Sky full of stars {Harry Potter Fanfiction}

32. Bittersweet

Everything seemed to blur around us as everything Kat knew caved in on her. Mum was apologetic, telling Helen that Peter Pettigrew was dead, Helen was embarrassed that she'd told Kat in such an abrupt way. Kat was crying, the hope her Mother may be found without fuss snatched from her.

The festivity ended quickly from there, with Helen taking Kat home, Cassie insisting she must go as well. I made myself useful, getting Cassie's things together, and Fred bundling leftover cake for my friends to take.

"It'll be okay." I told Kat as she held her wand out for the Knight bus with tears falling without an end down her face. I hadn't seen her so upset since she'd told me about her Mother. "I promise."

Kat screwed her eyes shut and collapsed under Cassie's warm embrace around her shoulders. "I'll make sure she's okay" Cassie mouthed to me.

Helen murmured apologies to my Mum for ruining the evening—which Mum said she didn't, although she looked quite dazed—as the shockingly purple Knight Bus appeared from nowhere, taking my two friends away from me.

I found myself cemented in place on the grass, staring at the gap in the trees the bus had shot through. Soft skin brushed against mine, and I jumped when I realised Fred had touched my arm.

"You'd best add it to the list." Fred said softly.

"What?"

He gave me one of those determined smiles, a twinkle in his eye I saw before he pulled a prank or kissed me without me expecting it. "Well we have to find Kat's sibling don't we? And come on—this guy Pettigrew pops up again? This is all getting very X-Documents."

"X-Files." I corrected, and nudging myself against his chest, he automatically put an arm around me. "Does—does that mean you're going to help me and Elijah?"

Fred rolled his eyes. "That's a stupid question: of course I am. I'll rope in George as well, if you don't mind. We can combine our twin powers to find some answers to this conspiracy."

Looking up at him, I felt a rush of affection as hot as liquid gold. I kissed him on the scar that curved over his lip. I know knew it was the result of him crashing his broomstick into a tree when he was six--another fact I'd learned about him.

 "I love you so much, Fred Weasley."

Fred turned as red as his hair, but kissed me lightly on the top of my head. "I love you too."

We went back inside the house to find Cedric clearing the table, looking troubled and raised voices coming from the kitchen.

"What's happened now?" I asked him wearily.

"Sasha's shouting at your Mum again." The normally ever-cheery Cedric sounded irritated. "She can't ever let things go."

"I'll see what's going on." I sighed, and giving Fred's hand a quick squeeze, I hurried out into the kitchen.

Mum and Sasha were having a face off, Sasha had her fists clenched and her curls sparked with a electricity. My usually fierce Mum was leaning against the sink with her arms folded and her hands shaking.

"How was I to know Peter Pettigrew had a secret child—" Mum was bright red, and her eyes were full of tears. "He—he promised me he'd watch out for Katherine's mother, he promised he'd make sure she adjusted back to Muggle life—"

"Well maybe you didn't know him as well as you thought?" Sasha said, her voice oozing with sarcasm. "And hmm... wait a second. Does that mean, maybe, just maybe you don't know everything that goes though somebody's head?"

"Sasha don't—"

"So maybe, Mother you're letting your decades old love for our Father blind you?" I'd never heard my sister sound so cruel. "Maybe you can't accept that you're so lonely you'd overlook our Father's murdering habits for a cheeky shag—"