Counting Stars (A George Weasley/Katie Bell Love Story)

Chapter One

Chapter One

The sun entered through the windows and shined upon the blonde haired girl who wasn't sleeping soundly on her bed. No. She was tossing and turning. Screaming here and there. Memories of that horrible night went through her mind as it always did at this time. This was when her potion stopped working. The bloodbath in her mind exactly how it was the night of the Battle of Hogwarts. Most people didn't know how bad it was. Especially when it came to those who weren't even there and pretended to know everything. But with the final blow, this to herself, Katie Bell jumped awake and touched her chest as she gasped for breath.

Her whole body shook and she quickly reached over to her nightstand and grabbed the pink potion vile before opening it and taking a drink. This was to help soothe her anxiety. The panic that was set in. The memories from a year ago that hurt not only her but everyone she loved. She closed her eyes tight and sighed as the potion took a minute to start working before reopening her eyes and looking around her room. Daylight had set in and the morning birds sang outside the window. Everything was happier than the inside of her mind.

But that's how it always was. Every day. Happy things happened and Katie was never happy. She just hid it well. For the others. Her friends. All of them were distraught over the death of their friend Fred Weasley. Angelina Johnson had locked herself away. Alicia Spinnet took it as her job to be a mother to them all and make sure they didn't do anything. Lee Jordan tried cheering them all up. Then there was George. He was the closest to Fred since they were brothers and he was the one who took the death the hardest.

Katie remembers it all too well. How George reacted to the death. At first he was crying. Then he turned silent. And now it was anger. Pure anger. Katie has never seen someone like that. It first came out after he reopened the shop. Katie had gone there one day to see him and he screamed at a kid for breaking a product. Screamed. It wasn't George. He wasn't George. And he hasn't been since. And it didn't help that he started drinking. Heavily. Not even firewhiskey. It was a mix that only he seemed to have the stomach for.

But that didn't stop Katie from going to see him every day. Well, she had to since she worked for him. She started after that incident. She let him stay upstairs in the office and she did every. She ran the place, did the orders, and made sure they were making money since Percy went back to work and Ron started to become an Auror. She wasn't alone, though. Lee was there every day as well and he ran the cash register and stocked shelves. Together, they had helped get the business up and moving. They were also trying to get George to stop drinking.

Every morning she went there and every night she closed. Her flat wasn't far. In fact, she lived with Lee in Diagon Alley. Most of the time, though, it wasn't just them there. Alicia crashed their often and whenever they could drag Angelina out, she did too. Oliver Wood visited often. And George slept on the couch most night when he didn't want to return to the Burrow. Though the previous night wasn't one of those. They were all there for each other. Every single one of them. But they couldn't move on together. They were stuck.

Katie got out of bed and sighed as she got on her work attire; knowing she was running late. She wondered if Lee opened the shop already and why on earth he let her sleep in. Though they both knew how much she didn't sleep. It wasn't necessary. And she wondered if George was already there. Without her, was he downstairs? Quickly, she finished and ran down the cobbled street to the purple shop that was still more vibrant than any of the other stores in Diagon Alley.

Walking in, she found George down there and he was red faced as he was talking to a customer. Lee nodded as he tried finishing up checking out this person. Katie rushed over to her friend and touched his arms. "George, I think you have some paperwork upstairs. Why don't you do that and I'll finish with this guy?" She asked and looked into his eyes. He grumbled and stormed off up the stairs without really saying anything. This always happened with him. But Katie shook it off and apologized to the customer and taking over whatever George was doing.

After the customer left, she walked over to Lee and the two were alone. She sighed and looked into his eyes. "What was that?" She asked and fixed her shirt. "Why wasn't he upstairs?"

Lee sighed and shrugged. "I tried to get him to go but you're the only one who can seem to do that." He ran his fingers through his dreadlocks. "All I heard was the customer ask how the boxing telescope worked and George started snapping."

Katie looked down. "I'll go talk to him. I think it's getting worse since the anniversary is this weekend." She faked a smile to Lee before she headed up the stairs towards George's office.

A couple months ago when they all came in to clean the place, there were pictures of Fred and George all leading up to the office door and to the flat. Not anymore. Those were all taken down and the door to the flat was locked. The key was somewhere in the office but Katie didn't know where. The office now, once full of products and more, was now like an office for a lawyer or something. It was boring. And didn't feel right to the (controlled) chaos downstairs. And the office faintly smelled of alcohol.

That smell hit her as soon as she opened the door and peeked into the room. George had his back turned to her and she closed the door quietly. She walked closer to him and touched his back. "George, I know..." Before she could say anything else, he turned around and wrapped his arms around her. He was crying. His body was shaking with the tears and she felt them hit her skin. Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around him and held him tight. She didn't have to ask what was wrong. It was always the same thing. "George, sh. Everything is going to be okay." She assured him and rubbed his back.

But he shook his head. His whole body shook hers as they stood there. "Fred could've handled that. He... I..." He couldn't finish. He just cried again.

Katie shook her head. "You don't have to say it, George." She rubbed his back more. She knew exactly what George was thinking. he didn't even have to say. She just knew.

It took a good half hour before Katie could get George calm enough so she could leave. Reluctantly. She honestly hated leaving him alone but she needed to help Lee with the shop. While the day went normally, she couldn't stop thinking about her friend upstairs. All she wanted to do was make sure George was okay. Finally, when the shop closed, she went upstairs to check on him. But this wasn't a scene she wanted to see. George was passed out on the floor with a bottle of some Muggle drink by him.

"George!" Katie yelled as she panicked and ran to him. Touching his cheek, she casted a water spell to wake him up and he coughed as he started to stir. Katie's heart raced against her chest and she sighed as she hugged him. "Come on. You're coming home with me." 

Getting Lee to help, the three went back to Katie and Lee's place and she sent an owl to Mrs. Weasley before starting to nurse George. She brought him some coffee and sat with him on the couch. It was only them as Lee went to check on Angelina and Alicia so it was silent as George sobered up and Katie watched him. Soon, he laid down and put his head on her lap. She ran her fingers through his hair and looked looked at his face.

"George, you need to be careful."  She said and touched his cheek. "None of us want to lose you."

He closed his eyes. "I'd rather be dead than be here." He said bluntly.

She kind of wanted to slap him but avoided doing so. She knew that wouldn't help but she hated hearing him talk like that.  "George, please. Fred wouldn't want that."

"Well Fred's not here!" He snapped. Katie jumped and sighed before looking away. She could feel George shift and heard him sigh. "I'm sorry, Katie. That was..."

She shook her head and looked back down at him. "It's okay. Really. Just rest." She said and faked a smile before moving to lay next to him on the couch and closing her eyes.

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Writer's Note: Hey guys! I know it's been a while since I wrote anything but I'm back and this will be the start of my new fanfiction. So far, I think this first chapter is lame and I'm still working out what's going to happen in this story. I'm not sure when you'll get another chapter. Maybe even tonight if I'm in a super writing mood but we'll see. Hope you enjoy this. ~Kayla

Edit: I did add to this chapter so here it is.