All Around Me (Katie) Are Familiar Faces

[GEORGE FABIAN WEASLEY]

It was a day like any other - the sun had risen early, it's light shining down on the tall, uneven, but surprisingly-still-standing, structure that was the Burrow. And, like any other day since the battle of Hogwarts, George had risen with the first light. His lack of sleep was becoming more pronounced in the darkness around his eyes, the lackluster expressions on his face getting to be even more frequent than they had been; and that was saying something. Ever since he'd begun to stay at home instead of the flat he'd shared with his brother, the Wizard had taken to roaming the backyard, rather than be inside with his family. He couldn't take the way his mother looked at him, nor did he like the awkward way his father tried to smile at him - he knew it was hard on all of them, losing Fred, but a larger part of George had died that day than anyone could understand. He wanted to be there for his family - his mother especially - but he didn't even know how to be there for himself.

Raking a hand through his bedhead mass of flaming red hair, George stepped out the back door, the screen swinging shut behind him. His hand was full of a stack of toast, pressed upon him by his mother, who noted only too often that he was getting thin as well. He wouldn't eat any of it, though - he never did. Taking a tour of the great expanse of yard that he had too many memories of, the young man continued around the house until he reached the small tool-shed on the property. He sat on the stoop of it and simply stared for a minute. He was looking at nothing in particular, his eyes dark and clouded by the storm of thoughts and emotions that raged inside him. He could hear his parents in the house behind him, his father having been getting ready for work when George stepped out. If he listened closely, he could hear his mother's sobs, which he knew had only started because his father had left. She was too strong, Molly, didn't even want to her husband to see her upset; for she knew it would only concern him, and Arthur had a lot on his plate as it was.

Sighing, George made to stand, the thought to comfort his mother crossing his mind. However, it left almost instantly and he sat back down. He wouldn't even know where to start. He died a little more each day knowing that his mother's heart was so severely broken. As he thought about it, he felt the familiar sting of ache in his own heart, but quickly shook his head to will it away. He couldn't take another breakdown so soon, that was certain. The last time he had seen Adrienne, not but a day or two ago, the alcohol had gotten the better of him. He had become angry with her in the worst way, as there had been no reason for him to yell at her as he had. He hated himself for what he'd said, hated himself for the man that he had become, knowing that she deserved much more than he was able to give at the moment. He often wondered why she stayed, but was glad to at least have something - someone - to believe in.

He heard voices again, coming from the kitchen, where his mother must have answered the front door. Though he only vaguely wondered who it might be, assuming it was Adrienne come to call on him again, the young man didn't move from his spot. She would find him, knowing the better of his quiet spots about the yard. As he waited for her to round on him, George began to pick at the toast he'd been given. He studied a piece for a moment, brought it to his mouth, and almost tasted it. However, the thought of eating it made his stomach turn, the nausea nearly making him gag. Instead, he tossed the pieces onto the ground, in the direction of the Weasleys' backyard chicken coop, out of which had just trotted the earlier risers.

[KATIE ANN BELL]

Katie Bell had been ignored for the last time. She'd spent too many nights at the Hogs Head, and Diagon Alley, hoping to see some sign of someone she knew, only to be disappointed. She'd sent countless owls, and none were ever returned. She was tired of it, and while she knew what she was about to do was probably not the best idea in the world - she didn't care. She’d been up all night, debating with herself on whether or not she really wanted to go, but in the end her heart won out, as it usually did. She told herself she would be there for them, but was she really trying? She didn’t quite know the answer to that, and that bothered her more than anything else. Fred Weasley was dead, and she knew in her heart that the way everyone was acting was the very last thing in the world he would have wanted, and she decided it was time other people realized it. It sounded harsh, and it was, but someone had to say it, and let’s be honest, if it was anyone, it was going to be obnoxious, loud-mouth, occasionally-too-honest-for-her-own-good Katie, but she’d do it tactfully. She wasn’t without a heart, after all. Fred had been like a brother to her, too.

She inhaled deeply before apparating out of her apartment with a lump in her throat. Within seconds she was there, staring at the big, seemingly mismatched, towering Burrow. Katie was rarely nervous but this – this made her nervous. She bit her bottom lip as her brain told her to go home once more, and her heart screamed ‘no.’

“Not this time,” she muttered quietly to herself. It wasn’t the first time she’d been on the property of the Burrow since the funeral. She’d often apparated over, only to chicken out and go home seconds later. If George wasn’t answering her owls why would he want to see her? The simplicity of the answer made Katie laugh. He doesn’t want to see you, but has that ever stopped you from being a pain in the ass before?

Each step toward the Burrow had her brain doing a tango. Stay, go, stay, go – and as she arrived at the door – stay. She’d stayed over the Burrow quite a few times through her years in Hogwarts, with Angelina and Alicia of course. Molly was always welcoming, and Arthur always had countless questions about the muggle world, which Katie was more than happy to answer. She loved that Arthur loved muggles. She could hear talking through the door, and then Arthur clearly shouted Ministry of Magic. The Floo Network, such an interesting way of travel…

Katie knocked on the door three times and became a bit worried when there was no answer right away. It was only when Molly pulled open the door that she realized why. You couldn’t miss her tear-stained cheeks and puffy, red eyes. The woman looked exhausted. Molly never looked exhausted, even when she was taking care of seven kids. But she only had six children now, and the thought alone was enough to exhaust anyone, let alone live through it. A mother should never bury a child. The thought cut through Katie’s heart like a hot knife. She said nothing, though, as she enveloped Molly into the tightest hug she’d ever given the woman. The shuddering of Molly’s shoulder told Katie she was crying, and Katie inhaled deeply in order to keep the stinging tears from her own eyes. She would not cry. She would be the support they needed. Katie wasn’t sure what there was to say, really. Maybe there wasn't anything to say, but Katie would be there for them even if it meant just, well, literally being there.

“Hi…” Katie finally muttered before she let Molly go from her bear hug.

“Hello, Katie dear,” Molly said, her voice hoarse and distant; nothing like the cheerful woman who used to greet them when they came over. Katie didn’t bother asking how she was. The answer was clear on her face. She wouldn’t ask George, either.

“Any idea where George is?” Katie questioned, and Molly glanced toward the backyard.

“He’s likely out there by the shed. I…I gave him some breakfast. He hasn’t been eating, or sleeping or…” her voice trailed off and it broke Katie’s heart. The state of things in the Burrow was devastating, and Katie wasn’t sure what she could possibly do to help, but Merlin’s beard she was going to try her hardest.

“Thanks… I’ll get him to eat something… Maybe,” Katie replied honestly before giving Molly another quick hug. “I want you to know you can owl me about anything, Molly. And if you ever need anything. Please, please let me know."

The older woman smiled at her, nodding. “Thank you.” And with that she left the room.

Katie swallowed the lump that was quickly forming in her throat once more as she peered out the window. Sure enough, there was that bright orange hair Katie always looked for. She could spot him from a mile. She inhaled deeply before walking slowly out the door. George seemed lost in a train of thought, and Katie could have yelled to disturb him, and she wanted to, but she refrained. After all, failing at being an Auror had taught her to control herself… kind of.

Instead, she slowly walked toward him thinking of the thousand things she wanted to say to him. She didn’t even know where to start. Did she yell at him for ignoring her? Merlin, that would be a laugh. ‘George I’m here to console you but damn it why are you ignoring me!?’ ‘Go away, Bell.’ And what choice would Katie have then? No, no, yelling definitely wasn’t a good idea. Not that she really planned to do that anyway. And as she finally arrived in front of him, his eyes still trailing the chickens as he threw toast half-heartedly on the ground, she said the first thing that came to mind.

“You better eat that. Mum wants to feed you, not the chickens.”

Smooth, Katie… She made a slight face at her words, but humor was how she dealt with things, and she’d never been one to walk on eggshells. No, Katie Bell ran through eggshells in iron shoes.

“I’m sorry,” she said quietly, her eyes trailing the ground before she helped herself to a seat next to him on the stoop. She stared at him for a moment, studying his thinned features and his tired eyes. Death and exhaustion seemed to go hand in hand. She opened her mouth to say something, and then closed it again. What could she say?

“I’ve been looking all over for you. Who would’ve thought you’d be at your own house?” she said, smirking. There was that poor attempt at humor again. Maybe she should have just gone home after all.

[GEORGE FABIAN WEASLEY]

George’s eyes were focused on the hens that had come out of the coop. He still wasn’t really seeing, though. His thoughts had drifted back to a time when he was younger, which was as much memory as he would allow right now. It was easier to remember being little, growing up with Fred right by his side. He remembered so clearly the times they would fly around the backyard, taking turns on brooms but not allowing Ginny to practice with them. Thinking now about how she would simply break into the closet and steal their brooms in order to get her practice in – well, he had to hand it to her. She was, after all, his sister. But the memories began to fizzle and were cut short as he began to think of the times he and Fred were in Hogwarts together. Causing trouble left and right, making people laugh and being stuck in detention; the ghost of a smile danced across his face as he thought of how all the times on Flich’s banned products list were there because of the Weasley twins. But then things got rough, and he willed the memories back under lock and key as they progressed into his seventh year at Hogwarts. If he allowed them to keep flowing, he knew he would just be deeper into his already-seeimngly endless route of depression. Blinking, he looked down at the toast in his hands, noticing for the first time that three pieces had already been finely shredded and fed to the chickens.

When his visitor first appeared, it took him a moment to focus properly on what was happening. The first thing George took note of was that the sunlight that had been streaming down on him had been overcome with a shadow. He was confused, already having forgotten that he’d heard voices coming from the kitchen; yet the surprise was imminent in his eyes as he looked up to see the face that accompanied the all-too familiar voice. Katie Bell. Miss Bell, teammate, housemate, best friend, practically family; standing right in front of him, telling him that the food was for him, not the chickens. He shook his head at her comment, turning his eyes away to gather his bearings, and trying to hide the slightly annoyed look that had flitted across his face at her presence. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to see her, or that he was upset with her in particular, though she did have the tendency to push everyone’s patience - he couldn’t blame her for that, though, as he had been one of the group’s biggest culprits in that instance. Things had changed since then, as unfortunate as it was, and it was clear by the look on Katie’s face that she too realized how different they had become. He continued to remain silent as she apologized, for what he wasn’t exactly sure, though George simply nodded in her general direction to show that he had heard her and, regardless of what she was sorry for, he appreciated the condolences.

After that, he could feel her gaze burning into him. It began to make him uncomfortable, as he thought of how he would be coming across to her. There hadn’t been anything the young man could do about it, though. The loss he had experienced still felt fresh, and it stung with every breath he took, each minute of every day. Finally discarding the remaining pieces of toast, he ran a hand through his already scraggly locks, tensing as she took a seat beside him. A part of him wanted to tell her to leave, that he’d rather be alone, but he was sure that was precisely the reason she had come all the way out to see him in the first place. Katie wasn’t stupid – she knew what him ignoring her owls meant, and as he thought about how dear of a friend she truly was to him, the fact that he’d let so many letters go unanswered made him feel like a horrible counterpart in their relationship. He managed to look her in the eye for a moment when she said she’d been looking all over for her, and even considered smiling at her next comment. However, the thought had disappeared from his mind as quickly as it had come, and George merely nodded again. ”I should be working,” he said quietly, by way of explanation.

While that was as far as conversation would take him right now, George was admittedly ashamed. He knew how many letters Katie had sent him, knew how many more he hadn’t even read, let alone left unanswered. He too owed her an apology, but he couldn’t find it in him to say much more than he had already done. It took much energy, too much thought, and thinking led to memories, making decisions that he wasn’t ready to make – no, things were better left unsaid with his mind in shambles as it was. Still, he felt that a form of expression was needed, even if there were no words to accompany his actions. Sighing, he reached over to give her a one-armed hug. Hesitant at first, he lay his arm slowly on her shoulder, pulling her towards him with the least amount of strength necessary. Even if he couldn’t find it in him to talk just yet, he wanted to at least show her that he appreciated how good of a friend she was being to him.

It always mattered most who wanted to be by your side when you needed it most, even if you didn’t want them there, or let them. If there was one thing George had been lacking in since everything had happened, it was being the kind of friend he wanted to have – the kind of friend that Katie was, the kind that Adrienne wanted him to let her be for him. Being that she was his girlfriend, George had to admit that he felt like he was taking advantage of her love for him. Considering that he had blown up at her the last time they spoke…. He wondered, once more, why she even bothered to stick around; for he knew she deserved to be treated much better than he was treating her right now. He couldn’t help his actions, though he felt like she was beginning to lose her patience with him. On top of it all, Adrienne had lost a great friend as well. George hated to say that everyone simply didn’t understand, because they tried and wanted to, but he felt it was true. More than anything, he knew nothing could compare to the pain he was feeling at losing Fred, the pain that his mother felt at losing one of her sons, one of her dearest children. Removing his arm from around Katie, then, he pressed his hands against his eyes to block it all out, lest the tears begin to fall. Not now – it was too damned early for his feelings to be getting to him.

[KATIE ANN BELL]

She didn't miss George tense when she sat down, but she wasn't about to move, either. She was there whether he liked it or not, and she wasn't going anywhere. Even if they sat there not saying anything for hours, she wasn't going to let him suffer through this alone. She'd done it too long. Besides, she needed someone to talk to, too. She'd lost him. His hurt was far greater than hers, she knew that, but he was like a brother to him, too. Maybe not a twin, but a brother, and she loved them both like she loved her own brother Kyle. No, she wasn't going anywhere. She watched him, though his thoughts were impossible to read. She'd gotten good over the years, but now George was broken, his thoughts were disconnected from everything, and his disinterest in life was evident. Katie couldn't read the thoughts of a man like that. She didn't want to try, really. He was thinking something, so she decided to stop staring at him and glance around the backyard she'd spent so much time in.

She remembered going over there with Angelina and Alicia and playing Quidditch, having heaps amount of food, and playing pranks on anyone they could. Fred and George had gotten her good one day. Put whizbangs right in her bed. Merlin, that was a bloody awful wake up call. She'd wanted to kill them. In fact, she chased them house (literally, outside)three times before she finally gave up. They gloated for the rest of that weekend, and it was a prank that was never forgotten by any of them. The girls thought it was a riot, and Molly, as usual, was vehemently angry with them. The memory brought a small smile to her face, but it fell away soon enough as the silence lingered. It was an anxious, sad kind of silence, and Katie tried not to let it bother her. She hated silence, really. She always did, that’s why she always got on everyone’s nerves. She never shut up. Still, she forced herself to sit there and wait, hoping that something would leave George, and sure enough, something did. It was a simple sentence, not much at all, but Katie smiled briefly at him anyway. She wanted to ask him so many questions, but there would be enough time for that… someday. He wasn’t going to answer questions now, or so it seemed, at least.

As Katie tried to think of something to say in response she felt an arm wrap around her in a one armed hug, and he yanked her gently towards him. A small laugh left her through her nose as she laid her head on his shoulder with a light thunk as her form of hugging him back. She didn’t say anything. What was there to say? She knew it was his way of saying thank you, and she didn’t need him to say it, really. She sat back upright again as her eyes wandered around once more, landing on the shredded toast. She clenched her jaw slightly as she stopped herself from chastising him once more. He didn’t need to be yelled at or fussed over, not by Katie, anyway. She’d never been like that and she never would be. He probably got enough of it from Adrienne and Molly, bless them both, but the guy didn’t need it from everyone. She saw George wipe away a few tears and she frowned. She hated seeing people she cared for cry. It was her turn to wrap an arm around his shoulders this time, putting on her best smile as she looked at him.

“I should be working, too. But guess what?” she paused for a moment, knowing he wouldn’t actually guess, but dramatic effect was clearly needed. Sometimes Katie felt like her whole life was for dramatic effect. “I failed out of Auror training.” She tried not to laugh at herself, but she’d gotten so used to it over the years that the laugh left her anyway. She used her one arm to squeeze George slightly before unhooking herself from him and staring off into the trees. Sometimes how beautiful the Burrow really was eluded Katie. She forgot how wonderful the trees were in the morning sunlight. She heaved a small sigh before turning her attention back to George. She debated with herself for a few seconds before the words left her mouth before she could stop them.

“He wouldn’t want it to be like this, you know,” she said, already regretting the words, but she couldn’t stop now. She had to push through the thought and face whatever came next. “For us to be all separate and sad.”

She paused again, wondering where to go next. She was already on a roll, might as well continue, right? Right. She was Katie Bell after all. If George screamed at her and banned her from the Burrow it wouldn’t have been the first time, and she’d come back, just like she always did.

“I’m not going to sit here and tell you it’s going to get easier, or any other fake sympathetic thing like that. Because it might not get easier. But I will tell you that he wouldn’t want it like this. He’d want us all to live for him, not die with him.” Those were the final words of her speech before she let the silence build again, wondering what he might say. Hell, he might not say anything at all, really. It was pointless to try and guess, so instead she just sat there, staring at the chickens as they pecked about. Oh, how easy it was to be a chicken. Until one morning all of your unborn children are stolen from you for breakfast, and you’re cooked for dinner. Katie decided that being a chicken wasn’t that easy, and instead turned her attention back to the tree line before leaning back a little on the stoop, resting on her elbows.

[GEORGE FABIAN WEASLEY]

George jumped a little when he felt her arm around him – he hadn’t been expecting it, even though he should have. Being lost in the flood of memories, he’d momentarily forgotten that he had a visitor, although one could never really forget Katie Bell, of all people. He gave her the courtesy of looking at her as she spoke, his eyes widening as she told him she’d failed her Auror training – after dramatic pause for effect, of course. ”Blimey,” he said, running an awkward hand through his hair again. However, he couldn’t help the small smile that appeared at the sound of her laughter. If there were ever anyone to laugh about such a situation, it would be Katie. Leave it to her to find the nonchalance in failing at one’s choice of career. His thoughts halted there, though, for George knew that he would have been one to laugh right along with her if things had been the way they used to, the way they should have been. It was a fact that couldn’t be ignored, yet the young man was stunned at his friend’s next words. He looked at her with still-wide eyes, anger brewing beneath all the sadness and pain that had erupted at the thought. He knew she was right: Fred wouldn’t have wanted for them to be that way. He would have wanted them to use each other as the support tools that friends were for; to help each other, and to remember him with smiles on their faces and in their hearts. He knew his brother wouldn’t have wanted this and that if he could see them now, if he were looking down on George and watching him – which a part of him had to believe that was the case – Fred would be disappointed. Still, that didn’t make the matter any easier to handle, nor did it make his days less difficult to get through.

Listening quietly, his face still holding that shocked expression – one which had been associated with the things Katie said so many years ago – George clenched his fists in anger. It got his blood boiling to hear someone talk about what Fred would have wanted, regardless of who it was. How do they know what he would have wanted? They didn’t know his heart, as George had; no one else knew the secrets they shared, the worries that they put on each other’s shoulders, choosing to share only the joy of life was others. Didn’t they understand that even though Fred may not have wanted it, George did die with him that day? Though he died for a great cause and a better world, his twin’s death seemed senseless and, most importantly, unfair. Fred had so much to live for, before his life was so violently torn away from him. Fred had been his building block of life, choosing to follow his brother more closely than anyone knew. They agreed in a lot of things, they were alike in too many ways, but what most people didn’t know was that Fred had still been the ringleader of the pair. Fred was the one with the most brilliant ideas that the both of them put into play. Fred had been the one to declare them Beaters at their tryouts for the Gryffindor team during their second year; he had been the one push George into asking Adrienne out almost immediately after seeing the attraction the two of them shared. Fred had literally been everything to the wizard, his best friend in the entire world, and to have him gone from his life so suddenly, his candle snuffed out as if by a large gust of wind…. It just wasn’t fair.

Suddenly rising from the stoop, George stuffed his balled fists into the pockets of his jeans and thought to walk off. He was grateful that he had left his wand inside the house, as a repeat of what had happened the last time his temper had flared flitted through his mind. He didn’t want another scene like that one, he didn’t want to put another life in danger, not one he cared about as much as he did for Katie. Adrienne having to witness such an act had been bad enough, but if he were to accidentally hurt Katie Bell in the process of such a fit...George wouldn’t know what to do with himself. Not that he knew what to do with himself anyway. If you asked him, he deserved a room in St. Mungo’s locked ward. No visitors, please, just solitude and his own thoughts to drive him mad until the world granted mercy and took him as it had taken his dear brother. ”You know how they say in obituaries that whoever has died is ‘survived by’ those family members left behind….” He turned suddenly on his heels to face Katie, his face twisted with a pain to match that which he felt in his heart, ”I’m simply trying to survive without him. I know what Fred would want – I know better than anyone! You don’t think I’m ashamed I can’t give that to him? Of all the things I couldn’t do for him…how could I let him die? He didn’t deserve that, and he doesn’t deserve how morose everyone is being about it, I just – “

Cutting off as sharply as he had begun, George waved a hand annoyingly in Katie’s direction, before turning his back on her and stalking off, as he had initially planned. Taking off for the tree line that surrounded the Weasley property, he kicked the dirt up as he went, scattering the clucking chickens that he had only recently lured out of their home. He hadn’t meant to say what he had, let alone admit to his friend that he felt responsible for his brother’s death. He figured that many people felt that way, his parents and remaining siblings included, but George and Fred had a pact their entire life. It may have been an unspoken agreement, but that was simply because it didn’t have to be said. They looked out for each other, always had each other’s backs, stood up for and helped one another when the times called for it. They battled side by side that evening, seemingly fearless to those around them, though they both knew the terror that had been in each other’s hearts. The one thing George didn’t want to think about was the possibility of losing his twin, and he was certain Fred had felt the same way; which was the main reason they had decided to fight side-by-side. To keep an eye on each other and protect one another, just as they had done all their lives. George had failed, miserably, and the guilt that weighed on him was what really drove him to the bottle every night. The loss he felt only amplified the guilt, making it that much harder to resist the stupor that only came with Firewhiskey.

Reaching the end of the property line, he leaned against one of the larger trees that expanded the yard. He still had has back to the direction in which he’d left Katie Bell, though he was sure she’d follow him. He wasn’t minded by that fact, as his walk across the yard had allowed him to release the anger he’d been consumed with. He realized that it was the first time those words had been said aloud. It had been the young man’s darkest secret about that night, the fact that he’d been so close to his brother – close enough to reach out and catch him as he fell to the ground – yet there hadn’t been anything he could do to prevent what had happened. He felt the tears coming again and slumped down along the trunk, hiding his face in his arms as he reached the ground. He brought his knees up and buried his face even deeper, holding himself tightly as the emotion flowed throughout him. His body wracked with sobs, his mind ringing with the same words over and over again: It’s my fault he’s dead…. I couldn’t save him… I should have done more to protect him, should have tried harder…. It’s all my fault….

Not having cried properly since his brother’s death, it was the first time in four months that George was allowing himself the luxury of releasing his emotions. He didn’t understand why it had been this morning, why not the other night with Adrienne, but there was something about Katie’s voice, and the fact that she had come so far to see him, that lessened his resolve and had allowed him to be more open. Though if he had to be completely honest with himself, for the first time since his brother had been taken from them, George really wanted to get better, he wanted to keep his life going so he could do just what Katie had said; he wanted to live for Fred.

[KATIE ANN BELL]

Katie was glad to see George smile at her mention of failing at her job, as fleeting at it may have been. At least it was something, some sort of emotion that wasn’t utter despair. It was the look of shock that fell across his face as she finished her speech that she hadn’t anticipated. Yep, Katie ‘always-said-the-wrong-thing’ Bell had struck again, but she sat there, face vacant as his shock only seemed to get worse, and turn quickly into anger. She watched him ball his fist and for a brief moment he thought he might take a swing at her. Wouldn’t be the first time she’d gotten into a tussle with a Weasley. She once punched Percy right in the nose for being… well, Percy. But she scarcely wanted to fight George. She wasn’t here to make things worse. Well, apparently that’s what she was here to do, but her intentions had been the furthest thing from that. Katie watched as he stood up from his stoop, expecting him to either keep walking, or turn around and yell at her that she was a raving lunatic who had no idea what he was going through and no idea what he was feeling. And though he did turn around, the words that left his mouth had Katie’s eyes widen in shock, as her jaw hung open slightly. She shut it as quickly as it had fallen open, though.

George blamed himself for Fred’s death. That hadn’t been something Katie had prepared herself for. At all. It did make sense, now that he said it. It made perfect sense, but Merlin’s beard she wanted to hit him. How could he ever be that daft? It could never and would be his fault that Fred died. Blame the death eaters, blame the bloody wall, blame the war, but never once should George Weasley have blamed himself. Katie frowned at the thought as a new kind of sadness overcame her. It was an empathetic kind of sadness. Her heart broke for him again, knowing that the wound was still so fresh, and that he blamed himself for opening it in the first place. And here Katie was, dancing around and opening it with pliers and pouring salt in. Well you’ve gone and done it now, Bell… she thought to herself as George took off running toward the tree line. She half expected him to apparate away, at least that way Katie wouldn’t be able to follow him. And that’s when she realized – he wanted Katie to follow him. Or maybe he didn’t, but she was here, and he was there, and she was going to do it anyway. She smirked as the chickens flew everywhere, imagining that’s a little bit like what it felt like in George’s brain right now. Chickens everywhere, with their heads off, going crazy.

She sighed, glancing briefly toward the Burrow. Molly was staring out the kitchen window, and they locked eyes for only a moment before Molly turned away. She didn’t want to see her son hurt anymore, Katie knew. Katie was sure none of them wanted to hurt anymore, and one day they would heal, but when that would be Katie didn’t know. So, she just had to try her best to speed up the process. She started off walking slowly, watching as George stopped by the tree, leaning against it, his back still to her. She stopped in her tracks, watching him as his body began to shake slightly. Her brows scrunched together in sadness before she too, was running. Her feet were heavy on the ground, kicking up the same dirt George just had, and it was only when she was about a few feet from him that she finally slowed. He was no longer angry, which was good, but he was breaking, and that was the thing Katie was here to prevent. She walked up slowly behind him, waiting for a few seconds placing a hand on his head and ruffling his hair lightly before sliding down next to him, her legs laid out fully on the ground. She never said a word before she pulled him toward her in a hug, her arms wrapping around him. She had originally planned to lug him up to hug him, but she knew that would be impossible. The size difference alone would have had them falling on their asses. She squeezed him tight with both arms around her as she pressed her to his shoulder before releasing him, placing a hand under his chin to force his face in her direction.

“In absolutely no way in this universe or another one could Fred’s death be a result of something you did or didn’t do, George” she said quietly, solemnly as her thoughts continued to roll. She’d heard stories about what had happened to Fred. If it had been any of the brother’s faults it would have been Percy’s. He’s the one who distracted him. Katie felt anger welling within her at the thought. That poor George was out here blaming himself and – she stopped short in her thoughts, realizing only then that each and every Weasley probably felt that way about what happened to Fred. Molly was close to losing two kids that day, too. She saved one, but she could not save them all. The thought had tears welling up in Katie’s eyes now but she blinked them away. She could not cry. The few tears rolled down her cheeks and she used her hand to quickly wipe them away before her blue eyes found his brown. She opened her mouth to say something, and then shut it once more, trying to think of something else to say, something that would make him feel the slightest bit better.

“Fred Weasley is gone,” the harsh sentence left her as nicely as she could manage, and the words hurt her to say, but Katie Bell had rarely been one for tact.

"But you’re not, George. You’re not at all. You’re here, and you’re living, and you’re breathing, and you have other people that need you as much as you need Fred,” she said quietly, her eyes trailing the ground momentarily as she inhaled deeply and exhaled. “Will you at least try? For Adrienne? For Molly? For me?” Her voice was beginning to crack and break as emotions got the best of her. She didn’t want to cry, damn it! But between seeing the Weasleys in such shambles and realizing the senseless pain and guilt that George was hanging over his head it was enough to make Katie’s heart break completely in half. These wonderful people didn’t deserve to suffer like this. These wonderful people who would give people the clothes off their back and the roof over their head if it meant they were helping someone out did not deserve to go through this sadness. Not one bit. Not at all.

[GEORGE FABIAN WEASLEY]

George was listening for her approach, hoping to have most of his tears cried out and dried by the time Katie caught up with him, for he knew she would follow to comfort. Alas, his body was still wracking with uncontrollable sobs when she came to ruffle his hair and rest beside him, putting her arms around him. He welcomed the embrace, his heart clenching as the torrent of emotion swept through him – pain, loss, despair, and love. He would have to remember to thank Katie for her kindness at a later time, though the man knew those too were words that never had to be said. While he resisted at first, George allowed her to turn his face upwards and he blinked as he looked into her eyes, hating himself for the pain in hers; for he knew it was because of him that Katie Bell’s were full of worry. He tried to believe her words, that what had happened to Fred wasn’t his fault; for he knew them to be true, yet it was quite difficult for him to feel any other way. He watched in silence as her eyes began to fill with tears, and another ache took place in his heart. He reached up to wipe away the few tears that had escaped for her, but she beat him to it. Instead, he merely rested his hand softly on her cheek for a moment, brushing back a lock of her hair before running his hand through his own fiery mess.

He turned his eyes away at her next words, pulling his face back, a grimace shadowing his face. Fred Weasley is gone. The words shook him to the core; even though it was something he had lived with for the past four months, not even George had ever said those words aloud. He squeezed his eyes shut and forced himself not to get angry once more. He knew that Katie only wanted to help – he couldn’t fault her for that – and he knew that the words she had spoken needed to be said. But still… they sliced through him like a sharp knife to the back. Looking at her as she next spoke, the wizard couldn’t deny the point she was trying to drive home. After she had finished asking if he would at least try to keep living, he remained silent for a few moments. Looking out over the horizon behind the Weasley property, the memories that had previously rushed upon him began to come back, though they returned in a way that warmed his heart. He knew that Katie was right, just as he had known long before she had said it that Fred wouldn’t want them to be living the way they were. He needed his memory to live on in his family and friends, so that his death would not have been in vain. The fight hadn’t even seemed worth it to George after the fact of the matter, because the hole in him had only deepened as time wore on. What had been the point if it meant losing someone you cared so much about?

Sighing, he looked back at Katie, the sadness in her eyes more pronounced. He had hated to hear her voice cracking the way it had, but no more than he hated that he hadn’t been the one to say those words to her first. Without hesitation, he put his arms around her and drew her into an embrace. “Katie Bell, I reckon you know I’d do anything for a friend like you, if all you did was ask,” he said quietly, closing his eyes as he hugged her, a quick, tight gesture that he knew would speak mountains. As he pulled away, he wiped his hand at the last few tears that had trickled down his cheeks, and looked down as he plucked a blade of grass from the lawn. “I will try…for you, me mum, Adrienne, and everyone else…. I’ll do it for Fred, just as…just as he would have done it for me.” Glancing up at her, he let flow a half-smile the likes of which couldn’t have even been imagined on his face until that point. Yes, the man knew it would be difficult, but he also knew that the worst of it was over; for Fred was already gone from their lives. His smile fading, George knew that it would take more than just his words to make the changes that everyone needed to see around there, and he was determined to do it all with a smile.

If he needed to cry and brood on occasion, which he was certain he would, he’d make sure to do so out of the company of anyone else. He knew that his mother didn’t need any more grief, knew that his siblings shouldn’t have to deal with walking on egg shells around him, on top of their own misery; George knew that his father needed to grieve for the loss of his son as well. He would give them what they needed, even if he didn’t feel like it every day. It all began with eating what his mother put in front of him... stopping taking to the bottle, for starters. The thought of having to get through those nightmares unaffected by the alcohol made him shiver, but the young man knew it was for the best. Despite what it did to his body, being inebriated all the time only made matters worse, only made the depression that much more pronounced. No, instead he would find the job in life again, the beauty of the world – for it was still there, the sun still shone even through the shadows of his heartache. He would start with his mum, he decided, as the pain she was in wrenched him like no other - his mum and then Adrienne. He owed so much to his girlfriend, not the least of which was a proper apology and gracious thanks for all that she had done for him the past couple of months. Yet that was all after the thank you he owed his dear friend, which he chose to display at that moment.

Hugging her again, he placed a light kiss on her cheek, as chaste as if he were giving it to Ginny. “I suppose the only question now is… well, now what?” He chuckled uncomfortably, jumping slightly as the sound was nearly unrecognizable to him. Had it really been so long since a laugh had erupted from him? Indeed, he hadn’t found a reason to even smile before now, hadn’t even seen any hope in the matter – George had been fully resigned to spending the rest of his life in turmoil, a cloud of darkness blanketing him with every step he took. Now, though, after Katie Bell had put his sense right, he could see the sun beginning to shine through, the streams of light minor at the moment, but holding the hope that there would be more, and they would grow in time, just as his wounds would heal.

[KATIE ANN BELL]

[modify]Katie felt George’s hand cup her cheek and she smiled as he pushed a piece of hair behind her ear. It was an odd kind of moment for Katie. It wasn’t often that people looked at her with such care or concern, and she was thankful that George seemed to want to be there and support her as much as she wanted to support him.

Katie was afraid he going to get up and run away again, and she felt relief when that wasn't the case, though she still felt badly for twisting the knife in the wound. But sometimes the knife needed twisting before you could pull it out, and let your wounds begin to heal. And that's exactly what Katie was hoping to do, to yank out the knife that had been so long been twisting and stuck in George's heart and mind. She'd certainly given him enough chances to be willing to do it himself, but he clearly wasn't up to the task. So, Katie Bell took it upon herself, but that didn't mean it wasn't emotional taxing for the girl. She'd accepted Fred's death and tried to move on, but there were still little things that sparked the memory of him and brought tears to her eyes. Still, she tried her hardest to move forward and move on, living every day to the fullest that she could, not wanting to linger in the sadness that the war left behind. She wanted the wizarding world to rebuild itself, to prosper as it once had, and to never, ever look back or go back to those times. She knew that the Death Eaters were still out there, somewhere, but she tried her best not to think about it because thinking on it would only cause her brain to become worried that it would happen again, and senseless worry was something that Katie Bell absolutely hated more than anything else, so she tried to stop herself from doing it as often as she could.

As the tears ran gently down her cheeks she felt George tug her close, and his next words were very comforting ones. It was so unlike the George who wouldn’t return her letters, or who got up and yelled at her. Bloody hell! That sentence was almost like the old George! Katie practically felt like dancing as she wrapped her arms around him and squeezed him tight, silently thanking him for being there like she was trying to be there for him. She let out a soft chuckle as the two separated, grinning at him as she wiped her cheeks and he wiped his. It was a small moment, almost minute before George’s eyes glazed over in thought, but Katie Bell would treasure it because it was the first glimpse of the old George Weasley she’d seen since that fateful day, and she would cling to those moments because it reminded her that things would get better, wounds would heal, and maybe someday things could be the same way they used to. She shook her head lightly at him.

“I could think of a few things I could that you wouldn’t do,” she said, a wicked devilish smirk crossing her face. She let out a small, loud laugh before she covered her hands with her hands and looked at him with that same great, big smile she always wore. Except for when she was vehemently pissed off about something, which was almost as often as she was happy. It was nice to laugh with him. Well, okay, maybe not with him, but with him there at least. It felt like years since she’d seen a familiar face, let alone talked to someone in the way that she was talking with George. It was nice to have some semblance of normalcy back, no matter how minute a fraction of normality it was. It was still better than being stuck not knowing anything about how anyone else was faring, especially after she told herself she’d take care of them. They were family to her. Angelina, Alicia, Fred, George, Oliver, even Harry became like the little brother of the group. Well, okay, Harry was more like the little prodigy-genius brother that no one liked because he was always saving the world and still managed to make it to practice on time. But he was still the little brother.

As George said he would try to live his life again Katie felt her heart sore once more, as she was tempted to get up and jump around and squeal like a sixteen-year-old again, but that admission by George was the one thing she’d hoped for more than anything else. She wanted him to be normal again. Her eyes lit up as a small, genuine half-smile crossed his lips. He smiled! He smiled! And Katie Bell is victorious, ladies and gentlemen!

“Good,” was all she managed to say before he was pulling her into another hug, which she happily returned. He placed a small kiss on her cheek and she rolled her eyes at him, but knew it was meant in a loving gesture, and the smile never left her face. “And you’re welcome,” she laughed, knowing that he was trying to thank her without words, and he never needed words. None of her friends ever did. She was the type of the girl who was going to be there for him no matter what, whether they liked it or not, and she was going to bring her eggshell shattering personality with her. At his next words, and the sound of a laugh Katie was shocked, but she said nothing as she sat there, her eyes wandering around the property before landing back on George.

“Well, I came all the way here and turned your whole life around, the least you could do is offer me breakfast,” she said with a laugh, only half joking. She wasn’t sure if he’d be up for eating just yet, so she wouldn’t push it any further, but she was hungry. And whether he would or not, Katie, at some point, planned on taking complete advantage of Molly’s egg-making capabilities. It was as her eyes scanned the backyard once more and they fell upon the place where the group once had a small bonfire. Angelina nearly set herself on fire. The memory of Angelina brought a small frown to Katie’s face, but it disappeared as quickly as it had arrived as she looked up at George. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to ask the question that was on the forefront of her mind, but… why bother holding it in, right?

“Have you… heard from Ang at all?” she asked, knowing that of the group Angelina and George were the two who were closest with Fred. Angelina seemed to have dropped off the place of the earth since the end of the war, and though Katie had tried to reach out to her, too, she had no idea where Angelina had gone too. She’d given up her career, and that was the last thing that Katie had heard about her whereabouts. It was almost harder to deal with Angelina than George because at least she knew where George was. Angelina? She hadn’t a clue, and she obviously didn’t want to be found.[/modify]

[GEORGE FABIAN WEASLEY]

George smiled again as Katie said ‘you’re welcome,’ clearly having understood his actions towards her. He sighed heavily as his eyes turned to the horizon once more, still pulling up blades of grass and dropping them into a pile beside him. He was doing so unconsciously, his thoughts obscure as he tried to comprehend an answer to the question he’d just asked his friend: now what? Where did he begin with it all, making things right for himself and his family, for his friends? It was easier to decide that some form of action needed to be taken over the matter, yet determining just what actions to take had the wizard’s brow furrowing pensively. He knew it wouldn’t be nearly as easy implementing those changes as he’d have liked, and the proof of that matter came when Katie Bell suggested he offer her breakfast. “Aye, indeed you did me a favor, but I’d have to tell you that you’d probably be eating alone. Mum would be happy, though – it’d be the first day all her cooking didn’t go to waste.” Thinking about his mother again, George shrugged and looked away from Katie, behind him where the Burrow sat in the distance. Turning back to face his friend, he was about to ask her if she was ready to dig in, then, when he noticed that she wasn’t looking at him anymore.

Following her eyes, George was able to pinpoint the location with a memory of his own; if he had to guess, he would say it was the same one that was flashing behind Katie’s eyes; for why else would she be viewing the spot with such intensity, if she weren’t remembering the time their Quidditch team made a bonfire in the yard? Rubbing the back of his neck, George frowned deeply, the furrow in his brow intensifying as he did so. He turned back to find Katie looking at him, and raised an eyebrow at her. He could see something brewing in her blue eyes, and he wasn’t quite sure if he would like it or not. Usually, they plotted together and the stunts they pulled off only made them closer for it; but he could tell that what she was holding back was something she must have been struggling with for some time. And then, as she spoke, it suddenly clicked in the young man’s head, why she had been hesitant about it. At the mention of Angelina, he turned his eyes down, shaking his head slowly. “Not since…the funeral,” he said quietly. As the memory of that horrid day rushed back to him, he began to feel uncomfortable, the uneasiness he had just recently shed creeping back up on him. Fidgeting under the large tree, he was grateful for the shade, as he was sure beads of sweat would have been more prone if they’d been sitting in the sun.

Thinking about Angelina…. George had tried to avoid her in his mind almost as much as he had avoided thinking about Fred. He was one of the few who not only knew how much Fred had come to love her, but who had seen it firsthand. It made him sad to think about, knowing that someone else was hurting just as deeply as he was. It was a different kind of sadness than the one he felt for Fred, because a friend in need whom he was unable to help had been suffering just as much as he had been. He remembered seeing her at the funeral, everyone dressed in black, wet and tired eyes all around. While the sun had been shining, a dark cloud hung over George. He’d remained mute that day as well, not choosing to say anything the entire time, and lingering afterwards to tend to his brother’s grave by himself for a moment. It was then, as he had opened his mouth to say his last goodbye – which was still stuck in his throat to this day, having never gotten out – that Angelina appeared behind him. He remembered being afraid to look at her, not wanting to upset her any more than she already was. If he saw his brother when he looked in the mirror, he could only imagine how frequently others saw Fred in him. He hadn’t wanted to do that to Angelina, not that day, after everything else they had been through with the funeral.

He didn’t remember seeing her at the service, now that he was thinking about it again but, then again, he hadn’t really been too focused on who was or wasn’t present. His main thought that day was the very same that had continued to plague him since, seeping into his dreams and turning them into dark nightmares. Fred was dead. He was gone forever, never coming back to light the world with his smile and laughter again. Surely the same thoughts had been running through Angelina’s mind when she came across George at his brother’s grave. He didn’t look at her though he could sense her presence, and he barely heard the soft whispering of apology that she left, before vanishing herself. While he couldn’t blame her for leaving the way that she had that day, the wizard suddenly found himself wishing that he had done something more, if only to keep her in his sights for a moment longer, to assure her of the things that he couldn’t even tell himself. However, time had long-since passed, and he pulled himself from his reverie, shaking his head at Katie Bell once more. “Not since the funeral,” he repeated, his tone one of melancholy and sorrow.

He found himself wishing he had been a better friend to Angelina that day – but not just to her, to everyone. He wanted to have been there for Katie as well – he shouldn’t have ignored her letters, but allowed her to reach out to him as she had desired. Well, she was here now and he had let her in, and even though a part of him was worried about how Adrienne would react to what he’d shared with Katie Bell – and though he was certain he wasn’t going to mention the encounter to her, for undecided reasons yet – George was glad that his friend was so persistent. She was right: she had turned his life around for him, and it was something he should have allowed her to do a long time ago.

[KATIE ANN BELL]

When George mentioned that she’d be eating alone she frowned slightly. She expected it, really, but she’d not push the matter. She remembered the half-smile, and the laugh, and whatever sadness she felt at his remaining behaviors were diminished. One step at a time, after all. He would eat in time. She nodded in understanding before grinning at the mention of Molly being happy to cook. It would be nice to see her smile, too, really. It would be nice to eat her breakfast, too. Merlin could that woman cook a good meal. The silence that lingered after her question about Angelina worried her slightly. It either meant that George had heard from her and it wasn’t good news, or that he was debating on how to say he hadn’t heard from her either. George turned his head down and Katie’s worry climbed the slightest bit, hoping beyond hope that he wasn’t about deliver more bad news. Thankfully, relief washed over her at his next words, though she wasn’t pleased by them. It meant that Angelina really had locked herself away from the world, and there were little hopes of tracking her. Who knows if she was even getting the owls that Katie was sending. Katie had no idea where she was.

The thought of Angelina missing, whether by accident or on purpose, made Katie just as sad as the thought of George guilting himself over Fred’s death. Being so buried in despair, Katie couldn’t imagine what either of them were going through. Honestly, it was a little easier to relate to George on this matter because Fred had been like a brother to her. But Angelina? Katie couldn’t have been further from understanding her agony. Katie had never known a love like Angelina and Fred had. You could tell by the way that they looked at each other that they loved each other, that there was no one else they’d rather be looking at. Their relationship was heartwarming, and Katie couldn’t even begin to fathom losing someone of such importance in the blink of an eye. She couldn’t imagine trying to come back from that, but she also knew that for Angelina’s sake she had to try, just like she was trying with George. She had to find her… somehow, and try and get her to see the same things she was getting George to see. She needed them, after all, more than either of them realized.

Her thoughts wandered back to the day of the funeral. She’d been seated near Oliver and Alicia. The sadness of that day was soul shattering, and she didn’t get a chance to really speak to anyone. George was with his family, and she knew that they needed their time with one another. And Angelina… Angelina was nowhere to be seen. Maybe she couldn’t bring herself to go. Katie wasn’t sure if she could handle going to see the man she loved being buried. Once again, not that she had any men to love, really. She was pretty sure she was going to grow up an old lady with nothing but her wand and her cat and her failed career, but hey, she wasn’t giving up hope entirely. She said her final goodbyes to Fred, and apparated back to her apartment to mourn alone. She hated when other people saw her cry, even the few tears she had just spilled in front of George made her a bit angry with herself. She was supposed to be strong. But if it was one thing Katie Bell was not it was without emotion. Perhaps if she wasn’t the empathetic person she was, she’d be able to keep her poker face on more often, but alas, she was a woman, and women were very rarely incapable of sympathy. Well, then again, Bellatrix Lestrange was a woman and look at her.

She inhaled deeply and allowed the breath slowly out her nose as George repeated his words. She nodded slowly before her eyes found him again. She hadn’t even realized she’d been staring off into the trees.

“Yeah…” was all she managed at first, not really knowing where else to go. “I haven’t either.” The worry crept up within her once more, but she tried to dismiss it. She’d find Angelina eventually if it was the last thing she did. And if she didn’t? Well you can bet you know the first person Katie’s ghost was going to haunt! She bit her bottom lip gently before her eyes looked around the property once more, the sun rising higher and higher with each passing minute. Katie wasn’t sure how much time they’d spent outside, but didn’t mind. In fact, she kind of enjoyed being out here, near the tree line. It was quiet, and comfortable, and really quite gorgeous. Why didn’t they come here more often when they were younger? Oh right; they’d been too busy trying to soak each other with water balloons and throwing things out windows and being overwhelmingly rowdy all the time. Okay, not all the time, just a good 99% of it.

Katie’s eyes found George once more and she offered him a small smile before nodding her head in the direction of the house. “So whaddya say? Think I can coax mum into making eggs?” Her grin widened at the thought of food. Merlin she was such a boy. No wonder she was still single. She let out a small laugh at the thought before pushing herself up off the ground and dusting the dirt off her jeans, offering a hand to George to help him up. She beamed down at him mischievously before waving her fingers in goodbye to him, not giving him enough time to object before she apparated out of the yard and right into the kitchen. She heard Molly gasp lightly and Katie chuckled sheepishly.

“Sorry mum,” she apologized through a laugh, her cheeks turning the slightest bit pink, and Molly shook her head gently. She’d been crying again, you could tell from how red her eyes were, but Katie would say nothing.

“Think I can have some breakfast?” Her face lit up in another grin, and surprisingly enough, Molly smiled too.

“You certainly can, Katie. Is… is George going to have something?” You could hear the worry in the woman’s voice, and it broke Katie’s heart a bit before she shook her head no slowly. Molly sighed a bit dejected and nodded.

“He will eventually, though. I promise,” Katie said, wanting to reassure the woman that George would be okay.

[GEORGE FABIAN WEASLEY]

George was glad that Katie seemed happy at the thought of eating a Weasley meal – he knew that his mother would be glad about it as well. Too many times that woman had cooked, only to come back to full plates and empty stomachs. Yet still, she made meal after countless meal, in the hopes that her family would devour their servings as they had in happier times. A full stomach meant a happy person, after all. If George could give his mother anything, it would be the pleasure of seeing him eat a delicious, fulfilling meal made with love. In time, though, the wizard’s stomach would require more nourishment than the daily amounts of alcohol he poured into it. Soon, though not soon enough for any of those who worried about him, he knew. Turning his attention back to Katie Bell, he tried to skirt over the subject of Angelina, though not with much success. Truthfully, the young man had tried not to think of his brother’s girlfriend. The sadness that she had to be dealing with was unimaginable to him, though he was sure if he tried hard enough, he could think of how much it would hurt to lose someone so special to him. George didn’t know what he would do if he ever lost Adrienne in such a manner – he wasn’t sure he could survive something like that. Shaking his head, he rid himself of the horrible thought and allowed the moment to pass. He looked at his friend with a sadness he couldn’t mask, nor could cover with any bout of confidence. “I’m sure Angelina will turn up fine. She needs time, certainly. Something like this…. She’s fine,” he said, though when George finished he wasn’t sure if he’d been speaking more for Katie’s benefit or his own.

He couldn’t help the grin when she questioned if he thought Molly would be up to cooking. “When doesn’t she feel like cooking? She’s been doing short of anything else since…you know….” With an awkward shrug, he reached out to take Katie’s hand, but wasn’t all too surprised when she Apparated before he had the chance to do anything about it. A small smile played his lips as he pushed himself up, running a hand through his mass of fiery hair. He rubbed the back of his neck and made to follow her, but decided to take the walk back to the Burrow instead. Sighing, his hands in his pockets, he set out towards the lopsided house, staring up at the structure with a sense of serenity that he hadn’t felt in a long time. The walk across the lawn seemed longer than George remembered, though that was probably due to the fact that he paused every so often to tear his eyes away from the family dwelling, in order to take in his surroundings. He could see clearly the place that Katie had mentioned earlier – the spot where their old team made a bonfire and the probability of one of them catching light as well had been inevitable. He shook his head at the memory, and kept walking. As he continued to walk across the yard, the memories continued to bombard him. The large expanse where he knew Ginny practiced flying on her own, after breaking in to the shed and taking turns on her brothers’ brooms; was a harder spot than he realized.

George couldn’t tell you how many late nights he had spent flying around with Fred, practicing for the next Quidditch season, or just for an extra bit of fun and relaxation. Flying had always been one of his favorite pastimes, but that too was something he hadn’t done since they lost Fred. Flying, Quidditch and magic were sure things that he made sure to steer clear of. If it hadn’t been for the fact that the shop hadn’t only been his dream but his twin’s as well – why, George felt as if he might not have returned to the shop either. He could see the ludicrous in the thought, for why would he ever want to give up Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes? It was something that tied him to Fred, and was the very reason he had kept it open, yet at the same time the reason he wanted to leave it in the first place. Too many memories to face all at once had been part of what made being without his brother unbearable. He knew he had to push on, however, even without everyone telling him to do so. He wasn’t sure why, but hearing it from Katie Bell had been more of an eye-opener than hearing it from anyone else. Guilt over Adrienne began to consume him, then, for he was sure his girlfriend wouldn’t be happy to hear that another woman had made him smile first. Still, he’d be lying if he didn’t say he couldn’t see the big deal in the matter. What does it matter where it came from, as long as it happened? He had taken that first step in moving forward, in becoming the person he had been before all the chaos reigned. It turned out that he had needed a friend, and Katie had taken it upon herself to be that person.

Shaking it off, George walked back past the chicken coop, careful not to scatter the hens this time as he passed, though the animals made sure to stay out of his way just the same. He could hear light chattering as he neared the Burrow, but paused outside the door before letting himself in. A deep breath and one more sweep under his eyes, another brush of his hair back behind his ears, and he felt ready to face his mother. Ready enough, at least. Stepping into the kitchen, he nodded to Katie Bell then turned to Molly. He gave her the best smile he could, which was still small and quite uncomfortable on his person, but was more than he had showed to anyone before that point. As he took the woman into his arms and allowed her to tighten their embrace, George knew that she would take it for what it was worth. His head buried in the hair atop her head – for being so much taller than her, he couldn’t’ burrow into her shoulder like he did when he was a child – the wizard closed his eyes and breathed deeply. How he had missed the smell of her. The smell and strength of the woman that made the Burrow his home, and home to many others, blood-related or not, was something that George had been searching for. He was surprised to have found it in such a manner, but was grateful that all she wanted to do was hold her son. Breaking her hold, he pulled away slowly, bending to place a loving kiss on her cheek. “Don’t cry, Mum,” he said quietly, touching the tears on her face. “We’ll be alright.”

Another smile, another small hug, and then George seated himself at the table. While he was sure he wasn’t going to ingest anything more than perhaps a glass of water, he would force himself to keep their company. No matter how badly he wanted to place himself in solitary confinement, what he needed was to be around others, to try and socialize in a normal manner. No matter how hard it would be for him, he would smile each time he looked at his mother, knowing she needed it just as much as he did, if not more. George would be sure to send an owl and call for Adrienne later as well, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to gather a tight foothold without her near him. She would steady him when he needed it, for after this first step the climb would be tumultuous. Until then, he would force his mind away from all the bad and try to live in the good of the moment – for it still came to them, even if Fred wasn’t there to enjoy it with them. In all honesty, though, George still felt him everywhere, and he wsa sure the others did too. Fred would never be gone from them, not completely, and that thought was something more comforting to the wizard than he might have imagined. He would live for himself, surely, almost as much as he would continue to live and try to be happy for the memory of his twin.