We will meet again ~ Fred Weasley

- A Different Connection -

"Some bonds are chosen. Others are forged by fate."

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Secluded inside a small Muggle café tucked away between rows of darkened London buildings, the four of them sat in exhausted silence.

Outside, life carried on as though nothing had happened.

Cars rolled steadily along the wet streets.

People hurried past the windows carrying shopping bags and umbrellas, completely oblivious to the fact that, only an hour earlier, the British wizarding world had changed forever.

Inside, however, the air felt impossibly heavy.

Every chair seemed too hard.

Every sound too loud.

Every second that passed stretched endlessly.

Katherine wrapped both hands around the mug of coffee Hermione had silently ordered for her, though it had long since gone cold. She hadn't taken a single sip. She simply stared into the dark liquid, watching tiny ripples dance across its surface whenever her hands trembled.

She couldn't stop thinking about the Burrow.

About Molly.

Arthur.

George.

Ginny.

Bill and Fleur.

The Order.

...

Fred.

The image refused to leave her mind.

Standing beneath the wedding marquee with his wand already drawn.

Protectively positioning himself in front of Ginny without hesitation.

His face.

His eyes.

The way he'd looked at her just before she'd Disapparated away.

I love you.

The words echoed so loudly inside her head that she almost flinched.

She'd left without answering.

Without saying goodbye.

Without knowing if she'd ever see him again.

A painful lump rose into her throat.

"...Do you think they're alright?"

Her voice was so quiet none of them answered immediately.

She finally looked up.

Harry stared blankly at the table.

Hermione had her elbows resting beside an enormous rucksack, fingers pressed tightly against her temples as she tried desperately to think several steps ahead.

Ron was watching Katherine instead.

Worried.

"They're all brilliant witches and wizards," Katherine continued softly.

"The Order was there..."

Her voice faltered.

"...but so were Death Eaters."

Silence.

"I keep thinking..." She swallowed. "...what if somebody stayed behind because of us?"

Nobody interrupted.