Almost

Chapter 43: Missed

Katherine and Ezra went to the Burrow before going home once her bones had grown back to Angelina's satisfaction. He'd brought her a change of clothes, a simple grey t-shirt and jeans, so she didn't have to stay in the pajamas. She'd slipped the Wampus cardigan on over it, watching Crawley's eyes light up and George's eyes roll as she did.

Molly made them all tea and cookies, and they sprawled across the house—some in the kitchen, some in the garden, and Katherine and Ezra with those in the living room. Ezra had sat on the couch, but Katherine opted for the ground, leaning back against his knees. He brushed his hand along her now healed shoulder gently, as if he wasn't sure it was really better. But even the bruise had disappeared, leaving nothing but a bit of stiffness in its wake. Corliss flew around Katherine, worrying like a mother hen, until she calmed the owl in her hands and assured her she was fine.

Before they left, Molly pressed the blue-green yarn and a new crochet hook into her hands.

"You should rest a few days," she said. "This will give you something to do."

Katherine smiled down at it, unsure that it would ever lead to something as beautiful as the purple blanket Molly insisted she take home with her.

Katherine kept it held close to her chest as she conjured the door to Crawley's office, the effort taking more out of her than normal, moving slower across her limbs. But, eventually, it did as she asked and they walked across the threshold, Ezra apparating them back to the townhome almost immediately after the door shut behind them.

"I asked Vander if he had any ideas about why your magic would act up," Ezra said, the backpack slung over his shoulders even though she'd assured him it would be fine back on her watch. "He didn't seem to have any ideas, but he's going to look into it."

"He does enough for me," Katherine answered, not wanting him to waste his time.

Ezra shrugged. "Can't hurt to double check."

Katherine nodded, the blanket still curled against her. She looked around the townhome and was struck by how uninterrupted it seemed by the last day's events.

Ezra, however, looked nothing of the sort.

He came up to her side and watched the droop of her eyes, the slow rise and fall of her shoulders. Still with no makeup, she knew he was overanalyzing the dull bags beneath her eyes.

"You should get some rest," he said, pointing his chin up towards the couch.

She shook her head, looking down at her watch. "I'll get jet lag. And tomorrow—"

"Your only plan for tomorrow is rest. Healer's orders, and don't you think that I won't report back to Angelina."

She sighed but nodded as she rested her chin against his chest. She wanted a bath to soak her sore shoulder, healed but still angry at having to regrow an arms worth of bones. He wrapped his arms around her, running his fingers along her braid.

"Maybe I'll have to get Fleur to teach me a thing or two about this," he said softly. "Much more interesting than mine was."

Katherine laughed. "Yours was perfect. You always take such good care of me."

There was no longer any humor in Ezra's voice. "I'm just glad you're okay."

"It was kind of nice to have a normal kind of accident and not an attack or something."

He still didn't laugh—the words were too true. But she found something comforting in the normalcy of it, in the ridiculousness of the story. At least most of it was something she could tell friends at a pub. Something she didn't have to compartmentalize as much.