Fix This Broken Heart

-A Month Later-

George and Kathleen were sitting at the kitchen table discussing their next best prank, when Harry came running into the house, wide eyed.

“Kathleen, have you been in contact with your parents?” he gasped as he screeched to a halt right before crashing into the table. Kathleen shook her head slowly, a sad look forming on her face.

“No, I haven’t written them since Keira and I went into hiding. We both figured the best way to keep them safe was to keep them in the dark,” Kathleen said quietly.

“Well…you were wrong. They’re not safe. None of the Muggle-born witches’ and wizards’ parents are safe. The Ministry was alerted this morning. Apparently we have a few allies in Toronto who finally were able to escape the city and contact the Ministry. They’re capturing and torturing the parents to find the kids,” Harry explained quickly, his eyes wide with anxiety. Kathleen felt her stomach hit the floor, and George squeezed her hand tightly.

“Well then it looks like we’re going to Canada boys,” she growled in a low voice.

“What are you talking about? You can’t go to Canada! The minute you set foot in that country they’ll arrest you!” Harry cried.

“Not if I go as a Muggle. Harry, we both lived in the Muggle world. You know how lax their security is, even if they claim its top notch. I still have my American passport, I’m sure that the Ministry can help us out. We need to get into Toronto, but I know that there is no way we’re getting there unless we disguise ourselves as Muggles,” Kathleen explained, thinking quickly. Harry pondered what she had said for a few moments, and then nodded in agreement.

“I think it could work. I’ll go talk to some of the people in the Auror’s office, and I’ll ask Hermione what she thinks as well,” Harry said before turning on his heel and disappearing with a loud crack. George watched Kathleen anxiously, but she simply returned to the miniscule cauldron that was sitting on top of the kitchen table.

“Careful with that…if you add too much it might-“ George started, but as Kathleen added a few drops of bubotuber pus to the cauldron, it exploded.

“Explode…” George sighed, but Kathleen burst into a fit of laughter, wiping the soot from her face with the front of her increasingly grimy robes. She had learned rather quickly to wear her least favorite robes whenever she and George were working on a project, because things had a tendency to blow up. George was thrilled to have someone who had a similar sense of humor to him, Fred, and Lee Jordan. It made experimenting much more pleasant, and he didn’t mind the fact that Kathleen seemed to go nuts and kiss him whenever they finally succeeded on making another brilliant toy or candy. Lee Jordan was absolutely thrilled with Kathleen’s inventions because they were raking in the Galleons. Kathleen was just happy to finally find a good outlet for her creativity.

“Kat, are you okay?” George asked after a little while. Kathleen had continued working, but except for the laughing that occurred after the cauldron exploding in her face, she was incredibly quiet. George was used to a constant stream of chatter from Kathleen, and actually rather enjoyed listening to her. She was full of interesting stories and jokes, and George had found that he couldn’t help but remember ninety percent of what she said. That was more than he could say about any other girl, and sometimes it made him wonder what it was about her that was so incredibly special.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m just worried. I mean, I know that I’m getting to Toronto whether the Ministry likes it or not, but I just hope that my parents are okay. They were never happy with Keira and I being witches, but they let us do it because it made us happy. Now Keira is dead and they’re in trouble. I can’t help but wonder if they were right,” Kathleen explained, not blushing at the nickname George had given her for once. George reached across the table and squeezed her hand tightly.

“Come on, let’s get out of the house for a bit,” he said. Kathleen nodded and then Apparated to her bedroom so that she could change. She had tried to find an apartment in Diagon Alley, but Mrs. Weasley simply refused to let her leave. Kathleen loved staying at the Burrow, but sometimes she felt as if she were a burden on the family. George and Ginny constantly reminded her that this wasn’t true, but now was one of those times where she felt like getting out. She Disapparated into the kitchen and almost instantly collided with George. They had a habit of accidentally running into each other, but it always made them laugh.

“You look nice,” George said, looking at her outfit. Kathleen was wearing a flowered sundress, white gladiator sandals, gold sunglasses, and had a small drawstring backpack slung over her shoulders. She examined George, who was still in robes, and shook her head.

“We’re going somewhere different today George…no robes,” she smiled. George raised his eyebrows.

“No robes? Are we going to a Muggle town?” he asked. Kathleen nodded, a mischievous smile forming. George sighed.

“I don’t know what to wear really. We’re really not that good at blending in, my family,” George explained, and Kathleen took his hand and led him up the stairs to his bedroom. She immediately yanked open his closet, and wasn’t the least bit surprised when a few balled up shirts, a half melted cauldron, and some books tumbled out.

“George, you’re a mess,” she laughed, causing George’s cheeks to flush. Eventually she managed to find something for him to wear. George pulled off his robes, and the dress slacks and shirt that he wore underneath quickly followed, causing Kathleen to blush furiously and hide her eyes. George shook his head and tugged on the jeans that Kathleen had tossed onto his bed, a plain black tee-shirt, and the black and red button up that Kathleen had also picked. He left the buttons undone, and then quickly laced his red, black, and white Converse high tops. He actually had trouble remembering where he got all of the Muggle clothes, but he remembered why. He had gone out with Fred once to a small store in Ottery St Catchpole so that they could go see a Muggle “magic show”. Of course, they never did go to the show because it was a few weeks after You-Know-Who returned to power, but George still had the clothes.

“I’m dressed,” George said quietly once he finished tying his shoes.

“Warn me next time,” Kathleen muttered weakly, uncovering her eyes.

“You act like it was a horrible sight,” George chuckled, pulling Kathleen towards him. Kathleen laughed and slapped his shoulder playfully.

“I just wasn’t expecting that,” she said, rolling her eyes. George cupped her face between his hands and kissed her slowly. Kathleen felt her knees go weak, and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

“You weren’t expecting that either and you reacted a lot better,” George smirked.

“Oh shut up,” Kathleen mumbled before standing up straight and grabbing George’s hand.

“So where are we going?” George asked.

“You’ll see,” Kathleen smiled before Apparating. George looked around wildly when they stopped moving, and the first thing he noticed was the complete and total lack of trees. They were surrounded by rolling green hills, and a lot of sheep.

“Kathleen, are you sure it was a good idea to Apparate here? There’s no cover,” George whispered, glancing around.

“George, if you haven’t noticed, the field is completely empty excluding the sheep. Come on,” Kathleen smiled, pulling him towards a long dirt road. They eventually came to a little town full of old buildings, and George raised his eyebrows.

“Kat, where are we?” he asked.

“Welcome to Clonakilty, Ireland,” Kathleen smiled. George’s eyes grew wide.

“Ireland? How did you Apparate to Ireland?” George hissed.

“I visited here a few years ago with my family. We’ve got family roots here,” Kathleen shrugged. They meandered through the streets, and eventually walked into a small pub.

“Hello there, what can I get you?” the bartender asked as Kathleen and George sat down.

“What’s on tap?” Kathleen asked.

“Well we’ve got Guinness-“ the bartender started.

“Two pints,” Kathleen smiled quickly.

“Ah, you’re a lady who knows good beer,” the bartender smiled before going to get their drinks.

“Kat, how are we going to pay for this? I’ve only got Galleons,” George whispered.

“George don’t worry. I have some Muggle money. It’s not a problem,” Kathleen whispered back, patting his knee affectionately. The bartender placed the drinks down, and Kathleen handed him her money.

“Ah, Americans eh?” the bartender smiled.

“Well, I am…he’s not,” Kathleen smiled.

“Oh? And then where would he be from?” the bartender asked.

“He’s from England,” Kathleen shrugged.

“Ah…and here I was thinking you both were Irish,” the bartender laughed.

“Well, I’m Irish by descent. I’ve actually got family roots here,” Kathleen smiled.

“What’s your last name?” the bartender asked.

“Massey,” Kathleen replied.

“Oh yes, that you definitely do. Although there hasn’t been a Massey here in a few generations, the name is everywhere,” the bartender laughed before walking off to serve some more customers.

“What is this?” George asked, glancing at the beer sitting in front of him.

“It’s beer, and it’s good. Drink up,” Kathleen said before sipping her own beer. George took a sip and raised his eyebrows.

“Alright, not too bad,” he smiled, putting down the pint.

“See?” Kathleen smiled. The two of them sat at the bar for hours, eating and drinking, and just having a nice time. They completely forgot where they were, and by the time they left the bar it was dark out.

“Oh jeeze, it’s really late isn’t it?” George asked. Kathleen glanced at her watch.

“No, it’s only eight thirty,” she shrugged. George smiled, and twined his fingers through hers.

“Hey Kat?” he asked.

“Yeah?” she asked as they rounded a corner. From the street they could see the darkly lit hills beyond the town, and the stars twinkled brightly above. The moon was full, but for once, that brought no worry to either of the young adults.

“We’ve known each other for a while…almost two and a half months. When we first met, I didn’t want anything to do with you. I was miserable and lonely. You were too. But you brought me out of it…and I’ve begun to realize just how special you are to me. Sometimes I think that we were supposed to meet when we did. Actually, I know we were. Kat…what I’m saying is…well…do you want to be my girlfriend?” George asked. Kathleen’s jaw dropped slightly, and she felt tears sting her eyes.

“George…” was all she was able to squeak before stepping onto her tiptoes and kissing him softly.

“Can I take that as a yes?” George whispered as they broke apart. Kathleen nodded, and George rubbed his nose against hers, drawing a bashful giggle from Kathleen. As they meandered on back through the town, George froze.

“Hey Kat?” he asked.

“Yeah?” she replied.

“That shop wasn’t there last time we walked down this street,” George smiled.

“Do you think it’s a wizard’s shop?” Kathleen asked.

“Definitely,” George smiled, pushing open the door. Wind chimes tinkled as they walked in, and a smiling old man in dark green robes nodded at the couple. The shop was much like any other shop in the town, with the exception that there were a few magical items being sold, and George could pay for any purchases he wanted to make. Kathleen wandered to the back of the shop when George spotted a case of glittering jewelry.

“Excuse me sir, but what are these? I’ve been seeing them everywhere,” George asked, pointing to a ring in the case. The wizard smiled broadly and pulled out the ring from the case.

“These are called claddaghs. They are traditional Irish rings with deep symbolism. You see, the heart symbolizes love…quite obviously. The crown on top of the heart…well, that stands for loyalty. The hands holding the heart symbolize friendship. The way a man or woman wears the ring is also symbolic. It represents someone’s marital status. You see, when worn on the right hand with the crown facing the wearer’s arm, it means that their heart is open. If the crown faces the fingertips, it means that they are loyal to someone, although they aren’t engaged. On the left hand, if the crown faces the arm, it means that the person is engaged. When the crown faces the fingertips, the wearer is married. It is a beautiful tradition, really,” the wizard explained to George. George felt his hand creeping towards the gold in his pocket, and he looked towards Kathleen, who was reading a packet on the magical properties of clover leaves.

“Will it fit her?” George asked quietly.

“Oh yes. These rings will magically shrink or grow to fit the wearer,” the wizard smiled broadly. George pulled out ten round Galleons and placed them on the counter. The wizard nodded in understanding and placed the ring in a black velvet box.

When George and Kathleen returned to the Burrow, Mrs. Weasley was wrought with worry.

“George Weasley where have you been? I was worried sick!” she cried, rushing out to meet the two as they strolled up the driveway.

“Mum, Kathleen and I just went on a little day trip. I’m twenty years old, I think I can handle myself,” George sighed.

“I’m sorry George. You’re absolutely right. I just…I get worried you know,” Molly apologized before hugging her son tightly. She also hugged Kathleen tightly and rushed back into the house.

“Oh Kat…I bought you something,” George said quietly as Kathleen headed towards the door.

“What? George you shouldn’t have!” Kathleen scolded, not even knowing what George had purchased. George shrugged and pulled out the small box from his pocket. Kathleen gasped when he opened it, and clapped a hand to her mouth.

“George that must have cost you a fortune! Absolutely not, I can’t take it!” Kathleen whimpered as the gorgeous ring winked up at her.

“I’m not going all the way back to Ireland to return it, so you’d best take it or I’m throwing it away,” George smirked. He briefly remembered that empty threats had been the reason that he had become wealthy in the first place, and now he was using them to share his wealth.

“Fine, but I’m going to hate you forever for it,” Kathleen muttered. George slipped the ring onto her right hand, with the crown facing her fingertips.

“So everyone knows you’re mine,” George smiled quietly. Kathleen shook her head, but kissed him gently before walking back into the Burrow.