A/N: Hello, friends & loyal reviewers. One more chapter for you to sink your teeth into! I have to admit that about half of this material is unneeded as far as the storyline goes, but I thought it was fun so I kept it in. More plot advancing stuff to come.

Katie sniffed once, and then examined her reflection in the bathroom mirror. Other than a slightly red nose, she figured she looked alright. It was Friday—the last Friday before Christmas—and she was determined to make it into the office. It wasn't that she wanted to work, necessarily, but she did want to gather her things, apologize to her boss, and drop off Jacquelyn's Christmas gift before she went home on Sunday. Then she would spend two blissful days with her family before heading to the Weasleys' on Christmas Eve Wednesday. Katie briefly rearranged her fringe in the mirror before exiting the bathroom and returning to her point of surveillance of the shop below. Here lay her only difficulty in making it to the office—getting past George.

She had told him yesterday about her intention to go into work, and he had categorically denied her all rights to even leave her bed. She was feeling much better, she argued, but he had simply narrowed his eyes and looked at her in a way that reminded her far too much of Percy. She had informed him of this, and the argument took a different direction. She was, however, certain that George would not approve of her leaving the room until she was one-hundred percent better.

Katie opened the door to the flat and stepped out onto the staircase, peering down at the raucous activity that was taking place beneath her. The store was packed—parents and children, many now home from Hogwarts, were in every nook and cranny of the place. They would not necessarily be the problem. She shifted her gaze toward those who would be—Lee, Ron, and George, obviously, but two additional Weasley siblings were now added to the fray. Charlie and Ginny had both come home on Wednesday, and had volunteered to help out at the shop. Charlie was busy with a small boy climbing up the side of the wall in a pair of Sticky Sneakers, Ron was at the till, and Lee and George were double-teamed, trying to close a sale on a more expensive piece of merchandise. Ginny alone looked like she might be a problem. She was near the door. She was also, however, very enthusiastically trying to sell something to a skeptical looking witch in light blue robes. Katie decided to take her chances.

She tripped lightly down the stairs and then made for an aisle she had previously settled on because it had the fewest amount of people. Reaching the end, she hesitated; the door was in sight, but Ginny was not. Deciding, rather optimistically, that she must have succeeded in her salesmanship and was now leading the customer to the till, Katie walked calmly to the door, hoping not to attract much attention. Just as she reached it, however, a red-headed blur appeared, blocking her exit.

"I saw you coming," Ginny grinned. She was obviously quite proud of this surprise attack.

Katie sighed. "Hi, Ginny," she said resignedly.

"George would be pissed if he knew you were up, you know," she continued.

Katie frowned. There was nothing essentially in it for Ginny in ensuring that Katie remained indoors; this was clearly a scheme to exert authority. There was also the small provision that George would be incredibly angry with his younger sister if she were to be the means of letting his prisoner go—so much so that he might have revoked her employee privileges, something that Ginny (as a life-long hero worshipper of Fred and George) had been obsessing over since November. So the two girls began to square off, knowing a power struggle was about to begin.

"He would also be pissed if he knew you weren't sounding the alarm right this instant," Katie responded mildly. She raised one of her eyebrows just a touch.

Ginny gazed back at her without skipping a beat. "Supposing I did sound the alarm," she continued. "Who would be in more trouble—you or me?"

Not wanting to think about the answer to this, Katie continued in negotiations.

"Suppose I were to slip past the door without you seeing," she said. "No one would be in trouble."

"Unless George came up to check on you," Ginny said in a falsely sweet tone. Katie narrowed her eyes.

"What did you get me for Christmas?" the younger girl rushed on.

Katie folded her arms as a way to stall for time. In all honesty, she hadn't gotten Ginny anything for Christmas. It wasn't because she didn't like the youngest Weasley—although that sentiment was currently changing quickly—but the Weasleys were a big family. She thought one family gift (besides the obvious one for George) would suffice. And then it occurred to her that Ginny knew this—she was being bribed for her freedom.

"That depends on whether you step aside immediately or not," she said.

"It has to cost at least five galleons," Ginny bargained.

"Six galleons if you make sure George doesn't go upstairs for the next two hours."

Ginny mulled this over. "Alright," she stated airily. "You've got two hours."

And she stepped aside, holding the door open for Katie as she hurried out.

Katie was annoyed—she didn't particularly enjoy being one-upped by a seventeen-year-old—but at least she was out. And depending on how Ginny behaved afterward, she could always bring this incident up to George later. Well, much later…after she stopped sneezing, anyway.

XxX

The small urban apartment was currently scattered with open suitcases and strewn with various winter clothing. Angelina Johnson had never been a light or an efficient packer. She let out an enormous sigh as she leaned against the doorframe in her bedroom and gazed down at the single red rose that was lying on her desk. It may have seemed like a romantic gesture to anyone else, but Angelina knew it was Lee's way of saying goodbye without having to see her. He hadn't been too happy with her lately.

Try as she might, her boyfriend couldn't come to see her side of things. She couldn't blame him, really. She knew she would be mad as hell in his situation. But they had spent so much time talking over and discussing the thing—every night since the first evening at dinner—she had hoped he would be able to do something besides nod and occasionally murmur by now.

The note that came with the rose wished her a Happy Christmas, and promised to work things out when they next saw each other. That note represented as far as they had gotten, really—that they wanted to stay together and to work things out. When Angelina had told her rambling narrative about Fred that night, she hadn't thought it would be a relationship killer, but now she saw that it was threatening everything Lee had ever believed about her.

"I still just can't believe that you would do that, Ange," he had said solemnly the night before, right before he had stepped through the door for the last time. "I just didn't know you had that in you."

She knew she had been wrong; she had told him so about a hundred times since she had first introduced the topic. But all she had really done was fall in love with someone she shouldn't have—had that really been so wrong? She had paid for it endlessly since then. She'd watched Fred slip hopelessly through her fingers like mercury without being able to stop it, all while knowing she couldn't talk about it to a single person. She knew she would never obtain sympathy from anyone. She had been in her own personal hell from the moment the doomed affair had begun, and now, at Christmas, Lee seemed to think she deserved more punishment.

The thing was that Angelina had known very early on in her school days that she would one day give into Lee's romantic overtures. It was almost like she could see that part of her life in fast forward, and in that sixth year she had felt his pull stronger than ever. It was a very Angelina type of love story—straight forward, foreseeable, and neat. Fred had come out of left field in a manner no one could have predicted, and what they had shared had been theirs. It was so independent of either Lee or Katie that Angelina had thought only fleetingly of the impact on either of them. She knew how it sounded, but she also knew how it felt and it turned out to be altogether impossible for her to explain. So she would pack up the rest of her things, travel to Shropshire, spend Christmas with her family, and be left alone to her thoughts once more. There would be no Lee to save her—at least not until she sorted through these things on her own.

Angelina sighed and sank to the floor next to her suitcase. She took one of the jumpers lying on the ground and began to fold it, before burying her face in the fabric and struggling to catch her breath. The memories seemed to overpower her, and for once she saw something that she could not handle on her own. Fred was gone, and no one could help her now. Before she gave into the shudders that were threatening to turn into sobs, she was distracted by a knock on the door. Thanking the gods above for sparing her the impending humiliation, Ange took a couple of deep breaths and unfolded her long legs in order to stand up and open the door.

George stood on her porch, a nervous grin on his freckled face.

"Er…hello," he said in typical George fashion. "Lee said the backup supply of the fake wands is over here?"

Angelina rolled her eyes and stepped back to let him in. The organization here was completely transparent. Not wanting to see her, Lee had sent over his partner-in-crime to pick up the shop supplies he had stored in the apartment two days previously. And George, knowing this exactly, was attempting to display some sort of jaunty manner in order to smooth over the awkwardness of getting between a couple's argument. It was so typical of their friends' group that Angelina found it provoking.

"Run out of the fake wands then, have you?" she asked coldly. George turned from where he was looking through boxes.

"Yeah, quite fast actually," he said with his lopsided half smile in place. It was one of the few differences between the twins that Angelina could ever spot: when the pair of them knew they were in trouble (and a sort of trouble they actually cared about), Fred would blush to the roots of his hair and look off in another direction, while George would meet his accuser's eyes and do that stupid half grin, as if he hoped charm would save him. "They're a lot more popular than Lee or Ron or me expected. But now that the Hogwarts kids are back, where that sort of rudimentary thing is popular…"

"And Lee didn't want to come get them himself, did he?" Angelina interrupted, folding her arms across her chest. "Did he tell you that? And that I'd be home? Is that why you knocked, because Lee told you I had a half day today?"

George looked cornered. "Lee's really busy at the moment…" he trailed off, absentmindedly pulling at his bowtie. "There's a lot of customers, and—"

"Bollocks," Ange interrupted. "Did he tell you why we're fighting then?"

The redhead just stopped, and let his arms fall to his sides. His mouth fell open a little, but Angelina knew it was not to respond. Fred was gone. Fred was gone. And his brother was a poor replacement.

Tears welled in her eyes and she collapsed into the nearby sofa, burying her face in her hands. She started to cry, and she could hear George shift uncomfortably across the room, but she didn't care. She knew he didn't know what to say to her, and she knew he didn't know why she was crying. George's head was so lost in the clouds during their time at Hogwarts, she doubted he suspected something had been even slightly out of order between she and his twin brother. To think of telling him now was equally ludicrous. He was so dedicated to Katie and Lee, there wasn't a chance he wouldn't see her as the villain Lee did. Fred was gone, and no one could help her now.

A couple of moments passed before George tried tentatively, "Ange?"

She ignored him. He crossed the room and sat down beside her cautiously. She was dimly aware that he had probably never seen her cry before—not many people in this world had.

"Angelina?" George asked again, before placing a hand on her back. She could feel his discomfort in the contact, but she found herself surprisingly touched. The second Weasley twin had never been known for his powers of compassion or understanding. He always made jokes when he found himself trapped in a corner of emotional honesty, hoping to slither out unnoticed. But here he was now, actually trying to comfort her. It was…nice. And then she remembered coming across him and Fred in their seventh year attempting to console a first-year boy who had gotten on the wrong side of Dolores Umbridge and suffered the consequences, showing the kind of sympathy very few people—including Angelina—believed them capable of possessing. She was often wrong about the twins, especially George.

Feeling this very strongly, Ange turned to her friend and wrapped her arms around him, quieting herself and burying her face in his neck. He stiffened, obviously surprised, but then relaxed and returned the embrace.

"Hey," he said gently. "Hey, it's alright."

Ange knew George had no idea if things were alright, but let him talk anyway. "Is it?" she asked quietly. "Is it going to be?"

"Well, yeah," he said, pulling back now and letting her dry her eyes with the back of her hand. "I mean, it's you, isn't it? You're always alright. You're kind of…our rock."

She laughed hollowly. "I don't know about that anymore."

"Come on," he said bracingly. "Things will be okay. Christmas is crap, but Lee will come around. I know him. And you—you're stronger than most of us."

Angelina just shook her head. "Then why is it that you and Katie are the only ones who seem to have your heads on straight lately?"

George laughed now, and rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, Kates has been sick and I've been trying to look after her, so I guess we haven't had much opportunity to get in trouble, have we?"

She nodded. "George, I did something stupid," she said after a pause.

"Okay. So fix it."

She paused, startled by the simplicity of his answer. "What?"

"Fix it. Make it up to the people you've hurt, and then move on."

"It isn't that easy."

"Why not?" he asked. "Ange, our world is shit right now without endless drama that has an easy answer. If you did something stupid, say you're sorry, fix it, and keep going. I promise what I said is true. Lee will come around."

Angelina stared back at him. The green eyes that were once so lively, now-half dead, seemed to testify this truth to her if his tone hadn't already. Did this really have an easy answer? It seemed impossible that something she had kept half-hidden away for so many years could simply be put to rest by making it up to Lee and, even though she didn't have a clue about it, Katie.

"All we've got is each other now," he continued. "And if we lose you, I don't know what we'll do."

George smiled and Angelina found it difficult not to return it.

"Okay," she said quietly.

"Good," he said more brightly now. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a new generation of young minds to corrupt…"

Ange laughed and he got up to go, but she reached out her hand to stop him.

"Hold on a moment," she said, sitting him back down. "I've thought about what you want to do for Katie's gift and I decided what I want to give."

"Yeah?" he asked, eyes brightening. "What?"

She reached up under the many tiny braids of her hair to where her mother of pearl earrings were studded to her earlobes. She unclasped both and dropped one of them into George's hand.

"Ange," she said warily. "No…these were your grandmother's. You love them."

"Yeah," Angelina replied, her eyes shining. "But I love Katie more."

George smiled, and she knew she was on her way to moving past everything. Katie might not know her point in giving up the earring to George's plan, but she did. And she thought, somehow, that Fred did too.

XxX

Katie frowned as she tipped the box towards her. It was full of things she had had at her desk all year that she either wanted to clean or put away for the year to come, but she was having some trouble keeping balanced. Instead of offering to help her, Aarons had simply laughed. She supposed that now that Rita Skeeter had decided she was dull rather than an interesting human interest piece, her henchman security guard had decided Katie was no longer worth his notice or time. It was just as well.

The atmosphere in the Daily Prophet newsroom hadn't been particularly friendly at first. Only Jacquelyn had greeted her with a smile. When the others actually heard her speak to Madame Hudson, however, they had changed their minds. If there was one thing she was sure of, it was that she was a convincing invalid. Germaine had actually scolded her for coming in at all.

Katie had gotten to fill out her end-of-the-year forms, however, and exchanged gifts with Jacquelyn. Her friend and coworker had then helped her gather her things and clean off her desk, and had fished out the overly large box that she was now carrying from a nearby cupboard. With Christmas wishes and a brief hug, she had stepped out into the hallway adjoining the newsroom and the Ministry of Magic feeling positive about her visit and glad that she had come. And, if all went well, she would be back well within the two hour time frame guaranteed her by Ginny.

She was just headed for the doorway when Oliver came around the corner.

"Hey Katie," he said, startling her. She dropped her box once again, but Wood's easy reflexes kicked in and steadied it for her just in time. Katie sighed and let out a huff that rumpled her fringe.

"Shouldn't you be about a hundred feet in the air on a broomstick right now?" she asked. "You've got a rather important match on Friday, I believe."

She attempted to keep the steeliness out of her voice, but to eradicate it completely was impossible. She hadn't seen Oliver since he accused her of wanting to dance with him at the pub, and then subsequently disappeared. He wasn't high on her list of best friends at the moment.

"Oh, don't worry, I have been," he returned sportingly, and for the first time she noticed his windswept brown hair and the smear of mud on his left cheek. "Just stopped in to do an interview before second round of practices start. Our publicist insisted everyone do one—she's almost as bad as Johnson, as I've heard it. Couch isn't entirely thrilled."

"I can imagine," Katie said dryly.

"So you'll be there rooting for me, right?"

She laughed hollowly. "Oh, I'll be there," she assured. "But you forget that you're playing the Kenmare Krestels, which just so happens to be my brother's team. And family ties run deep, you know, especially during league championships."

"I hadn't forgotten," Oliver replied. "Just thought maybe you'd throw him over if I was convincing enough."

"You're the underdog by a long shot, Ol. Your team's too young. It would take a lot of talking to make me forget that." And a lot of apologizing, she added in her head.

He grinned. "Yeah, I know," he said. "It'll still be fun, though."

Katie raised an eyebrow. "Fun? Who are you, and what have you done with Oliver Wood, resident psychopath of the Gryffindor Tower?"

Wood laughed. "Okay, I want to win a little…alright, a lot," he added when she gazed at him further. "But I'm not dumb enough to be stupidly optimistic about it or anything."

She nodded, smiling politely and then readjusted the box. She made for the door, still not feeling overly comfortable with the situation.

As if noticing this, Wood moved to block her way.

"Katie, wait," he said, starting slowly. "I was actually kind of hoping to run into you today. I'd heard you were sick, but I just thought I'd see…"

He trailed off, and she just stared at him, waiting for him to continue.

"Anyway," he said. "The thing is that I need to apologize for the way I've been acting lately, and…and especially for what happened at the pub. Disappearing like that. Classic prick."

Katie sighed. "Yeah, yeah you were. But it's not like I was incredibly mature either. You're a good person, and I was expecting you to just bend with my every whim."

Wood brushed this aside with a wave of his hand. "Nah," he said emphatically. "In the end, it was me being a prat. Can we go back to being friends?"

He looked so earnest in this request that it was impossible for Katie to do anything other than agree.

"Good," he said, a relieved smile spreading across his face. "Now, hold on…I brought something in case I saw you."

He reached in the back pocket of his Quidditch training trousers and pulled out a glossy piece of card stock.

New Years' Eve on the Coast

Come celebrate the advent of the New Year

At Elie, the East Neuk of Fife

With the Wood Family

Festivities and dancing begin 7 p.m.

At our home

Katie smirked in spite of herself and looked up after reading the invitation.

"Who knew you were so fancy, Oliver?" she teased.

Her old captain rolled his eyes. "My mum and dad," he explained. "They're into decorum. But plenty of my mates will be there…people from the old days, you know. And you're more than welcome to come and stay a few days with us, even. And your friends, of course—Angelina and Alicia, George and Lee if you want. Maybe Michael if he's not too sore at me after losing the match."

Katie laughed. "I'll ask them," she promised. "It sounds fun. Dancing, though?"

She raised an eyebrow, and Wood nodded fervently.

"Of course," he said. "What's a New Years' party without dancing? Although, I'm still keeping to my word…"

"You won't dance with me," she finished, laughing slightly. "Yeah, I know."

He winked at her, and Katie knew this provision now stood in place as a joke rather than his desperate attempts to woo her. She felt slightly relieved.

"Alright, Ol," she said. "I'll see you then. Happy Christmas."

"Happy Christmas," he returned, holding the door out for her. She went through, the icy breeze of December cutting through her pea coat and chilling her bones.

"Katie," he called after she had taken a few steps. She turned around.

"Yeah?"

"Here's this."

Oliver was holding out a small rectangular box toward her. It was a simple gold sheen, and had a tiny red bow on one side.

"I was saving this in case I saw you as well," he explained.

Her breath hitched uncomfortably in her throat.

"Oli, I didn't think to…" she frowned. How could she explain she had been too frustrated with him to get him a Christmas gift?

But he shrugged indifferently. "I know," he said. "I would have been surprised had you did. But don't worry, it's nothing huge."

Katie eyed him warily, but set the box down on the ground and accepted the small gift.

"Thank you," she said quietly, and reached up to give him a hug. His arms lingered at her waist as she withdrew, and placed the gift into the depths of her messenger bag. "Now. Merry Christmas."

She hoisted up the box and disappeared into the thick London crowd. Wood watched her go.

"Merry Christmas," he returned with a smile.

XxX

The shop's final customer had finally exited, the doors were closed for the day, and George Weasley stood leaning against the counter and glared at the four people in front of him. He had just finished reaming them—Ginny in particular—for conspiring against him to undermine his authority and let Katie Bell out onto the streets.

He knew he was being ridiculous, and that Charlie in particular looked more amused than repentant, but he didn't care. It had been a long day, and the last thing he needed was for Katie's bout of sickness to return and land himself in a frilly apron making chicken soup for the rest of the evening. Now the five employees of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes were staring at the door and waiting for the shit to hit the fan, for lack of a less vulgar expression.

At long last, the little bell above the shop door tinkled, and Katie backed in in what she clearly thought was a secretive manner. Ginny lost it, clearly forgetting the guilt she had been entertaining just a moment ago, and dissolved into peals of laughter. Katie whirled around, looking from face to face and finally meeting George's angry expression. She tensed up for a moment, and then sighed.

"Oh, god," she said.

"Oh, god is right!" George exploded sternly. "Where the hell have you been? It's about two degrees outside, you're still sick, and you go gallivanting across town when I specifically told you to stay in bed!"

Ginny exploded into laughter again, and George wheeled on her.

"And you!" he shouted. "I'm not half done with you. You're supposed to be my sister! And then the two of you get together and make some kind of deal behind my back…"

"Katie's a free agent, George," Charlie pointed out, leaning against a nearby shelf with a grin. "Leave her be."

"Not while she's under my roof, she's not!" he said ridiculously.

"Excuse me?" Katie said, raising her hand from where she was still standing in the entryway. "Can I speak?"

"No!" George shouted, but he quickly backed off when she fixed him with her signature glare.

"Better calm down, mate," Lee advised, smirking.

"I went to work to collect my things and talk to my boss," Katie continued, setting down the rather large box she had been carrying. "And I sneaked out with Ginny's help because I didn't feel like dealing with you. And since when have you been dictator of this flat, anyway?"

George stared, aghast at the coup that was forming around him. Some family. He sunk into the chair behind the till, but Katie wasn't quite done with him yet.

"Oh, don't give me that wounded puppy dog look," she said, walking over to where he sat. "You're just upset because I'm not letting you play big man-in-charge anymore."

His head snapped up, surprised, and Charlie now joined Ginny with a big, echoing laugh.

"Besides," she carried on, now smiling a little mischievously. "I know this is all an act."

"An act?" he repeated, feeling slightly annoyed at this condescension.

"Yes. Everyone knows you're the sensitive one."

"What?" George nearly exploded. He somehow felt that his manhood had taken a direct hit. What was she on about?

Katie shrugged, smiling. "You were always the sensitive twin. The entire castle said so."

George's mind was whirling. "I'm not sensitive." He spat out the word like it was a cold, stale cup of tea. "You're barmy."

"Yes you are."

He was stunned, searching for words to combat this complete nonsense. He turned to Lee, who simply shrugged and grinned as if to say, "You're on your own with this one, Georgie."

"How the hell do you figure that?" he finally managed. "I'm George Weasley! I dropped out of school and spent most of my time there in detention for being insensitive. Do you have any idea how many girls I've snogged?"

"No," Katie admitted. "Do you?"

George thought about this briefly, but knew he had lost count somewhere during his fifth year. "More than Fred!" he finally declared, triumphantly. "Now who was the sensitive twin?"

"Fred was dating me for a good portion of that time," Katie said. "He didn't have as much of an opportunity."

"Well, exactly. He committed. I had hex marks all over my face for not committing. I slept with Parvati Patil after the Halloween Party!"

"What?" Ginny shouted, disgusted. George colored.

"Well, I did," he said in a smaller voice.

"Because you were feeling lonely," Katie continued, emphasizing the traitorous word. "Fred was also the one who wanted to blackmail Ludo Bagman. Until you stopped him. And you took me to the Yule Ball when no one else would, including him. You also sat with Ginny all night when she was in the Hospital Wing her first year with dragon pox."

"That's true," she chipped in, grudgingly. She was still rather disturbed about the Parvati Patil news, apparently.

"But how does that make me sensitive?" George cried, floundering. This was not quite the way he had envisioned himself in the eyes of women.

"And you came with me to the Hospital Wing after feeding me the wrong end of a Nose Bleed Nougat our seventh year."

"Fred came too!"

"Yeah, because he felt guilty because we'd had a huge fight the night before. And," she said, savoring the moment. "According to Alicia, you cried after the first time you slept together."

At these words, George felt himself flush a very deep red. He was sure his face was close to matching his hair. He wanted to open his mouth to deny it, but it was unfortunately true, strictly speaking. He hadn't cried, exactly…not really…but he had felt something like tears well up in the corners of his eyes. They were nothing compared to the ones Alicia had shed, though. And it was the first time, for both of them. But it was too late—already Charlie was howling with laughter and Lee was giving him a doubtful look. He was also unsure about how comfortable he was with Katie knowing the more intimate details of his sex life. His older brother being privy to his humiliation was one thing (and especially in front of Ron) but this concept of Katie getting secondhand details of his behavior in bed was previously unexplored territory, and it made him nervous. If she ever gained knowledge of that, he had always wanted it to be because—well, if he admitted to thinking about that, he would surely have to kill himself immediately afterward.

Recognizing defeat, George kept his mouth shut. There was nothing to do now but wait for what sure to be Charlie's endless teasing and Ron's triumphant grins to cease.

XxX

Katie Bell folded her arms in front of her chest, happily surveying her defeated opponent. George looked completely undone, and frustrated to boot. The diversion tactic had sapped the rest of her remaining strength and she felt she would have to spend the rest of the day in bed after all, but it had been worth it.

Whatever turmoil was going on in George's head finally burst, and he stood up angrily.

"Fine," he said, rather immaturely. "If you're all against me, I'll just go and do the books myself. See if I ever let you work here again."

He turned to disappear into the back room, shouting at Ron and Lee to accompany him. Katie watched him go, cocking her head to one side in interest.

"What?" Charlie asked, noticing her gaze.

"Oh, nothing," Katie said simply. "George has just got a pretty cute bum."

Ginny made a noise of disgust and rolled her eyes, while Charlie raised his eyebrows in mock amusement.

"Oh has he?" he questioned. "What about me?"

"Turn around," she commanded. Charlie did so, and she observed.

"Not bad," was the verdict. "Must be a family trait."

"Oh, Christ," Ginny groaned while Charlie burst into loud laughter.

Katie grinned.