Hey everyone! Remember me? I know it's been a while, but here's an update!
Rating: I'm keeping it at T
Disclaimer: I do not own anything affiliated with Harry Potter
Additional Note: Just so you don't think I'm making stuff up, the spells that are used midway through the chapter are actual spells!
Since neither of the two former Gryffindors happened to be wearing normal clothes by magical standards, they decided to visit the nearest port city and enjoy the view of the water on such a clear and beautiful morning. It was a small city, but the streets were rather busy with people bustling about. Oliver had never been to this exact place, but Katie had told him that she'd been here for groceries one time.
Muggles and wizards co-existed throughout all of Europe now. Wizards and Witches knew of Muggles, and even though they wouldn't openly admit it -- or most of them wouldn't -- Muggles pretty much knew of people who were of the magical world. Ever since the demise of the Dark Lord, there hadn't been any major crisises where it was necessary of Muggles and magical people to work together. There had been the occasional Voldemort copycat wizard -- even a witch once -- but their brief reigns had only lasted a short few months . . . a year maximum for one. The Ministries in Portugal, Germany, the UK, and Turkey -- the places where the outbreaks had occurred -- took care of the issues quickly and hardly anyone spoke of the occurrences.
Just as ever civilization had had their 'Golden Age' it appeared that this was it for the Witching and Wizarding world. Peace was everywhere, and the only rivals that seem to exist were those that were dealt with on the Quidditch Pitch. It also appeared that the 'Golden Age' in the magical world had leaked over to the world of the muggles. Wars had ended, economies were picking up; all was right in the world. If you looked at the big picture.
In detail, all was not right with the world. Women and men alike were unhappy with themselves and each other. The suicide rate in Europe was up at alarming rates; divorces were uncommon and were now frowned upon in many religions, though not forbidden; therefore, many couples were unhappy and made no secret of their affairs; children were having children at alarmingly young ages. Some barely teenagers. The Wizarding Schools had once turned away pregnant women until they had delivered their child, but now . . . they had no choice but to provide the safest environment for the expectant mother. No, all was not right in the world.
This port city luckily had a bustling economy. Imports and exports were nicely balanced, the unemployment rate was extremely low, and nearly every citizen lived on a decent income. The city wasn't very industrial, and therefor very clean for the most part.
"So, why here of all places?" Katie asked as they walked together down one of the less crowded more mystic looking streets. There was an Eastern vibe to this area, something many cities seemed to possess now since it was becoming 'hip' to be interested in such.
"Never been here before." Oliver shrugged as he twisted his upper body slightly to avoid hitting another, shorter man in the neck as he walked past. "Excuse me." He murmured instinctively.
"I hadn't either up until about a year ago." Katie nodded in response. "It's quite pleasant. Not quite as large as some of the neighboring Mug–," She didn't want to say 'Muggle' around so many non magical people, and she immediately corrected herself, "Some of the neighboring cities."
"It seems . . . not that modern. Somewhat basic. In a good way." Oliver quickly added the last sentence so it didn't seem he was putting down the port.
"Yeah. It's not rushing headlong into modernization like some of the surrounding areas. It just reminds me of . . . I dunno. It seems . . . classical? Maybe. Not sure that makes the best sense in the world." The former Chaser shrugged and slightly grimaced. "Want to find a restaurant and sit?"
"Sure." Oliver mentally slapped himself at making her walk so much. "Absolutely."
"That little tea shop looks nice." She nodded up the street a little ways. "Unless you prefer somewhere else?"
"Oh no, that seems just fine." Oliver nodded and they continued to walk the short distance to the little tea shop that was only noticeable due to a small and elegantly crafted wooden sign that protruded outwards from the building. It had a name engraved upon it in a flowing calligraphy like script that read Violet's. The letters were a bright gold against a pitch black painted backdrop.
"First time in a while I've gotten out of the house." Katie said lightly as a wind blew through the colorful and people filled street and lightly tossed her hair into her face.
"It's good for you to get out of the house." Oliver opened the door for Katie and they stepped inside.
"Good mornin'," A stout and tanned elderly woman said as she greeted the two warmly. "What may I interest you in today?"
"Um," Katie looked around and wasn't quite sure what to say. 'Just a table.' didn't seem like the correct thing to just blurt out.
Oliver was about to say something, when it seemed as though the white haired woman smiled, wrinkles clear on her face. "I'm assuming the lady would like a seat, first of all." She took notice of Katie's pregnant state. "Yes, that would be a start," She didn't wait for their answer, and instead shuffled them to a seat by an intricate stained glass window that seemed to be a distorted replica of rosebush.
"Thank you," Katie said as they took their seats.
A smile was the woman's reply. "I'm Violet, by the way." She said, glancing at Katie and adding in a less formal tone, "Congratulations."
Katie dipped her head and slightly blushed as the woman's nice comment. "Thank you," She found herself saying once again.
"Now," began the woman with a wide and jovial smile, "I have just the thing for you two . . ."
"Fred!" George Weasley called from the back of their shop in Hogsmeade, "Customer out front!"
The Weasley twins had decided to go to their Hogsmeade shop after all due to the fact that Katie wasn't too fond of them showing up at her house. They both had an equal amount of faith in Oliver to lighten Katie's mood slightly. They didn't want to stretch their faith, though, by assuming that even he would be able to get Katie off of the grounds that she lived on.
"George, I'm unloading this shipment!" The married twin called from the room across the narrow hallway from where Fred was magically trying to organize invoices.
"Why do we insist upon fully operating this branch of Weasley Wizard Wheezes?" George mumbled to himself as he lost concentration and a stack of papers fell onto the floor. "Perfect." Was his sarcastic response. "Fine!" He called to his twin and exited his 'office' and went to the front. "How may I help – Percy?"
"Brother," Percy addressed cordially, still not on good terms with his family.
"FRED!" George turned and looked over his shoulder and called to his twin.
"Dammit, George, I'm trying to organize this place," Fred said as he exited the back room. "Oh." He was shocked into speechlessness as he saw his older brother.
"How very improper language, dear brother." Percy Weasley addressed his other brother with a slight sense of superiority.
"Exactly how far up your ass are your textbooks rammed again, Perce?" George said after a split second of thinking, him always being the quicker twin with comebacks, although sometimes they weren't all that logical or very good.
"Coming from someone who earns their money by selling overpriced and quite stupid joke items, I expect that is supposed to be funny." The third eldest Weasley coolly responded, straightening out his crisp dark blue robes.
"How much do they pay top notch suck ups nowadays?" Fred folded his arms across his chest, referring to the days when Percy chose work over his family – and still did.
"This lovely talk is so enjoyable –," Percy began, only to be interrupted by George.
"Cut the shit, why are you here?" George was thankful the shop was empty except for the three of them . . . he would hate to drive away some customers.
"I was just stopping by. Making sure there was no illegal items being sold. Since this is in such a close vicinity of Hogwarts." Percy surveyed the room, scanning the shelves and the looks on his brother's faces.
"Unless I am mistaken, which I'm nearly positive I'm not, you are not in the department that inspects such matters." Fred's arms were still crossed and one hand had slipped into his inside robe pocket, brushing every now and then against his wand, debating whether or not to give Percy a good bolt in the chest.
"Without paperwork, no, I cannot. Unless I have the consent of the shop owners." Percy agreed. "I'm sure you wouldn't mind a relative checking the stores."
"I see no Ministry employed relative of mine about." Fred mockingly said as he turned to his twin, "Do you, George?"
"No. Only Dad and Ron are with the Ministry now. I most certainly don't see them here." George was observing Fred fiddling with something in his inside pocket. "If there is any truth that our shops need to be inspected, we'd like to see it written down."
"I was hoping you'd save me the trip." Percy sighed. "I'll be back . . . oh, next week?"
"We'll be out of town." Fred and George echoed together.
"Business?" Percy inquired, his eyebrows arching up in curiosity.
"No." George bluntly responded. "The shop will be closed, there's nothing you can do to interfere with that."
"I'd watch your words, dear brothers." Percy threatened.
"No, there is not a thing you can do about it. I do actually know the rules, Perce." George said, placing one arm on the counter top. "Unless there has been a product malfunction resulting in the harm of an individual or proof of illegal activities, you have to give us a two week notice."
Percy gave a sarcastic round of applause to his brother, "Very well, George. I'm surprised at you." He sighed. "Never were that bright, but, job well done."
"Furnunculus!" Fred finally jerked his wand out and made a movement at his brother. Hideous boils began forming on Percy's face. Percy's screams of rage filled the shop, and Fred finished his assault on his brother with a quick 'Densaugeo!'.
Fred was laughing uncontrollably now as he watched his brother's teeth continue to grow and grow, adding to the hideousness of Percy's all ready boil covered face. "Ex–hah–ex–expelliarmus!" George finished off, trying to stop himself from laughing, as he sent Percy flying through the double doors, the doors conveniently opening so that no glass was broken.
"Wingardium leviosa!" Fred indicated as he lifted Percy's wand that had flown out of Percy's pocket. George muttered a spell that reopened the doors and Percy's wand went flying out of the doors, landing hopefully in the vicinity of it's owner. If not, the twins didn't really care.
"I knew you were about to do something a moment ago when I saw you fiddling with that wand of yours." George gave a single clap. "Bravo." He applauded. "Now, ley me go unpack this stuff so I can possibly spend some time with my son today."
"Hey! I was doing that!" Fred protested.
George froze mid-step, "You want to work?"
"I had a system going." Fred whined. "I never get a system going!"
"By all means, go get system-y." George said somewhat awkwardly trying to figure out the best way to say 'system'.
"Yeah, and you go spend some time with Alan. Give 'im a knock for me." Fred tossed a package at George, which George caught using his Quidditch enhanced reflexes. "Oh, that's for Mum. She asked me to order something for dad for her."
"Why do they think you're the responsible one?" George shook his head as he gave a little laugh. "Ok. Don't forget to lock up and leave a message for Mitch about how to operate things around here." He reminded his twin as he referred to their part-time clerk, Mitch, who would now be filling in full time for the next few weeks.
"I know, I know." Fred threw his hands up. "I have some business smarts."
"Some!" George stressed as he walked out of the store and heard Fred call an insult out to him, George choosing to ignore the not so nice name that his brother had so kindly called him.
"Bill, are you sure you don't mind watching Alan?" Alicia asked her ex-brother-in-law as she sat in the parlor of Bill and Fleur Weasley's home.
"No, no. Not at all." Bill assured George's former wife. "I'm sure Antigone and Nikolas would enjoy having another child around to play with."
"Yes, yes, of course." Fleur said, her French accent still very thick despite the number of years she had now lived in England.
"We had originally planned on Alan going ... but Katie wrote that it might not be best for Alan to be around." She fiddled with her hands in her lap as she sat on the couple's deep green couch. "Plus, the mood might not turn out to be quite so cheery."
"How iz Kay-tee?"Fleur's speech was even harder to understand at the moment as she stifled a hiccup. "Oops. I apologize."
"That's ok," Alicia gave a small smile, "No need to be formal around me." She then addressed Fleur's question. "Katie is still – how she's been for the past eight months."
"Not good." Bill summed up bluntly.
"That would be the correct term." Alicia glumly agreed. "Today is –," She found herself lowering her voice, "–Kelly's birthday."
Fleur simply shook her head, and Bill wore a sympathetic expression on his face. "The things she's gone through at her age."
"I just hope there is no complications with the baby. That would be a killer blow to Katie if this ordeal has harmed her child." The former in-law stated, genuinely fearing about the health of the baby.
"Has she seen any mediwizards?" Bill questioned, not exactly up-to-date with Katie related news.
"Some have been to her house, and nothing harmful was detected. But sometimes there are complications that can't be seen until birth. Especially since she's been holed up in that blasted manor since Kelly's funeral." She paused for a moment. "I hope Oliver was able to get her out of the house. Or Fred and George."
"They went over there?" Bill immediately asked.
Fleur didn't wait for Bill's question to be answered, but asked one of her own. "Oliver?" More of a very, very shocked response than a question.
"All three of them are attempting to get her off of the property." Alicia answered both of their questions with one simple response. "She hasn't seen Oliver in nearly a year or two as far as I know. And the twins – well – their jokes haven't worked with her in a very long time as both of you know."
"Tragic." Fleur nodded, saying the word that was always on someone's mind when discussing Katie Bell. "Do you think that –ah– she'll ever be ze same?"
Alicia's immediate response would have been 'of course not, are you mad?' but she thought the better of it. "It all depends on Katie. She knows her friends and family will always be there for her, but she has to put in an effort, too."
"Too soon to tell," Bill agreed with Alicia's statement and gave a nod.
"Erm, let me go now. I think my lunch hour is up now." Alicia glanced over on the mantle place at the miniature clock. "Oh, yes. I do thank you for agreeing to watch Alan."
"It isn't a problem, really." Bill told her as all three of them stood. "Great to see more of the lad."
"Thanks for stopping by." Fleur said very clearly. "Do come by more often, hmm."
"Whenever life settles down a bit," Alicia smiled and the couple exchanged with the dark blue robe clad ex-sister-in-law.
"Bye." The three echoed as Alicia exited the house with a POP!
I'd like to thank everyone who's continued reading this and reviewing even after I've disappeared for a little while! This chapter is just mainly setting up for when they all go on their mini-holiday.
I'd like to write out long thank-you's but, I just can't at the moment! I apologize a million times! Special thanks to those who reviewed:
TheBrassPotato
Eruaphadriel
Sally
Lia06
Spexy
Apathetically Interested
rembrandt
fussyrussy
FoamyTheSquirrell
Giddyupgal
aspirer
I'll try my best to not wait two months before I update again! Until the next chapter ...
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