"Even the Best Laid Plans"
Chapter Five: Making Amends

Alicia fell out of bed and groaned. Her mouth felt as though it had been used as a repository for old socks and the room seemed to spin anti-clockwise. Alicia knew the room was not actually in motion because the Quaffle the twins gave her for Christmas was perfectly still on top of her trunk.

"Morning sunshine!" Katie called out from her bed. She was awake and fully dressed as she usually was when Alicia dragged herself out of bed. Katie actually believed that early to bed, early to rise, makes a witch healthy, wealthy, and wise.

Alicia flopped over and muttered something unintelligible and rude about morning people.

Katie guessed what Alicia was mumbling into the floor. "It is not morning anymore, it is two o'clock in the afternoon. Were you planning on sleeping through Boxing Day?"

"Go away!" Alicia growled. She hauled herself back onto her bed and flung a pillow at Katie, who promptly retreated out of the room.

* * *

Katie wondered into the common room and found Angelina discussing something with Fred by the fire. They became very quiet as Katie flopped into a chair opposite them and rested her chin on her knees, fixing them with a hard stare. Neither Fred nor Angelina met her gaze.

"What happened to Alicia?" Katie demanded.

Fred and Angelina put on their best innocent faces but Katie was not fooled for an instant.

"Did you two slip Firewhiskey into her drink last night?"

"Katie, you wound me!"

"I know you two are behind last night. Don't bother to deny it." With that Katie left.

"I think we need to tell Alicia what happened." Angelina whispered.

Fred nodded. "We owe it to her. She should know why she acted like that."

"I'll go get Alicia, you track down Lee. We'll meet in that third floor classroom by the stairs in fifteen minutes?"

"See you then."

* * *

Fred Weasley had masterminded many pranks and plots in his life, but seldom had they turned out other than as he planned. It was strange and humbling to know that he and Angelina were the ones responsible for how Alicia behaved the previous night. Thus it fell to Fred and Angelina to sort things out, explain the situation to Alicia, and rectify the damage.

His sense of guilt was aided by the voice of his brother Percy reprimanding him for being irresponsible and telling him that he hoped Fred learned his lesson.

Well, Perce, I have learned my lesson. I've done the crime and now I'll do the time. I hope Alicia doesn't strangle Angelina and me both.

He sat down at one of the desks, opposite a disused supply cupboard and waited for the others to arrive. Lee stood by the window watching the reflection of the moon on the lake.

Finally Angelina arrived with Alicia. It was hard to lay out the plan and where it went wrong, but to Fred's relief, Alicia took the news rather well.

"So I ended up with the love potion instead of Katie?" Alicia asked after Angelina concluded her part of the story.

Fred ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, I'm really sorry about that."

Alicia pretended to faint.

"Alicia?"

"Did my ears deceive me or did Frederick Weasley actually apologize for a prank?" Alicia demanded as she picked herself up off the floor.

Fred's response was indignant. "It was not a prank."

"Besides," Angelina cut in. "Fred wasn't the one who gave Katie the potion and neglected to stick around to see what she did with it. That was me. Once again, I'm really sorry, Alicia."

"Apology accepted. Besides, I can hardly complain when Lee and I had our own plot afoot that you got caught up with."

Lee clapped his hands together. "Now that is settled, we still have two questions remaining: what do we tell the others and do we let George and Katie in on what really happened last night?"

They considered this for a moment.

"We can't let on a love potion was involved," Alicia said. "Gryffindor doesn't need to lose points."

"Alternate explanations anyone?"

Angelina spoke up. "Katie seemed to think we gave Alicia Firewhiskey? Why not use that?"

They all turned to face Alicia. As she was the one directly affected by this, it was her decision.

"All right, if anyone asks, you gave me Firewhiskey as a joke and it went straight to my head."

"That is settled. What about telling Katie and George?"

"Absolutely not," said Alicia.

Angelina shook her head. "No."

"Never, I have a reputation to maintain." Fred declared.

Lee nodded. "Well, I guess the real story of last night will be considered available on a need to know basis...and no one else needs to know!"

* * *

After Alicia, Angelina, Fred, and Lee left, the door to the wardrobe creaked open to reveal George and Katie.

"Fred is so predicable." George said with a grin. "He always forgets how well I know this thinking."

"So are Alicia and Angelina."

"They underestimate our power of perception."

"Indeed. I think we ought to make them pay."

"Indeed, my lady Katie." George said, giving her a kiss. "Do elaborate."

"Patience, my good knight. Our plan must be well thought out...unlike the ones our friends tried."

"Even the best planned cakes have been known to fail."

Katie laughed. "Then isn't it good that we are not baking anything!"