Almost

Chapter 22: Home

"You said you'd think about it."

Crawley stayed quiet. Katherine didn't even have to look at him to know how he stood, his feet shoulder width apart and chest square with her. Had he a wand in his hand, he'd have been ready for a duel.

"You said—"

"I said I'd protect you."

Katherine looked at him now, meeting his stance with her own. She saw him steady—he knew she needed no wand.

"I've never asked you to—"

"I promised myself. I promised your father. Promised your grandparents and all of your aunts and uncles. I even went to your mother's grave and promised her."

"I can keep myself safe, thanks."

"You're right," he said, surprising her. "You can. You are very powerful, and you have magic that rest of us can only dream about. But you aren't unbeatable. I'm your back up. So, I'm asking you to play at my level just in case."

She could feel her brain racing to find a point to argue, find a hole in his logic. But she needed more time, so she just kept him talking.

"Why couldn't you wake me up to tell me that? Instead of just making apology coffee."

He sighed. "It was early. I hoped I'd be back before you woke up. And it isn't apology coffee, it's just coffee."

"You only make it when you've done something to make me angry. Like when we were supposed to go on a date last month and you got stuck at the office all night."

"We can't keep doing this, Katherine. I can't keep apologizing for wanting to keep you alive."

She folded her arms and shifted her weight from one hip to the other, not willing to give up any height. "I'm not mad you want me alive. I'm mad that you think the only way to do that is going behind my back."

Crawley picked up his phone to look at the time. "We should go. Quahog was right about the light."

"What about Charlie's dinner?" Katherine asked. "We're supposed to be at the Burrow soon."

"I forgot," he admitted, running his hands through his blond curls. "I should tell Hermione you're okay. She'll be worried."

"They'll all know. Might as well tell them in person."

He nodded, looking at her for a long minute before putting on walking towards her and putting his hands on her shoulders. "I thought I lost you today, Katherine. It wasn't fun. I don't want to do it again."

She knew now what she had to say, how she would make him regret this. The little voice in her head that wanted to see how far she could push was cheering her on. If he made her do this, made her give up, she'd be lost anyways.

But she didn't say it. She squirreled it away, knowing it wouldn't help anything now.

"Can we go but not stay too long? I'm sure they'll understand."

Katherine looked up at him. She could see the pleading in his eyes, the hardness giving way to desperation. A need for her to be okay. For them to be okay.

But she couldn't give him that. Her head was spinning, making it impossible to focus on anything other than conjuring the door to the Burrow.

"Don't say anything to them yet," she told him as he put on his suitcoat to follow her to the Weasley's. "I don't want to take away from Charlie's celebration. I'll say I have a headache—will give us an out before dinner."

The plan worked as Katherine expected. They were back at the Nest within the hour, and Katherine went upstairs without saying a word to Crawley.

She pulled out her suitcase. It was still enchanted to hold more than it should. With a wave of her wand, her clothes started folding themselves in neat stacks inside. She then pointed her wand at the roof, walking up the spiral staircase as it materialized.