I know, I KNOW. ANOTHER one-shot. Sesh, no need to be so patriarchal about it. Pfft…
Yeah, I dunno either…
Ok, going to clear a few things up. Technically this takes place during the GOF, but I don't feel like adding little tidbits about it in here and there so yeah, I might, I might not. But if I don't-I warned you. And I KNOW Katie is technically a year younger than everybody else but I always tweak her age so know she's a sixth year like everybody else. So yeah, here you go.
Disclaimer: by saying the words 'oh what I would give to own Fred Weasley' I suppose you guys can figure out that I do not, infact, own the devilishly charming redhead.
Looking back, Katie Bell thought New Years was the best holiday out of the whole year. Maybe it was because she and her friends had been able to perform the usual traditions every year without fail. Even though Alicia was deathly afraid of heights when she wasn't on a broom…
"Remind me why we do this EVERY year?" Alicia Spinnet asked, holding onto a vine with a death grip and practically glued to the spot on the bricked wall, "I mean is it really necessary?"
"It's a tradition," Fellow sixth year chaser Katie Bell said stubbornly, a few feet above one of her best friends, "And besides, you're fiiiiiiine."
"That's what everyone says and the next thing you know-SPLAT!-right on the courtyard floor."
" 'Lic," Ange laughed from right in front of Katie, "Stop being so dramatic."
Alicia looked down from where she was precariously perched above one of the many Hogwarts courtyards and took a large gulp. They were easily six stories up and there was still more to go to get to the roof for they're traditional New Year's Kickoff.
Katie Bell, forever stubborn and sarcastic, looked down at Alicia and gave her a smile, " 'Lic, you're not going to fall. It's not like we're going to push you off."
Alicia looked up to her close friend who continued to climb up the castle tower, only using nooks and crannies for footholds and a few old vines here and there to help hoist her up. She gulped again.
"Alicia, I'm right behind you," George Weasley said reassuringly from beneath her, "I won't let you fall."
"Right-o!" his carbon copy called from behind him in a less than comforting voice, "So Ange-are we there YET?"
"I am," she answered as Katie saw her look over the edge of the roof, already up there "You're almost there Fred, stop complaining," she added as she gave Katie a hand up onto the shingled roof, who in turn lent a hand to Alicia.
Katie smiled when she stood up and saw what a nice night it was out. She let a deep breath out and smiled even broader as she watched her breath ascend into the starry night sky. She hugged herself in the cold even though she was wrapped in warm clothing from head to toe. She had on the Griffindor scarf, a tee shirt above that a sweater and above that an faded old evergreen bombers jacket that had once belonged to her older brother. She had a pair of old jeans that were surprisingly warm despite the one hole on her left knee and a pair of red gloves and some old sneakers.
"A little help would be very much appreciated-KATES!"
Katie spun her head around to see Fred trying to clamber up onto the roof while Alicia was sitting as far away from the edge as she could manage with George wrapping an arm around her shoulder as Ange dumped the contents of food and drinks out from her back pack. Katie laughed a bit at his predicament before walking over to help him while only almost falling twice and was relieved that her klutziness gave her a break that night.
"Here, Fred," she laughed, helping the red head up.
"Much appreciated, Katie-my-Bella," he said before adding loudly, "I'M GLAD I CAN TRUST YOU TO SAVE MY LIFE!" and his twin only gave him a sheepish smile as Alicia rested her dark haired head on his shoulder. "Bloody idiot," he muttered, "He's like a love-sick puppy who won't admit his feelings for the blasted girl-" Katie gave him a look at the last two words, "-I mean-the lovely darling."
"OI! A LITTLE HELP OVER HERE!" Angelina called while Katie laughed at Fred before walking up the inclined roof to help her.
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"Remind me why we only do this once a year?" Fred laughed a half an hour later once they were settled, a hot mug of hot chocolate in one hand as the other found it's way around Katie's shoulders and hugged her tight to him as he planted a kiss on her temple.
"Because you always manage to spike something," Katie laughed dejectedly, pushing him away lightly and managing not to spill her own hot chocolate. "and I always manage to drink or eat that something and wake up then next day with feathers molting from my hair," they all laughed.
"And because I hate heights," Alicia piped up from the other side of Angelina-who was in between her and Katie.
"You're fine!" Angelina and Katie chorused together as George smiled at her.
"But we should," Katie mused, looking across to the horizon over the rim of her mug. "What time is it? My watch broke."
"Quarter to midnight," Alicia answered, looking at her own watch. "So we're staying out until dawn like always?"
"Oh yeah," Katie said dryly, "We're keeping this tradition alive, damn it."
Angelina laughed next to her, "Why did we even make this a tradition?"
"Because it was a damn good feat for first years," Fred answered, taking another swig out of his mug.
"Here, here," Katie said, clanking her mug against his.
"So as tradition goes," George said from the other end of the group, "now is about the time we do our resolutions. Now Ange, I think it they should be more realistic this year rather than last year's when you-" he never got to finish his sentence because Angelina reached across Alicia's back and pulled some of his red hair in her fist. "Ok-OK, but that was completely uncalled for!" he said, rubbing his head and glaring at her half heartedly.
"What was yours last year?" Alicia asked, trying to recall.
"No comment."
"It was not to go skinny dipping in the lake which she broke the very next day-" Katie informed everyone.
"-YOU told me the giant squid took my back pack!" Angelina pointed out fuming.
"Well-pfft- how was I supposed to know it didn't?"
"It was stuffed in YOUR trunk!"
"That's no reason to strip down and take a nice dip! Besides, I didn't tell Fred to put it there!"
"Now normally I agree with pranking and all that," Fred interjected, "but I would appreciated immensely if you left me out of this one."
"Well…you made me break mine first!" Katie pointed out-ignoring Fred, "You put chocolate in my milk!"
"Because you asked for chocolate milk!" Angelina cried.
"Well you should show some self restraint!"
"Ladies, ladies," George said in the voice he very often used to smooth things over before Angelina could let her comeback fly, "let's calm down. We can't forget that we're teetering on a very high roof here."
Angelina and Katie sighed before exchanging apologetic smiles.
"So what's your new years revolution, Kates?" Fred asked happily, changing the subject.
"To lay off the sarcasm," she said, smiling faintly.
"…were you being sarcastic?"
"No," she laughed along with everybody else, "But I don't even know why I bother-it's never going to happen. It's like telling you now to be a red head."
"That would be tough…"
"We look dashing as red heads," his twin added.
"Right-o, my good man."
"What's yours?" Katie asked Fred.
"To someday count all the freckles that have taken me over."
"Are you serious?" she laughed.
"Oh very. What about you George?"
"I'm going to ask you once your done so I know," he called back. "We are identical."
"Why do I have to count?"
"Because I'm older than you and I say so."
"Two minutes and he thinks he's got free range over me," Fred muttered just loud enough for Katie to hear. She let out a laugh that she tried to stifle but it only ended up in a snort, "Attractive."
"Oh shut it, Fredrick James Weasley," she rebutted.
"Ouch," Fred said, putting a hand over his heart and flailing back a bit, faking pain, "You're killing me here Kates. Why did you have to bring out the full name?"
"Because I can," she smirked devilishly at him.
"I knew I taught you how to smirk too well," he said as he put his arm around her shoulders affectionately again.
For as long as she could remember, Katie and Fred had always friend-flirted with each other. He would send her notes in class that said 'damn it, why won't you have me Katie-my-Bella?' in familiar handwriting she could barely make out and she would bite her lip in an attempt not to laugh out loud. Then when she finally had that under control she would scribble 'because it wouldn't be fair to the rest of the female population if I had BOTH of the very dashing Weasley twins' underneath it before passing it back to him. He would scowl at the paper before scowling at her half heartedly and she would chew on her fist so should wouldn't burst into laughter in potions class and get detention from Snape. Then seconds later he would send it back with 'those two minutes…' written underneath her handwriting. That was the point in time that she would more rather than not burst into laughing. And things had gone along like that forever but now it occurred at almost every moment they were in the same room. And granted Fred had asked Angelina (who at the time was not going out with Dean Thomas's seventh year brother John) to the Yule Ball but he confessed-to Katie that is-that because 'guy as dull as a rock from Drumstag' asked her first.
Katie looked over to her other three friends who were apparently in a heated debate over which was worse: poxy pox or muggle measles. "Fred," she moaned, looking back at him over her mug, "You know I can't."
"Why not?" he whined just enough to catch it in his voice. "Has Wood even owled you back yet?"
"Yes!" she rebutted stubbornly, "just yesterday!"
"Ange told me it was one of those fan mail return letters."
Katie hung her head in defeat, "I know," she murmured. "bu-"
"Kates," he groaned, "he's-he's not coming back."
"Well of course he isn't," Katie said, trying to smile, "he graduated."
"You know that's not what I mean."
"I know…" she hung her head again and this time ran a hand through her wheat colored hair, "It's just that…he's…he's just Oliver," she finished "I mean, sure we got together his last year and all but-he's Oliver Wood."
"What is he some kind of superhero?" Fred asked, a smile creeping across his face. "I suppose 'Fred Weasley' just doesn't fit the bill?"
"Oh Fred," she laughed giving him a hug with her one free hand while the other steadied her mug, "you know what I mean," she smiled lopsidedly, pulling away.
"No," Fred corrected, his smile disappearing "I really don't. He's off being the wizarding world's most eligible bastar-bachelor, he promised he would make Hogsmeade weekends-which he never did, and now he doesn't even have the decency to owl you back!" he saw the hurt that was filling in her green eyes and wished he could shut himself up or that at least she had the decency to slap him sometime soon, "And meanwhile, I'm right here! Is there something wrong with me or am I just nothing compared to that damn Scottish bastard-"
She slapped him across the face and the sound caught their friend's attention.
"Katie…" Angelina drew out the sound in her name uncertain of what was going on. "Why did you ju-"
"Forget it," Fred said, his eyes never leaving Katie's scowling ones. "She doesn't have to explain."
And with that he got up, chucked his mug off the roof, walked a few feet along the roof and kicked open a secret hinged door before climbing down inside and slamming it shut behind him.
"That was there the whole time?" Alicia asked shocked before turning to George who was twiddling his thumbs and whistling a tune. "You knew that?"
"Er…" he said, giving her an apologetic smile as he broke his tune, "Well you see Alicia, it's a funny thing-"
"It would break tradition," Katie said stubbornly, standing up and chucking her own mug off the roof before kicking open the same door.
"Will you people stop throwing my mugs six stories to the ground?" Angelina asked in a shrill voice as Katie dropped down the opening after Fred.
Once Katie was in, she wasn't surprised to see that it was in an old attic. She searched around the floor and soon found a similar opening that lead to the roof. She pried it open and saw that it had a ladder that reached down into one of the secret passages of the old castle. She slid down and ran through the cobbled passage and darted out into the dimly lit hallway from behind a tapestry.
"Lumos," she muttered, taking out her wand and illuminating the dark hallway. As her eyes adjusted to the light faint light she saw that she was half way down the third corridor. "Fred," she said in a loud whisper. "FRED."
"…Kates?"
"Fred is that you?" she asked, his nickname for her echoing through the hall. "Fred where are you?"
"Yeah, where are you?"
"Can't you see my light?"
"Oh, right-o." Katie smiled faintly as she saw Fred walk into the circle of light her wand was producing. He had a apologetic smile on his face on top of many layers of frayed clothes as he scratched the back of his head, "Look Kates, about back there-up there, I-I'm sorry."
"Nah," she said, shaking her, "I was wrong," she sighed.
"Did Katherine Ann Bell just admit that she was wrong?" He asked, tentatively as a smile crept across his face and his eyebrows moved towards his deep red hair line.
"Yeah," she smiled crookedly, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear, "Oliver…he's…well, he's not coming back. You're right."
"I'm sorry," he said, putting a comforting arm around her shoulder that only a best friend could give, "Out of all the times I could be right…I wish it could've been in potions."
Katie laughed meekly as she turned around and gave him a hug around his waist. He wrapped both of his arms around her and she felt safe. The fact the Oliver had stopped bothering with her, that he left his secretary to send her a million-times-copied-and-sent-letter-to-other-fans seemed to disappear. While she was 5'7", he was 6'-what he claimed would be his maximum height-it was the perfect ratio's of heights to rest her head right below his chin on his chest. Without noticing, spare tears started running down her cheeks. As soon as she realized this, she instantly pulled away and hastily wiped them away.
"Sorry," she murmured, thoroughly embarrassed of the H20 dripping down her face. "We better get back up there," she smiled.
"Wouldn't want to break tradition?" he smiled crookedly, quirking an eyebrow.
"Exactly," she laughed, grabbing his gloved hand in hers before she dragged him back down the hall and pushed the tapestry aside as they went through.
As they climbed the ladder-dangerously as they were still holding hands-she laced her fingers through his and as they stepped into the attic he tugged on her arm a bit and placed a kiss on her cheek. She didn't reject like she normally would've but just smiled as she pounded open the hatch door above her and they went back up onto the roof.
"They had a wild snog, didn't you?" Ange asked as Katie sat back down next to her on the shingles. Katie laughed lightly as she playfully punched her friend in the shoulder.
Angelina, Alicia and George started talking again and Katie listened in, trying to pay attention as best she could. Trying being the keyword there. All of a sudden everything the red head next to her was doing seemed to amplified a thousand times. She could feel his breath on the nape of her neck and might've as well twiddled her own thumbs. She ran a hand through her hair as she looked over to him.
Fred was paying just as much attention to the conversation as she was (which was practically nothing). But instead of trying to look interested he had pulled his knees up a bit and let his elbows rest on them lifelessly, hanging down. He was looking outward with his brow furrowed and his mouth drawn in a tight line as the wind ruffled up his hair. Katie silently sighed as she inched a tad closer to him. Craning her neck she planted a faint kiss on his jaw line before resting her head on his shoulder.
She felt him give a small jolt of surprise and then a long pause of apprehension. But she sighed contently as he wrapped an arm around her, leaving a kiss on the top of her head.
The new year was already looking up.
Meh….yeah, that's about all I got to say about this, i mean besides the usual please review and jazz like that.
i don't think you guys realize how much fun it is to write about holidays. you can put such a spin on the usual stuff and make it completely and totaly fun. not that holidays aren't fun but just make them more fun-er-er. hehe, i sound like the guy who trained me for life guarding. he always said things like 'be more better-er' (hope he was using terrible grammar on purpose though...) funny guy. okz, totally off track but PLEASE REVIEW!
lots o love!