DISCLAIMER: Anything and everything you recognise is/was and always will be JK. Rowling's Invention

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Katie, You Can't

-x-

George

I fold my arms and stare into the window of Gladrags, wishing Katie were standing beside me. I don't even know what size mum is, let alone where I would even start to pick the cut of a dress, the colour, the length. I couldn't find any single girls to give me a hand, either.

Angelina Johnson and Lee Jordan are in there, buying scarves and gloves, and I am tempted to go in and join them, pretending to need something practical. They leave as I go to push open the door. Ange looks at me and smiles; I nod back and walk into the store.

I'm hit immediately by the silence of the shop. It's dark, the only place that's properly lit is the changing room at the back. The woman strides towards me purposefully, ready to steer me towards the men's section to the left of the shop, but I nod and smile, crossing to the women's dresses and waiting for her to follow me. When she catches up with me, I look at her and frown slightly.

"How can I help you sir?"

"I'm looking for a dress." Then I realise how that sounds. "For my mum. It's her birthday next week and-"

"Aha." A small pause, "I received an owl about half an hour ago, I assume you're Mr. Weasley?" My ears prick up and my head starts to spin.

"Y-yes." I manage to stutter. "Who owled you?"

"Anonymously sent, I'm afraid. Dirty great tawny owl in the storeroom. Tore two of the new dresses." She looks at me as though I am to blame and narrows her eyes slightly. I try my best innocent grin and she softens slightly, and then turns to go back to the cash desk. "It's here somewhere…" she rifles through a few sheets and holds it aloft. "Here," She hands it to me and I scan the note.

FAO GLADRAGS WIZARDWEAR SHOP ASSISTANT:

A teenage boy (looks to be in fourth/fifth year) will come into the shop later today. He is ginger but has stunning blue eyes and freckles on his cheeks. Answers to Mr. Weasley

Please can you find him a light/milk chocolate brown dress, which would fit a relatively plump woman of medium height? I'd be eternally grateful, and would continue to use your chain of shops.

Personal Shopper's fee included.

With thanks.

"Well… I-" I certainly recognise the handwriting. It's a rough version of Katie's.

"You must have a good benefactor sir; there was ten galleons in there." I blush and look away. She's spent an extra ten Galleons.

"Have you got the dress?"

"I picked out two, sir." I don't much like being called sir. Reminds me of professor Snape. "This one," She disappears into the back room and returns with a light brown one that would fit mum perfectly, I think it would look nice - I'm only assuming, but with any luck, I'm right. "Or this one." She summons the other from another dark corner of the shop. It's a chocolate brown, nearly black, dress, which has a little more shape to it. I doubt mum will like that one, and I tell the shopkeeper so.

"I think the first one…" I say quietly. "I'll take it." There's no deliberation. As it stands, it's the only thing I have to go on, and it's pretty nice.

"Thirty Galleons…" She pauses, "Minus four from the personal shopper's fee…" I go into my pocket and pull out my moneybag. Christ, I think I just have twenty-seven galleons on me. Should buy me this and a bottle of Butterbeer in the Three Broomsticks, if I'm lucky. "That's twenty six Galleons, please, sir." I pay up and leave with the dress in a big box, then, slowly wandering up to the pub, I realise I'm in completely the wrong place.

I shouldn't be in Hogsmeade. I should be back in the common room. With Katie.

--Alicia--

She's made it back into the common room, and I think she's fallen asleep in the chair in the far corner. As I cross over and lay my hand on her shoulder, she jerks awake and looks around.

"George?!" She yelps. I smile to myself. She's still thinking about him.

"Nah, mate. Alicia with Frozen fingers." I laugh to myself. "I'm sitting opposite you." I sit down on the chair and she smiles.

"Sorry Hun, I thought you were George."

"You missing him already?"

"Ha! Yeah, right!" she laughs genuinely and for a second, I'm surprised, "he's been looking after me, hasn't he? I assumed it was him."

"oh." and there is a huge silence for about a minute. "Well, I don't think anyone's back from Hogsmeade yet." She sighs slightly and yawns.

"I sent a personal shopper's fee to Gladrags. Figured if I couldn't get down there… I could at least give him a hand that way." I roll my eyes.

"How much?"

"Ten Galleons."

"You're an idiot; you do know that, don't you?"

"Yes." She sighs and for a second I pity her. I have never felt this way about a guy before, willing to do anything to make him happy. She's desperate for him to notice her, but doesn't know the way to go about it without seeming desperate.

She licks her lips and stares into space as I get up and replace my scarf and gloves in my trunk.

"Lycia!" Katie shouts to me, "Have you got a pack of cards? I know… I can't play much, but… I'm kind of bored." She ends as I sit back down opposite her.

"Got none. The evil twinnies nicked them yesterday!" She looks suitably put out. "Hmm…" I fold my arms, "Have you got your guitar still?"

"Did I bring it this year, you mean?" She says, "Yeah, but I think this year will be the last - I've had to fix it eight times. Lee and Fred do enjoy attempting to split it completely in half."

"Have they managed it yet?"

"Not as far as I know. Last time I caught them trying to put it back, these huge grins on their faces. When I picked it up, it fell into three. They'd split the sodding neck." smiling at the memory, she stands up shakily and edges her way over to the stairs. I jump up and offer to retrieve it for her. "Would you? Oh, no, you don't have to, honestly…" She starts, but I rest my hand on her shoulder and smile.

"I'll get it. I don't want you falling down the stairs."

"Good point." She says, grinning again. "It's under my bed." I leave her for a minute and when I return, she's sitting, leaning back on the pillows. "Alright?" she holds her hands out for the instrument, then, when she's satisfied it's tuned and ready to play, that she knows where the frets are, she asks me what I want to hear.

"Anything." I say, knowing my limited knowledge of her muggle music is not going to impress her. "I don't know."

"Sorry, don't know that one." She grins as she starts to play a song I don't know at all. It's all about being with someone you love, going crazy when they don't notice, and it hurting so badly, you lose all inhibitions about telling them. She even gets me joining in as she plays it a second time.

"I-I couldn't." I say, "I don't know the lyrics."

"They're not that hard… just sing the 'oh's." Ands she plays it again. By the time I know the whole song, there are people in the common room, listening, interested in what we are singing. I can't believe it, and Katie's totally oblivious until the rousing cheer from the whole house sends her leaping from her seat. "What's…" We all look at her as she freezes for a few seconds, blinks and clutches her head, abandoning her guitar on the sofa behind her.

"Katie… Katie, what's wrong?" I step forward; she looks at me and blinks a couple more times, then smiles.

--Katie--

It was only temporary.

I look at Alicia, the colour in her cheeks, then around me, at everyone, standing there, staring at me, in bright red Gryffindor robes. I can't help but smile.

"I-I have a headache." I stutter. "Lycia, can you give me a hand back to our room. I'd best put this away before Lee and Fred get any ideas," I wink, hoping she'll catch my drift. Casting my eyes around the room, I'm glad to see that George isn't back yet

Minutes later, I'm sitting on the edge of my bed, and Alicia is staring at me, concerned.

"Kat, are you… are you alright?" she says, confused, she steps forward to feel my forehead, but I wave her away. "Wh- Can you see me?" There's surprise and excitement in her voice. I nod slowly.

"While I was playing… the darkness sort of went hazy, and then I got shape and colour back." I grin and smile at her, "For instance, your bright, fluorescent green hair band." She reaches up to touch it, "I like it. Nu Rave is big on the muggle scene." She laughs and her eyes wrinkle ever so slightly.

I do like being able to see.

"So… you-you can see?" She repeats, I nod and smile.

"But, George doesn't know that." Her eyes widen and she shakes her head.

"Katie, you can't-"

"Alicia… you said it yourself, he tried to make me feel so guilty… I think I could be a little…" she smiles evilly, I've changed her mind. "I want to prove to him…" I trail off and smile at Alicia.

"So…" we sit down and converse in low whispers together.

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A/N: OK, now I'm feeling evil...

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