gift for flipflop_diva from slumber
To: flipflop_diva
From: slumber
Title: When Harold Met Katherine
Summary: Katie's well-meaning but nosy co-worker sets her up on a blind date.
Characters/Pairings: Harry/Katie
Genre: Gen/Romance
Beta: None
Rating/Warnings: PG/None
Medium: Fic
Word Count: 963
Can the Order post to Tumblr?: Sure
Maria Richardson was the kind of lady who was just difficult to say no to. She always brought pie to the office when it was someone's birthday and always had a kind word for anyone who looked to be having a rough day. She meant well, she did, so even if she overstepped, sometimes, it was just difficult to do anything other than let her mother.
Which is, naturally, how Katie finds herself stepping into a cozy South Bank cafe-- on a Saturday afternoon she could have spent hoovering, or doing the dishes, or washing her clothes, or any other number of tedious things that would certainly have been much more enjoyable to do-- looking for a bloke who looked like a Harold.
"Katie Bell?"
The voice sounds vaguely familiar, and Katie blinks when she turns to look. There was a face she hadn't thought she'd see ever again. "Harry? What are you doing here?"
He gives her a sheepish grin, gesturing to the empty seat in front of him. "Bit embarrassing, really, but a neighbor of mine insisted on setting me up on this date with someone she worked with."
"You're Harold? You're Maria's neighbor?"
"Wha-- oh! Oh. Katherine?"
"I keep telling her it's just Katie."
Harry laughs. "She wouldn't believe Harry wasn't just a nickname I use," he says, and Katie has to laugh at that too.
"That's Maria for you," she says with a sigh before realizing that it now meant she was officially on a blind date with Harry Potter. "Er."
Harry seems to come to the same conclusion, immediately standing up to gesture toward the seat. "Sorry, uh, please, have a seat, can I get you anything, by the way?"
"No, I'm-- er-- just a latte, please. Thanks." Katie sighs as she sat down. This would be better, at least. Harry is a friend, and he probably agreed to Maria because he couldn't say no to her, too. They'd have coffee, catch up, no pressure, no awkwardness. She smiles when he returns with her drink, intent on at least enjoying the hour or so they had. "So how's it like living next door to her?"
"Oh you wouldn't believe it, but she's got eagle eyes, that one," Harry says. "Couldn't tell her I was already seeing someone, because as she claims, no one ever visits except for my married friends."
"So Ginny--"
Harry shakes his head. "Didn't work out," he tells her. "She's doing great with the Harpies, though, I don't know if you still followed--"
"No, I don't," Katie says. "All Muggle all the time, now."
"How are you finding it?" Harry asks, and she thinks he looks genuinely curious.
"It's refreshingly tedious," she admits. "I work in an office, just filing things and entering data and listening to gossip. When I go home I make myself some dinner, then watch the telly, or go out for a walk…"
"It's-- it's a lot better now--"
"I know," Katie tells him softly, a small smile on her face. "Safer and everything, right? Still, it's-- it's not the same. I don't think it could ever be the same for me again."
"I'm not blaming you--"
"I know. But I like being Muggle."
Harry smiles, almost a little ruefully. "Sometimes I wonder if I could go back to that."
"Do you?" Of everyone she knows, Harry is the one person Katie couldn't blame for wanting to turn his back to the wizarding world.
"But it's brought me so much, too," he says. "I can't forget that."
Katie smiles. "So do you work for the Ministry now?" she wants to know, hoping to steer the conversation to lighter fare.
"Deputy Head Auror," Harry tells her, and it's hard to miss the pride in his voice when he says that.
Katie grins. "Maria tells me you're a private detective."
Harry ducks his head. "If I told her I was a copper she'd be reporting all sorts of things to me and expecting me to fix them."
"She does have that way about her," Katie agrees. "I'm glad you turned out to be her neighbor, though."
"Me too," Harry says with a grin. "I mean-- I'm sorry you had to see another wizard again but--"
"Don't apologize for that. It's not a huge deal, it's just--"
"Yeah."
"But it's good to see a familiar face again, after all this time."
Harry meets her gaze, and Katie's face feels a little warm. "Would you mind if I told everyone you were alright?"
"No, that's-- yeah, you can do that. How's everyone else, actually?"
"Well, Angelina's marrying George next month."
Katie gasps. "No way! Is she really?"
Harry grins. "Yeah, isn't it crazy? But they're madly in love and everyone's going mad with all the preparations."
"How about that," Katie says, a small pang in her chest at the realization she almost missed one of her best friend's important day. "You should tell Ang congratulations. And, oh! I should-- could I ask you to pass along a gift to her? I'll pick something up later today."
"You know," Harry starts. "You could come?"
Katie glances up at him. "I couldn't possibly--"
"She'd love for you to be there, I'm sure," Harry says. "And I've got a plus-one, so--"
"Oh! You mean with you?"
"It doesn't have to be--"
"No, no, I mean-- I get it but also-- that's-- that's okay. If you want to?"
Harry nods. "It's-- it was really nice seeing you again," is what he says, a little quietly, and Katie has to flush at that.
"So, what colors should I wear to the wedding? Or not wear?" she asks, mirroring the smile Harry gives her.
Turns out some days, there were very good reasons you don't just say no to Maria Richardson.
Evyclaw/32 points
MOD NOTE: Thank you Evy for the pinch write! That ends our Spring Fling stories - participation banners from our sortedchallenge winners will be coming as soon as I can make them!
From: slumber
Title: When Harold Met Katherine
Summary: Katie's well-meaning but nosy co-worker sets her up on a blind date.
Characters/Pairings: Harry/Katie
Genre: Gen/Romance
Beta: None
Rating/Warnings: PG/None
Medium: Fic
Word Count: 963
Can the Order post to Tumblr?: Sure
Maria Richardson was the kind of lady who was just difficult to say no to. She always brought pie to the office when it was someone's birthday and always had a kind word for anyone who looked to be having a rough day. She meant well, she did, so even if she overstepped, sometimes, it was just difficult to do anything other than let her mother.
Which is, naturally, how Katie finds herself stepping into a cozy South Bank cafe-- on a Saturday afternoon she could have spent hoovering, or doing the dishes, or washing her clothes, or any other number of tedious things that would certainly have been much more enjoyable to do-- looking for a bloke who looked like a Harold.
"Katie Bell?"
The voice sounds vaguely familiar, and Katie blinks when she turns to look. There was a face she hadn't thought she'd see ever again. "Harry? What are you doing here?"
He gives her a sheepish grin, gesturing to the empty seat in front of him. "Bit embarrassing, really, but a neighbor of mine insisted on setting me up on this date with someone she worked with."
"You're Harold? You're Maria's neighbor?"
"Wha-- oh! Oh. Katherine?"
"I keep telling her it's just Katie."
Harry laughs. "She wouldn't believe Harry wasn't just a nickname I use," he says, and Katie has to laugh at that too.
"That's Maria for you," she says with a sigh before realizing that it now meant she was officially on a blind date with Harry Potter. "Er."
Harry seems to come to the same conclusion, immediately standing up to gesture toward the seat. "Sorry, uh, please, have a seat, can I get you anything, by the way?"
"No, I'm-- er-- just a latte, please. Thanks." Katie sighs as she sat down. This would be better, at least. Harry is a friend, and he probably agreed to Maria because he couldn't say no to her, too. They'd have coffee, catch up, no pressure, no awkwardness. She smiles when he returns with her drink, intent on at least enjoying the hour or so they had. "So how's it like living next door to her?"
"Oh you wouldn't believe it, but she's got eagle eyes, that one," Harry says. "Couldn't tell her I was already seeing someone, because as she claims, no one ever visits except for my married friends."
"So Ginny--"
Harry shakes his head. "Didn't work out," he tells her. "She's doing great with the Harpies, though, I don't know if you still followed--"
"No, I don't," Katie says. "All Muggle all the time, now."
"How are you finding it?" Harry asks, and she thinks he looks genuinely curious.
"It's refreshingly tedious," she admits. "I work in an office, just filing things and entering data and listening to gossip. When I go home I make myself some dinner, then watch the telly, or go out for a walk…"
"It's-- it's a lot better now--"
"I know," Katie tells him softly, a small smile on her face. "Safer and everything, right? Still, it's-- it's not the same. I don't think it could ever be the same for me again."
"I'm not blaming you--"
"I know. But I like being Muggle."
Harry smiles, almost a little ruefully. "Sometimes I wonder if I could go back to that."
"Do you?" Of everyone she knows, Harry is the one person Katie couldn't blame for wanting to turn his back to the wizarding world.
"But it's brought me so much, too," he says. "I can't forget that."
Katie smiles. "So do you work for the Ministry now?" she wants to know, hoping to steer the conversation to lighter fare.
"Deputy Head Auror," Harry tells her, and it's hard to miss the pride in his voice when he says that.
Katie grins. "Maria tells me you're a private detective."
Harry ducks his head. "If I told her I was a copper she'd be reporting all sorts of things to me and expecting me to fix them."
"She does have that way about her," Katie agrees. "I'm glad you turned out to be her neighbor, though."
"Me too," Harry says with a grin. "I mean-- I'm sorry you had to see another wizard again but--"
"Don't apologize for that. It's not a huge deal, it's just--"
"Yeah."
"But it's good to see a familiar face again, after all this time."
Harry meets her gaze, and Katie's face feels a little warm. "Would you mind if I told everyone you were alright?"
"No, that's-- yeah, you can do that. How's everyone else, actually?"
"Well, Angelina's marrying George next month."
Katie gasps. "No way! Is she really?"
Harry grins. "Yeah, isn't it crazy? But they're madly in love and everyone's going mad with all the preparations."
"How about that," Katie says, a small pang in her chest at the realization she almost missed one of her best friend's important day. "You should tell Ang congratulations. And, oh! I should-- could I ask you to pass along a gift to her? I'll pick something up later today."
"You know," Harry starts. "You could come?"
Katie glances up at him. "I couldn't possibly--"
"She'd love for you to be there, I'm sure," Harry says. "And I've got a plus-one, so--"
"Oh! You mean with you?"
"It doesn't have to be--"
"No, no, I mean-- I get it but also-- that's-- that's okay. If you want to?"
Harry nods. "It's-- it was really nice seeing you again," is what he says, a little quietly, and Katie has to flush at that.
"So, what colors should I wear to the wedding? Or not wear?" she asks, mirroring the smile Harry gives her.
Turns out some days, there were very good reasons you don't just say no to Maria Richardson.
Evyclaw/32 points
MOD NOTE: Thank you Evy for the pinch write! That ends our Spring Fling stories - participation banners from our sortedchallenge winners will be coming as soon as I can make them!