"TEN!" Everyone screamed, counting down the time until New Year's day.
"Fred!" I hissed urgently.
"NINE!"
"What?" Fred hissed back.
"EIGHT!"
"I don't think Percy drank it!" I hissed panicking.
"SEVEN!"
"What the Hell do you mean?" Fred hissed back, sounding rather strangled.
"SIX!"
"His glass is full!" I was almost in full on panic mode now.
"FIVE!"
"It can't be, I told George to force feed it to him!" Fred was panicking now too.
"FOUR!"
"George looks a little busy," I muttered finally in full on panic mode.
"THREE!"
"Katie!" Fred whispered urgently.
"TWO!"
"What?" I asked panicking.
"ONE!"
"Abo-"
"HAPPY NEW YEAR!"
I was never to find out what Fred was going to tell me to do because as soon as we yelled Happy New Year Angelina jumped into Fred's arms and planted the biggest kiss I had ever seen on his lips. Alicia did the same to George.
What the? I thought wildly, as my thoughts were interrupted by none other than Percy Weasley.
"Katie, I couldn't help but notice that you didn't have anyone to kiss at midnight," Percy said, coming closer to me.
"No, I didn't," I replied, please remember I was in full on panic mode at the moment and backed away rather quickly.
"Allow me to make you an offer," Percy gave me his most charming smile.
"FRED!" I screamed, "HE BETTER HAVE DRUNK IT!"
"His glass is full!" Fred called back, "Ginny did he take the potion?"
"Yes, I had to put it in his cookie instead." Ginny said rather calmly.
"FRED!" I roared, "HOW DO YOU MAKE HIM BACK OFF?"
"Uh, you can't," George replied sheepishly.
"SAY WHAT?" I had now tripped over the couch as planned; only I did it accidentally and flipped backwards over top of it.
"I really care about you Katie," Percy informed me, that smile never coming off of his face.
"FRED, WHAT DO I DO?" I had grabbed a pillow to fend off the approaching Weasley.
"You have to kiss him, or, someone else. But if you kiss someone else then he'll attack them in some sort of raged fit." Fred replied, realizing that this prank was not going as planned.
"GOD, NO! THERE HAS TO BE ANOTHER OPTION!" I hit Percy with the pillow and leaped back over top of the couch to hide behind Fred.
"Sorry Katie, but I don't think there is," Fred replied sadly.
"I'm not kissing that," I exclaimed quietly, pointing at Percy, "That would be just plain desperate!"
"It's the only way," Fred said turning away from the sight of me allowing Percy to kiss me.
All of a sudden I was swept away from Percy and spun around. Oliver gave me a kiss and plopped me safely back on the ground.
"Wood!" Percy ranted, "You have betrayed me! You stole my one true love and for that you shall pay!"
Percy stormed up the stairs and off to his room.
"Well, I guess that's okay then," I started to say but heard the sound of a Muggle shotgun being loaded.
"Oh, dammit, I left Mum's room unlocked," George exclaimed, "He's gone and gotten the gun."
"There has to be some place to hide Oliver!" I panicked, shaking Fred, "We can't let Percy shoot him!"
"He's not going to shoot me!" Oliver said, trying to calm me down. He ended up having to pin my arms to my sides.
"I'm going to count to ten Wood, and then I shoot to kill!" Percy called like a maniac down the stairs.
"Or maybe he will," Oliver said going pale, "There's something I always wanted to ell you guys."
"He's not going to kill Oliver!" Fred yelled slapping me, I had gone into shock, across the face, "He'll never follow you into the attic."
"Are you insane?" I screamed shaking Fred again, "There's a ghoul in your attic! And he doesn't like visitors! Or did you forget that time when we were five?"
"No, I didn't forget, but that's the beauty of it. The attic is the one place that Percy will not follow you." Fred replied.
"FINE!" I screamed pulling Oliver behind the couch, "Tell Percy we're outside and that he should sneak up on us. As soon as he's out of the house we'll run up the stairs to the attic."
"Good plan," George said handing me a candlestick and Oliver an old broomstick.
"For use against the ghoul," Fred explained.
They managed to lure Percy out of the house and I took Oliver's hand and went sprinting up the stairs fully on adrenaline. We got to the attic door and I flung it open, shoved Oliver inside, and followed him up the stairs.
"Damn, you would think that George would have thought to give us a candle too," Oliver muttered in the pitch black.
"Oh, mother of macaroni and all things cheesy!" I exclaimed grabbing Oliver's arm and holding it tightly, I was terrified of the attic ghoul.
"It's okay Kat, everything is okay," Oliver said reassuringly pulling me into his arms, "I'm here and I won't let anything get you."
AN/ I'm switching to what Katie would have heard had she been downstairs.
"Percy, you were brilliant, and Ginny that line about the cookies, absolutely smashing!" Fred exclaimed grinning widely.
"How long are we going to leave them up there?" Alicia asked.
"Until they make up or whatever." Fred replied unconcernedly, "You girls probably should have been a little more convincing."
"You shouldn't have made it so realistic!" Angelina exclaimed plopping down next to Fred on the couch, "I think I went into shock and half believed it all myself."
"Poor Katie, she's going to kill you!" Alicia exclaimed slightly flustered.
"Alicia," George asked quietly.
"What?" Alicia asked, not picking up on the fact that everyone was walking off.
"What was that kiss at midnight?"
"Oh, erm, nothing," Alicia mumbled.
"It was rather nice," George replied turning beet red, "I wouldn't mind doing it again some time."
"I wouldn't mind either," Alicia replied as George moved into kiss her, "In fact I think I would rather like it."
"Good," George said kissing her again, "because I like it too."
AN/ Back to Katie's POV still in the attic with Oliver
"Ollie?" I asked suddenly realizing what would have been obvious a long time ago had I not had too many Butterbeers.
"What?" Oliver asked still holding me in his arms protectively.
"We've been played, Percy never had any potion and he didn't go mad."
"What do you mean?" Oliver let go of me rather suddenly, "Did you know that the whole time Katie?"
"Nope, just figured it out," I replied wishing that he hadn't let go as it was rather drafty up here, "I think we should humor them."
"What do you suggest?" Oliver asked smirking.
"Well…"
"HELP!" I screamed running out of the attic and down the stairs to find the others comfortably snogging in various rooms, "The ghoul's got Oliver!"
"What's that Katie?" Fred asked snapping away from a rather irritated Angelina, "What's wrong?"
"Oliver, ghoul, attic!" was all I managed to gasp. I grabbed Fred's robes and dragged him after me, "Please save him, Fred, please!"
"Katie, calm down and tell us exactly what happened," George urged, trying to calm me down. By now everyone was listening and was clustered around me.
"Well he was about to tell me something important when the ghoul attacked him! He was pulled over the trunk and the ghoul pounced on top of him practically smothering him! I tried to pull the ghoul off but it hit me and so I ran for help from you guys!" I showed them a scratch I had clearly gotten recently, "But now you won't even go and save him!"
Fred and George were off sprinting up the stairs in a second's time. Alicia, Angelina, Percy, Ginny and I were right behind them. I quickly caught up to Fred and George and we burst into the attic first.
"OLIVER!" Fred called at the top of his lungs, "Where are you?"
We heard a moan coming from the corner and dashed over to see Oliver lying in a heap on the floor.
"Ollie, are you okay?" I asked, choking over my words dramatically.
"Katie, is that you?" Oliver asked.
"Yes, dear Oliver, it's me. Are you going to be okay?" I asked pulling his head into my lap.
"Who else is there?" Oliver asked, "Everything is going dim."
"Fred and George, Alicia, Angelina, Percy, and Ginny," I listed names looking around the room at the worried faces. Alicia and Angelina both looked like they were going to cry and Ginny already was bawling.
"Katie, I want to tell you all something, since I don't think I'm going to make it," Oliver said quietly so we all had to lean in.
"Don't talk like that, Ollie," I cried as the tears ran freely down my face, "Everything will be all right!"
"No, Katie we have to face the facts. I want to tell you all," Oliver got steadily softer as he spoke so that we all leaned in closer. Then he screamed, "WE GOT YOU!"
Everyone jumped several feet into the air and then started to get mad while Oliver and I laughed loudly. Then, all of a sudden Fred started to laugh hysterically.
"I… can't… believe… we… fell… for… that!" Fred gasped between laughs.
George joined in the laughter, "Especially… since… we... just… got… you!"
"I don't find it funny at all!" Angelina said huffily, "I thought Oliver was going to die from a ghoul attack!"
"I agree with Ange!" Alicia exclaimed.
Ginny started to giggle; she didn't seem to be able to hold it in any longer, "They… beat… Fred… and… George… at… pranking!"
"I think it was quite childish. We at least had a reason behind our prank," Percy said stalking out of the attic.
"It was a bad reason," I managed to say while laughing, "Oliver and I had already made up."
Alicia started to laugh and received an evil glare from Angelina, "Think… about… it! They… really… had… us… going!"
Angelina started to snort in laughter and pretty soon we were all rolling on the attic floor in laughter. WA-THUMP! A loud noise sounded from the other end of the attic. It sounded like chains whacking a trunk.
"Um," I said nervously as we all suddenly stopped laughing, "I think the ghoul wants his attic back!"
We all turned and dashed out of the attic only to crumple in a heap in my 'furnace room' as I called it. (Really it was Ron's room but as he was at Hogwarts I was staying there.) We all laughed for a little while longer and I found I had tears running down my face. Oliver wiped them off and we continued to laugh.
AN/ I hope that wasn't too confusing. I hate switching POVs in the middle of chapters but I thought that it was the easiest way to do what I planned to do. Hope you enjoyed the chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it, now I would enjoy some reviews!
Love From,
MotherCrumpet