I do not own Harry Potter, the Wizarding World, or any canon characters.

The Family that Chooses You

Chapter 40 – Awkward Exposition

"A Knut for your thoughts?"

Katie looked away from the window and back at Alicia. "Hmm?"

"You just seem lost in thought, been very quiet for a while. We haven't gossiped about anyone for several minutes." Alicia raised an eyebrow. "That's how I know you're seriously thinking."

Katie giggled. "You make us sound like nosy old witches talking about the neighbors."

"It's one of the things to look forward to when you get older," Alicia said seriously. Then her façade broke and she giggled too. "Though I plan to gossip at any age really."

"We really shouldn't gossip at all," Katie said, going back to her homework. "It's not polite."

"Only if we gossip to anyone else," Alicia said. She poked Katie with her quill. "Spill it."

"Just thinking really. I knew school would be harder with two more electives of course. It's not too bad, thankfully but still a lot." She sighed, "Then there's all this stuff about the Heir of Slytherin and the Chamber and the petrifications."

The whole of Gryffindor House had been shocked when Colin Creevy was found petrified shortly after the first Quidditch Match. He had been found out in the halls late at night by a teacher. Not too long after that, Justin Finch-Fletchley of Hufflepuff was found petrified as well as Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor Tower Ghost. That had been the real shocker, what could affect a ghost like that?

To make matters worse, Harry had been the one to find the Hufflepuff and the ghost. After the unfortunate incident at the Dueling Club where Harry revealed he could communicate with snakes, many were now calling Harry the Heir. Not to his face, not yet.

As if following her thoughts, Alicia spoke, "Poor Harry, he just cannot catch a break."

Katie smiled wryly. "Unless it's from a Bludger."

"Do not remind me." Alicia punched her quill point through a piece of parchment. "I am still quite upset at the both of them for that. More at Oliver, he should have known better." She punched another hole.

Katie idly wondered if that was the only reason for Alicia's current attitude towards Oliver. "Is…is being a Parseltongue really that bad?" she asked instead.

Alicia winced. "It has some very serious connotations among the Pure-bloods. You know as I do that Salazar was one of the most famous of Parselmouths. Slytherin's House symbol is a snake after all. So coupled with Muggle-borns and Half-bloods being petrified, a great literally bloody sign that said the Chamber is open and Enemies of the Heir beware, and now we have someone that can speak to snakes…"

Katie shook her head. Surprisingly, Harry was dealing rather well against the rumors and whispering around him. He still flinched a little at the sheer amount of looks he had been getting, looked visibly bothered by the whispers and hisses. Yet he did not withdraw himself like he would have last year, he did not hide. These days he looked focused, as if something was driving him on.

Again, Alicia showed that she was following Katie's train of thought. "Harry's been good about it though, somehow. I'm a bit surprised to be honest. Thankful, but surprised." She looked around the common room for a moment before speaking softer. "Have you noticed he's spending more time with Hermione and Ron?"

"It's not like he didn't before," Katie said. "I do see them whispering and stuff more. Spends a little more time out of the common room. I didn't think anything of it."

"I think they're planning something, something they don't want to tell us."

Katie smiled. Alicia loved to imagine situations and conspiracies and the like from time to time. She said it was good practice to plan ahead of others. "Careful, you're letting your paranoid society thinking show," she teased.

Alicia grimaced. "I know it sounds like I'm just thinking fancifully but I really think they're doing something. Something potions related."

"What makes you say that?" Katie asked, intrigued.

"I catch a whiff of something from them every now and then, more from Hermione. Some kind of ingredient that I can't quite place."

"Hmm, that's weird. But if it's Hermione and Harry, we can assume they aren't doing something terrible. She's too brainy and he's too considerate."

"That's true," Alicia admitted.

The portrait door opened and a slight figure walked into the common room. She looked about, her skin pale, her red hair limp. Without noticing anyone or stopping she walked through the room and up the stairs towards the dormitories.

"Ginny looks a little worse for wear," Alicia commented. "Doesn't seem to be adjusting well."

Katie frowned. "I'll mention it to the twins and Percy. Didn't Harry say something about her too?"

"I think so-" Alicia and Katie jumped when the portrait door opened again and Angelina came running in. She looked about, her cheeks flushed and eyes wide. She looked panicked even, as well as something else.

"Angelina! What's wrong?" Katie asked, half rising from her seat. Angelina was rarely this bothered, at least when Harry was not involved.

"Are you okay?" Alicia asked hurriedly when Angelina walked over very rapidly.

"I'm…okay, yeah, I'm okay." Angelina looked anything but. She continued to sweep the room with her eyes, looking for something or someone. She breathed heavily, looking like she ran for a long time before arriving at the common room.

"You don't look it," Alicia said with narrowed eyes. "Breathe. What's wrong."

"I, uh, well…"

The two other Chasers looked at each other. They were unused to seeing such a flustered stammering Angelina.

"Have either of you seen Harry?" Angelina immediately regretted the way she said it since Katie and Alicia jumped up looking alarmed. "No! Wait! He's fine, I think. I mean, just, have you two seen him recently?"

"Just tell us what's wrong!" Katie said, her hand on her heart. "You're really freaking me out here!"

Angelina pushed the two girls back into their chairs and sat down heavily in front of them. "Okay okay fine. Just, please don't tell anyone else what I'm about to tell you." She took their mute looks of confusion and concern as assent. "Something happened…and I feel really bad about it, and more than a little embarrassed, and I have to talk to him, but I also need your help, because I really don't know how to talk to him about-."

Alicia pulled out her wand and aimed it at the tall girl. "Make sense or get jinxed. You have until three. One, two-"

"Harry caught me and Bradley snogging," Angelina said in a rush.

The two girls stared at her. Her face continued to turn dark red the longer they stared.

"Harry caught you two snogging," Katie repeated slowly.

Angelina nodded, mortified.

Alicia raised her wand. "Oh don't look at me like that," she said to Angelina and Katie when they glared at her. "This will only be a moment. Silencio," she said and jabbed her wand at herself. Then she set her wand down on the table.

Angelina and Katie watched in astonishment as the now silent Alicia threw her head back and laughed. She laughed without making any sound thanks to the Silencing Charm. She held her stomach and laughed until tears streamed silently down her cheeks.

Katie resisted the urge to join her, seeing the look of fury mingled with embarrassment on Angelina's face. "H-How did this happen?" she asked, trying to keep herself from giggling.

Angelina turned to face Katie directly, trying to ignore the silently hysterically laughing Alicia. "Bradley and I had a moment after class and we were chatting which led to…snogging. We decided to not do it in the halls in front of everyone, belatedly, and found an alcove."

"Oh no," Katie said. She clapped a hand to her mouth, trying to push the smile back.

"I didn't pay attention to which alcove because, well, you know." Angelina was shrinking in her chair the more she spoke. "We ended up in one with a tapestry for a bit of extra privacy."

Alicia waved her arms wildly to catch their attention. She scribbled something out on a slip of parchment and handed it to Katie to read.

"You didn't, not the one with the field of flowers?" Katie read. She gasped and looked at Angelina. "Oh no you didn't! That one?!"

Angelina snatched the slip from Katie and balled it up, throwing it at Alicia who started to laugh wildly and silently again. "I did…"

"That's his favorite hiding alcove!" Katie exclaimed, failing to keep herself from smiling and giggling.

"So I gathered because the tapestry slides aside and there he was." Angelina's eyes were the level of the table now with how far she sank into her chair. "Just standing there and staring at me and Bradley."

Alicia fell out of her chair. She rolled about on the ground howling with unheard laughter. She pounded on the ground with clenched fist and no sound emerged.

Katie almost joined her. She fell back into her chair and started laughing helplessly. However, since she had no Silencing Charm, her laughter was heard very clearly.

Others in the common room looked over with mild interest but as soon as they saw Angelina glower they turned away.

Alicia pulled herself up to her knees and started writing another message. Katie leaned over and she took the quill and parchment away. "I'm not reading that, you can ask her yourself," Katie said, every word punctuated by a giggle.

Alicia mimed pulling on her robes, looking directly at Angelina, waggling her eyebrows suggestively. Katie had to tackle Angelina before the irate girl could jump on Alicia.

"We were only snogging!" Angelina hissed with outrage, trying to push Katie off while trying to crawl towards Alicia. "Let me go Katie, I'm going to kill her. I'm going to do it this time."

Katie tried vainly to pull Angelina away before she decided to sit down on her back, pinning her down. Alicia rolled with laughter barely out of arm's length, one that Angelina was desperate to close with grasping hands. "What did poor Harry do?" Katie asked, laughing.

"What do you think?" Angelina said, going limp with shame. "He stared at us like a startled bunny and then Bradley said something rude and Harry ran away. Like literally ran."

"What did he say to Harry?" Katie asked, incensed.

"I don't remember honestly. I just knew it was rude and Harry just ran. So I chased after him but lost him. I've been all over the castle and I can't find him." Angelina started to hammer her head into the carpet.

"Oh stop that," Katie said. She grabbed Angelina's shoulders and tried to pull her torso high enough to keep her from headbutting the ground. Alicia held out her hands to cushion Angelina's head, which was impressive considering that she continued to guffaw silently.

"What do I do?" Angelina moaned.

"Just explain yourself I suppose," Katie said with a blush. "Harry was probably just shocked."

Angelina's head came up and she looked even worse. "Oh bloody hell." She ignored Alicia's silently mouthing the word "Language" at her. "Do you think anyone's had…the talk…with Harry?"

Katie felt her stomach sink somewhere uncomfortable. "Or explained snogging at all?"

Alicia looked horrified.

"Not it!" Katie yelled followed by Angelina. Alicia mouthed the same but a step behind.

"Doesn't count!" Angelina crowed. "We didn't hear you say it!"

Alicia scowled and grabbed her wand, jabbing at herself. "That's not fair!" she exclaimed out loud.

"That's what you get for laughing at your best friend!" Angelina countered.

"Like you wouldn't do the same! Look, you already ruined Harry's innocence. I'm not about to have the talk with him and dash what remains of it-GAHH!"

Angelina somehow managed to lunge forward while prone and with Katie sitting on her, grabbing Alicia's legs. She pulled herself up while dragging the other girl towards her. "Got you now!" Angelina growled.

Katie felt like she was riding a horse, trying to stay on top of the irate fourth year girl's back. She caught the portrait swinging open out of the corner of her eye. When she turned to look, she saw a very red-faced Harry come in. "Hi Harry," she called out loudly and obviously.

Harry waved then tilted his head, noticing her strange position. "Are you okay Katie?" he asked. He approached when Katie gestured to him to walk over. He stood by her side and gaped seeing the scene before him. "What's going on?" he asked.

"Trying to stop Angelina from murdering Alicia," Katie said loudly.

By now the two other girls noticed Harry's presence. Alicia began to laugh hysterically again at Harry's face while Angelina looked even more ashamed.

Before either girl could say anything, Harry looked down to the ground. "I'm sorry," he murmured.

This made Alicia and Angelina stop fighting and all three girls looked at the boy. "Sorry for what?" Katie asked, confused.

"For…" Harry looked like he wanted to sink into the stone, "interrupting you." His face was redder than the Weasleys' hair.

Angelina felt like she was going to faint with all the blood rushing to her face. "Oh I mean, you didn't. Well you did. But it was our fault, I mean…"

Alicia put her hand on Angelina's mouth. "It sounds like it was an accident. If anything, Angelina should be apologizing for doing something terrible in your favorite alc-OW!" Angelina bared her teeth, watching with satisfaction at her bite mark on Alicia's hand.

"Oh well, it's not really mine, so that's okay," Harry said lamely. He shifted from foot to foot. "You're not mad at me?"

The girls looked at him again. "Why would I be mad at you?" Angelina asked.

"For interrupting. He looked very upset. It really was an accident. I don't follow you around like a dog, really. I didn't know you were there. I was just leaving my note for Luna."

Angelina frowned. "So that's what he said." She shook her head and tried to smile through her embarrassment at Harry. "Don't listen to him. I know you don't follow me around. I know it was an accident. He was being a prat."

"Oh, that's good." Harry looked relieved. "I thought you were really mad at me for bothering you. That's why I ran."

Katie whooped as she fell over, unprepared for Angelina to roll to the side and displace her. Angelina rose and put her hands on Harry's shoulders. "I'm not mad at you. If I'm ever mad at you, I will tell you first and why. And you didn't bother me. Okay? You're my friend."

Harry's cheeks were still pink but from relief instead of embarrassment. "Oh thank goodness." He hesitated. "Is this what the twins were teasing you about?"

Angelina huffed. "Yes, they caught us kissing on the Express. We started seeing each other towards the end of the year last year."

"That's nice. Not that the twins were teasing you, the seeing each other bit," Harry stammered. He looked nervous again. "Do, do you want me to hug and cuddle less? Since you're in a relationship?"

Katie almost cooed at how nervous Harry was, and how oddly considerate he was. He always was considerate, but this was amazing for a twelve-year-old. She and Alicia shared a fond look.

Angelina teared up a little and shook her head resolutely. "Not in the slightest. Two separate things. And if he tries to mention anything then you come and tell me. I'll always need my Rabbit time."

Naked relief shone on his face. "That's good," he said shyly. He hugged her. "I'd miss hugging you."

Angelina squeezed him tight. "Me too," she said and leaned down to kiss his forehead.

"Hey! You go wash your mouth before you do that!" Alicia said. She knew what the response would be since she said it while scrambling up and running. "We know where it's been!"

Angelina very carefully extricated herself from Harry's arms, setting him aside gently. She took off running, emitting a long wordless scream of pure rage as she chased after the squealing Alicia.

Harry pulled Katie up off the ground and into a couch, barely dodging the two running girls. They sat together and watched as Angelina chased after the shorter girl, hurling threats and curses.

"I'm glad things are normal," Harry said happily.

"Well, normal for us," Katie said with a giggle.