* * *

Managing to win Fred round, the pair returned to the Burrow. Fred watched Catina with concern, every time she was around his mother something went wrong and despite her reassuring him that she would stay forever, he still had his doubts. He held her hand tightly, running his thumb over the back.

Catina had no doubt. Her head was held high and she was radiating confidence and power. Fred opened the door to the Burrow and the couple was met immediately with wands to their faces.

"Bloody hell!" Exclaimed Fred, "what do you think you're doing?"

Remus stayed with his wand poised, "what was the man carrying in his hand the day Catina crashed into him when running from the house?"

Fred furrowed his brows, he didn't understand what the meaning of all this would be. "Uh, I dunno. How am I supposed to remember something stupid like that, you tosspot?"

Remus lowered his wand with a sigh of relief. He knew that Fred would not remember such an item. If he had then that would be suspicious.

Bill had his wand still pointing at Catina. "what did I get for you from Ollivander?"

"An apprenticeship." Catina rolled her eyes pushing the wand out of her face and slipping past Bill and into the living room where everyone else was.

Mrs Weasley was giving Tonks a cup of tea when she spotted Catina and halted. "I'm sorry," said the young girl. "I shouldn't have been a brat and spoken to you the way I did. You are just trying to do what is best for me and I guess I'm just not accustomed to any of this. I understand that you very loving and all that jazz but it's just too much for me. I appreciate what you are doing and I'm grateful for your hospitality and everything but I'm just not used to any of it. I would give you the locket but I know who it is from and I assure you it is not dangerous."

"I-um-"

She turned to Remus, "I want a DNA test. I don't know how to get it but I want one. I was hoping you could help me, please?" He nodded and before he could say anything she turned to Sirius. "We have a problem. Prosper and his family have been forced to ally with Voldemort. They didn't do it out of choice, I know Prosper and his family and they wouldn't. Prosper is in bits about it and is begging for a way out. I want to help him."

"But how do you-"

"Fred, I know Bella. I can get her to help. She and the others don't want me hurt or involved with him and if the Brynn's are involved then I will more than likely be involved at some point. Then they might be able to get them out. Please. I don't want them in there-"

"Cat, once they're in they can't get out." Said Tonks, "I'm sorry."

Catina sucked her teeth, turning to Remus with eyes as wide as possible. "Please?"

He reached his arms out for her and engulfed her in a hug. "I will do anything in my power to help you, Cat, I told you I would ages ago. However, if we can limit you getting dragged into it, the better it will be. We can't risk it, sweetheart."

"I don't care how involved I get as long as they get out. Prop, he-"

"Will be just fine, dear. Why don't you sit down and I'll get you something to eat and drink." Said Mrs Weasley, placing her hands on Catina's shoulders. The girl flinched at the touch which Mrs Weasley noticed and gently let go.

She nodded and sat beside Bill. Fred immediately sat on her other side and put his arm around her. Mrs Weasley returned with two sandwiches, one for her son and one for Catina and a glass of water each. The two ate it all up quickly despite eating all of their breakfast.

Bill poked Catina playfully, "so who gave you the locket?"

Fred tensed at his brother's actions. "Oh, Prop, it's sort of an inside joke."

"An inside joke? A heart?"

"Yeah, well, it's a long story," she knew Fred was getting agitated and decided to divert the conversation away from Bill. "So how do I go about this DNA test? I kind of want it as soon as possible."

"Well, we can get Dumbledore here and he can do it in minutes." Smiled Remus, "but only if you're sure."

Minutes? Thought Catina. It didn't seem likely that she would know her results in simply mere minutes, in fact, it seemed vastly improbable. If it was that simple why didn't they do it a long time ago? After all, they could have reunited her with her family years ago. Then again, it was daunting. Yes, daunting, that would be the most appropriate word for such situation. Perhaps her parents left her their for a reason? Perhaps her mother was sexually assaulted and never wanted a child? She could not bring herself to put such a memory back into a woman's mind and bring her even more damage if that was the case. Perhaps Bellatrix was wrong? What if she wasn't a Black?

So many questions and no answers. Her mind was running wild, so much so, it forged manacles within her. Her heart started to thump quicker and hammered so hard against her chest she was afraid it would burst out as Lupin formed a patronus and sent it to Dumbledore. Growing up without parents was easy to come to terms with, but literal rejection was potentially in near sight. If Fred managed to break her, her parents possibly telling her straight to her face that they never wanted her could splinter the shards of glass that were stuck together by spellotape that formed her.

Fred could feel her heart beat as he held her. It was quicker than he had ever witnessed. He gently shifted her ever closer to him (so close that it even a sheet of parchment could not slot between them).

"You're overthinking possibilities that might not even happen," he whispered into her ear, his breath warming her skin. "Even if you find out the names of your parents it doesn't mean you have to contact them. It's just two names, kitten. Two measly names that you might not even want to know. No one can force you to do anything and when Dumbledore arrives, if you decide that actually you don't want to know, then that is okay. This is your decision and nobody else's."

She turned her head and stared up at Fred who sat slightly taller than she. His face was soft and his eyes bore deep into her soul, getting lost among the many corridors of the labyrinth that she kept hidden. For all the time they had missed together in the previous few months, she did doubt her feelings for him. Bill had showed her more affection then Fred had done so before that night of crying and confessing on his knees before Catina. But, in this very moment as she looked deep into his eyes and he did the same with her, it is as if their souls merged, forming one, her heart slowed to match his, a smile- a real, big and bright one- formed on her lips and he copied her. She knew. There was no more doubt, no more "I think" or "based on how I feel about others"- Catina was sure of it.

"I love you, Fred."

Fred glowed. He found it a little odd being in front of his family and others but the feeling radiated off of Catina and onto him so powerfully that he didn't care. Since when did Fred Weasley care about what others thought of him? People's thoughts about him never hindered anything before. So why should this?

"And I love you," he whispered as she rested her head on his chest, sliding her arms around his waist. "No matter where you live, no matter who your parents are- actually, I'd have to stop if you turn out to be my cousin or something because that's not a bit of me, kitten, but other than that. I don't care who you are or what you are or what you become, I will love you with every part of me."

Oddly, nobody actually heard the conversation between the two. Not even Bill who sat beside Catina because everyone was so focussed on Sirius explaining one of his tattoos. The two laughed between themselves, basking in their own love and affection so much that they didn't notice Dumbledore's arrival.

Their love may have faded in the eyes of others, but between them, it had grown, sprouting like a sunflower, growing higher and higher as time ticked by.