A/N: Hello, friends. Yes, I've been absent for more than three months. Yes, I suck. Yes, you can hate me. And actually, this next chapter isn't even complete. It's about half of the material that I wanted to cover in my next update, but because it's been so long and because so many of you have especially requested something new, I posted what I've got so far. So if it seems like more of an incomplete thought than a well-rounded chapter, that's why. I promise I'll do my best to post the more interesting stuff soon…maybe a blank word document will help. You're all lovely and I adore you to pieces.

The winter breeze stung Katie's cheeks and made her eyes water, but still she trudged onward, willing the skates on her feet to move a bit more gracefully than the steady but shaky shuffle they were currently managing. It was the first weekend the Black Lake had frozen over and as tradition, the six seventh year friends were donning skates and criss-crossing all over the solid ice. Strictly speaking, students weren't allowed to be near the lake in the winter as it was considered dangerous, but Fred and George Weasley had never met with a rule they didn't want to break. And with Dolores Umbridge effectively running Hogwarts this year, the twins had been scarcely less eager to meet with tradition.

Several other students had joined them, and were now creating a one-way loop around the lake. Even after all her years at Hogwarts, Katie still hadn't managed to learn to skate properly. The others did well—Lee and Angelina had declared a rare truce and were supporting one another as they maintained a decent speed. Alicia, long known to be the most graceful of the girls, was doing double axles to please the eager second year onlookers. And the twins were entertaining the lot of them with their enchanting but exhausting charm by speeding around the lake as fast as they could and pushing down unwary skaters. They'd already managed to peg Katie several times simply by giving her the gentlest of shoves. They always skated off laughing.

Determined not to be caught unaware by her boyfriend and his brother again, Katie moved over to the center of the lake where the crowd of skaters was thickest. The twins were undeterred, however, and changed course to find her.

"Learn to skate, Katie Kate!" Fred rhymed obnoxiously, his freckled, grinning face passing in a flash as he tapped her on the shoulder. Katie whirled around to block him and was thrown off balance just before George followed closely behind and pushed her shoulder lightly. She fell spectacularly to the ground—and then through the ice.

She hadn't realized she standing near a dangerously thin area until it was too late. Katie hit the ice hard and as others backed quickly away, she found herself submerged in water so cold she couldn't think straight. The freezing water stabbed her like knives and as she opened her mouth to scream out, she swallowed a large gulp of it. She flailed wildly, but heard nothing. It was silent down here, and eerie.

What felt like a lifetime down below was merely a few seconds above the water. Just as confusion set in and she began to be unaware of what way was up, someone else plunged into the icy water and pulled her out.

Coughing up water and gasping for air, it was several seconds before Katie regained any sense of what was around her. She fumbled blindly for her savior as the others stared on in shock, and wrapped the coat he was so quick to offer around her shoulders. It wasn't until Fred rushed up to her that Katie turned around and realized the person who had pulled her out of the water was George. His face was terrified and drained off all color, and he looked almost as wet as she was. He was breathing heavily, shoulders shaking. Confused, she turned back to Fred, who dropped to his knees beside her and roughly pulled her into a tight hug.

But it was George—George who had been looking.

XxX

Katie snapped awake from her fevered sleep to more darkness. She jerked forward from the small trundle bed until her eyes adjusted to the space and she remembered she was in Ginny's room. Relieved and with her proper memories quickly assimilating, she began to breathe more slowly and collapsed again onto her pillow.

Absentmindedly, she let go of the ring on the necklace she had been clutching and brought her fingers up to her lips. Trembling slightly, she realized they were still on fire.

Katie stared at the ceiling for a few moments longer, listened to Ginny's slow breathing, and closed her eyes again.

XxX

When she woke next, it was the doing of quite a different Weasley.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS!" Ginny shouted up the stairwell from where she stood in her doorway. "Time to get up, lay abouts! Oh, I'm sorry, Katie…" she added in a quieter tone when the other girl suddenly jolted in her trundle bed. "I forgot you were in here."

"S'okay," Katie mumbled, pulling off her covers. "I've shared a room with Angelina, I'm used to it."

Ginny blanched a little, but continued on.

"Are you alright?" she asked. "I was going to let you have a lie in after you didn't come to bed until so late. What was that…one thirty? Two? I heard you come in."

"Don't really remember," she said quickly. "Sorry if I woke you up."

"Doesn't bother me. I've put up with worse in this house, believe me. But what were you doing up so late down there?"

Katie could feel color rise in her cheeks and attempted to remain calm and unaffected. "Nothing," she said quickly. "I think I just dozed off in front of the fire, is all."

She waited on tenterhooks as Ginny continued to consider her and then drew breath again once she nodded. The younger girl wrapped her dressing gown tighter around her waist and stared at the floor for a moment.

"Listen," she said in a quieter voice as she turned away from the door frame. "Did you happen to see if George made it to bed alright? I don't think he'd do something stupid again, but…I just worry sometimes, still."

Katie's pulse resumed its faster pace and she tried to ignore the words "something stupid" as she made her reply with as placid a face as she could muster.

"I think he did…in fact, yeah. I remember it now. He went up right after—right after your dad, actually."

"Really?" she smiled brightly. "Oh, I'm so glad. Good. Hey, are you sure you're alright? You're really red. You look like you're burning up."

"I'm fine!" Katie yelped, dodging Ginny's attempts to put her hand against her forehead. "Hey, why don't you get me a towel? I'd like to shower before I come down."

"Really?" Ginny wrinkled her nose. "But it's Christmas morning. Everyone goes down in pajamas."

"I know. I just want to…" To what? Delay it? Find a method of escaping The Burrow while everyone else was opening presents?

"Whatever," the Weasley girl cut in. "Everything's in the second door to your right. Just make sure you get downstairs before Bill and Charlie, or they'll never be any breakfast left for you…"

Eager to get Ginny out of the room and to divert her attention elsewhere, Katie made no objection. She pulled on a pair of slippers and a knit jumper over her head, and escaped into the bathroom as others were making their way downstairs. When Ginny rounded the corner in a flash of red hair, she breathed out a sigh of relief and shut the door.

Alone, Katie closed her eyes and groaned. Faced with the cold truth of her situation, she realized there was no escaping; there was only delaying the moment she had to face everything. If she spent too long up here, someone was sure to come and find her. If she ran away, they would probably think her suicidal. She was stuck—alone with emotions she couldn't sort out and the fresh memory of actions she couldn't explain. As she stepped into the shower and yanked on the faucet, she tried to make sense of everything that had happened last night.

She had kissed George. She had kissed George, and she hadn't done so in a particularly innocent manner. If Arthur had not stepped in at that exact moment…but then, she didn't want to think about that either. The only thing she could assimilate—the only real fact in the entire situation—was that it had been a long time coming. She understood that now. Whether George had been as unconscious to this as she had, she didn't know. How he felt about it, how she felt about it, were equally lost to her. The only thing she really knew was that it wasn't an accident. There had been a lot of things leading up to that kiss: grief, confusion, friendship, affection, the subtle improprieties they had indulged in from the beginning (when did she decide it was okay to share his bed?); they all helped to lay the foundation for some physical slip-up. It was what Angelina had predicted from the start. But there was no roadmap for where to go now.

Deciding she could no longer put off the inevitable, Katie shut the water off and dressed in her new Christmas jumper and tight-fitting jeans. She fixed her hair and makeup with rather more care than usual and eventually stepped out into the hallway. There was time for one more deep breath, and then she started down the stairs.

Two floors down, the smells of Christmas breakfast began wafting upward and she had just managed to convince herself that the day had to have at least one bright spot when a door opened and startled her. Katie's foot caught on the last step and she tumbled forward into someone's arms.

"George!" she sputtered in extreme discomfort. He had caught her by the wrists and though she attempted to pull away, she found she couldn't help herself from staring up at him. He had very obviously just gotten showered and dressed—there were droplets of water still clinging to his ginger hair. George looked at her cautiously, and in a moment Katie realized he hadn't gotten a single bit of sleep the night before. She bit her lip in guilt.

In his tired face, she saw the events of the night before replay themselves. Arthur Weasley had just stood there, frozen to the spot, staring between Katie and his son. It wasn't until the night breeze flew in and made the flames in the fireplace flicker that he noticed he'd left the door open. He had stammered, looked down at his feet, and finally turned around slowly to close it. He shut the door gently, pushing back the wind and snow, and then turned back around.

During this small moment of time, Katie had chanced a glance at George. The expression on his face almost perfectly mirrored his father's, except the shock had been replaced by what looked like just a twinge of very deeply felt guilt.

Mr. Weasley's mouth had fallen open just slightly at this point. Katie and George had drifted significantly apart, but still, he looked between them both before speaking.

"I, er…well, yes. Goodnight, then."

He shifted his gaze straight forward, eyes fixated on the floor, and then strode across the living room to the stairs in under three seconds. Katie's entire body felt numb and her mind was utterly blank. Unable to do anything else, she turned, shaking, back to George.

He looked worse than she felt. In a wild moment, she actually wondered if he was going to be physically ill, but instead he just stumbled a few more feet backward, ran his hand roughly through his hair, and turned around a couple of times. George breathed irregularly, opening his mouth and shutting it again. He paced the floor, paused to lean against the mantle, and then paced again. Katie stood watching him, waiting for him to say something—anything.

He hadn't, however. Finally seeming to give up, he looked warily up at Katie for a few moments and then shook his head, taking off down the hallway and disappearing up the stairs after his father.

That was all Katie remembered. What she did next and how she eventually got into bed all seemed like a blur to her. Now, the only thing she was aware of was how his kiss suddenly seemed to burn again on her lips, and the hotness she felt in her cheeks.

George looked at her in a way she couldn't quite read, but defenselessness was clearly marked in his features.

"Katie, I—" he began in a low voice.

But he was interrupted by the sudden reappearance of Ginny, who appeared at the stairs and stared at them.

"Oi!" she said. "George, we're doing stockings. Katie, you missed breakfast, but I think Mum's saved you some if you want to check.""

George's mouth fell open a little, and then he stepped back, releasing her.

"After you," he muttered. Katie regarded him uncertainly, and then moved past him and walked the remainder of the way down the flights of stairs. She felt like she was in some sort of strange dream. George followed close behind her, like a shadow.

XxX

"Merry Christmas, baby sister!"

Katie was immediately assaulted by Michael as soon as she stopped outside the kitchen, which was already bustling with the sounds of dishwashing. Her brother threw his arms around her and lifted her into the air. He was shortly followed by her father, who pulled her into a giant bear hug, and her mother, who kissed her on the cheek and smiled.

"Blimey, everyone really has already eaten breakfast," Katie said, feeling a little astonished as she looked out over the kitchen and living room. All but a few stragglers were already sitting on the couch or lounging at the empty dining room table, chatting pleasantly. The feeling in the air was much more genial than the oppressive heaviness that had hung over them yesterday.

Nicolas Bell laughed. "Well yeah, sweetheart, not all of us were up all hours last night so we were able to get up at a reasonable time," he said loudly. "What were you doing, anyway?"

She unconsciously looked over at George, who was the only person in the room that looked as uncomfortable as she did. His mother was currently badgering him about the dark circles under his eyes. He caught Katie's glance and frowned, looking away quickly.

"Oh, leave her alone, Nick," Mrs. Bell said, swatting softly at her husband. "It's been a rough holiday. Happy Christmas, dear."

"Happy Christmas, Mum…" she trailed off. Her stomach suddenly rumbled and Meda laughed.

"Molly," she called. "Have you got anything left in there for my absentee daughter?"

Mrs. Weasley turned away from George. "Of course, dear. I'll just bring it out to the table. Weasleys, I want you doing your socks! Harry, I've done you one too…"

"Oh, Mother, you didn't really?" Percy said in the strained voice of someone anxious to preserve their dignity. "This is getting a little ridiculous…"

"Of course I did, young man, you're still a child to me under this roof!" Molly snapped, setting down a heaping plate of eggs, bacon and toast on the table.

"You didn't do Bill one," Charlie complained. "I'm 25, Mum!"

"Bill is married," Mrs. Weasley said neatly. "He has his own house and his own traditions now. Maybe if you were to get married—"

"Not a chance."

"—we could start to discuss what you're too old and too young for."

"Or we could just—"

"Oh come on," Ginny interrupted. "Stop your whinging. No one takes you seriously, anyway."

Katie laughed a little in spite of herself as she sat down to the table and thanked Mrs. Weasley for the breakfast. Determined not to look at George as he left the room, she began to shovel the eggs down her throat and listen to Michael's narration of what had taken place between their mother and aunt earlier that morning. Apparently Meda Bell was still determined to talk her sister out of marring Daryl, but had agreed to call a truce in light of the holiday. Michael said that Elizabeth was under the impression that a truce meant acceptance, but that their mother was equally confident her views would win out over her younger sister in the end.

Observing the way, Elizabeth was currently sitting in Daryl's lap wearing a bright blue dress and wrapping her arm around his neck, Katie felt she had to disagree with her mother but said nothing. She attempted to muster the same degree of astonishment she had felt about their engagement last night, but found that only one subject was really occupying her mind at the moment, and that was the whereabouts of Mr. Weasley.

Judging by the relatively normal behavior of everyone in the house except for George, Katie was fairly confident that Arthur Weasley hadn't said anything about what he had discovered when he reentered the house last night. She wasn't sure what he was waiting for—or if he would say anything at all—but she knew that once Mrs. Weasley had been made aware of the information, the Burrow wasn't a place she wanted to be.

As Katie was finishing up her breakfast, Michael sighed.

"Poor old George looks a bit rough today," he said. "Of course, I can't imagine taking down your Christmas sock without having your twin brother's next to it. Seems harsh to have put it out at all, but maybe it would have been worse if they hadn't. I suppose that's why they did the mantle thing, what do you reckon?"

"I…couldn't really say," Katie answered dismissively. "I suppose, yeah."

"Why don't you go sit with him? That might cheer him up."

"No," she said quickly, and then attempted to recant as Michael looked at her strangely. "I mean, I really probably ought to wash my dishes. Seems a bit unfair to eat late and then leave the washing up for someone else."

"I guess…" he trailed off, still uncertain.

Katie escaped to the kitchen, just breathing a sigh of relief, when Arthur Weasley appeared at the back door, stomping the snow off of his boots. Reacting almost unconsciously, she turned away and was about to reenter the dining room when Mrs. Weasley stopped her.

"Katie?" she called loudly. "Were you going to bring me that dish?"

She stopped in her tracks and wildly attempted to remain calm.

"Oh!" she laughed falsely. "Yes…sorry, I guess I don't know where my head is today."

Mr. Weasley observed her carefully as she put her head down and walked briskly past him. She began to hand the plate to Molly when Ginny burst through the door again.

"Mum," she said loudly, holding up a pocket copy of 'Quidditch Through The Ages.' "This was on the floor and we can't figure out who it's for."

"Oh, that's for George," Mrs. Weasley answered after looking up briefly. "He said he lost his."

"He did not," Ginny protested, looking slightly put out. "He gave his to Katie when she lost hers."

Momentarily forgetting she was still holding her plate, Katie fumbled the dish and it fell to the ground and shattered with a loud crash. She instantly flooded with color and stooped down to clean up the mess as she barely managed to keep from swearing. Mr. Weasley's eyes on her made her only more agitated, and she almost immediately sliced her hand open on a shard of glass.

"Oh dear, never you mind," Mrs. Weasley fussed, joining her on the floor. She grabbed a kitchen towel and wrapped it around Katie's hand as she mended the plate with a flick of her wand. "That cut really is quite deep, dear, you ought to have Charlie take a look at it. He sees this sort of thing all the time in his line of work. You really do have your head somewhere else today, don't you?"

Katie made a slight reply without knowing what she said, and then hurried away to the other room as Ginny looked at her curiously. This was not a good start to the day.

XxX