now just let me change and we'll have our movie night."

"What?" Katie asked, confused.

"Oh come now," George said, turning back to her. "Alicia's television and videos. We said we'd try one tonight."

"Oh, right," Katie said, smiling slightly. "I'd forgotten."

"Blasphemy!" George accused pleasantly. "Go pick one out while I undress."

Katie busied herself with the video machine while George undressed at his closet. She reflected mildly that three years ago when they were in Hogwarts he had used to strip down to his boxers without a second thought, throw them on the floor, and climb into bed, all in her presence. And, sitting on Fred's bed, she had never thought anything of it. Now, suddenly, they both looked away uncomfortably. She shook her head, selected a video, and figured out how to program the television. Alicia had done several clever things to it to ensure it could sit in the middle of their room on the coffee table without any wires or outlets.

"We'll have to push our beds together," Katie called, surveying the room. "Or else you can't see."

"Fine," George answered, emerging from his closet. He wore a t-shirt and the pajama bottoms Katie had discarded. He grinned at her as the pair of them pushed George's bed over to join Katie's and they clambered on top.

"What have you chosen tonight?" he asked as the screen flickered on.

"Something called The Graduate," Katie answered. "Alicia said it's supposed to be funny."

"Excellent," George answered, settling in beside her. "You smell nice, by the way."

Katie laughed a little. "Thanks," she said. "Hey…George?"

"Yeah?" he returned, looking over and surprised to see her looking slightly troubled. "What is it, Kay?"

"I was only wondering…" she answered slowly. "Well. Why is it you've been in such a great mood lately? It seems a little…odd."

George looked surprised. "Really?" he asked. "I thought it was obvious."

Katie shook her head.

"I'm happy you're here," he answered simply. Katie flushed, suddenly deeply ashamed of herself.

"Oh," she said slowly. "Right."

"I'm really glad you're here," he emphasized, grinning and placing his arm around her.

Katie half-smiled. "Me too," she answered, moving in closely to him. She suddenly laughed.

"What?" George asked.

"Oh, nothing," she replied, still amused. "It's just that last night Ange warned me that us living together would compound our grief and drive us to shag, or something like that. And here we are happier than ever."

George started for a moment, and then seemed to will himself to relax. He laughed.

"Angelina Johnson has always been just a little bit off her nut."