A George Weasely Romance

Chapter 4

Lightning streaked the sky and rain beat down relentlessly on the ground. The only other sound that was heard in the grounds of the impressive “Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry” was the splashing of footsteps running in mud, and the hard, fast breathing of a distressed girl.

“It’s going to be all right. You’ll be fine, just stay with me. Please don’t go… don’t go where I can’t follow.” The girl continued to hurtle towards the massive building that lay ahead.

“Just get to Dumbledore.” A tall male was resting on the girls back as she carried him.

“Why can’t we go a hospital first? You’re going to die if we don’t!” she snapped. Fresh tears began to run down her worried face.

“I told you this is more important, we have to give him that letter.” He replied, calmly.

“Baka!!” the girl exclaimed, but continued on her journey to Dumbledore none-the-less. The pair approached the main doors and the girl pushed them open with her foot. There was a lot of noise coming from a room to her right. She didn’t have time to think as the man pointed towards the great hall.

“In there,” as the girl turned to approach the door it opened, revealing a group of girls who walked out. When they spotted the pair in the doorway they all screamed in terror. Silence fell upon the great hall and Professor Dumbledore made his way through the crowd to see what the commotion was about.

What he saw before him made his heart skip a beat. A girl barely covered in rags was standing with a man on her back. Every inch of her body was bloody, cut and bruised.

“Katara?” he asked hesitantly.

“Professor!” the girl exclaimed looking rather frantic. “Right, Arashi here he is now. Let’s give him the letter and get you to a hospital!” Dumbledore watched intently as Katara spoke to the body on her back.

“Katara… I’m sorry but we don’t really have time. I love you…” Arashi replied with a faint smile on his face.

“I love you to. And stop saying things like that. Stop being so stupid Arashi! I told you everything is going to be ok! Dumbledore please!” everyone around Katara was looking at her as if she were crazy, Dumbledore included.

“Katara, dear, is Arashi speaking to you.” Dumbledore took some steps towards Katara. She had an incredulous look on her face.

“Of course he is. Can you not…” she turned to look at the now limp head settled on her shoulder. “Arashi!” She exclaimed as she lay him down gently on the floor. Tears were streaming from her eyes. His life essence was depleted. She could feel it, or not feel at as the case was. She placed her hands desperately over his chest and began to feed chakra into his body. Nothing happened. He lay there motionless. Again and again she would fill his body with life and again and again it would ebb away. She felt a hand placed on her shoulder and squeeze. She turned to see Dumbledore looking at her, like he was reading her soul.

“He wasn’t talking was he…” she trailed off after seeing Dumbledore nod.

“I would say he has been dead for a while.” Katara flinched at hearing the words leave his mouth. This couldn’t be happening.

She looked around expecting to see hundreds of eyes all looking at her, but she was alone with Dumbledore, and the great hall doors were shut. She looked back at the peaceful, lifeless body lying next to her. Arashi her brother was gone. It didn’t make sense. He just looked like he was sleeping, but she knew in her gut. Knew that she would never wake up with him hugging her tight, never hear his laugh again, never listen to him sing and play the guitar to her… she was alone. Tears started pouring down her face again. Dumbledore just sat down next to her and put and arm around her.

“Katara, I am so very sorry.” And they sat like that for a while just looking at his limp body, hoping he would just jump, pull one of his silly poses and say:

“To the hospital!” or “Only kidding! I feel great!” But he didn’t. And he never would…

Exhaustion took over, and Katara soon found herself drifting off in Dumbledore’s arms.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________


Several days had passed, and George was finding it hard to stay awake. He had persisted in staying by Katara’s side, insisting he should be there when she woke up. She hadn’t moved once, and he was beginning to doubt she ever would. Fred too had stayed, and was currently snoring lightly on a chair next to George.

“Come on ’Tara. Wake up!” George groaned, frustrated. Sleep was slowly taking over when he felt an unexpected squeeze from Katara’s hand on his own. His mind jerked awake, and he saw Katara slowly open her eyes.

“Wha’… Where am I? Arashi!?” She tried to sit up, but gave up quickly as she winced in pain.

“Hey… It’s okay. You’re safe now.” George tried to comfort her. He moved some stray hair that lay on her face behind her ear. “How d’you feel?”

“George?!” Katara’s eyes widened as she recognised her friend. It had been so long since she had seen Fred and George, and boy did they look good. Puberty had been generous to them. Their hair came to just above their shoulders, and they had grown really tall.

“Yeah it’s me. Man you’ve changed! You look so much older!” he said trying to take her mind off her current situation.

“You to! And I’m loving the long hair. You never told me you’s had grown it!” Katara said rather weakly, but all the same, excited. George blushed at the compliment, and nudged Fred awake.

“What the… What’s up?” he looked around rather disorientated before noticing his friend looking over at him. “Finally, what took you so long, sleepy head!” Fred smiled making Katara laugh. Pain racked her body and she groaned. George pushed Fred signalling him to stop making her laugh and he replied by hanging his head in silent apology.

“So uh… where’s Dumbledore?” Katara asked unsurely, putting an end to the silence that had taken over the room. What she really wanted to ask was where her brother’s body was, but at the last minute couldn’t bring herself to say it. The twins looked at each other knowing what she meant.

“He’s… in his office.” George answered.

“Yeah, had to investigate and sort some things out.” Fred continued.

“And… what about…” she was cut off by George.

“Dumbledore has him.” Silence fell on the three. “I’m really sorry, about what happened.” George added while squeezing her hand reassuringly.

“Yeah… uh… me to” Katara said through quiet sobs. She was never really one to cry.

Silence again fell on the three. After a short while the door to the hospital wing opened and Dumbledore entered.

“Ah. You are awake. How do you feel?” Katara smiled weakly in reply to Dumbledore’s question.

“I’m sorry if we came at a bad time, I mean, he seemed so adamant that I had to see you first. Do you think he was… you know…” Katara rambled. Dumbledore looked at Katara with a sad smile on his face. George felt a bit out of place

“Should we go? You know, so you can talk about… what happened?” George asked and Katara replied with a panicked look.

“No! Please stay I…” she looked to Dumbledore, “I mean if it’s ok with you Professor” Dumbledore smiled.

“Of course they can. If you don’t mind them hearing what I have to tell you that is.” Katara hesitated. She used to tell the twins everything, but when she thought about what might be said, she wasn’t sure how they would react to some of it. George noticed her thinking on it and gestured for his brother and him to leave.

“You can tell us when you are ready to” George said and the twins smiled.

Once they had left Dumbledore began.

“I know you are probably bubbling with questions, so now is the time to ask me,” Katara thought for a second.

“Why could I hear and see Arashi talking to me? If he was dead then, was it just my need for him to still be there that made me imagine it? Or do you think that I’m just insane?” Katara stuttered through her sentence. Dumbledore sighed and sat down next to her bed.

“There have been instances recorded of people experiencing the same thing you have. I however do not know of their mental well being, but I do not think you are insane. I believe that Arashi’s spirit may have stayed with you, neither dead nor alive. He probably hadn’t had time while he was alive to explain to you what needed to be done, so he stayed to help you through the traumatic ordeal.” Dumbledore sighed again, looking deep in thought. Katara watched him while she replayed what he had just said in her head.

“So, I was really talking to him?” Dumbledore nodded, smiling slightly

“Yes, I believe so.” A tear escaped Katara, and ran down her face, despite her efforts to stop it. It had been so long since she had cried, and now she had cried three times since she arrived at Hogwarts. Embarrassed, she quickly wiped the tear away, and took a deep breath.

I have to be strong. A shinobi must never show their true feelings.

She had never believed in this rule, but at that moment in time, she began to understand why people would discipline themselves to be like this.

“Can you tell me what the letter was about?” Dumbledore lightened up, visibly glad for the change of subject.

“That I can my dear. It was an account of your progress with magic. What you have been taught, and how well you seem to have been doing. It also holds a record of the training you have undergone, and the missions you have completed. S-class Jounin I see, very nice. Arashi also left a note requesting that you are to attend Hogwarts, to get qualifications so you can set up your life here, free to do as you please. Of course, with your permission that is” Dumbledore paused, waiting to see Katara’s reaction.

“I’d love to.” She smiled softly, wishing she could thank her brother. “What year would I be in?” Dumbledore chuckled quietly, amused by her enthusiasm.

“Still as eager as always I see. I’m glad” Katara blushed “Well that all depends. You were meant to be sitting your Ordinary Wizarding Level exams this year weren’t you?” she nodded “We can have you sit them and see what level you are at. I would also like to take an IQ test if you don’t mind? I noticed on your file you have had one taken, and the results were astonishing! And that was when you were 7!” he laughed in amazement at her score. Again Katara blushed and laughed uneasily.

“Sure, I don’t mind at all.” She paused for a moment, trying hard to word her next question. “What is going to happen with me, I mean, where am I going to stay, and what is going to happen to Arashi?”

“Don’t worry about a place to stay. I will sort that out, and if all else fails, I’m sure I could find some space for you at my own home. I am a busy man you understand, so I would rather you were with someone who could look after you. And about your brother, well… that is for you to decide I believe.” Katara looked up surprised by this.

“He always said he wanted to be cremated, so no one could screw around with his body when he was dead. Would that be ok? And he also was quite into the idea of having his ashes spread over the sea. Water was always his favourite element.” A sad smile crept onto Katara’s face as memories flooded her mind. She had tried to control them, tried not to let them take over, but it was just so hard when she was in such a state. Dumbledore put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed lightly.

“Of course it would be okay. Now I think it would be a good idea if you got some more rest. Would you like me to send the twins back in?” Katara nodded weakly “Alright, but don’t be up too long” he smiled and winked before he left.