W00t for chapter 2! I ♥ my reviewers! You guys are AWESOME!
-----
After sleeping all Saturday and waking up early, Alicia flicked her wand at her bed, and the pink sheets and blankets straightened themselves and fell lightly on top of the bed. She headed to the bathroom and hopped in the shower.
It was Sunday, and she could take as long as she wanted, doing whatever she wanted. Wrapped in a towel, her brown hair tangled and wet, she picked out her favorite pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. She dried her hair in two seconds flat, using her wand, of course.
Brushing her hair quickly, she left her house, carefully locking the door with her wand, but not letting Mrs. Crawford next door see.
Alicia set off down the steps of her small house and headed down the street and around the corner into a café. She bought a latte and a bagel, and after sorting through a purse full of galleons, knuts, and sickles before finding a few dollar bills, mentally reminded herself to go to Gringotts to exchange her money.
She sat at a table by herself, reading a muggle teen magazine, jotting down any good ideas she saw for the next issue of Magic.
She was about to take another sip of her French vanilla latte, when she heard an incredibly annoying voice.
"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" she winced at the oh-so-fake giggle of Destiny Rivers.
"Will you buy me a muffin? Please?" she tittered. "A muffin for your muffin?"
Another voice came into the picture, this one male, but vaguely familiar.
"I guess," he said.
I will not turn around, I will not turn around, I will not turn around... Alicia silently willed herself. It's just like preschool... if I can't see her, she can't see me.
"Thank you!" trilled Destiny, and a paper bag russeled. "Mmm, lemon, my favorite! Want some?"
The man must have shaken his head, because Destiny asked him if he was sure.
Alicia shrugged, and figured they were about to leave. She picked up her magazine and took another bite of the bagel, loving the strawberry cream cheese.
"Leeshie?"
Darn. They found her. Alicia shut the magazine and marked her page with her notes and set down her bagel.
She turned around.
There was Destiny, all right, in her "muggle" attire, which was an incredibly short pink skirt and a tight white camisole. Her perfect blonde hair was down and wavy, and of course she looked like a supermodel.
The guy next to her was tall, freckled, and had reddish-orange hair. Red hair? Wasn't that...
"You've heard all about my boyfriend, haven't you, Leeshie? This is-"
"George Weasley," Alicia breathed, interrupting Destiny.
"Alicia?" he asked, looking equally amazed.
Destiny stared, her lip curling.. "Em... you two know each other?" she asked nastily.
Alicia jumped up and threw her arms around her old Hogwarts friend, grinning. He hugged her back, and Destiny looked revolted.
"Leesh was one of my best friends back in school!" George said, letting Alicia go.
"We played Quidditch on the Gryffindor team, too," Alicia continued, to which Destiny wrinkled her nose in a "you-played-Quidditch?" manner. "And remember when we were going out?
Alicia smirked as Destiny looked horror struck. They-went-OUT? screamed Destiny's eyes.
"I just can't believe it, Alicia! I haven't seen you in so long!" George was shaking his head.
"Have I told you how we met, Alicia? It was a few months ago, and-" Destiny began, obviously jealous that George wasn't paying attention to her.
"Still got Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes?" Alicia asked, not noticing Destiny was talking.
"Business is booming, Leesh. We're still in Diagon Alley, but we've expanded. We've got stores in Hogsmeade and a few other wizard shopping areas."
"That's fantastic! I'll have to stop by later."
"Where do you work?"
"With Destiny," Alicia said.
"Really? What column do you write for her magazines?" He winked. "It's one of my favorites. I love reading about the top ten hottest wizards."
"Her magazine? George, I'm the editor. She writes for me."
"You're kidding! Destiny told me she was the editor."
"I never said that, Georgie!" Destiny broke in.
Alicia snorted. Georgie?
"I just said Alicia and I were such good friends, and she wanted my opinion on so many things, it was like being the editor."
Since when? Alicia wondered, her eyebrows raised. Best not to say anything, though.
"Hmmm..." George said. "If you say so."
"Well, Alicia, it was lovely running into you! George and I have to get going..."
George looked confused. "We do?"
"Yes," Destiny hissed.
"Listen, George, would you like to come over for dinner later?" Alicia asked.
"I'm sorry, we can't," Destiny answered for him.
"Why not? Of course I can." George looked at her strangely.
"Great! Bring Fred, and I'll owl Oliver, and Angelina, and Katie! Maybe Harry, too, if he's not too busy. We can have a Quidditch reunion!" Alicia scribbled her address on a piece of paper and handed it to George.
He thanked her, took the paper, and smiled, waving. "Farewell, Alicia! Marvelous seeing you again!"
He grinned, then held the door for Destiny as she stalked out.
Alicia shook her head in amazement, and then nibbled more of her bagel. She sighed. Back to work. She continued flipping through the magazine, until her notes were almost Back to work. She continued flipping through the magazine, until her notes were almost two pages long.
-----------
Alicia carefully sorted through a file cabinet in her messy office at home and tucked her notes in a folder marked with the date of the next edition of the magazine. She planned to hold a meeting and go through them with everyone tomorrow.
Then she froze.
Somehow, she had agreed to have a party tonight. She'd just meant to invite George over, but then before she knew it, she had invited Katie, Fred, Angelina, Oliver, and Harry.
She'd sent the owls. She didn't know who was coming yet, because she'd requested "regrets only." WHY HAD SHE DONE THAT? Now she wouldn't know if there was no response because they were coming, or if they hadn't even found her note!
Oh, well. She knew at least that Fred and George were coming. Now she had to set up. What did she need? She pulled a shopping list out of her drawer, and set to work.
For someone who was so messy, she was extremely organized. If that made any sense... she barely understood it herself.
Uh... now what she do? But stuff? Where? She started to head to her front door to walk to the Walmart, but she paused. Walmart was cheap. This was a special occasion, and wizards did make things much better...
Diagon Alley it was.
Alicia apparated, and appeared in a busy street. Mothers tugged their children along, pulling bags and boxes. Kids wove in and out of other shoppers, screaming and laughing.
Alicia slung her bag over her shoulder and set off to Fortescues. She needed ice cream for a party, didn't she?
Inside, she looked at the list of the flavors. It went on... and on... and on. If you liked it, Fortescues had it. And if they didn't, they'd make it for you in a flash.
Alicia smiled, remembering how George and Fred would come in and ask for the most ridiculous flavors, just to make the people mad. They'd actually try a few of the creations, because it was "no use wasting ice cream, Leesh." Alicia had been brave enough to try a few. Wolf bane and cream wasn't half bad, she remembered.
A young woman smiled at her over the counter. "Welcome to Fortescues! May I help you?"
Alicia smiled. "I'm still thinking. Thanks, though."
After awhile, she decided on a pint of regular vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry.
And that only got a tiny part of it done. Alicia pushed her hair behind her head and sighed. Here I go...
-----
Earrings or not?
Definitely, Alicia decided, slipping on her favorite dangly ones.
She'd thought that robes were too formal for this. She was meeting people she'd known most of her life, right? Of course. A knee-length jean skirt was cute, though, along with a sparkling orange t-shirt, courtesy of the petites department at Walmart.
Alicia stared at herself in the mirror. She did look pretty. Prettier than she had in a long time.
I guess when there's no reason to look pretty, you don't, Alicia realized. Going to an office full of sweaty people was no reason to look nice. She knew everyone there, though, and neither she nor they cared if she wore pajamas.
Alicia stepped out of her room and checked over all the food on the tables again. The ice cream was in the freezer, and the piles of sandwiches were in the refrigerator. There was a pitcher of lemonade on a table, along with seven magic mugs of butterbeer that refilled themselves.
There was a knock on her door. Alicia smoothed her skirt and top, and went to the door.
--------
That was kind of a sucky chapter. I know it was kind of boring towards the end, but I tried!