"You remembered to write them?" Alicia asked George for the third time that week. She had decided that since George had made a marked improvement in mood after their visit with Angelina, it was time they invited their old Hogwarts gang over for dinner. George was torn on the subject; on the one hand he wanted desperately to see his old friends again, on the other he dreaded the pang of loss that would come when they were all back together and Fred wasn't with them. None the less, George had been relatively positive about it for Alicia's sake, this had been the happiest he'd seen her in weeks. He had even been using her spastic neuroses surrounding the event to his advantage.
"Write who?" George responded, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.
"WHA – AHHH" Alicia whisked around to face George in a rage, but as she did, her wand swung and hit the cake she'd been frosting causing it to fall off the counter.
"immobulus" George cast the spell hastily, saving the cake. Once it was securely back on the countertop Alicia made a slow stalking decent toward her fiancé. "I was just kidding." George said smiling and shrugging his shoulders innocently. "It's not my fault you're clumsy and almost dropped your bloody cake." Alicia swatted him on the arm. George wrapped his arms around her and she deflated. He realized he hadn't really looked at her since the battle; she seemed different now or maybe it was him. George pulled her into a kiss. Alicia moved her hands to his face and flinched a little when she reached the hole where his ear used to be. George laughed at her lips.
POP!
"Oh God. I'm sorry. I apparated in because I didn't want to have to see the shop and uhhhh – I'm sorry." Angelina was turned in the opposite direction with her hands over her eyes. Alicia unhinged herself from George and scampered over to her best friend who she pulled into a hug.
"You're early," Alicia said, smiling at her.
"Yes," Angelina said apologetically, "I'm making drinks so I thought I'd show up early and make them here rather than try to apparate with them and get it everywhere. I tried to send a patronas ahead but it – uh – wasn't working." George looked up at her knowingly. He, too, had been unable to produce a patronas.
"How strange." Alicia said, Angelina's face went blank. "Of course you are welcome over whenever you want." She continued smiling. George thought it was a bit forced but he said nothing. Over the next half an hour the three worked on their preparatory tasks for the dinner. George set the table and cleaned the floor while Alicia finished the meal. The two kept stealing looks at Angelina. She worked slowly, George noted, as if she was taking everything in one step at a time.
"I can feel you staring." Angelina barked, Alicia stared up dumbly at her and George turned away. "I'm fine OK, it's just hard being here without him." Angelina took a deep breath and went back to work on a fire whisky brew. She was right, George noticed. It was horrible having her here without him. Every second George half expected him to appear behind her and steal a couple shots of whisky.
"What can we do to help?" Alicia asked feebly. There were knocks on the door, Alicia jumped up and practically leapt to the door. George saw Angelina tense at the sound then he took a look at his clenched fists and realized he was the same. This night was not going to be easy for either of them.
Lee Jordan came bumbling in first "Alicia, just as lovely as always – put her there." He said putting his cheek near her face. She rolled her eyes and kissed her old friend. "George, mate, it's truly been too long. You look great." Lee clapped George on the back.
"Save your flatteries for the ladies, will you Lee."
"LEE! YOU MADE ME CARRY THESE BY MYSELF." Katie bellowed, walking in the door with two platters of food in her hands.
"You're a witch aren't you – use your wand!" Lee chirped, laughing at her. Katie went pink in the cheeks.
"Wait, did you two come here together?" Alicia asked, looking at Katie, eyes wide with what George could assume were a million girly questions he wouldn't care about.
"That's right. Katie and I are trying out the whole 'just friends' thing?" Lee said putting an arm around Katie. Alicia frowned. George knew Alicia had big dreams of Katie and Lee getting married and living happily ever after. But the fact remained that they had been broken up for almost three years and it was about time she stopped getting her hopes up.
"And Wood doesn't mind?" Alicia pried, Lee flinched.
"He has nothing to worry about." Katie gave Alicia a sideways glance then looked at Lee. He sprung up, puffing out his chest and showing off his arms.
"If I were her boyfriend, I'd worry if she were hanging out with a hot piece of man like myself." Alicia giggled to herself then looked from Katie to Lee happily. George grinned halfheartedly. He remembered a time when he and Fred put a love potion in Lee's cup to give him the extra push he needed to make his first move on Katie.
"The drinks are ready, partake at your own risk, I might have made them a bit strong." Angelina spoke for the first time.
"perfect." George said under his breath before he realized what he was saying, thankfully nobody heard him.
"Angelina, I almost missed you. You were being so quiet." Katie wrapped her arms around her. "How are you - doing?" Katie's eyes narrowed with the last word and George saw Angelina go rigid. He quickly walked to the kitchen and took a drink.
"Geez Angelina, these are strong" George said, changing the subject. Angelina looked at him gratefully, then quickly averted her eyes.
They all took their drinks and sat at the table. For a long time George just watched Alicia and Katie talk a mile a minute, Angelina would chime in every couple subject changes but mostly she did what he was doing: listened and took the evening in one strong drink at a time. It wasn't that George didn't want to be in the company of his friends, he just couldn't be with them as he used to. Everything was harder, different and somehow mundane.
"I think we should all go to Hogsmeade this Wednesday, for old times' sake." Katie said cheeks a bit red from the drink. Angelina burst out laughing.
"I can't go. I have to be in court this Wednesday." Angelina said nonchalantly, taking another sip. Alicia coughed and splattered some of her drink on her dress. George chuckled at the sight. "It seems magical law enforcement uses the word 'abuse' lightly." Her eyes had a dull excitement in them. "It all started when SOMEONE decided to send me a singing, mourning goblin."
"A what?" George said from across the table.
"A fucking goblin that sang to me about 'dealing with my loss'. Remind me to thank Lavender Brown the next time I see her." Angelina smiled awkwardly. "This goblin is singing to me about Fred so I did a little tongue encouragement charm so he couldn't sing anymore. Next thing I know I have the Goblin protection league at my door, calling me crazy and saying "we'll see you in court.'" She laughed. "So, sorry guys, I can't make it because I'm a crazy person." She held her stomach from laughing so hard.
"I'll do one better Angelina," George chimed in.
"What's that George, you think you can out crazy me?" Angelina said not making direct eye contact with him. In fact, she had been avoiding his gaze all night.
"Yeah, I do!" he said trying to force her to look at him. "It was my first day back at the shop and a kid came in. He just stood there staring at me, then asked if I was going to take down Fred's picture on the poster out front. I told the kid no. Then the brat was like "you should because he's dead'." George flinched, even though they weren't his words. "Then I zeroed my eyes in on him and in a dark tone said 'I wouldn't say that if I were you Fred came back as a ghost and will haunt you.' When he left the store I traded peeves a free prank kit from wizard weezes to haunt the kid for the rest of the night. Turns out the mom didn't like that very much. She came back using a lot of choice words but she couldn't prove anything so I got off scot free." He smiled and looked up at Angelina. "The key Ang, is to make sure you don't get caught – surely Fred taught you that." She looked up at him, a strained expression in her eyes but eventually she smiled. "Actually, now that I think about I wasn't as much crazy as brilliant – clever really!"
"I'll take that." Angelina said laughing. George laughed with her; the sound was loud and booming but they seemed to be the only ones amused. Lee and Katie stared at their plates, still as stone. Alicia, who had been holing George's hand under the table, had loosened her grip at some point during his anecdote and had now let go completely.
"Well I don't think it's funny" Alicia announced. She said the next words with extreme and delicate caution." It's a terrible thing – what happened to you both. But it doesn't give you a right to treat people however you want." George looked at Angelina ashamed, she no longer smiled. She slouched down in her chair and she looked as exhausted as he felt. George met Alicia's gaze and immediately regretted it. A look of disappointment so fierce it reminded him of his mother's greeted him. "It wasn't even you who talked to that boy's mom, it was me. She screamed at me, telling me that her son was so terrified that he had a fever. AND YOU," she turned to Angelina, "that goblin was just doing his job."
George knew that Alicia was right, he could tell Angelina felt the same because she opened her mouth to argue but no words came. There was a long, unbearable silence. Alicia was the first one to begin eating again. Katie and Lee cheerfully (far too cheerfully) broke into conversation. George and Angelina remained silent, the clanks of silverware on their plates was the only sound that came from their respective seats at the table.
"Katie and I brought our brooms, if everyone wants to go for a round of quidditch" Lee said happily.
"Oh yes that sounds great, I haven't been on a broom in so long." Alicia rang.
"NO." Angelina and George said together for the same reason. George silently scolded himself for continuing to ruin Alicia's night but flying? No, quidditch was completely out of the question.
"That's well enough anyway, I've been practicing like 7 hours a day all week. I wouldn't mind a night off." Katie said, trying to avoid another awkward moment.
"Oh right, I never told you congratulations. Being in the top ten scouts picks for the pros is really incredible Katie." Alicia said brightly.
"I know, but if I don't do well in trials it will mean nothing. No matter how good my records are, all the top teams are going to want a male chaser over me." Katie grumbled, shoving a roll in her mouth.
"What team do you want?" George asked, trying to ease his way back into the conversation. Katie went slightly pink.
"I'm really hoping for Puddlemore United – "
"Well golly, I wonder why that is." Lee said sarcastically.
"It has nothing to do with Wood, I happen to think that Puddlemore United is a great team." She argued turning red now.
"They ARE a great team. They ALSO just happen to be the team your boyfriends on." Lee rolled his eyes and looked to George for back up.
"Who else are you up against, I know that they don't release the list but people say that there are three girls in top ten this year." Alicia questioned Katie.
"I know one has to be that great slytherin beater – they've been looking at her for ages. But I have no idea who the other woman could be." George almost choked on his desert when he heard Katie's words. Could they really not know? I guess not, Fred had sworn him to secrecy but not even Alicia knew – that was strange.
"It's Angelina." George said matter of fact, looking at her. Angelina's lower lip began to tremble but George watched her swallow back the tears. Everyone stared at her now.
"WHAT!?" Alicia beamed. "That's amazing Angelina why didn't you tell me when you got the letter. I didn't even know you were going to trials and top ten. Wait, how is that even possible."
"Fred was training her. They'd been working at it every day for over a year. He asked me to help get scouts to come see her. Remember that Ludo bagman never paid us at the world cup – well, we called in a favor." The room on a different kind of quiet.
"Why didn't you say anything? We could have been practicing together." Katie asked.
"I'm not going to trials." Angelina said as if it were obvious.
"Why the hell not. You are in top ten! Even if you go and fly like shit, you are still guaranteed a spot on one of the pro teams – probably not a good one but – "
"I can't even look at my broom." Angelina interrupted Katie. "I told Fred one day that I'd wished I'd started pursuing quidditch right out of school like you did. It was too late for me, I didn't have a trainer and I was out of shape but HE made it happen. I wouldn't be in top ten without him. And, frankly I don't really want to be." They all sighed a grand sigh of understanding.
"It's still a great achievement." George said sweetly, Angelina looked at him and the tears she had been holding back rolled down her cheeks. George thought they would never stop. There was a pop and Angelina was gone.