Disclaimer: Let's face it, people. At this point I half own the characters in this story. J.K. created them, but I developed them into the screwed up young adults they are today.
A/N: Welcome to Castles In The Air, I'm your host/author Jagged Epiphany. You're in for a treat, my friends. This promises to be a wild ride. Thanks to everyone who reviewed and read the end of Old Faces. First I should get the formalities out of the way in case we have any newbies joining us, which I sincerely hope we do.
This story is the long-awaited sequel to Old Faces, New Tricks. I don't think you will need to have read OFNT to know what is going on. This first chapter is hopefully going to give a bit of an overview, but I couldn't possibly summarise the intricacies of their relationships and characterisations. Therefore, I recommend you read at least the last ten chapters of OFNT if you really want to know what's going on.
Also, don't bother telling me that Katie is a year younger than the others. I know this. The story shall be slightly AU in that sense, because I can't go back and change it at this late stage. Furthermore, I had this sequel planned before HBP came out, but I'm going to try to make sure nothing goes deliberately against canon.
That's all for now. Just so you don't get confused, this chapter deliberately jumps from place to place and back and forward in time. Hopefully you'll get a handle on the switches. Fittingly, we shall begin our journey with one of the most famous openings in English literature…
Chapter One
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way. A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens.
Life is full of what-ifs. They're one of those inevitabilities, just like death, taxes and pimples. What-ifs are always hovering around the edge of your mind, like spectres of the past and the possible future. The tricky thing about what-ifs is that if you let one into your consciousness, others are sure to follow. You can drown in what-ifs if you aren't careful. Don't believe me? Let's give it a try.
What if the Roman Empire hadn't collapsed? What if Da Vinci had never bothered to finish the Mona Lisa? What if Shakespeare's plays had all been lost? What if Napoleon hadn't been defeated at Waterloo? What if Hitler hadn't died when he did? What if JFK had put the roof up on his car that day in Dallas? What if John Lennon and Paul McCartney had never met?
You see? It only gets worse. Soon you're wondering: what if my parents had never met? If you get to that point you know you're in trouble. Overall, it's just best to not let the what-ifs in. Live your life regret free and don't dwell on impossibilities and the past.
If only someone had given this advice to Alicia Spinnet.
Not that it would have made much of a difference. She's too stubborn to listen to anyone, no matter how pure their intentions are. She learns from her own mistakes well enough, though. For instance, she hasn't touched alcohol since her disastrous experimentation in sixth year. If someone had bothered to tell her not to dwell on what-ifs, she'd have done the exact opposite anyway. That was the type of person she was.
On the steps of the Opera House in Sydney Harbour, Alicia was bombarded by what-ifs. She was so overwhelmed that she had to sit down. This was the first real moment that she'd had to herself since leaving Hogwarts. It had been non-stop in Leeds and their arrival in Sydney a few hours ago had been chaotic to say the least. Basically, she hadn't even had time to let the what-ifs creep into her mind.
The weather was wonderful in Sydney, even though it was winter, so Alicia had decided to walk down to the Harbour, which wasn't far from her hotel. As she quietly admired the sparkling blue water and the cloudless sky, she let her barriers fall.
What if leaving George was a mistake?
Alicia's breath caught in her throat. The idea that she was capable of making a mistake had once been foreign to her. The last two or so years, however, had shown her that she definitely wasn't immune to mistakes. Perhaps this was just another one to add to the growing list.
God. What if George was my one true love? What if no one else ever loves me?
Alicia sat down on the steps and stared at the ground between her feet. Her head was swimming and she could feel the beginnings of a headache thumping in her temples. What if I never see him again? No, no. That wasn't possible. There was Katie and Lee's upcoming engagement party.
She clutched at the engagement party like a talisman. It helped to keep the what-ifs at bay for a while. George would be at the party so they would have no choice but to see each other again. Some of her questions might be answered during that meeting.
Feeling slightly recovered, Alicia stood up on shaky legs. It was time to get back to the hotel. She had a meeting with her colleagues about deadlines, interview times and the Quidditch match. Her boss, the senior correspondent, had already made it clear that he deplored tardiness. Alicia did not want to anger him on her first official day on the job.
When she entered the foyer of the hotel fifteen minutes later, she was immediately set upon by the international Quidditch photographer, Cassie.
"There you are! I've been looking for you everywhere!" Cassie seized her arm and drew her across the foyer.
"What's wrong?" Alicia asked worriedly.
"Nothing's wrong at all. In fact, I have wonderful news! It seems the Scottish team is staying in a nearby hotel."
"What's so wonderful about that?"
"They're going out tonight and they've invited us as well!"
"Oh, I don't think I'll be up to that," Alicia said, looking away as she blushed. She'd been hoping to delay seeing Oliver until she was a little more emotionally stable.
Cassie shook her head. "Nonsense! It wouldn't hurt you to go…
…on a date?" Angelina shrieked.
"Yes, a date."
"You can't do that!"
George sighed and straightened out a shelf of Skiving Snackboxes. "You want me to sit around and wait for her? I have news for you, Angelina, she's not coming back."
"She'll be back for the engagement party," Angelina said, slamming coins down on the counter as she counted the day's takings.
George gave his brother's girlfriend a gentle nod. "Then she'll be gone again. I'll see her occasionally, but she's not a part of my life anymore. You're going to have to accept that one day."
"How do you think she's going to feel when she finds out you're already dating other women?"
"She'll have Oliver there to comfort her," George said, turning away so that she wouldn't see the bitter look on his face. The only thing he hated more than not being with Alicia was the knowledge that Oliver was with her.
"You're still jealous!" Angelina said triumphantly. "That proves you still love her!"
"I never said I didn't love her. I said that she wasn't a part of my life anymore. She's gone off to see the world and left me behind. Why shouldn't I be allowed to see other women?"
"Oh, I've completely lost count now!" Angelina sent a pile of Sickles flying just as thudding footsteps were heard on the stairs.
"What's all the ruckus about?" Fred asked, looking from his brother to his girlfriend. "Why are you throwing money around, Angel?"
Angelina rounded on him and he took a step back automatically. "Did you know about this, Frederick? Did you know that he was going on a date with one of those whores who works in Madam Malkin's?"
"Her name's Isabel and she isn't a whore," George interrupted lightly.
"I knew about it," Fred admitted reluctantly. "She's had her sights set on him for a few weeks now. What was I supposed to do about it though?"
"Put a stop to it, of course! He can't go out with this woman. She's not Alicia!"
"That's right," George said, his voice cracking as he finally lost his cool. "Alicia's on the other side of the world right now. She's probably cuddling up to Oliver or some other Quidditch player. Why can't I move on as well? She's not coming back, Angelina. I have a right to live my life the best I can without her."
"You're forgetting her already," Angelina protested. "You're already stomping all over her memory."
"Don't preach to me about preserving her memory," he snapped. "You may be her best friend but I'm in love with her. I'm never going to be able to forget about her."
"Hey," Fred interjected in a calming voice, "you're talking about Alicia as if she's dead. That won't help anyone. How about we go upstairs and I'll cook us dinner?"
George shook his head. "I have to get ready to meet Isabel. We're having dinner then going somewhere for a drink."
"A drink?" Angelina repeated mockingly. "I bet she came up with that idea, didn't she? She's probably an alcoholic. Or a con-woman. Yeah. She wants a piece of you now that you're successful. Alicia was around before you had a business, in case you've forgotten."
"Alicia's not here!" George shouted, not bothering with decorum or politeness.
Angelina marched over to him and poked her finger in the middle of his chest. "And whose fault is that? You could have asked her to stay and she would have bloody well stayed! You only had to say the word. You couldn't because you're too God damn proud to admit that you need her! She'd be here if it wasn't for you."
George gritted his teeth. "Get her away from me, Fred."
"Ok, that's enough from both of you." Fred stepped in between them and put a restraining hand on Angelina's shoulder. "George is old enough to make his own decisions."
She shrugged him away. "I should have known you'd take his side. You've always had a problem with Alicia. You're probably glad she's gone."
"Wrong, Ang. If she were here I wouldn't have to listen to the two of you carry on like children, would I? Give it a rest for a while."
"Fine." Angelina lifted her chin and strode past him. George gave his brother an icy glare then followed her up to the flat.
Fred sighed then went after them. In the flat, Angelina and George retreated to their own rooms, slamming the doors shut behind them.
Fred rolled his eyes at their antics. "Who knew it would be so hard to…
…set a date for an engagement party?" Katie sighed.
"I know. It's ridiculous." Lee flicked through his planner. "What about the 27th of September?"
"Nope. My parents are going on a cruise that weekend to celebrate their anniversary. The weekend before that?"
"Already said no to that, remember? Pre-season Quidditch match between the Magpies and the Tornados. My dad will definitely be there. Weekend after the 27th?" Lee asked.
Katie shook her head. "Liam has some big important conference for work."
"It'll be a hassle for him to come all the way from overseas. Does he really need to come?"
"Of course he does!" Katie scowled. "My brothers are annoying but I want all of them at the party."
"I was kidding. I know you want them there."
"He said he can definitely get a Portkey for the weekend after the conference." Katie shuffled through the parchments that her family had sent her. "Everyone else is fine with that Saturday. What date is that?"
Lee skimmed his planner. "That would be the 11th of October. It doesn't look like anyone on my side will object to that."
"Quick, write it down!" Katie ordered.
Lee quickly scribbled a note in his planner then shut the book with a snap. "That's that. Our engagement party is on the 11th of October."
"I'll start writing out the invitations tomorrow. We'll have to send Alicia's and Liam's by express Floo mail so they have time to organise Portkeys."
Lee flopped back on the sofa, his head on Katie's lap. "I don't even want to think about how hard it's going to be to set a wedding date. We'll have twice as many people to co-ordinate with."
"If it gets too difficult we'll just elope," Katie said, twisting two of his dreadlocks around each other. Lee sighed contentedly and closed his eyes. "Are you excited about starting work tomorrow?" she asked.
"Definitely." He cracked open one eye and stared up at her. "Only bad thing is I won't get to spend as much time with you as I'd like. Will you survive without me?"
"It'll be a struggle," she said, biting her lip dolefully. "I guess I'll have to keep myself occupied by unpacking and cleaning things up a bit."
Lee sat up and threw his planner onto the coffee table. "Time to start dinner, I suppose." Katie moved to stand up but he put a restraining hand on her leg. "Not you, love. I said I would cook dinner for you on your first night here and that's exactly what I plan to do."
She just frowned doubtfully. "No offence, sweetheart, but can you even cook?"
"Of course I can," he replied. "I once had an Italian nanny who insisted I learn how to cook lasagne."
"That sounds nice. Call me if you need help."
Now it was his turn to ask. "Do you even know how to cook?"
"I have three older brothers. I either had to learn how to cook food for myself or risk starving to death. They certainly never bothered to learn."
"All right, well you sit here and relax. I promise I won't need you. Why don't you spend the time coming up with something for us to do after dinner," Lee suggested.
The hint was not lost on Katie. Her cheeks turned pink and she looked at a spot on the ceiling. She'd talked to Angelina about it only yesterday. She was pretty sure she was ready for it. Lee certainly seemed to be, even though he never pressed the issue. She loved him even more for that.
Katie caught his gaze, her cheeks still flushed. "I think I already know the perfect way for us to spend our first evening together."
"Chess?" Lee asked, grinning and leaning towards her.
"Not quite. It involves you and me in…
…such a blatant state of undress!" Alicia exclaimed.
Cassie shushed her. "Just keep your voice down, for Merlin's sake!"
"She shouldn't have worn such a small dress if she wasn't prepared to attract some attention." Alicia glared after the woman. A group of men trailed her, their tongues practically hanging out.
"You gotta ease up," Cassie advised, steering Alicia in the opposite direction to the woman and her admirers. "You aren't at Hogwarts anymore. Things happen differently in the real world and you've got to learn to go with the flow."
Alicia pouted as she was pulled along. It was almost midnight and the pair was in a part of Sydney called Cockle Bay. The moonlight shone off the surface of the inky water and distant music could be heard mingling with the excited chatter of hundreds of revellers. Even with this as an enticing backdrop, she simply wanted to be back at her hotel room so she could put on her comfortable pyjamas and curl up with a good book. She could be writing letters to her friends right now. She could be-
When she wasn't watching where she was going, her heel got caught in a crack. The result was her stumbling ungracefully and cursing loudly.
Cassie gave her a weary glance over her shoulder. "Could you try to be a little sexier?"
"I feel ridiculous," Alicia complained. Her heels were too high, her jeans were too tight, her strapless bra was pinching her and the pins in her hair were digging into her scalp. Cassie had said that beauty was pain. That was right before she got the skin of Alicia's eyelid caught in her eyelash curler.
Despite the pain and the hour-long preparation, Alicia did have to admit that she looked good. She hardly knew Cassie, but the perky blonde had already taken her under her wing. They were the only two women who travelled with the correspondence group, so they naturally stuck together. Unfortunately, Cassie was six years older than Alicia and much more experienced in the ways of the world. The woman had so much energy and enthusiasm that Alicia merely felt like she was a kite that had been caught in the wake of a jet aeroplane.
"It's just up there! Can you see it? It's the place with all the people lined up out the front."
Alicia saw the place that Cassie was indicating immediately. It was a nightclub called Pontoon and it was teeming with people. They joined the end of the long queue. Cassie began to look for the Scottish Quidditch team and Alicia took the opportunity to look around as well. Her heart rate began to pick up.
She had never realised that there were so many men in the world. Short, tall, fat, skinny, blonde brunette, pretty, plain, young, old…breathtakingly gorgeous. Alicia lowered her eyes so she wouldn't get caught staring. She had to play it cool. She couldn't go around acting like a mental patient who had just been let out of the asylum. Not that she would ever compare Hogwarts to an asylum. It was just that she'd had such a sheltered upbringing there.
Alicia had seen the same faces for years and years. She'd already put all of the guys at Hogwarts into categories depending on their looks. Out here there were so many more to sort out. There were the perfect looking ones, like Cedric. There were big scary ones like Flint, Warrington and Pucey. There were the pudgy ones, like Neville. The gangly ones, like Ron. As much as she looked, though, there was still one category she could not fill.
Dozens of men walked by her as she waited in line, but not one of them was anything like George. None of them had his eyes, hair or smile. None of them compared.
"Get your ID out," Cassie instructed in a whisper. "And please try to act like you want to be here," she added after a moment.
Alicia fumbled in her back pocket for her ID. It slipped out of her shaking fingers and fell to the ground. Before she could move, the guy behind her knelt down and picked up the card. Their fingers brushed as she took it back. "Thank you," she said, fighting to raise her voice above a whisper.
"Not a problem," he said. For a second his eyes swept over her, judging and examining every inch.
Alicia blushed and turned back around. She felt like an old cow that had been put up for auction at the county fair. Everyone was looking at her and evaluating her based on her looks. No one wanted her.
"Might as well take me back to the farm and put out me out of my misery," she muttered darkly.
Cassie raised her eyebrows. "You really worry me sometimes, Alicia."
After proving that they were over eighteen and paying the cover charge, Alicia and Cassie had their hands stamped and were let into the club. Insane was the first word that popped into Alicia's mind. At best, the place could be described as noisy, crowded and dark.
Alicia took hold of Cassie's hand firmly as they skirted the edge of the dance floor and made their way to the bar. Alicia had hoped to be able to sit down and gather herself, but all the tables were occupied. Cassie put her arm around her shoulders and shouted in her ear. "Do you want a drink?"
"What?" Alicia shouted back.
"What do you want to drink?"
"It's a quarter to twelve," she answered.
Cassie shook her head in disbelief. She shoved Alicia up against a pillar then elbowed her way through the crowd congregating in front of the bar. Alicia pressed herself against the cool wood panelling of the pillar and prayed that no one approached her. If she stood very still and slowed her breathing, she might just be able to blend in like a chameleon.
She was still doing her impression of a reptile when Cassie returned with two glasses of green liquid in her hands. She thrust one at Alicia and grabbed hold of her other wrist before dragging her away. Thankfully, they managed to find an empty table near the dance floor. They sat down and Alicia sipped cautiously at her drink. It was alcoholic and sweet. She set it aside.
Cassie scowled at her and pushed the glass back. Alicia shook her head and shoved it away again. Giving up, Kit sipped at her own drink and looked around. Alicia moodily turned her attention to the packed dance floor. Her eyes almost popped out their sockets.
Evidently, people didn't dance with each other around here. The danced on each other. If the grinding, shaking, bouncing and twisting could even be called dancing. It was lewd, vulgar, indecent and inappropriate.
Alicia was mesmerised.
She'd seen nothing like it in her life. She jumped when Cassie tugged at her arm. Somehow, she'd managed to finish her drink in all of a minute. "Dance!" she shouted in Alicia's ear.
Alicia snatched up her drink quickly. Her hearing had adjusted enough for her to be able to hear what Cassie was saying. She clasped her glass tightly and gratefully. "I better finish this first!" she said, feigning regret.
Cassie nodded. Alicia took a tiny sip of the drink then set the glass back down. Cassie glared at her. "You're doing that deliberately!" she accused.
Alicia gave an innocent, wide-eyed look. It was a look she was very good at. "Fine!" Cassie snapped. "Join me when you're done being a spoilsport!"
Alicia acknowledged her with a nod and took another dainty sip of her green drink. Cassie got up and headed for the dance floor. She disappeared amidst the crowd almost immediately. Satisfied, Alicia looked around again, taking note of any good-looking guys. Her eyes darted around quickly so she could take in just enough scenery without anyone thinking she was flirting.
Her gaze must have lingered too long, however, because an attractive young man headed for her table with a determined look on his face. Alicia panicked and almost leapt out of her seat. The only reason she didn't flee was because she didn't want to relinquish her table. The young man gave her a fleeting look, then unceremoniously placed an empty beer bottle in front of her on the table and walked off. A woman who was walking by dumped her empty glass on the table as well.
Alicia groaned and put her hands over her eyes. She wanted to go home. Not back to the hotel, mind you, all the way back to England. Back where she didn't have to drink, shout or have her eyelids pinched. Back where her friends would now be having lunch together and laughing and talking. George's new supermodel girlfriend would be there too, her hand curled possessively around his bicep.
"Hi there!" a deep male voice yelled in her ear.
Alicia slowly lowered her hands and turned her head. It was the guy who had picked up her ID outside. He was in his twenties, she guessed. He wasn't bad looking, but he was no George Weasley. She attempted a smile, but all she managed to do was purse her lips.
"Aren't you enjoying yourself?" he asked.
"Not particularly! Clubs aren't really my thing!" she explained, feeling stupid for having to shout in his face.
"I thought so! You are foreign!" he exclaimed, catching onto her accent. "Irish?"
"English!"
"Same thing, ain't it?"
"You're from New Zealand?"
He frowned. "No. Australia!"
"Same thing, I thought!" Alicia said crisply. Confident that she had shown him up, she turned back to the dance floor. Where the hell was Cassie? She wanted to get out of the club, but couldn't leave without telling her friend first.
"Wanna dance?"
Alicia shook her head without turning back. He refused to take the hint and pressed himself against her. "I like you! Come and dance with me!"
"No thank you!" Alicia had to force the words out from between her taut lips. If only she was allowed to use magic. A Bat Bogey Hex would fix his little red wagon.
"Come on! Just one dance!" His hand was on her arm now. His fingers were steadily tightening.
"I said no!" Alicia grabbed her drink and jumped up. His grip on her slipped and she was able to walk away. She got as far away from him as she could. There were no more bloody empty tables and people kept jostling her as they walked or danced by. The night kept getting worse and worse.
She stood around by the tables and waited for a vacant one to appear. She scanned the crowd in search of a table that looked like it was about to empty. It was then that they caught her eye. In the corner was a group of rowdy men and women. Well, there were three men and about eight women, which was what caught her attention in the first place. She gasped when she realised that one of the men at the table was none other than Oliver Wood.
Alicia froze, not knowing what to do. She didn't want to go over there and interrupt them. Perhaps she could catch Oliver's attention. She sidled a little closer and watched him out of the corner of her eye. Oliver didn't even glance in her direction. He was focused on the woman with the shiny black hair and the tiny waist. All of the women at his table had shiny hair and tiny waists, Alicia noticed.
Alicia was so focussed on the group that she didn't notice what was happening at a table behind her. A fight had broken out over something and one man dove across the table and punched another in the mouth. This ruckus caught the attention of everyone in the club, including those at the corner table. Alicia's eyes locked with Oliver's.
It took him a second to recognise her, then he beamed and jumped out of his seat. He waved away the queries of his friends and strode over to her. Alicia wasn't proud of it, but she threw herself into his arms. Oliver caught her and spun her around. A little dizzy after being set back on her feet, Alicia teetered and fought to keep her drink from spilling.
"Look at you, my little Chaser!" he shouted, his voice hoarse. He looked her up and down and grinned. "Not so little anymore though!"
"Me? What about you?" Alicia squealed. "You look…
…like sex on legs!" Isabel trilled.
George nodded absently. He had no idea what she was on about. He'd zoned out ten minutes ago when she'd started discussing her beauty regime.
Isabel droned on, unaware that she had lost her audience. "Can you imagine how embarrassing it was to have him say that to me in front of everyone? I slapped him before I let him buy me a drink, of course."
Drinks. George bit back a groan. They'd only just finished dessert so he'd be stuck with her for at least another hour. Unless he could wriggle out of it…
"A Knut for your thoughts," Isabel said softly.
"Oh, I, er, just remembered that I have an early start tomorrow. A shipment of fake wands is coming in. Very important. Can't miss it. I'm afraid I won't be able to go and have a drink with you."
"Do you want to just go back to my place then?"
"Your place?" George repeated uneasily. She hadn't mentioned that being part of the date when she first asked him out.
"I don't mind if we skip the drinks. I've never been that fussed about going through the whole routine. Just get to the good part, I always say."
Isabel's foot began to slide up the inside of his leg. George pushed his chair back from the table. "No, no. I think we've got our wires crossed. That's not what I had in mind when I agreed to go on a date with you. I thought we could just have a nice dinner, some quiet drinks then go home separately."
Isabel narrowed her eyes. "What are you, twelve years old? Why else would I ask you out? Not for the lively conversation, that's for sure."
George shrugged. "It doesn't matter what you think. It's not going to happen."
"And why not? Is it because you can't?" Isabel said vindictively.
That dented George's pride a little. "I can, thank you very much. I just don't want to. Not with you at least."
He knew he shouldn't have said that last bit out loud as soon as the words left his mouth. He'd been thinking about Alicia. His first time was supposed to be with her, not some stranger. It was supposed to mean something.
Isabel threw her napkin down on her empty plate and stood up. She made sure to raise her voice so that everyone in the restaurant heard. "I don't know what you think you're playing at, George Wesley, but you had better grow up fast. Tomorrow you're going to realise that you made a mistake and you'll come grovelling back to me."
"Unlikely," George said evenly.
"Enjoy your empty bed tonight! I'm going to find someone who knows how to play by the rules of the game!"
Isabel stormed off extravagantly. George sighed and signalled for the cheque. His first date out of Hogwarts had been an utter disaster. He'd picked the wrong woman and totally misread the situation. It didn't seem like he was cut out for the dating game. As Isabel had said, he didn't know the rules at all.
George paid for dinner and made sure to leave a substantial tip to make up for the disturbance. He left the restaurant and looked at his watch. God, it was only nine. Fred and Angelina would probably be enjoying the time alone and he didn't fancy the idea of going home and interrupting them. They'd only been living together for three days, but he'd already learnt not to walk into rooms without knocking first. That was a lesson he needed to be taught once and once only.
Figuring he might as well stop off for a drink or two at the Leaky Cauldron, George headed back to Diagon Alley. London was pretty at night and he found himself wishing he had someone there with him to appreciate it. He wondered what Alicia was doing at that moment. Unfortunately, he had no idea what the time was – or even what day it was – in Australia. He'd tried to work it out yesterday but had only ended up with a headache.
Perhaps she was visiting a landmark with Oliver. George kind of hoped she was crying by herself in her room. At least then she wouldn't be with him. No. That probably wouldn't work either. Oliver would be by her side in a flash so that she could cry on his unnaturally broad shoulders.
Maybe I should have gone with Isabel.
George shook his head vigorously as he pushed open the door to the Cauldron. Now he was just being crazy.
One hour and three Firewhiskeys later, George was so tired that he didn't care what Fred and Angelina were doing. He wanted to go to sleep. He trudged home forlornly and let himself into the shop. He stomped up the stairs so that they would hear him coming. Putting his hand over his eyes, he pushed the door to the flat open.
"I'm home!" he called. "Stop doing whatever it is you're doing!"
No response from within.
"I'm uncovering my eyes now!" he sang.
George lowered his hand to find the living room and adjoining kitchen completely dark and empty. Suddenly he didn't feel tired anymore. He went to the kitchen and began searching for something to eat. He was rummaging through a cupboard when all the lights in the kitchen flickered to life. George seized a packet of chocolate biscuits in triumph. When he shut the cupboard door he saw Angelina standing under the archway that separated the living room from the kitchen. She had her wand in her hand and was wearing one of Fred's old shirts and nothing else.
"Put some clothes on, would you?" George said, tearing open his biscuits and sitting down at the small kitchen table.
"Shut up," she replied, rubbing her eyes tiredly. "What was all the yelling about?"
"I was just making sure that I didn't walk in on you and my brother doing anything that would traumatise me."
"We were sleeping, you twit." Angelina took a seat beside him and watching him eat for a second. "Those are my biscuits, you know."
"Too bad," he said, spraying crumbs across the table.
"You're home early. How'd it go with Isabel?"
George shrugged nonchalantly. "She's a psychopath. Same old, same old really. Thanks for asking."
Angelina resisted saying it for exactly thirty seconds, then leant towards him and whispered, "I told you so."
George slumped forward, his forehead resting on the tabletop. "She wanted to sleep with me," he muttered.
That put a dampener on Angelina's jubilation at being right. "She what?"
"She invited me back to her place and said that had been the plan all along. She yelled at me when I told her I wouldn't do it."
Angelina's hand clenched into a fist around her wand. "How dare she? Wait till I see her. She'll wish she never messed with you."
George sighed. "I ended up drinking alone at the Leaky Cauldron. How pathetic is that?"
"It's not pathetic at all," she assured him, her voice softening a great deal. "You did the right thing. You always do the right thing."
"I let Alicia leave when I could have made her stay."
Angelina put her hand on his back. "And that was the right thing to do as well. That's your problem, George, you're too sweet. The Isabels of the world are going to eat you up if you aren't careful. From now on, all your dates have to go through me first."
George lifted his head from the table. "You think I should go on another date?"
"You were right earlier when you said all that stuff about moving on. Alicia isn't here anymore and I can't go on pretending that she'll be back any day. You deserve to have a life."
"I don't think I'm cut out for dating."
"Don't worry, they won't all be psychopaths. I'll make sure the majority are sweet, smart and pretty."
"Like her," he said wistfully.
"She'd want you to find someone else, you know." Angelina stood up and brushed some hair out of his face. She kissed him quickly on the forehead. "Forget about Isabel. Forget about Alicia. Go and get some sleep."
George grinned lopsidedly at her. "Thanks, Angelina."
She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, don't make a big deal out of it. I'm only here because Fred told me I had to be nice to you."
"Whatever you say." George stood up and put the rest of the biscuits away. "Hey, do you think Alicia's seen Oliver yet?"
"Who cares?"
"You don't think anything will happen?" he asked hesitantly.
Angelina snorted. "Between Alicia and Oliver? Yeah right. He's…
…divine, isn't he?" Cassie said dreamily.
"I suppose so," Alicia said airily.
"You suppose so? What's wrong with you?"
She and Cassie had left the club with the team so introductions could be exchanged without having to shout. Cassie had yanked her aside as soon as they'd been introduced to all the players and hangers-on.
Alicia shrugged uncomfortably. "I've known Oliver for a long time. It's a little weird to hear other women go on about him."
"Get used to it, honey." Cassie twisted a lock of hair around her finger contemplatively. "It wouldn't be so bad if he was actually available."
"He's not?" Alicia asked immediately. Internally, she scolded herself for caring.
Cassie turned to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Listen, kid, this is how it works: Quidditch players – the good ones at least – are on the road a lot of the time. Some choose to travel with their partners, others don't. Everyone has needs though, right? A guy like Oliver could have a girl in every capital city if he wanted to. A lot of the young, single players do it. Men and women. Sometimes they form arrangements with people like us who travel as well. Everybody gets what they want."
Alicia gaped. "Have you ever been part of such an…arrangement?"
"I guess you could say I'm friendly with a few players. Don't look so scandalised!" Cassie said. "This is a hard life. We all move around so much that we can't have functional relationships. We take what we can get and make the most of it."
"So Oliver is unavailable because he already has a girl in Sydney?" Alicia asked, fighting the urge to look appalled.
"No. That's the thing, you see! He doesn't have girls anywhere that we know of. Stronger women than me have tried and failed to get him. The rumours started a while ago that he's gay."
"He doesn't want to sleep with strange women so he must be gay? That's just stupid logic." Alicia watched Oliver joke around with his teammates. She felt a swell of pride. "He's not gay, he's a Gryffindor. He won't sleep around because he knows it's not right."
Cassie pinched her cheek. "You can preach now, but the loneliness will get to you eventually. We can only hope the same thing happens for our boy over there. You're both new to this, but you'll crack."
Alicia sighed. This was the reason why she'd broken up with Oliver in the first place. Somehow she'd ended up back in the world that had sickened her so many years ago. And yet, Oliver somehow managed to navigate his way through the scum without getting dirty. If she stuck with him, she might actually stand a chance.
"I think I should take a little time to catch up with Oliver," Alicia said. "I'll meet you back inside in a few minutes."
"If you say so." Cassie sauntered off, a determined look on her face.
The team began to move back inside the club, but Oliver stopped when he spotted Alicia standing by herself. She waved him over and the team went inside without him.
"I thought we could stay out here and talk for a bit."
He smiled down at her. "Sorry if I've been ignoring you. Those guys don't know when to shut up. I've been dying to talk to you."
Alicia couldn't help but giggle. "What's with the accent?"
He nodded wryly. "Ah, the brogue. My accent always gets thicker when I'm around other Scottish people. I'll try to tone it down for you."
"It's nice, actually." Alicia looked at her feet and winced inwardly. Oh God. Was that counted as flirting? It wasn't even her fault that his accent was hot. She cleared her throat. "Why don't we go have a chat on the bridge?"
"Sounds like a lovely idea to me." He offered her his arm and they set off for the bridge that spanned the small inlet of Cockle Bay.
"So how long have you and the team been in town for?" Alicia asked.
"About four days. We played a warm-up game against the Wagga Wagga Wolves the day before yesterday." They stopped in the middle of the bridge and looked out over the water and the city lights. "How's George these days?"
"That's what I want to talk to you about." Alicia took a deep, shaky breath. She wasn't even sure she could say it. She hadn't had to explain it to anyone other than Angelina and Katie and she very nearly hadn't made it through that. "George and I – we're not…I mean a couple of months ago – when I told him I was leaving – we broke up."
"Whoa," Oliver said softly. "I thought you two were like soul mates or something."
"Don't rub it in."
"Sorry. I know it's probably a bit late to be asking, but are you all right?"
Alicia shrugged. "It was really hard at first but things have become gradually better. At the very least, I no longer burst into tears when I see someone with red hair."
"Was the break up mutual?" Oliver asked, surveying her with his soft brown eyes.
"Yes, but I really hurt him, Oliver. I didn't mean to. I thought I was doing what was best for him but I was doing the exact opposite. I broke his heart again." Alicia sniffled and blinked to clear her vision. If she cried now she'd smudge her makeup and he would think she was crazy.
"Is there anything I can do?" he asked, shifting from side to side in an agitated manner. "You know I'm not good with emotional stuff, but I could hug you or pat you on the back. Would you like that?"
Alicia smiled and shook her head. "You're still the same, Oliver."
"So do you want the hug or not?"
"Not now. If you hug me I'll start crying." Alicia looked out at the twinkling lights of the city and wondered what George was doing at that moment.
"Things will get better," Oliver said tentatively. He put his hand on her shoulder and added, "There, there, everything will be fine."
"God, you're priceless," Alicia said, dissolving into giggles.
"I was trying to comfort you."
She had to fight to control herself. It was good to see that despite everything, he hadn't changed much. "I haven't laughed this much in ages. Thank you, Oliver."
"I'm glad you can laugh at my expense," he replied. "Can we talk about something else now?"
"Well, what about you then? Met any nice women?"
"Some."
"Anything long term?"
Oliver looked down at the water. "They're not really the sort of women you stay with for very long. If you get my meaning."
"I get it." Alicia frowned, not knowing what else to say. He had been doing what Cassie had described. She didn't know how she felt about that.
"It was only two or three times."
"Oh."
"Look, I'm not proud of it."
"You don't have to justify yourself to me," Alicia said. "You're a grown man, Oliver. You're twenty years old. Why shouldn't you be with women?"
Oliver straightened and turned back to her. "I promise it's only till I find someone I actually want to be with."
"We sound really old, don't we?" Alicia said. "I mean, we're both standing here lamenting the fact that we're single. We're in the best period of our lives and we're talking as if we're going to die alone. What's wrong with us?"
"I think it's the romantic in you."
"Me?" Alicia scoffed. "I'm horribly unromantic. I don't even believe in soul mates."
"You don't?" he asked, looking surprised.
"I think I used to but…just look what's happened! Why is George on the other side of the world when I'm here with you of all people?"
"Oh, thanks."
"I didn't mean it like that. I just don't understand how I ended up here with you after everything that's happened. It feels like all I've done is go in a circle. I'm back to where I started."
"You think we'll always end up back together?" Oliver asked.
Alicia looked away quickly. She didn't know what to say to that. She didn't understand anything that had happened to her over the past year. The more she tried to comprehend why, the more tangled up she got. For now she wanted to be uncomplicated and carefree.
"Who cares?" she asked loudly. "Who cares about any of it? Who cares about soul mates or circles or fate? We're young and in Sydney. We should be laughing and having fun. Deep and meaningful conversations and introspection can wait until we're older. I suddenly feel like dancing. Let's go and dance!"
"Leesh, I don't dance."
"Nonsense." Alicia grabbed his hand and began to drag him back towards the nightclub. "This sort of dancing isn't hard at all. You don't have to count steps or lead."
"Have you been drinking?" Oliver asked as they rushed down the stairs.
"Only one. Why?"
"The Alicia Spinnet I knew wouldn't voluntarily dance like everyone in there is."
"Because I'm a prude?"
"Well…yes."
Alicia giggled. "Maybe I'm loosening up."
"God help us all," Oliver muttered.
They flashed their stamps and went back into the club. This time Alicia didn't avoid the dance floor; she took Oliver right into the middle of it. The song was just a nondescript mix of thumping, beeping and awful lyrics, but Alicia felt it sweep through her body. She put her hands in the air and spun around. Oliver just shook his head at her.
Mostly she copied what other girls were doing and just did what her body wanted to do. She danced in front of Oliver for a few minutes, delighting in the startled expression on his face. All of a sudden, someone bumped into her and sent her careening into Oliver. He caught her and held her for a moment. He smelt really nice, she noted hazily.
Not knowing what to do, Alicia began to dance again, this time whilst pressed against Oliver. His hands slowly slid down to her hips, which were swaying rhythmically. She looped her arms around his neck and stood on her toes so she could shout in his ear.
"Oliver, I think I…
…want to have your babies," the woman said cheerfully.
Fred nodded and did his best to smile politely. "Thanks for the offer, Kay, but I'm not really looking for anyone to father my children at the moment. If I change my mind you'll be the first to know."
"Ok. Will you tell George I stopped by?"
"Of course. See you tomorrow, Kay."
She waved as she backed away from the front counter. "Bye, Fred! Bye, Fred's friend!"
"Bye," Lee replied cautiously, trying not to make eye contact with the woman, in case she offered to have his children as well.
"She's gone!" Fred called as soon as the door closed.
"Thank God." George emerged from the storeroom looking crumpled and sour. "That Kay woman scares the hell out of me."
Lee gave him a weary look. "Yes, it must be awful having women throw themselves at you. However do you cope?"
"Shut up. Kay is not an ordinary woman. Last week she proposed to me in the middle of the store! She's frightening," George said, exasperated.
"Pretty though," Fred said thoughtfully.
"Pretty crazy."
"Come on, Spinnet wasn't exactly the poster girl for sanity, either." Fred laughed and ducked the box of Self-Inking quills that his brother threw at him.
"But how'd you do it, George? How'd you get every woman in Diagon Alley to want you?" Lee asked curiously.
George shrugged uncomfortably and began to shuffle through some invoices. "Don't ask me. I didn't do anything to encourage them."
"That's precisely why they want you," Angelina said as she and Katie came down stairs.
"That's right. You're our little lamb, Georgie," Katie added, patting him on the head.
"Go away," he replied, swatting at her irritably.
"I'm serious. You're meek, non-threatening and cute. Our little Georgie-lamb," Katie cooed.
Angelina put her arm around Fred's waist and hid a smile. "You know how wolves can smell a dead animal? Those women are like wolves."
"Wait," Lee said, furrowing his brow in confusion, "is he a lamb or a rotting animal carcass?"
"Perhaps he's the rotting carcass of a lamb," Fred said sagely.
"I'm neither and all of you belong in the loony bin with Kay," George said firmly.
Angelina cuffed him lightly on the shoulder. "Come on, we're only teasing. There's nothing wrong with being sweet and caring. That's why women don't bother with Fred; they can already tell he's an arse."
"Hey, I'll have you know that women flock to me when you're not around. I have a special stick that I beat them back with. Yeah. You know, they still keep coming even after I crack them on the head with my stick. That's how much they want me."
"Yes, dear."
"Loony bin," George repeated slowly and clearly. Grabbing a few boxes of quills, he went to re-stock the shelves as Fred gave Angelina a list of every female who had hit on him since he left school. George could tell most of them were made up.
What did women want with him all of a sudden? Sure, he'd been popular enough at Hogwarts, but Fred had been a little more popular with girls. With a sigh, George began to unpack the boxes. It was a little odd that things had switched so quickly. Could he really just be prey for these women to chew up and spit out?
George was still male, though. He appreciated the attention from the women; it was just their motives that worried him. It felt wrong to be with someone who only wanted him for his looks or his success. Alicia had embraced everything about him. That was the type of relationship he wanted. The problem was that the world continued to throw beautiful, willing women at him.
George had no doubt that one day he'd succumb. He'd have to just to keep from going insane.
"Excuse me?"
George turned around to find a very pretty woman standing behind him. She had large green eyes and very pink lips. He didn't even want to look below her neck. "Can I help you?" he asked, his voice hoarse.
"What's the difference between the Spell-Checking quills and the Smart-Answer quills?" the woman asked, tilting her head slightly.
"Well, the Spell-Checking quill won't know if what you're writing is correct. It'll just spell it properly."
"Oh."
"Yeah, and a Smart-Answer quill will spell correctly and give you the right answer."
"Wow." She reached around him to take a quill. The feather brushed against his arm. "They sound very useful."
George smiled easily and drummed his fingers on top of a box. "They come in handy during exams."
"I bet." The woman ran her fingers up and down the quill slowly. "What about those Daydream Charms? Can you daydream about anything?"
"The only limit is your imagination."
She giggled softly. "I guess it's lucky I have a big imagination. What about your love potions? How well do they work?"
George opened his mouth to answer, but the words got caught in his throat. Why was he flirting with this woman? Just by looking at her he could tell that she was the sort of girl who would have ignored him at Hogwarts. She wouldn't have wanted anything to do with him when he was a poor Weasley. The woman clearly had dollar signs in her eyes.
Who knew money could be so troublesome?
"Our love potions are very effective. Just ask my girlfriend." George gave an exaggerated laugh and his erstwhile pursuer's smile slipped a little bit.
"Ok. Thank you for your help," she said politely. She replaced the quill on the shelf and walked away.
"Baaa."
George turned to see Lee standing at the end of the row of shelves. He pointed his finger at him threateningly. "Just for that you're getting a nasty engagement toast. I was going to be nice, but now I'm going to swear a lot and hit on Katie."
"I'm sorry, mate. I just don't understand why you would turn her down like that. I mean, she seemed nice enough. Not crazy like Kay or scary like Isabel."
"To be honest, I don't know why I turned her down either. It might be too soon after Alicia."
"Too soon?" Lee echoed incredulously. "You two split up months ago. You have to move on sometime."
"I know it's been months," George said, running his hands through his hair tiredly. "Being apart for months doesn't compare to the years we spent together."
"I know, but if you don't get over it you'll, er…"
"What? Be a virgin for the rest of my life? Perish the thought."
"Do you want that to happen?"
"Of course I don't want that to happen, you idiot." George gathered up his boxes and strode back to the front counter, Lee trailing behind him. "But that doesn't mean I'll just shag the first woman who comes by. I'd be nothing but-"
Crash.
George had been talking over his shoulder and not watching where he was going. He walked right into someone, who went sprawling. George managed to stay on his feet, but quills spilled out all over the floor.
"Crap. I'm sorry. Are you all right?"
The young woman who was sitting on the floor gathered together the quills that had landed on her lap and stood up. "I'm fine, George. It is George, right?"
"Yes. I'm sorry, Amy, I didn't realise it was you. I wasn't watching where I was going. Are you sure you're all right?"
"No damage done." She blew a wisp of dark blonde hair out of her face and smiled. "You sure know how to knock a girl off her feet, though."
"I'm so unbelievably sorry." George took the quills from her and handed them and the empty boxes to Lee. "Mate, do me a favour and clean this up so I can make sure Amy's all right."
"I'm fine, really."
"Were you coming in to buy something? You can have anything you want for half price," George said, drawing her to the counter and away from the mess.
"You don't have to do that. You're running a business, not a charity."
"I just knocked you over because I was too busy talking and not paying attention. Tell me what you want and it's yours for half price."
"It was an accident. Besides, I only came in to ask about your Pygmy Puffs. It's my niece's birthday next week and I was wondering if I could have one delivered to her in Manchester," Amy said.
"I'm sure we can arrange that," George said cheerfully. He grabbed some parchment and a Self-Inking quill from behind the counter and handed them to her. "Write down the details and we'll have it delivered for no extra charge."
"That's very generous of you." Amy smiled gratefully and began to write. Without looking up, she said, "I heard about your date with Isabel."
He groaned. "Is there anyone who didn't hear about that?"
"Well, I think it's good that you turned her down. She needs to have her ego deflated every so often."
"You know that I turned her down? I thought she was telling everyone that it was the other way around."
"I heard the real story from one of the other girls at Madam Malkin's. Isabel was furious about it apparently." Amy giggled and shook her head. "You've made Diagon Alley a better place in more ways than one."
George bowed gallantly. "Glad to be of service."
Amy handed him the quill and parchment. "Thanks for that. I'll drop by tomorrow with the money."
"Not a problem. See you later, Amy."
"Goodbye, George."
When she had gone, he turned around to get back to re-stocking. All four of his friends were staring at him. "What?" he demanded.
"Who was she?" Lee asked.
"Her name's Amy," was all George would say.
"She works in the Magical Menagerie," Fred supplied. "She's come in to talk to us a few times."
"Us?" Angelina asked.
"I used my stick, Angel."
"She seems nice," Katie said casually.
"She is nice."
"Yeah, they all seem nice to begin with," Angelina said, her eyes narrowed. "I'll have to do a little snooping before you can go out with her."
"Who said I wanted to go out with her? She certainly hasn't shown any interest in me," George said.
Katie raised her eyebrows coyly and began to hum Mary Had A Little Lamb. The others laughed and George just scowled at them. "I'm taking my lunch break upstairs," he snapped. "When I get back I expect all of you to be normal again. No talking about lambs or wolves anymore. Understand?"
"You know we only annoy you because we love you and want you to be happy," Katie said.
"I am happy," George said unconvincingly. He headed upstairs before anyone could question him further. He couldn't muster much of an appetite, so instead he went to his room to lie down for a while.
As George made pictures out of the mould stains on the ceiling, he let his mind wander. Why hadn't Alicia written yet? She had told the others that she would write everyday. Where the hell were her letters? Was she too busy with Oliver? Too busy going on moonlight broomstick rides and snogging on the Harbour Bridge?
George's bedroom door banged open and Fred came bouncing in. He jumped on the bed, garnering a reproaching look from the other occupant. "So what's wrong?" Fred asked.
"Nothing. Go back downstairs before Lee sets fire to the place."
"His lunch break just finished so he's gone. I know something's wrong. It's twin ESP."
George sighed. "We don't have twin ESP."
"I still know something's wrong," Fred persisted. "Can I help fix it?"
"I just feel odd and out of place. It's not your problem."
"Your problems are my problems. Why do you feel out of place?"
George sat up and tried to find the right words to explain it. "It's like…like I'm being pulled in two directions at once. Alicia's behind me and the rest of my life is in front of me. I'm stuck in between and I don't know which way to go."
Fred thumped him on the shoulder bracingly. "Well, you don't really have a choice about it. Alicia's gone and I'm not going to let you mope around. It doesn't look good for the owner of a joke shop to be brooding all the time."
"I'm not brooding."
"You make Snape look like a Christmas elf. "I know! We'll all go out somewhere tonight! That'll cheer you up."
"And how will that cheer me up? I'll end up being the fifth wheel," George said.
"Then you'll just have to find yourself a sixth wheel. Invite Amy to come along," Fred suggested.
"Leave off about her. Nothing's going to happen there. I learnt my lesson with Isabel."
"Fine. No dates then. You find a pretty girl at the pub, snog her a bit, then leave with us."
George frowned dubiously. "Why would I want to do all of that?"
"Because it's perfect! You don't have to get to know her, you don't have to make any commitments and you get a good snog out of it. What's not to love?"
It did sound kind of nice. All the difficult things about dating could be by-passed. Hesitantly, George said, "Alicia would absolutely hate this."
Fred grinned. "Well I guess it's lucky Alicia's…
…busy with me," Oliver said smoothly.
Alicia nodded smugly at the guy who had picked up her ID and called her Irish. He'd cornered her at the bar as she was buying drinks. Fuelled by alcohol, he became a little more persistent than before. Alicia had been moments away from pulling out her wand and being charged with breaking the Statute of Secrecy. Oliver turned up just in time and told the guy that Alicia was his girlfriend.
"You really need someone to play a fanfare when you come to the rescue like that," she said, handing him his beer.
He grinned at her. "Yeah, I'm thinking of hiring someone to follow me around with a trumpet."
They made their way back to the table that was occupied by Cassie and two of the other Scottish players. The two men seemed to be fighting for Cassie's undivided attention, whilst she sat back and let them compliment her and buy her drinks. Alicia and Oliver sat across from them and sipped at their drinks.
"What's with the water? Getting light headed?" Oliver asked, draping his arm across Alicia's shoulders.
His breath on her neck brought goosebumps to the surface of her skin. "I've limited myself to two drinks! I promised myself I wouldn't get drunk again!"
"Again? You only left school a few days ago!"
Alicia turned pink and looked at her hands. "I got drunk at school."
"Huh?"
"I got drunk at school!" she shouted in his ear.
"Why would you do something stupid like that?"
"Because of you!" Alicia said. Oliver's eyes widened and she ploughed on. "After we broke up I started to miss you and second guess my decision! I thought the alcohol would make me forget!"
"You missed me?" he asked, his lips an inch away from her ear.
"Of course! You were my first boyfriend! I thought I would die without you! Then – then there was George."
"You didn't think about me when you had George," Oliver stated.
"I did at first. I compared him to you all the time!"
"So you only want me when he's not around."
Alicia didn't know what to say to that. It was probably true, which was what made it so hard to talk about. She turned her head to apologise to him at the same as he turned his head to tell her something else. Their lips brushed for a second. Neither made a move to pull back.
Oliver spoke first. "Alicia, I really like…
…your hair! It's wild!" she exclaimed, grabbing a handful of George's hair and pulling him in for a kiss.
That was easy, he thought absently. He hadn't had to say more than half a dozen sentences to her. Even though Fred had claimed it would be a simple matter of finding the right woman, George had been dubious. Apparently, though, there was no shortage of women who wanted a casual snog.
Oh my God. She had a pierced tongue.
If only he had remembered to ask for her name. Figuring he'd ask her later, George deepened the kiss and slid his hand…
...around Alicia's waist. She put her head on Oliver's shoulder as they walked out of the nightclub.
"Are you right to Apparate back to your hotel room?" he asked.
"Yes, but…" Alicia bit her lip and stopped walking. She turned to face Oliver and tugged at one of the buttons on the front of his shirt. "But will you take me back to your hotel room instead?"
A/N: 1. I'm (kinda) sorry for that. 2. Death threats won't have any effect on me. 3. You can expect more cliff-hangers like that throughout this story. 4. I know I'm evil, but please leave a review to let me know that you followed me over from Faces.
If, however, you simply can't get enough Faces/Castles, you can visit the forum that I created specifically for the two stories. Some of you already know about it and have left some very interesting posts. Please feel free to join in with any of the discussions that take your fancy. It's also a good place to ask me questions and communicate with me directly. I love talking to people (just ask Tyjet), so you're guaranteed a reply from me over there. You can get to the forum from my profile. Thanks! Love you all!
Special thanks to Kay for letting me write in a cameo appearance for her. Hope you weren't offended! And thanks to KitKat001 for choosing a name for her character, Cassie.
Happy Holidays!