Sorry for the delay in posting.
Audrey was sitting in her favorite coffee shop just down the block from the Leaky Cauldron. She'd discovered the shop shortly after moving back to London a few months prior. It had been years since she lived in England and she was excited to find a place that could brew a decent cup of coffee. Being a half-blood, it's Muggle location did not deter her from patronizing it.
She was supposed to be meeting Katie, but after twenty minutes of waiting her cousin had yet to show up. Beginning to worry something had happened, Audrey had decided to wait five more minutes when her cousin burst into the café.
"I know, I know. I'm late," Katie exclaimed, hurrying over and plopping herself into the chair opposite Audrey.
"You are," Audrey agreed, pushing one of the cups sitting on the table forward. "I was beginning to wonder if I should send out an alert."
"I'm sorry," apologized Katie. "I was on a floo call and it ran longer than I expected."
"Is everything alright?" asked Audrey. "Nothing happened to Oliver did it?
"No," Katie reassured her cousin. "I was just trying to coordinate plans for dinner this week with the parents and getting everyone's schedules synchronized isn't easy."
"How are your parents doing?" Audrey inquired.
"They're fine. Nothing ever changes with them," Katie took a sip of her drink and attempted to relax after her rushing over to meet Audrey..
"So what's the special occasion that needs the family together?" Audrey asked.
It was the sparkle she suddenly spied on Katie's hand, though, that answered her question. Audrey gasped and pulled it towards her, examining the new ring on Katie's finger closely. "Is this what I think it is?"
"Oh, damn," Katie cursed, looking down at the her hand. "I forgot to take it off before I left."
"You didn't answer my question."
"Yes, it's what you think it is," she confessed. "Oliver proposed last night." Pulling her hand away from Audrey, Katie reached up behind her neck and unclasped the silver chain she was wearing. "We were planning on telling you tonight after the game."
Audrey watched in confusion as Katie slipped the ring from her finger and onto her chain. "Why are you taking it off then?"
"We've decided to keep the news quiet until we tell our parents. That's what kept me this morning. I was trying to get everyone together at the same time so we could tell them the news." Katie refastened the chain around her neck and continued, "I'm taking it off so nobody will guess, like you just did."
"Is the press hounding Oliver already?"
"It's not very likely to happen, but we didn't want the papers to get wind of any gossip before we could tell our families. This is Oliver's first real year as a starting player. He got promoted off the Reserve squad last year but he only got to play a few games before the season was cancelled. He's not really a big name yet but we didn't want to take the chance of some tabloid catching the story and printing it before our families found out."
"Okay, spill," ordered Audrey. "How did he propose?"
"It was very Oliver," Katie gushed, happy to tell someone her good news. "After dinner last night he told me he forgot something at the stadium and insisted I come with him. So we apparated to Puddlemere and he proposed on the pitch.."
"I'm so happy for you," Audrey smiled, excited for her cousin.
"Who knew something so good could come out of being cursed," joked Katie as she fingered the ring hanging from her neck. "If there is a silver lining to be found, it brought us together."
"You'll have to tell me every detail," Audrey demanded as she glanced down at her watch. "But it will have to be on the way. If we're going to make a late lunch with Percy before the game, we better get going."
Families flooded Diagon Alley gathering supplies for students soon returning to Hogwarts. Despite the crush the girls had no trouble completing their tasks for the day.
"Anywhere else you need to go?" Katie asked as they exited Madam Malkin's.
"No, I don't think so," answered Audrey, carrying her shopping bag weighed down with new robes she really didn't need. She turned her gaze to the display in the shop next door and began debating about whether she needed a new quill for work when a shock of red hair caught her attention. Turning around, she noticed a tall ginger leaned against the wall outside of Flourish and Blots talking to someone with dark hair as a crowd began to circle them.
"Katie, that red-head over there. Is he one of Percy's brothers?" Audrey asked, nodding her head in the direction of the bookstore.
"Audrey, I know you've been gone from England for awhile, but you can't assume every red-head is related to Percy." Katie turned in the direction Audrey indicated and sighed. "But in this case, you are correct."
Audrey flashed Katie a smug smile.
"That's Ron. He's talking to Harry," she informed her cousin, looking at the people milling about them. "I hear they've been avoiding the public. They must be here getting supplies for Ginny and Hermione. Angelina said the girls are returning to school."
"Harry," Audrey commented. "Harry Potter? The one who just defeated Voldemort?"
"Yeah. Want to go meet them?"
"No," Audrey murmured. "Percy said they'll be at his dinner next week. I'll meet them then. It doesn't appear as if they wish to be bothered at the moment." It seemed that the boys had enough on their hands trying to ignore the crowd intruding on their space. She didn't want to add to the throng.
"You finally get to meet the family, huh?" Katie grinned as they turned and began their way down the street and away from the bookshop. "Don't worry, they're all friendly. Mrs. Weasley can be a bit intimidating, but Mr. Weasley seems nice. I've only met his older brothers once, but I played Quidditch with the rest of them. Remember I told you about them before you started dating Percy."
"Oh," Audrey exclaimed, suddenly recalling the events from that morning, "I forgot to tell you I met George today!"
"How could you forget to tell me that?"
"Well, I was going to but then your news kind of superseded mine," Audrey answered, waving her hand in the direction of where Katie's engagement ring lay nestled on her chain.
"So, " Katie inquired. "How did you meet?"
"It was a bit embarrassing," admitted Audrey. "I stayed at Percy's last night and he flooed in this morning."
Katie started laughing, drawing the attention of passersby as they walked down the street. "He didn't catch you…?"
"No," Audrey cried. "Thank Merlin, no. But he did catch me barely dressed. Percy was in the shower and I was making breakfast and just had his shirt on. It covered all the important bits, but I hadn't even brushed my hair yet."
Katie had attended school enough years with the twins to imagine how the scene unfolded. "Did he tease you relentlessly?" she asked, trying not to smile.
"Go ahead, let it out. I know you want to laugh," Audrey said. "He flirted and teased, but he didn't cause Percy to go into seizure."
"His shop is up around the corner," Katie said, excitedly. "I haven't visited it since the war. We have time. Want to go?"
Katie began pulling her down the street. Before Audrey knew it, they were walking through the doorway of Weasley Wizard Wheezes. A small bell announced their arrival, although it had gone unnoticed in the chaos surrounding them. Vibrant colors assaulted Audrey's eyes as she spied young children filling up their baskets. She assumed they were there to replenish their supply to take to Hogwarts after the year they'd suffered.
Audrey looked around and turned to ask Katie a question, but her cousin had wandered away, talking to someone she didn't know. She walked further into the shop, taking in all the sights when a voice caught her attention.
"Well, well, well." George called out. "Decided to leave my brother and run away with me already, did you? That must be record time."
"I think I'll keep him for a while longer," Audrey smiled, watching Percy's brother make his way to her side. "Nice shop. Is it always this busy?"
"No. Weekends before Hogwarts starts up are our busiest times outside of the holidays," he answered. "Let me give you the tour."
As George guided her around the store, Audrey grew impressed by the variety of merchandise available. There was something for all ages. He pointed out everything from their growing line of defense products he planned to market to the Ministry to some of their best sellers such as Skiving Snackboxes and the Patented Daydreams.
"I was lucky to get Verity back. She's been with us from the beginning," George explained, nodding to the girl behind the counter. "Ron has been help out on odd days, too. I might have to hire some more help, though, since he starts Auror training in a few weeks."
"It's very impressive," Audrey replied, truly in awe of all that Percy's brother had accomplished.
"So what brings you by today? I thought you were meeting up with the prat."
"Katie and I had some time to kill and she wanted me to see your store," Audrey explained. "I'm glad I did."
"Katie's here?" George asked, immediately craning his head to spy the person in question. "I need to have a word with her. Where is she?"
"Someone called her over when we came in." Audrey couldn't see her cousin in the chaos of children running about.
"Oy, Katie," George shouted, not caring who he was disturbing in his own shop.
"What do you want, George?" she answered, sneaking up behind her old Quidditch teammate and smiling.
"Ahem. So...," Audrey didn't know Percy's brother well, but she had a feeling Katie was about to be brought to task for something or other. "You've been keeping secrets from me."
"I don't know what you mean," the younger girl answered, trying and failing to look innocent.
"I hear you are seeing a certain insane former Quidditch captain," George accused. "Percy of all people knew and I didn't. I'm hurt."
Katie's face flushed pink. "I'm sorry. With the last year and everything it just wasn't something to announce. And after the battle…. You know."
"Just please tell me you guys weren't snogging in the locker room after games when he was captain," he asked, motioning for them to follow him into a back room.
"Of course not, George. We weren't seeing each other at Hogwarts," Katie answered and smacked him on the arm. "He was a bit too old for me back then even though we all thought he was cute."
"We?" George asked, one eyebrow raised. The girls took a seat on the old sofa in what was evidently a combination break room and office.
"Yes, we," she answered. "You didn't think Angelina, Alicia and I talked only about Quidditch, did you? We thought he was cute, but then we thought Cedric Diggory and Roger Davies were cute, too. "
"So, tell me, how did you two get together then. I thought only a quaffle could attract Oliver's notice."
"Actually, you had a part in it." Katie admitted. "Oliver said you and Fred contacted him about my accident."
"Yeah, we sent him a note as soon as we heard. He came with us a few times to visit you."
Katie absently fiddled with the ring hanging from her necklace. "I was mostly unconscious during the visits, but after I woke up and went back to finish at school, we started writing each other and it just progressed from there."
George seemed to recall seeing Oliver with his other former Quidditch mates the night of the battle. "He came to Hogwarts with you," he realized, dropping into the office chair opposite the girls. "The night of the battle."
"We were with Alicia and Angie that evening when our DA coins went off. You were in hiding by then."
Audrey watched the byplay between friends with much interest. She'd heard a version what happened that night from Katie and then more detailed account from Percy. Being disconnected from the action, it was a bit surreal to know that her friends and family were involved in the conflict.
"That's how Percy found out, that night," George asked. "Wasn't it?"
"Percy wasn't with us that night," answered Katie. "We didn't see him much those last few months."
"You haven't talked to him about it?" Audrey asked. It had taken a long time for Percy to trust her with his account of that night and the events leading up to it. She was surprised, but not shocked, that he hadn't opened up completely to his family yet.
"He told us he was being watched." George hadn't really sat down with his brother and talked about the specific details. Dealing with Fred's death and trying to pick up the pieces after Voldemort's reign had taken precedence over many things. But at some point they'd have to discuss it. "He said Aberforth contacted him that night and told him that something big was going down and he should be there."
"It was Oliver who originally connected Percy with Aberforth," Katie admitted. "Aberforth was already working with Neville and the DA and Percy needed a contact in case one of us had to go into hiding. Oliver was with me so he'd be alerted through my DA coin if something was happening, but Percy wasn't involved with the DA. And then we had to cut contact completely leading up to the battle."
"It seems I'm going to have to thank Oliver for looking out for my big brother," George sighed. "We each let that rift blow way out of proportion. Should have never let it get that far."
"But you're all together, now," Katie answered. "That's what that matters."
Audrey wanted to reassure George that Percy felt the same but didn't feel it was her place to get involved. It was past time they all sat down and had a long discussion. She hated to put a stop to the conversation, but a quick glance at the wall clock alerted her to the time. "Katie, we're going to be late if we don't leave soon."
The girls gathered their belongs and followed George out into the shop. Katie turned to him as they reached the door and asked, "Why don't you come with us! We're going to Oliver's game. He always has an extra ticket or two on reserve."
George reached over and hugged his friend. "Not today. Have work to do. But another day."
"Don't be a stranger," Katie answered
"I won't," he answered and then turned to Audrey. "I'll see you next week. Percy told mum this morning he was dragging you along."
Audrey smiled, eager and scared to meet the rest of Percy's family. She said farewell and with goodbyes completed they headed out.
A bit more of a delay than I'd have liked, but I've been knitting a sweater. I know that sounds like a weird excuse but I tend to hyperfocus sometimes and the time I'd usually be writing has been taken up by knitting. Then I put the sweater aside and knit some fingerless mitts and then some socks and then started a skirt…
I do have the next few chapters already half-written so there won't be another three month delay between postings. I hope.