AN/ Hey, I just wanted to put my chapter dedication up here.
So, this chapter is dedicated to OtherwiseKnownAsOli, just for caring about my ideas and opinion of her story! You rock like a fat kid in a canoe!
It's also dedicated to Aznchic2009, because she gave me some great ideas! I had the same idea ones, actually, andsome arein the chapter! Well, sorta... you'll see! I love you more than a fat kid loves cake and ice cream!
And no, that was not meant to be a degrading comment, if you took offence at that 'fat kid' thing, then please accept my humble appologies. NOW,ON TO THE STORY!
"Eww, Fred I could have lived a full and wonderful life without ever hearing that story!" I bellowed as we boarded the Hogwarts Express to go back home.
"Katie, you know you love to hear about the time I gave Ron 'Madame Rosalina's clog clobber'." Fred teased, "I'm thinking it lasted a full, what do you think George, 48 hours or so. I can't believe we actually convinced him it'd fix that bump on his head."
"Ickle Ronniekins is so gullible at times," George agreed, "Remember that time when we gave him the ipecac and told him it was a new type of candy?"
"What is it with you two and your obsession about disgusting jokes you played on Ron?" I asked, mentally scarred from the image of Ron taking the vomit inducing ipecac.
"Don't worry Katie; I don't think it did any permanent damage to Mum's favorite rug. Mum knows some wonderful cleaning spells after all," Fred said comfortingly.
"That's not exactly what I meant," I muttered as I flung open the door to an empty compartment and sat down.
Oliver sat next to me and Fred, Angelina, George and Alicia sat across from us. Much to my surprise Jeremy Mattson and his friend Nathan followed us into the compartment.
"What do you want?" George asked suspiciously. Jeremy was known to pull his share of pranks on his fellow Gryffindor students.
"I just wanted to ask Katie something," he replied smoothly.
"Ask away," I said as I put my feet up on the seat and leaned on the side of the train.
"Could you come out in the hall for a second?" Jeremy asked with a slight hint of nervousness.
I swapped what-the-hell-does-he-want looks with Fred and walked followed him out of the compartment.
"Katie, do you go out with Oliver?" Jeremy blurted as soon as I had slid the door shut.
"Why do you care Mattson?" I asked skeptically.
"I was just wondering," Jeremy replied very unconvincingly.
"Not that it's any of your business or anything," I teased, guessing where this was going, "but no, I don't go out with Oliver."
"There is a God!" Jeremy shouted as he turned his eyes heavenward, "and he does love me!"
"You, Jeremy Mattson, are one strange cookie," I said, wondering if I should run in fear from this mad boy in front of me.
"Does that mean I'm good enough to eat?"
"Uh…"
"Katie Bell," Jeremy asked dramatically getting down on one knee like he was proposing, "would you go out with me?"
"How do you keep a straight face?" I asked, pretending not to have understood what he meant.
"Katie did you hear me?"
"Oh, how could I have not heard you? I think the whole train heard you," I replied.
"And?"
"And I want to know how you can keep a straight face when you do something so absurd."
"Oh," Jeremy replied looking rather dejected, "I guess that's a 'no'?"
"Jeremy, consider it a definite maybe," I replied, "We used to be rivals so…"
"Sounds good!" Jeremy exclaimed lighting up, "I'll talk to you over the summer?"
"Yes, you will," I replied opening the door to the compartment and backing out of the way before six people could come tumbling out.
"Way to go Jeremy!" Nathan said, standing up as if it was normal to be listening at the door to a compartment on the Hogwarts Express and fall in a heap in the middle of the corridor outside the compartment.
Oliver scowled at Jeremy and went off to find someone. At least that's the excuse he made.
"I'll be right back," I said, "I've got to see a man about a horse."
"What is she talking about?" Alicia asked loudly as I walked off.
"I'll explain later," I called over my shoulder.
"How does she do that?" I heard Alicia asked incredulously.
I chuckled (isn't that a funny word?) to myself as I walked off down the corridor to find Oliver. The poor boy was probably off crying somewhere or something; after all I think he fancies me! I head Oliver's voice floating softly out from a compartment and walked in only to find exactly the opposite of what I was expecting.
"Bloody Hell, don't mind me!" I exclaimed softly as I watched Oliver and Sarah Everett kissing, and I mean they were really kissing, like full on make out!
Feeling as if I would have lost my lunch if I had already consumed it, I backed quickly out of the compartment and slid down the wall. I banged my head on the wall repeatedly.
"I'm an idiot," I reinforced this statement with slams of my head upon the wall, "He really did go to find someone. Oliver doesn't like me; I just wanted to think that he did."
After continuing my unique therapy for a few minutes it occurred to me that the blows to the wall were probably audible from the inside. My theory was confirmed when I head Sarah Everett asking Oliver what that peculiar noise was. I wasted no time in making myself scarce. My only option was to throw myself inside the next compartment over, right into the laps of some astonished looking first years.
"I'm not sure what it was Sarah, but it seems to have stopped," I heard Oliver say and I let out a huge sigh of relief.
"Um, hi," a first year boy, I think he was a Ravenclaw, said timidly.
"Sorry about that," I apologized, "I was just trying to avoid someone. I'll just be going now. Forget I was even here!"
"Right," the boy said; I think he feared for my mental health.
I realized I was still on top of a few of the first-years and rolled onto the floor, got up quickly and went out the door with a small wave.
"See you later then," I called as I stepped out into the corridor and directly into Oliver, losing my balance in the process, "Oh, hello Oliver, fancy meeting you here."
"What are you doing with those first-years?" Oliver asked as he steadied me.
"Just looking for someone," I replied vaguely, "By the way, how long?"
"What?" Oliver asked, suddenly very interested in the pattern on the carpet.
"You heard me, and you know exactly what I'm talking about," I replied rather more forcefully than the first casual attempt to gain information.
"I have no idea what you are talking about," Oliver said, his Scottish accent getting noticeably thicker like it does when he is lying.
"Yeah, whatever you say Wood," I pushed past him, "I don't care that you and Sarah are an item, I just wish you'd have told your best friend. Good thing Fred seems to like your place so much, I may just make him my permanent best friend."
I walked off ignoring Oliver's stunned expression. I got back to the compartment and everyone (minus Nathan and Jeremy) looked up, eager to hear about my trip 'to see a man about a horse'. I plopped down between Fred and George.
"Did you take care of your 'horse' problem?" Alicia asked.
"No, but I found a cow," I replied ignoring the confused looks I got.
"Okay," Alicia said slowly as if thinking her words out carefully, "the others explained the horse phrase to me, but I have no idea what you, Katherine Ann Bell, are talking about."
I sighed, "I went after Oliver because I thought he was upset or something. Well turns out he wasn't upset, or at least he didn't appear to be while he was making out with Sarah Everett."
"No," Angelina gasped in amazement.
"That's disgusting." Fred and George chorused.
"Yuck," Alicia stated simply.
"Yeah, and due to the fact that I suddenly felt very nauseous I backed out of the compartment and collapsed on the floor. I started banging my head against the wall, to clear the images from my mind you know, and then realized just in time that it was probably audible from inside. Well, you know me, I don't enjoy awkward conversations, so I did the only thing I could."
"What did you do?" Alicia asked, glued to the edge of her seat due to my riveting story.
"I dove into a compartment of Ravenclaw first-years." I replied as everyone laughed, "Needless to say I left as soon as I thought it was clear and walked right into Oliver. We had a fight and I said something pretty nasty. Oh, and Fred, you have claimed the title of Official Best Friend of Katie Bell."
Fred hopped up and did a victory dance and sang, "I'm Katie's Official Best Friend! It sucks to be you George!"
"You're right," George said sadly, "And I did try so hard to claim that title."
"Aw, you can be my other official best friend! You two already claimed that title," I said as Angelina and Alicia made pouting faces.
"My life long goal has been achieved!" George shouted to the heavens and pulled me up to dance around with him and Fred.
We danced around crazily before collapsing onto the seat, laughing hysterically. Alicia rolled her eyes and Angelina joined in our laughter. We decided to spend the little remaining time playing magical truth or dare.
"Okay," Fred explained as we sat in a circle on the floor, "I've placed a curse so that, if you refuse to do a dare, you will squawk like a chicken for the rest of the summer or until you do the dare."
"Also," George added, "If you answer a truth, well untruthfully I suppose, then you will be immediately suspended from the ceiling and left hanging there until you answer truthfully."
"I love this game!" Alicia squealed in excitement.
"I wish I hadn't decided to wear the school skirt," Angelina muttered darkly.
"Me first," I shouted.
"Okay, go Kat." Fred instructed.
"George," I called out quickly, "Truth or dare?"
"Dare!"
"Gee, didn't expect that one," I said sarcastically, "okay, I dare you to snog Jamie Jones!"
"My pleasure," George exclaimed and we all followed him out of the compartment and into the next one over.
There sat a girl that was not blessed with clear skin. Her face was covered in huge pimples and she was very self-conscious about it. The poor girl was also not blessed with a very large brain and just stared at George openmouthed as he waltzed in. The rest of us crowded in the doorway to watch.
"My dear Miss Jones," George said, bowing and then kissing her, "Thank you so much."
We all ran laughing back into our compartment and plopped onto the floor. When we had calmed down we turned to George expectantly.
"All right, it's my turn," George looked around the room and his mischievous grin spread across his face, "Angelina, truth or dare?"
"Truth," Angelina sighed.
"Do you own a thong?"
"Eww, no!" Angelina shouted and POP, she was suspended from the ceiling by one ankle.
Angelina hurriedly pulled her skirt over herself and rephrased her answer, "I mean, yes, but only because Alicia bought it for me!"
She was immediately returned to her original position on the floor. I smacked Fred because a smile had spread across his face when Angelina's skirt flew up.
"Okay, Katie, truth or dare?" Angelina asked dignified.
"Dare!"
"Hmm, Katie I dare you to streak down the corridor!" Angelina shouted.
"Fine," I shrugged and turned around to hide my blushing face.
I went down to the end of the corridor and into the bathrooms at one end. There I stripped off every last piece of clothing and tore off down the hallway as fast as humanly possible, clutching my clothing in my arms. I ran past the door to our compartment which was filled with laughter and into the bathrooms at the other end of the corridor. I dressed myself and walked calmly back to the compartment.
"Was that a suitable performance?" I asked.
"I think you just made my year," Fred replied laughing, "That's one to tell our grandkids about."
"No, dear brother," George contradicted, "That's closer to being a wedding toast!"
"Ha, see if you get invited to my wedding now!" I exclaimed.
"Oh, Katie who are you marrying?" Alicia asked, playing along with the joke.
"Fred, of course!" I shouted, grabbing my 'fiancé's' arm and grinning widely, "Couldn't you tell? He said that was a story to tell our grandkids!"
"That's not what I meant, and you know it!" Fred protested until he noticed that Angelina was laughing hysterically.
"Okay, it's my turn to ask someone something," I said as we all calmed down again, "Fred, truth or dare?"
"Do you have to ask?"
"Well, in order for the spell to work, yes."
"Dare!"
"Okay, Fred Weasley, I dare you to," I thought for a second, "I dare you to go into Harry Ron and Hermione's compartment and steal Hermione's favorite book, Hogwarts A History!"
"Katie, can't you come up with a hard dare?" Fred asked rolling his eyes.
"Without being seen!" I added.
"It's still not that hard Katie," Fred informed me, 'You should really work on that this summer.
"Just go!" We all shouted and off Fred went.
We all waited for ten minutes until Fred came back and chucked the book at me. I flipped it over and opened the front cover to see 'Hermione Leanne Granger' inscribed in the front cover.
"Way to go Fred!" I shouted as I tossed the book over to Alicia and Angelina so they could see.
"That makes it my turn," Fred said as he glanced around, his eyes rested on Alicia, "Alicia, truth or dare?"
"Truth, no wait, I want dare, no truth!"
"Which one do you want?" Fred asked slowly, making sure she comprehended his sentence fully.
"Truth," Alicia said finally.
"Okay, what was your MOST embarrassing moment and why?"
"Hmm," Alicia thought carefully for a moment, "Well, I'd have to say it was the time I was in this Bed and Breakfast in France. The showers in those places are down the hall and I forgot to bring my clothes to the shower and the House Elf had taken my dirty clothes while I was in the shower. I pulled my towel around me and ran down the hall but was locked out of my room. I banged on the door hoping my sister would answer it and forgot about needing to hold the towel up. It turns out it wasn't my room and this really hot guy came to the door and there I was, completely naked because my towel had fallen off. I grabbed that towel and sprinted into my room across the hall as fast as humanly possible."
Everyone laughed and George got this funny look on his face. I smacked him, twice actually, knowing what was making him smirk the way he was. He had been envisioning Alicia with only a towel on, or possibly even with no towel at all.
"And that concludes our little game of Truth and Dare," Fred announced.
"But I didn't get to ask anyone truth or dare," Alicia whined.
"Sorry Alicia, you can go twice next time, but we've just pulled into King's Cross," I explained as I gathered my stuff and heaved my trunk down, "I'll see you all soon!"
I gave Alicia and Angelina both hugs and then George and finally Fred. He winked at me and I grinned at him.
"If you don't owl me then I can't invite you to my house in Scotland," I warned, "you know the one with the pool and the tennis courts and the mini Quidditch pitch."
"We'll owl you as soon as we get home!" George cried out excitedly, "Come on Fred there's not a moment to lose!"
"I'll owl you soon Katie," Angelina promised before leaving, "I'd like to practice over the summer."
"I don't know about practicing," Alicia said as she followed Angelina out the door, "but I'll kick your butt at tennis and that pool sounds nice."
"I'll see you two soon," I called after them and then turned to Fred and George, "Thanks you two."
"For what?" they asked simultaneously.
"For always being there and for all the trouble you got me in this year!" I informed them, "Without you two, life would be very dull around Hogwarts."
"Thanks Kat," Fred said.
"I believe I'm speechless," George spluttered, "You have just made all my pranks and the trouble I'll be in with Mum worthwhile."
"No problem George," I said as I too left the compartment, "Anytime!"
I climbed off the train and spotted my brother, Kent, and his girlfriend, Jess. I waved to them and they waved enthusiastically back.
"Where's Oliver?" Kent asked after giving me a hug.
"Why do you care?" I asked suspiciously.
"He's staying with us for a week," Kent replied, "I thought you knew."
I cursed loudly, "Bloody Hell, he can't stay with us!"
"Well he is."
"Damn, that's just great," I said sarcastically, "What a wonderful way to start my summer!"
AN/ Okay, here's my normal schpiel at the end of the chapter! I hope you liked it, any ideas are always appreciated and taken into consideration. Who knows, I may even use them and dedicate the chapter to you! Please Review, I love to open my E-mail and see '(insert number here) new messages' and think, that'sA LOT of reviews!
Love From,
MotherCrumpet