I probably shouldn't update...it won't be long before I run out of written chapters...

Oh well. People are reading and (hopefully) enjoying. I'll just quit doing homework. Yes, that sounds nice.

"Now, not that I'm above saying this in a dirty way, but are you coming to bed?" George almost begged, but Alicia remained where she was, only giving her poor boyfriend a look of sympathy, as she continued typing away.

She was working on her old typewriter, which looked as if it had survived several World Wars. It probably had, Alicia had found it a rummage sale just a few weeks after graduating and discovered that it was her muse. On it she had written several children's books aimed at you witches and wizards, two of which had already been published and a third was in the works.

"Okay, 'Lic, what exactly are you doing?" George finally asked, sitting down on the couch that was in front of the coffee table that held the beloved type writer.

"Well, I think I'm my own private investigator." Alicia stated, as she slid another piece of paper in.

"Are you setting up a case of someone's missing cat? Because I'm pretty sure I know who the perp is."

"I told you, that's our cat for the time being. It is Katie's cat, her name is Celia, and until Katie gets back, we're going to spoil her."

"So you're investigating for the sake of the cat, Celia?""No, I'm investigating for the fact that Katie is my friend, your friend, our friend. And the fact that she is missing and we are all worried."
"Call me selfish, but right now I'm worried that it's two thirty AM, and I have work in six hours, yet I am sitting on the couch talking to my crazy, typing girlfriend."

"I'm going to bed, don't worry." Alicia answered, her hands still on the keys.

"Yes, you are." George decided, lifting her hands off the keys and leading her into their bedroom, all under the watchful eyes of Celia who sat on the fire place mantel, pleased with how high up she was.

"Celia, it's the crack of ten in the morning, why are you on my head?" Alicia mumbled into her pillow. She had successfully slept through George getting up and leaving, and his vicious opening of the curtains, but the cat on the head would not do.

So she gave in, and got out of bed, cursing the entire time. These were not the words of a children's book author.

After a bleary eyed breakfast, Alicia made her way to the shower, where she found out that Celia enjoyed slapping the water without warning and scaring Alicia awake.

"Fine! You have my attention! I'm awake! What? What do you want?" Alicia demanded from the cat. The cat merely stalked off, no longer interested in the havoc she had brought upon poor Alicia.

"Let's see, what are you hiding Katie? Ah, this could be quite useful." Alicia muttered to herself, as if she were talking directly to her friend. She had picked up the address book she swiped and opened it to the front page, hoping for inspiration. Inspiration ended up staring her right in the face.

'Mum and Dad--121 Walnut Dr.' blared a purple post it. Alicia knew Walnut Dr, it was in a newer area of houses where all the streets were named after different types of nuts. She and George had a field day making fun of that.

'Off to the Peanut Gallery, won't be long, don't do any experiments the cat. Looooooove, Alicia.' Alicia scribbled down on a note, left to hopefully be found by George before any serious damage was done to Celia.

And with that, she grabbed her jacket, warned the cat and was out the door.

Alicia soon found herself in row after row of little stone, grey nestled behind white picket fences. There was really no need to think of all those clever nut street names, each house looking identical. It was the perfect place to keep up appearances, but more magical, as long as no one flaunted the magic. Or the wealth they all knew each neighbor had. The whole place was a slice of humble pie, smothered in the best life chocolate sauce.

So all Alicia had to do was smoothe out her clothes, fix up her hair, and put on a big 'I'm on your side' smile as she walked up the walkway to 121 Walnut Dr.

"Can I help you?" a tall, older woman inquired, answering Alicia's knock as she opened her door. Her clothes were a bit too starched, her auburn hair a little too neat, and her blue eyes a little too...not bright enough.

"Yes, hi, I'm Alicia. Spinnet. I played quidditch with Katie and I was wondering if you could ask you a few questions about her." Alicia grinned, smiling and looking as trustworthy as possible.

"I think I've met you, at one of the quidditch battles or whatever...why are you asking about Katie?" the woman wasn't exactly warm and comforting with a glow of maternal instinct.

"Well, I write children's books and I was hoping you could give me some stories about Katie, or from our quidditch days that I'm yet to remember that I could use." Alicia's explanation came out smiley and trustworthy, even the ice queen Mrs. Bell was buying it.

"All right, come in."

Alicia followed to woman through an immaculate home, which Alicia had trouble believing was actually live in. It looked as if it was a model home, with perfectly white carpets and more pictures of flowers on the walls than family. The two perched on a white couch that was too stiff to be comftorable by anyones taste, but looked good.

"Well, I don't know how Katie acted at school, but at home, she was nothing but trouble. She smoked, she drank, she stayed out all night, she was impossible to talk to. I was right not want to want her." Mrs. Bell stated, her perfectly manicured nails waving in the air to accent her distaste of her daughter. This woman was not one for small talk.

"You told her you didn't want her?" Alicia asked, her eyes wide, she had a feeling that Mrs. Bell wasn't the most nurturing mother, but that was unexpected.

"Of course! I'm no liar. It was the only way to keep that girl in her place, for the most part, and believe me, if Katie was your daughter, you would have felt the same way."

Alicia nodded, but had a feeling she wouldn't have agreed at all.

"And of course, there was her third year...that gave me a few grey hairs." Mrs. Bell sniffed.

"What happened her third year?" Alicia tried to not seem so interested, but it wasn't happening.

"Darling! I'm home!" a male voice hollered from the front of the house, working his way to where Mrs. Bell and Alicia sat. It was Mr. Bell, a man on the short side, with once blonde hair turned to grey, and large dark eyes. "Oh, hello, I didn't know we had a guest." Mr. Bell grinned.

"Hi, Mr. Bell, I was just hear to get a few stories about Katie..." Alicia's voice trailed off, as she watched Mr. Bell's friendly grin fade away and Mrs. Bell's sharp eyes turn away from her husband.

"Then it's a good thing I'm here, I'll gladly tell you the truth about my little girl."

"I'll just go get some tea ready." Mrs. Bell said stiffly, and Mr. Bell gladly took her seat on the uncomftorable couch. He wasn't nearly as formal as his wife, lounging down, and loosening in the top of his work robes.

"Katie did get in some trouble, at home, but you knew her at school, she was a good girl. And one hell of a quidditch player, could have been captain, but she turned it down her seventh year." Mr. Bell bragged.

"I didn't know that." Alicia commented, surprised that someone as dedicated as Katie would turn down the captian position.

"Yeah, she wasn't sure how she'd do, so she decided that she really didn't want to risk messing up the team. She's a good kid. No matter how much trouble she got in at home, she was always good in school. That takes work."

"Your wife was just saying something about trouble in the third year?"

"Tea's ready!" Mrs. Bell cut in, "I'm sorry Alicia, but we only have enough for two."

Mr. Bell gave the young woman a mournful look as he silently walked her to to the door, much to Alicia's frustration.

"Thanks for your help." Alicia muttered, even though she barely meant it.