Disclaimer: It seems that, after the first chapter, these things are redundant but better to err on the side of caution so these characters do not belong to me, they belong to J.K. Rowling. I am merely borrowing them.
A/N: I apologize in advance for twice using the word that Cap'n Kathy hates, but the three Chasers are teenage girls after all. I think I must have used that word at least twice a day when I was sixteen (I think I've matured a bit since then, now I just bounce). As usual, an enormous amount of thanks to Zsenya for her wonderful beta reading and travel guide skills.
If it wasn't possible to sit around and giggle with her two best friends in person, Alicia figured the next best thing would be to write to them. She'd wanted to go to France with them but her mother had put her foot down.
"Witch or not, you are still part of this family and you are going on holiday with us!"
"Besides," her father had added, "you can tell us all about the wizarding parts of Italy."
Will had emphasized his desire for her company through the wounded puppy-dog eyes look he had been practicing, "It wouldn't be any fun without you, Alicia."
As a result, here she was in Italy, which on the whole was quite nice. It was just the timing she objected to. Then again, she didn't really want to be in France either. She wanted to be home, where London was only one Floo portal away.
She sighed. It was only for two weeks, after all, and when she'd agreed to go with her parents she'd had no way of knowing what would happen in Diagon Alley. It helped that the villa they had rented was comfortable and had a sea view.She'd already found all the hidden passages that indicated that the villa had at one time belonged to wizards. Actually, it had been Will who had found the first one. He'd been examining the top of a carved banister and suddenly dropped out of sight.
Alicia propped one foot up on the edge of the balcony and tilted her chair back into a comfortable position. She considered what she and Katie and Angelina would be doing if it were just the three of them. She knew she would be giving in to her less serious side and she pictured the pillow fight they would inevitably have. Alicia grinned and rifled through the paperbacks she'd scattered all over the balcony to find her quill and parchment.
Saturday
Dear Angie and Kit,
I know you guys are on holiday together in France (Bonjour!) at the moment. I'm on holiday too in Italy (Buon giorno!) but I had to write a girly letter to you guys. Because I'm really really happy about this. Which means, all together now: SQUEEE!
Diagon Alley. How wonderful was that. I've ensnared my Weasley. Finally. And it turns out I ensnared him two years ago but neither of us had the courage to say anything.
Kit, Angie, I was wrong and you were right. I'm so glad I was wrong too. Fred wrote me and said I've made George useless to him right now. Heh. Serves him right.
The villa we're staying in is pretty and it has had wizarding inhabitants. I've already explored all the passages. When we're all back together I'll show you the notes I took and Angelina, maybe you and I can work on that dreadful HoM assignment from Binns.
.
Love,
Alicia
"And then he said he thought he had been wrong and that maybe we should talk-,"
"So that's when he asked you to come see his Quidditch game?" Angelina propped herself up on her elbow and looked intently at her friend.
Kit nodded.
"Wow. I've never been to a professional Quidditch game before except for the World Cup."
Kit sat up, "Angelina! It's not about Quidditch! It's about us!"
"All right, all right. But you'll have to tell me about the game anyway, you know I'm interested in playing professionally myself."
"Yes, I know, I'm still surprised you didn't bring your new Nimbus 2000 with you."
"Says the girl who polishes her Comet 260 five times a day."
Kit threw a pillow at her. Angelina threw one back. Fifteen minutes later, the two girls were helpless with laughter and the hotel room in which they were ensconced was covered in feathers.
"I wish Alicia could be here with us," Angelina said wistfully.
"Me too. What happened in Diagon Alley?"
"She didn't tell you?"
"No . . ."
"That's surprising. I thought she'd be shouting from the rooftops."
The tapping at the window startled both of them but they recognized Alicia's brown owl instantly. Athena looked disapprovingly around the disordered hotel room but waited patiently while they read over Alicia's letter and determined what to reply.
"I knew it!" Katie grinned triumphantly.
"Finally," Angelina agreed.
Monday
Dear Alicia,
We send a SQUEEE back to you. Finally. Now we don't have to put up with any more moaning in the locker rooms after Quidditch, in the corridors, in the dorm and the common room. We also glory in being able to say we told you so. We told you so. We told you so. We told you so.
Oh, you thought Diagon Alley was wonderful did you? Was that before or after the snog session? This is Angelina writing by the way. And yes, I'm definitely interested in working on that essay when you get back. Kit was squealing earlier, too. But I'll let her write now. A certain former Quidditch captain has come to his senses and asked me if I wanted to come to one of his games and if it doesn't last for two days have dinner with him after. I know, I know, but that accent, and he did the puppy dog eyes thing. That melts me.
We're really happy for you Alicia. Can't wait till school starts.
Love,
Kit and Angie
p.s. This is Katie again, what am I supposed to do when you two graduate? Nooo! Fail your NEWTs please.
It was the fourth paperback she'd gone through and Alicia was beginning to wonder if anyone ever wrote anything that was not about dysfunctional families, grisly murders or unrealistic romances. But reading these novels was better than writing her homework essays as she should have been doing.
She'd tried, really she had, but the brilliant sunshine had caused her Transfiguration book to slide off her lap and be replaced by Numbered in Knockturn Alley, one of the more entertaining grisly murder novels. The nice thing about wizarding mystery novels was that the villain changed according to the reader's mood so the ending was different every time. This time, Alicia suspected it was the beauteous Deborah Montrose who had murdered her husband for his vast wealth.
Will had homework to do as well but his homework had fallen by the wayside in favor of his favorite book Quidditch Through The Ages. He'd pestered Alicia so much about borrowing her copy that finally she'd given in and, when she was in Diagon Alley, bought him his own. Will really wished he could play Quidditch and although Alicia was wary of encouraging him, she was beginning to notice signs that might indicate that he could. He always seemed to be able to find their way if they were lost and get them places in less time than predicted.
"Alicia, what kind of broom do you have?"
"I told you yesterday, Will. I have a Cleansweep 8. Angelina just got a Nimbus 2000 though and Harry Potter has a Firebolt."
"Is yours a good broom?"
"Yes, but theirs are better. Harry's is best though. Let me read now, I'm just about to find out who killed him"
"OK, say, isn't that Athena?" Will pointed out the brown speck winging its way toward them.
Alicia nodded as the owl drew closer, "Yes, it is. Must be Kit and Angie's reply."
She read their letter and smiled. Angelina didn't really require a reply to this letter but Kit did. She scribbled off a quick reply and sent Athena off again promising her a vacation and plenty of Owl Treats when she returned.
Wednesday
Dear Kit,
HAL voice (remember the Muggle movie I showed you?): I'm sorry, Katie, I can't do that.
Several squeals back at you Kit. I hope Puddlemere has a really fast Seeker so you can have a nice long dinner and discussion. I wouldn't be able to resist the puppy dog eyes either, and you combine that with the accent, well, I can understand if you ended up a puddle on the floor.
Love,
Alicia