"Game Plan"

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters and elements from the Harry Potter series belong to J.K. Rowling. No copyright infringement is intended.

Katie walked into the Gryffindor fifth year girls' dormitory smiling. The lights were on and her two best friends were sitting up in their beds. At her arrival, they stood and stormed over to her. Each grasping one of her arms, they dragged her into the bathroom. Angelina locked the door and cast a silencing spell to prevent anyone from overhearing them.

"Where you you been?" Alicia demanded, crossing her arm under her chest and glaring at Katie. Katie thought she bore an incredible resembalance to her mother at that moment.

"You've been with Flint," Angelina stated. "What were you doing? By Godric Gryffindor, don't tell me you're smiling like that for the reason I suspect."

"Oh, and what reason would that be?" Katie asked innocently.

"Don't play dumb, Katie," Angelina said. "Please tell me you did not just have sex with Marcus freaking Flint."

Katie was starting to become annoyed. "So what if I did? It's my business."

"We're worried about you," Alicia said. "You know Flint doesn't really love you, or even like you. Why would you sleep with him? Why?"

"Maybe I thought he'd be a good lay," Katie retorted.

Angelina glared at her reprovingly then sighed. "Katie, we don't want to see you hurt."

It was hard to stay angry at them when they both looked like they were about to cry on her behalf. "You know how I feel about Oliver. It's so frustrating to be his friend and be in love with him, knowing that he's gay and we'll never be more than friends." Katie sighed then continued, "Marcus is like him in so many ways and he's giving me the kind of attention I want, even if it's for his own nefarious reasons. It's so easy to lose myself in the game we're playing. It's so easy to let myself believe that he loves me."

"You really enjoy the time you spend with Flint, don't you?" Angelina asked.

Katie nodded. "I know he's up to something. I know that. But you two don't see the way he behaves when it's just him and me. It's hard not to like him then. He makes it easy to pretend I love him."

"All right, you want to have some fun. I can understand that," Angelina said. "But I still don't understand why you'd want to lose your virginity to Marcus Flint." She shuddered as if the mere thought repulsed her.

The insult to Marcus and the implied insult to her own taste and judgment irritated Katie. "From what you said when you lost your virginity," she said coolly, "I had a much better time with Marcus than is usual. Besides, Fred isn't exactly Gilderoy Lockhart himself either."

"So, it was good?" Alicia asked, ignoring Angelina's glare.

"Very," Katie replied.

Angelina's anger fought with her curiousity and curiousity won. "You have to give us details."

"Well," Katie began, "You wouldn't believe..."