So I wrote this way back when in November. But I never finished it on account I didn't get it done by turkey day. But it seems lately ive been posting old stuff that I never finished and ive always put up holiday stories that arent the right season to anyway. That and ive recently had a Charlie urge, so there.
Intro………..
Catalia Tussolini and Molly Prewett had been best friends through all of their years at Hogwarts despite their differences. Cati-affectionately called by friends and 'Tusso' by everyone else-was a Griffindor chaser and Molly was the most infamous cook in Hogwarts who was practically the personal chief to the Griffindor Quidditch team-proud to wear the title. Leaving Hogwarts they were still as close as ever and they were naturally each other's maid of honor at their weddings. Ol' Tusso to a muggleborn who just happened to be the very capable keeper on her team and Molly to the tall, lanky boy she fought with on a daily basis (she still didn't like being called short). They made a promise to each other that they would always stick together like they always had. And over the past 22 years they had.
Catalia Bell had two children. A boy and a girl who were five years apart.
Molly Weasley had seven children. Six boys and one girl all within 10 years of each other.
It was only natural that they would all be as close as their parents. The Bell boy became instantly as thick as thieves with the oldest Weasley and the Bell girl learned to walk on the same floor as the twins and even though she was a year younger she was practically a triplet to them.
But as Katie Bell got older she found something special in a Weasley boy who was four years older than her. She wasn't sure what was so special about 'Dragon Boy' when she was little but she knew he was always there with something to offer. Whether it was a good story from Griffindor Quidditch practices, a hand to hold onto in the busy streets of Diagon Alley, a wall between her and their mother's wrath, a good teacher in all things life or a bar of Honeyduke's chocolate he brought for her every holiday.
The holidays had always been her favorite times at the Burrow. Sure, before school she had been over everyday and it was still wonderful, but the holidays brought something special. It brought the Weasley's and Bells together from where ever in the world they were for exceptionally good food and countless laughs along with the traditional Quidditch game. Now Christmas and Easter were great but Katie found thanksgiving to be her favorite holiday since before she could remember.
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"Remember when Filch caught you snogging that Hufflepuff girl last year?" Bill asked Katie's older brother, pointing a spoonful of mashed potatoes at him, howling with laughter.
"I thought we agreed we'd never mention that again," Phineas hissed across from him, a scowl on his face.
"Oh c'mon Finny," the other seventh year laughed, "That was one of your most redeeming moments."
"How is that Illtin girl redeeming?" he asked with a disgusted face.
"Who's Illtin?" 10 year old Katie Bell asked the ginger haired boy from her usual spot inbetween him and Fred at the Thanksgiving table.
"Her first name's Abbey," Charlie bent to whisper back, a tradition between the two which he dutifully fulfilled every year by filling her in on the nothings the large group chatted about. "And she's none to pretty to look at."
"Oh," the brown eyed blonde girl looked down at her plate, "Well I guess I should be happy my brother isn't a flit after all."
"You're brother is almost the exact opposite of a flit," The fourth year Griffindor seeker laughed, "It was the day after we won the cup last year," he explained. "Finn was somehow still going around with Fire-whiskey goggles on."
Charlie had continued to laugh at this so she joined in too. It wasn't that she found any of it particularly funny on account that she hardly understood anything he had just said at the time, but because Charlie always seemed to make her laugh, even when it wasn't on purpose. The tall ginger haired boy's smile was just contagious.
"But father, really," Percy moaned from down the table, "It really is a problem."
"What is?" Arthur Weasley asked, having previously been distracted with his conversation with Kent Bell. Rubber ducks always held his attention so a song revolving around one was a special treat.
"My cauldron is leaking again!" he threw his hands up in the air which almost sent his horn rimmed glasses flying, "It's a conspiracy!"
"Percy I'm sure-"
"I can't believe you can't see it!"
"Alright, alright," Mr. Weasley sighed before turning back to his conversation with Katie's dad, "So how does that song go again?"
"Well- Katie!" Mr. Bell called from the end of the table. "Sing Arthur the Rubber Ducky song!"
"Dad!" she hissed, tucking a lock of long, straight, golden blonde hair behind her ear while Charlie chuckled.
"Aw, c'mon Kates," Fred urged, jumping in, "Sing it!"
"I'm not singing no rubber duck song."
"Kates!"
"Oh sod off Fred."
"Please peaches?" her father asked pleasantly as Mr. Weasley looked on hopefully.
"Daaaaaaaad," she groaned, "Get Finny to sing it."
"Don't push this on me," her older brother threatened, swaying his fork her way.
"I'm not singing," she said stubbornly as her brow's furrow deepened.
"Ka-" her dad started only to be interrupted by his dark haired wife on the other end of the table.
"If Arthur wants to hear it so bad," Cati smirked, "Why don't you sing it to him?"
"That's besides the point!" the blonde man protested as stubbornly as his daughter.
"Since when do you sing?" Charlie asked as they ignored her parent's small tiff.
"I don't," she scoffed, taking some more turkey, "And I don't plan too anytime soon."
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Like one always does when they become particularly close to another, they find little things about them that make them more special than previously thought. Take 16 year old Katie Bell for instance. After knowing her for a few moments you would automatically know several things: she's extremely outgoing, almost always outspoken, she's as stubborn as a mule and kicks just as hard, she's constantly smiling or handing out sarcastic one-liners and she loves being a chaser-just to name a few. But after you know her for a while, you come to learn different things. That despite her rough around the edges moments, she really is a compassionate girl and she's subtly obsessed with Quidditch-but not to the point of unbearability.
Or it might be as one gets older, they appreciate the little things more. So rather than a bar of Honeyduke's best, Katie was happier to see a smile creep up his freckled face. Or rather than a funny joke, she was better consoled just to know that those big brown eyes truly understood-or was at least trying their best to.
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"Kates!" Fred cried happily, opening the door for her shortly after she knocked as the late afternoon sun threatened to set. "Oh god, don't tell me you cooked," his face fell as his eyes settled on the covered platter in her hands.
The sixth year shoot him a dejected look as he moved to let her in. "Oh sod off," she joked, bumping into him purposely. "I'm not that bad of a cook."
"Where's Ol' Phineas?" he asked, leading her into the kitchen where Molly had the flat wear setting its self. "And your folks?"
"Finn is at Quidditch match in the states-where do you want this Mrs. Weasley?" she interrupted herself, referring to the plate in her arms.
"Oh, just give it to Fred," she said over her shoulder. "He'll find some where for it. How are you dear?"
"Alright," she smiled crookedly as he took it from her with a mock-groan, "My mum and dad are probably coming later, my grandma said she wanted the two of them over."
"That's fine," she said cheerfully, "You can throw your coat on the stand, you know?"
"Mhmm," the girl answered absentmindedly, pulling away her coat and scarf, leaving her in her favorite scarlet sweater.
"C'mon," Fred said, "Everyone's in den."
Katie happily followed him but felt her heart sink for a moment when she didn't catch sight of Charlie. But that was quickly remedied by many warm greetings, except from Bill who was entrenched in the daily crossword puzzle on the couch. She by passed George and Ginny who had teamed up against Ron in a game of chess and leaned against the back of the couch, peering over Bill's shoulder at the newspaper.
"It's bullocks," she said simply.
"Watch your mouth Bell," Bill laughed, looking over his shoulder. "I'm sorry I didn't give you a huge bear hug, alright?"
"No," she shook her head at the pony-tailed redhead, "the answer's bullocks."
"Is that allowed?" he asked as she hopped over the back to sit next to him.
"I'm pretty sure since it fits."
Quilling it in quickly his brow furrowed as a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, "Go to hell, Bell."
"Go to hell Ron!" George cried before she could open her mouth.
"Don't be jealous," his little brother smirked across the board from him as his rook smashed George's king.
"How about scammed?" Ginny asked, "I'm not paying up-"
"-oh the hell you're not!"
"Make me RONALD-……!"
Katie let out a small laugh as she watched the usual Weasley bickering before something rather hard fell on her lap.
"C'mon," Fred smirked down at her, "Let's get a game going before it gets too dark."
"Alright," she smiled as he helped her to her feet. "You good for a pick up game Bill?"
"Yeah, yeah, sure," he said absent mindedly as his brow furrowed at the puzzle in his freckled hands.
"Let's go," the seventh year urged as everyone headed outside. He grabbed her hand and lead her out.
"What about Charlie?" she asked, "We need someone else to make it even-Bill'll never come out."
"He'll have too because Charlie isn't coming."
Her heart certainly dropped at that, "What? Why not! He wrote me and promised me he was!"
"Eh," he scoffed, dropping her hand as the kitchen door closed behind them. "He's got some dragon stuff going on in Romania."
"Oh."
So until the traditional feast, Katie played Quidditch for the next two hours. And it was the worst two hours she has ever played. She blamed Charlie. She was actually mad at the now 20 year old who had seemingly adopted her as a second sister. As the hothead she was, instead of getting upset and sad over the whole fact, she just got mad. But the first few bites of turkey helped her anger greatly. Yet she had automatically turned to her right where Charlie normally was just to find an empty seat which only furrowed her brow all over again.
Katie took another mouthful of cranberry sauce as she hardly listened to what Fred was telling her when three large knocks erupted through the kitchen. "No, I'll get it!" she said, standing up quickly as Mr. Weasley made a move to get up himself. "It's probably my folks anyway." And before anyone could protest she strode towards the entranceway.
Three more loud knocks.
"I'm coming, I'm coming!" she called before she swung the door open. "There you are mum-Charlie!"
"Hey Baby Bell," he laughed, return the hug after she flung her arms around his neck.
"Fred said you weren't coming," she mumbled into his collar before she pulled away from the tall, broad-sloping shouldered, redheaded man, "And where were you all summer?"
"Romania and a tad more eastern in Europe for a while," he said frankly, knowing that was the very vague answer she didn't want to hear.
"Lemme guess," she groaned, rolling her eyes, "Old Dumbles won't let you tell me."
"No," he laughed, heading towards the kitchen, "Professor Dumbledore won't let me tell you."
She smiled crookedly, rolling her eyes again as everyone greeted Charlie whole heartedly before they took their usual spots.
"How was your summer?" Charlie asked her in a hushed whisper as the twins discussed which prompt for a new project would be better.
"Well, you would know if you showed up," She smirked slightly down at her dish as she brought a forkful of stuffing to her mouth, "For one day at least."
"Didn't I say I was sorry for that?"
"No-"
"-yes I did!" he cried softly in protest.
"No you didn't, you owled me," she corrected, looking at him sharply, "It would've taken you a full 10 seconds to apparate, tell me in person and give me one big consoling hug." he stared blankly at her with large brown eyes, "And don't look at me like that. You know I'm right." he still didn't say anything and decided to turn back to her meal which was rather good-even more so than usual.
Around the time she was digging into her second helping of cranberry juice she felt something heavy on top of her hand. She hardly had to look to know that it was deeply freckled.
"I'm sorry," Charlie said lowly, apologetic expression full blown, "I was wrong. Forgive me Baby Bell?"
It wasn't like she could stay made at his sheepish, crooked smile for long anyway. Let alone keeping her own smile from creeping across her face. "Maybe," she smirked, struggling to keep her tough-guy act up that was no doubt going to crumble at any given second.
Satisfied he gave her a bright smile and squeezed her hand before letting his fall back into his lap. Katie stared at her hand for a moment, wishing that it had its blistered blanket back.
"I'm telling you mum!" Bill cried, "Heffburn is a lunatic!"
Katie sent a glance at Charlie who dutifully whispered to her how Heffburn was just another Lockhart in the making.
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Before the age of seventeen, Katie had always figured life after school would be easier. After all, that meant no homework, no teachers, no detention, and you wouldn't have to deal with everyone you hate day in and day out. But like many things, the war had changed all that. Now 18 and released into the new world for a few months, she longed for the protection Hogwarts had always offered her.
Though pulled out of the small bubble in the large world, she knew full well that there were several bubbles of comfort and love. One being filled with redheads and a fabulous feast found at the end of every November
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Standing in the backyard after the usual cascade of delicious food, 18 year old Kenmare Krestal Katie Bell stared up at the deep blue sky that blanketed the world. Taking in a deep breath of crisp cold air, she knew how hard this holiday was for everyone. It was hard to be thankful when five very important chairs were empty.
Mr. Weasley along with Bill and Finny were off on a mission for the order, leaving everyone else in a deep worry-Mrs. Weasley more than anyone. And then there was Percy who had been dead for nearly a year.
A stinging sensation started to occupy the back of her eyes as she hugged herself against the cold. The last chair belonged to her Dragon Boy. Somewhere in Romania, with dealings of dragons and whatever the order had left him to, he hadn't sent a letter in nearly a month. So when he didn't return before the usual feast the worst jumped to the forefront of her mind. She knew full well that he wasn't allowed to send owls on the Order's-well-orders, but thanksgiving was something he wouldn't miss for the world. When she scoot her chair closer to the food-covered table with the seat to the right of her empty, she felt the world give a violent spasm.
She pushed a lock of hair off her face with a almost defeated sigh. Silently hating how weak she had become she wondered when it had started. She had always been tough and stubbornly optimistic, never accepting the worst. Now she always expected the worse. She had voiced this to Fred once who had instantly engulfed her in a large hug, telling her how common that was these days. That how expecting the worst made your skin tougher once reality hit.
Giving another shiver as the wind blew through, she knew if the worst fell on Charlie she wouldn't be able to bear it. With a dry sob she plopped down on the hard ground, the warm view of the burrow to her hunched back as she stared at the dark horizon.
"You know, I think dessert is ready," a familiar voice said as a broad figure sat down next to her.
"I'm full…" she murmured into the sleeves of her folded arms resting on her knees. She gave a small shiver as another breeze swept through.
"Let's go in anyway, it's cold out here." She let out a deep breath in reply and within a few seconds she felt a heavy pressure on her shoulders but no longer the harsh weather. "Cmon Baby Bell."
"God damn it Charlie, I'm not a-" her momentarily defeated green eyes snapped open as her neck nearly broke at the speed she snapped her head towards the ginger haired man sitting net to her. "Charlie!" she shrieked happily, his heavy jacket slipping off her shoulders as she nearly sent him falling backwards as she threw her arms around him.
"Good to see you too," he laughed. "I-"
She had pulled away and cut him off, slapping him across the face, "Don't you ever-EVER-do that again!" she threatened, pointing a stern finger at him. He looked at her confused, "Oh don't look at me with those brown eyes like that Dragon Boy," she spat rather angrily, "Next year you better be here hours before me. I can't fall into a depression everytime you pull a MIA bit. You-"
This time he cut her off, however it wasn't as painful as a slap across the face.
As he pulled her to her feet, squeezing her hand as they headed back inside, she could feel his smile against her lips.
So that's my loophole for not writing a cliched kiss at the end. Ahahahaa. Ok, so, it was there, but I didn't write about it. Which I personally think was a nice touch because it seems ive been writing slightly angst stuff with a kiss at the end. So yeah, kudos to myself because I certainly am cocky today. Ahahaha, jk jk, im really not as pompous as I sound, I swear. I just have a big mouth. Ok, I swear im going to stop rambling now. and PLEASE REVIEW! cause we all know what a huge review whore i am...ahahahaa
Lots o love!