Under the Stars

Katie hadn't been to a New Year's Eve party for a couple of years, and she was rather looking forward to this one. Of course, the fact that she was going with George, who had kissed her tenderly on Tuesday after she'd made a fool of herself by crying all over him, only made it more exciting. The New Year seemed a lot more worth celebrating when life suddenly felt complete again.

Fred and Angelina were holding it at their house in Manchester. George had said not to bother with robes; that no one ever did at Fred and Angelina's parties. Katie had picked out a pink top and jeans, though she had the feeling that George wouldn't care what she wore, and she didn't care what anyone else thought. I guess that's what love does, she thought, remembering the goofy smile she'd worn for days after George had (sort of) hugged her in the hospital wing one day in her sixth year. Ron had given her a nosebleed with the Quaffle... and Fred and George and the Blood Blisterpod... she smiled at the memory.

At seven o'clock exactly, George arrived, wearing jeans and a dark blue shirt. "Ready for a long night?"

"I am. Shall we go?"

Together, they stepped into the fireplace, having to squeeze close together to fit. A rush of green flame, and together they were spinning through the Floo network and tumbling out of Fred and Angelina's fireplace.

The party was already in full swing. Fred and Angelina had gained their partying reputation at Hogwarts and it had simply increased over the years. Popular tunes were pumping out of the wireless in the corner and the kitchen and living room were packed with people. Fred wound his way through the crowd over to them, pushed bottles of Butterbeer into their hands, winked, and wandered off without saying a word.

"He's been drinking already. He'll have stacks of Firewhiskey and everything else you can imagine somewhere. If he's not careful he'll be completely plastered by midnight and Lee'll be throwing up in the back garden. Do you drink?" George asked.

"Not really." Katie was scanning the crowd, searching for people she knew. Harry and Ginny were dancing with Ron and Hermione; Fred was talking to a couple of people she vaguely knew from Hogwarts; Sarah Fawcett was there, and David Summerby... the place was crowded.

"Good. Me neither."

Lee Jordan had danced over to them, slightly drunk, and flung his arms around Katie.

"My dear Ka'ie. How lovely t' see you... lookin' as beau'ful as ever, I see."

"Thanks, Lee. Uh, you could probably let go now."

He did, and waved a bottle of Firewhiskey at them. "There's lots an' lots o' this," he informed them incoherently. "Grea' par'y." With this, he moved off, and went to proudly display the Firewhiskey bottle to Sarah Fawcett, who didn't look all that impressed.

"He sounds rather like Hagrid when he's drunk," George mused.

Katie grinned. "He does, rather. I'll have to catch up with him sometime, when he's sober."

The party continued long into the night. Katie, relaxing a little and remembering how to party, danced with George (several times), Fred, Ron, and for old time's sake, Harry.

"This is quite odd," Harry shouted over the music as they danced.

"Very weird."

"I'm glad we're still friends, Katie."

"Me too."

"Quidditch game one day? You, me, Gin, Ron, Fred, George, Angelina, Bill, Charlie?"

"Angelina can't play Quidditch, she's pregnant."

"Oh. Right."

The conversation ended there; Ginny appeared to inform Harry that Ron was throwing up and would he go and help her make Hermione stop shouting at him.

Having misplaced George in the crowd, Katie went over to where she could see Angelina sitting in the quietest corner of the room and conjured up a chair. "You all right?" she asked. You could usually count on Angelina to be the life of any party.

"Just tired." Angelina patted her stomach. "Part of being pregnant. I'll be going to bed right after midnight."

"Are you excited?" Katie asked her. "About the baby?"

"Sometimes I'm just scared, about having a little person to look after. Especially seeing as Fred Weasley is the father. But mostly I'm excited." Angelina patted her stomach again. "This is our last party, at least until the kids are older. I made Fred promise, so he's gone all out on this one."

"How'll you two cope without parties?"

"We'll go out sometimes. Molly's already volunteered to baby sit whenever we want. She's got all her grandkids tonight." Angelina looked up at Katie. "So, how's everything with George?"

Katie considered. "Good. We've... talked. I can't believe that less than two weeks ago I was thinking maybe I'd never see him again."

"He missed you. We all did." Angelina reached out and squeezed Katie's hand. "Don't go away again, Katie."

"I won't. I've realised... I've realised a lot of things. I was stupid."

"You were. But then, we're all stupid sometimes."

"I was just stupid for longer than most people are."

Both girls laughed. "I've missed you," Katie said honestly.

"Me too."

The song came to an end and there was an odd silence in the room for a minute as people who'd been shouting to make themselves heard suddenly stopped. The voice of the WWN announcer sounded throughout the room. "Ladies and gentlemen, in just over a minute it's going to be another New Year. Grab your significant other and get ready for the countdown."

Angelina poked Katie in the side. Heading towards them were two identical males, one rather tipsy, the other sober. Couples throughout the room were pairing off as the Weasley twins each reached out for their 'significant other'.

"Ten!" shouted the announcer.

"Nine!" The crowd in Fred and Angelina's house joined in, counting down the seconds with the announcer.

"Eight!"

"Seven!"

"Six!" Here Lee Jordan got confused and shouted "three!" Katie barely heard Sarah Fawcett, who had taken his third bottle of Firewhiskey off him, mutter something about drunken louts and give him a kiss.

"Five!" ("Ten!" shouted Lee)

"Four!" ("Sixty one!")

"Three!" ("Five hundred and ninety two!")

"Two!" ("Six!")

"One!" (Lee had dissolved into giggles).

"Happy New Year!" the crowd screamed in unison with the announcer.

As couples around them kissed, Katie savoured the feeling of George's arms around her and the warmth of his breath on her skin as he leaned in and kissed her.

"Katie and George are kissing!" Lee giggled. "Everyone's kissing!"

Sarah whipped out her wand and silenced him. Katie and George ignored him, and kept on kissing. It was much nicer that way.