Disclaimer: I disclaim all that requires disclaiming.
A/N: Believe it or not, this chapter would have taken even longer to get out if it weren't for my personal motivator over at LJ. Thanks, Emma. Additional thanks to everyone who reviewed, posted at the forum and read or commented over at my LJ. If all goes to plan, the next entry on my LJ will feature some (hopefully) exciting Castles news. The news will be cross-posted over at the forum as well. Look out for it.
Chapter Four
It is not time or opportunity that is to determine intimacy – it is disposition alone. Seven years would be insufficient to make some people acquainted with each other, and seven days are more than enough for others.
Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen
Amy, Amy, Amy.
That was all anyone heard from George's mouth for the next few days.
"Did you know Amy owns eleven pets? She absolutely adores animals. She picks up strays all the time. You know, she once had a Crup named George. How weird is that?"
"I like your new top, Angelina. Amy would like it as well. Her favourite colour's purple. When she was younger, her whole room was painted dark purple. Have I mentioned that she grew up in Africa and India? Yeah, her father was a vet who looked after exotic animals like elephants and tigers. That's how she began to love animals."
"Amy can speak French, Hindi and German. She's trying to teach me a little of each. I can't get the hang of it, but she's a very patient teacher. Maybe she could teach you a bit. Wouldn't you like to know how to speak French?"
After five long days of this, Angelina had to get away. A few minutes before Amy was due to visit, she fled to Lee and Katie's place. When Lee opened the door to her, she could only sigh in relief.
"To what do we owe this pleasure?" he asked as Angelina swept by him.
"I had to get away from Amy-land."
"Ah. She over again tonight?"
Angelina nodded and threw her coat at Lee. "Yep. She comes over for dinner then stays for hours. It's not like there's any special occasion. I don't know why she always has to be hanging around the place."
"I'm no expert, but I think it might have something to do with George being there," Lee suggested.
Angelina rounded on him. "Was that a smart comment? It better not have been a smart comment because I don't have the patience. I had to listen to George go on about her all day in the shop."
Katie chose that moment to emerge from the kitchen. "Oh. I thought I heard your dulcet tones, Angelina. What brings you here?"
"Queen Amy is holding court back at the flat. My knees are still chafed from the last time she came around."
"Don't be so horrible. I think it's nice that she wants to spend so much time with George," Katie said, ignoring the frantic warning gestures she was getting from Lee.
Angelina folded her arms across her chest. "If you love her so much, she can be your new best friend."
Katie grinned and put her arm around Angelina's shoulders. "And give up spending time with you, sunshine? I could never do that. Where would I go to get my daily dose of childish pouting?"
"I'm not being childish!" she insisted. "I think it's weird that she's always around. She's so…clingy. You know, she keeps trying to start a conversation with me."
"How dare she," Lee said in mock outrage. Angelina glared at him and he held his hands up in surrender. "Right. I forgot. No smart comments."
"Come and sit down and we'll talk about it."
Angelina allowed Katie to draw her towards the sofa. Frankly, she didn't think talking about it was going to help. Everyone refused to see her point of view. Why couldn't they see that something wasn't right about her? Fred was blatantly encouraging George, but that was to be expected given his feelings about Alicia. Angelina had hoped for some support from Katie, but got little in the end. Perhaps she was still sore about the engagement party thing.
"Maybe you should make an effort to get to know her. We could end up being good friends with her," Katie said.
"You want her to replace Alicia, don't you?"
"Absolutely. Having only you as my best friend is driving me crazy. I never realised how much of a buffer Alicia provided."
Angelina scowled. "You're a nasty girl, Katie Bell."
"Me? I'm not the one looking to sabotage a friend's relationship."
"George will thank me later. They're not a good couple. She's too touchy-feely. Have you noticed that she's always touching him in some way?"
Katie raised her eyebrows. "That's rich coming from you. I've seen you and Fred in public. What the two of you get up to is positively indecent sometimes."
"Excuse me, but I've known Fred since I was eleven. Amy hasn't known George for long enough to be possessive."
"I hate to say it, but it sounds like you're the one being possessive of George in this case," Lee interrupted.
Angelina pretended she hadn't heard that. "We used to have such a wonderful group dynamic. If Amy pushes her way in it'll all be ruined. She'll start fights between us all."
"Honey, the only fights will be between you and George," Katie said solemnly. "If you get in the way of this he'll never forgive you. If you truly believe it's going to end badly, just let it happen naturally. It's much better if you're there to comfort George, not to gloat."
Angelina examined her fingernails pensively and decided it was time to own up to what she was really worried about. "But what if the whole thing's a roaring success? What then? We'll never see Alicia again because she won't want to come back. If George falls in love with Amy everything will change."
"That's life, Ang."
Katie nodded and patted her friend's leg. "Lee's right. Change is inevitable."
"I know. I just feel like I'm betraying Alicia somehow."
"Look, Alicia's made her decision, all right. Now George has made his; he wants to get on with his life. Let him," Lee advised.
"Besides, if you upset George you'll upset Fred. Do you want to cause tension after you guys have been getting along so well?"
"No," Angelina mumbled.
"So you'll try to be nice to Amy?"
"I guess so."
"That's my girl. Now, do you want some chocolate cake?"
Despite her new be-nice-to-Amy rationale, Angelina spent an hour with Lee and Katie. She wasn't quite ready to be friendly yet. She needed time to prepare herself. If she was truly going to give it a shot, then she needed a few days to purge her mind of all anti-Amy sentiments. Unfortunately, when she returned to the flat, her period of purging seemed unlikely.
"What took you so long? I thought you said you were only going to pick something up from Katie," Fred said, looking up from where he was going over some sales figures with George.
"I decided to stay for a bit. They had chocolate cake." Angelina tried to discreetly look around the flat for any sign of Amy. Apparently, she wasn't discreet enough though.
"Don't worry. She's already gone," George said, not looking up from his parchment.
"Are you talking about Amy? I didn't even realise she was coming over."
"Yes you did," George replied flatly. "I told you she was coming over five minutes before you suddenly remembered you had to get something from Katie. Funny coincidence that."
Angelina couldn't help but bristle somewhat. "Are you suggesting I left to avoid Amy?"
"You don't like her."
"That's not true at all!"
George finally looked up at her. "What are you doing tomorrow?"
"I'm meeting Katie for lunch then we might do some shopping. Why?"
"Tomorrow also happens to be Amy's day off. I'm sure she'd love to spend the day with you and Katie."
"How would you know?" Angelina asked, panicking at the idea of spending an entire day with Amy.
"Strangely enough, we do talk occasionally. She's told me how much she wants to get along with you. She was upset that you weren't here tonight. She thinks you already hate her."
Angelina fought the urge to roll her eyes. So, Amy was one of those people who always had to be liked by everyone. Kind of like…Alicia. Rebuking herself for making the comparison, Angelina thrust that thought away and turned to Fred for help. "Come on, guys, what reason could I possibly have to hate Amy?"
"I could name about twenty," Fred commented unhelpfully.
"So if you really don't hate her, you'll invite her along tomorrow. Spend the day getting to know her and I promise you won't regret it."
Angelina frowned doubtfully. She needed to adjust her mentality so that she didn't automatically treat her as an enemy. That would take time. What George was suggesting wouldn't allow for much adjustment. "But what if she and I just don't get along. It's possible. I can be a little abrasive sometimes."
Fred gasped. "You? Abrasive? Never!"
"Shut up."
"I guess you won't know until you give it a try."
"If we turn out to be…incompatible, it'll be worse than it is now. We won't be able to be in the same room," Angelina said.
George shrugged and looked back down at the parchments spread before him. "I can't make you do it. I just thought it would be nice. It would definitely make things easier for me but – whatever. Have you got the figures for last week, Fred?"
Fred handed over the parchment as he shot Angelina a very dirty look. She rolled her eyes, appearing nonchalant as her conscience screamed at her. It really did mean a lot to George. There wasn't anything stopping her from being friends with Amy. She probably wasn't a horrible person; she just wasn't Alicia either.
"I'm going to bed," Angelina said quietly. The boys didn't reply so she slipped away, her eyes lowered shamefully.
After changing into her pyjamas, Angelina lay in bed staring at the dark ceiling. What would Alicia say if she knew what was going on? She'd probably want everyone to be friends with Amy. She was like that. Sickeningly righteous, Angelina thought.
The bedroom door creaked open and Fred stood there, silhouetted against the light from the hallway. She closed her eyes quickly and pretended to be asleep as he entered. The bed dipped slightly as he sat down beside her.
"You've upset my brother."
Angelina didn't move a muscle.
"I know you're not asleep. Open your eyes and tell me exactly what you think you're doing."
Oh crap. He sounded angry. It had been a while since she'd heard that hard edge to his voice. Slowly, she opened eyes. She could barely make out his shadow. He remedied this by flicking his wand and saying, "Lumos."
"Ah." Angelina threw her hand over her eyes. "Was that necessary?"
"I want to see your face when you explain why you felt the need to do that to him."
"Do what?"
"Don't play around with me, Angelina. I think we know each other too well for that. Tell me why you won't do this one simple thing for George."
She sat up, reacting involuntarily to the attack. "It's not one thing and it's not simple! You of all people should know that I don't like being told what to do. You and George are telling me to be friends with Amy. I won't do it."
Fred shook his head wearily, as if he'd been expecting her to say that. "Don't be stupid. No one's telling you what to do. You're being a bitch because you like being a bitch."
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me. Stop being cold and cynical and stubborn and vindictive. There's no need to punish George and Amy for something Alicia did. Get over it and stop living in the past. Amy is George's future whether you like it or not."
Angelina gaped at Fred. He hadn't spoken to her like that in a long time. Oddly, it made tears spring to her eyes. Once upon a time, she'd have flown into a rage when confronted with such antagonism. Now she felt bereft.
Fred continued, "George respects you. It would mean a lot if you became friends with Amy. If you refuse to make an effort, it'll crush him. If you knowingly do that…"
He left this hanging, but Angelina had no doubt as to what would happen. She'd be looking for a new place to live, and possibly a new boyfriend. "Are you giving me an ultimatum?" she asked.
"If that's what you want to call it."
Angelina slid back off the bed, never taking her eyes off him. "You know what? Go to hell, Fred."
"Goodnight to you, too," he replied calmly. He raised his wand and said, "Nox."
Plunged into sudden darkness, Angelina stumbled out of the room and slammed the door. Out in the hall she paused, leaning against the wall and blinking back tears. She thought she and Fred had grown out of petty fights. Old habits really did die hard.
"Are you all right?" George asked.
Angelina looked up to see him peering out of his bedroom. He looked genuinely concerned. She had no idea how he was able to do this when she'd just refused to be nice to his girlfriend. It was probably what made him so special. Did Amy deserve him? Had Alicia even deserved him?
"I'm sorry," she said sincerely.
"Nothing to apologise about," he replied brusquely. "You choose your own friends, right? I'm sure you have a very good reason for not wanting to get to know Amy."
"I have lots of reasons," she admitted, "but none of them are good."
"I know what the main reason is, but none of this has anything to do with Alicia. Amy's not a replacement or a substitute. I'm not seeing her till Alicia comes back. This is for real."
"You really like her," Angelina realised. "It's not like a casual thing, is it? This could be big."
George nodded and smiled. "It could turn into anything. It'd mean a lot to me if you were onboard."
"Why?"
"You're my friend and I respect your opinion. Other than that, you're simply the best judge of character I know. If Amy gets your tick of approval, it'll be all I need."
Pride tickled at the back of Angelina's mind "Really? What I think matters that much to you?"
"Of course. I at least know you want what's best for me. It's the same with Fred. You two just want me to be happy, right?"
"Right," Angelina said quickly. That was all that mattered. It shouldn't have anything to do with Alicia, or with Fred. Him being angry with her wouldn't change the bottom line. "Invite her along, George. Tell her we'll meet here at eleven tomorrow morning and that we'll be going to a Muggle café nearby called Paris Interlude."
"Are you sure?"
"Absolutely. I'm sick of being stuck with Katie all the time. Amy will provide a nice change. Do me a favour and let Katie know as well."
George smiled and went over to her. "Thanks. I'll write them both a letter now. Amy'll be so pleased." Blushing a little, he kissed her quickly on the cheek.
Angelina watched him disappear back into his room. She put her hand over her cheek and looked back at the closed door of her own room. She wasn't quite ready to go back in there yet so she went out into the living room. The day had been an emotionally draining one. She curled up on the sofa and stared blankly into the darkness.
She wanted to sleep, but a constant barrage of thoughts kept her from truly relaxing. What if it turned out that she really didn't like Amy? Would she tell George or would she have to pretend? What would Fred think of this? Would he think she hadn't tried hard enough? He'd be so disappointed and ashamed that he'd kick her out.
An insidious, unsettling thought loomed at the back of Angelina's mind. The fight with Fred had upset her in more ways than one. The horrible thought that had crept into her mind was a truly frightening one. She refused to contemplate it so she kept it at bay, warding it off with thoughts of lunch the next day. What was she going to wear? What was she going to say?
She had almost lulled herself into sleep when a door creaked open. The footsteps that came padding down the hall were instantly recognisable. "Angelina? What are you doing out here?"
"I'm trying to sleep," she muttered.
"Then why don't you come to bed?" Fred asked.
"Because you're in it."
"Oh." He approached and stopped in front of her. "Will you come to bed if I sleep on the floor?"
"I'm perfectly comfortable here. Goodnight," she said crisply.
"So there's no chance of you coming to bed?"
"Nope."
"All right." Fred sat down in front of her and grabbed one of the cushions off the sofa. He proceeded to make himself comfortable right there on the floor beside her. "Sweet dreams."
Angelina sighed. "Why can't you just leave me alone?"
"It's my job to bug you."
"Just like it's your job to be rude and insult me?"
"I'm sorry I said all of that stuff. I didn't mean it. I got angry because I had to see the look on Amy's face when George told her that you weren't home. I then had to see the look on George's face when you told him you wouldn't have lunch with Amy."
"Were you ashamed of me?" she asked softly, dreading the answer.
"I defended you like I always do. George thought it was rude of you to leave and I told him that you were free to come and go as you pleased. When Amy suggested that you disliked her for no apparent reason, I explained that you were being loyal to your friend."
"Why'd you get so angry later if you bothered to defend me in the first place?"
"I may not always like what you do, but I'll always stand up for you in public. Other people don't understand you the way I do," Fred said, reaching up to stroke her hair. "When I get angry with you it's because I know you're doing something that's not really like you. I know you're not really a bitch, but other people can only see what's on the surface. It annoys me that you keep acting like you don't care. People are bound to start thinking you're heartless."
Angelina blinked back tears and pushed his hand away. "Perhaps I am heartless. Have you ever thought of that?"
Fred got up on his knees and moved towards her so that their lips were inches from touching. "You're so totally devoted to Alicia that it puts the rest of us to shame. No one so loyal could ever be called heartless."
"If my loyalty's so admirable then why is everyone trying to get me to accept Amy?"
"Because being friends with Amy isn't a betrayal of Alicia. You'd be doing it for George."
Angelina sniffed and sat up. "I told him to invite her."
"I know. I heard you. He really appreciates it."
"Just so you know, I didn't do it because of your stupid little ultimatum."
Fred nodded, but she missed the slight gesture in the dark. "I know you didn't. It was a stupid thing for me to say in the first place. I totally lost the plot. Do you forgive me?"
"I'm too tired to think about it at the moment. We'll see in the morning."
"Come to bed?"
Angelina stood up, stretching her cramped muscles. "All right, but only because the sofa is lumpy. You're not allowed to touch me."
"I'll stay on my side of the bed," Fred promised. Luckily, it was dark enough for her to miss the glimmer in his eye.
They headed back to their room. Angelina climbed into bed and kept so far to her own side that she was in danger of falling out.
"Cold night," Fred said casually as he joined her.
"It's not too bad," she returned, fighting to keep her teeth from chattering and giving her away.
"All right then. Good night."
"Night," Angelina murmured.
It started with his fingertips on the small of her back. She didn't react so he pressed the palm of his hand against her. Angelina shuddered at the heat resonating from that one spot. Sure, Fred was an idiot sometimes, but he was her idiot. She slid back a little and his arm slipped around her middle.
Fred gave a relieved little sigh. "You know I love you, right?"
"Yes."
"Good. Just checking."
Angelina hugged his hand to her chest as she drifted off to sleep. Her mind began to relax and protective barriers fell away, allowing that dangerous thought to sweep in unbidden. It would invade her dreams that night.
Fred loves me, but does he love me more than George?
xxxxx
Raunchier.
Alicia stared at the word scrawled in bright red ink. What did her boss mean by that? She'd submitted the second part of her interview with Oliver that morning, only to have it returned covered in red marks.
"What does he want me to do?" Alicia asked, turning to her fellow correspondent for help.
Jacob looked up briefly from the research he was doing. "The people want sex, Spinnet. You're giving them rainbows and puppies and dandelions."
"It's an interview with a famous Quidditch player! It's not meant to be sexy."
"It's an interview with a player you happen to have had a wild love affair with. Everyone wants to know about the sex. No one cares that Wood is starting up some boring charity. They want to know if he's a good shag."
Alicia gritted her teeth. "Like I keep telling you, I was only fifteen when I was with Oliver. We did nothing more than kiss."
"That's not what the tabloids say," Jacob replied, slamming his book shut and propping his feet up on the desk.
"You of all people should know that those tabloids have no journalistic integrity whatsoever."
"You should know that a top-notch journalist has to collate information from many sources. I even read somewhere that you had Wood's child at Hogwarts but gave it up for adoption because you were too young."
"They actually reported that rubbish like that?" Alicia shrieked. "Gullible people out there will think I had Oliver's child in secret. My God. What if my mum or dad reads that?"
"No need to get all worked up. Simply set the record straight by making a statement if you're so worried."
"I can't do that. The Prophet has forbidden me to talk to any other media about Oliver. The paper gets the exclusive when I decide to talk."
Jacob leapt up suddenly, grinning from ear to ear. He dropped to his knees beside Alicia's chair and clasped his hands together. "Give me the interview. Talk about Wood to me. We're friends, right?"
"You tease me all the time! For the last week you've been calling me the teacher's pet."
"Awfully sorry about that. I meant to say that you're incredibly smart. That's why you got something published before I did. It's got nothing to do with favouritism.
"Last night you called me stupid for wanting to go see the Louvre."
"I'll go there with you tomorrow if you grant me the interview. I'll be gentle. It won't have to be very probing because I can put an interesting spin on things. It's sure to be published," Jacob said, his eyes gleaming at the thought of his first by-line.
Alicia shook her head firmly. "I'm sorry, but I won't be doing any interviews. There's nothing to tell."
He stood up, looking like a child who had been denied a sweet. "If it's so uninteresting, why did you bother to tell the whole damn world? Fame? Reputation? Bragging rights?"
"I thought everyone might go a little easier on Oliver if they knew about me. They wouldn't have to keep bugging him about his love life. Let them focus on me for a while. I can handle the scrutiny."
"Well, don't expect anyone to stay interested in you if you don't start to dish some dirt. If you publish the second part of your interview as it is, everyone will have forgotten your name in a matter of days. They'll be back to following Oliver around and getting interviews with his one-night stands."
Alicia sighed and put her head in her hands. "How am I supposed to make something seem raunchy when it really isn't raunchy at all?"
"I'm sure you'll figure it out. You're the star pupil, after all. You can do no wrong." Jacob went and grabbed his coat from the coat rack. "I'm going out to find somewhere to get drunk. Maybe if you did the same you wouldn't be such a boring prospect."
Alicia scowled at him. "Maybe if you stopped enjoying the nightlife so much you'd actually get something in the paper."
"Touché, cupcake."
"Go away."
Jacob slammed the door shut behind himself, leaving Alicia alone with her interview. The red marks glared up at her. She didn't even have time to do a proper re-write. Her deadline was in an hour. As Alicia had quickly learned, deadlines were torturous creations that loomed threateningly all the time. She was constantly on a deadline, which made her feel like she had to be working all the time. If she didn't spend all her time writing, the deadline would whoosh by.
Conveniently, writing all the time also helped keep her mind off George. She'd been quite restrained lately, but every once in a while she'd spot someone with red hair or freckles. Then it'd be nothing but George for an hour or so. Mostly she wondered what he was doing. Knowing him, he'd be staying at home a lot and throwing himself into the joke shop. He avoided things as much as she did. It was a little silly of them to both be holed up on opposite sides of the world.
Alicia had yet to write a letter to him. She'd sent one addressed to everyone when she had arrived in Paris two days ago. She was yet to hear anything back. Secretly, she hoped that George would write back to her personally. Being stuck with stupid Jacob most of the time made her feel decidedly unloved. Any word from George would be very welcome.
Alicia put a stop to her George musings before they could take hold. She had work to do. She had to salvage her interview from being relegated to the bottom corner of page forty-two.
xxxxx
Katie double-checked her appearance in the floor length mirror. She looked nice, not intimidating or unfriendly. Just pleasant in an unobtrusive sort of way. God only knew what Angelina would wear. She'd probably go for something shocking or provocative. Amy seemed like a conservative sort of person. Angelina would probably show up in a tiny pair of shorts and a torn shirt.
Katie grabbed her handbag and wand. Here goes nothing, she thought. She cleared her mind and Apparated.
"You're early!" Angelina shrieked.
Katie opened her eyes and blinked a few times, still a little disorientated by Apparating. "Early? I'm right on time, Ang. Aren't you ready?"
"Almost," she answered, hopping around the living room as she tried to put on her other shoe.
"You look lovely," Katie noted.
"I look like a boring school teacher. I hope Amy appreciates the effort I've gone to."
"I'm sure George will."
"Hey, do you own a fur coat or an alligator skin purse?"
Katie gave her friend a reproachful look. "Don't you dare. You're not allowed to order anything with meat in it either. We're going to respect Amy's-"
"Weird obsession with animals," Angelina interrupted.
"The same could be said about you and Quidditch," Katie replied archly.
"Oh, this is going to be a fun day. I'm supposed to be as nice as possible and you're in one of your snarky moods."
"Stupid Lee gave some extra money this morning and told me to buy myself something pretty."
"God, that must have been awful. You poor girl. Will that boy never learn?"
Katie sniffed dismissively. "Your sarcasm is not helping. Grab your stuff and let's get downstairs."
"Fine. Let's get this over with."
Katie rolled her eyes as she followed Angelina out of the flat. It was going to be a long day.
Downstairs, Amy was talking to Fred and George about something. She was gesturing animatedly and the twins listened rapturously. Angelina had to clear her throat to get their attention.
"Sorry to interrupt," Katie said.
"Not all," Amy said, waving her hand.
Fred turned to Angelina and smiled brightly. "Amy was telling us about the time she and her father were chased by a hippo. A hippo!"
"Wow. A hippo. That's…terrific," Angelina said, clearly confused as to whether it was good or bad to be pursued by a hippopotamus.
"Oh, it was nothing," Amy said demurely. "I was just about to come upstairs. George distracted me as soon as I came into the store."
"I didn't hear you complaining about my particular method of distraction." George laughed and hugged her around the waist. She pretended to fend him off as he kissed her cheek.
Angelina dug her fingernails into Katie's back. The smile on her face was more than a little strained. Even Katie had to admit that it was slightly disconcerting to see George kissing and touching someone who wasn't Alicia. At the same time, she tried to keep in mind that it was his right to choose who he kissed and touched.
"Next time just wave something shiny in front of him and he'll leave you alone," Katie advised. "That always works well with Lee."
"Thanks for the tip. I'll remember it for next time, but I have to admit that I don't really mind his method of distraction. I quite welcome it, actually." Amy turned her head and George kissed her on the lips.
Angelina almost drew blood. Katie stepped away and rubbed her traumatised skin as discreetly as she could. Fred must have been picking up on the distressed vibe his girlfriend was giving off because he clapped his hands together and said, "Right. You ladies had better get going. You don't want to miss lunch."
"That'd be devastating," Angelina said under her breath.
"Pardon?" Amy asked politely.
"Nothing. Just thinking out loud."
There was a moment of awkward silence. Katie wanted to go home. This lunch date was shaping up to be uncomfortable, difficult and downright bitchy. To think, she could be having lunch with Lee or sitting at home watching daytime television. Somehow she'd fallen into the peacemaker role in Alicia's absence. She now had a greater appreciation for her friend's ability to constantly preach and scold. Keeping Angelina on a short leash was not easy.
"We better get going. We'll need to get a table before the lunch rush hits," Katie said, trying to sound as enthusiastic as she could.
Angelina kissed Fred goodbye as Amy did the same with George. Angelina made sure that her kiss was longer, then pulled away. Katie looped her arms around both women's waists and led them out of the shop. They might as well appear united as they left. Katie wouldn't be surprised if someone returned with a black eye.
There was little talk on the way to the Muggle café. Katie tried to make small talk with Amy, but it was hard to do with Angelina pointing out random things every so often.
"Katie, look at the size of that pigeon. That's got to be the fattest pigeon I've ever seen."
Amy, undeterred by the interruption, paused in the middle of telling Katie that she lived in a flat with some of her workmates. "That was a pretty big pigeon. It didn't look very healthy either. Poor little thing."
"What is it you always say about pigeons, Kate?" Angelina enquired innocently. "Rats with wings? They should be poisoned?"
Katie was tempted to stick out her foot and trip Angelina over. "I never said they should be poisoned. I don't think they should be poisoned, Amy."
She smiled, taking it in her stride. "It's fine. I don't like all animals either. I respect them all, but there are some I simply can't stand. Like eels for instance."
"I love eels," Angelina said immediately. "They're the most adorable things."
Katie cleared her throat to warn her friend to back off. She pointed up ahead. "Oh look, there's the café. It's right up ahead, Amy. Have you ever eaten at Paris Interlude?"
"No," Amy answered, giving Angelina a confused sideward glance. "I think one of my roommates has though. She said it was lovely."
"Katie and I have lunch there every Wednesday. It's our little ritual. Just the two of us," Angelina added pointedly.
Even Amy couldn't miss that hint. "Oh, I didn't realise I was intruding on anything. I hope George didn't bully you into this. I thought the invite was your idea, Angelina. I'll go and find somewhere else to eat if I'll end up being too much of a burden."
"You're serious, aren't you?" Angelina asked, looking astounded. "You'd actually go and eat somewhere by yourself if we asked you to."
Amy shrugged. "I'm not going to push my way into the group. If you don't want me around, I'll back off. I don't want to make life difficult for George."
Katie could tell that she was being perfectly sincere. Angelina obviously reached the same conclusion because she sighed loudly and lengthened her stride. "It's like trying to pick a fight with a freaking saint."
"I'm sorry, Amy. We try to hide sedatives in her food, but she always manages to dig them out," Katie said.
Angelina tossed her hair over her shoulder and breezed into the café. "I heard that and it's not my fault. How am I supposed to fight with someone who won't bite back?"
"Do you happen to have access to animal tranquillisers, Amy? I think those might work a little better in this case."
"Shut up, Katie. I'm trying to be friendly and you're ruining it."
Amy was laughing as she took her seat at the table Angelina had selected. "George mentioned that you two were always like this. I didn't believe him, but you girls really are a scream. I can't believe you can joke around so easily with each other."
"Oh, I'm not joking, honey. Angelina needs to be very heavily medicated."
"You're not amusing, Katie," Angelina said dryly. She turned to Amy. "She's only cranky because her boyfriend gave her money this morning. At Hogwarts she was a nice enough person. Now she frightens old people and children."
Katie glared across the table and snapped open her menu. "So, tell us more about yourself, Amy."
And so it began. After an initial frosty period, the conversation flowed freely over lunch. There was a slightly tense moment when Angelina ordered a chicken salad, but Amy insisted she didn't mind what people ate around her. For the most part Angelina was amicable. By the look of it, she found Amy's stories of growing up abroad interesting.
"Didn't you ever miss England when you were away?" Katie asked over coffee.
"I didn't really know England enough to be homesick for it. I was four when my mother died and five when my father took me to Africa. I was there till I was thirteen, so part of me still considers that my home. Another part of me thinks of India as my home because I was most settled there. I went to a lot of places in between as well. Dad went where ever the work was."
"Wow," Angelina said quietly.
Katie hid a smile. Angelina was definitely coming around to Amy. Her stories of adventures in exotic places seemed to strike a cord. Katie decided it would be best to let Amy do most of the talking. "Did you go to school or anything when you were away?"
"I haven't had any formal schooling at all," Amy answered. "My father taught me how to read and write in our first few years in Africa. When I was seven he got a position on a team of vets that worked on a large reserve. He was busy a lot of the time so I was looked after by a nanny. I had lessons with her everyday. Unfortunately, she was a Muggle and didn't know my father was a wizard."
"You received no magical instruction?" Angelina demanded, looking aghast.
"Not until I got to India. I didn't even know I was capable of doing magic until I got my Hogwarts letter. I remember crying for days after my father told me I couldn't go." Amy looked down into her coffee cup. "I hated him for it at the time. Now I understand that even though he was a very capable wizard, the magical world wasn't the place for him. He loved Muggle animals. And he loved me. If I left him, he'd have nothing to remind him of my mother."
Katie exchanged a glance across the table with Angelina. Perhaps they were prying too much. Time to change the subject. "Where should we go shopping?" Angelina asked.
"Shopping?" Amy asked, looking up quickly. "You want me to go shopping with you as well?"
"Of course," Katie replied. "In fact, we'd like you to have lunch and shop with us every Wednesday. Isn't that right, Angelina?"
Angelina's answer came quicker than Katie had expected. "Right. I'm afraid Katie has abysmal taste in clothes. I could do with a second opinion."
"I wouldn't be intruding?"
"Absolutely not."
Amy blushed a little. "Oh. Well, thanks. I've never had…friends. I mean I have friends, of course. I just don't have any life-long friends that I do things with regularly. I never got to have a group of school friends."
Angelina frowned contemplatively and said, "I can't imagine what my life would be like without Katie and the boys. You don't see any of the people you knew in Africa and India?"
"In Africa, there weren't any children my age at the reserve homestead I lived in. The few African children I interacted with couldn't understand a word I said. India was a little better. My father and I lived in a village on the outskirts of a tiger sanctuary. I had a best friend there. We used to do everything together. Jai's grandfather was actually the wizard who taught me magic." Amy shook her head, as if shaking off the memories. "But I haven't seen Jai since I was seventeen."
This comment sent the mood plummeting. Lunch was apparently over. As soon as the bill was settled, Amy excused herself and went off to the bathroom. Katie and Angelina went outside to wait for her on the street. Neither spoke. Katie was thinking about how different her own life would have been if she had never gone to Hogwarts. She'd never have met Angelina, Alicia, or the twins. No Lee, either. It was a horrifying thought.
"I'm glad you're here," Angelina said abruptly.
Katie looked over at her. She was staring off into the distance. She had obviously been experiencing similar thoughts. Katie threw her arms around Angelina. "I love you, too."
"That's not what I meant. Get off me," she said gruffly.
"You'd be lost without me," Katie said, clinging to her.
"I'd do fine by myself. My skin's a lot thicker than Amy's."
"Your head's also a lot thicker," she couldn't help adding.
Angelina snorted. "Yeah. Where would I be without your constant insults?"
Katie finally released her and patted her on the head. "I insult because I love. You know that."
"Whatever."
"Come on. We're lucky. Alicia may be away, but we've still got more than some people have. After all we've been through, we're still together. Most friendships don't last as long as ours has."
"No one else would put up with us," Angelina said.
"Amy seems to be handling us quite well." Katie winced as she saw Angelina's expression harden slightly. She pressed on though. "There's still an obvious hole in our group. If Amy's willing to step into it, why not let her?"
"Because it's not that simple. You yourself pointed out that we've been friends for a long time. We're used to having things a certain way. Amy's not Alicia. We can't make her into Alicia. What if Amy ends up ruining our friendship?"
"Then she's out," Katie said firmly. "The first sign of trouble and I promise she's out on her arse. Nothing's worth risking our friendship for."
This time, Angelina turned and hugged Katie. "I'd go insane if you weren't around. Losing Alicia was bad enough."
Katie hugged her back. "Let's write her a letter when we get home. We haven't written her one since she got to Paris."
Angelina suddenly pulled away, looking distraught. "Do you think we should tell her about Amy?"
Katie had been contemplating this ever since finding out that she was George's girlfriend. She'd only recently reached a decision. "I don't see much point in telling her. George can do it if he feels he has to tell her."
"But…if we told her, she might come rushing home to get George back. Hearing about him being with someone else could be just the push she needs."
"Yeah. It could push her right back into Oliver's arms. Or worse – a stranger's arms. If she thinks she's being left behind, she'll retaliate. You know how she hates being left out."
Angelina nodded, looking as if she too had finally reached a conclusion. "Good point. There's not much to tell yet anyway. If they break up soon, we'll have worried her for no reason. We should leave it for a while."
"Agreed. In the meantime, we be nice to Amy, obviously, but try our best to leave her and George to their own devices. No meddling."
"What was that look for? Are you accusing me of meddling?"
"It was a general warning."
"A warning directed at me. I never meddle."
Katie raised her eyebrows. "And I suppose you never overreact or behave spitefully either."
"That's right."
"Remind me to add delusional to your list of mental issues."
Angelina glared. Slowly, that glare turned into a smile and the pair dissolved into giggles. They were still giggling when Amy re-joined them.
xxxxx
"Romantic place, isn't it?"
"No, Alicia, I will not sleep with you."
Alicia sighed and shook her head wearily. "Must you ruin every moment?"
"Must you throw yourself at me time and time again?" Jacob returned.
"You really are the most difficult person I've ever met. And, frankly, that's saying something."
"You can flatter me all you like, but I'm still not going to shag you."
"I'll try to keep my tears of disappointment to a minimum," Alicia said dryly.
She was on the Eiffel Tower with Jacob. The lights of Paris stretched before them like a blanket of twinkling stars. It was one of the most beautiful things Alicia had ever seen. Such a sight should have made her happy, instead, she felt like crying. Going to Paris was something you were meant to experience with a lover or a friend. Alicia was stuck with Jacob, whose ego was roughly the size of Paris itself.
Even Cassie wasn't around. The assignment in Paris was a relatively easy one, so she had gone ahead to Germany. The next morning the team was going to be present for the announcement of the next European Cup host city. They'd be joining Cassie in Berlin later that night. All of this meant Alicia only got to spend a few days in Paris. In Sydney she'd had time to get oriented. This time it was a whirlwind visit. Today had been their only day off, so she had dragged Jacob around to various Parisian landmarks.
Alicia had been working so hard on her Oliver interview that she'd actually been looking forward to taking a break. Like many other young women, Alicia thought of Paris as an intensely romantic place. She hadn't been disappointed in that respect. Romance was blossoming all around her. Everywhere they went, she and Jacob had been surrounded by couples kissing and whispering sweet nothings. It almost made her want Jacob. He wasn't bad looking or anything; he just had this bad habit of…speaking.
There had been a particularly embarrassing moment in the Louvre. Alicia had been admiring the Mona Lisa when Jacob had, quite loudly, said, "Why would someone want to paint such an ugly woman? Aren't there any naked sculptures in this place?"
Alicia had been furious. She'd always imagined standing in front of the Mona Lisa and having an intelligent discussion about Da Vinci's use of light and texture.
Nothing was turning out right. Alicia wasn't finding her job as enjoyable as she'd thought it would be. Even travelling the world wasn't much fun when you did it by yourself.
"So what's his name?" Jacob asked, drawing Alicia out of her reverie.
"Who?"
"The bloke you left in England. Cassie told me she reckons you left someone behind."
"I left a lot of people behind," Alicia answered guardedly.
"Did you love him?"
"I don't see how it's any of your business."
Jacob took no heed. "The way I see it, you either get over him and stop moping about, or you go back to him."
Alicia had had enough of the conversation and the view. "Wow. You're vain and tactless." She turned to leave.
Jacob took her arm firmly. "Righto. Let's go back to my hotel room and get it over and done with. Only once, though, and no cuddling afterwards."
Alicia shoved him away. "I've known many idiots in my time, but you are the biggest idiot of them all," she said, turning red as her irritation grew.
"Tell me, how old were you when you lost your sense of humour?"
"I happen to have a very healthy sense of humour," Alicia said through gritted teeth. She could hardly squeeze the words out past the lump in her throat.
"All you've done since I met you is complain and scold and be generally boring. What's your bloody problem?"
"You! All of you!" Alicia shouted, drawing the attention of many canoodling couples.
"All of who? What are you talking about? Are you crying?"
Alicia swiped angrily at her eyes. She stomped back over to the railing and looked out over the city. "Go back to the hotel. Go find a bar or something. I don't care."
"You aren't going to try to jump off the Tower?"
"If you don't leave I just might. I want to be alone."
Jacob came up beside her. "What sort of person do you think I am? I'm not going to leave you alone in a foreign country when you're crying."
"You're off the hook. I just want to be alone."
"I don't think that's what you want at all."
Alicia turned to him, more tears of frustration escaping as she spoke. "How would you know what I want?"
"Christ, you're a real piece of work, Spinnet. I'm here trying to help you and you keep jumping down my throat," Jacob said.
"The only reason you spent the day with me was because you thought I might change my mind about giving you that interview. That's the only reason you're bothering to spend time with me."
"That's not the reason. Ok. That's not the only reason. I don't know anyone here either. You're not the only person who's allowed to feel lonely."
Alicia's mouth snapped shut. Somehow she'd forgotten that she wasn't the only person who'd had to leave their old life behind. Jacob must have had friends he left in England. He might have even had a girlfriend. "I'm sorry," she said quietly.
"So you should be. I may be vain and tactless, but you're selfish and thoughtless."
"I know," she sobbed.
"I was only joking. What are you crying about?"
"We're so close," Alicia whispered. "Australia's one thing, but being here has made me want to go home. There's only a bit of water separating us. People have swum across the English Channel, you know. I could be back in England in a few hours if I took the Chunnel."
"Oh, I'm sure Francis would love it if you just pissed off back home for a holiday."
"For good," Alicia clarified. "I want to got to England and stay there."
"You'd quit?" Jacob asked, looking more than a little surprised. "But you're such a good journalist. Better than me, even. You'd give it up?"
"I can't make up my mind," she admitted.
"I think you're just having a bad day. That probably has a bit to do with me. Tomorrow you'll feel better. We'll be in a new place tomorrow night. I doubt you'd be able to swim from Germany to England."
"I can hardly swim at all," Alicia said, smiling a little.
"I want to go home sometimes as well. It's natural. All you have to do is remember that you're here because you're exceptional."
"I'm exceptional?"
Jacob nodded. "We both are. We were chosen out of the hundreds who applied for a reason. It wasn't some random lottery."
Alicia dried her eyes and looked back out at the array of lights. "We are a little special, I guess."
"Do you want to give up your specialness?"
"Specialness isn't a word."
"Are you sure?"
"Quite."
"Hmm."
You weren't meant to cry in Paris. Alicia sniffled, feeling a little sheepish for falling apart. So much for being a tough, cynical journalist.
Jacob shuffled a little closer to her and put his arm around her shoulders. "Is this all right?"
"Yes," Alicia said leaning into him slightly. It was oddly comforting.
"I thought I'd check first. Wouldn't want you to punch me."
"It's fine. Thanks."
"And what if I were to kiss you right now?"
"I'd punch you."
"Fine. Ok. Good to know."
Alicia checked her watch. It was getting late and they had a lot to do the next day. She'd come back to Paris one day. She'd scale the Eiffel Tower again, this time with someone she loved.
"Will you come to the Seine with me for a while? I've heard it's particularly beautiful at night."
"Now you want to go look at a river?" Jacob asked.
"Yes."
"I'll come with you, but I get to choose where we go in Berlin."
"Why do I get the feeling I'd end up in strips clubs and fast food restaurants?"
Jacob grinned. "It's like you've known me my entire life."
Alicia returned the smile. "Let's go."
"Let's." Jacob gave her shoulder a little squeeze then released her.
They made their way back to the centre of the Tower. It was then that Alicia ran straight into someone who came hurrying around the corner. She lost her balance and would have fallen if
Jacob hadn't grabbed her.
"Watch it," Jacob said to the stranger, who just glared. "Apologise to the lady."
The stranger gave Alicia a look that clearly meant he blamed for their collision. Alicia didn't like the look of the guy at all. He sneered at Jacob and pushed past them.
"Are you all right?" Jacob asked.
Alicia straightened her clothes out a bit. "I'm fine. Let's go."
"French men are so rude," he commented.
Alicia nodded in vague agreement. They weren't to know it, but the man wasn't from France at all. He was Russian. He also happened to be a recent graduate from Durmstrang. The tattoo of a snake and skull was still fresh on his wrist. He was a Death Eater in the country on business.
Alicia hadn't seen the last of him.
xxxxx
In a modest house on the outskirts of Edinburgh, Oliver Wood was having his usual breakfast: freshly squeezed orange juice, scrambled eggs on toast and some strong coffee. Not necessarily the breakfast of an elite athlete yet, but the juice was a start.
After breakfast, Oliver normally went outside to do some light training. Just some simple catching and passing drills to keep his skills sharp. This particular morning was different; Oliver stayed inside and opened his copy of the Daily Prophet. The paper was delivered everyday, but he rarely bothered to read it. He still disliked reading about himself and didn't want to risk coming across a negative article.
Oddly, Oliver didn't want to read a positive article about himself either. He thought that was how Quidditch players started to get big heads in the first place. If you read that you're God's gift to Quidditch enough times, you're bound to start believing it. So, Oliver was quite happy living in his self-imposed isolation if it kept him grounded longer.
This morning was the first time that he had opened the paper with the direct intention of reading about himself. The second part of Alicia's interview was going to be in there. Having not read the first part when it was published, Oliver got caught unawares in the flurry of interest that it created. This time he wanted to be prepared for whatever Alicia chose to reveal. Deep down, he wanted her to reveal everything – everything from the shower to the Quidditch Cup. It would show the world that he wasn't the callous, love-them-and-leave-them type that the media liked to depict him as.
Oliver also wanted to remind himself that he wasn't that sort of person.
Oliver Wood was my first kiss. He knows it and I know it. Now the world knows it.
A lot has been made of our relationship in the past week. Allusions have been as to the exact nature of our interactions. What really happened? The answer is: nothing. We were lonely teenagers who were looking for someone to pay attention to us. I was feeling overshadowed by my friends at the time. Oliver was being recognised for nothing more than his Quidditch skills. It was a happy coincidence that we found each other.
We shared what was more like an intense friendship than a romantic relationship. It's the same today.
Still, as I discovered whilst interviewing him, there are some places I can't go. After finding out he was single, I tried to push a little further. He withdrew.
'I don't like to talk about my love life. Things I say have a tendency to be taken out of context or blown out of proportion. Not that you'd misquote me. I just think people have a habit of believing what they want to believe. If it's easiest for everyone to see me as a Quidditch playboy, that's what they'll see me as. I can't do much to help that.'
A Quidditch playboy, he is not. It's a convenient media image. Readers want to know about his sex life, not about the charity he's starting for disadvantaged children. That, however, is what Oliver wishes to talk about.
'I always feel like I should do more for the community. I get paid to do something I love. The least I can do it's spend a little time and money helping kids who didn't have the same opportunities I did. It's not a big deal.'
I'm accustomed to his humility, but underneath I can tell that he's proud to be doing some worthwhile. That's the Oliver Wood I know. The Oliver Wood who doesn't play Quidditch for the money or accolades. The Oliver Wood who laughs and teases throughout our interview. The Oliver Wood I first met when he saved me from an older bully.
Oliver's truly one of the good guys. He might not volunteer to help an old lady cross the street or climb a tree to rescue a cat, but his heart is in the right place. To me, that's all that matters.
Alicia Spinnet, Junior Quidditch Correspondent, reporting from Paris, France.
Look out for Alicia Spinnet's new column, 'Quidditch Quips', in the sports section of the Daily Prophet every Friday.
Oliver closed the newspaper slowly and sat back. His forehead wrinkled as he frowned. Alicia had her own column already? She was moving up the ranks so quickly. A regular column would get her name out there. Quidditch players would start going to her in the hopes of raising their profiles.
Good for her, Oliver thought. She deserved it. She'd slaved away during school and written a good first interview. It was only a pity that the interview had turned out to be so fictitious.
As if on cue, a door opened down the hall and soft footsteps could be heard approaching. Oliver threw the Prophet across the kitchen, where it landed squarely in the rubbish bin. He sipped serenely at his juice and looked up.
"Oh. You're up. I wasn't sure if I should wake you or not. Did you sleep well?" he asked conversationally.
The woman looked down at her wrinkled clothes nervously. "Yes, thank you. I really hate to leave so early, but I have things to do today and-"
"It's fine," Oliver interrupted quickly. Excuses weren't necessary. This was simply how it worked.
"Ok. Well, perhaps I'll see you again some time."
Oliver smiled. "Perhaps."
The woman blushed a little and began to back out of the room. "Good. Thanks again. It was…thanks. Well, goodbye."
Oliver merely nodded and raised his glass a little. They both knew they'd never see each other again. Neither minded, which was the beauty of such liaisons. He didn't have to expend any energy on making a relationship work. The women he met probably did it for similar reasons. He never asked because aloofness was the name of the game.
The front door to his house slammed shut, snapping Oliver back to reality. Suddenly he didn't feel like training. He didn't even feel like reading a Quidditch book. He wanted to go back to bed and forget he had ever read Alicia's stupid interview.
She'd gone and told the world he was a good guy, a charitable guy. Not a playboy. Not the type of person who had one-night stands. The world wouldn't believe a word she said, which was the ultimate irony. Alicia would carry on with delusion that he was some sort of living saint. Not long ago, he had wanted nothing more than to clear his name and keeping on living his life the way he was.
Now all he wanted to do was live up to Alicia's lofty expectations.
A/N: I know that last scene was odd. It was also a weird note to end the chapter on, but I have my reasons. That's the last we're going to see of Oliver for a while. We leave him to struggle with what sort of person he wants to be.
The next chapter will be out…when it's out. In the meantime, I have a favour to ask some of you. I know I have a number of German readers, so I figured I'd ask you guys for a hand. Alicia's going to be in Germany (namely Berlin) during the next chapter. I know nothing about Germany. I have an obsessive need to be accurate when I describe places, but I know nothing specific enough about Berlin. Some sort of wall comes to mind.
I'm only kidding. Even I know (despite all my worldly ignorance) that the Berlin Wall fell. That's about all I know. There is specific information I'm interested in, but I won't waste time listing it all here. If you're from Germany or Berlin, or you've been to either place and you want to help me, check the forum or my livejournal for details. If you need motivation, just think of how much quicker I'll be able to write if I don't have to research first.