CHAPTER 1
(Prologue)
Give or take, it takes 28 days for a person to get rid of a habit. Incidentally, does it take 28 days to make one?
For me, the habit I was in dire need of ridding was a crush. A stupid, juvenile, short to say jumping-on-the-bandwagon crush on my Quidditch captain, Oliver Wood. Now in my fifth year playing chaser for the Gryffindor team, my undying admiration for Oliver has inevitably escalated into catastrophic proportions. Read: S-c-a-r-y.
Well, let's put it this way, most of my favorite hobbies consisted Oliver in some way. Stalking Oliver, talking to Angelina and Alicia about Oliver's smile, attending Quidditch training, passing by Oliver's classes just to get a glimpse of him, watching Oliver eat during meal time, talking to Oliver about very mundane things like the weather and Quidditch (what else?), staring at Oliver when he's not looking, and my personal favorite: watching Oliver peeling off his Quidditch robes to expose the expanse of creamy, sweaty skin and fine, Merlin-sent abs. It's official, at 16, I'm a massive pervert. But whatever.
Oliver was just walking sex—sheer, unadulterated sex on legs. If you knew him, you'd stare too. For me, he was every definition of the word beautiful. Hazel eyes, piecey brown hair falling over his forehead, Quidditch-toned body, and the most amazing deep voice that just takes my breath away.
Come to think of it, the only hobby I had that didn't involve the seventh year heartthrob was hanging out in the commons with Alicia Spinnet, Angelina Johnson, Fred and George Weasley, and Lee Jordan—my friends, support group and partners-in-crime.
It was during a lazy Monday night after supper as we basked in the glow and heat of the fireplace in the Gryffindor common room that I finally decided to withdraw myself from all things Oliver Wood and announce the start of the 28-day cycle.
"Good one, Kate," Alicia said dismissively and she and Angelina giggled knowingly as though I was mental.
"No, I'm serious," I said firmly, slightly annoyed that my best friends are not taking me seriously. "I really am giving up on Oliver."
"Merlin!" Fred gasped, letting go of Angelina's hand and cupping his mouth with it.
"Cherubs in heaven," George chimed in, mirroring his brother's expression.
I rolled my eyes, resisting the urge to slug George on the arm as he was sitting right beside me on the couch since we were the only two who weren't and had no intentions of hooking up. Honestly! I had a difficult time accepting Alicia and Lee's relationship. Friends are supposed to be friends, right? Now Fred and Angelina had to follow suit. Anyway…
"What's gotten into you, Kates?" Angelina departed from Fred's side and flopped between me and George on the couch, an uncertain smile on her face.
"I just realized that it's a lost cause. And I heard he's dating Cho Chang."
"What?" Five voices said at once.
"Pipe down you lot," I said feeling my cheeks burn as I avoided everyone's stare.
"That harlot!" Alicia bellowed, her raven mane almost standing on its ends with the intensity of her voice. Name calling was her specialty.
"Alicia!" Angelina said.
"Sorry Angie. I just don't see what's so bloody beautiful about her. I mean, she used to date Cedric Diggory, yeah?" Alicia said.
"Well, she is quite a stunner," Lee shrugged. "And brilliant at Quidditch."
The twins nodded in agreement.
"Pretty," Fred said.
"Very." George followed.
"You're not helping," Alicia shot daggers at the lads, and glared at her boyfriend particularly. Lee raised his arms up in surrender.
"Anyway," I said impatiently, hugging the pillow on my chest tighter. "It doesn't even matter. I doubt he even cares about me."
Cue in the uncomfortable silence. It's uncanny how often I had this effect on the group. I say one thing and they all suddenly decide to shut up just when they were supposed to distract me with comments and reactions. Needless to say, I was the queen of superfluous drama.
Angelina placed an arm around me and I immediately placed my head on her all-too familiar shoulder. I've always sought comfort in Angelina more than I did Alicia. Angie is a bit more sensitive, while Alicia tends to be a little too aggressive, a war-freak actually. Curses a lot, as well.
"Well we care about you, love, don't we?" Angelina said and I heard a chorus of affirmations with the twins' 'yeahs' being louder than the rest.
"You'll find another fella," Fred indicated supportively, and I swear, his head made the slightest inclination towards his brother. I could've been wrong, but George's shoe flew towards Fred's face with impressive force. What the hell, right?
A/N: Ok, a slow start. But I swear it will pick up in the next chapters! Let me know what you think. Please, please, please review. :)
For the purposes of this story, Katie, Angelina, Alicia, Fred, George and Lee are all in their sixth year, while Oliver is in his seventh. Yes, it's not canon. But please bear with the changes.
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Next: Katie starts the 28-day program. (sounds like a diet, huh?) More interactions with the twins. George, specifically. And yeah, the pangs of unrequited love.