I set my clocks early/ 'Cause I know I'm always late- A little less 16 candles, a little more "Touch Me": Fallout Boy

"Is this ok Katie?"

Katie looked up from her revision notes as Fred walked out of the bedroom buttoning up his shirt. She nodded.

"Are you nervous?" she asked.

Fred had finally persuaded Katie out of staying in the flat by agreeing to go to a meal with her Dad, brother and sisters so that said family members could quiz (torture) him on his life and see if he was half acceptable for the baby of the family. Although he was pretty sure that her Father had already decided that he wasn't.

"Nervous? Me?" he scoffed "Don't know the meaning of the word."

"Oh, really?" She raised her eyebrows.

"Kate, Fred Weasley does not get nervous. Ever." He said firmly.

There was a brief pause while Katie stared him down sceptically.

"Alright." He relented "I do get nervous. But there are only three people who make me nervous. It might not surprise you to hear that they are all female?"

Her lips twitched "Oh yes? And who is that then?"

"My mother. My sister." He replied honestly "Oh, and you."

Despite herself, Katie could not keep herself from grinning.

"Oh, glad to see you strike fear into the heart of the man you love, are you?" he huffed.

"Don't be silly." She smiled "You're not a man. You've got the brain of a four year old boy, and I bet he was glad to get rid of it."*

"Ooh, cutting Kate, cutting."

Katie sighed. "Do we have to go? I don't want to."

"Hey, it's your family." He paused "Will all your sisters be there?"

"Yeah, with their boyfriends. And Mike, with his fiancée-"

"The one you all hate?"

"Yeah, her. Also, Dad's bringing Wife Number 2, Michelle, and she's a muggle, so watch what you're saying. Help me up will you?"

He held his hand out and she heaved herself up and made her way to the bedroom to get ready while Fred read the newspaper with an increasing look of disgust.

"Ready!" she called.

"Oh, good." He threw the Daily Prophet on the floor "If we leave now, we should be just on time. Also, Kate, why do you buy that crap? It's all bullsh-wow."

"Do you like it?" She twirled around, showing of her new dress. Fred was looking at her in a familiar fashion.

"Hell yes, I like it."

They ended up being seventeen minutes late.

"Hi everyone." Said Katie once they got to the table. "Sorry we're late, our taxi didn't show up, then when it did we got stuck in traffic..."

"Well, at least you're here now." John said, kissing his daughter on the cheek and give Fred a cursory nod.

"Fred, do you know everyone?" she whispered as they sat.

"I know your Dad and your siblings." He hissed back.

She shrugged "I won't bother introducing you to the others then."

"Can I get you a drink Fred?" Andie Bell leaned over.

"Er, a beer- it's ok, I'll get it."

One of the Bell sister's boyfriends gave him a sympathetic smile.

"It's ok." Andie grinned "It's going on a tab, we'll sort it out at the end."

"Oh, ok." He said gratefully "Beer please, anything's good."

He had a feeling that he was going to need it.

The curtains were wrenched open and Fred covered his face with his arm as the bright light attacked him. He felt the covers yanked off him and then Katie slam the door.

His head was throbbing and he felt a familiar nausea. He was well aware that Katie was glaring at him, but he didn't think he was quite equipped mentally to deal with the hostile anger radiating off her.

He cracked a very reluctant eye half open. Yep, there she was.

"Hi-" he began to croak.

"Do you have any idea how wasted you were last night?"

He winced at her loud voice, deliberately loud and acidic. "Sorry."

His apology only seemed to enrage her.

"In front of my family!"

"Yeah, well...I was nervous!"

He opened both of his eyes. God, the light hurt.

"I thought you didn't get nervous?"

"That was before they began the Inquisition." Fred really didn't want this. He had a banging headache and he was this close to vomiting. It was definitely one of the worst hangovers he'd suffered in a long time. "Jesus Katie, did you hear them? And you weren't exactly sober, none of you were."

"I'm not the one who threw up in the car park on Amy's very expensive and very new shoes, am I?" she reminded him "Or the one trying to make a good impression."

Fred had the grace to look ashamed of himself. "I'm really sorry, Katie, honestly." He half-groaned. "But I'm so hungover I feel like I might die. Can't that be my punishment?"

"No." Katie snapped. "Fred, I don't think you understand how mad I am at you! It's important to me that my family like you!"

"Even if they didn't know about me for two years and you barely speak to them most of the time." He interjected.

"Well, can you blame me? Do you actually remember what you told Mike- who, may I remind you is my older brother?"

"What a charming man he is?" Fred tried hopefully, wracking his brains- although not too much as it hurt.

"No. Try the reason why we were late yesterday."

"Oh God!"

"I think you scarred him for life. Luckily I managed to shut you up before you went into any detail. I'm going out. Don't you dare be sick on my carpet, and don't be here when I come back, I'm too pissed off."

With that, she marched out. Fred knew that he should probably try to work out how to get Katie to forgive him, but he was just relieved that it was quiet again and he could try and sleep off the drink.

*I think it was Groucho Marx who said that. It's a quote I read somewhere anyway.