Chapter 6
Tap tap tap.
Stoppit.
Tap tap tap.
Go away.
Tap tap tap.
Shut up, I'm trying to sleep here, damnit!
Tap tap TAP.
Katie groaned into her pillow and rolled over, tumbling off her bed and onto the floor with a thud. She lay there in a heap for a minute or two without moving, still unwilling to open her eyes and wake up properly. Eventually, she blinked her eyes open and clambered to her feet, untangling herself from her bedclothes as she peered blearily around her flat for the source of the noise.
It didn't take long to find. There was a handsome tawny owl outside her window, tapping impatiently on the glass with its beak. Katie made her way over to the window and grudgingly let it in, wondering who could be cruel enough to wake her at this ungodly hour on her only training-free day of the week. She tugged the ornate scroll from the owl's beak and it took off at once, leaving her to open her post in peace.
Dear Katie,
You are cordially invited to attend the wedding of Kevin Danes and Alicia Spinnet. The ceremony will take place on Saturday 1st September in the Spinnet family residence (13 Lumos Avenue, London) and will be followed by a reception in Madame Rubana's Hotel, Wingardium Alley.
Regards,
Kevin & Alicia.
What followed was a handwritten note from Alicia, asking Katie to come shopping for bridesmaids dresses with her and Angelina the coming Thursday, after her Quidditch training. Katie quickly grabbed a quill and scrawled an reply on the back of receipt, before sending it back to Alicia with her sleepy-eyed owl, Escalus.
Once this was done, Katie collapsed backwards onto her bed, smiling as she burrowed into the covers once again. Alicia's invitation and note had definitely been worth getting up for, but nothing and nobody disturbed Katie Bell's only lie-in of the week.
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Deep breaths, Katie. Deep breaths…………. Merlin, I'm a nervous wreck, and it's not even my bloody wedding!
Katie frowned at herself in the mirror, feverishly tugging at her dress for the millionth time that morning. It was altogether too…. Floaty. Too girly. Too pretty for her. She felt like a stray alley cat that had been scrubbed up and put on parade with the finest Persians in the land.
"Stop fretting, Kates, you look lovely," said Angelina firmly, joining her in front of the mirror.
"That's all very well for you to say, dresses suit you," Katie muttered, tugging at her hair and brushing the stray curls back from her face impatiently.
"They suit you too," said Angelina serenely, ignoring Katie's mutinous expression. "You'd look like an angel if you'd just smile for a minute."
Katie sighed. "I'm sorry. I don't want to wreck the day by acting like a wet blanket. I just- I dunno. Its just so….not me," she finished lamely, gesturing half-heartedly at the clouds of peach-coloured gauze billowing out from her waist.
"Well then don't be Katie," said Angelina, as though it was the easiest thing in the world. "You're a good actress Kates- pick a character, a princess or something, and be her for the day. It might even work, you never know."
Katie grinned despite herself and reached up to help Angelina with her hair.
"You never know," Katie echoed.
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"Here she comes!" Katie squealed as she and Angelina stumbled down the stairs into the hallway of the Spinnet's house, where Alicia's mum, dad and auntie were waiting with baited breath to see her. Alicia appeared at the top of the stairs a moment later.
Despite the fact that Katie and Angelina had been helping Alicia get ready, Katie's breath still caught in her throat at the sight of her. She looked like an angel. Hair, makeup, dress- all were perfect, and she was smiling fit to burst.
There was silence for a few moments. Then Mr. Spinnet smiled, and held out his arm to his daughter.
"Kevin is waiting," he said.
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Katie sat on one of the benches in the garden of Madame Rubana's hotel, enjoying the last of the evening sunshine. Sounds of music and laughter drifted out through the open doorway. Her hair had been freed from the constraints of the elaborate up-do of earlier, now cascading over her shoulders and down her back. Her gauzy skirt moved slightly in the breeze and her bouquet lay forgotten by her side. She was smiling as she relived the scenes from earlier over and over again in her mind.
"I do," Alicia whispered, gazing into Kevin's eyes. Minerva McGonagall smiled, a rare occurance in itself.
"Then it gives me great pleasure now to pronounce you husband and wife."
And then Kevin threw back Alicia's veil and kissed her, causing Angelina to collapse onto Katie's shoulder, wiping her tears on Katie's dress and wailing something about how "they grow up so fast!" After that it was all a blur, seen through teary eyes as laughter and tears flowed freely together.
"Mind if I join you?" said a voice.
Katie jumped, startled out of her reverie, and turned to see Oliver standing behind her, looking very dashing indeed in a shirt and bow-tie.
"No, no, of course not," she said awkwardly, still slightly wrong-footed by the interruption.
He smiled, sitting down beside her.
"Why the tears?"
Katie shrugged, quickly wiping them away.
"Don't know really. Just everything's going to be so different now, I suppose."
"Change isn't always bad."
"I know."
They lapsed into comfortable silence, each with their own thoughts. Eventually, Katie spoke again.
"I'm going to miss Alicia."
"She'll still be there."
"Yeah, but it won't be the same. She has Kevin now, and there might even be kids before long. She won't have time for her old spinster friends any more."
Oliver laughed. "You? An old spinster?"
"And Angelina," Katie reminded him.
"You're not even twenty-three yet!"
"Twenty-three and single since I left Hogwarts," she pointed out.
Oliver shrugged it off. "That's nothing, Kates."
"It's something to me."
"We're young Katie. We've got our whole lives ahead of us."
"I'm going nowhere, Oliver."
"You've got your friends."
"Not for long, it seems. Look at Alicia. Angelina will be going the same way before long, and the others will follow."
"You've got me."
Katie didn't answer, but her heart lifted a little at his words.
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Katie's POV
I sat on a chair in the corner, watching the dancers. I saw the other Puddlemere players with their respective girlfriends, various other people I knew from Hogwarts and elsewhere. They all had partners. Me, I was alone. Kevin and Alicia were dancing in the middle of the floor, looking as though nothing could have made them happier, and I spotted Lee and Angelina talking quietly over on the other side of the room. A few minutes later, the band struck up a new tune, a jig, and I saw Fred Weasley approaching me.
"Dance with me, Katie?"
I hesitated for a moment, but only for a moment.
"Love to," I replied, following Fred onto the dancefloor.
The jig was complicated, and I was soon out of breath, but Fred seemed to know every step to perfection. Seeing my look of awe, he winked at me, and tapped his shoe.
"Dance-Master Boogie Shoes," he whispered. "Our latest in Party technology."
"Ingenious," I grinned. "How much?"
"2 Galleons, but we'll give you a sickle off if you drop round to the shop."
"Sure, I'll drop by next week. I think I need them!"
Fred winked at me again. "No question, Miss Bell."
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The jig finally drew to a close, and I took leave of Fred, heading over in the direction of the drinks. As I did so, I caught sight of Angelina and Lee, who were standing at the door. Neither looked happy. They were glaring at each other and arguing in a fierce undertone. As I turned away, unwilling to be caught spying, I distinctly heard Lee say angrily
"Why the hell are you always so stupid about that stuff?"
This was followed by the sound of a palm hitting a cheek, and I winced. It sounded painful. Turning, I saw Angelina walking away from Lee, head held high and a smug look on her face. Lee was nursing his cheek, an expression of furious disbelief on his features. Angelina caught my eye and grinned, but as I went to join her, she motioned for me to stay where I was, before disappearing out into the garden.
I stood still for a moment as the band started up a new, slower song, stunned by what I'd just seen. I knew Angelina and Lee had been having problems recently, but that looked like Angelina had gone to a new level this time. Had they broken up completely, or was it just a spat? And why in Merlin's name did Ange look so pleased?
A tap on my shoulder distracted me from my musings, and once again I found that the one to interrupt me was none other than Oliver Wood.
"Would you do me the honour?" he asked cordially, extending his hand to me.
I smiled at him. "Gladly."
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I fell into bed that morning, absolutely wrecked, but happy. Alicia had had her fairytale wedding. Angelina, she told me, had finally rid herself of a guy who was far more trouble than he was worth. And me? I'd had a great day, and refreshed a valuable friendship along the way. My girl friends could get married in their thousands, and I wouldn't care- I'd still be single, but spinster or no, I'd always have Oliver to laugh with.
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(A/N): I know, I know, later than I promised. But I've been mega busy recently, so please try and forgive me! I haven't given up yet, and as long as people are interested, I don't intend to. So please review and let me know what you think!
Floro13: Thanx for reviewing, as ever! And I know, fictional characters are so lucky…. Ah well.
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