This story has been edited and updated from it's original format. All of the characters, themes, and core concepts still do not belong to me.
After all of the things I had to live with during my last year at Hogwarts, I thought going out into the "real world" would be a breeze. Thankfully I had amazing people like Alicia Spinnet to pick me up when the real world was quick to kick me on my arse.
She had graduated the year before me and was already the successful owner of a half muggle and half magical coffee and book shop. She had a flat with an extra room and nearly forced me to move right in.
Most of my days I would be home at our flat in muggle England watching TV or listening to random types of music dancing around. This day was no different from any other day. I was watching a football game in my sleeping shorts, they were boxer shorts with quaffles on them that I bought and wear to bed, and talking on the phone with Angelina who also lived in muggle England thus the conversation on the phone.
"I'm becoming pathetic, Ange" I said after swallowing a spoonful of ice cream that I was eating directly from the tub.
"Becoming? OH COME ON THAT WAS AN EASY SHOT!" Angelina responded.
"Nice, thank you. But I sit at home in the clothes I slept in and watch football games yelling at the TV over the phone with you until Alicia calls me into work. WHERE'S THE WHISTLE! REF THAT WAS AN OBVIOUS CARD! LOOK YOU CAN SEE HIS FOOT TRIPPING HIM" I answered
"Well you're still figuring it out. Soon you'll find your niche and then you'll never have time to do these kinds of things. I only can do this when I have days that I'm home when the match is on" Angelina said. She worked designing new quidditch equipment and often got days during the week where she did her work from home.
"Hold on Ange, there's someone on the call waiting" I said before answering the ever present tone in the receiver.
"Hello?" I answered. Hearing a busy background knew who it was immediately.
"Hey Kates, it's Alicia. Would you mind coming into work today? It's crazy in here!" Alicia yelled over the chatter behind her.
"Sure, I'll be there in a couple minutes." I said
"Thank you so much! I'll see you soon" Alicia shouted before hanging up. So I went back to the line with Angelina.
"Hey Ange, I have to go into the shop so I'll call you later." I grunted
'Ha! Okay, have fun. I'll call the shop when the game's over to tell you how it turns out." she laughed.
"Oh you know I will!" I groaned before hanging up..
I waddled into my room to get ready to go . I opened my closet and pulled out a pair of jeans and the black collared shirt with scarlet stripes down the sides and gold writing saying "Griffin Coffee House" on my left boob that Alicia made me wear when I was working. I put my hair up into a messy bun, put a small bit of eyeliner on, turned off the TV and headed to the coffee shop.
By the time I got there it was indeed a madhouse. I entered through the muggle entrance to a queue halfway across the room for pastries and even more people sitting down yelling that they still didn't get their coffee or that it was cold by the time they got it.
"Oh thank goodness you're here! This side is going to start a riot and because of that everyone isn't calm enough to remember that they can use magic on the other side!" Alicia said, panting in between words.
"I'll handle it, don't worry." I said and looked around like I was waiting for someone to attack me.
I ran over to the magic side quickly casting a spell to fill all the orders for coffee and then a similar spell with the pastries.
"Okay. Now, if only we could do this on the other side" I said jokingly to another girl that worked at the shop.
I ran back to the muggle side and picked up a pitcher of coffee and a tray of cups as I tried to maneuver through the crowds of people and lines.
"Excuse me dear, my coffee is cold" said a lady behind me, so I picked up her cup, put it on the tray, and poured another cup for her. While walking away I said a spell under my breath to warm up the coffee she just gave me and handed it to a man yelling rudely that he didn't get a cup yet.
This is how I was running about the shop for quite some time. Then while I was talking to a lady at a table I felt someone pinch my bum behind me. I turned around to see a disgusting plump man with a smile on his face.
"Excuse me sir, you would be best to keep your hands to yourself before I kick you out of the shop!" I said in a very stern voice.
"Oh now puppet, I'm just enjoying the service here. Apparently it's the only way that I can, being that I'm still waiting for my coffee" He said in a rude almost mocking voice
"If you needed coffee you could have waited a few minutes, then asked politely and I would have given you a cup." I said still speaking at a low but strong voice
"I'm not a patient fella there dear, so I just took one for myself" He said with a wink.
"Do you see what this is?" I said holding the pitcher of coffee in front of his face. ``It is about eight cups worth of steaming hot coffee and I am not at all afraid to pour it right onto your lap!" I said getting a little bit louder the more I got annoyed.
"You wouldn't be wanting to do that or you'll lose your job there puppet" the other man at the table said to me.
"Actually, I won't as I'm not really employed here. My best friend owns this place and needed me to come in and help because people like you are making it hard for the rest of the staff here to get anything done!" I said getting louder again.
"Well then, go ahead and pour it in me lap love, I like having hot steamy things in my lap" The first man said with a laugh as I just stood there trying to calm down and walk away, but when I turned to walk away he grabbed my waist and pulled me down onto his lap.
"See I don't mind having hot things on my lap at all." The man said and I struggled to get up spilling a cup of cold coffee that I had in my hands onto his large stomach. When he felt the coffee he pushed me up and I ran to find Alicia before he did.
"Alicia! This man was tormenting me, and he was holding me on his lap, and when I tried to get up I spilled coffee on him, so if he comes to complain he totally deserved it!" I said in about two seconds and one breath then stormed off.
I walked into the magical side where it was nice and calm for once, and sat down at a table that was cleaning itself.
"Bloody muggles" I complained loudly.
"You of pure blood?" An old man asked me while sitting down at my table.
"No actually, I've half-blood and was raised a muggle. I really don't hate them, just the ones in that room." I said putting my head down on the table.
"Hmm, well then, you wouldn't happen to be Miss Katie Bell would you?" the man asked. I shot up from my head down position and looked at him strangely.
"I'm the coach of Puddlemore United, and a team member showed me a photo of you playing on the Gryffindor quidditch team. It just so happens I'm in the market for a new chaser, so I decided I would find you and offer you the opportunity to try out for my team." he stated with a smile.
I stared at him uncomfortably for awhile trying to figure out if he was just a creepy man that stalked me or if he really was what he said. He got up and handed me a business card with a date and time written on the back.
"Just come on over for a trial, if you decide that you want to." he said and then turned around to leave.
"Oh and I can promise that if you make the team that you won't have to deal with any of the muggles in THAT room again" he turned around to face me again and laughed.
I sat there and stared at the card for a good amount of time before laughing to myself out loud causing some people nearby me to look at me strangely. I stood up, put the card in my pocket and then returned to save Alicia's sanity.
"Hey sorry about that, just can't stand people like that" I said when finding her
"It's okay I kicked them out, and luckily five more tables left with them." she sighed.
"I don't see why those kinds of people would come into a coffee shop anyways"
"The pubs must be closed today or something because this is just pure mental." she chuckled.
"Hey, you're never going to believe this. This guy came up to me and told me he's seen photos of me playing… 'football' and handed me this...he wants me to try out for his team" I said handing her the card.
"Katie this is amazing! Are you going to go?" she asked staring at the card in shock
"I don't know, do you really think that I could make it?" I asked, taking the card back and pocketing it.
"Katie, people don't normally have coaches come up to them and ask them to try out for a professional team, let alone one of the best teams in England!" she shouted.
"Well that's your opinion." I shrugged.
"Still, you have the chance of a lifetime Kates, don't just stand there and let it pass you by like I have." she said suddenly very serious.
"This is completely different from that situation Alicia" I argued.
"No not really! Just trust me and take the opportunity that you have while you still have a chance." she defended.
See, last year Fred and George Weasley moved somewhere to run more of their shops. Alicia and George had been hinting that they were in love with each other for as long as I can remember. Then, right before the twins moved, George broke down and told Alicia that he loved her but he was sick of trying so hard for nothing and that perhaps him moving was a good time to get over her. So he left and we haven't heard from him since. Fred still writes to Angelina from time to time but never really gives away that much information, and in his last letter he kind of hinted that George was no longer living with him. The point to this story is that since this event Alicia has been one of those "grab life by the horns" type people and is always yelling at me when I let things pass me by.
"Well things have cleared out, so you can go home now if you want" Alicia said pulling me out of my thoughts.
"You sure that you don't need me?" I asked.
"Yeah, go ahead" she answered before going back to clean some dishes.
"You want to go out tonight?" I asked, following her.
"No, I think I'm just going to sleep tonight, I've had a hard day today" she sighed.
"Yeah. I can imagine...well call the flat if you change your mind because Ange and I are planning on going clubbing" I said before heading out.
"Alright, but I'm sure I won't change my mind" she shouted after me.
Back at the flat I called up Angelina and rummaged through my closet to look for a cute enough outfit to wear when we went out tonight.
"Yeah so Alicia isn't coming tonight. She had a hectic day and just wants to relax." I said to Angelina over the phone.
"She's crazy, if she had a stressful day that's even more reason to come along" she answered.
"Yeah. I guess so, but she seemed like she just didn't want to come, and I didn't feel like bugging her about it" I said while charming some nail polish onto my toes.
We stopped at the coffee shop on our way out because Angelina was determined to get Alicia to come with us.
"But I don't have anything to wear" Alicia said thinking this was a good enough excuse to get out of it.
"Well I brought you something to wear!" Angelina said, handing her some clothes.
"And there's make up in the bag too, so you're completely covered when it comes to looks" she finished pushing Alicia into the bathroom with everything in her arms to get ready.
We waited and soon Alicia came out of the bathroom ready to go. She closed the store and the three of us apparated to a club in London. It was packed full of young witches and wizards and all sorts of other magical beings as well. The lights were enchanted, hanging in midair all around and the music was a mixture of magical and muggle hits.
I was off to dancing with as many people as possible. That's how clubbing with Angelina and I works, we have a competition to see who can dance with more people. Then when we see each other we typically yell out the number to see who is in the lead, loser pays the other's bar tab at the end of the night. I'm sure we come off as lunatics but we have a good time and that's really all that matters.. Alicia normally is a wallflower when she comes out but tonight she wanted in on the competition. When we all met at the bar after a few songs she was surprisingly winning by around five.
I was dancing along with this tall Italian guy when suddenly someone else asked to cut in. Usually I am the one that takes off in the middle of a song to dance with someone else to increase my number, but hey can't complain. It was because of my lack of caring I didn't really look at the guy who cut in. I just kept on dancing.
"Well, are you ever going to recognize me Katie Bell?" I heard a familiar voice yell down at me.
I looked up and stopped dancing. I was so shocked.
"Oliver Wood!" I said, realizing that I was dancing with my old quidditch captain.
"What are you doing here?!" I screamed over the music wrapping my arms around him.
"Same thing you are, having competitions with my friends." He said laughingly and I looked at him strange.
"Not really, I saw Angelina awhile ago and she pointed me in your direction saying that you wouldn't even notice who I was because you two were competing." He said laughing at us.
"So I heard you're going to try out for a spot on the team?" he asked and it took me a minute because I had forgotten about the whole quidditch thing.
"Oh yeah! I'm not sure whether or not I want to actually go. I didn't know that you were on the team…for Puddlemore right?" I said.
"Yeah, I'm the one who told Henry about you," he said.
"Oh well, thanks I guess." I said, feeling suddenly unbearably awkward.
"You better try out or I'll hunt you down and make you try" he said poking me in the shoulder.
"Well you're determined aren't you?" I laughed.
"Yeah well it took awhile for me to convince Henry that he should invite you and if you don't even show up that would be bad for my chances at captain." He said with a smile.
"Oh now I understand, you just needed someone to say was good and since I was the only one left from your glorious 'team wood' without a job or a life you figured that you would get me to try out to make you look good." I said matter of factly.
"Yeah well, that was until I saw you tonight. Now I want you on the team to add some beauty to it." He said dancing closer to me
"Oliver Wood, are you hitting on me?!" I said laughing as I smacked his chest.
"Yeah sorry…I'm only a little drunk." He said laughing and stepping to dance farther away from me.
Suddenly Angelina was standing next to us.
"Katie, we're going to head out now since Alicia has to work early tomorrow." She said as soon as she got my attention.
"Yeah…I'll come too. I'll see you at the tryouts Oliver" I said, giving him a kiss on the cheek.
"I never said it was a bad thing that you were hitting on me" I whispered into his ear.
Once we were out of the club Angelina and Alicia started giggling about the fact that I was dancing with Oliver.
"I can't believe you were dancing with him! I always knew you two would end up together someday! Did you get his number?" Angelina said.
"Whoa, since when are he and I together? I just danced with him, and no, because I'm trying out for a spot on the Puddlemore Team, so I'll see him then." I said all embarrassed like.
"What!? You didn't tell me about this!" Angelina shouted.
"Yeah well.. I wasn't thinking about actually trying out." I said…well it was true
"Aha! So you're trying out now that you know that Oliver's on the team?" Alicia asked
"Maybe" I said in a little voice.
"I don't really blame you. I mean he doesn't look bad at all. Maybe being obsessed is good for you if that's what it makes you look like!" Angelina said.