A/N: Sorry it's been so long. I wish I could promise a brilliant chapter as payment for my absence, but I think you'll find that this is the product of severe writer's block. I can, however, promise better chapters ahead. Review, please!!! I seriously need it right now.

"You can argue all you like," said the pudgy man behind the glass. "But I remember her and she's not coming into this theater."

"Oh come on, mate," Lee groaned, rolling his eyes. "It was two years ago!"

"Yeah, quit taking it out on her that you haven't been promoted in those two long years," George said to everyone's laughter except the person they were trying to convince.

"Watch it, carrot top, or you're not getting in either," he said, eyeing George. "Now listen, you lot. I'll sell you all tickets except her. She can't come in."

"Why?" Katie wailed. "I won't be loud again, I promise!"

"If you were only loud, there wouldn't be a problem—you were a bloody disaster! Yelling and shouting and pointing…and that poor old bloke you knocked over actually sued! You're not coming in here again. Ever."

Katie jabbed a finger at the glass, losing her temper. "Now listen here, you lumpy little—"

"I think what Katie here is trying to say," said Oliver suddenly, lowering her finger and placing a hand on each of her shoulders, "Is that she's very sorry for the inconvenience she caused, but she's a very different person now than she was then and she'd like to be given a second chance. Isn't that right, Kates?"

Katie was too shocked at the fact that this man actually seemed to be considering what Wood was saying to do anything other than nod.

"I can have you vouch for that, can I, mister?" he asked, his beady eyes going over Oliver carefully.

"I would vouch for her any day," Oliver said firmly. "She's very well-mannered."

Angelina scoffed loudly and then shouted as Alicia stepped on her foot. The booth operator didn't notice them. He was still eyeing Oliver.

"You sure about that?"

"Oh, of course. I'm her probation officer, after all." Indignantly, Katie kicked him in the shins with her heel. He shifted slightly, but his smile never faltered as he poked her in the back with his thumb.

"Alright then," the booth operator said, shrugging his shoulders. "You're courteous, I respect that. I'll let her in. But I'll keep my ear out for any news of you, remember that."

In a brief moment of amusement, Katie saluted him. He twitched his mustache, but Oliver steered her through the door before he could change his mind.

"Bloody brilliant, Wood," Angelina said, grinning once they were inside.

"Very nice work," Lee agreed. "I was about to modify his memory, but then you pulled that probation bit—very quick thinking and very fitting of our dear Kates."

"I rather thought so," Oliver said, winking at her. Katie scowled.

"Did I tell you I moved in with Ange?" Alicia said quickly, taking Katie's arm and moving her aside.

"No," Katie said, distracted. "Why?"

Alicia half-smiled. "I'm about to turn twenty," she said. "It's about time, don't you think? You have your own place."

"Yeah," Katie nodded. "So what's that like?"

"It's great, but—oh, you know Ange. New bloke over every weekend."

Katie grinned. "Yeah, that sounds like Ange…"

"I resent that," Angelina said coldly, moving over by them.

"Not as much as I resent it," moaned Lee. "All those blokes and you won't even go out with me once."

Angelina just tossed her hair.

"I think you might want to give up on that one, mate," George grinned. "Head for open waters."

"I can't, I'm in love."

The six friends laughed as they found the right theater and entered through the swinging doors, arms full of treats from the concession stand. Once they were inside, four heads tilted backward and stared up the screen in amazement.

"It's huge!" said Wood.

"Wow," Lee echoed.

"So this is where we watch this movie thing?" Angelina asked loudly.

"Shh!" Alicia hissed. "You need to act like muggles!"

"Well I don't see how muggles can look at this thing as normal," George pondered, scratching his head. "How does this work exactly?"

"You'll find out in time, dear. Be patient," Katie said, patting his arm. He rolled his eyes at her, but a smile was tugging at the corners of his mouth.

They found an empty aisle and sidled in. First Alicia, then Angelina, Lee, George, Katie, and Oliver brought up the rear. She amused herself by looking at the various muggles around her, chatting excitedly and—in some cases—snogging in particularly dark corners of the room. She felt warmth inside of her as she sat amongst her old friends, watching them talk and flirt and laugh. She suddenly noticed the absence of George's voice and turned to find him looking rather sullen. Curiously, she followed his gaze and noticed a mother herding a pair of twin boys into the front row. Katie sighed.

"Hey," she said. George looked over as she tossed a piece of popcorn at him, which hit and bounced off of his nose. She grinned playfully. George's mouth twitched as he reached over and messed up her curls.

Minutes later, the movie began. Katie was now accustomed to this strange phenomenon and did not yell, shout, or knock over an elderly man in front of her. Instead, she watched amused as Oliver, George, Lee, and Angelina's eyes grew wide. Every few seconds, George would lean over and say loudly, "Katie, did you see that?!" much to the chagrin of those around them. After she stopped responding to him, he turned to Lee and the two exchanged several variances on "Brilliant!", "Wicked!", and "No way!"

To her left, Oliver's deep brown eyes reflected amazement and his mouth hung slightly open. Smirking, Katie reached over and gently pushed his chin back up.

"Hey," he hissed. "Watch out, or I'm telling your friend in the ticket booth that you've misbehaved."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Wouldn't I?"

"I won't go to lunch with you anymore if you do."

"Well now that would be a shame because I've so enjoyed our time together over the past couple of weeks."

"Oh, me too. Definitely."

"Was that sarcasm, Bell?"

"Watch the movie, Wood."

But she had a slight smile on her face that she couldn't seem to get rid of.

XxX

Katie Bell wasn't saying much. She was actually quite content to sit under the big umbrella at the café table in Diagon Alley and sip her lemonade thoughtfully as her friends yammered on about quidditch and the latest broom design. She kept watching for signs of the old flame between George and Alicia, but she was finding nothing. The former couple sat separated by herself and communicated as normally as any one of them would. Alicia did not glance shyly at George when she laughed at one of his jokes and George did not seem to cater toward Alicia as he used to. They really did seem to be over one another as he had said. Katie reflected on this with sadness; she was hoping Alicia would prove a positive distraction for George. Of course, she figured, George had a great deal more on his mind, and would for a while, than a former school girlfriend. She had to marvel at his ability to think of anyone besides Fred at the moment, let alone romantically.

"Absolutely not," Oliver said suddenly and with great fervor. "Kenmare doesn't stand a chance this season without Michael Bell."

Immediately, everyone's heads turned toward Katie, sister of Kenmare's incredible Seeker. They all had strained looks on their faces and Wood was looking particularly anxious, penitent for his remark. Katie opened her mouth and then closed it again. She had been prepared for her friends to avoid or act awkwardly around the subject of Fred, but it hadn't entered her mind that her brother could have been a possible source of discussion. She wasn't sure how she felt. Despite her resolution that today was going to be a day of healing and light-mindedness, she suddenly felt a lump in her throat. Katie searched her brain for something to say that would let her friends know she was alright, but nothing was coming. She was about to excuse herself for a lack of better options when George suddenly burst forth in a noisy fit of hiccupping.

"You alright?" Angelina asked curiously as the rest of them turned to stare at George.

George continued to hiccup for a few more seconds, swallowed, and then grinned, holding up a small red sweet.

"Hiccuping humbugs," he declared proudly as nearly everyone laughed. Katie was still shaking as the others clamored to get a better look at it, but George placed his hand firmly on her knee and Katie knew that the distraction was for her. She took his hand and squeezed it, exhaling deeply and returning to herself.

"Does this mean you're going back into business?" Lee asked excitedly.

"Sure does," George grinned back. "Grand opening's a month from today, just in time for the students to fill their trunks before heading off to school. Good timing, I thought."

They all looked at him incredulously, including Katie. He had not mentioned one word of this to her despite her promise to help him reopen.

"George?" she asked slowly.

"That's right, Kay. I had to do something while you were at work. I've made plans and I'm reopening on September 1st."

He turned to address the rest of the table. "Kates is helping set up," he said. "But I really can't go into business alone. That's why my brother Ron will be joining me. Oh, and Lee, too."

"He is?" said four voices simultaneously.

"I am?" echoed Lee.

"If you'd like," George returned. He was still grinning, but Katie could see that he was practically on tenterhooks and that if Lee said no, it would send him kilometers back from the point he had managed to reach. She looked between both men, silently pleading that Lee would agree to help out, even if just until Ron was able to work full-time.

Her fears proved unfounded, however, as Lee's face split into a wide grin. "Are you kidding?!" he asked excitedly. "I've been waiting to be asked that question for years! And my roommate's been a bloody nuisance lately, so it will be a relief to get to move out. There's still that flat above the shop, right?"

"Right," George said, a look of relief flooding over his freckled face, color returning to it. "I've got to get a lot of it cleaned out, but I'm sure it's going to be ready in time."

Oliver, Angelina, and Alicia were exchanging excited looks, clearly relieved and excited for their friend. Katie smiled complacently to herself, though she was not looking forward to George's cleaning out of the pre-mentioned flat. She was certain that it would render him quiet and reflective again, if not completely distraught. She tried to shove this to the corner of her mind, however. There was no point in stressing over things which had not yet come to pass. She patted George on the back and he returned her smile.

"Any of you lot want a free copy of Quidditch Weekly?" asked an acne-ridden teenager, approaching their table. "That bloke accidentally gave me two…hang on! You're Oliver Wood! You're on the cover!"

Oliver smiled awkwardly and shifted as the boy brandished the magazine at him. Surely enough, Oliver was on his broom, knocking quaffle after quaffle away from the goal posts.

"Will you sign it for me?" he asked excitedly, knocking over Alicia's drink as he dove in his bag for a quill.

"He'll sign it for you if give us your spare," Angelina answered for Wood, who was currently too uncomfortable to speak. The boy gladly relinquished one of his copies as Oliver signed the other, face flushing red.

"Oh come on, Wood, you know you loved that," laughed Alicia as the boy dashed off.

"I think I might have liked it more if the article was a touch more flattering," Wood replied, grimacing as Angelina laughed at the cover.

"Accident Prone Ollie: Rising Quidditch Star Oliver Wood Discusses his Many Injuries and Ingenious Plays," she read. "Well Wood, you've certainly outdone yourself this time. I thought you said you were going to let me interview you! What are you doing hanging around with Rita Skeeter?"

"I—" Oliver searched for an explanation, but Katie leapt to his rescue before he could answer.

"He was doing me a favor," she said quickly. "She cornered me after work and Wood let her interview him instead."

"She was bothering you again?" George said angrily. "That cow!"

Their friends shifted uncomfortably, clearly unsure of what to do. Saying anything would require a discussion of Fred—at least in part—and Katie could tell they were hoping to avoid this at all costs.

"Let it go, George," she muttered. "I'm fine, you're fine. We're all fine. Well, except Ollie, apparently."

She smiled at him and Oliver blushed again. He mumbled under his breath, but all she could make out was "Not that bad" and "Bloody exaggeration".

"It's really not that bad," Alicia said, backing him up. "I've been treating him. Just some bludger breaks and such."

"How's Grandpa?" Katie asked, steering away from the subject as George looked extremely discontent and Oliver's pride was taking a fall by inquiring after her Grandfather Garibaldi, her mother's father. The elderly man had taken two rather vicious stunning spells at the battle at Hogwarts and though recovering, was still hospitalized, under Alicia's constant care.

"Oh, he's alright," the young healer replied. "Recovering pretty quickly, actually, for his age. He always makes me laugh. Funny bloke. Asks about you quite a bit…"

Katie frowned, rather guiltily. Yet another person that she had been avoiding at all costs.

"We'll have to see him sometime on your lunch break, Kates," Oliver said bracingly. "Unless you'd like me to leave you to your solitary ways…"

He grinned at her, but she only smiled wanly. "Yeah…"

She stood up, feeling rather dizzy. Her friends voiced their concern, but she waved them off. "I'm fine," she said. "Just give me a bit."

Breathlessly, Katie walked with folded arms out of the small ice cream parlor's cafe and onto the main sidewalk. The weather was sunny, but a slight breeze ruffled her hair. She walked to the end of the street where she was sure no one would be able to see her and stopped, backing up against the side of a building. She exhaled deeply and covered her face in her hands. All these reminders of people she should have helped and those she could no longer do anything for…Her grandpa. Michael. Fred. Here she was, trying to live a normal life, when these people she cared about more than anything had had their lives altered and ended past the point of help. And George…poor, brave, suffering George who had gone out of his way several times that afternoon to protect her when he was the one who had, arguably, lost half of his life. What's wrong with me? She thought desperately. I'm hiding out from reality and I still can't manage to make it through a day of fun with my mates.

"Katie?" George's voice stirred her from her thoughts. She dropped her hands from her face and tried to appear normal.

"Hi, George," she said in a would-be casual voice. She had betrayed her feelings, however, in her eyes which bored into George's, attempting to focus on her reflection in his pupils instead of the concerned look on his freckled face which was so reminiscent of Fred's.

He seemed to struggle with how best to begin. "Want some company?" he finally said, shrugging and attempting a grin.

Katie sniffled and laughed a bit through her misty eyes. "Oh, George…" she said, sighing.

"Is that a yes or a no?" he asked gently, still hanging on to a smile.

She tried to smile back. "I think it's a 'no, but it would probably turn out better if you stayed' kind of answer."

"Buck up, Kay," George said, smiling weakly as he joined her in leaning against the red brick building. "Please? I hate seeing you like this, especially today after you seemed so happy."

"I don't know what came over me," she answered honestly, tearing up a little. "But when Alicia reminded me about not visiting Grandpa, it was like I understood for the first time how selfish I've been behaving. All I can think about is my own grief, so I've been hiding out and ignoring the people I should be watching out for the most right now."

She shook her head sadly as a tear rolled down her cheek. "And now that I'm trying to reestablish ties with everyone, I'm actually going to have to face it. And I still feel too selfish for that."

"Oh, Kay," George said seriously. "You're the last person I know that has any right to say that they were selfish. D'you have any idea how much it meant to us just to have you there? You didn't have to stay, but you did. You've listened to Percy, you've endured Mum, you manage to make Dad smile, and you've stuck with me and drug me out of my pathetic excuse for an existence. I was the selfish one, staying in our room and shutting everyone else out. You drug me out of that, Katie, more than anyone. And you continue to be here, that's the thing. You're braver than me. Wish I could be more like you."

George stuck his hands in his pockets and stared down awkwardly at the sidewalk beneath them. Katie was temporarily at a loss for words, George's unjust praise ringing in her ears. She could not think of what to do except hug him. In her outburst of emotion, however, she caught him off guard and nearly bowled him over as she pressed her face against his chest and burst into tears.

"Oh George," she cried. "How can you say that? How can you call me brave when you're the one trying to put your life back together and move on? You did that yourself! You're the one who's started inventing again while all I can seem to do is dwell on the fact that it's now been two months—Two months since I've seen him alive. Two months since I've heard his voice, or—"

She couldn't go on. This was partially because she was overcome with her own emotions, but also because she could feel his body start to shake and his knees weaken as he struggled to tighten his grip around her waist.

"It's not all like that." He was struggling valiantly to keep his voice from shaking, but Katie could tell that George was now crying as well. "It's not all like that, you know. Some days are just easier than others. I've been trying to put on a good face, but it's not that easy. You don't just pick up and move on, there's cycles, Kay. And we all go through them. Today was good, but—"

"But then I ruined it," Katie said, laughing through her tears. She could feel George shake his head.

"The important thing is that we've still got each other, alright? You, me. Ange, Alicia, Lee. Oliver. We can make it. We've got to, okay? I dunno what I'll do if we don't."

Katie nodded against him fiercely, choking out the last of her tears. George released her and she saw him quickly rub his red eyes, looking down at her with a smile.

"And Fred always said he liked you because you didn't cry," he laughed weakly. "Merlin, was he mistaken about that."

Despite everything, Katie laughed. He grabbed her hand and pressed it into her own.

"Come on, let's finish this day out the way it began."

And they did. That night, the six friends crashed on the floor of Angelina and Alicia's flat after an overdose on Fizzing Whizbees, pumpkin pasties, and even a few stale Canary Creams. George slept so soundly that he snored and Katie found herself waking up in the crook of Oliver Wood's sturdy arm. It was a good idea to come, she thought as she repositioned herself and closed her eyes again. The last thing she saw before she closed her eyes was something she knew, but felt as though she had long forgotten. It wasn't tangible, but it was in the faces of her sleeping friends as they shifted and snored. It was love.