Disclaimer: I don not own the song 'Stranded' that is sang and owned (I think) by Plumb.

Chapter Sixteen: Stranded

"Hey guys." Alicia said to her two friends as she sat down next to them in the Great Hall the next day.

"Hey, Alicia." Katie and Angelina said.

"Can I ask you a favor?" Alicia asked. Katie and Angelina looked at her.

"What's the favor?" Angelina asked. Alicia sighed.

"Will you come with me to the Kareoke Bar tonight? I don't want to go alone." She said. Katie nodded.

"Yeah, we'll come." She said with a smile. Alicia smiled back.

"Thanks, I just need to get some things off my chest. And you know the best way to do that...." She started.

"Is to sing!" Angelina and Katie finished at the same time. Alicia nodded. "Although, we might be a little late getting there." Katie said suddenly. Angelina looked at her quizzically, but knew better then to say anything. If Katie wasn't telling Alicia something, it was for good reason. Alicia shrugged.

"Okay." She said before putting some food on her breakfast plate. Suddenly, Angelina looked up.

"I have to go meet Fred." She said. Then she looked over at Katie, widened her eyes and raised her eyebrows at the same time. Katie got the message.

"And, I gotta go meet Ol." She said as her and Angelina started to get up.

"See ya, sweety." Angelina said before the two girls left the Great Hall. Alicia just shrugged and continued with her breakfast.

"What was that about?" Angelina asked as soon as Katie and her had left the Great Hall. Katie smiled and then started whispering in Angelina's ear.

Katie really did meet Oliver on the Quidditch pitch about half an hour later.

"Hey, Kates." He said, giving her a short kiss on the mouth.

"Hey, Ol." She said. "Why did you want me to meet you out here?" She asked. Oliver smiled.

"Come with me." He said excitedly. Katie smiled and followed him. Once they were in the locker room, Oliver told Katie to sit down while he got something out of his locker. Katie sat down with her legs draped on either side of the bench. Oliver put the object behind his back before Katie could see it. Then he sat down facing her, with his legs also draped the same way. "Okay, you know that tomorrow is out Three Month Anniversary, right?" He asked anxiously, but still with a smile on his face (AN: Yes, three months. They do go back to school in September right? Time sure flies). Katie smiled back at him and laughed.

"Of course I know." She said.

"Well, I couldn't wait." He said, then he pulled from behind his back, a long velvet jewelry box. Katie gasped just at the fact that the box looked expensive. Oliver opened the box to reveal a silver charm bracelet with a little piano charm (as in the jewelry version, not a spell) hanging from it. Katie smiled.

"Oh, Oliver." She said still staring at the charm. Oliver took the bracelet out of the case and put it on Katie's wrist. After Oliver had clasped it, Katie leaned forward and hugged him. Katie then leaned back again, and kissed Oliver. After a mear second, Oliver rapped one arm around Katie's waist and the other he slowly brought and tangled into the hair near the nap of her neck. Katie put one arm around Oliver and rested it on his back, while the other ran through the hair on top of his head. Oliver moved his hands and rested them on Katie's hips. Unconscious, Katie moved one of her hands and started playing with the tag on the neck of Oliver's shirt. Oliver's fingers kept flicking the hem of Katie's shirt. Katie had just noticed this, when the locker room door opened. Oliver and Katie pulled apart, and Katie's mind couldn't decide whether she was sad or happy that they were interrupted. Katie looked toward the door - which she was facing away from - and saw Angelina and Fred walk in. Angelina quickly turned a laugh into a cough as she saw Katie and Oliver.

"Sorry, guys." Fred said, not trying to hold back his laughter.

"Ha, ha, ha." Katie said sarcastically as Oliver and her stood up. Katie and Oliver started to leave when suddenly Katie stopped.

"Ooh!" She said, before running back to her locker to get something. She grabbed a rectangular shaped object, and then she left the locker rooms with Oliver.

"I don't want to know what those two are up to." Oliver said to Katie as they walked across the pitch. Halfway to the castle, Katie handed Oliver the rectangular shaped object. Oliver looked over at Katie. "What is it?" He asked. Katie put her hands on her hips.

"It's a sweater." She said sarcastically. No, this gift was to small to be a sweater, yet to big to be something....small (AN:For lack of a better word). Katie then laughed. "No, see, you gave me my gift," Katie said, waving the bracelet in Oliver's face. "So, I'm giving you yours." She finished. Oliver smiled at her, before taking the rapping off of the gift. It was a book. "'Quidditch Through Hogwarts'. It's by the same person that wrote 'Quidditch Through The Ages'. It has a list of all the plays used, and some of the techniques. I know it's not much but..." Katie said. Oliver silenced her with a quick peck on the lips.

"It's great." He said, and he meant it. Oliver put an arm around Katie's waist, and the two finished walking up to the castle.

The rest of the day went by as per usual. Katie and Oliver kiss every couple of minutes in the common room. Angelina and Fred sat by themselves in a corner doing, and I quote Katie on this one, 'Merlin knows what'. Alicia tried to talk to George once, but gave up once he moved chairs.

"'Night Guys." Alicia finally said pointedly to Katie and Angelina after about half an hour. Angelina and Katie looked at her.

"We'll be up in a bit." They said to her with a smile. Alicia smiled back at the two before going up the stairs.

"Kates, I think I'm gonna go up to bed, too. I'm rather tired." Oliver said. Katie smiled and nodded. Oliver kissed Katie on the cheek, and said goodnight to Angelina, Fred, and George; before going up to his dorm. Katie and Angelina got up after Oliver had disappeared around the corner, and walked over to George. Fred stayed sitting by the fire, Angelina having already told him what the two girls were up to.

"George, we need to talk to you." Angelina said. Katie nodded as Angelina and her sat on either side of the twin. George looked at them.

"What about?" He asked.

"Alicia." Katie said simply. George rolled his eyes.

"If you two are here to tell me I'm a git for staying mad at her, then you're probable right. But, I just really don't want to here an apology from her right now. I don't think I could stand to see her look so sad right in front of me." He said - and the girls guessed he had already forgiven Alicia in his head.

"But, what if she didn't know she was apologizing?" She asked. George looked at Angelina questioningly.

"If she didn't know she was apologizing, and she wasn't right in front of you doing it, you would be able to stand it wouldn't you?" Katie asked. George opened his mouth to say 'how'.

"If she was apologizing, but didn't know you were listening, you'd probable forgive her. Wouldn't you?" Angelina asked, cutting George off. George sighed.

"Yeah, but, she isn't apologizing. And, if she was, I think she would know I was there." He said. Katie shook her head.

"EENT..." She said, making a buzzer sound.

"Wrong!" Angelina finished.

"Alicia's singing tonight." Katie said.

"And, you are going to be there to hear her." Angelina finished. George opened his mouth to argue, but he knew it was no use. The girls were going to make him go whether he wanted to or not.

"Fine." He said, looking down at the table. Katie and Angelina smiled at each other.

"Great, we're leaving." Katie said. George looked up.

"Now." Angelina added. With that, the three got up.

Alicia had just been introduced when Angelina and Katie (and George, but he was out of sight) got there. Alicia saw her two friends in the audience, and got a bit more calm. Alicia strummed the chords on her guitar, and started singing at the same time.

You know it only breaks my heart
To see you standing in the dark alone
Waiting there for me to come back

As Alicia sang this verse, she got a small flashback of George sitting in a corner of the Three Broomsticks the day she had her date. It was one of those things, your eyes see but your brain doesn't register until later.

I'm too afraid to show

If it's coming over you
Like it's coming over me
I'm crashing like a tidal wave
That drags me out to the sea
And I wanna be with you
And you wanna be with me
I'm crashing like a tidal wave
And I don't wanna be
Stranded, stranded, stranded, stranded

The lyrics were deep, deeper than Alicia actually felt. But it was the closest song she knew to described her feelings.

I can only take so much
These tears are turning me to rust
I know you're waiting there for me
to come back

The thing was, he wasn't waiting. He was completely pissed off at her. He hadn't talk to her for three days.

I'm to afraid to show

Maybe she was to afraid to show how she felt. Subconsciously, she knew George would be hurt by what she did. Maybe she was scared of him finally asking her out. I mean, they had been doing the flirting thing for over three years.

I miss you, I need you
Without you, I'm stranded
I love you, so come back

Was that it? Did she love him? She had yet to go out with him, but maybe....it's possible. Right? To be in love with someone you have never dated? Oh Merlin, that's it. She thought to herself.

I'm not afraid to show

I guess I'm not. She thought as she played the last notes on her guitar.

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AN: That last bit was very fluffy. But, I'm trying to hit you over the head with the fact that the girls realize these things when they sing. And, sorry this chap. was mostly G/A. Bit, I did have a good bit of K/O in the middle. R/R! PLEASE?!