AN: Kelly: Thank you so much. I've had/have so much fun writing this fic and will continue to! Keep reviewing!

Riposte: I'm sorry! He he. She loves Oliver so she can't be snogging Cedric.

Ellie-poohbear: yeah yeah the chapters are coming! Lol

 

PokElilpupE: Thank you! I'm so grateful for all the reviews. I mean it's fantastic! Keep reviewing and it'll get higher *wink wink* Your suggestion is great. Still thinking about it though. I'm glad Michelle's gone too. I hate her! Lol.

BadgerBraveSweety: lol. Great thoughts. But wouldn't that put the final nail in Michelle's coffin so to speak? (Ok I know it sound pretty bad, but I hear it all the time and from now on am never repeating it again!) Wouldn't it make it worse not telling her to her face?

BriteGurlBlue: I know me too! I felt so bad! But Oliver had Katie first =)

Dreamcatcher: Thanks for both the review and the suggestion. We'll see what happens.

Serenity: Thanks! I'm glad you love the story so much. I really think that Katie, Oliver, Cedric and the other entire minor but REAL characters in Harry Potter can evolve into something great.

Azkaban Canuck: Wow it's great that your back! Lol. I missed you. GREAT no Excellent Suggestion! . He he. You want me to throw a drink again? Lol. Sure! Shortydork admits that that was what she was going to suggest too! Talks about great minds think alike. I have had so many requests to do it that I don't know what's going to happen! Lol. (Yes I do!!) 

Allie-Marina LaCross: Please keep up the review! Thanks a lot!

Just letting you guys know, that after this story is finished I am writing another minor character story. It will be called once and Again and I am hoping that it will be my best work to date. It will contain minor characters as I just stated. They include; Katie, Angelina, Fred, Alicia, George and Oliver. My favourite gang! Lol. Apart from Harry, Ron and Herms of course! Want to know when's it's up? Send me your email in your review and I certainly will make sure you know when it's up!

Chapter 14 – The Christmas Ball

Next morning I woke to the hustle and bustle that was Christmas. Or rather to Ange and Alicia jumping on my bed.

"Wake up sleepy head! Happy Christmas. " Angelina taunted thrashing her pillow on my head.

I groaned.

"Please let me sleep." I grumbled sitting up and throwing it back at her.

She smiled devilishly and climbed off my bed.

"Fine if you don't want this present from your family," she said holding up a large box. "I'll just you know… open it myself."

I quickly sprang out of bed. Well I wasn't going to turn down presents for anyone. I'm not that interested in self-wallow! Angelina handed me the box. I looked at it hesitantly for a second before noticing a letter attached to the corner of it. I looked over to Alicia. She smiled.

"Will you just bloody open it? You're a teenager, your suppose to be excited about Christmas." She said rolling her eyes.

I laughed. Of course I totally agreed with Alicia. Opening it was the best option. Letter first though. I opened it to find the neat and rounded print of my mother.

Katie,

Happy Christmas Love! I hope you have a great Christmas at Hogwarts this year. I know you'll make the most of the ball and the chance to have fun, with Ange and Alicia. It was great to hear the Gryffindor won the last match, your father was so proud (as was I, but don't let him know that I was excited about Quidditch. I'll never live it down.) I'm guessing that Oliver has his sights set on the Cup yet again. Let's hope that you guys win eh? At that mention, how are things between Oliver and Michelle? Still going strong.

Mum tended to know a lot about my life at Hogwarts. I hadn't written to her for a couple of weeks and of course she had no idea about Oliver and I. How does one tell her mother that?

Don't know how he put up with her really. You know how I feel about Michelle. Everything has been fine here at home. Gwen started her new job at Quality Quidditch Supplies, as I'm sure you know…

Of course I did! How else would I have got Oliver a great present? Well I didn't actually know what it is yet as in entrusted that with Gwen. I asked her to get something good that Oliver would love, as I couldn't go to Diagon Alley myself it was the closest option.

I'm just glad that you two have finally made up and are talking again.

Two words, long story.

Anyway I have to go and start conjuring up Christmas dinner for Lizzie and Dad. Just us three this Christmas. Gwen's staying in London with a couple of mates. No doubt they will be out partying. Hope the ball is fantastic and you let your hair down and have fun! I'm sure you will. Included in this present is something special. I'm sorry that it 's a little late and you may already have something to wear, (which I don't doubt being a Bell) but I thought that this might be a pleasant surprise.

Lots of love,

Mum.  XXXOOO

I put the letter down and tore open the present. A painting by Lizzie fell out (my three year old sister loved making absurd finger paintings) as well as a jewel box, a book and a squishy wad of material. I stopped. It couldn't be. I picked it up and let the material fall out. It was! Periwinkle Blue satin dress robes with a blue strapless dress for underneath. The same robes and dress that I had wanted to buy before coming back to Hogwarts. Mum promise she would buy them for me but we never got around to it. Wow! I smiled widely at Ange and Alicia but a realisation stopped me in my tracks.

"Where's Tegan?" I asked putting the dress robes down.

Some of the excitement of the gift trickled out. Alicia got up and picked up some wrapping paper off the ground.

"Out with Damien." She stated absentmindedly.

Damien was a 5th year hufflepuff that Tegan had become very friendly with over the past 24 hours. They were going to the ball together. I nodded.

"Look." I said tossing to robes and dress to Alicia.

She unravelled them and beamed.

"Wow. They're beautiful. Is that what your mum got you for Christmas?" she asked incredulously.

I nodded.

"Cool." Ange said joining the conversation.

She was holding up the book that had tumble out of my parcel. Alicia threw the clothing back so that I could hang them up.

"Your dad is obsessed with Quidditch right?" she asked raising her eyebrows.

I laughed.

"More obsessed than Oliver." I said getting off my bed and walking to the closet to hang my robes up.

Alicia laughed.

"Is that possible?" she said still continuing to clean up Ange's mess of wrapping paper.

I nodded.

"Uh huh. Well maybe. Why?" I said turning back around.

I looked at the cover of the book that Ange was holding up for me to see. It read; 1001 fantastic moves for Chasers. I laughed.

"Oh Merlin." I said walking towards Ange and talking the book from her hand. "He always had dreams of breaking into the bit time himself. He never got the chance and wants me to make it."

I thumbed through the book. Alicia smiled.

"You could do it." She said smiling at me widely.

I shook my head. Now she was going a bit overboard.  I accepted that I wasn't the best player on the team. I wasn't even the best or second best chaser. I was overjoyed to be on the team at any point. Everyone that was on it was so talented. But Alicia was way off.

"Alicia you have to be kidding? It's hard to get into especially when you don't have the hight enough level of skill. I have no idea how Oliver had the patience to even try." I weighted throwing the book on my bed.

Alicia and Ange stopped what they were doing, which was cleaning up the mess of wrapping paper. I felt their eyes burn into my back. Oops. They didn't know. I turned around smiling at their surprised faces.

Ange raised her eyebrows.

"Care to explain oh wise one?" she joked.

"He has a try out with Puddlemere on Monday." I stated biting my lip.

Ange beamed.

"You mean our very own captain could be playing for Puddlemere next year?!"

I nodded.

"Seems so." I said excitedly. 

Alicia grinned.

"Why didn't he tell us?" she said breathlessly.

I shrugged my shoulders.

"No idea. I only found out yesterday."

*

The rest of the day was pretty uneventful. Fred and George went and disrupted the house elves in the kitchens for a picnic basket full of food, and Ange, Alicia, Oliver, Fred, George and myself had Christmas lunch picnic outside for lunch. At about 5pm Alicia, Angelina and myself made our way back in to get ready for the ball after a great day of laugher ad fun. And that is where I am now, standing in front of the mirror in our dorm bathroom trying to charm my hair to look…well different. Angelina opened the door and pushed herself in.

"Will you hurry up?" She whined looking me up and down. "You look gorgeous so now it's my time to get ready!"

I rolled my eyes.

"You promise I look alright?" I said studying my reflection in the mirror.

Ange sighed.

"Do you really think I would just say that to get you out of the bathroom?" she asked offended.

I raised my eyebrows at her and she cracked up.

"Ok ok. So I would but I promise I'm not now. Come on Katie. Please."

I laughed again.

"Ok fine. I'll get out and let you get changed. But you have to help me finish my hair and make up as soon as you're ready." I pleaded.

Ange smiled.

"Sure." She said pushing me out of the bathroom and closing the door in my face.

I laughed and trudged my way back to my bed. I couldn't believe that I was actually doing this. Getting ready for the Christmas Ball that I didn't have a date to. Ok so it was technically wrong as I did have a boyfriend, but it was just that I couldn't go…well he couldn't be my date. I sighed and picked up the Quidditch book that no doubt dad had sent me. I thumbed through the pages again and stopped at a page instructing how to fake a proper throw. Interested in the theory I began reading…until Alicia burst through the door already ready for the ball. She laughed.

"You're actually going to read it?"

I shrugged and closed the book.

"No…no," I stuttered. "I was just…looking."

Alicia grinned. I scolded and threw the book on the ground. She held up her hand and twirled around.

"What do you think?" she asked sceptically.

I beamed. She looked great in her robes of deep purple and black dress underneath.

"You look fantastic." I said getting up.

Alicia smiled.

"You look fantastic as well." She said smiling at my dress. "Let me guess Angelina kicked you out of the bathroom."

I nodded.

"Of course. I haven't even put on any make up or finished my hair." I said running my hand through my half done hair.

Alicia nodded.

"I'll do it for you if you like." She said walking towards her wardrobe and pulling out a silver case.

I looked down at my watch. 6pm. Half an hour before the ball. Well when was I going to get it done? I nodded.

"Sure." I said sitting down on the bed and watching Alicia pull out her wand and set to work on doing my hair.

After about 10 minutes Alicia was finished pulling, combing and styling my hair and Angelina wasn't even out of the bathroom yet. I got up and inspected my hair and make up in the mirror of my wardrobe while Alicia tried to beat the bathroom door down.

"Ange! What the hell are you doing in there?" She asked knocking.

Ange slid the door open.

"Getting changed. Geez." She said stepping out. "Well?" she asked spinning around.

I laughed. Why was this a necessity for girls before going out?

"Great." Alicia and I replied at the same time. 

We laughed briefly before the door of the dorm was thrown open. It was Fred and George. The looked hopefully round the room until noticing us near the bathroom.

"Just come in why don't you." Ange scolded as Fred kissed her on the cheek.

Fred and George smiled devilishly.

"Well that was the plan." Said a happy looking Fred.

"But we could have been changing…" Alicia began. She stopped and raised an eyebrow. "Please tell me that wasn't in your plan." She said rolling her eyes.

George smiled.

"Ok then. I won't." He said giving her a hug.

I sighed. Oh happy days. Fred smiled.

"Don't worry we haven't forgotten you Kat. Oliver said that he'll meet you in Common Room."

I nodded and picked up Oliver's parcel from my bed. Mum was right, no matter how twisted and childish that sounded. It was time to let my hair down and have fun. I bid goodbye to Alicia, Ange, Fred and George, even though I was going to see them in a couple of minutes anyway, and I made my way down to the common room. My eyes darted across the room before falling on Oliver who was standing in front of the fire. I chuckled and drew nearer. He turned around when I was about a metre away from him, smiling.

"You look gorgeous." He said quietly.

I smiled.

"Thank you."

He laughed.

"Is there too many people in the room for me to kiss you?" he asked quietly raising his eyebrows.

I nodded.

"Yeah. A little too many. But this'll make it up to you." I said handing him the small box that was his present.

Oliver beamed.

"Thank you." He said gently unwrapping the box.

I held my breath waiting for his reaction to the present I had no clue about. Oliver beamed again as the present emerged from the paper. It was a sterling silver watch. On the face were carvings of Quidditch hoops and a quaffle. It was…

"It's perfect." He said putting it on. "Thank you Katie."

I nodded.

"I'm glad you like it."

Damn straight. Oliver reached into his pocket and drew out yet another small box.

"This is for you." He said studying my face.

I grinned and took it from his hands.

"You didn't have to get me a present." I said opening the box.

"Neither did you." He said watching my face.

The box contained a necklace. A silver necklace that had a butterfly pendant that magically flapped its wings, as if it was alive. I loved it!

"Thank you." I said kissing him on the cheek.

Oliver laughed.

"So you like it." He asked apprehensively.

I rolled my eyes.

"Of course I like it!" I said sarcastically as Fred, George, Alicia and Ange joined us.

"We all ready?" Fred asked excitedly.

I laughed.

"Sure let's go." I said leading the way out.

AN: Guys sorry it took so long for me to up date. It seems that time keeps running away from me. I'm not entirely happy with this chapter; frankly I thought that it sucked. But I promise that the next one will certainly make EVERYONE happy. He. He. He. Please review if you're reading this. My reviews are down this chapter and you know how I love them! It means a lot to me getting reviews so keep it up.