A/N: Hello folks, I'm back! I'm such a cow for not updating - I just sort of lost track of the direction I wanted this to go. But no matter, I've found my way! I won't keep you any longer. A new chapter for you lovely, patient people!
CHAPTER 10 – Settling In
The week Katie moved into the Holyhead Compound was a hectic one indeed. Between transferring her belongings and redecorating her new bungalow, Holyhead's newly minted Chaser found herself busy but happy. Angelina was of huge help – Katie couldn't imagine trying to match her walls and her furniture all by herself. Though Katie should have expected that Angelina would be, well, herself: the first time Wilda Griffiths and Gwenog Jones stopped by with their housewarming presents, Angelina promptly introduced herself and put Katie on the spot by informing the Holyhead Captain of Katie's choice of name for her owl. Katie froze in mortification before her teammates, but she probably overreacted – Gwenog only smirked while Wilda gave a high cackle.
The end result of Katie and Angelina's moving efforts was pretty – a relaxing palette of colors that did the lake house justice. The pastel green walls with mounted, whitewashed oars and furniture were all Katie's now, courtesy of the Harpies. The morning the duo finished decorating, they plopped onto the overstuffed canvas couches to rest. Angelina passed her toes over the woolen rug at their feet and took a sip of her lemonade.
"Well, your place looks good!" She pointed her fan at the ceiling fan enchanted it to spin gently. "Well done, us."
"Thanks for all your help, Ange."
"No problem. You should consider painting Gwenog's cage to match the place, though. The black clashes with the whole theme."
Katie's front door swung open suddenly as Wilda Griffiths barged in. This was the second time Wilda had been to Katie's, though her expression was nowhere near as friendly. In fact, she looked downright furious.
"Sorry, rookie," Wilda fumed, "Mind if I stay here a while? I've fucking had it!" And as if she came in on entirely different pretenses, Wilda put on a winning smile and chirped, "So! What's going on this morning? Got any food? I'm starving!"
The younger girls stared at her, a little puzzled at her quick change of demeanor. Angelina pointed to the breakfast table, where some pita bread, hummus, and a pitcher of cold lemonade sat.
"Ah, Merlin, wonderful!" Wilda then proceeded to scarf the snack down.
"Are you… alright?" asked Katie cautiously. "Do you mind if I ask what's wrong?"
Wilda shrugged. Though a mouthful of food, she spat, "Jones. Cow thinks she can have her way whenever she wants, well you know what? She can't. I infinitely prefer your owl Gwenog to the cow version at the moment. Anyway. Enough about that. I love what you've done to your place – it's good for relaxing. Mine's all neon and animal prints. My cat hates it." Katie and Angelina exchanged looks.
"Thanks, it kind of looks like the cottage our friend's brother has – Shell Cottage? He lives by the sea."
"Mmm, That explains it." Wilda chewed contemplatively. The three sat in semi-awkward silence for less than a minute when the object of Wilda's anger came barging in.
"GRIFFITHS!" She bellowed, causing Katie and Angelina to jump.
"Uh-oh, drama," whispered Ange, getting smacked in the ribs by her wide-eyed companion. "Ow! Is this going to be a regular thing? If it is, count me in – ow, Bell! Where's your sense of humour!"
"Why don't you try being a rookie and having your superstar teammates get into a row at your brand new house?"
"Well, sorry that I'm but a humble fan!"
"What do you want, Jones?" drawled Wilda, licking her fingers clean.
"Come outside. We need to talk."
"Well I was just having some hummus with Katie here. And Angelina."
Gwenog looked at them for the first time and addressed them with a gruff nod. More beseechingly she said, "Please, Wilds. I'm sorry. Can we talk about it?" But Wilda wouldn't budge. "Get out of here, Jones. It's rude to Katie."
"Erm, it's ok, we can leave," Katie interjected. She wasn't gonna be put in the middle of… whatever this was. "So carry on, we'll just be outside."
Katie half-pulled Angelina out the back door and over to the lake. Through the window they could see and hear the two most volatile Harpies arguing over who-knows-what.
"I hope they don't break anything," Katie frowned.
"I wouldn't worry, the Harpies paid for everything anyway."
Turning out to the lake's shore, Katie saw the Harpies' Keeper, Geyser, sauntering their way. "Oh hey, Bruna! Care to join us?" Katie quickly introduced her to Angelina.
Nodding in greeting, the Keeper said, "I came over because I heard yelling." Bruna threw a meaningful glance at Katie's home, where the row seemed to escalate. "I just thought you should know it happens fairly often, so it's best you get used to it."
"The fighting? Is everyone this way?" Katie wasn't one to back down from a fight, but no one in her right mind would go around arguing all the time. Much less with teammates!
"No," Bruna reassured her. "Just Gwen and Wilds."
"I hope it doesn't get violent."
"Again, no, it's just a bunch of spats over stupid things. Like now, that's probably over a hairbrush. Or some broom polish. They love each other, and we're all a team. It'll all be okay by dinnertime."
Katie gasped. "Dinner! Ange!"
"I've taken care of it," grinned Ange. "Your mum and dad are coming over later, as are George and Ol. That's okay, right? Guests?"
"Yeah," Bruna flitted a hand. "I wouldn't worry. Rookie, you can clear the wards with Martha at Security, and then haveyour owl send the Portkeys out. It'll only take a minute, you know owl magic."
"Even if one of them's from Puddlemere?"
She and Bruna exchanged looks. "Do you mean Roger Davies? Their new kid? Or maybe…?"
Katie shrugged in what she hoped was a nonchalant manner. "Er, Oliver Wood, actually. Former Captain, good friend."
Bruna smirked. "Interesting. Well, have Lara clear him first. He's a good boy, I think, and since you haven't actually got any Harpies info on you, it might be okay." More disinterestedly she asked, "Say, um, any other Puddlemere boys you're bringing around?"
"No, just the one."
Angelina butted in, cackling gleefully. "Don't you mean, The One?"
Katie shot her a withering glare, turning to Bruna again. "Care to join us?"
The Keeper politely declined. "Enjoy it with the ones you love best," she said in parting. "And don't have too much fun. Practice with us starts tomorrow."
As Bruna walked away, the girls assessed the situation going on in Katie's new house. Since the odd screaming match looked nowhere near through, they decided to split chores – Katie with the Portkeys, Ange with the food – and reconvene later.
After visiting Security, Katie returned home, relieved to find her teammates gone. Sending Gwenog-the-owl off with the Portkeys, she got about to inspecting her home. On the mantle she found a note:
"Rookie, sorry about that. Everything's fine now, Have a good dinner. We (well, Lara) left you something to play with. W x G"
With a sigh of relief, Katie folded the note and tripped over a package by her feet. It was quite long – a box wrapped in heavy paper. Katie was almost certain that she had just received –
"A FIREBOLT!" she cried with delight, tearing the wrapper off the newest model. "I've been waiting for you," she cooed, stroking its fine handle. Noticing another parcel, Katie put the broom aside and opened it. It contained Katie's new training uniforms, gloves, pads and boots. Barely holding in her squeals, she rushed to try them on. The equipment, made of dragon leather, was soft and plush. Each piece fit to her form as though it were made just for her. Moving her joints around, Katie knew she had to wear them in right. And Merlin, would she!
It took all her restraint to put aside her new gear. It would have to wait until tomorrow… "Or at least until everyone leaves. I am going to sleep in my new stuff." She shivered with delight at the thought. That, however, didn't stop her from running out of her bungalow and taking her Firebolt for a spin. Upon reaching her back porch, she deftly hopped on to the broom and kicked off.
"Whoa," she gasped, exhilarated. Doing a mental run-through of the Firebolt 2's specs, she bulleted over the lake and slowed once she was satisfied with how far the wind pushed her cheeks. Hovering lower over the clear cerulean water, she admired the finer details on her broom. The little grooves in the dark wood had been filled with – "Gold, no way," – and polished perfectly with what Katie knew to be the finest dragon oil varnish. Pressing her face flat to the broom, she smiled at the scent of its newness.
A small pang of guilt hit her, however, when she remembered her old broom waiting for her back at home. It had served her well, and she decided then and there to mount it in a place of honor in her living room, just as Oliver had done in his flat.
At promptly 6:30, Angelina arrived with steaming packages of food. She'd bought a hodgepodge of cuisines: roast beef, potatoes, pumpkin pasties, fried rice and dimsum, enchanted expanding noodles, curry, tiramisu, and some jelly insects that wobbled when bitten. "You're the best, Ange!"
"I know."
George popped by exactly at 7, much to Katie's astonishment. "I'm a changed man," the Weasley Twin said solemnly. "Plus this one," (nudging Angelina) "threatened to hex my bollocks off if I dared to be late." With a flourish, he handed Katie her present: a rather nondescript, rubbery gray cube. She eyed it suspiciously.
"It's a security system of sorts, should anyone choose to barge in without your permission. I'll just put it above your door for you now – "
"But what does it do?"
"Well, what fun would it be if I told you?" George answered, his eyes twinkling.
"I've got one at my flat too," Ange rolled her eyes. "Luckily no one's been victimized by it… yet."
"Hey, mister. As long as I won't get fired for it, it's all good. Thank you, George." Katie didn't question him further. Ange confided in her earlier that George had suddenly become obsessed with protecting his family and friends. It was a bit of a mad secret, but when he wasn't coming up with new gags for the joke shop, he was creating security systems and planting them at his family and friends' homes. Of course, George being George, each invention was still inherently humorous. That didn't make his intention any less serious, however.
A knock on the door sounded, and Katie swung it open to greet both her parents at the door. Her father hugged her tight and her mother stroked her hair affectionately. Gladys Bell took one look around Katie's new home and nearly burst into tears.
"Mum, Mum! It's okay!" Katie cried, getting a little emotional herself. Moving out of her home (though it was not her childhood home) was the most difficult part of the arrangement, as it meant leaving her parents behind. And now, greeting her parents in her own house, she was feeling the distance a little too keenly.
"Oh, darling," her mother sobbed, "You're all grown up! And now you've got your own place…"
"Aw, Mum," Katie let out a watery giggle, "Don't start or I will!"
Katie's father took the whole situation with mostly pride and panache. "Good place you've made for yourself here, love. I'm glad to know they're taking care of you here." He grinned. "Expect to have your mother and me over on some weekends. We'll have lunch! And then you'll tour me around, won't you, kid?"
"Sure, Dad. Come over on some weekdays too," Katie assured him. "Or else… I'll visit you!"
"You darn well should! But you're always welcome to come home, Kates."
"You're a big girl now, living on your own…" Katie's mother gripped her shoulders. "So we brought you this." She handed Katie a framed picture of their family. She was around eight or nine in the photo, and sat on her mother's lap as her father tickled her.
"Thanks Mum, Dad," Katie felt her eyes prick with tears.
"Aw, love," cooed her father, pulling her in for a hug. "You'll always be my little girl. Even when I know you're perfectly capable of kicking those Tornadoes' rumps!"
George swung an arm around Angelina's shoulders. "I remember when I moved out of the Burrow," he mused. "I'm also a big boy now, you know."
"Shut it, Weasley." Angelina quirked her lips to one side. "Hey Katie! Care to feed us yet?"
Katie pulled out of her father's embrace and said, "Sure, er, right when Oliver gets here!"
But Oliver didn't come. Less than ten minutes of waiting in, a Puddlemere Squad Owl arrived with a note and a package from the Keeper. Trying to suppress her disappointment, Katie offered it a treat and took its delivery.
Dear Kates,
Hope this finds you on time. I feel terrible for saying this, but I cannot make it to your party. Training was extended because Davies was being a ponce. Coach Nolan is in a fit and plans to keep us here 'til midnight. If I want to keep my bollocks I'll have to stay! Can't tell you much more – I've only got half an hour to rest before training resumes. Feel free to imagine me being tortured, and consider it my penance.
I've sent a tiny consolation gift, though! My cousin Albert gave me this cassit (is that how it's spelt? Cassit?) tape of this Muggle fellow named Steely Dan when I moved in to my flat. He says it's real house party music, and I quite liked it. I just can't remember the spell you need to use to play it. So here, it's yours. My real housewarming gift will have to wait until I see you.
Until then,
Oliver
P.S. I'm keeping this Portkey for future use, just so you know.
Katie grinned at the note. "It's cassette tape, Oliver."
"Well?" asked George. "I take it Casanova isn't coming?"
"Uh," Katie frowned, "No. And neither is Oliver. So let's just eat, hmm?" As her friends and family sat at the table, Katie took the tape Oliver sent and played it with a modified Sonorus. Relaxed, funky music resounded, and Katie could understand why Oliver liked the band. (Or was Steely Dan a single Muggle?) Each instrument was individually strong and distinct, but they came together cohesively to form awesome songs. A few plates and glasses of wine in, Katie was sated and happily dancing with George to the looped music of the cassette.
Way back when in 67
I was the dandy
Of Gamma Chi
Sweet things from Boston
So young and willing
Moved down to Scarsdale
And where the hell am I
"I like this song," gurgled George, "Or what I can hear of it anyway! What is this Muggle saying!" he twirled Katie round.
"I don't know! Let's give it a listen!"
Hey Nineteen
No we can't dance together
No we can't talk at all
Please take me along
When you slide on down
"Uh-oh," laughed George, obviously more than a little tipsy. Katie raised an eyebrow, slightly uncomfortable at his insinuation.
"Doesn't mean a thing, George Weasley, and you know it."
"Know what, Katie Bell?"
"Oh, you lot are impossible!"
It was a quarter to midnight when Angelina decided George had had enough to drink, and Katie's mother declared her daughter needed to rest for her training the next day. The guests let themselves out, and Katie turned off Oliver's tape. With an exhausted sigh, she crawled off to bed. She didn't even realize she'd forgotten to sleep in her gear.
A/N: HELLO! I'm alive! And sorry for this Oliver-less chapter :( What a way to come back, eh? But they can't be together all the time, I'm afraid! No matter, more to come in the following chapters! Interviews! Photo ops! And lots of QUIDDITCH! I know I don't deserve it for not updating in so long, but do leave me a review!