A/N: It's been a while since I last wrote anything for this site. I hope you enjoy this fanfic as much as I enjoy writing it. Please R&R if you have the time!

Disclaimer: None of the characters depicted in this fanfic (except Clarice) belong to me - they are all products of J.K. Rowling's imagination.


LEAVE LOVE TO FATE

If one normally asked what Katie wanted the most, she would probably name the newest, fastest broomstick, or perhaps ask to get a promotion in the ministry department she worked at. However, right now, Katie just wanted to survive the night without screaming like a mad woman, or strangling the balding wizard in front of her.

Her life had been going alright, until her friends (damn them) had decided that Katie needed some romance in her life. Since her last disastrous fling with Oliver Wood, Katie had sworn off men. Unfortunately for her, Angelina and Alicia were not going to take her oath lying down because to be sure, a woman has wants. So they had wheedled her into going on not one, but five dates. And Merlin, did she want to kill them.

Her first date, George Weasley, had seemed much more interested in finding out all he could about Alicia. That had been months ago. Now Alicia and George were dating and annoyingly soppy when around each other. Katie would have been happy to wash her hands of romance and stick to the single life with the occasional shag, but Angelina had played the marriage card. It had been at a slumber party that Alicia had ducked out of since she was having "her own sleepover" at George's place (his words, not hers).

"Katie, you've got to start thinking about your future. A nice shag every once and then is all very well, but we're nearing our thirties." Angelina pointed out.

Katie grimaced as Angelina finished painting her finger nails Gryffindor red. "We're nowhere near 30, Angie."

"Well, you know your internal clock is ticking," Angelina said cheerfully.

Katie rolled her eyes, "So what's your point?"

"I think you should find a sweet guy, someone who you know will be there for you."

"You mean like how Fred is for you?" Katie asked dubiously.

"Exactly," Angelina said, marvelling at her nail painting abilities.

Katie sighed again. She knew that if she disagreed Angelina would never let up. There was a reason Oliver had left captaincy to her.

"Fine, Angie."

Angelina pumped her fist in the air with victory, "I already set up a date with Roger Davies."

"Roger Davies?" Katie managed to choke out. "The man who will shag anything that has two legs and a chest?"

"Katie, he's not that bad," Angelina chuckled.

"Angie, he shagged half of the female population in our 7th year. Don't you remember any of that?"

"Oh don't worry, I'm sure he's changed. He seemed eager enough to try going on a date with you."

And so Katie had been stuffed into a dress which was a bit too risqué for her liking. And as she had expected, all Davies wanted was to get into her knickers. He rushed dinner, pretended not to hear her protests about their lack of dessert, and ignored her hints about it being late. Bloody hell. He even had the gall to say that he hadn't wanted to see her female bits anyways when she finally blasted him with a rejection.

The rest of her dates had been so mind numbingly boring that she couldn't even remember their names anymore. Except Percy. Merlin, the man was more boring than a stick - going on and on about cauldron bottom regulation. Katie hoped that it had just been a joke suggested by the Weasley twins otherwise her best friends were really beginning to lose their minds. And now, she was sitting in front of a man who could've been her father because Alicia had declared he was a sweet gentleman who was looking for a nice girlfriend. He was nice enough, but even the thought of getting in bed with him was making her cringe – and not just mentally.

"Are you alright?" Her date asked with concern.

Katie managed a tight smile, "Oh I'm fine; just bit my tongue."

"Do you need any water for that?'

"No, I'm fine thank you."

The two lapsed into silence. Katie twisted her hands, playing with the napkin on her lap. She was just about to break the silence with a comment on the weather lately, when her thoughts were interrupted.

"Katie Bell," A baritone voice drawled with a mixture of scathing amusement and delight.

Katie's ears pricked, and the napkin she had been playing with slipped onto the floor. She swore inwardly. This was turning out to be a fabulous night. It was only her Gryffindor courage that propelled her to look up; confirming her miserable suspicions.

"Marcus Flint," She nodded coolly at the large figure that towered over her, her cheeks reddening. He was dressed not in dress robes as she had expected, but in a sleek muggle suit. And he had decided to accessorize with a buxom blonde wearing barely a scrap of clothing. Marcus raked his eyes over her body, sneering, then looked pointedly at her date, as if to say, "Really, is that all you can get?" Katie's face turned even redder, this time in both anger and embarrassment.

"School friend?" Her date asked pleasantly, smiling warmly up at Flint. His smile wavered when he received a sneer in exchange. However, instead of showing his displeasure, he merely launched into pleasantries. Alicia hadn't called him a gentleman for nothing.

"How do you do?" He raised his hand to shake Flint's.

Flint lowered his hand as though it pained him to do so, barely making contact with her date's fingers.

"Yes. Katie and I were great friends in school," He smirked, then seemed to remember, "Ah, by the way, this is Clarice."

"Eet ez nice to meet you," She shot Katie a look of disdain, pulling slightly on Flint's arm.

"Nice to meet you too," Katie replied shooting her her own look of disgust.

"Anyways," Katie stood up, grabbing her shawl, "I think it's time for us to be leaving. Have a nice dinner." She swept past them without a backwards glance.

Katie's date looked embarrassed. He apologetically shrugged and followed her out of the building pausing to bid goodnight to the two of them.

"Oh don't worry about that," Flint shot a salacious grin at the blonde, "I think we will."

He flushed, increasing his pace.

Katie was leaning against the wall outside, her shawl clutched against her tightly.

"Not quite good friends as he claimed?" Her date leaned against the brick wall beside her.

Katie laughed, "No, not quite. We were from rivalling houses."

"I see," Her date timidly gripped for her hand as if to comfort her.

"I'm sorry Donald, I don't know what my friends told you but I'm not really looking to date right now." She said apologetically as she quickly extricated her hand from his.

"That's alright," He replied, backing off quickly, "It was nice having dinner with you all the same. Would you like me to escort you back to your flat?"

"No," Katie shook her head, her curls slipping out of the sleek coil Angelina had created. "I think I'll be fine. I just want to stand outside for a while."

"Alright," he said reluctantly, "Give me a call if you ever change your mind about dating." With that, he disapparated with a pop.

Katie leaned against the wall, warily keeping an eye out for Flint. She silently watched couples walk out of the restaurant, feeling a bit lonesome. Her arms trembled as the cold began to take effect. Small pinpricks rose on her skin. "I'd better get going home," she muttered. She drew her shawl against her tighter and disapparated from where Donald had stood less than fifteen minutes before.

The sight that met her when she opened the door to her flat was not a pleasant one. Both Angelina and Alicia were sitting on her couch, clearly waiting for her to spill how her night had been. Katie groaned, kicking her heels off.

"How was it?" Alicia bounced on the seat, "He was really nice wasn't he?"

Katie sighed and pulled a tub of Florescue's ice cream from her freezer. "I suppose so."

"That's good. How was dinner?"

"Dinner was alright I guess," she said dully.

"What did you eat?"

"Lobster linguine and salad," Katie shrugged as she collapsed onto the sofa.

"Oh come on Katie," Angelina frowned, "It couldn't have been that bad."

Katie shot a withering look at Alicia, "You failed to tell me he's an old man. He looks older than my father. Bloody hell, Flint must've thought I'd gone and gotten myself a sugar daddy or something."

Angelina's eyebrows shot up, "Did you just say Flint?" She scowled. Of all of them, Angelina harboured the deepest dislike for the Slytherin players.

"Yes, he dropped by our table with his little mistress." Katie scowled.

"Clarice?" Alicia asked knowingly.

Katie looked at Alicia in surprise, the spoon stopping mid-air. "How'd you know?"

"George was raving about this Clarice woman the other day," Alicia grimaced, "Seems she was looking for some products to liven up a party for Flint. Plus they were talking about the two of them in Witch Weekly."

"Huh," Katie frowned. When had Flint become the subject of well-known magazines?

"What did Flint do anyways?" Angelina steered the conversation back to her date.

"Nothing really," Katie scowled, "He was just ... Flint."

"Complete arse then?"

Katie grinned for the first time since she arrived home, "Complete."

"Oh well," Angelina leaned back into the couch, "I guess Donald was a failure then. Interested in dating anyone in the quidditch league right now? I'm sure I could set something up."

"Uh, no. I think I need to stay away from the dating field right now. I've been having horrible luck."

Alicia nodded understandingly as she chewed on chocolate frog, "Yeah I guess."

Angelina disagreed, "But if you don't keep going, you won't find the right guy!"

"I think I'll just leave it to fate for now." Katie shrugged.

"Fine," Angelina sighed, "But you'll regret it."

Katie scowled and threw a pillow at her head.

"Hey!"

Alicia started laughing.

Soon after, Angelina joined in. Katie smiled, but she wondered: would she ever find someone who could erase Oliver from her mind? She sighed as she spooned another heaping spoon of ice cream in her mouth. Well, she set her mouth firmly; she was going to throw her fate to the wind.