We will meet again ~ Fred Weasley

- What He Showed Me -

"I had spent months defending him. The cruelest part was discovering that the truth hurt less than seeing how much it had hurt him."

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For the first time in what felt like forever, Katherine Potter found herself smiling without forcing it.

The past few weeks had been a blur of sleepless nights, ignored meals, unanswered questions, and the crushing ache of missing someone she loved. Every day had felt heavier than the last. Every corridor reminded her of Fred. Every joke reminded her of Fred. Every visit to Hogsmeade reminded her of Fred.

But now?

Things weren't perfect.

Fred was still in Diagon Alley.

She was still trapped at Hogwarts.

The war was still looming over all of them.

Yet somehow the world seemed brighter.

Manageable.

The knot that had been permanently lodged in her chest had loosened.

And as winter settled over Hogwarts, frosting the castle windows and covering the grounds in thick blankets of white snow, Katherine found herself laughing again.

Actually laughing.

Not pretending.

Not for everyone else's benefit.

For herself.

Which was exactly why she currently found herself standing in the Quidditch stands in freezing weather while icy rain soaked through her coat.

"COME ON, RON!"

Her voice echoed across the pitch.

Several students turned to stare in shock. A Slytherin supporting a Gryffindor was scandalous.

Katherine couldn't have cared less.

The weather was absolutely miserable.

The sky was a dull grey. Rain hammered down relentlessly. The wind cut through every layer she wore.

But Ron looked like he might actually pass out from nerves, and there was no way she was missing this.

Beside her, Hermione was gripping the railing so tightly her knuckles had gone white.

Katherine smirked.

"Relax."

"I'm perfectly relaxed."

"Hermione."

"I am."

Katherine raised an eyebrow.

Hermione immediately looked away.

Exactly.

Ron stood near the goalposts looking utterly terrified.

His broom wobbled slightly beneath him.

His shoulders were rigid.

Even from this distance Katherine could tell he was overthinking absolutely everything.

It made her heart ache.

Because for all Ron's stubbornness and occasional stupidity, he cared.

Far too much.

He wanted this.

And that vulnerability was written all over his face.

Meanwhile, Ginny looked completely at home.