"Charlie, what are you so smiley about?" His brother, George, asked him, as they walked down to supper.
"Life is grand. Isn't it George?"
Charlie continued down the steps, but his brother stopped behind him, "What in Merlin's testicles has gotten into him? People should 'not' be that happy."
--
At that night's supper, every Order member was there. Or at least, everyone thinks every Order member was there, the party was so wild, everyone was basically one big mob. It didn't take long to Charlie to pick Hermione out of the crowd. She was wearing baby blue, and to Charlie she looked absolutely divine.
"Hello Charlie." Sirius, said as he slapped him on the back, hard enough to make Charlie wince. Sirius had obviously started drinking for the night.
"Hey Sirius, what's up?" Charlie said, as he stepped slightly to the side, and rubbing his neck.
"So when's the date going to be?"
"What?"
"I need to make sure I have room in my schedule if it's going to be a summer wedding."
Charlie choked on the butterbeer he was drinking, "Who's getting married?" Charlie tried to play it off.
"Well I wouldn't say 'that' around 'Mione. She might slap you silly." Sirius whispered.
"Listen Sirius, nobody knows, and I'd really appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone."
"Oh, of course! Marauder's honor!" Sirius held up his hand up in salute.
Charlie laughed, shook Sirius's hand, then went to find Hermione. Last he had seen, his drunken brother, Ron, was trying to make a move on her. So Charlie had to be quick. Sure enough, he found them. They were in a completely different room than everyone else, and Ron had basically pushed Hermione into a corner.
"Ah, Ronald?" Charlie tapped him on the shoulder. Ron turned, drunkenly, only to be met by a swift punch in the face.
"Charlie!" Hermione ran over to him, slapped his arm, then started hugging him.
"Well, if it isn't that happy couple?" An eerie voice came from behind them.
The two love birds turned, hurriedly. "Severus, I uh- um…"
"I'm not here to make conversation Mr. Weasley. Just to tell you this, a certain Ms. Potter is looking for you."
"Katie" Charlie breathed.
"I believe she's staying at the Leaky Cauldron." With that said, Snape left, leaving the two lovers, completely confused.
Charlie, went back to Hermione, and kissed her forehead. "'Mione, I have to go find her."
"Of course you do." She sounded stand off-ish
"You're not mad at me, are you Hermione?" He asked beggingly.
"No Charlie." She smiled at him, "In fact, I'm extremely proud of you. You took this girl who was all alone, an now she's out discovering life." She kissed him. "Go. I'll be waiting for you."
--
Charlie ran into the Leaky Cauldron, his scarf, and jacket practically hanging off of him by a thread. He ran over to the bar to talk to Lee.
"Hey Charlie!" Lee said, as he turned to the bar from the drink he was making.
"Hey Lee, Um I'm here to see someone. A girl, about yey high," He showed his hand about 3 inches from the top of his head, "She's got brown hair, if she was smart, she didn't look you in the eye."
Lee looked at him like he was crazy, "Girl?…Maybe…Oh Yeah! That girl, real pretty older girl. She's staying here."
"Yes I know that!"
"You want me to ring her room?"
"Ring her-? Yes!" Irritation was an understatement for Charlie's mood.
"Just a minute." Charlie watched as Lee walked to a back room, then he heard a yell of 'Room 16' into what Charlie assumed was the floo system. The Lee walked back in, "I guess she's away, I'm sorry, would you like to leave a message?"
Charlie punched the top of the bar, "Argh!" he ran up the stairs of the inn, passing the rooms. Room 10...Room 12...Room14..."Room 16!" He banged on the door so loudly he probably woke everyone else up. "Katie!"
The door opened a creak, and a hand grabbed the front of Charlie's jacket. He was pulled through the door way, and pushed onward into the room. He heard the door lock. He turned around, and pulled Katie into a tight hug.
"Hey…Charlie…" He felt a tap on his shoulder.
"What?"
"Air!" He let her go. "Thank you! Hey Charlie." She giggled.
"You're out! I don't believe it!" Charlie ran a hand through his bright red hair, "How does it feel, eh?"
"Well, to be perfectly honest, it's AWESOME! I've already been to Diagon Alley, and seen, Oh! I saw Severus Snape! But I guess you knew that, I'm sure he's the one who told you I was here." She laughed. "I realized, after I left, that I had no idea where I was going, so I basically just roamed around for a couple of hours, till I found this cracker basket."
--
They talked for awhile, Charlie made sure to tell her about Grimuald Place, so she could see it, and then he told her…
"YOU'RE ENGAGED!?"
"Yep, for the last," he looked at his watch, "3 hours I have been. To the best girl in the whole wide world. Oh Katie, I can't wait for you to meet her!"
Katie beamed with excitement. They talked for about 2 hours, when Katie felt she should speak up.
"Charlie there's something you should know about me and The Marauders…"
--
"You and Sirius? Blimey! I hadn't the slightest clue. I mean I knew you and James were related, but I never assumed you two were… you know, together."
"Charlie, don't clam up on me now. If you don't believe that, then you'll never believe that 'I' was actually a Marauder." She beamed with pride.
"You? I guess so…That makes sense, you being James's little sister."
"Don't take it that way Charlie. I got in for my skills, not because of James.
"It was my first year, their second…
The Marauders weren't quite the great group they would become later in life. They were young, and for awhile, they actually focused a little on their studies. But only as little as possible.
"Hello Katlyn, won't you join us in our trolley?" It was the train ride to school at the beginning of the year, and unlike the other 1st years, I found it extremely boring. I had heard so much about it from James and his friends, I was tired of it.
"What are you, a knight of the round table?" That got a laugh out of the rest of the group. "I'm just joshing you Moony."
"Who's Moony?" Sirius asked, as I went and sat down beside my older brother. "And why do you two have to look so much alike? It's like looking at bloody mirror images."
"It's a Potter thing." My brother and I dead panned at the same time.
I answered the question directed toward me, "Moony, is just something that popped into my head. There's no story." I winked toward Remus, who hadn't told the others quite yet about his 'little furry problem'. I don't quite remember why he told me, but I knew before the others. Sirius seemed to accept this answer, and shook it off.
"Yo James, did you hear about the Chudley Cannons? They got a totally new keeper, name's-" Without knowing what I was doing, I cut him off.
"-Oh, Brandon Fortright? I've heard he's absolutely awful. His scores are in the gutter. Must have been a forced trade with the Pixies or something." I took a bite of my Chocolate frog, then looked around the cart, "What?" All their mouths were gaping as the looked from each other to me. Obviously they had never known a girl like me.
"James, is she your clone? This is creepy." Sirius said to James.
James looked at his me, I was in all aspects a lot like him. The only things that separated us from being twins were age, and inch of height, length of hair, and women's issues. He slapped me on the back, "Way to go Sis." I smiled at him, then turned back to Remus to converse about school stuff.
--
The kindly conversation of our little group, was interrupted by the door sliding open. "Hello Potter, Black, Pettigrew." The snide voice didn't even mention Remus, him being the half-blood.
"Malfoy." James said out of courtesy to his parents.
"Are you trying out for the Quidditch team this year Potter? Or are you going to forfeit right now?"
"In your dreams Malfoy." Sirius snarled.
James and Sirius stood, trying to look fierce, but when they stood that allowed Malfoy to get a view of me.
"And who is this young pet? You're girlfriend Potter?"
That statement in itself was enough to make me mad, grossed out and well…mostly grossed out. Ew.
I stood, and walked in front of James and Sirius, "Lucius Malfoy, surely you remember me?" I had met him earlier that year at a little pure blood ball thing, our father forced us to go to. He was a prick.
I looked at him as sweetly as I could muster, "I'm afraid I don't, my pet. Did I shag you or what?"
"My names Katie," I stuck out her hand, but didn't let him shake it, "Katie 'Potter.'" Malfoy looked horrified, "I'd put me on your dead or alive list right about," I punched him in the face, "now."
Malfoy stood, holding his nose, "You'll pay for this Potter!" He ran out of the door.
"Music to my ears." I mumbled. "Shall we sit back down?"… I had followed that little meeting with Malfoy, by dieing his hair pink, and all the other Slytherin Quidditch team's hair crimson and gold. James was very proud…"
