We will meet again ~ Fred Weasley

101| stood-up

Katherine opens her eyes to the dimly lit room, though it is daytime no one had opened the thick drapes. The movement of one leg tells her that her head is in bits. She squints, dry mouth sticky with thick saliva and moans before retreating under the duvet. Her hand reaches over to Fred's side of the bed, feeling the coldness of the mattress on her fingertips, telling her he hadn't been here for a while.

He's at the shop, was her first thought. It's a Sunday...they don't open on a Sunday. Restocking the shelves was the next but they don't get deliveries until tomorrow morning.

Katherine pushed herself onto her elbows, looking at the emptiness of the bed, looking much larger without him. Especially since his pillow was gone. Her eyebrows bunched up, unsure as to what happened and just to be certain, she leant over his side to check whether it had fallen on the floor. But nothing. It made her feel cold; not waking up with his arm draped over her bare shoulders. The chill up her arms had only just sunk in.

She wrapped herself back in the duvet, waves of nausea adding to her misery. Kat tried to allow herself to not worry and not over-think. But it was a trait she despised, she had no control over it when it came.

Now her dehydration was too obvious to ignore. She would have to crawl down the hall on all fours just to make it. Again her stomach lurched. Perhaps some painkillers would help too.

She raised her heavy eyelids. Swinging her bare feet to the hardwood flooring again. It was cold and sticky underfoot, only reminding her of the cleaning needing to be done. Not today, it would be an impossible task.

The shuffling outside of the door caught her attention, frightening her, yet again fearing the worst. But the thought of Fred snapped her out of it. She could hear in their footsteps they were leaving the bathroom.

He was showering.

What an idiot she was being.

She pushed herself up, holding her hand to her mouth at the thought of puking. Katherine had made it to the door, resting her head against the door frame before she opened it. It was not what she was expecting. A woman. One she hadn't seen before. In a towel.

There was a deep richness to her black skin; clear as day. Her large eyes widened as she gripped onto her towel that was slipping when she jumped. She was undeniably stunning, her eyes, captivating. However, who was she? Katherine didn't have the faintest idea.

"Who are you?" She squinted looking down both sides of the hall for anyone else in the flat. The girl before her just tightened the towel around her chest as if she hadn't heard the question. "Where's Fred?" She spat. Not expecting a response.

She brought her eyes up to meet Katherine's, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her own ear. It was curly, naturally.

Jealousy. She hadn't even known the situation but was envious of this girl without a clue as to who she was. She was blatantly ignoring her, acting as if she wasn't stood there at all.

"Kyra!" A voice boomed from down the hall. "Sorry if she woke you, Kat." George sighed, coming up beside her and taking her hand in his. Katherine only squealed at the sight of him. Launching at him despite the girl hooked onto his arm.

There is no fire whisky in the world that can match the smallest speck of this joy that is her friend. For no matter the weather or the place she finds herself in, it is there within her and she is warm. That's how George made her feel. A brother, her best friend. All of it. He had been gone months with only two letters sent. For a moment she thought he couldn't come back.