Cored

Chapter 14: Broken Doors

George and Katherine went back to the joke shop. He took her back to the office and showed her a variety of products still in development, including his newest batch of fireworks designed to be set off inside. They crackled around her in all different colors, but she did notice an abundance of green. Eventually she sunk into a cozy armchair and started reading Hogwarts, A History, while he worked, peppering him with questions about his alma mater.

"So, the girl's stairs turn into a slide if a boy walks up them?"

George laughed. "Supposedly, though Ron is the only one I've ever heard of who actually had it happen to him."

"With Hermione?" Katherine asked, a little scandalized.

"They weren't together yet, he was just trying to tell her something. But landed right on his arse in the process."

"And the ceiling of the cafeteria really looks like a sky?"

"The Great Hall," George corrected, "is hardly just a cafeteria."

When they finally popped back into the hills by the village, it was dusk. Katherine paid attention and felt her hand go cold again. But she shook it off when it turned back warm just as quickly as before.

"I hope you had a good time today," George said as they made it towards the town.

"I did," she said. "it made everything feel more real, I think."

"Good." He said, pausing. "Katherine, I know you don't want to talk about Charlie –"

"I don't," she said matter-of-factly.

"But he did give me just a very small recap of what happened before I about punched him." Katherine didn't look at him, just folded her arms and kicked her feet against the dirt. "And I know that Fred and I, we made some choices that, ideally, you should have been able to make for yourself. But whatever Charlie or Ron or anyone else says, it was hard to watch you and your mother go. And it's never gotten any easier for you to be gone. But every choice seemed the right thing to do."

"Okay," Katherine said, keeping her pace.

"Okay?" George asked. "Like, okay you get it or okay, get away from me?"

"Okay, I trust Fred was trying to do the right thing," she said. "I'm not going to hold a dead man's actions against him, George. What's done is done." Something flashed in George's eyes, but it cycled too quickly for Katherine to catch everything that was happening.

"Your father loved you very much," he said finally. Both of them stood awkwardly for a moment, but then Katherine heard the door of the pub open and close and Mark, along with the young man he had been with the other day, walk out. They were still far enough from the reach of the village lights that the men didn't see them.

"I'd better get inside," she said, feeling a shiver go up her spine.

"Hate to keep Kev waiting," George said. It sounded serious at first, but he grinned up at her.

"Another thing we are not going to talk about," Katherine said simply, looking at him over her glasses.

"Not tonight, at least," he said.

"Thank you again, for the book and everything else today." Katherine smiled with the remaining warmth from the photograph.

"Of course," he said. "I can't come by tomorrow. Ron and I have got a meeting with the Ministry. But Wednesday, Angelina wants to have you over for dinner. And I'll set up a time for us to see Mr. Ollivander, too, for his final prognosis."

"Okay," Katherine said.

"I'll pick you up around 4." Before he left, he stared at her a long minute, and then gave her a big hug. He was very tall, and she was very not, so it was a bit awkward. But Katherine saw the picture moving in her head and hugged him back.