Early Spring, 1999

It took approximately one week of staying at home, cooking meals, and doing all of the cleaning and grocery shopping for Katie to definitively decide that retirement really wasn't for her. At least not at this age. She needed to actually do something. Anything.

And her specifications for something to do weren't anything outrageous. Any task that wasn't completely mind-numbing—such as those she'd recently been suffering through—would do. And so she sent a letter out, which was followed up by making arrangements to meet up, and now resulted in her standing in front of a shop in Diagon Alley.

With a wry grin and a shake of her head at the storefront, Katie walked up to the door and pushed it open. She was surprised—but also just a tad relieved—to find the shop seemingly deserted.

"Hello?" Katie called out almost immediately after stepping over the threshold. She was a bit antsy about this particular shop being so quiet.

"Katie?" A voice responded.

Katie made her way through the store, wary of touching anything, attempting to follow the direction that the voice had come from. She reached the back of the store just as George stepped off the staircase that lead up to the flat above the shop.

"So it is you," George said with a smile. "And here I was thinking I had an actual customer who wasn't going to respond to the name 'Katie'."

Katie simply smiled back and hugged George in greeting.

"Speaking of customers," She began once they had separated again, "Why don't you have any?"

George shrugged. "For some reason that I've never quite been able to figure out, every so often people decide they don't need to go to a joke shop in the middle of the afternoon during the middle of the week, especially in the middle of the school year." Then he grinned, "Just your luck, today is one of those days. Come on, I've got lunch ready upstairs."

Katie hesitated for the briefest moment, "Don't you need to be down here in case you do get any customers?"

"Verity should be back from her lunch break in about five minutes," George said with a wave of his hand. "And if anyone else comes in before that, there's a bell that will go off upstairs."

"You really have thought of everything…" Katie murmured, more to herself than to George, as she followed him up the stairs.

"Haven't you heard?" George turned slightly as he walked in order to grin cheekily at his old friend, "I'm a proper businessman, now. I can't go neglecting my clients."

"I don't really think 'George Weasley' and 'proper' really belong in the same sentence," Katie shot back, her grin just as cheeky as his.

Their playful banter continued as they sat down to lunch and lasted well into the meal, until George finally turned the conversation topic back onto Katie.

"And how is your wonderful husband doing these days?" He asked.

"Oliver is doing just fine," Katie replied, unable to help the smile that spread across her face at the thought of her husband. "His training schedule is a bit intense at the moment, though, so I don't see him as much as I'd like."

"Ah…yes," George said slowly, "I suppose that would also be because you haven't been busy, isn't it?"

Katie choked slightly on the sip of water she had just taken. "What? How did you know that?"

"Well, for starters," George began, "When have you ever been free in the middle of the day before? Also, it doesn't hurt that I happen to be related to the person the Harpies signed on as their new starting chaser."

"They offered Ginny the contract?" Katie questioned. "That's fantastic! I knew they were in serious talks with her, but nothing had been agreed upon when I left a few weeks ago. I think the fact that she still has to finish school was holding things up a bit."

"You've known for weeks?" George asked now, some surprise evident in his tone. "Why, Miss Bell—sorry, Mrs. Wood, it hurts that you wouldn't confide in any of your dear friends—such as myself—that you quit your job," By this point he was holding one hand to his chest theatrically while the other wiped a fake tear from his cheek. "But do tell, why in Merlin's name did you quit? This was rather sudden; Angie didn't even mention anything about you talking to her about it."

"Well," Katie began slowly, drawing the word out, "I didn't actually quit, per se. I retired."

"Retired?" George repeated, even more shocked now. "Never mind that it's so sudden you didn't even mention it to any of your friends, what could ever give you the incentive to retire like this at your age?"

"I didn't mean to keep it from everyone," Katie admitted. "It's all been a bit of a whirlwind actually and—hang on! Why were you talking to Angelina?"

George started at her sudden outburst.

"I…er…we're friends," George said swiftly, avoiding her gaze. "Why shouldn't we talk to each other? You and I are talking right now, aren't we?"

"But that's just it," Katie said, her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "I haven't been trying to keep things from my friends. You're just the first person who's been free to meet up. Angelina keeps telling me she's busy. But if she's been spending time with you…"

"We really are just friends," George said, holding his hands up as if in surrender. "In fact, I only just moved back in here," he gestured vaguely to the flat all around them, "and she helped me."

Katie's expression remained speculative as she listened to his explanation. "Do you want to remain 'just friends'?" She asked next.

George hesitated. "Er…well…"

"Good," Katie said decisively. "The two of you would make a lovely couple. Oh, and before I forget or get sidetracked again, the reason I retired is because I only just recently found out that I'm pregnant. Oliver and I are going to have a baby."

George merely stared at his old teammate blankly for a moment before a broad grin spread across his features and he was out of his seat and around the table in an orange and magenta blur in order to sweep Katie into a hug.

"That's fantastic news!" George beamed ecstatically. "A mini-Katie or Ollie. I suppose that is a good reason to retire."

"Yes, I thought so, too," Katie replied with a grin of her own, hugging him back with just as much enthusiasm. "Of course, when the final rosters for the new season come out in a few days, the rest of the world isn't going to get that reason for my early retirement."

"Best prank ever," George informed her, finally releasing her from the hug and collapsing into the nearest empty chair, a familiar gleam in his eyes. "Just imagine the tizzy it's going to put the QUidditch world into when a mini-Wood shows up at Hogwarts in eleven years or so…"

"There's something else…" Katie continued slowly, biting her lip nervously. "I realize it's a bit early, but Oliver and I talked it over, and we want you to be the godfather, George."

"I…godfather?" George looked slightly dazed. "Really? You mean it?"

"Of course," Katie said immediately, reaching out and grasping one of his limp hands tightly within her own. "You know very well that you and Fred were two of my best friends in school. I wouldn't have anyone else."

George's eyes were a bit glassy and his smile much softer as he squeezed her hand. "Thank you, Katie."

"And I swear I'm not making this up on the spot," Katie said now, "But we're going to ask Angie to be the godmother."

Still smiling, George shook his head but didn't say anything.

"Do you know," He finally began after a moment of companionable silence, getting back to his feet, "I think this calls for a celebration. Luckily, I think I have some kind of dessert stashed somewhere around here…"

Ten minutes later found both Katie and George seated at the table once more, each with a massive ice cream sundae before them.

"There is one last thing I wanted to talk to you about," Katie said slowly, twirling her spoon through her ice cream absentmindedly.

"There's more?" George asked, looking slightly amused with one eyebrow quirked. "What else could you possibly have to say today, Katie?"

"Well…" Katie said slowly, "I've recently decided that retirement is actually quite dull."

"I couldn't have seen that one coming," George muttered with a snort of laughter.

"Exactly," Katie agreed. "But, you see, I was thinking maybe you could help me with that."

"Anything," George replied with an easy shrug. "You know, so I can do my part to prove that earless people can still be helpful to society."

Now it was Katie's turn to laugh. "Well, I know you weren't very busy today, but I was wondering if I could maybe have a job? It doesn't have to be full-time, or anything," She rushed to add before he could say anything. "Honestly, at this point, I think I'd be happy with one day a week. I mean, I've been home by myself for barely two weeks and I'm going absolutely barmy being all on my own for most of that time. You have no idea how excited I was when you said you were free for lunch today."

"Of course you can have a job," George told her instantly. "Do you really think I'd deny the mother of my favorite godchild something as simple as that? And I'm sure you're only saying you'd settle for part-time because you saw how dead the shop was today. I promise that rarely ever happens. Besides, our busy season is coming up soon; and it'll be extra-busy because the Easter holiday will be right at the beginning of April this year."

"Clearly this is why you're my favorite person ever, George," Katie informed him, unable to help the wide grin that spread across her face as she spoke.

"There is the small issue of your identity, of course," George said thoughtfully, taking in Katie's appearance. "After what you went through to keep your relationship with Oliver quiet, I'm assuming you aren't going to want people recognizing you in your retirement?"

"No," Katie shook her head, "But I figured a few well-placed glamour charms would do the trick."

"They would…" George remained thoughtful, and then his face suddenly lit up. "I've got it! You can be a walking advertisement for a new product we're marketing. It's a candy that changes your hair color for up to five hours."

"Would I be correct in assuming that this color change you speak of actually changes your hair to all sorts of outrageous colors?" Katie asked, amused.

"Oh, but of course," George replied immediately.

"Not that I don't think that's a good idea," Katie began slowly, "But won't that make me even more noticeable?"

"Well, duh," George said with a roll of his eyes. "Rule number one: In order to hide in plain sight, stand out so much that everyone has to notice you."

"That makes almost no sense," Katie said, "And yet it's brilliant."

George gave her a self-satisfied shrug. "I do my best."