Easier To Run

A/N : Sorry its been so long since I updated. Been busy. And now my laptop is being sent in to be replaced! Finally! But that means its going to be slow going because I now have to type on the keyboard from hell a.k.a. my PC. And my seat isn't as comfortable. :) But in a little over two weeks I should have a brand new laptop and we should be back on a schedule of like 3-4 chapters a week. I might cut back to 1-2 chapters a week. Honestly, my computer chair is murder on my back. But I promise, I'll make 'em good. :)

Ok, this chapter is some more things at The Burrow and then its back to the castle. Uh, and Ol is like jumping up and down in my brain, begging to be placed in a chapter. Cedric too. But I just don't know where to put them in the chapter. Ugh. Maybe next chapter. OK, onward loyal readers and reviewers. We will overcome this setback. LOL.

****

Playing Quidditch with the Weasley men was different than playing with just Fred and George. It was a "no holds bar" game and Katie ended up with a nasty welt on her arm from Fred. But she didn't notice, as she was watching Ron. He had great speed, even on the older broom he was playing on, and had fast reflexes. When they landed and the game had ended, Katie smiled at Ron.

"Ever think of playing for Gryffindor, Ron?" she said as Fred was checking on her arm.

Ron went red with embarrassment. "Not really. I'm not good enough for the House Team."

"Nonsense," she said before turning to Fred, "My arm is fine, Fred," she said, rolling her eyes and turning back to Ron, "You should try out this coming year. We need a good Keeper after all."

They all began their trek back to The Burrow. Percy came up behind Katie and threw a sweaty arm around her shoulders.

"You ok?" he asked quietly.

Katie nodded, but leaned against Percy. "Complicated."

She felt Percy nod and rub her arm absently. She looked at him, smiling.

"You fly well, Perce."

He looked down at her frowning. "I think you need your eyes checked, Kate."

Katie arched an eyebrow at him. "You do. Honestly. How come you never played for Gryffindor?"

George passed by at that moment, looking at Katie oddly. "Are you feeling alright, Kate? Percy play Quidditch?"

Katie shot a glare at George, who held up his hands in surrender. She looked back up at Percy, whose frown was now imprinted on his face. Katie nudged him, and when he looked down at her, she pouted. A moment later, Percy's face broke into a grin. Katie grinned back. That always worked on Percy when he was upset. But to Katie he still looked a million miles away, and was looking up in front of him at his brothers.

"Because that wasn't my place in the family," he said quietly, frowning again.

Katie threaded her arm around his waist and forced a hug on him. "I will never understand how that mind of yours works, Perce."

Percy resumed rubbing her injured arm as they walked. "I am an enigma."

They approached The Burrow, and Percy helped her over the hedge and into the yard.

"So, how's Penelope?"

Percy went distant again and Katie got scared. "We, uh, broke up."

Katie stopped in the middle of the Weasley's garden and looked at Percy scandalized. "Why? I thought everything was good between you two."

Percy just shrugged and pushed his glasses up from where they had slid down his nose. "We...grew apart."

Katie looked at him skeptically, but decided not to push the issue. She instead, grabbed his hand, and pulled him toward the house. Once inside, Mrs. Weasley fretted over her arm.

"Merlin, Fred! How in the world did you do that?" she said looking at her son enraged.

"Honestly, Mrs. Weasley, it's fine. It doesn't even hurt," she said, but winced when Mrs. Weasley poked it.

"Liar," she said smiling and conjuring some bandages.

She placed a cooling charm on them and then wrapped them around Katie's upper arm. At that moment, Bill apparated into the kitchen. Katie grinned at him.

"Hi, Bill."

Bill looked at her for a long moment. "Katie?"

Katie nodded, her smile widening. The next moment, Bill had enveloped her in a hug and picked her up off the ground in the process. Bill was tall like Percy and Ron, so had an unfair advantage over Katie's tiny frame. Katie had also looked up to Bill since she was young.

"Bill! Put her down, she has an injured arm!" Mrs. Weasley said, but Katie could hear a smile in her voice.

Bill promptly put her down and looked at Katie expectantly. Katie lifted her robe sleeves, stealthily hiding her inner forearm in the process.

"It's nothing."

Bill arched an eyebrow. "Which one of my brother's handiwork is this?" he said pointing at the bandage.

"Fred."

"Thought so," Bill teased.

Katie giggled, lowering her robe sleeves. "How's Egypt, Bill?"

"Hot," Bill said smiling, "But other than that, no complaints."

"Ok, everyone out of my kitchen. I need to start dinner. Arthur will be home soon," she said shooing them, "Katie, dear, would you like to stay for dinner?"

"Oh, I don't know-" Katie said, noticing the setting sun.

But Bill stepped in front of her, cutting off her statement. "Of course she will."

Katie shoved Bill's back and than proceeded to go and hide behind Percy.

"Good," Mrs. Weasley said smiling at the hiding but visible Katie, "Keep out of the kitchen for the next hour."

"But what if we're starved-" Fred said.

"And we're dying on the living room floor-" George said.

"And the only way to save us is to enter the kitchen and fetch some food?" Fred finished dramatically.

Mrs. Weasley ignored the twins and shooed them from the kitchen. Katie tugged on Percy's sleeve.

"Can I borrow Hermes? I promised Severus I'd send him a note if your mum wanted me to stay for dinner," Katie said and than realized her slip on Snape's name.

Percy arched an eyebrow at her, but beckoned her to follow him anyway. "I'm not going to ask."

Katie occupied by looking in any of the rooms with open doors as she walked. She found it odd that she'd never seen anything upstairs in the Weasley's home. Percy opened the door to his room, and Katie took a moment just taking in all the stuff that Percy had saved over the years. She then noticed a picture on his desk from his graduation. Her and Oliver were waving up at them from the frame. Oliver had his arm around Percy. Percy looked calmly happy. Penelope wasn't in the picture.

"I thought Penelope was there when that picture was taken?" she said, slightly confused.

Percy pulled out the chair and motioned for Katie to sit. "She stomped out of frame the day after we broke up," Percy said shrugging, "I like the picture better that way anyway."

Katie sat and picked up a piece of parchment. Using the quill he handed her, Katie penned a quick note to Severus.

Severus,

Mrs. Weasley does want me to stay for dinner. I'll be sure to send you another note before I leave here. Hope your day was pleasant. Don't give Hermes a hard time. Just send him back here.

Katie Bell

Hermes looked at her expectantly from his perch as Katie folded the letter.

"Here you go, Hermes. Take it to Hogwarts for me," Katie said giving the owl a soft pat on the head.

As Hermes flew out of the open window, Katie could feel Percy staring at her. She turned to see him staring at her quizzically.

"What is going on at that castle?" he asked.

"He told me to call him Severus. He said it was the summer holidays, and he is my godfather, Perce. I mean, when school starts again, it's not like I'm going to keep calling him that. Besides, I think he's hiding something from me," she finished dejectedly.

Percy snorted. "I wouldn't doubt that, Katie."

"Percy, please don't ok," Katie said winding a stray piece of hair around her finger in a nervous, "He's really not that bad."

Percy kneeled in front of her. "He was a Death Eater. Did you know that? He turned spy for Dumbledore about a year before the Potter's were killed. I mean, Dumbledore trusts him enough, but that doesn't mean I do."

Katie looked at Percy curiously. "How did he know my parents than?"

"I don't know, Katie. Your dad went to Hogwarts right?"

Katie nodded. "I still don't know what House he was in. To this day I can't figure it out," Katie said, and than blanched, "Percy, do you think he could have killed people while he was a Death Eater?"

"Maybe," Percy said.

Katie sighed and lowered her head to her knees. "I feel sick, Perce," she said, her voice coming out muffled.

Percy lifted his hand and proceeded to rub slow circles on her back. "I'm sorry I brought it up, Kate. You don't need to think about stuff like that."

"I'm not a child."

"Even so," Percy said, his hand continuing its motions.

After a moment, Katie lifted her head, tears glistening in her eyes. "He's all I've got," she said as a tear escaped and fell down her cheek.

Percy reached up and wiped it away. "Dumbledore would not have allowed you to be in his care if he wasn't the best for the job," he said giving her a small smile, "You have the ability to melt the coldest hearts anyway, Kate."

Katie laughed lightly. "You're just saying that to make me feel better."

"No, I'm saying it because its true. Don't worry yourself about it."

****

At dinner, Katie was welcomed warmly by Arthur Weasley, whom she had always thought of as the father she had never had. Conversation was happy and light, with the occasional spat of sibling rivalry. But Katie had that sad feeling in her heart like she always did when she was around the Weasley family. She had never had the opportunity to have a family like that. But she put on a brave face and made it through the meal without bursting into tears.

When the table had been cleaned off and everyone had retired to the living room, Katie announced that she should be getting back to the castle. The twins were not keen on letting her go.

"What do you have to go back for?" Fred asked pouting.

"So I can take full advantage of sitting in a quiet common room for once," Katie said sweetly.

Fred smirked. "Yeah right. You know you miss us," he said unceremoniously plopping down on her lap.

Katie yelped and tried to push him off as Charlie and Bill laughed loudly. The harder she pushed, the heavier he seemed to get. Like a toddler who wants to be held instead of walking, Fred had a way of making himself impossible to move. But Katie knew his weakness. She moved her left hand around to his back and pinched the middle of his back on his lower back. Fred jumped up instantly, and rubbed his back.

"Hey, no fair!" he said smiling, darting forward to grab her knees.

Katie jumped off the couch and ran to hide behind it. "I have to go, Fred," she said laughing.

Fred sat on the couch, sniffling. "Fine, leave me."

Katie leaned over the back of the couch and hugged Fred around his shoulders. "Just think, school will start soon enough and you'll be back at Hogwarts with me."

Fred grinned and reached a hand up to mess with hair. "Thanks, Kate, I appreciate that."

Katie gave hugs around the room and then pulled out her bag of Floo powder. She threw a handful on it and yelled, "Three Broomsticks!", as she walked into it. She closed her eyes against the whirl of colors and stumbled into the Three Broomsticks. She ignored the looks from the patrons as she dusted herself off.

"Oi, Katie! I'd wondered where you'd gone off ter today," Hagrid said smiling down at her.

"Hello, Hagrid," she said smiling briefly at him before resuming her dusting.

"Let me walk yeh back up to the castle," he said kindly.

Katie looked up at him. "Are you sure? Are you done here?"

Hagrid waved her questions aside. "I can always come back. Snape'd kill me if yeh didn't get back safe."

Katie laughed and followed Hagrid from the Three Broomsticks, waving to Madam Rosmerta as she did. She followed Hagrid wordlessly up to the castle. She was getting very drowsy, exhaustion setting in from the Quidditch game earlier. As soon as she stepped into the castle and waved goodnight to Hagrid, she came face to face with Snape. She grinned sheepishly.

"Hagrid was at the Three Broomsticks and he offered to walk me up. I didn't want to pester you," Katie explained, even though it didn't look as if Snape was angry with her.

"Good," he said and his eyes drifted over to the bulge of bandages on her left arm, "What happened here?"

Katie looked over at her arm and cursed under her breath. "It's nothing. Pick-up Quidditch game."

Snape nodded, accepting her story. "Well, Katie if I must say, you look dead on your feet. I'm glad you had fun, but I think you should head up to Gryffindor Tower now."

Katie nodded and smiled ay him. "Thanks for letting me go," she said and she turned and made her way up the marble staircase.

Katie stood before The Fat Lady.

"Password?" the portrait asked kindly.

"Star light, star bright," Katie said grinning.

The Fat Lady nodded and swung open. Katie trudged up to the dormitory and used the last of her energy to change into her pajamas. She knew she'd finally get a good night's sleep. Better than she ha in a long while.