kalicia
By the time Katie realizes she might be fully into girls, Alicia’s already graduated from Hogwarts.
Granted it’s taken her a while – there’d been that perfunctory crush on Cedric Diggory, because he was objectively handsome and all her friends had giggled about him during the late night gossip sessions. Then there was that short bout of time where she’d liked Oliver Wood, because, she supposed, he had seemed like the next viable option at the time. Or at least he was, before she realized he was far more interested in Quidditch than any person in his vicinity.
But by the time she gets around to chatting with Cho Chang after practice, by the time she realizes she thinks Cho is pretty , and not just because she’s nodding along with her classmates’ envious comments, by the time it hits her that her ardent admiration of Alicia for much of her Hogwarts career stemmed from far more than supporting a best friend – by the time she sorts everything out in her head, Alicia’s already gone off with flying colors, on track to be a Healer, all the way down in London.
It hits her full force, when she’s figuring out where to sit at the Gryffindor table for breakfast on the first day of term. Usually she and Alicia snag opposite ends towards the middle, lumping their bags together until Angelina rolls out of bed. Now, Hermione and Parvati and Lavender give her quiet hellos, and there’s no groaning from a half-asleep Angie. No Alicia, with bleary eyes and lopsided smile, expertly braiding her hair while reading the morning paper.
She makes do with eating her toast out in the courtyard. It’s not exactly a nice feeling.
As she lies awake at night, staring at the canopy of the four-poster bed and missing Angelina and Alicia in different ways but equal increments, she wonders if she would’ve had a chance if she’d realized earlier.
But her family has always been the one amidst all her extended relatives to show up late to events, so she’s used to missing the boat.
It’s a little harder to resign herself to this, though.
***
Missing her best friends takes a chunk out of her chest, but she makes fast friends with Leanne, and takes to studying alongside Hermione in the library. Angie and Alicia never go more than a week without writing, spelling out escapades with the twins (Katie misses them like hell, too) and mishaps in the medical ward at St. Mungo’s (Alicia spends weekends volunteering).
She’s at breakfast, trying to cut a particularly stubborn piece of bacon, when Alicia’s owl comes swooping down, talons landing with a click on the wood of the table. Katie can’t help untying the neatly folded letter immediately, breakfast forgotten for the time being.
Hey Katie-Kat, Alicia writes, as usual but this time it leaves a bitter taste in Katie’s mouth, you won’t believe what happened yesterday in the ward.
And Alicia goes on to describe a poor wizard who’d manage to get all his fingers and toes stuck together, and Katie grimaces at the image.
Katie-Kat, Alicia calls her, except when Katie traces her fingers over the neatly written letters, and rolls the syllables over her tongue, it sounds childish. Like a little sister. It’s intimate and casual and very endearing, but it’s not exactly what she wants .
But she tucks the letter away into her bag to respond to later, already drafting up the response and eager to fill them in on how the new Quidditch team is shaping up.
***
Dear Alicia,
McGonagall assigned us the most dreadful paper last class, so I have to apologize for not writing. But it’s over and done with so I can tell you all about how great a time I’m having all by myself, without the two of you wearing me out.
I’m kidding! I miss you loads.
It’s just not the same without you, the team. I guess nothing really is. But you won’t believe what happened at Quidditch tryouts the other day – do you remember McLaggen, in my year?
***
Hi Katie-Kat,
Really? You’re going to use old McGonagall as an excuse? Merlin, I remember her class got nasty at the end – keep your chin up. (Also don’t mention that I called her old, eep!)
Aw, man, I miss you a lot too – you know how we’d all used to pile into Angie’s bed and talk about everything and anything? I miss that in particular. I love getting your letters but it’s just not the same.
But enough of that – tell me about your year so far! I’m sure the boys in your year have finally grown up by now…
Katie grimaces. Even if they have (Cormac McLaggen is still renowned for being a Grade A braggart and Katie can begrudgingly admit that he’s one of the better looking ones), she’s not interested, thank you very much.
She wonders if she should tell Alicia this.
Instead, as she drafts her response, Katie just chooses to skip over that paragraph. Maybe another time.
***
Snape’s class sounds horrid. And everyone knows he’s obsessed with the Dark Arts. What Dumbledore is thinking is beyond me, but I guess he has his own plans.
Katie, the worst thing happened in the Ward yesterday. It made me cry the whole night.
A little girl was brought in, you see, and she had a nasty wound on her abdomen. I won’t describe the details but it was gory – the Healer I was working with took one look and paled, and when I asked my friend Lilian why, she said it was because it was a werewolf bite. Apparently it’s been happening more and more frequently. I’m shaking with rage just thinking about how You-Know-Who is using them as weapons, to make more weapons, it’s disgusting.
The girl passed away within an hour of arriving – the wound was too deep. And her poor mother – no parent should have to bury their child. It’s heartbreaking.
I know Hogwarts is supposed to be safe and everything, but Merlin only knows at this point. Keep your chin up, Katie, but stay safe, you hear me?
***
“Hey Cho,” Katie calls as she catches the Ravenclaws trooping off the pitch, and Cho waves with her free hand.
“Hi Katie,” Cho’s got half her hair whipping into her face from the wind, and Katie thinks her own hair is doing the same, “Are you about to practice?”
“Not with the team, but I thought I’d run some of my own drills.” Before Katie mentions that Harry’s schedule isn’t all that organized yet, nor are his team assignments, she remembers that Cho’s not exactly on the best terms with him. She bites her tongue, but Cho doesn’t seem to notice.
Cho glances at the goalposts. “I could play Keeper for a bit? I’m not terrible, and it’s better than trying to set up charms.”
Katie smiles, eager to get in the air, and thankful for Cho’s offering. “Yeah – why not?”
They wind up flying for a good hour and a half, Cho hovering in front of the center hoop and Katie streamlines her way through enough maneuvers that she thinks she’s shaken off most of the cobwebs from the summer. Her hair is coming undone from her braids, but the adrenaline from flying is thrumming in her veins and it feels good to be back in the air.
Not as good as having Alicia by her side, running the same drills with intense focus in her face, but regardless.
“How’s your last year shaping up?” Cho asks, broom slung over her right shoulder, and quaffle tucked underneath her left arm.
Katie stares at the grass of the pitch as they continue on their way to the lockers. “It’s alright.”
She’s not lying, per se. Classes are fine. Her grades are fine. But that’s just it – everything is fine. Everything is fine , if she doesn’t think about what’s going on outside of Hogwarts, if she doesn't let her mind creep towards the fear of not receiving the weekly letter from Angie, from hearing about the Weasleys, from reading each messier article in the Prophet about another shop’s windows blasted out in Diagon Alley. Everything’s fine if she doesn’t wonder whether Hogwarts is really as safe as they say it is.
She catches Cho glance at her from the corner of her eye, and Katie remembers who she’s talking to. “It’s – well.” Her attempt at correcting herself lodges in her throat.
Cho turns her face up to the sky, and it looks hazy and grey, like lightning is waiting to break and crash across the open air. “Yeah, me too.”
***
The first semester of Katie’s seventh year drags on with little fanfare – they’re doing relatively okay, Quidditch wise, but she finds herself missing Oliver and Angelina’s drive. Harry’s preoccupied with something – with as much focus as Wood had been on winning. Almost. Maybe. It could rival it, Katie thinks.
But the castle, for all it’s charm and whimsical magic that still takes her breath away some days, has started turning into a fortress more than a home. Hogsmeade weekends have lost their charm, what with every morning Prophet whispering of new Dark activities.
Everyone’s on edge, and Katie’s not immune.
So when the holidays swing around, she packs her bags with gusto, ready for the comfort of her family and friends. Angelina and the twins had already asked to meet up the day after Christmas, and as Katie shrugs on a coat and bids goodbye to her Mum, she feels her spirits lift at getting out of the house – away from squabbling cousins and overbearing aunties and the harried whispering of things going on in the Wizarding World.
(Her parents keep telling her to keep her head low, but that’s never been in Katie’s plans – she’s got too many friends in the thick of it, looks at Harry and Hermione and the Weasleys and knows she couldn’t live with herself if she left her friends and classmates to wade through the mess.)
Angelina tugs her into a tight, fierce hug the moment she opens the door to her apartment. Katie laughs as Angelina practically lifts her up from the ground.
“Katie! It’s so good to see you,” She beams, and Katie spots Fred and George playing a game of Exploding Snap over Angelina’s shoulder. They turn simultaneously when Katie calls their name, and then they’re up and on their feet to greet her as well.
George hugs her first. “Bell, what a lovely sight-”
“For sore eyes!” Fred swoops down next. “How’ve you been?”
“Studying for NEWTs,” Katie stares at them pointedly, “Something you two wouldn’t remember, I’m sure. I heard the shop’s doing really well?”
Fred beams. “Business is booming – remember those Canary Creams?”
Katie shudders. “How couldn’t I?”
“A great gag gift for the holidays.” George adds, and he winks at Katie. She makes a mental note to be wary of any food the twins pass on to her for the rest of the night.
“It’s good to see you all,” Katie grins, letting Angelina take care of her coat. “I’m sorry I’m late, I had to fix lunch for my cousins before I left.”
Angelina waves her apology away, leading her into the small linoleum-tiled kitchen. “You’re fine, Bell,” she hands a mug of still steaming tea over to Katie, before turning back to remake the kettle, “Alicia has to finish up a shift, so she’ll be here later. And Wood’s on his way right now.”
“Harry’s not coming?” Katie asks, and the tea scalds her tongue when she takes a sip.
“Well,” Angelina sighs, “It’s kind of bad if he’s running around all over the place without the Order knowing, right?”
“That makes sense.” Katie says, and she meets Angelina’s eye over her mug – there’s an understanding passed between them that while this is the reality of it all, that they’re all on the brink of something , today isn’t the day to talk about it. At least not enough to ruin what should be a good night.
She settles onto the couch between Angelina and George, watching Fred whoop when he beats Lee (who’d been busy fixing himself a drink when Katie had arrived) at another round of Exploding Snap.
“Alicia really wants to see you,” Angelina pipes up, nudging Katie’s shoulder with her own and flashing her a cheeky smile, “Sometimes I think she misses you the most out of all of us.”
Katie feels a blush rising before she can help herself. “Oh, really?”
“She’s always so worried about you,” George says, nonchalantly helping himself to a cookie, as if what he’s saying isn’t sending Katie’s mind into overdrive. Well – he wouldn’t, of course, because Katie isn’t obvious , but still.
“You better keep up your grades, Bell,” George takes on a stern voice, wagging his finger, and Angelina laughs, “Or else Spinnet will have something to say about it.”
Katie shoves George’s hand out of her face. “Yeah, okay. She’s just looking out for me.”
The doorbell rings before Angelina and George can banter back, and Katie springs up to get the door, eager to keep herself from accidentally blurting out her feelings to two people who mean well, most of the time, but always end up being far too involved in people’s love lives.
But she thinks she might be letting the cat out of the bag, because when Katie swings the door open, she can’t help but breathe out an “Oh.”
Because there’s Alicia, with red cheeks and snow still in her curls, beaming at Katie underneath a red knit beanie. She’s almost forgotten how gorgeous Alicia is – Katie can’t breathe for a split second.
“Katie!” Alicia surges forward, and oh Merlin , is Alicia going to kiss – nope. No. Katie curses her overactive imagination when she’s swept up in Alicia’s arms, Alicia’s puffy jacket stiff underneath her own limbs.
Alicia cradles her face, and Katie feels her cheeks heat up under Alicia’s touch. “I’ve missed you so much, how are you?”
“Good!” Katie blurts out, “Really good. How are you?”
She darts out of Alicia’s grasp, and awkwardly shuffles her feet as Alicia sheds her coat.
“Busy,” Alicia sighs, stomping some of the snow off her boots, and tugging them off before heading to where Angelina is waving them over. She takes a detour to the kitchen and grabs herself a mug, Katie following close behind. “St. Mungo’s has always been a mess, but now it’s getting worse.”
Katie hums apologetically – on closer inspection, Alicia does look tired, dark circles underneath her eyes. But she smiles just as brightly towards the twins and Lee when she settles down on the couch. Alicia pats the spot next to her and Katie plops herself down, sinking back on the cushions.
“It’s so good to see you again, Katie, it feels like it’s been ages since the summer.” Alicia blows on her cup of hot cocoa.
“It’s only been three months.” Katie points out, even though the sentiment of it is something she recognizes.
Alicia rolls her eyes. “Yeah, but I used to see you everyday – there’s a difference.”
Katie blushes, and if Alicia notices, she doesn’t comment. Instead, her attention is diverted to the sudden boom that issues from the circle that the twins and Lee are sitting in, Angelina covering her face from where she’s standing as the cards explode.
“Still loud,” Alicia quips, smiling wanly over her mug, “The team must be really different.”
Katie sighs. “It has been. Poor Harry, though.”
“Poor Harry indeed.”
The silence that lapses in between them is comfortable – there’s things that they need to catch up on, and parts of their lives that they haven’t shared yet but Katie doesn’t feel the need to rush, to explain and ask and learn. Alicia’s presence is something that feels natural, a part of herself that makes her wonder how she’s gotten through these past couple of months without her best friend.
They watch in quiet amusement as Fred and Lee squabble over who won their game of poker only for George to come in and scoop up the winnings while neither were paying attention. Alicia’s got her feet tucked under her, socked toes poking at Katie’s thigh, and she tries to ignore the physical touch. Tries to, because all she really wants to do is sprawl over Alicia’s lap and get tucked under her chin, have something that spells more than just regular affection and maybe more.
Katie drains her tea, stares at the leaves at the bottom of her mug. Maybe there’s an A in there. Or a sun, for happiness.
She’s always been shit at divination, though.
Her reverie is broken when Alicia jumps to her feet, as the doorbell rings again, and then Oliver is bursting in the moment Angelina opens the door, brushing snow out of his hair.
“Hey, Wood,” Fred starts.
“Get your dirty boots off my floor, Wood.” Angelina raises an eyebrow, but she takes his coat nonetheless. Oliver hastily steps back onto the doormat, before waving at all of them.
“You’re late, Wood.” George tacks on.
“What took you so long, Wood?” Alicia snickers, as Oliver glares half-heartedly at all of them.
“Enough, you lot. Sorry I’m late.” Oliver presses a bottle of Ogden’s, red bow tied neatly around it, into Angelina’s hands, and Lee whistles lowly.
“Apology accepted,” George laughs, before going off to help Angelina open the gift.
“Hmm, why so late, Oliver?” Alicia waggles her eyebrows, and Oliver mimes smacking her on the head. Her curls bounce when she dodges the attempt, snuggling closer to Katie, and Katie curves her arms protectively around Alicia on impulse. She pauses.
Neither Alicia nor Oliver seem to notice.
“Shut up,” Oliver sighs, “Not now.”
There’s a faint pink tinge to Oliver’s cheeks that Katie can tell isn’t from the cold. Her interest is piqued, because she can’t recall ever seeing Wood blush .
It proves a fruitful distraction from how good Alicia’s hair smells, under her chin.
“Am I missing something?” She pokes at Alicia’s shoulder, and receives a laugh in return.
“Our dear ol’ captain here has a little side-piece situation going on,” Alicia informs Katie with glee, “But he won’t tell us who it is.”
“Not a side-piece.” Oliver mumbles, plopping down on the opposite couch in a huff reminiscent of when they wheedled out of practice. He accepts a warm mug from Fred graciously, before pointedly staring at his drink.
Angelina rests gracefully on the arm of the couch Katie and Alicia are sitting on. “A fling then.” She prompts.
Oliver sighs. “Not a fling – and anyways, aren’t were here to celebrate Christmas? You lot weren’t even talking about this crap until I got here.”
“Christmas is a time for family, dear Oliver,” George says dramatically, “And family doesn’t keep secrets, do they?”
Lee and Fred grin cheekily behind George.
“C’mon, Ollie,” Katie says, “You know we’re only teasing. When has this been a thing?”
“I ran into him in Diagon one day, picking up flowers with this soppy smile on his face,” Angelina comments, and Oliver turns even redder, “And he stuttered so much, of course we all knew something was going on.”
“Ooh, flowers – romantic.” Lee winks.
Wood groans, increasingly exasperated at everyone’s attention and while Katie feels a twinge of sympathy for him, she’s also massively curious – after all, similar attention has been turned to everyone except for Oliver before, so this is a very rare occasion.
“If I tell you all, will you all shut up?”
Katie says “Yes,” the same time everyone else says “No,” and Oliver gives her a thankful smile, but then the twins start to shake his shoulders.
“C’mon, Wood, don’t leave us hanging here.”
Oliver looks caught between amusement and annoyance, but he still manages to shrug off Fred and George, swatting them away. “Alright. Fine, fine – you lot want to know? It’s Flint.”
He focuses his attention intently on the mug in his hands and Katie feels for him, being put on the spot like that.
The silence that falls in the room reminds Katie of the moments after the cartoon hero gets caught in a calamity, with stars spinning over their head. Fred and George are exchanging looks with one another, while Angelina looks like the cat that caught the canary, hiding a smug grin behind her mug.
“Marcus Flint?” Alicia asks slowly, as if they all know someone else with the last name.
Oliver lifts a shoulder nonchalantly. “Yeah, well.” And he leaves it resolutely at that.
Katie wants to break the quiet, but then Lee beats her to the punch.
“I never really thought of Flint as a flowers kind of guy.” He shoots a lopsided grin over at Oliver as everyone dissolves into laughter and Wood’s cheeks turn pinker than they already are.
Katie pats Oliver on the back consolingly. “See? They’re not so bad about it.” She’s secretly glad for it as well. She doesn’t think anyone in the room had known that Oliver was into guys, but they’re all far more preoccupied with figuring out how Marcus Flint had suddenly become a romantic interest. It’s a little breath of relief, really, to know that her friends would be accepting of her if she ever told them. She’d have a rough enough time with her parents – she doesn’t think she’ll ever tell that family.
Oliver smiles lopsidedly, but then Alicia jabs him non-too kindly in the gut. “So – how’d it happen?”
“When’d it happen?” Angelina chimes in.
“Where’d it happen?” Katie follows up, earning her a disgruntled look from Wood.
“No.” is all Oliver graces them with, turning resolutely to the Exploding Snap cards resting on the coffee table. Fred picks up the second set, and proceeds to deal them out, starting the next round.
“At least tell us how it’s going.” Alicia wheedles, with Fred and George grinning in agreement.
Oliver’s face flames and a mumble of “It’s been good” is all he mutters before cursing at the cards in his hand.
Katie shoots them all a look to drop it, Oliver’s short answers speaking to his discomfort, and they all acquiesce, looking on fondly as the boys start trash-talking one another in an attempt to distract the attempts at winning.
Alicia lifts her feet back up onto the couch, and stretches, back arching and sweater raising up a little above her jeans and Katie blushes a little bit, averts her gaze and watches as Lee whoops and claps Fred hard on the back as he succeeds in balancing a card straight.