Let's Get it Started

Oliver wasn't quite sure why the girls wanted to meet up with him after practice that day, but he had long ago learned not to question them. Which is why when Katie had flounced up to him just before he went into shower after practice and ordered him to be at her and Alicia's place that night, he had agreed without another word.

Now he was sitting in their flat, a beer in hand, as Angelina and Alicia went on about their days, wondering just why he was there again. Not that he didn't mind hanging out with them, just, this seemed an awful lot like a girls' night.

"So… how was your date with Lottie?" Alicia asked suddenly, causing him to sputter a bit on his beer. There it was. The reason he was there.

"We just went to the old park and played quidditch," he said, coughing slightly. Alicia huffed.

"Wow, way to woo her, Wood," she said dryly, frowning. Oliver frowned back.

"She enjoyed it. We're supposed to meet up this weekend, as you know," he said. "And well, Katie was the one who mentioned the park… Clara got me to put together a picnic. Stayed until nearly dark talking."

Alicia shared a look with Katie, as though she were confirming his account. The blonde nodded but said nothing.

"Though… to be honest… I'm not exactly sure where we stand. We had fun and she seemed to be enjoying herself, but…" Oliver stopped speaking, not sure how to complete that statement.

It was true. While he had thought that things went well and they had exchanged a few owls since then, he wasn't completely sure if she saw him as just a friend to reconnect with or something more.

There had been a fair bit of flirting. But then again, Oliver had never been all too good at reading anyone off a quidditch pitch. Especially women he was attracted to. Add it that Lottie was vastly different than before, and everything was a right good mess.

"Suppose it's just… new," he finally said.

"Alright, what's your plan for your next date," Alicia asked, seeming rather business-like about it. Which immediately had Oliver suspicious. Just why did she care? He glanced around to the others, noticing the hopeful look on Katie's face and the rather calculating look on Angelina's. Blimey, were they all in on this?

"Ehm… still working on that…," he admitted before taking a large drink. Truth be told, he wasn't sure where to take her. Maybe just a casual dinner and drinks? Or would she like to go to a match with him? She did really like quidditch, that he was sure of.

"You are not taking her to a match," Alicia said, rolling her eyes.

"What? I wasn't… she could like it," Oliver said, frowning again. How did Alicia know what he was thinking? "She likes quidditch!"

"Yes, but it's what you always do. And it usually only works to a point until they get tired of it. You've got to change your game," Alicia said.

"And just why are you so invested?" Oliver shot back. "And just what's wrong with my game?"

"Your game hasn't worked the last few witches," Alicia said pointedly. "Or… any of them if I'm being honest."

"We'd like to see you last longer than three dates," Angelina said gently, though she shot a look to Alicia that he couldn't quite decipher. Alicia glared back at her, but then huffed and shook her head.

"We just want you to be happy and you seem to really get on with Lottie," Katie added. "And well… you know how she used to be… figured you'd be good for her as well."

"You have any other ideas?" Alicia asked.

"Thought maybe dinner and drinks… know a few good places," he suggested, hoping they didn't ask him just what said places were. He was planning to ask Katie what sort of food Lottie liked, though definitely did not want to do that in front of Alicia. Perhaps he should ask his sister for help again.

Alicia glanced over at Katie, who took a deep breath.

"Actually… I have an idea that I know Lottie would like," she said. Oliver looked over at her, eager to hear it. "When she was in New York, she really got into muggle musicals… and just so happens that one of her favorites is going to be at the West End coming up soon…"

Oliver slowly started to grin. It was perfect. A night out at dinner and then the theater. No matter that he didn't have the foggiest idea about it, he could learn before then. And if it was something Lottie loved, he was willing to give it a go. Hadn't she mentioned something about that last weekend? Yes, she had. This would be perfect, he decided.

"How do I get tickets?" he asked.

"Ehm, well… I just so happen to already have two for opening night," Katie continued. The grin faded off his face.

"What's this? You lot think I can't handle a date on my own?" he asked, looking around at the three of them.

"Of course not!" Katie exclaimed. "I had gotten them for me and Lottie, but if you wanted to buy them off me and take her, I'm more than willing to do that. Really, you should see the show. It's fantastic. She took me all the time when I went to visit her."

Oliver studied her a moment, deciding that something was most definitely going on. The three women obviously knew something but weren't keen on sharing whatever it was with him.

But at the same time, he did want to impress Lottie so that she would think of him as more than just a friend. And this seemed like a good bet on doing that. He finally sighed and shook his head.

"Suppose that's a fair idea," he said.

Katie squealed and hopped up from her chair, running over to grab an envelope off the kitchen table and then running back. Alicia was wearing a smug grin, while Angelina seemed happy. She held it out to Oliver.

"You should surprise her with the tickets," Katie gushed. "She'll love it."

"Alright then…"

Marcus sighed as he sat down at the table in his favorite pub and glanced around at his three closest friends. They were often meeting up, so when Pucey had owled him about meeting up after work that day, he hadn't thought anything of it. But he couldn't help but notice there was a different sort of air around them that night.

Higgs poured him a beer from a pitcher and pushed it over.

"Good practice?" he asked. Marcus grunted the affirmative before taking a drink.

"The usual. Work good?" he asked. Higgs nodded, though glanced over at Pucey and Warrington.

"The usual," he said in response. "If you're up for it, we're nearly finished with the new prototype. Could use some professional feedback.

"Sure," Marcus agreed. He hoped this one was better than the last. Had nearly gotten a concussion when it threw him off.

"How's Bell?" Pucey asked smoothly, though both Higgs and Warrington shot him looks. Marcus didn't think much of it, still a bit tired from training.

"Good. Still trying to nail down a time to meet. Seems she's been dealing with a fair bit more work than usual," he replied. "Merlin, can you believe she became an auror?" Pucey snorted slightly.

"Never would have thought that Smell-" He stopped talking as Marcus shot him a dark look. "I mean… Bell… would have gone into auror training. She ran away from spiders at school."

"Certainly changed, that's for sure," Marcus replied, a fond smile coming across his face. "Wasn't expecting her to be so… entertaining."

"So she did like the restaurant," Adrian said, grinning. "Knew she would. All birds like that place. Where are you planning to take her next?"

Marcus frowned slightly. He had been going over that very thing ever since he had taken Lottie out the last time. Perhaps he shouldn't have set the bar so high. Now she would likely expect him to take her to fancy places every time. Or perhaps not - while she did seem to enjoy it, he could sense a bit of discomfort in the way she kept fussing with her dress and fidgeting every so often. Perhaps he should change it up and try something a bit more lowkey?

"Not sure," he said. "Perhaps she might like to go to a match. She seemed to be well versed in quidditch."

"No!" Pucey nearly shouted, causing Marcus to jump slightly.

"Fine, I won't," he replied, finding his response rather overdone. Adrian smiled again.

"I mean… you should make it special," he said smoothly. Marcus snorted.

"It's only our second date. Not trying to get into her pants by the end of the night," he retorted with a smirk. "Though I know that's your usual MO."

"Not that I think that's a particularly bad approach, but birds like her tend to like someone with more finesse… She's an auror, so will likely see right through any sort of scheme along those lines," Adrian said.

Marcus stared at him, not quite sure where this was coming from. Since when did Adrian know anything about Lottie Bell? He missed the look that went between Higgs and Warrington.

"Ehm… alright… did you have a suggestion?" Marcus asked, unsure if he wanted Pucey's advice on the matter. But he had done well with the restaurant. Perhaps he should listen to him again.

"She likes musicals," Pucey stated.

"How do you know?" Marcus asked.

"I know a lot of things," Adrian said. "How is not important, but she did live in New York a long time - it's the capital of muggle musicals."

"Suppose that makes sense," Marcus said, thinking it over. She had mentioned something about them a couple times during their date. "So… I should take her to a muggle musical on the West End?"

"Thinking a bit larger than that-"

"How do you feel about her?" Higgs asked, interrupting Pucey. Marcus looked over at him, seeing the rather serious look on his face. Higgs always was a bit more serious than the others, so it wasn't completely out of character.

"I want to see her again," Marcus said immediately. Higgs just gave him a look. Marcus sighed. "She's… feel like I haven't met many women like her. I can't seem to completely figure her out, which I suppose is because I'm basically getting to know her all over again. She's changed a lot. Though it's not like I knew much about her then."

"Do you see it going somewhere?" Warrington then asked, earning a frown from Adrian.

"I hope so," Marcus said, surprised at the third degree. Seemed a bit out of character for Warrington. He normally didn't care so much about who he dated – any of them for that matter. Granted, Marcus had never been one to date anyone seriously. But there was something about Lottie that made him think the idea wasn't so bad. "She's a bit of a challenge. And I haven't had someone make me feel this nervous in a long time."

"But are you really sure this is something you want to pursue?" Higgs asked. Marcus frowned. Now they were starting to get out of hand.

"Of course, I am," he stated. "Or… at least I'd like to find out more about her. Surely there's nothing wrong with that, at least?" Higgs and Warrington glanced at each other, neither seeming that convinced. "She's different, but… still got a kindness to her that was always there. And she's clever. Witty." Higgs sighed and shook his head. He then looked over at Pucey, motioning for him to speak.

"I know just what you should do to impress her," Pucey declared loudly. Marcus looked over at him, not quite understanding what this was all about. They were certainly acting odd tonight.

"And what is that?" Marcus asked.

"As I was saying - musicals. I just so happen to know which one is Bell's favorite," he said, grinning. "And it's in town."

"So… I should take her to see it?" Marcus asked, thinking it over. It didn't sound like such a bad idea. Even if he didn't know the first thing about muggle theater. He had time to learn.

"Problem is, it's sold out," Pucey said. Marcus frowned. Then why did he bring it up? But, Adrian was still grinning. "However, I so happen to have gotten invites to a VIP party with the cast."

"I… what? How did you figure that out? And why?" Marcus asked, completely perplexed as how Adrian had figured all this out. He didn't even put this much effort into his own dates. Pucey just smirked.

"Again, not important. Do you want the invites or not?" he asked. Marcus thought it over.

"Suppose I'll take them," he said. It was starting to sound like a good idea, even though he was still confused as to how this was happening.

But it would certainly impress Lottie. A night out with the cast of her favorite musical. He'd go from her former bully to her new hero in a heartbeat.

"Excellent," Pucey said, pulling an envelope out of his pocket and placing it on the table before he slid it over to Marcus. "Now… here's where you should take her to dinner first…"

Lottie rubbed her forehead as she walked back into the office with Potter. They had been out seeing to a suspected sighting of a dark wizard who had somehow managed to evade capture after the war and it had not gone as planned. It was a total bust and ended up being a complete waste of time.

She was frustrated. It was the first substantial case she had gotten and so far, she wasn't doing as well as she would have liked to. Even with the help that Potter was giving. She wanted to bring this one in as quickly as possible so she could get even better cases and finally prove herself capable to whoever it was assigning cases. She wanted bigger ones like this desperately.

And possibly so she could prove herself to Bernard and get him to lay off.

"I'm sure the next tip will be worthwhile," Harry said encouragingly. She smiled slightly as they walked towards their desks.

"Hopefully," she said with a sigh, appreciating his optimism. "Trust me… won't let this one get away. Been on the run far too long." A glint of determination entered her eyes.

"No doubt he won't. Not with you on the trail," Harry replied. "And… anyone tell you that you look a bit frightening when you're on the hunt?" Lottie chuckled.

"Just want to do the job well… and you're not doing so bad yourself," Lottie said as she sat down at her desk. She looked over it, intending to finish up some paperwork before they left that night, when two envelopes caught her eye. They hadn't been there when they left. She picked them up, her cheeks reddening slightly as she saw who they were from.

"Something bad?" Harry asked cautiously, taking in her change in demeanor.

"No," Lottie said quickly, shoving them into her purse as her cheeks reddened further. Harry just studied her.

"Alright, Bell. Something is going on," he said, a small smile on his face. "Anything to do with this bloke that you're seeing?"

"I… no," she said. Blimey, when had he picked up on that? Lottie made a point not to discuss too much of her personal life at work. Especially this. As she recalled, Potter had played on the Gryffindor team with Oliver. And knew Marcus from quidditch as well.

For whatever reason, she didn't want the Boy Who Lived to be judging her for going out on dates with both. Even if it wasn't anything serious just yet. And she fully intended to choose one… eventually. Wasn't really like her to date two people at once. She barely had time and energy for one relationship as it was.

"I know that look… Little Lottie has a crush," a deep voice said from behind her. Lottie looked over, her eyes widening as Bernard reached down into her purse and swiped the envelopes before she could even think to grab them. Damn him for still having his quidditch reflexes.

"Give those back!" Lottie shouted as she jumped to her feet. "And do not call me Little Lottie!" Bernard held them just out of her reach while he read the fronts. "Merlin, and you wonder why I stayed in the US so long!"

"Two letters from one Oliver Wood and… Marcus Flint," Bernard read before looking down at her, a curious look on his face. Lottie groaned and then kicked him in the shin, hard. Bernard grimaced slightly, giving Lottie the opening she needed to snatch the envelopes from him. She glared at him before walking back to her desk and sitting. Harry had already buried himself in paperwork, knowing not to say a word at this point.

"Git," Lottie shot at him. Bernard chuckled as he bent down and rubbed his shin.

"So… what's that about?" he asked, still grinning. "You dating both of them? Merlin, I thought I'd never see the day…"

"It's nothing," Lottie said, her cheeks turning red. "I'm an adult and I don't need to inform you of every little thing that I do."

"Ah, so you're doing something, are you?" Bernard replied. Lottie's look darkened. How she loathed her brothers teasing her. And Bernie was certainly the worst. She was just glad that Adam wasn't here to join in. They often fed off each other.

"Christ, how old are you?" she growled. "Shut it and go."

"Fine… I'd rather not know," Bernard said, chuckling as he walked away. "Don't forget! Mum wants us all round for lunch this Sunday!" Lottie groaned and dropped her head on her desk.

There was no way Bernie wasn't going to tell Adam. The two were likely to ambush her at lunch about it. Then her whole family would know.

"You want to talk about it?" Harry asked. She glanced up at him and then sat up.

"Not sure," she said, frowning down at the letters. She reached for the first one and opened it, scanning through the contents. Her eyebrows rose as she read. She then put it down and stared at it a bit longer before reaching for the other and opening it.

Once she had finished the second letter, she sat back in her chair.

Thankfully, neither had wanted to meet on the same night, but if she accepted, that meant another Friday and Saturday night booked. But they also hadn't told her where they were going, only informed her of the dress code. Which had her thinking that both men were taking her out for some sort of night out on the town.

She could feel her old anxiety start to flare up a bit and she worried just how long she could keep this up. The anxiety only increased as she thought that she needed to make a decision quickly. But then she chided herself for starting to get worked up. She hadn't spent as many years working on herself as she had just to go back to what she used to be. No, she was the new Lottie Bell. One that didn't back away from something because it scared her.

Sighing, Lottie just stared down at her desk. There was an odd mix of excitement and nerves running through her, both fighting for control. She had butterflies thinking about going out with both men again. But at the same time, she was confused. It seemed like both were intending to take things to the next level, but was that what she wanted? It hadn't worked out so well the last time she tried.

Then she heard Penny's voice in her head, telling her to just relax and have fun. To not think of things so seriously. She didn't have to take things so seriously. Lottie sighed and shook her head, smiling slightly. She then sat up and reached for parchment and a quill.

Certainly appeared as though she was going to have some fun this weekend.

Well, you know what this means – I finished another chapter! Been a productive day, I suppose, though honestly, I was supposed to clean. Eh well… did get some laundry done…

And well, I've been really inspired and want to get to some of the later chapters, so working hard at getting this story wrapped up.

Aphrodite-Venus-u.k – Oh, just wait… it gets better…

Thanks for reading and following!