Written for Deb (uncontained-hybrid) for my July GGE. I used the prompt 'new chapter'
Written for Danie's Song Inspiration Challenge (Maybe Tonight by The Summer Set)
Someday Starts Tonight
There was a light breeze in the air which signalled the coming of winter. Katie Bell, once a shy Gryffindor who had been naïve enough to accept a necklace from a cloaked stranger, wrapped her coat around her as she moved along the street by herself. She wasn't afraid of what was out there – she had a wand to protect her – but she was afraid of the direction she was going.
The little Muggle street was dead silent as she walked. The occasional rustle of leaves would liven the atmosphere for only a fraction of a second before she was once again lulled into her own, private thoughts.
This is not right, she told herself as her legs took her to the little house on the corner. One light remained on, guiding her, but she didn't want to go there. It had been years – five years, two months and six days, to be exact – and that was too long.
Another voice, however, thought otherwise. You want this. You know you do. It was the voice of her heart and it was much louder, much more forceful than the logical one that belonged to her brain.
On she walked, drawing nearer and nearer to the little home. Every step set her heart just a little more on edge. As the house drew nearer, her heart beat faster. A drop of sweat trickled down the side of her face at the thought of seeing their face again became more of a reality. More than five years was far too long to be excited, or to expect anything.
Love.
It's ridiculous.
Love is stronger.
It will never happen.
As she finally reached the path that would lead to the front door, her heart and her head continued the argument they had been having for days, now. Always, the heart would win.
Always.
The home was not as she remembered it. The once red exterior was now a cream. The brick wall along the side they had once spent holidays gossiping against was replaced with fences and children's toys. Bicycles, footballs and tables for tea parties; oh, how things had changed.
Taking a deep breath, she did as her heart guided her. She knocked. Another light flicked on and without much warning she was greeted with the smile of her old friend, Alicia Spinnet – a girl she had once adored in more ways than one.
Alicia's appearance had changed over the course of five years. Her hair was pulled back in a high ponytail, and, although she would never say as such, Katie thought she noticed a few strands of grey in the woman's hair. Still, she remained as beautiful as she had been the day they had met – eleven years old and boarding a train that would take them to a school they barely knew anything about.
"Katie!" Alicia wrapped her in a tight hug, pleased to see her. "Thank you for coming."
"I wouldn't be anywhere else," Katie said in reply, but she wasn't sure if that was the truth or only part of the truth. Of course she wanted to be there, but she also wanted to be far, far away.
"Come in, come in. I've just put the children to bed and they'll sleep through World War Three."
Katie couldn't help but smile as Alicia beckoned her into her tidy home. It was such an Alicia thing to do to refer to Muggle history over the wizarding history they had both been educated in. After the Battle at Hogwarts, neither woman had been keen to stay in the world that had destroyed the lives of so many people they loved.
Alicia had returned to her Muggle roots as soon as life began to go back to normal. She moved in with her parents, met a man, married him, had children with him, and then eventually divorced him. Katie had lived the past years working for the Ministry as a secretary. It wasn't exciting, but it paid the bills and that was all that mattered.
"I never expected to see you the other day," Alicia said excitedly as she took up a seat on the couch in her spotless living room. "It was such a lovely surprise." Smiling, she beckoned for Katie to join her (which she did, if not reluctantly).
"It was lovely seeing you, too," Katie agreed. "If not surprising."
"Would you like anything to drink?"
"No, I'm fine, thank you."
A silence fell over them after that; after spending so long apart and having completely different lives, neither were sure what to talk about. There were so many things Katie wished to say, but the words wouldn't come. She settled for the obvious.
"How are the kids?"
Alicia beamed. "Fantastic! Erica is growing so fast, now. She loves her school and is making plenty of friends. Miles is so excited to be beginning school and Jackson… well Jackson is a little too young to know much right now, but he's just as amazing." She paused for a moment, as if contemplating what to say next. Eventually, she sighed. "It's been a bit rough, you know, with everything that's happened. They're all too young to understand why their dad isn't at home anymore and, he's not making it easy on me, either. He wants the kids every other day and he's threatening legal action if he doesn't and… it's hard."
Looking at her friend, Katie once again noticed that age was not being kind to Alicia. She appeared exhausted – run down – and ten years older than she actually was.
"I'm sure it'll sort itself out eventually," she said comfortingly.
Alicia nodded, but didn't appear satisfied. "I hope," she agreed, "But you don't know their father."
"Do I want to?"
Alicia shrugged. "He is a good man, just… he knows what he wants and that did not involve being married to a witch."
"Oh."
"I tried not to use magic in front of him, but Erica is seven, now, and if she has inherited my abilities, she was going to start showing signs. I had to tell him."
"Oh." Katie wasn't sure what else to say. She had not been aware that Alicia had kept it secret for so long. She had known she had wanted to distance herself from that world, but to ignore it completely?
"You think I'm an idiot for not telling him sooner?"
"No… no, not at all. I'm just… surprised."
"I know. I should have, but Erica isn't showing any magic in her, anyway, and nor is Miles. I think they take after their father, which I'm pleased about." Alicia forced a smile. "Anyway, that is enough about me. How have you been, Katie?"
"Oh, me? I've… well, I'm just me," Katie said. "Same as always."
Alicia grinned. "Well, that's great," she said. "I'm pleased to hear."
Another moment of silence that befell them after that. Katie fiddled with a loose thread in the old jeans she was wearing and Alicia suddenly found the curtains by the frosted window very interesting. The clock on the wall ticked over to nine o'clock, and it was then that Alicia jumped to her feet.
"Erica!" she exclaimed.
Katie also jumped to her feet, looking around frantically. "Is everything okay?" she asked.
Absently, Alicia nodded. "Yes, yes," she said. She looked to her friend. "Oh, I'm sorry for startling you." She almost laughed, and then returned to her place on the couch. "I'm sorry, I just remembered Erica has a school trip tomorrow and I forgot to sign the permission form." This time she did laugh, and it was the most beautiful sound Katie had heard in a very long time.
"Oh."
"Not to worry. I can deal with that tomorrow. She'll be so upset if she can't go… oh, Katie, I wish you could meet them properly. They're wonderful kids!"
"Well, of course they are," Katie answered, smiling. "They take after you, I'm sure."
"I've missed you, Katie," Alicia said. "Over the years, I've missed you. I've often thought about you, but… but…." She glanced in what Katie assumed to be the direction of the children's bedrooms. "I just couldn't go back."
"It's okay," Katie assured her, though every word hurt. Alicia had been one of her closest friends, one of the loyalist people she had ever met, and not seeing her for all those years hurt. "I understand."
Alicia smiled again, patting the spot beside her on the couch. "Please."
Although she knew it was a bad idea to be so close so soon, Katie obliged to Alicia's request. The moment that she sat, Alicia's hand covered hers and warmth overcame her.
"I've missed everything about you, Katie." Her voice was barely a whisper.
Katie swallowed, wanting to wrench her hand away, but not wanting to at the same time.
"I need you."
"I need you, too."
"I love you."
"I love you, too."
"No, I mean, I love you, Katie. I always have."
"I know what you mean."
She couldn't believe the words that were coming from her mouth – so suddenly, so naturally – but she didn't dare herself to regret them. After all, this was what she had hoped for when she had agreed to come tonight, wasn't it?
"I'm sorry I left you."
"I'm sorry you did, too. I needed you and you were gone, shacking up with a man, of all people."
"I wanted a normal life… a Muggle life."
"That could have been with me."
It appeared Alicia had no answer for that, so she sat there in silence, a single, stray tear rolling down her cheek. After a moment, she shook her head. "What's in the past is in the past," she said, looking at Katie with more tears threatening to break free. "I do not regret anything." Once again, she looked to where her children slept.
"Well, I do," Katie said, and she moved closer to her friend, taking her hands. "I regret that I couldn't be there for you when you needed me, or that you couldn't be there for me. I regret that we went without speaking for years and neither of us tried to contact the other. I regret it all, Alicia, because I loved you. I still love you. With all my heart."
Alicia shook her head again, squeezing Katie's hands in her own. "Let's start over," she said. "Let's start new. You and me."
This time Katie did pull her hands away. "Alicia…."
"I love you."
"And I, you, but…." Katie paused. What was stopping her? She had a lousy job, hardly any family or friends. Why couldn't she leave her life and start new with Alicia? Who would miss her?
"Katie?"
"It's not that simple."
"It is. You and me… like it used to be. I never stopped thinking about you." As if she could no longer wait, Alicia grabbed her old friend, pulling her close. As their lips met everything came flooding back to Katie. The memories – good and bad – the stolen kisses, the hugs, the hand-holding. It had felt so natural back then and it still felt natural now.
"I love you," Alicia whispered, finally breaking the kiss. "I love you."
"I love you, too." Katie couldn't force it anymore. She had always loved Alicia and their years apart had not changed that.
"Tonight, we start over," Alicia said. "You and me… the future."
Katie smiled; she couldn't help it. She had not felt this happy in a very long time.
"The future," she agreed. "It starts now."
Okay, I am happy with the way this turned out, actually. Deb, I hope you liked it, too, and I would love to hear everyone's thoughts :)