20th January

I sat on the edge of the bed, bags packed, wearing jeans and woolly jumper. My feet were nervously swinging back and forth in my converse as I endured yet another check-up. My body was functioning again, the pain was manageable, but things were far from normal. I couldn't wait to be shot of this place.

"You have to promise to take all your potions on time and do the exercises Clara has prescribed and you cannot overdo it. I'm warning you, or you'll end up back in here again."

"I know."

"And if you get unexpected pains in your scar or any numbness in your arm -"

"I know." I told my healer, "I'll come straight here."

Jensen nodded, performing more spells over my body, "It's annoying that I can't find a reason to make you stay another night." He smirked, "You really are quite something, Miss Pink."

I smiled, "I'm sure in a few years I'll see you again with something else to help you earn your Galleons?"

"I hope for your benefit that you limit your medical ailments to non-life-threatening." He placed a hand on my shoulder, "Please rest. You're free to go." He looked to George, "Take good care of her. See you both in four days."

George had an air of nervous excitement about him, which I completely understood. He now felt responsible for me, he'd been with me every step of this journey and the baton had now been passed onto him. We visited Katie Bell briefly this morning and it really hit home how tough it must have been for George to sit for 6 days straight to a comatose body. She looked peaceful, though, but the Healers are yet to find a cure…

When I zoned back into reality, George had all my medication in one hand and took my hand with the other, leading me towards the fireplace at the end of the ward. I waved as we stepped in and arrived at the Burrow moments later.

"WELCOME HOME!"

I looked up at George in shock as he beamed at me, his head nodding towards the group of people who had come to celebrate me getting out of hospital, "Well, go on then!"

"AHHH!" I wrapped my arms around Tonks first, "I've missed you!"

She squeezed me tight in a bone-crushing hug.

"Aow." I said, "Not so hard, girl! I'm feeling delicate."

"You." she pointed a finger at me when we pulled apart, "Are not allowed to do that to me ever again." she said sternly, "I thought you were dead. We all thought you were dead. You – you didn't even say goodbye -" She started to cry.

I instinctively wrapped my arms around her, "I couldn't do it. I'd rather you had the happy memory from Christmas than the last thing you remember was me panicking about going to Malfoy Manor towards my certain death. I wanted to spare you the pain – I wrote you a letter if I did actually die, so I'm glad you didn't get to read that soppy crap."

She managed a small smile, "You're my little sister and I would have gone with you – for you."

I shook my head, "And I wouldn't ever allow you to do that, not when you have so much to live for – don't argue with me, T. Go eat some cake."

"Hi you." I smiled at Andromeda who opened her arms wide to greet me. It was weird seeing her in the Burrow's surroundings,"Ted sends his apologies," she said whilst hugging me again, for him this time, "he's not feeling the best today and didn't want to risk passing on anything. He did say to give you an extra tight squeeze, but I see that's not going to work."

I smiled, "Send him my love."

"I will," she stroked my hair gently, before taking a deep breath, "I just can't believe – Bella – what George told us, it's true, what she did?"

I nodded.

"My poor baby…" Molly wrapped her arms around me and kissed my forehead repeatedly.

"It's good to see you too, ma." I kissed her cheek, "What's for lunch? I'm hungry!"

"Oh you…" she chuckled, "Ready in twenty minutes, why don't you get yourself unpacked in Ginny's room?"

I didn't move for a second, but long enough for Molly to notice my hesitation as I turned to George for a little guidance. I slipped my hand into his and we had a very private conversation. I didn't even care that everyone else in the room was being ignored, "I thought I'd be staying with you?"

"Mum thought it would be better if you stayed here, she'd be able to keep an eye on you when Fred and I get back to work."

I stared at him in a 'seriously' expression. I didn't even need to say anything for him to react. His hand reached to his neck and that meant only one thing: he was massively uncomfortable. The battle between pleasing the women in his life. I threw him a lifeline.

"Look, I appreciate you giving me Gin's room and all, but I'm staying with George." I said it simply and respectfully, "I can't – without him – I –" I didn't really want to play the 'I just nearly died' card, and I feel like Molly was sensing that.

"I'll be coming by regularly to check on you." she said.

"I'll be popping by regularly, too. We can make some cupcakes together." I smiled cheekily, "I've had a few requests. Do you know how to make cakes with poison in them? I'm thinking of sending Bellatrix an anonymous gift?"

Tonks and Andromeda snorted. They both knew they shouldn't laugh, but couldn't help it, "Ach Molly," Andromeda placed her hands on Molly's arms, "come on, they're young and in love, in a few years they'll be married and you wouldn't be having these reservations." She winked at me.

"I have no doubt that she'll be well looked after," Molly told Andromeda, "I'm just worried -" her voice broke and she blubbered something like 'how could a mother do that to her own child?'

I approached Molly and hugged her, "I'm okay. I promise."

"I know," she blew her nose and approached George, placing a hand on his cheek before hugging him, "At least I know I've done something right raising this one."

Fred had joined us after work, so it was him, George, Andromeda, Tonks, Molly and me. It was lovely and then it wasn't. It was when Fleur arrived home from work at Gringotts when things got awkward quickly. She greeted me with, "Oh, you're 'ome." Then she got annoyed at Molly for making pasta for dinner, (which happened to be at my request because the hospital pasta just wasn't the same) and she caused a rift that I simply didn't want to be part of.

"Georgie, I'm getting sore… I think I need to go lie down." To be fair, that wasn't a lie and I wasn't due any more pain-reliving potion for a while yet.

George was glad for the out and stood quickly. Being very attentive, he helped me up and I hugged Molly and Andromeda.

"It is different seeing you without you crying Tonks." Fleur commented, looking her up and down judgementally.

"Rise." I said, standing in front of Tonks.

"Can I come with you, too?"

George, who had just grabbed my bags nodded, "You're very welcome."

Fred took my arm and indicated toward the bag of Floo Powder, "Ready? I'll go with you, you're looking pale."

It only took a few swift motions before Fred, George, Tonks and I were in the flat above the shop. George added some fuel to the fire and I lay on the sofa, clutching my stomach. Fred handed me a cup of tea, then thought one better and got me a hot water bottle too.

"You over-did it today, didn't you?"

"No need to rub it in."

"I'm sure Tonks won't mind if you go to bed, baby." George sat down and I leant against him, his arm around me, his hand resting on top of the hot water bottle, rubbing in soothing circles.

I shook my head, taking a sip of tea, "I'll not sleep until I get the potion. I'll wait it out. T, you're going to have to say what you want to say in front of these two, because they're not going to leave me unattended unless you tell them to leave us be."

"I guess one of the things I wanted to talk about was what happened?"

I told her everything. She cried. (Again.) I didn't. The three of them had cake, but I wasn't feeling up to it. I think Tonks was expecting more emotion from me, but with relation to Bellatrix Lestrange, I felt nothing. Well, if I had the opportunity to violently murder her, then I would. I'd very much love to give Neville the option. The more I get to know Bellatrix, the more I feel sorry for Neville and his parents. I took my night time potions and the sweet relief they brought had me asleep in George's arms within minutes.

24th January

"Hi Ma!" I entered The Burrow's kitchen this morning, bored and in need of a little attention, placing my arms around Molly. The twins had both returned back to work, with strict instructions for me to rest and behave myself.

"It's not going to work," she said, not looking at me, "Fred and George have already warned me not to give into your demands. They told me that you baked cupcakes for their staff and you overdid it and ended up in horrendous pain."

"I'm going to crack up if I'm not allowed to do anything." I sighed, thinking back to the day before, where I got the shooting pains in both my hands and up both legs, resulting in George carting me off to see Healer Jensen three hours before my scheduled appointment, "All I did was bake a batch of cupcakes."

She lovingly stroked my hair along the length of my ponytail, "You need to take more care of yourself, or you'll end up back as an in-patient in St Mungo's." with a flick of her wand, I had a cup of tea to wrap my cold hands around, "Anyone in your position wouldn't be expected to do anything."

"Yeah, but I'm not just anyone." I told her, "I've been through the whole parents-trying-to-murder-me thing. I've been to therapy twice this week to talk about how I feel about being stabbed for the second time."

This seemed to unsettle Molly. It was just another of my flippant comments that I needed to get better control of spouting.

"I'm sorry." I whispered.

"Fleur will be home soon, what do you want for lunch?"

"Something highly fatty and very British." The two of us shared a sly giggle before I said, "What did you have in mind?"

Molly had a look in the pantry and shouted back to me, "Vegetable soup?"

"Sounds perfect!" I agreed, but didn't realise how torturous it was watching her make the soup without me lifting a finger. She even made wheaten bread to accompany and I was internally sobbing. I mean, all I want to do is cook and bake. What I've been resigned to doing is watching people cook. You see, if was cooking I'd have found it easier to ignore Fleur's rude comment about Molly making foods she doesn't like. But I'm tired, sore and bored and that is never a good combination.

"I'd be more grateful for having three meals lovingly made for you each day, if I were you."

Fleur ignored me. The tension between Molly and Fleur as we ate was enough to make anyone feel uncomfortable. I just don't understand why Bill and Fleur both live here. I jumped at the opportunity to live with George. The thing with Bill and Fleur is… the longer I'm in their company, the more I want to gouge out my eyes or cut off my ears because the way they get on is just animalistic at times.

"Excuse me," I said at the end of the meal, pushing my chair into the table, "I have an array of potions to take."

"Will you be coming back?" Molly asked.

I shrugged my shoulders, "Maybe later, the nerve potion usually knocks me out for a few hours. I can feel it working and it can be quite painful if I'm not resting, so I usually try and sleep it off. Hopefully I've only a few more doses of it, but if the pain of day-to-day life is still bad, then I'll need it for longer. Long story short, it depends when I wake up if I'll see you again today."

25th January

"Is Arthur working again?" I asked Molly as I entered the Burrow the following afternoon, "Fred and George are both in the shop all day and I was told if I wanted to pull my hair out that I should come here."

"He was called in again…" she sighed, "Looks like you've got school work to be getting on with as I see to the chickens." Molly left through the back door, leaving me with a disgruntled Fleur who was sitting reading this week's copy of Witch Weekly, tutting to herself and sighing deeply. I was in no doubt that I had arrived just after a heated argument and Molly was going outside to cool off. I daren't ask. Instead I watched as the last of the lunch dishes were washing themselves. I must have just missed either Arthur or Bill as there was another place set at the table.

I took out my Defence Against the Dark Arts textbook and started making notes on 'How to Resist the Imperius Curse', which is what our class have been working on since the new year. I had a little bit of experience in this area, with Barty Crouch Jr teaching us about the unforgivable curses back in fourth year. He just so happened to use the Imperius Curse on me to stop me from following him as he dragged Harry away from the Third Triwizard Tournament task. I was able to resist, and thank goodness I did, because he was about to hurt Harry and I could never let that happen.

I felt a shiver going up my spine.

"Eet is so boring here." Fleur sighed again, "Unless you like cooking or chickens, zere is no'zing to be doing. Eet is too cold to be going outside, so I am stuck in 'ere."

I ignored her.

She sighed loudly once again. Attention seeking. She slowly moved closer to me, flicking through my textbook as I tried to write notes. Then she made a comment about how she was taught this when she was much younger and I ought to know how to throw off an Imperius Curse by now with everything that is going on in the world.

"Oh, Kathryn." Molly entered through the back door, taking off her snowy boots and placing her feet into slippers that were warming by the fire, "Tonks said she called to see you yesterday but you were fast asleep – she left this with me for you."

She handed me an envelope with a note which simply said, 'As promised…!' I pulled out a picture of her modelling Myron Wagtails one-of-a-kind t-shirt.

"She is such an unattractive woman, when she has ze ability to make herself look better." Fleur said from over my shoulder.

"Fleur if you don't back off right now, I'm going to violate the promises I made to my Healer to remain calm and not make any sudden movements." I said in a low, slow voice.

Fleur scoffed, rolling up her sleeves, taking the photograph from my hands, "What an ugly shirt, she should learn to dress better."

"Did your mum never tell you the phrase 'If you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all?' Cause I think you need to exercise a little restraint on that sharp tongue of yours. Not everyone who has the ability to look any which way they please, chooses to be objectified in a way to please others, she is comfortable in her own skin and that is what matters. I both love and respect her more for her individuality. That's like you telling me that I'd be better off being invisible all the time so that people didn't have to look at my ugly mug." I spoke shortly, restraining myself, knowing that the repercussions could mean another stay at St Mungo's for me, and I fancied that less than I wanted to punch Fleur in the face.

"You're a beautiful girl, dear, don't let anyone make you think otherwise." Molly placed a hand on my shoulder and rubbed gently, "What worth has beauty if it is not seen?"

I smiled at her, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder."

Molly shot Fleur a lot of side eye and continued busying herself around the kitchen.

"I'll have a cup of tea, please Fleur." I said, returning back to my DADA work, "Since you're so bored."

26th January

"How was your appointment?" Molly asked as she arrived at the apartment with Arthur, Bill and Fleur. We had invited them to Sunday lunch, as George knew I'd probably be too tired to sit in the Burrow all afternoon with how far we'd walked and how many tests I'd underwent at St Mungo's this morning, "You look a little pale, are you feeling alright?" She felt my forehead.

I was sitting on the sofa with my feet up, where Fred and George had made me sit, barking orders, "It hurt, my appointment, I hurt a lot. I promised that I'd sit and do nothing for the rest of today."

Molly sat down beside me, placing my legs onto her lap, trying her best not to intervene in the kitchen where a pot was overflowing, "Which you're clearly delighted with."

"Is your Healer happy with your recovery?" Arthur asked, taking a seat on the armchair.

"Her physical examination from Clara showed that her range of motion has improved significantly and Jensen thinks we could start weaning off the nerve potion. We've also lowered the dose of pain relief, which is a good sign." George said proudly after I didn't reply, cleaning up the mess of water that bubbled over from the potatoes, "And your scar is healing nicely, too, isn't is Katy?"

The scar.

"That's great news," Molly placed an arm around me, "why don't you look happy? Is there something you're not telling us?"

Yeah, that I had a meltdown over the scar? That I don't want to look at it, to be reminded about it and what it means?

"I'm just exhausted." I told her, physically and emotionally exhausted. Mentally I'm ready for a change. I need to be able to feel like myself again. I'm not dead. Not yet, anyway.

"Katy?" George rubbed my arm gently, bringing me back from whatever other world I was visiting, handing me my potions, "I don't think it'll do any harm for you to take these half an hour early… You look like a ghost."

I didn't object. I felt terrible and he knew it, suggesting we cancel having everyone over, but I couldn't do that to Molly, who now had both her arms wrapped around me, she directed my head onto her chest. She had been looking forward to having her boys cook for her and it's not often you get the two of them in one room for any length of time together. I listened in as conversation flowed and Molly mothered me, waiting for my potions to take effect. I don't quite know when Molly and I became so close, but she has been so protective and it's been nice. I think she's just glad I've succumbed to her need to be motherly. Gosh, if I do ever have kids, I'm never going to see them. She'd be a great grandmother, though.

Anyway, as we sat at the magically extended kitchen table, I forced myself to eat. Not that I wanted to. It must be a side effect of all the potions I'm taking because my appetite hasn't been great for a while now. Fred told his father about the new Muggle-inspired product they were now developing. Bill and George chatted about Gringotts and how the amount of people queuing to get their Galleons has reduced. It's just dawned on me that Bill and Fleur work just down the cobbled road from where we are. I hope that doesn't mean Fleur will come here for lunch instead of the Burrow, especially after the comment she made about the chicken being dry.

"I hear from Molly that you're studying from home, Kathryn?"

"Yeah," I said, but I was being prompted to elaborate, "I'd be bored to tears otherwise, when I can't go anywhere or do much. Besides, I would have had a month worth of work to catch up on, but I'm nearly up to date."

Arthur smiled, "Anything interesting in Muggle Studies?"

"Erm…" I struggled to think, "We're learning about the Russian Revolution – Lenin, Trotsky, Stalin… the likes."

Arthur leant forwards in great interest, "What is it? What happened?"

"Arthur!" Molly scolded, "Leave the poor girl be."

"But it's good that you're still studying hard," Arthur said, despite the watchful eyes of his wife, "Is it still your ambition to become a Healer?"

I shrugged my shoulders, "I guess so."

"You would thenk that you would be having a job Molly," Fleur commented nastily, "I do wonder what you is doing all day. No wonder you is so fat."

I couldn't quite believe my ears, "Excuse me?"

"I was just thenking that Molly -"

I abruptly slammed my knife and fork onto the table, my chair falling to the ground with the speed with which I stood, "You really are the most insufferable, self-centred, rude and incessant bitch, you know that?" I finally snapped, "I've listened to you for days bad mouthing my family and I've had enough. I've tried over and over to give you the benefit of the doubt, but you keep pushing and pushing – I can't take it anymore." I yelled at her, I felt myself shake with a burning rage, "And you can't even take a fricken hint, Fleur. You've gone too far, once again. I've thrown you lifeline after lifeline and you continue to spout hurtful, rude and down-right insensitive statements. No wonder everyone is having such a hard time accepting you into the family. This amount of arguing is not normal. I lived for years in a household where I was afraid to open my mouth, where I wasn't allowed an opinion, to complain or grumble or moan – one false move and I was -!" I swallowed hard, "You don't have a clue how bloody lucky you are. Haven't you noticed that people leave the room when you're in it? Tone it down, accept the fact that we are who we are and make a f*cking effort to fit in."

"Don't yell at her like that." Bill stood between the two of us, reaching to kiss his fiancée.

"No!" I shouted in retaliation, "She needs to hear it! I get it, you love each other, anyone with two eyes can see that, but you don't need to be so freaking in your face about everything." I calmed myself down enough to step around him say, "You're going to be walking into this marriage having made life very difficult for yourself, these people are my family and they could be yours, too, you've just got to give them a chance." My voice dropped to barely a whisper, "Life is too short for all this."

Fleur stared at me in shock.

I took a breath before continuing, I just felt so hurt by this stage that I felt like I could crumble, "I know you don't care about what happened a month ago, but I risked my life to protect you all. I looked Voldemort in the eyes and lied. I lied for the man you love and his family, so that you might have a future. Please don't make my life even harder than it already is."

She didn't say anything. But I saw the smallest of glints in her eye. I just hoped the message got through her thick skull.

George gently placed a hand on my shoulder, making me jump before relaxing into him. Pulling his arms around me from behind, he kissed my cheek and leant down to whisper in my ear, "What do you need?"

"I need to get back to Hogwarts or I'm going to go insane."

"Okay," he planted a kiss on the top of my head, "But first, I think it's time for a nap."