Chapter seven.

As it happened Ayla did see Oliver again. At least once a week, every week he'd call in the shop. He'd get bombarded with requests for autographs, photographs and would regularly lose clumps of his hair. Ayla suspected that these were being used in a hundred and one different and illegal love potions. He handled it all so well though. He smiled, shook hands, held babies, and signed countless bits of parchment that were thrown at him. All this only made Ayla admire him more. Since Puddlemere were close to winning the national league, it was obvious all along that they would get far, Oliver was in high demand. Everyone wanted a piece of him. And one person in particular. As soon as he had satisfied his fans, Oliver always made sure he had a quick chat with Ayla, during which time she would smile and try as hard as she could not to gaze adoringly into his eyes. She had seen several of his younger female fans doing so and it didn't look good. But before she knew it he would be leaving again - broom polish, twig tweezers or a copy of Quidditch plays in hand. Not that it mattered, he'd be back the next week to browse at the brooms. Ayla could safely say that she enjoyed work when he was there. Time definitely seemed to go faster when he was around anyway.

Over the next couple of months Ayla had even managed to introduce Oliver to Sarah. Who actually grudgingly agreed that he was nice to look at, although she later denied it and blamed the incident on her pregnancy hormones if Ayla ever dared to mention it in public.

Ayla was gazing out of the frosted windows of Quality Quidditch Supplies. It was December, the snow was falling outside and the Quidditch season was on hold due to excessive snow. Today was another non-Oliver day, he'd already been in once this week and he very rarely made two appearances in one week, so it would be quiet. Well as quiet as it could get at Christmas. It was strange the things people would buy as presents. Who in their right minds wanted broom polish as a gift? Raving lunatics.

Speaking of - Ayla could see identical redheads looking in the windows at the merchandise. She sighed. The Weasley twins could cause chaos in a crypt.

"Walk away. Walk away. Go next door they have chocolate, it's much nicer than a new broom." she muttered under her breath, crossing all her fingers and toes in hope that they wouldn't enter her shop. Ayla should have realized by now that she was not a naturally lucky person. If she had been then at that moment she would have been sunbathing on a beach somewhere hot, not propped up on a counter in a corner shop on Diagon Alley talking to herself. Ayla closed her eyes willing them away with some as yet undiscovered power. The bell above the door tinkled signaling the arrival of a customer.

"Not napping I hope Ayla?"

Her uncle! Where had he come from? She hadn't really fallen asleep had she? Her eyes snapped open and rested on a pair of identical evil grins. How the hell had they done that? One of them, she wasn't sure which, held out a small silver box and lifted the lid. Her uncle's voice rang out again: 'How marvelous to see you again sir!'. Ayla had to laugh, the things those two came up with.

"New prototype, what do you think?"

"That's great, really awesome. So what can I do for you? Want to try out one of the new brooms we have in stock? There's a really good new Comet that's just come in." she tried to sound happy to help but really she just wanted them to leave, she had been enjoying her quiet afternoon.

"Nope we've just come round-"

"To invite you to our Christmas party."

"We're asking everyone in Diagon Alley-"

"It's going to be huge."

"You have to come."

"Everyone is-"

"And we won't take no for an answer."

Ayla's head spun, she really wished they wouldn't do that. Why couldn't one talk and the other stay silent?

"Uh yeah right where, when? I'll leave a message to let everyone else know." Maybe if the rest of the Q.Q.S staff went she could get away with not turning up. She really wasn't in the mood for another party and another chance to embarrass herself.

"December 23rd.."

"Eight o'clock"

"In the Leaky Cauldron"

"We've got it for the whole night"

"You can bring someone along if you like"

They're faces split into two very unnerving and identical smiles. Ayla got the feeling that they knew something she didn't and were trying to look innocent about the whole thing. It didn't work.

"Sounds great, I'll let the rest of the guys know. Do you want them to r.s.v.p or something?" she didn't know why she asked this was the Weasley twins she very much doubted they'd be checking who was there and who wasn't, probably a case of the more the merrier.

"No need, just turn up." Well that was one thing she'd gotten right today. Now to figure out which twin was which. Not that it would help in any way, they were both pure evil. Well maybe not pure evil, but given a couple of years she was sure they'd be able to take over the world. Which could be interesting.

"Ok well we'll see you there."

"Eight in the Leaky Cauldron."

"On the 23rd."

"Don't forget." they shouted the last part in unison as they left the building.

Ayla looked at the calendar, the 23rd was roughly a week away. Maybe she would go, knowing the twins it was bound to be fun. Or at the very least scarily interesting. And maybe she could drag Sarah along too. The girl could do with a good night out. Yeah girl's night out, would do her pregnant pal the world of good. It was a great idea, she'd ask Sarah tonight. Hell why wait, she was due a break and it was quiet right now. She flipped the 'open' sign on the front door and charged upstairs to the office. In no time at all Ayla's head popped out of Sarah's kitchen fire.

"Sarah! Sarah! Sarah Marie Melvin! You in?" Ayla could hear someone thundering down the stairs and grinned, there was someone home.

"What? What's wrong? What's happened? Is anyone hurt?" Sarah slid into view looking worried and as if she'd just run a ten mile race.

"We're going to a party. On the 23rd, you can come right? The Weasley twins are throwing a Christmas party." Ayla's grin widened she was getting excited about the party already. Sarah was less than amused.

"I'm pregnant Ayla."

"Yeah I know but you can-"

"You just made me run down three sets of stairs, terrified that something had happened to you, because you want to go to a party." Sarah interrupted glaring at the head in the fire.

"Yeah but I just thought that you would be interested and stuff. And you haven't been out in ages. And it'll be fun. And I love you. Did I mention that you look very pretty today? You're positively glowing." Ayla tried to smile her sweetest, most innocent smile, she hated having Sarah annoyed with her.

"Ok stop crawling. When did you say it was?"

"The 23rd in the Leaky Cauldron. Its gonna be fun. Can we go? Can we, can we, can we?"

"Fine. Yes we can go. Is it formal wear do you know?"

Ayla rolled her eyes at her best friend "Formal wear? It's the Weasley's, wear the oldest thing you have to be safe! Formal wear how stupid can you get?" Ayla burst out laughing.

"Oh go back to work you!"

Ayla stuck her tongue out at her friend before wrenching her head from the fire. She tried to stand but fell back down. What mad person had decided to travel by fire, where was the sense in it? Still a bit dizzy she tried to stand again and made it as far as the door before falling down again. She slid down the stairs on her backside, taking her time to stop her head from spinning. Just four more hours left, she clambered on to her chair behind the counter and flicked her wand at the closed sign on the door. With any luck she'd be able to walk by the time she closed up to go home. She flicked her wand a few more times at the room around her, clearing up the mess the few customers she'd had in had made. She could barely wait for the Christmas holidays to begin, a few days off work and she'd be going home to see her family. Which was always out of the ordinary, she never knew what was going to happen.