Katie,
Sorry I haven't kept in touch with you. To be truthful, I haven't really kept in touch with anyone. I've been attempting to get into the professional Quidditch league, but it's much harder than I thought it was. The director of the European Quidditch Association says I have some potential, but they can't rely on a kid fresh out of school. I wanted to mention how Victor Krum isn't even out of school yet, but some things are better left unsaid. Anyway, I've recieved word about the Tri-Wizard Tournament that Hogwarts is hosting. That's got to be really exciting. I've read and heard about the tournament, but I was never able to see it. I even heard about how Harry is the fourth person in the tournament. That's got to be bloody brilliant. If anyone could figure out how to be the fourth person in a three person contest, it would be Harry. Anyway, if you could let me know when the next events were, that would be great.

The best bloody captain in the history of Hogwarts Oliver 'the man' Wood

Katie couldn't help but grin at her former captain's letter to her, but she was unable to immidiately reply to him, because she was going out in a very few short moments. Folding up the parchment the note was scrawled out on and returning it to its envelope, she slid the letter into her trunk. She would have to reply later when she found the time.

Throughout the entire day, Katie found herself grinning like an idiot, not that she didn't do that naturally, but Alicia noted how this idiotic smile was a bit different from all the other ones. "Why are you so chipper?" Alicia finally asked after a moment of walking down the streets of Hogsmeade.

Today, she and Katie were supposed to be finding elegant dress robes for the Yule Ball, and also tracking Angelina down to convince her to go to the ball. "I mean," she went on when Katie didn't answer, "You've been smiling all day so far. The last time you were grinning like that was when--" she thought for a moment. "Was when you had you little crush on Wood I guess."

Katie lifted her eyebrows slightly, but her smile remained, and she looked straight ahead to Zonko's Joke Shop, where Angelina had been dragged to by the guys. "What's that supposed to mean!" A slightly miffed Alicia huffed, stopping dead in her tracks. "You're dating Lee now, you're supposed to forget about former crushes and all that. Those are the rules."

"There's no written rule, first of all," Katie countered logically, "And secondly, I don't have a crush on this Wooden boy you speak of. I got a letter from him today. He wants to see the next task with us, you know, show support to Harry and all"
Alicia lifted a brow skeptically, "And he didn't write any of us because--"

Katie shrugged, "Because I'm more human than the rest of you? Anyway, found a date to the Yule Ball yet?"

Alicia's expression fell a bit at the menetion of the Yule Ball, "Yeah I have a date, not exactly the person I was hoping to go with though." She shrugged and grinned weakly, "But Stewart is a real sweety, you know? He won't be a bad date, I'm sure--"

"Stewart Ackerly?"

A reluctant nod escaped from Alicia. It was as if her head was weighed down by some invisible force. Katie guessed who Alicia really wanted to go to the Yule Ball with, but decided not to say anything more about the subject, knowing how sensative it was for her friend.

"Well," Alicia said, putting and end to the silence, and perking herself up a bit and picking up a snooty accent, "I do say, Katie, we simply must pick out some dazzling jewlery to go with out fabulous dress robes."

Katie grinned and nodded, adopting a snooty accent, "Yes, my dear girl, we simply must!"

Linking arms, the two laughed and headed off to robe shop just down the way. When they entered, the shop didn't seem to have a living soul within it. Alicia was the first to wander into the heart of the eerie place, Katie followed close behind, in fear of being left.

"Hello?" They called together. Nothing.

"Hello?" Katie said a bit quieter, while Alicia called a bit louder. "Thou wanderest into thine shop, hoping for the finest of garments, no?" Came a strange voice from somewhere behind the two girls. The yelped and turned around quickly, backing away from the speaker. They couldn't tell if this person was a man or woman, but they did know a crazy person when they saw one.

"Two very beautiful girls, art thou," the-- person grinned, revealing a number of rotten teeth and numerous empty spaces. "Ah! How I doth remember my times of youth! Beautiful, I was! Charming, elagant, graceful and the most sought after young woman at Hogwarts."

Katie doubted this but said nothing. It was up to Alicia to speak for the both of them. She cleared her throat, and gently pushed Katie off of her arm, who had been clinging to her with ever fiber of her being. "Uhm, Madam--"

"Madam Kruex, thou shall call me, child. I am the finest in my art, well respected and well praised." She grinned once more. Katie looked away not wanting to grace her eyes with such a sight. "The Yule Ball thou comest for, yes? Dumbledore, O great man he is, forwarned me of this event. I believe discounted prices are in order."

The word discount triggered something in Katie's mind, and she was no longer cowering back from the old woman. And in an instantly they were swept up by the shop owner and toted from one area to another, searching for the perfect dress robes that would complement their skin complextion, body shape as well as personality.

"Now, girl chicks," the old witch said, handing, what she believed, to be the perfect robes for each girl and pointing them in the direction of the dressing rooms. "Thou hast so little time in which to prepare for the occasion at hand. Show me your robes when thou ist dressed, and jewlery shall be supplied." She bowed away from them as a bell toward the front of the shop tinkled.

Katie was rather stunned as to how well the dress robes fit her. However figureless, and girlish she looked, the dress robes made her appear more mature in a sense. She smiled at her reflection and struck a few poses, practically flirting with herself in the mirror. "Does your's fit, 'Licia?" She called over to the second dressing room that contained her friend.

"Like a dream!" Alicia was about as excited as Katie was at finding, as the woman had said, the perfect dress robes that would compliment them in every way. "Come out and let me take a look at you!"

At the same time, both girls strode out in their dress robes and spotted one another. They yelped and hugged each other, discussing how wonderful the other look, and releasing a series of cat calls and praises of approval. "Katie, darling, you look marvelous, simply marvelous!" Alicia said, as Katie spun around and struck a pose in the mirror. She then hurried along to the side of her blonde friend. After a moment longer of gazing at their beautiful dress robes, which they were buying no matter the cost, they finally changed back into their clothes and purchased the garments. Carrying the large dress bags, the girls seemed to have found new energy in which they could couldn't let off fast enough. In no time at all, they found themselves at Three Broomsticks with the rest of the gang.

"Mary Coolidge?" Angelina was saying, her mouth hanging open in disbliefe, as Alicia and Katie took their seats. Angelina's gaze was focused on George who had a half filled mug of butterbeer in front of him. George shurgged, "She's pretty, and I knew she wouldn't say no so"
"You bloody asked her to the bloody Yule Ball because you bloody didn't want to bloody get rejected?" Angelina said, appualed by what she was hearing from her friend.

"That sounds like a pretty accurate summary," Lee said after finishing off the rest of his own butterbeer. "George isn't the type that can handle rejection. He's much more sensative than Fred here." He roughly patted Fred on the back, who had been engaged in a light sleep.

Fred sat up quickly, knocking his empty mug over, "Wha-- I didn't do it!" He saw everyone at the booth staring at him, before he shook his head and rested his head back on the table top.

Katie sat down and scooted in next to Angelina and Lee. Alicia sat next to Fred and George. "What are you guys talking about?" Alicia asked, smoothing out her dress robes in her lap.

"How stupid George is because he asked Mary Coolidge to the Yule Ball, just because she wouldn't say no to him. Really, that's bloody bullocks if you ask me and--" Angelina's rantings continued for a lengthy amount of time, but Alicia no longer paid any attention to it.

Mary Coolidge... Mary Coolidge... Mary.. Mary.. Mary.. Mary.. Coolidge.. Coolidge... "You mnean the girl that had the uinibrow our first year? The Hufflepuff?" Katie finally asked, putting face to name.

Unfortunately for Katie, the very same Mary Coolidge she was talking about, and the very same Mary Coolidge that was going to the Yule Ball with George was just behind the blonde and heard her, and Angelina's, every word. She stood up from her own booth and walked over to the one the six friends occupied, "It wasn't a unibrow for your information, it was a jinx that Marcus Flint put on me, and we had some trouble getting it off!"

"Yeah for like an entire year," Alicia muttered, crossing her arms and looking away.

"Secondly," Mary went on, acting as if she hadn't heard Alicia, but everyone knew she did because of the blush that crept onto her face, "I never forced George to ask me to the Yule Ball, he did that of his own accord, and I could have said no to him if I wanted to, but George is a really great person and I wanted to go with him." She scowled at Angelina then focused her attention on Alicia, who was still sulking, "Don't be jealous of me because I beat you to the punch." And with a little, 'Hmph,' Mary Coolidge, George's date to the Yule Ball, walked away.

After Mary was gone, Alicia looked even more upset than before while Angelina stared wide eyed at George, who shifted uncomfortably under the girl's gaze. "What?" He asked, his voice higher than usual. He cleared his throat and tried again. His voice went even higher.

"You're just giong to sit there and let that-- that-- THING talk to your best friends like that!"

Oliver,
For your convience I have enclosed for you, the dates of the rest of the events scheduled here at Hogwarts. That includes one last task and of course the Yule Ball. Now that business is over with and out of the way, I just want to let you know, that I wish you were still here, and that school really sucks without Quidditch to keep us all together. So much has happened that you wouldn't believe, and the work load is unbelievable. How ever did you manage it, and to obsess about Quidditch? I can barely remember my name because of how much we have to memorize, write out and learn. Well, anyway, sorry to waste your time with this stupid letter of mine, I just wanted to honor your request. Until we meet again Captain Wood.
Your's Always,


Katie

Katie looked at this closing and sighed, it sounded as if she was declaring herself his for the taking. She hastily crossed it out and replaced it with, 'Your Friend Always.' She smiled at that closing and nodded, before tying it to her owl's leg with a blue ribbon.

o.o To me this chapter is just short, but I dunno.. It all depends on what you guys think.. Alrighty then.. I hope everyone enjoyed and lemme do my individualized reviewers comment thingy.. Heh.. Anywho..

Mary - Glad you liked it! And I hope you don't mind that I kinda sorta threw your name in there.. It's just I couldn't think of a name so I looked at the reviews and I'm all like.. Oh! Mary! Sounds good! Well.. I'm glad you enjoyed all 27 chapters and I'm even more impressed that you were able to put with all my nonsense and all that. Hehe..

Eruaphadriel - Yule Ball dates are working out very well for the girls.. Well.. Kinda.. Heh.. Anyway, yes Roger is a jerk, I had to make sure he was a jerk, because, I didn't like him. I never really like him. Even the name Roger seemed jerky to me, so I had to make sure he was a jerk. Glad you're enjoying, and hoping that this update is satisfactory.

Goodybad - You don't have to worship the ground I walk on.. It is I who must thank you over and over and over and all that stuff. -bows- There's really nothing I can say except thank you bunches and I'm glad you're enjoying. -huggles- THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU!