“You’re leaving?”

Fred prepared himself for an angry outburst. He braced himself against her wrath. He was ready for yelling and cursing and possibly even hitting.

In short, Fred expected Katie to be…well, Katie.

“You’re leaving?” Katie repeated. Fred could tell the shock was about to wear off, and he steeled himself against a wave of emotional overload.

Fred watched closely as Katie’s face changed from shock to anger. She clenched her fists, narrowed her eyes, and planted her feet.

Then Katie collapsed, sobbing, into Fred’s arms.

Stunned, Fred took a moment to respond, After the initial shock blew over, he wrapped his arms tentatively around Katie, and the sudden realization of just how small and fragile she was hit him.

It was a strange feeling, love. Fred had known Katie all his life. He had watched her sass teachers and duel his twin brother. He had witnessed with his own eyes how she followed potions instructions in reverse order just to make Snape made. He had even heard her let off a stream of curses that would have made his mother’s ears bleed. But suddenly it hit him just how…well, tiny she was. As if the littlest breeze could knock her over.

Tightening his arms around her petite figure, Fred kissed her forehead. “Don’t be sad,” he pleaded. “It won’t be that bad. I promise I’ll visit. Every Hogsmeade weekend. And we’ll write all the time. Come on, please don’t cry.”

Sniffled, Katie swallowed hard and said something incoherent against Fred’s chest.

“What was that, Katie?” he asked, trying to will her tears to dry.

“It won’t be the same,” Katie repeated. “You’ll be out there, in the real world, a successful business owner. You’ll make loads of money, and meet hundreds of girls. You won’t want a girlfriend who’s still in school.”

Fred froze. “Is that what you think?” he asked, but it came out as a whisper.

Katie didn’t respond. Fred loosened his hold on her and tilted her head back so he could look into her eyes. “I will always want you,” he informed her. “I love you.”

With those three words, Katie fell apart again, falling against Fred’s chest with a dull thud, and he caught her just before she slid to the ground.

“Do you?” Katie asked, so quietly it was nearly inaudible, between sobs that were muffled by Fred’s chest. He was vaguely aware that she was ruining his shirt, but at this point the didn’t caring about anything but drying her tears. Fred had always thought that if he died during this war, it would take at least ten Death Eaters to take him down. It turns out all it really took was watching Katie’s heart break and knowing he had caused it.

“Of course I do,” Fred replied stroking her hair as she cried. “I thought you knew that. Katherine Elizabeth Bell, you are 90 percent of the reason I get out of bed in the morning.”

“What’s the other 10 percent?” Katie sniffled.

“Well, I usually have to pee when I wake up…”

Katie laughed in spite of herself.

“Furthermore,” Fred continued seriously, talking into her hair. “I am doing this for you. I fully intend to marry you one day, Katie, and I have to do it properly, now don’t I?”

Katie looked up at Fred, her eyes glistening with the tears she was trying not to let go. At that moment, a single raindrop his Katie’s cheek. Within seconds, her and Fred were standing in a full-on downpour.

“We should go inside,” Fred murmured. “Or you’ll catch cold.”

“Wait,” Katie said desperately. “If you’re leaving, and Umbridge is taking away Hogsmeade privileges left and right, this may be the last time we see each other until summer. Alone, I mean.”

“And we have to spend it in the rain?” Fred asked, confused.

Katie rolled her eyes. “Boys,” she muttered under her breath. Then she grinned up at Fred. “Just shut up and kiss me.”