Almost

Chapter 9: Hometown

Katherine and George made their way back through the web of hallways and to the entrance to the school.

"I still can't believe you went to school here," Katherine said as they sat on the edge of the Black Lake, letting the midafternoon sunshine sweep across her skin. She was examining the magic around the castle more clearly now, the mass of colors that wove around it. She could pick out bits of McGonagall's multi-toned grey. One particular set of bright blue streaks caught as it jumped and crackled like hers did, but the gentle way it did when she was calm. It seemed to be like that less and less frequently these days. She shook her head, examining the rest of the colors in turn, amazed by her father's easy, nonchalant presence. "How did you ever force yourself to study when there was so much to see?"

"Well, in all fairness, we didn't study much. Our future laid outside the world of academic achievement."

She laughed, imagining some of the stories she had been told unfolding in the corridors they had just left.

"This castle has more to do than my whole hometown," she noted.

George nodded, turning to watch his daughter's expression. She was pretty good at hiding her thoughts most of the time, but there was something extra wispy in her face.

"I'd like to see it."

"See what?"

"Your hometown," George answered with a shrug. "You've seen all of my places. The Burrow, Hogwarts, the shop—I'd like to see yours."

"You've been there," she said quietly, pulling her sweater tighter around her and twisting her engagement ring.

"Sure, but that was... wasn't a leisurely visit. I want to see it the way you did. Where you went to school, where you and your friends spent time, where you got so addicted to coffee."

Katherine laughed and looked up at him. "There are no portraits that talk or doors that just emerge. It's boring."

"It's yours, though," George said. "Interesting to me."

She knew he was really trying. Trying to make up for time lost, trying to understand her, trying to make her feel like she hadn't missed out on too much. And something about that made Katherine feel like a little girl again, like she could just tuck herself into his side and believe it was as okay as she always pretended it was.

"If you're sure..."

"I'm sure," he said, standing. "Let's go now."

"Now?"

"Why not?"

She laughed and took his outstretched hand to help herself up. Brushing the grass from her pants, she gestured for him to lead the way.

"Should we tell Charlie?" she said, conjuring Nestor. The little woodpecker was almost back to his typical brightness as he flitted onto her open palm.

The walk back to the school gates was harder than Katherine thought it would be. She kept wanting to turn around and stare at the castle, let the rope that seemed to have wrapped around her chest pull her back to the magical haven. But George was giddy to get to Iowa.

Once they were outside of the barriers, Katherine made quick work of summoning the door to Iowa. She felt odd letting George come with her, like maybe she was betraying some secret her mother had kept from him. But there was nowhere else that could serve as their starting point.

Katherine opened the door and walked through, greeted by the familiar warmth of her childhood home. Everything was as she and Crawley had last left it—neat, but unmistakably cozy and bright.