It had been a few days and Katherines mood had lifted considerably. She was bouncing around the flat making herself and the twins breakfast. She was a little sad she couldn't join them in the shop today because of the conditions set out by her dad but she wasn't going to let it spoil her mood.
"Georgie, Freddie! Breakfasts ready!" She shouted as she plated up breakfast. Not even thirty seconds later two sets of footsteps came bounding into the kitchen.
"Morning KitKat, breakfast smells good" George said before pressing a kiss the Katherines temple.
"Thank you love. Now go and eat, you and Freddie have a big day, especially with your siblings and mother coming" Katherine reminded them.
"What are you going to do today Kat?" Fred asked in between bites.
"I'm going to head back home, I'm not allowed down to the shop, especially with the how busy its going to be. So I'm going back to Uncle Siri's and I'm going to see if I can come up with some new ideas for you guys" Katherine said sweetly, smiling at the pair.
"Did I ever tell you how much I love you my darling" George said whilst getting up causing Katherine to giggle.
"I believe you have Mon Amour, however I may need to hear it again" Katherine said heading into the kitchen so she can get started on the dishes.
"Well I love you, now leave the dishes alone, me and Freddie can do them later before we head over to Sirius's place" George said gently pulling his small girlfriend away from the dishes causing her to laugh.
"I love you too Georgie. Now I must go, dad was expecting me fifteen minutes ago" Katherine said before pulling George down for a kiss.
"Yeah go before he looses his mind" George replied giving he another quick kiss and pushing her towards Fred so she can hug him.
"Bye Freddie, I'll see you later" Katherine said hugging him quickly before waving at the twins and apparating away. Landing outside of Grimmauld Place she quickly opened the door and headed inside before she was seen. She had just closed the door behind her and moved towards the dining room before the door was flung open and there stood her dad.
"Hi dad" Katherine said with wide eyes. She knew how worried he must have been, she could see it on his face.
"Katherine Lupin, where in Godric's name have you been!?" Lupin yelled causing Katherine to flinch.
"I made breakfast for the twins before coming home" Katherine replied looking down at her feet.
"Do you have any idea how worried I've been?" Lupin asked sharply. All the noise seems to have attracted Sirius, James and Lily.
"Yes dad, I know, and it wont happen again" Katherine replied softly whilst still looking at her feet. The other three adults could see how she was starting to withdraw, they knew she didn't like it when people raised their voices, let alone at her.
"I don't think you do Katherine. I've been sat her worried that something had happened to you!" Lupin yelled causing Katherine to flinch.
"Alright Moony, you've made your point" Sirius said quietly behind Lupin.
"No Sirius I don't think I have. I trusted her to make sure she was back on time. Any later and she was supposed to inform one of us" Lupin snapped again. Katherine remained looking at the floor, but it was too late. The tears started falling from her eyes and she felt like that 9-year-old little girl all over again. Or the 13-year-old who could never do anything right.
"Remus look at her, I think she understands" Lily said sharply before heading over to the girl who had seemed to shrink. Lily reached out to touch Katherine, causing the small girl to flinch away and whimper. Sirius and James recognised straight away what was happening, as James had seen it in Sirius and Sirius had lived through it.
"Lily, let me and Sirius sort it. Moony for the love of Merlin go and calm down" James snapped before herding Katherine off to her room with Sirius following close behind. "Right Embers I'm going to hug you if that's alright? I won't hurt you I promise" James said whilst slowly approaching the girl, as soon as he saw the soft nod he pulled Katherine to him and held her as the sob grew louder.
"Little one, no one is going to hurt you. You're safe here" Sirius cooed softly from beside James and Katherine. The girl didn't speak, she just cried harder and held onto James for dear life. The two men looked at each other knowing that the only way for her to get through this was to let her cry.
Katherine cried for what felt like an eternity. She cried for the 9-year-old girl who was beaten and tested on and left to die. She cried for the little girl who only ever wanted her parents love. She cried for the girl who had no friends growing up. She cried for the woman she is today, never being able to rest properly as she's always at risk. She cried because she was so tired of her trauma. She was just tired. Eventually her sobs died down and all that was left was silence.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Sirius asked gently, receiving nothing but a head shake in response. "Why don't we go and get some food?" Sirius asked again, bracing himself for another rejection he held out his hand, surprised when he felt her small one slip into it. "Come on little one and Prongs, I don't know about you two but I'm staving" Sirius said skipping off and pulling Katherine along with him.
"Little Dragon can I have a word?" Lupin asked as Katherine, Sirius and James walked into the dining room. She looked up at Sirius and then at James who both nodded softly at her before she in turn nodded at her dad. Walking into the hallway she sat on the stairs followed by her dad. "I'm sorry for yelling at you. No matter how worried I was, I should never have raised my voice at you" Lupin said ending it with a soft sigh.
"It's alright dad, I forgive you. I am sorry for running late and not telling you, I was so caught up in spending time with Fred and George that I hadn't been watching the clock" Katherine replied in a whisper, it was so quiet that Lupin had barely heard her.
"You have nothing to apologise for. Even though your 18, a lot of us seem to forget that you didn't have much of a childhood, and being around the twins brings you joy. Through all of this me, Sirius and now James and Lily have been fighting so hard to keep you out of it and safe in the house where you cant be seen that we have forgotten that you also need to be able to relax" her dad replied looking down at his hands.
"I know dad. I'm just so tired, I see everyone around me with the freedom to do as they please and I get jealous. When I'm around the twins I don't feel that jealousy and I guess I become careless" Katherine said taking her dads hand. It was silent for a moment before her dad stood up and pulled her back into the dining room. Taking their seats Katherine leans against Lupin.
"Do you wish that you had died when the accident happened?" Lupin asked cautiously. Katherine thought for a moment. Did she still wish that?
"I used to. It's still hard not to think like that sometimes. I was created to be a monster, to cause fear in people because there is no way to beat me, but then I met you on the train that day, and Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Lee, Fred and George. Then Uncle Sirius came along and then Aunt Lily and Uncle Prongs. It was only after the whole Ministry business and bringing Lily and James back did I realise that I'm glad I didn't die that day, because I wouldn't have what I have now" Katherine replied thoughtfully. "I'd never really given much thought into how I would die, but if I was to die defending any of you then its worth it in my books" Katherine added smiling up at her dad who's tears had fallen down his face.
"There is not a single person on this earth as pure as you are Katherine Lupin. Every single person in your life is lucky to have you" Lily said softly pulling the girl into a hug. "If it wasn't obvious we are all glad you are still alive" Lily added before heading off back into the kitchen to finish lunch.
"I second what Lily said" James said with a smile.
"I third it!" Sirius chimed in.
"I fourth it!" Lupin added making everyone laugh.
*******
Later that night Katherine was reading at the dining table waiting on the arrival of the twins, who were supposed to be coming over tonight. It wasn't long until the door to the dining room opened and the two devils she was waiting for walked in.
"Hey Fred. Hey Georgie" Katherine greeted placing her bookmark in her book and setting it down.
"Hey Kat" Fred replied sitting down across from her as George slipped into the seat at the side of her.
"How was work?" Katherine asked giving the twins her full attention.
"It was great, tiring but great. Ron, Harry, Hermione and Ginny came in today with mum, we gave Harry so products for free since we only managed to get it up and running because of his winnings from the Triwizard tournament. We managed to see so many people from Hogwarts. I ended up having to jump on the tills with Verity, she is amazing by the way. She so funny and smart and has been such a massive help over these past couple of months. I don't know what id do without her" George gushed, missing the look on everyone's face as he droned on about the new shop assistant.
"That's nice" Katherine replied in a very sickly-sweet tone, one that Fred recognised quickly and tried to give his brother subtle hints to not say anything else. "Lily do you want any help with dinner?" Katherine asked before heading into the kitchen with Lily.
"So this Verity, is she good looking?" Sirius asked with a cheeky smile, though there was a hidden emotion in his eyes.
"I'd say so, wouldn't you Fred?" George asked.
"Nothing compared to Katherine though George" Fed replied quickly. He's gobsmacked as just this morning no one could compare to Katherine in George's eyes.
"Yeah I suppose" George replied wistfully.
"What is the matter with you?" James snapped at George, who seemed to sober up to the situation.
"Nothing why? Of course no one comes close to Katherine, she is the love of my life, and I don't ever want to be without her" George snarked back.
"Really? Well with the way you just spoke about Verity to her it doesn't seem like that" Sirius chimed in.
"Shit" George muttered before heading into the kitchen. "KitKat?" George timidly called.
"What George?" Katherine replied quietly busying herself with washing some dishes, so the kitchen doesn't get cluttered.
"Are you alright?" he asked quietly causing Katherine to let out a laugh of disbelief, Lily hearing this slipped out the room to leave the two of them alone.
"Am I alright? Yes George I'm fine thank you for asking" Katherine replied sharply.
"I know your not though little love" George responded moving closes to her for Katherine to back up from him with her hand out.
"Your right, I'm not. I am jealous alright, and insecure" Katherine said quietly.
"Why?" George asked, before his conversation in the dining room with the others played through his mind, "your jealous of Verity?" George asked with a smile on his face and humour in his eyes.
"Yes George I am" Katherine replied before turning around and continuing with dying the dishes.
"Why?" He asked leaning against the counter.
"Because George, you came in here, didn't even greet me, and when I asked about your day it was filled with nothing but compliments about another girl" Katherine said with a sniffle, she hadn't even realised she started crying.
"Kat that's ridiculous" George said.
"I beg your pardon?" Katherine asked in disbelief.
"You are being ridiculous. You have no reason to be jealous. She is a friend and a colleague, that is it so you have no reason to be jealous" George snapped, instantly regretting his tone when he saw the look on Katherines face.
"I am not being ridiculous George. Of course I'm going to be jealous and get insecure. Others can give you what I cant. I cant leave the house because I'm being hunted, so we cant go out on dates or spend time together properly. I cant help you in the shop like I promised to do. I cant sit a cuddle with you at the end of a long day" Katherine cried, her heart hurt. She knew that she was probably overreacting, but she noticed the way his face lit up as he spoke about Verity, she knows it did because it's the same way it lit up when he saw her.
"Kat come on; she is just a friend. I want you, your smile, your eyes, the way you light up around your loved ones. I want you as you are, you are strong, beautiful, brave and someone I love and admire more than anyone else in this world. I don't care that we cant have normal right now because I would rather you be safe. I promise you Kat there is no one else in this world that I want. I only want you" George cooed pulling her to him. "I'm sorry for making you question that".
"I'm sorry too, I love you Georgie" Katherine mumbled into his shirt.
"I love you too little love" George replied pressing a kiss to her head. Unknown to the pair, things were about to get so much harder.