Twins, Katie! Twins! Chapter 4
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"Did you hear what happened?" whispered 7th year Gryffindor Alicia Spinnet to her year and teammate Katie Bell in the library.

"No," said Katie looking up from a copy of Hogwarts, A History. "To who? What happened?"

"Shhh," Alicia said in an undertone looking around and seeing no one, other than Madame Pince.

Katie looked at her friend. This had to be good.

"About Angelina and the twins," said Alicia sliding into a seat next to Katie.

"You must be studying too hard," said Katie looking at Alicia concernedly. "I was there this morning, remember?"

"I meant this afternoon," said Alicia giggling.

"What!?" yelled Katie.

"Girls!" said Madame Pince sharply. "If you cannot control your noise level I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"Sorry," apoligised Katie, packing her bag and getting up.

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"In a deserted classroom?" Katie said in wonderment. "What if they would have got caught?"

"Well they didn't," said Alicia. "And if you would have met us as planned you would have known, too."

"Sorry," said Katie. "I got caught up in my reading."

Alicia and Katie walked to the Gryffandor common room quickly.

"I think we need to get in on that," said Katie.

"What?" said Alicia.

"Well, George is single, isn't he?" Katie asked.

"I don't know," said Alicia with a shrug. "I mean, he might be Angelina's, too."

"How'd she do that one?" Alicia asked.

"Hell if I know," Katie said. "Wish I did."

"We could always ask her," said Alicia.

The girls stopped in the hallway and looked at each other. Then they turned and ran to their common room.

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"Hi!" George called out to the girls as they climbed through the portal.

"Angelinas still getting ready," Fred said, just the top of his head visable over the back of the couch.

"She's going to take forever," said Katie shaking her head. The girls climbed the stairs to the 7th year girls dorm.

"You ready?" asked Katie walking through the door.

"Almost," said Angelina braiding her still damp hair.

Katie dropped her bag onto her bed and picked up her hairbrush up. She began brushing quickly and walked to her trunk. She flipped the top open and pulled out a small box.

Alicia changed her robes to ones that were a deep blue and helped Angelina with the rest of her braid.

"Honestly," Alicia said. "You two are amazingly slow."

"You hush," said Katie smoothing down her clean red robes and reaching into the small box to get a pair of small silver hoop earrings.

"The twins are waiting," said Alicia, tying a gold ribbon at the end of Angelinas plait and giving it a firm pat.

Katie began to giggle.

"Oh stop it," Angelina said, turning red.

"Well. it's funny!" Katie laughed. "How many boyfriends do you need?"

"Ignore her," Alicia said. "She's just jealous."

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"What's taking them so long?" Fred asked as George dealt out another hand of Exploding Snap.

"They're girls," George shrugged.

The girls thudded into the common room and stood in a row.

"Hi!" called out Angelina. "We're ready."

"About time," said George."Where do you want to go first?"

"Candy shop," said Katie.

"Three Broomsticks," said Angelina.

"Shrieking Shack," said Alicia.

"Well then," George said scratching his head. "We want to go to the joke shop and we outnumber you so we get to go there first."

Fred grinned widely.

"Buy us a round of Butterbeer?" Alicia asked looking at Alicia and Katie who were nodding.

"Done," said Fred. "Joke Shop it is!"

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The five Gryffindors made their way down to the ground floor of the castle. Filch peered into the hoods of their cloaks as they passed by and Mrs. Norris, his shabby cat growled as they passed. They wound their way

through the Hogwarts grounds, down the gravel drive and through the front gates.

The front of the joke shop was brightly colored and the twins grew more excited as the building grew nearer. The front window displayed the newest in pocket tricks. Noise Droplets, small beads that made a loud noise

when thrown, shined on top of a soft carrying bag. Water Blasters, a type of portable water baloon that could only break when a small band was removed from around it lay nearby. Colored boxes and bags were heaped

behind the display carrying brand names and slogans. A tank of water sprites were displayed nearby. The tank looked like it was empty until a male popped it's watery transparent head out and gave a lacivious wink to

Katie.

George held the door open for them and they entered the busy store.

"Oi!" yelled out a familliar voice.

"Hello, Lee," called out Alicia.

"What took you so long?" asked the attractive black boy as he approached them.

Lee Jordan had gotten taller and leaner as he had gotten older. He shook out his dredlocks as webbing from a can of Wheezys Webbing streaked past his head as a third year shot at his friend. His bright yellow robes

were trimmed in green and his hair now sported wooden beads at odd intervals in Gryffindor colors.

The twins began looking at displays, examining merchandise, taking notes in a small book and whispering conspiriatorially with each other. Katie reached out and fingered a bead in Lee's hair.

"Nice," she said. "Get them this afternoon?"

"Yea," said Lee, turning a shade darker. "What are they doing?" He said changing the subject and looking at Fred and George.

"Market research," said Angelina, rolling her eyes. "They're getting nearer to graduating, you know. Have to be competitive if they're going to get the business going."

"I think they'd be better off if they stuck to sweets," said Katie wistfully.

"Not made it to the candy shop yet?" asked Lee laughing. "I'll take you and they can catch up."

"That would be alright," said Katie, her cheeks turning red and her eyes darting around.

Lee held out his arm for her and she took it. She glanced over her sholder at her friends as Lee led her out of the store.

"That was cute," Alicia said. "He's been trying to ask her out for a year."

"Not a clue, that one," said Angelina indicating Katie. "Going to take a smack upside her head to wake her up."

"He'll be good for her," said Alicia. "She needs a bit of roughing up."

"Alicia!" Angelina laughed swiping at her friends arm.

"Well she does," Alicia said "And he'll give her a good shag if she'll let him."

"Hou would you know?" Angelina asked.

"Well," Alicia started. "It was just a couple of times, but he was very enthusiastic."

Angelina howled with laughter.

"What's so amusing?" asked Fred approaching her and slipping his arm around her waist.

Angelina turned her head back and nipped at his neck.

"You're funny face," she said giggling.

"Fine then," he said. "Don't tell me." He kissed her forehead.

"Where's Katie?" asked George.

"Went off with Lee ot the candy shop," said Alicia giggling.

"Oh," said Fred knowingly. "Now I get it." He smiled.

"Finally got some courage?" George remarked. "I'm amazed."

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Lee and Katie shared a couple of butterbeers at the Three Broomsticks after their trip to the candy store. Bags brimming with Droobles Best Blowing Gum, Cockroack Clusters, Chocolate Frogs, and other assorted sweets

lay on the seat of the booth nearby. A half eaten ice cream sundae lay between them.

Katie broke up small pieces of a chocolate frog over the sunday and mixed them in.

"Oh wow," said Lee taking a swig out of his bottle of Butterbeer. "That's evil."

Katie laughed.

"Take a bite," Katie encouraged him.

Lee felt the cold bits of chocolate crunch between his teeth and closed his eyes as they rolled over his tongue.

"Incredible," Lee smiled. "You managed to put even more sugar into that sundae."

"You're making fun of me!" Katie protested.

Lee looked at her. She was so sweet looking. She looked so happy. She had taken a bite of the sugury concoction and was now holding out her brimming spoon to him, trying to make him take another bite. He took it

into his mouth as if he were afraid she were going to pull it away and growled. He examined a small dimple in her left cheek. Then he kissed her. Gently. On that dimple.

Well, she didn't scream. She wasn't looking at him. He wasn't sure that was a good sign. Then she looked up at him quickly. Before she dropped her eyes again he was she was grinning and was several different shades

of red. He took another scoop of ice cream and popped it in his mouth.

"You should have more," Lee said encouragingly."It's going to melt."

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"Did you see that!" whispered George, practically on top of Fred.

"I didn't!" said Alicia craning her neck to see over them. The windows of the Leacky Cauldron were half fogged up from the evening chill and Fred and George were blocking the view of the high window almost entirely.

"He kissed her," Fred said excitedly.

"Did she hit him?" asked Alicia.

"NO!" said the twins together.

"Well, that's encouraging," said Angelina.

"They're eating again," said Fred. "I think it's safe to go in."

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"Hello," said George as he, Fred, Angelina, and Alicia approached the table with Lee and Katie.

"Hello," said Lee, scooting over to make room for all the others. Concequently, he managed to sit quite closer to Katie. Not that he minded. It didn't look like she minded either. He felt her hand brush briefly on his leg. He

wondered if it was an accident. He was getting too hopeful. She hadn't hit him when he kissed her cheek, that hardly meant anything more.

"Well we made our rounds," said Fred stretching. Madame Rosemurta walked by their table and dropped off more bottles of Butterbeer. Angelina popped the top off hers and drank deeply.

"It wasn't that bad," said Angelina. "It's more than an hour before we have to get back and we did everything we sent out to do."

"More than an hour?" asked Katie brushing Lees leg again. He was begining to doubt his coincidence theory. He reached his fingers out under the table and experimentally brushed hers. She didn't draw away, His veins

felt like they were on fire. He was slightly disoriented and his head spun. His face burned.

"Something wrong, Lee?" asked George. "You look funny."

"Oh," said Lee starting. "I'm fine, just feel like I'm coming down with something."

"Maybe we should get back early?" suggested Katie quickly. "I can walk you back."

"Maybe that's a good idea," said Lee standing up and gathering their packages. "We'll see you back in the common room, night all."

Lee and Katie rushed out of the Three Broomsticks, practically tripping over each other. A rush of cold air whisked through the room as the door slammed behind them.

"Well, that wasn't very sly," said Fred, chuckling.

"More than you think," George said shaking his head. "He left us with their bill."