Chapter 6 – The Row

Look at that! I updated! And, I think I owe anyone reading and following an apology. I am so sorry for the late update. I wrote a fairly long chapter to try and make up for it. Read On!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or settings. All rights go to the BRILLIANT J.K Rowling

Katie was sitting in the Common Room. The rest of her friends were busy with homework. She watched uninterestedly as Angelina and George began to argue over something stupid. She glanced outside the window, and saw Harry, Ron and Hermione talking.

"Hey…er…um…a…" Katie turned and saw Lee standing next to her seat, looking extremely awkward. Katie gave him a worried look. Lee winked, and Katie understood. The drama was back on.

"Hey, Lee, what's up?" she said, as warmly as possible. Lee fidgeted and blushed a little. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Fred watching them.

"I was just wondering if maybe…you wanted to…um…" he trailed off, and his expression became panicked. "Playsomewizardchesswithme," he burst, his words tripping over each other.

"What?"

"Play some Wizard Chess with me," Lee repeated, this time very slowly.

"Oh…uh…sure…I would love to," Katie stuttered, hoping she sounded smitten.

"Great," Lee said, looking relieved. "I'll just-"

"No time for that!" Fred interrupted, scrambling up from his armchair, dislocating many papers in the process. "Right now, I need a study snack. Let's hit the kitchens!" His cheerful voice sounded forced, and Katie had trouble hiding the smile that was threatening to creep across her face.

"Fred, don't be ridiculous. Lunch is in an hour, you'll spoil your appetite if you eat now," Angelina chided.

"Alright, mother," Fred scowled.

"So, how about that game of chess," Katie said, looking at Lee.

"Why don't we go for a walk?" Fred broke in. "Come on, it'll be fun. The fresh air will help us get this work done!" Without waiting for a response, he grabbed Katie's hand and pulled her up and out the door.

"FRED! What are you doing?" Katie demanded as he led her down the stairs.

"Going for a walk!" Fred called. With some difficulty, Katie stopped on a step and wrenched her hand from Fred's grip. He turned and looked up at her.

"Fred Weasley, what is the meaning of this?"

"Fresh air!" Fred said, "Come on, let's go!"

"Fred Weasley!" Katie repeated, this time more forcefully. She really didn't like the idea of having this argument on the stairs, which had a bad habit of moving. "You know I was about to play Wizard Chess with Lee. Why would you just pull me away like that?"

"I-" Katie never found out what he was about to say, because just then the staircase decided to move. Katie lost her balance and slipped. She would have tumbled to the bottom had Fred not caught her by the waist and pulled her down so they were both sitting. Extremely close, one might add. The stairs ground to a halt and the only sound was Katie's heavy breathing.

"Thanks," Katie breathed, standing up shakily. Fred shrugged.

"I wasn't about to let you fall, now was I?" He stood up next to her and took a deep breath. "If you want to go play chess with Lee, it's fine," he said, though he sounded regretful over what he was saying. On a sudden impulse, Katie's hand shot out and grabbed his.

"There's really no point now, is there?" Fred shrugged, leading Katie to roll her eyes. "I think I could use a walk now." Fred's signature grin returned.

"Marvelous. Let us go, dear Katie-kinns," he said, bowing and extending a hand.

"Git," Katie muttered, pushing his hand away and walking ahead. Fred caught up with her as they stepped outside. The sun was shining and there was the perfect breeze.

"Delightful day, wouldn't you say my dear," he said, bouncing along next to her.

"It will be as soon as you stop talking," Katie answered.

"Oh, how you pain me." They walked around the lake like that for a while, Fred saying funny things and doing uncanny impressions of the professors while Katie laughed until her sides hurt.

"Do Snape," Katie said through her giggles.

"There will be no foolish wand waving and pointless muttering in my class," Fred said, in a drawl exactly like Snape's. "Bell! Don't you know the difference between Monkswood and Wolfbane? Or are you too thick-skulled to understand it?"

"They're the same thing," Katie said, pushing him. "There is no difference."

"I beg to differ. They are spelt differently."

"That doesn't count," Katie laughed. She was about to say something more, when a large cloud rolled overhead, darkening everything. "Looks like rain," Katie mused. They were standing on the side of the lake that was farthest from the castle.

"Let's go back to the Common Room then," Fred said indifferently.

"It's too far, we'll get caught in the rain," Katie said, shaking her head. She scanned the surroundings, looking for some place where they could escape it. Her eyes fell upon a small shack that was on the brink of collapsing. It looked like it could fit about 3 people. "What's that?" she asked Fred, pointing to it.

"I dunno. My money is on old broom shed."

"You know you're not in any position to gamble anymore," Katie reminded.

"I know," Fred growled. He started walking towards the shack. The door creaked in complaint as he opened it. Katie looked inside and saw that most of the room had been taken up by old brooms. "There should be enough room. Man these brooms are as good as antiques." Katie followed him inside and the door swung closed.

"Oakshaft 79," Katie read off the handle of a broom. "These are ancient."

"That's what I've been saying," Fred said, browsing through the brooms. Katie continued to read the names of the brooms. All of a sudden, there was the sound of heavy thumping all around the shack. "Sounds like the rain started," Fred announced.

"What kind of broom is named Dustkisser?" Katie asked, wrinkling her nose.

"One that doesn't sell very well," Fred said wisely, turning to face her. There wasn't much space in the shack, and they were extremely cramped. "Well, this is uncomfortable."

"Oh no, I love being this close to a red-headed git."

"Admit it. You're in love," Fred smirked. Katie suddenly saw this as an opportunity to advance her plan.

"I am," she said, trying hard to sound love-sick.

"You are?" Fred asked hesitantly. Fred was rarely hesitant. "Who is it?"

"I'm not telling you." Katie wished she could blush on command.

"George?"
"Ew, no!" Katie said immediately.

"Me?" he sounded almost hopeful, and it gave Katie a warm and fuzzy feeling. She forced herself to contain it.

"Of course not," she lied, hoping she sounded convincing. His smile shrank considerably.

"Then who? Lee?" Katie widened her eyes and began playing with her hands, the way Lee had done in the Great Hall. She looked at the floor, hoping she looked embarrassed.

"No," she said weakly, trying to sound unconvincing.

"Blimey, it's Lee, isn't it? Are you crazy?" Fred spat, sounding disgusted. "I can't believe that you – of all the people – how could you?"

Katie, prideful as she was, felt herself getting angry. How could Fred have the audacity to be mad at her? She could like whoever she wanted. What right did he have to question her? "How could I?" Katie said, her voice rising. "How could I? What is that supposed to mean. I can do whatever the hell I want, what gives you the right to question me? You don't own me Fred, I don't have to answer your questions or do anything to please you. I'm not a little toy for you to play with whenever you get the chance."

"Katie-" Fred started warily, but Katie didn't plan on letting him interrupt her rant.

"Oh, I'm bored, nothing's happening. Why don't I just kiss Katie, and then claim that she's hallucinating? Why don't I just mess with her and her emotions and make her feel conflicted. It'll be a good laugh," she shouted bitterly. "Well did you have a nice laugh, Fred? Are you enjoying the show?"

"Of course you would go and drag old matters into this," Fred said, starting to get angry too.

"Old? That's hardly an old matter," Katie said venomously.

"You know what-"

"No, I don't know what. And I have no intention of finding out." She spun on her heel and marched out the door, slamming it behind her. The rain was sharp and cold, stinging her skin. Katie marched towards the castle, too busy fuming to notice.

Old matter, huh? Ha! If that was old matter, Katie was as old as a Dustkisser. She was furious as she stomped up the stairs and into the castle, leaving a trail of water in the halls as she walked towards the Common Room. Had Filch been around, he would have requested that she be hanged by her thumbs. Katie really didn't care at the moment. The ghosts scattered as she marched through, muttering angrily at her. When she arrived at the Fat Lady's portrait, she irritably barked the password and stomped in. Angelina jumped up in alarm when she saw the fury so obviously painted on Katie's face.

"Katie, what's wrong?" she asked, looking worried. Katie ignored her and stomped up to her dormitory. Lucky for her, it was empty. Angrily, she kicked a wall and screamed in frustration.

"Katie?" a timid voice asked. Katie spun around, ready to yell at whoever had dared to interrupt her rage. She saw Alicia looking in, concerned, with Angelina a little bit behind her. "What's wrong?"

Katie, who was still angry, blew up all over again. "What's wrong? WHAT'S WRONG? Fred is what's wrong. The nerve of him. How could I? How could he? What gives him the right to-"

"Katie, tell us what happened," Alicia pleaded.

"Yeah," Angelina broke in, "You're probably just overreacting anyway."

That set Katie off all over again. "Overreacting, am I? On his side, are you? I should've known. You're in the same year, I should've known you would be on the same team, and here I was trusting you! But no, I'm just overreacting."

"Katie, come on. You're being stupid," Alicia said gently.

"You shut it, Spinnet. I don't need to hear you calling me stupid," Katie said heatedly, but already she was feeling her initial anger starting to subside. What had she just done? Her head started to clear as she realized all the damage she had just caused. "Oh no," she groaned, sinking onto her bed with her head in her hands. Her friends looked puzzled by the sudden change of mood.

Taking her chances, Alicia asked, "Are you ready to tell us what happened?" Katie nodded.

"I had a row with Fred. I ruined the entire plan."

"What exactly happened," Angelina inquired. Katie launched in to the story, explaining what happened since they had left the Common Room. "That's not that bad!" Angelina exclaimed when she was finished.

"Yes it is," Katie moaned.

"No! In fact, it makes our plan work even better!" Angelina began pacing the room. "You got defensive over Lee. This just enforces the idea that you like him. And now you can go get comfort from Lee, making Fred even more jealous!"

"That's brilliant," Alicia muttered in awe. "I'll go let Lee know!" She got up and left, leaving Katie and Angelina.

"So, what exactly do I need to do?" Katie asked.

"Just act upset. Lee will handle the rest," Angelina said, smiling. "That boy can act." Katie nodded in agreement. A minute later, Alicia reappeared at the door.

"Lee's been briefed. You can go down now. Just act upset, he'll handle the rest," she informed, her voice tinted with admiration. Katie took a deep breath and walked out, glancing back at her friends who had encouraging smiled plastered on their faces.

She met Ginny on the stairs. "Fred's upset, what happened," she asked immediately. Katie told her what had happened, and the next stage of the plan. "That's good," Ginny said thoughtfully. "You do that, leave, and then I'll come in and close the show. I have the perfect idea."

"Smashing," Katie grinned, as she started down the stairs again. Fred, George and Lee were sitting in a corner of the Common Room. Lee met her eyes and winked. Katie tried to adopt an upset look, which wasn't difficult considering the fight she had just had with Fred.

"Katie, are you all right," Lee called, getting up and walking towards her. He took her hand hesitantly and pulled her to the spot where he was sitting with the twins. He gently pushed her on to a couch and sat next to her. Fred was examining the floor with newfound interest. "What's wrong?" Lee asked soothingly.

"Nothing," Katie mumbled. Lee looked at her, trying to read her face. Or, that's what it looked like. In reality, it was all just a show.

"Katie, I can tell something is wrong. Did someone upset you?" he asked, his face becoming determined. "Who was it?"

Katie glanced at Fred who was glaring at Lee. "It's nothing Lee."

"Will you come outside with me?" Lee asked abruptly. "I mean, only if you want to."

Katie smiled. "I'd love to," she said softly, intertwining her fingers with his. Needless to say, it was extremely awkward considering they were friends. Lee smiled at her as they got up together.

"See you at lunch, I suppose," Lee said, grinning widely as he and Katie walked out. As soon as the portrait closed behind them, they released hands. "That was strange," Lee complained.

"Tell me about it," Katie agreed.

"Funny thing is, you and Fred haven't even admitted your feelings to each other, yet you're already fighting like an old married couple," Lee said playfully.

"You really think he likes me?"

"I was skeptical at first," Lee admitted, "but now I'm pretty sure you were right. There's definitely something going on here. We've just got to get Fred to talk. Won't be easy, mind you, Fred can be stubborn as a mule."

"I've noticed," Katie said dryly. There was the sound of footsteps, and Katie turned to see Alicia running towards them, 2 brooms in hand. "What's this?" Katie asked.

"Ginny's putting on her own show, and we thought you ought to see it. Thing is, you're supposed to be out on a romantic walk," Alicia said, panting a little from her run. "So you two can get on your brooms and watch the show from outside. Angie's opened the window. Just be quiet." With that, Alicia shoved the brooms into their hands and shooed them off. "I'll be in the Common Room," she added as Lee and Katie mounted their brooms and kicked off. They flew through the nearest window and turned in a loop so they were heading towards Gryffindor Tower.

Katie loved the feeling of the wind rushing up against her. Flying was what she was meant to do. The sky was where she belonged. Without Quidditch this year, she didn't get any time to zoom around on her broom, and she sorely missed it. They reached the Common Room window and saw that it was indeed open. They peered through, so just their eyes were above the window sill. This way, they could see, but if someone spotted them they could fly down quickly. Katie watched as Ginny hopped down the stairs and glanced out the window. When she caught sight of Katie, she smiled, and began the performance.

She walked over to where the twins were sitting and sat next to George on his couch. "What are you two up to?"

"Go away Ginny, you're bothering us," George snapped, waving at her as though she were a fly that could be chased away.

"Well, you're awfully rude, aren't you? And stop waving at me like that, I'm not an insect that you can just send away," Ginny scolded. "What do you think Mum would say if she knew this was how you were treating her only daughter?"

"That's great Ginny," George said, not paying attention.

"Alright then. I was going to give you some information about your friends, but seeing as you're not interested, I think I'll just take it and leave." Fred's head snapped up so fast, Katie was surprised it didn't break. He narrowed his eyes.

"And what exactly is this information?" he asked suspiciously,

"It's about Lee and Katie," Ginny said, dropping her voice. "I saw them from the window in my dorm."

George sighed uninterestedly. "That's really great Ginny, but we really need to-"

"What were they doing?" Fred asked, cutting his brother off. He was trying hard to sound as though he didn't care.

"Well, that's the best part!" Ginny said. "But I won't just tell you. I need something in return."

"But we're broke!" Fred protested.

"It doesn't even matter," George said, looking at Fred as though he was a stranger. "We don't need to hear your little gossip."

"Fred does," Ginny said. "So you can mind your own business. Now, Fred, what's in it for me if I tell you?"

"I'll sneak food for you from the kitchens whenever you want for a day," Fred offered.

"A week," Ginny countered.

"A week, that's ridiculous," Fred said in dismay.

"Take it or leave it," Ginny answered.

"Fine, a week," Fred conceded. "Just tell me what you saw."

"They were walking around the lake, holding hands and talking to each other. It was so romantic, the way they were looking at each other. They are such a great couple," Ginny gushed, assuming a faraway look.

"Anything else?" Fred asked, looking down.

"Well, the best part was what I saw before running down here. Lee kissed Katie! It was just on the cheek, but it was still such a romantic moment. Lee is really head over heels for her, and I'll bet a hundred galleons she feels the same."

"You haven't got the galleons to bet," George pointed out. Ginny glared at him.

"Have you no sense of romance?"
"No, and I am very happy that way. Now would you mind going away so me and Fred can work. I don't see why Fred had to offer to be your house-elf just for that bit of pointless gossip," he answered irritably. At the last words, Hermione had looked over at the group.

"George!" she scolded. "How could you be so insensitive? It is not a house-elf's job to serve you and your silly needs."

"Yeah, Hermione, it kind of is. That is their job!" George replied.

"That's the kind of thinking that S.P.E.W is trying to stop! It's people like you who are holding back the house-elves and are not allowing them to unleash their full potential."

"Again with the spew stuff," George muttered, rolling his eyes. Katie would have stayed to watch the rest of the argument, but just then Fred looked out the window. Lee and Katie ducked just in time and began zooming to the lake. Katie laughed as her feet hit the ground and she rolled off the broom.

"Ginny's got some good acting skill," Lee commented as he landed as well. "I'd even say she's almost as good as me."

Katie rolled her eyes. "Let's go put the brooms away, by then it'll be time for lunch."
Katie couldn't hide the fact that she was almost excited for lunch. She was curious to see how Fred would act.

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