DISCLAIMER: Anything and everything you recognise is/was and always will be JK. Rowling's Invention

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Blind in more ways than one...

-x-

--George--

"Morning, Kat." I take her arm as usual; she leans against me and looks up at me.

"Alright George?" A small pause, she grins and blushes, "How was Hogsmeade yesterday?"

"Oh, Merlin, I meant to tell you - thanks for the Galleons… for the help, I mean. I… I got you something from the village. It's in my… dorm. I'll get it later." I venture to lean forward and kiss her cheek. She turns her head at the last second and my lips slam against hers. I turn bright pink as I pull away hurriedly, but Katie remains there, her eyes closed, breathing slowly.

"George?" She breathes; blinking a couple of times, then remembers herself and allows me to pull her along the corridor, surprising her. She collapses onto her knees and looks up at me. "George… d-… you just kissed me." I freeze.

"Katie… I-I… it was an accident… I just… you…"

"It's OK." She murmurs. I look away and blush pink. She reaches up to brush some hair from her face and then stares down at her feet. "George… I-" She starts, but closes her eyes again and takes a deep breath.

"What is it?"

"Tell me what you look like."

"What do you mean?"

"I want you to tell me what you look like to me."

"To you? Katie… I don't know what's going on in your head, do I?" I slip my hand into my pocket and feel the box in there, the tiny present I bought her with that spare galleon I had yesterday. "I don't know what you think of me."

"Just describe yourself, George, I'll… I'll let you know where you're going wrong." I frown but have a go anyway.

"Well, I have pretty crap hair, bloody ginger and nasty."

"It bounces a lot and it's got really cute curls at the ends of it." I'm a bit taken aback at the 'cute' comment.

"I have horrible freckles, huge, all over my face,"

"They make you who you are - they make you look younger and far… better looking than you would without them."

"Oh?" She nods, blinking up at me, confusion gracing her features. "Katie, are you alright?"

"Yeah… it's just, something that I didn't expect to happen."

"What?"

"Nothing… just… nothing."

-Katie-

He's… berating himself. That's all he's doing… no shred of attraction, of the usual egotistical… bravado that the twins usually put up to attract girls.

"Katie, are you sure you're alright?" He smiles and I have to smile back. I hope he doesn't notice.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine…" I manage to splutter.

He shakes his head and takes my hand, almost drags me along the corridor, pauses for a second as people pass us, then sweeps aside the large tapestry and shoves me roughly inside. I stumble, falling to my knees on purpose.

"Merlin!" He panics, "Katie, are you alright?" I nod as he grips my shoulders.

"Yes, no thanks to you." He pulls me towards him, up to his feet.

"I'm sorry."

"Stop saying that!" I growl, he takes my hand and pulls me against him.

"I mean it." I can feel his breath on my cheek, "Katie, I'm sorry for everything… I-I know how badly I hurt you about Hogsmeade… and I'm sorry…"

"Stop saying you're sorry." I open my eyes completely and look at him. "I can see you." I say it without any surprise, without any emotion in my voice. "And it's not at all like I expected."

"What?"

"I can see you. Everything you're scared of, everything you hate, standing in a shadow, afraid to… to love or be loved… especially by me." A small pause, "And I don't see you as a crappy-ginger-with-too-big-freckles, actually. I see you as my best friend, with a huge, happy smile and an insane sense of humour, and somebody I'd gladly…" I take an involuntary breath, "George, I've been blind in more ways than one."

"Katie?" he looks at me, takes a deep breath and looks away. "You can see me?"

"Yeah. Literally and figuratively, for that matter." he smiles.

"Well, then…" there's a pause, and when he speaks again, he's suddenly hurt, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I… I was going to… me and Lycia… don't worry. I've told you now." he pulls me towards him and stares into my eyes again. I've got the feeling he's done all this before, I just couldn't see it.

"Katie… I-" he leans forward as though he is going to kiss me.

"What?" I pull away, stumbling in the semi-darkness.

"I thought you-"

"Thought I what?"

"Thought you wanted me… as much as I want y-"

"Don't say it." I blurt, suddenly terrified. A small smile, he goes to take my hand. "You mean it, don't you?"

"Of course I do - Prank I may, Joke I certainly do… but lie about my heart is something I couldn't do. Not to the one person that means so much to me."

-George-

She looks at me and I'm suddenly terrified that I've said too much, too soon. She swallows loudly as she looks down at her feet, then back up at me.

"You mean that?"

"Why do you think I gave up so much time to look after you." Ok, so maybe it wasn't so much time, but it's the thought that counts, right? She half laughs. "Well… I mean-"

"It's OK, I know what you mean." she runs her hand down my arm, unconsciously, I think, then looks up, into my eyes again. "do… you want to go to Hogsmeade with me… next week?" She murmurs a moment later, I venture a small nod.

"Yeah… OK." She smiles and offers me her hand. "Katie…"

"Mmm?"

"Do you want to be my girlfriend?"

She pauses for the longest time and looks at me.

"Go on then." She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. I take my chance to lean forward, press my lips to hers. She makes a stifled noise and before my eyes are fully closed, I see hers spring open, flash with terror, then relax and close. My fingers release her hand, slide up her back and into her hair. She giggles and mirrors my movements. Her other hand slides up my arm and curls around the back of my neck.

"Oi!" The shout breaks us apart, "Bloody… What do you think you're doing?" Fred's standing there, his face forming a huge grin, "This is a passageway, get a bloody room!"

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A/N: I guess... that would be the best place to end it? I don't know... I think that's a nice ending, so... yeah... [COMPLETE] as of now...

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xxxx