AN/ Okay guys, this chapter is dedicated to Snuffles101 because you've been reviewing regularly for pretty much the whole book and I really appreciate it!
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"That dress makes you look fat," Sarah hissed at me as I walked out of the dressing room.
"Yeah, well, you always look fat. No dress can help you with that," I retorted, finding anger in her violet eyes. So I had touched a nerve. Sarah thinks she's fat.
"Katherine Ann! That dress is clashing horribly with your eyes," Mum exclaimed. "Take it off this instant!"
I rolled my eyes wondering how anything could clash with dark brown eyes. But Mum was adamant that the dress did clash and I thought it was probably the ugliest dress I had ever seen. So I retreated back into the fitting room to change.
"Katie," Alicia called. "Change quickly so you can come and see the dresses that Ange and I want to get."
"Okay," I called back as I quickly pulled my favorite of the dresses that I had picked on over my head.
It was a fairly simple cut but very flattering to my figure. It was a brown spaghetti strap with brown sequins along the top and just under the bust. The straps were brown satin and the whole dress had very thin diagonal strips of silver running through it. It stopped just below my knees in a slight flair.
I opened the door and walked out, only to gasp as I saw Alicia and Angelina in the perfect dresses.
Alicia's dress was a pale shade of lavender. It went to just below her knees and was just about the most flattering thing she could possibly hope to get for her figure. It was one of those V-neck halter-tops and I could just envision her wearing a thin silver necklace and matching earrings as accessories.
Angelina's dress was a satin emerald green color that brought out her beautiful chocolaty skin tone wonderfully. It was cut fairly high across the front with those thin straps sitting just outside her collar bone. Its skirt ended mid-shin and had a slight swish to it.
"Those are perfect," I gasped as they looked at me with appraising eyes. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"That dress is perfect for you, Katherine Ann," Mum answered approvingly. "Why couldn't you have put this on first?"
"Erm, because you told me to try that blue one on first." I replied.
"Oh, tcha, you and your excuses," Mum tutted. "Now, see if Sarah's found a dress that she likes yet."
"I found the perfect one!" Sarah gushed as she glided out of the fitting room in a pale pink floor length dress. It was a strapless, butterfly hemmed dress. The hem came pretty far up her left leg and that slit on her dress had the result of looking rather sluttish in a dressy, flirty sort of way.
"Holla Senorita, where's your prom date?" Alicia muttered to me, quoting a movie we had watched last night.
I managed to turn my snort of laughter into a fairly believable violent sneeze. Mum looked at me strangely.
"I believe you must be getting that cold from Oliver," she commented. "We'll just have to get you some soup when we get home."
"No," I replied quickly, "I'm not sick. Something just tickled my nose."
"I believe that you girls had better get out of those dresses and we can go for lunch and then shoe and jewelry shopping," Mum announced.
Angelina made a gagging noise as we hurried to change back into our normal clothing. I was inclined to agree with her but I was just glad to pull on my comfortable jeans, flip flops, and my purple tank top. I gathered the dress that I was buying and exited the dressing room with it in my arms. I handed it to Mum and then went off to help the others carry their things.
"Katie, be a darling and put these away," Sarah commanded as I walked over. "Thanks, you're a doll!"
Sarah dumped about a dozen dresses into my arms and strutted off with her single dress that she was getting. My knees buckled under the weight and I stumbled to regain my balance. I stepped backwards over the edge of the steps into the dressing area and fell backwards. I braced myself for impact, but it never came. A pair of familiar arms caught me.
"Kat," Oliver laughed, "You klutz, let me take some of those."
"What are you doing here?" I demanded.
"We all came to join you guys for lunch and we also needed to get some decently nice clothes for the party Friday. So here we are. Well I'm here, but Fred and George are off picking out the strangest ties they can find."
I laughed, imagining what ties they would find in the Muggle department store.
"You didn't try on all of these, did you?" Oliver asked.
"No, they're Sarah's," I replied.
"Why do you have them?"
"Well she sort of dumped them on me and disappeared," I noticed the growing anger on Oliver's face and tried to steer the direction into safe water. "But it's okay, I'm just glad you caught me before I fell down the stairs."
"No, it's not okay," Oliver replied. "I'm trying to figure out the least harmful way to get her out of your house and to get her to dump me, but I'm drawing a blank."
"You could always let her walk in on you kissing someone," I muttered to myself, unfortunately Oliver heard me.
"Kat, that's it!" Oliver exclaimed, "But who can I kiss?"
"Don't look at me!" I exclaimed, knowing that I couldn't say no to Oliver and also that I would have an emotional breakdown if he used me like that.
"Please Kat," Oliver begged as he gave me his famous puppy dog eyes. "I'd be eternally in debt to you."
"Oliver," I begged, "Don't."
"Please?"
"Ollie," I whined, really starting to panic now.
"Kat? Please? For your best friend?"
"Ollie, don't make me do that. You know I'd do anything for you, but please."
"Kat, it's just this one time, and it's not like we haven't kissed before."
I turned away to hide my blazing face and the tears that had started to swell up in the corners of my eyes. I wiped my eyes and muttered, "Fine, Ollie, but only if you're sure."
"Kat, I'm sure," Oliver replied, "I wouldn't ask you if I wasn't. You're the best! I love you."
"I love you too," I replied softly as Oliver kissed me on top of my head and walked off to put the dresses away.
"Katie," Alicia asked as she and Angelina came out of the dressing rooms. "What's wrong?"
"Oliver," I replied, sniffling. "He asked me to do something and I can't tell him 'no'. But I don't think I can take it."
"Katie," Angelina urged, "I'm going to need to know exact details so that I know if I need to beat the snot out of him or not."
I told her the whole story and her face grew dark. She and Alicia exchanged significant looks.
"Where's Fred?" Angelina demanded as soon as I had finished.
"Looking at ties, I think," I replied, "Why?"
"You need to talk to him," Alicia stated firmly. "Go find him and tell him exactly what you told us. Ange and I need to give your mum our dresses and then take care of some, erm, business."
I was too stunned by what Oliver had asked me to do to even be suspicious with Alicia's answer. I should have been wondering what 'business' Alicia and Angelina could possibly need to take care of in a crowded Muggle shopping mall. But in my semi-sleeping state I just turned and went in search of my best friend, Fred Weasley.
"Katie, what's wrong? You look awful," Fred exclaimed as he caught sight of me and pulled me into a brotherly embrace.
George came and looked on worriedly as I told them both exactly what had happened. Fred hugged me tighter and George squeezed my arm affectionately as I finished telling them about the encounter.
"What did Angelina and Alicia say when you told them?" Fred asked.
"Ange said to find you and Alicia said they had to take care of some 'business'," as I told Fred this suddenly I realized how suspicious that sounded. "What business could they possibly have to take care of in a Muggle shopping mall?"
"Probably had to use the bathroom," George replied, shrugging. "You know Alicia always has to go."
"Fred?" I demanded, pulling away from him. "What are they doing?"
"Erm, probably talking to Oliver," Fred replied guiltily.
George kicked him, "You have no backbone!"
"I'm sorry, but it's Katie! She's almost more of a sister than Ginny sometimes!" Fred exclaimed.
"God, you need to work on that!" George hissed loudly. "Next you'll go telling her that they're probably telling him everything right this very second."
Now it was Fred's turn to kick George, "You idiot, look what you just told Katie!"
"Oh Bloody Hell!" I screamed, causing several nearby mothers to clamp their hands over their young children's ears. "You're not serious."
Fred and George just nodded solemnly, "Sorry Katie, but what else were they supposed to do?"
"I'll never be able to face him ever again!" I shouted, causing quite a scene in the men's ties section of Bloomingdales. "They could have let me handle it!"
"You can't handle it, Katie!" Fred replied, frustrated. "You came to me just now on the verge of tears simply because he had suggested that stupid idea to get rid of Sarah."
"What am I going to do?" I moaned. "I can't face him. Not now! Fred, I'm scared. I'm scared of facing Oliver and I don't like it!"
Fred and George thought for a minute. Suddenly George's face lit up.
"Katie, you're sick," George proclaimed happily.
"No, I'm not. That was just an attempt to hide my laughter from Mum," I replied miserably.
"No," Fred had caught on to George's plan. "You're sick and George and I are going to take you home."
"Oh," I suddenly caught on to their plan too. "Mum and Sarah are the only ones who will believe me though."
"That doesn't matter," George explained. "As long as your mum believes that you're sick you'll be home free."
"And she'll believe you're sick," Fred said, surveying me. "You look just awful."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," I muttered. "I do feel pretty sick. Let's go. I want in my bed and pjs as soon as possible."
"That's the way, Katie!" Fred exclaimed. "We'll just get you out of here then. And I think I'll take charge of Operation: Week From Hell for a little while."
"Thanks, Fred. You're the best friend anyone could ask for; you too, George."
"Thanks, Katie," the twins chorused. "We think that you're pretty swell yourself."
I laughed a small laugh; being around these two was already making me feel slightly better, but I still felt awful.
I climbed into bed later that afternoon after changing into my favorite pajamas, a pair that Oliver had gotten for me for Christmas last year. They had red and pink hearts on the long and baggy pants and the top was a red tank top that read 'You've just met the love of your life'. I pulled my blankets over myself and took a little nap. When I woke up Alicia, Angelina, Fred, George, and Ginny were all sitting around my room and talking.
"Hey guys," I greeted as cheerfully as possible.
"Feeling any better?" Alicia asked sweetly.
"A little," I replied. "How about Sarah? How's she feeling?"
Ginny laughed, "She's locked herself in her room. She had a bad experience with her bathing suit top when she had finally convinced Oliver to leave you and go swimming with her. I swear, he only left to get her to shut up so she wouldn't wake you up."
I laughed a little as I thought about what 'a bad experience with her bathing suit top' probably entitled.
"Nice one guys," I congratulated.
"It was all Ginny's doing," Fred said proudly. "She thought of how to do it and everything."
"Now we can claim her as our sister when she gets to Hogwarts," George added teasingly.
"What makes you think I want anyone to know we're related?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. We all laughed.
"Where's Mr. Wood now?" I asked, hoping that I wouldn't have to face him just yet.
"I think he's still trying to convince Sarah to come out of her room," Angelina replied. "Your mum insisted that he try."
"Sounds like Mum," I muttered. "Well, he's not going to have any luck on his own. I swear, that boy is as dense as a boulder."
I clambered out of bed and pulled my slippers on my feet and draped my Puddlemere United blanket around my shoulders before walking out of the room and into the hallway. I spotted Oliver outside the door pleading to Sarah, while Kent and Jess looked on in mild amusement.
I padded down the hall and tapped him on the shoulder. He looked at me, shocked, and stepped out of the way.
"Sarah!" I shouted through the door. "It's Katie! If you don't open this door right this instant and come out, then I'm going to have to come in there myself. It doesn't matter if it's locked or not, I have my ways of getting in!"
Sarah opened the door right away.
"What, I was taking a shower," she lied.
"Whatever, your hair isn't even wet," I replied, rolling my eyes and walking back down the hallway and into my room. The others had come out into the hall to watch and they retreated back into my room quickly. They all laughed and I heard Kent and Jess cracking up from behind me. I was probably quite a sight at the moment, but I didn't really care.
"Everyone get out!" I ordered. "Get back to work! I need to get a shower and dressed before facing the world again. Go, go, go!"
They hurried out of my room, still laughing hysterically as they went down the hall. I walked into my bathroom and shut the door behind me. I was feeling a ton better and felt even better after my nice, hot, steamy shower. I was determined not to let Oliver or anyone else think that I was weak in any way.
After getting dressed I walked out into my room wearing my pink sophees and white tank top with a pair of flip flops. Oliver sat in my big, purple velvet chair and smirked at me.
"Hi," he said, still with that funny smirk on his face.
"Hey," I replied, pulling my hair up into a ponytail.
"Feeling better?"
"Yeah," I replied noncommittally.
"Listen, Alicia told me everything and-"
"Forget it Oliver," I interrupted. "Don't worry about it."
"But Katie-"
"Just drop it, okay?"
"Fine, it's dropped," Oliver replied.
"So when do you want to carry out our devious plan?"
"What?" Oliver asked, shocked. "You don't want to call it off?"
"Um no, I want that bitch out of my house. Well, actually, if you don't mind putting up with her another day then we'll be able to give her a truly memorable send off. And besides," I had a mischievous sparkle in my eyes, "it's not like we haven't kissed before."
Oliver's eyebrows shot way up into his hair and he came closer to me, "Katie, I think you're still sick. Are you sure you're feeling better?"
"I'm feeling better than I've felt all week," I informed him. "And don't worry about me. You never have before."
"That's not true," Oliver replied coming closer still, "and you know it."
"I love you, Oliver Andrew Wood."
"And I love you, Katherine Ann Bell."
Suddenly I was in Oliver's familiar arms and he was kissing me. I responded as well as I could; feeling as if I might faint then and there. I put my arms around his neck and he slid his arms around my waist. When we finally broke apart he just held me in is arms happily.
"I've been waiting to do that for years," He whispered into my ear.
"What took you so long?" I whispered back.
"Do you want to meet again tonight?" Oliver asked.
"First," I replied, "I want to go outside now."
"But it's raining," Oliver pointed out practically.
"Exactly," I said as I kissed him teasingly. "I've always wanted to dance with you in the rain and nobody will be around to see."
"Everyone's out shopping again, anyways," Oliver replied. "It's only you, me, Jobber and your dad home."
"Then there's no chance that anyone will be around to see us dancing in the rain," I teased as I took his hand and dragged him out of my room. "Hurry up, I want to show you something!"
And with that I dragged the love of my life out into the pouring rain and to the secret lake that I had been waiting to show him for years, but never had. We stripped down to our bathing suits which we always wore in the summer under our clothes and jumped into the lake for a swim, but not until after we had danced in the rain.
AN/ Okay guys, there's not that many chapters left, so if you want your pranks in here you'd better hurry up and get them to me! PLEASE REVIEW!
Love From,
MotherCrumpet