A/N: So (obviously) I did not get this up by Christmas. But the material I had planned spanned more chapters than I'd previously thought, and honestly, the lack of/slow rate of reviews last time was a little disheartening. Plus, I did get caught up in Christmas and being home with friends & family, etc. BUT—I still love you all & promise slightly more speedy updates when I can manage them. Hope you all had fantastic holidays, whatever it is you celebrate!

P.S. DoubleCaramel, I wish you received PMs, because I always love your reviews & want to respond, but I can't! Know you're loved, though!

And now, without further ado…the actual next chapter.

The weeks of November passed with little incident. Michael was thrilled to find himself number ninety-three of the Witch Weekly's 100 Most Eligible Bachelors list, described as a "daredevil curly-top with rougish charm." The boys were doing extremely well at the shop, and George was considering the idea of taking up a Hogsmeade location after Christmas. A story Katie had written had made second page, Alicia was being promoted from junior healer, and Angelina had managed to land one of her clients an interview with one of the highest-rated networks on the WWN. Oliver was simply grateful not to be on the Most Eligible Bachelors list at all.

The last day of the month, a Saturday, found George, Lee, Ron, and Katie decorating the shop for Christmas. It was a rather odd business—simultaneously pleasant, frustrating, amusing, and sad. Katie had been dreading this season more than any other. The forced cheer seemed to contrast almost comically with the rather gaping hole left by Fred, her grandfather, her uncle, and countless others. It seemed like a game where the universe picked off those she cared most for one by one, while shoving a banquet of trees, fake snow, and ubiquitous smiles toward her face and seeing when she would snap. Her plan was to operate mechanically through the yuletide bliss and avoid, as much as possible, letting memories of past seasons seep through.

Katie smiled up at the snowflakes that fell softly from the ceiling and disappeared halfway down. The store really did look wonderful—garland, lights, and bright-colored bows lined the windows, tall trees covered in seasonal merchandise scattered the shop floor, and everything was scrubbed until it shone. George had even installed a large fireplace at the opposite wall with magical flames that heated the entire building.

Outside, rain splattered the windows—a typical winter's day in London—and crowds of shoppers rushed through Diagon Alley, darting in and out of shops, emerging with their arms full of packages. Standing outside Flourish and Blots, a young woman waited, her hair running with rain, until a man emerged and pulled out an umbrella. He held it out for her and slipped a hand around her waist, kissing her lightly on the temple and readjusting her scarf. Katie frowned as she slipped the golden ribbon she was holding into a bow and hung it on the nearby tree branch. Lee watched her and slipped his arms around her shoulders, pulling her into a hug from behind.

"I know, it's altogether a rum business, isn't it, Christmas?" he said playfully from where he rested his head on her shoulder. "Blasted waste of one of the best weather seasons on the calendar."

Katie rolled her eyes and pushed him away from her. "Aren't you supposed to be hanging the Christmas star?" she accused pointedly.

Lee shook his head. "Nope. George's job," he said promptly. "He's the tallest and gangliest one here."

"Thanks, Lee," George called sarcastically from where he stood on a ladder across the room. "In case you hadn't noticed, that tree is about twelve feet tall."

Lee shrugged indifferently. "Hard to tell with you sometimes. You stand on tiptoes and disappear into the rafters."

Katie gave a half-smile and continued her work on the tree. Lee considered her a moment and stepped over to help her reach a higher branch.

"Cheer up, Kates," he said in a lower tone. "I'll admit no one really wants the holidays this year, but we might as well enjoy them, right?"

She scoffed slightly. "Is that possible?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow.

Lee shrugged his shoulders. "If nothing else, it's an excuse to pop whatever you fancy into your mouth for a month or so."

Katie laughed in spite of herself. "I think I do that anyway," she smiled.

"Come on," he said kindly. "Let's just take it one day at a time, okay?"

She nodded, and accepted the hug that he was offering.

"We have a lot to be grateful for," he said seriously. "We still have each other."

Katie nodded against his chest, trying very hard not to think about the framed picture of Fred that was hanging on the mantelpiece, and which none of them had touched.

Then, from out of nowhere, a snowball hit the back of her head. Two seconds later, one smashed Lee in the face, the pieces breaking apart and disappearing into the air. Letting out shouts of indignation, the pair whirled around to find George smirking from where he now stood on the floor.

"Classy, George," Katie scoffed, rolling her eyes. "And what was that, exactly?"

He grinned. "The No Mess, No Stress Snowball," he replied. "Lee's conceptualization, actually, so blame him."

"Really?" she said, feigning interest as she crossed the floor to examine it. "Is that an Aeration Charm, then? Let me see…"

George shrugged and handed over the box he had opened. Katie grabbed the nearest one and smashed it in his face.

"See how you like that," she scowled as George yelped and stumbled backward. "No Mess, No Stress Snowball…"

George somehow managed to located his wand and summon the box back to him, and continued to throw the remaining snowballs at his friend. Ron and Lee just rolled their eyes and carried back on with their work. Katie had just managed to tackle George when Angelina and Alicia burst through the door wearing winter coats and large purses.

The two girls frowned in confusion as George wriggled free from Katie's grasp, leapt to one of the windowsills and dropped another snowball on her head.

"You're worse than Peeves!" she shouted, jumping in vain attempts to snatch the box from his grasp.

George just laughed and turned the box upside down, spilling the rest of the contents all over her. Covered in dust, she collapsed to the floor and blew an exasperated sigh upward, causing some of her fringe to muss. He grinned and sat down on the windowsill, admiring his work as the particles slowly disappeared from her hair.

Turning to the other boys for an explanation, the girls were met with a shrug by Lee and a roll of the eyes from Ron. Alicia cleared her throat.

"Erm…Katie?" she asked. "You're still coming shopping with us, right?"

"Blimey, I'd almost forgotten!" Katie laughed as she leapt to her feet, brushing off the remaining bits of snow. "Just let me grab my bag…"

"Are you wearing that?" Angelina piped up rather bluntly. Katie looked down to observe herself. She'd forgotten she was in ripped jeans and a long-sleeved Pride of Portee t-shirt.

"Nope," she replied, jogging up the stairs. "Just going to throw on a jumper, be down in a mo!"

Angelina laughed, shaking her head, and reshouldered her purse. Katie tore through the small flat, threw a thick sweater over her shirt and swapped her jeans for a nicer pair. She shook her hair loose from the ponytail that held it, grabbed her coat and bag, and headed back down the stairs.

"Ready!" she called cheerfully.

Alicia smiled. "Remember to meet us at the pub at eight, won't you, boys?" she asked.

Lee nodded.

"Just us five?" George asked, joining his friend.

"Yes," Alicia replied. "Well, and Katie invited Oliver."

The redhead looked puzzled. "You did?" he asked, turning to Katie.

Her cheeks tinged unexpectedly with color. "Well yes," she said. "I mean, it's been a while since we've seen him, you know."

George shrugged. "Yeah, I guess so."

Angelina gave him a severe, knowing look before putting her arms over her girlfriends' shoulders and steering them toward the door.

"Okay lads, we're off," she called. "And don't be late!"

XxX

Katie, Angelina, and Alicia traveled to Muggle London to do their shopping as Alicia wanted to get her family's gifts first. Katie looked interestedly at the many gadgets she did not understand and tried not to attract too much attention to herself as attempted to understand it. Luckily, the shoppers were too focused on their own financial missions to pay much attention to her or Angelina, who was even more obviously remarking loudly on the frivolity of an eggbeater. Alicia colored as she put one back on the shelf and turned to another display.

It felt wonderfully normal to be back with the girls again. The past weeks had found Katie ducking questions from her coworkers over Oliver's absence in the newsroom and then staring at him surreptitiously at the lunch table while trying not to seem affected by his presence in front of Jacquelyn. And then, though she usually mellowed out with George and Lee, she was still in a predominately masculine environment and whenever she saw her girlfriends, it was always in the presence of one of her roommates. Shopping reminded Katie that she was still essentially feminine and very much a part of this small circle of female friendship. In this atmosphere, she surprised herself with her pleasant mood. It reminded her of Christmas shopping in Hogsmeade, and having to keep an eye out for the boys who would undoubtedly be spying.

Katie and Angelina followed Alicia into a small department store, at which point the small blonde immediately glowed with pride.

"I did remember where it was," she beamed. "Muggle joke shop…perfect for finding George's gift!"

The other girls laughed and began to explore the small shop. Katie had to hand it to her friend—this really was a top-rate spot for the redhead in question. In certain ways, George was as intrigued by Muggles as his father was, and he and Fred had always taken the time to learn "how the other half lived," as they termed it, especially in regard to their penchant for mischief. As Alicia was scanning the shelves and rifling through display stands, Angelina sighed.

"I've no idea what to get for George," she complained. "And I feel like it has to be extra good this year…not that everyone doesn't really need a good Christmas this year," she added hastily, checking Katie's expression.

She was perfectly benign however, and merely nodded. "But George especially," she agreed.

"Do you know what you're going to get him?"Ange pressed.

"Actually, yeah, I think I do," Katie smiled. She had been considering this for some time, and thought she had come up with a pretty decent idea given her budget. "I'm making it myself, though. And it's a secret, so don't ask me."

Angelina visibly grimaced. "If you're making his gift, I really have to make sure to get him something nice to make up for it."

Katie huffed and rolled her eyes, casually tossing an electric mint tray in her friend's direction. Angelina yelped and batted it away.

By the end of the day and another trip to Diagon Alley later, Katie had managed to select what she thought were pretty decent gifts. A state-of-the-art designer Quaffle for Michael, a complete set of essential herbs for her mother, a subscription to Quidditch Quarterly for her father and Lee, and nice chocolate boxes for Jaquelyn, Hudson, and her aunt. The only gifts that remained to be found were ones for the girls, and perhaps something for the Weasleys. George's gift was simply a matter of creation.

"My feet are killing me," Angelina complained as they neared the designated pub. "I hate Muggle shopping…why did we start with that?"

Alicia chose to ignore this. "Did everyone get done except for each other?" she asked cheerily.

"I still need to find something small for my clients," Ange sighed. "By the way, Katie, I didn't see you get Wood anything."

Katie frowned slightly, but tried to remain nonplussed. "That's because I didn't," she answered, shrugging.

"Why?" Alicia asked curiously.

"You two didn't," Katie pointed out, readjusting the weight of her shopping bags and looking straight ahead down the rain-washed cobblestone lane.

"Well yes, but we're not his particular friends," Ange said slightly obnoxiously. "I'm sure he'll get something for you."

"Trust me," she said firmly as she held open the pub door for her friends. "He won't."

XxX

Dinner and drinks were pleasant, and Katie strove to be involved in all the conversations taking place, not wanting to make it obvious to Wood that she had arranged the get-together simply to have an opportunity to see him outside of the lunchroom. She was growing increasingly vexed at his refusal to be more than slightly friendly with her, and though she was nowhere near wanting the kind of attention he had said he wanted to give her, she did miss his presence in their circle of friends. Toward the end of dinner, Michael and a few of his friends from Kenmare showed up under the guise of a coincidental meeting, though Katie caught a couple of glances between her brother and Alicia that plainly showed she had told him about the gathering. Michael sat down across from his sister, shoving his way between Wood and Lee.

"Bloody mess out there, isn't it?" he asked cheerfully. "Nothing like winter in the southern United Kingdom. Hogwarts must be covered in snow by now, right?"

Alicia shuddered from where she sat by Katie. "I'll take the rain ninety-nine times out of a hundred. I nearly froze every year, even under twelve layers and my winter cloak. I'll never understand why the founders chose northern Scotland of all places…"

"Hey, now," Wood smiled.

"Sorry Oliver," Alicia said dismissively. "But you weren't there our sixth year. Worst winter I remember—and that was the year of the Yule Ball, too. Strapless dress out in the snow, trying to fend off that bloody Durmstrang bloke…"

"How did you end up in the snow?" George asked curiously from the other end of the table. Alicia simply colored, and Michael raised an eyebrow.

"I always feel cheated I missed out on that whole thing by a year," Wood commented lightly. "Sounded like fun."

"It wasn't," Katie said abruptly. "Anyway, you would have hated it, Ol, they canceled Quidditch."

Everyone laughed, and Oliver smiled at her which she couldn't help but return.

"I don't even remember it being that cold," Angelina pondered. "Actually, I think the whole room was pretty stuffy…"

"It would have been, with the way you and Fred were dancing," Katie said darkly, which caused the rest of the table to laugh again, and Angelina to blush.

"You know, I have to say," George interrupted. "I've always been a little put out by the fact that it was Fred who always got credit as the superior dancer…"

Angelina tossed her hair. "He was," she said, smiling fondly. "I'd never been that out of breath in my life…or since."

Lee gave her a look, which she ignored.

"Anyway, it's not like you were doing anything out of the ordinary," she continued to George. "Plodding along with Katie like it was the funeral march…"

"Excuse me?" he returned, feigning a look of high scandal. "I couldn't help it if my dancing partner was determined to be a prude…no offense, Katie."

She waved an arm of acceptance as the rest of the table laughed.

"I'm actually quite talented," he continued.

"He is," Katie added, grinning.

"Thank you, m'dear," George returned, nodding his head in her direction.

"Alright, I think I can judge this," Ange said coyly. She got up and headed toward the juke box, selecting a particularly lively dance song. She then crossed the floor back to George, grabbed him by the collar, and yanked him toward the dance floor. "Come on, Weasley," she smirked.

George laughed, obviously surprised, but allowed himself to be dragged off. "Sorry you have to witness this, Lee!" he called.

And Angelina pulled him dangerously close to her and began to dance in her infamously scandalous manner. George met her level easily, seizing her waist and demanding to lead the high-energy demonstration. Lee huffed.

"Well I'm not going to just sit here," he stated. "Come on, Alicia." And he grabbed a surprised Alicia and led her off to join the pairs of people already on the dance floor.

Michael frowned and rolled his eyes at his sister. "You guys are still babies," he said in an off-hand way, though Katie recognized it as slight jealousy and it made her smile. He got up from the table and went to go join his mates at the bar.

It was then that Katie realized she was alone at the table with Oliver Wood, and that in some cruel perversion, every one of their friends was dancing besides the pair of them. A month ago, this wouldn't have even been a thought. Now she was trapped by the one circumstance she was sure she would never have to face. Annoyed, she wondered if Wood had foreseen this. But that thought was ridiculous.

Doing her best not to betray that she remembered the conversation that had taken place between the pair of them in a similar situation, she reached for her mug of butterbeer and quietly took a sip, averting her eyes away from the man sitting across from her.

"I won't do it, you know," Wood said, interrupting her thoughts. "So you don't have to tense up like that."

Katie, taken slightly off-guard, looked back at him. "What are you talking about?" she pretended to ask.

Oliver gave her a look. "You know," he said. "I won't dance with you, Katie, unless you ask."

Increasingly annoyed, Katie set her mug down on the table a little harder than she meant to.

"Well, I won't," she returned, turning in her seat to watch her friends, determinedly avoiding Wood's eyeline.

XxX

"Alright, I admit it," Angelina laughed, slightly winded, as George twirled her back into him. "You're quite good as well."

"Quite good?" George repeated. "Come now, surely you can do better than that."

"Okay, okay…" she grinned, rolling her eyes. "Katie was definitely missing out in not taking advantage of what she had."

"That's better," he said. "Speaking of Kates…I'm surprised old Woody isn't jumping at the chance to dance with her at the moment."

Angelina frowned and looked over at their friends. "I am, too, actually," she said. "But you know, I think something weird's going on there. She didn't get him a Christmas present today."

"Really?" George asked, trying to keep his show of interest to a minimum. "Why?"

Angelina shrugged. "No idea. She's getting you something, though. Making it, actually."

George could see that Angelina was trying to bait him into making some remark about Katie's awful handiwork, but he was actually rather pleased, and it was hard for him to keep a smile from spreading across his face.

"Interesting…" he replied. "Maybe I'll make her gift, too."

Angelina rolled her eyes. "Just please don't let me be in the room when you exchange gifts. I saw you two today. I'm not sure whether it would be a love-fest or an all-out war."

George chose to ignore the hint, and simply spun her in and back out as the music slowed.

"Alright, Miss Johnson, you're now in for a real treat. Slow dance time with George Weasley."

XxX

Katie was relieved when the music finally changed and Michael headed over to cut in between Lee and Alicia. Then Lee would reclaim Angelina and George would come sit down again, and bring an end to the strained silence between herself and Wood. Or ask her to dance—that actually sounded rather nice. Katie was pleasantly awaiting this, when Michael cut in and Lee relinquished the blonde to her boyfriend congenially. Instead of heading over to Angelina, however, he crossed the floor and held out his hand to Katie.

"What do you say, Kates?" he grinned. "Fancy a dance? George has something to prove, and Ange is stubborn, so we may be here for a while."

Katie returned the smile, eager for any chance to escape Wood. "Love to."

Oliver frowned, flicking the metal of his tumbler. He watched the pairs dance for a few minutes and then headed out the door, disapparating without saying goodbye to any of them.