RP: Don't be afraid of the dark.
Date: June 23, 1999.
Characters: Katie Bell, John Bell (NPC).
Location: Anfield Stadium, Liverpool.
Status: Private
Summary: After the game, Katie and her dad go out to the pub.
Completion: Complete
Walk on, walk on with hope in your heart
And you'll never walk alone,
You'll never, ever walk alone.
Walk on, walk on with hope in your heart
And you'll never walk alone,
You'll never, ever walk alone.
Katie sang out loud with the rest of the fans, her scarf held high above her head. Her dad was singing at the top of his lungs, getting red in the face. He always lost his voice when he went to the games.
"Bloody hell, that was a good one," he croaked after the final whistle had gone. "Let's stop by the pub; I need a drink."
"Sure. Next time Dean can come, though, right?" Katie asked. John shook his head.
"Uh-uh. I'm not coming to a game to have the two of you snuggle and snog next to me. That's not what Anfield is for. I'll take Dean. Just the two of us. For a man's day," he said decisively.
Katie rolled her eyes and they began to file out of their row. "I'll need to stop by the loo and scrub my face before we go to the pub." She'd had her face painted up in red and white for the game.
"What, are you ashamed now?" her father asked, slightly horrified.
"No, Dad, I just don't fancy sitting in a pub with all this guk on my face, that's all." So her father agreed to wait outside the busy loo while she scrubbed her face with freezing cold water and hand soap until it was clean.
They decided not to go to their usual pub - it would be packed to the rafters with Liverpool supporters and they'd not be able to talk about Katie's upcoming tryouts. Instead they headed to a quiet pub further away from Anfield. There were a few older men playing billiards at the front so they picked a booth at the very back. John went up to the bar and placed their order and then brought it back to the booth when it was ready so the waitress wouldn't have to come by.
"Ta," Katie said when he set her salad and sparkling water in front of her. He put down his own plate of fish and chips and took a grateful sip of his pint.
"Are you getting nervous?" he asked, eating a chip slathered in vinegar.
"Yeah," Katie said. "I'm trying not to, but the butterflies just start going whenever I think about it. At least it's more than one, you know? So if I really mess up at Ballycastle tomorrow, then I've still got a shot at the other teams."
"You'll be fine," John said. "Once you get out there and get flying, I know you'll be just fine." He cut a piece of fish and chewed it slowly. "Do you think they'd let me come watch your games? I know we're not supposed to go to magical things, but since I'm your Dad. And there's got to be other Muggleborns on the teams."
"I don't know," Katie said. "But I'm sure they'd make exceptions for parents. I mean, you know about our world, you've been to Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. I can't see why they wouldn't. But I'm not going to make it right onto a team, Dad. That never happens. Well, Gwenog Jones got scouted to the Harpies right out of Hogwarts, but she's amazing," Katie added. "So I don't know how many games we'll actually have. But it'll be the first thing I ask," she said with a grin, "after 'where do I sign?'"
"What are you going to do tonight? Got any big plans with Dean?"
"No. I'm just going to do some flying when I get home and then go to bed early. I'll be getting up at 5:00 tomorrow so I can get a good warm up in before I head over there."
"Where is Ballycastle anyway?" John asked, frowning.
Katie shrugged. "Don't know. I'm going to floo to the team offices. You can apparate, but since I've never been there, I'm not risking a splinch. That would be bloody embarrassing." John chuckled.
"Well, send me an owl after. Let me know how it goes - how they go. How many teams are there again?"
"Thirteen," Katie said.
"Bloody hell. You're a little barmy, sweetheart."
"I know. But I'm not letting anything stand in my way of getting on a team. Even if it's the sodding Cannons." She wrinkled her nose in disgust.
"You'll make it. I know you will," John said. He reached across the table and squeezed her hand. "And I'm stealing you for a celebratory dinner. Dean can come along so long as you two don't spend the whole time kissing and making love eyes at each other, alright?"
"Yes, Dad. We'll behave ourselves just for you," Katie said with a giggle.
Characters: Katie Bell, John Bell (NPC).
Location: Anfield Stadium, Liverpool.
Status: Private
Summary: After the game, Katie and her dad go out to the pub.
Completion: Complete
Walk on, walk on with hope in your heart
And you'll never walk alone,
You'll never, ever walk alone.
Walk on, walk on with hope in your heart
And you'll never walk alone,
You'll never, ever walk alone.
Katie sang out loud with the rest of the fans, her scarf held high above her head. Her dad was singing at the top of his lungs, getting red in the face. He always lost his voice when he went to the games.
"Bloody hell, that was a good one," he croaked after the final whistle had gone. "Let's stop by the pub; I need a drink."
"Sure. Next time Dean can come, though, right?" Katie asked. John shook his head.
"Uh-uh. I'm not coming to a game to have the two of you snuggle and snog next to me. That's not what Anfield is for. I'll take Dean. Just the two of us. For a man's day," he said decisively.
Katie rolled her eyes and they began to file out of their row. "I'll need to stop by the loo and scrub my face before we go to the pub." She'd had her face painted up in red and white for the game.
"What, are you ashamed now?" her father asked, slightly horrified.
"No, Dad, I just don't fancy sitting in a pub with all this guk on my face, that's all." So her father agreed to wait outside the busy loo while she scrubbed her face with freezing cold water and hand soap until it was clean.
They decided not to go to their usual pub - it would be packed to the rafters with Liverpool supporters and they'd not be able to talk about Katie's upcoming tryouts. Instead they headed to a quiet pub further away from Anfield. There were a few older men playing billiards at the front so they picked a booth at the very back. John went up to the bar and placed their order and then brought it back to the booth when it was ready so the waitress wouldn't have to come by.
"Ta," Katie said when he set her salad and sparkling water in front of her. He put down his own plate of fish and chips and took a grateful sip of his pint.
"Are you getting nervous?" he asked, eating a chip slathered in vinegar.
"Yeah," Katie said. "I'm trying not to, but the butterflies just start going whenever I think about it. At least it's more than one, you know? So if I really mess up at Ballycastle tomorrow, then I've still got a shot at the other teams."
"You'll be fine," John said. "Once you get out there and get flying, I know you'll be just fine." He cut a piece of fish and chewed it slowly. "Do you think they'd let me come watch your games? I know we're not supposed to go to magical things, but since I'm your Dad. And there's got to be other Muggleborns on the teams."
"I don't know," Katie said. "But I'm sure they'd make exceptions for parents. I mean, you know about our world, you've been to Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. I can't see why they wouldn't. But I'm not going to make it right onto a team, Dad. That never happens. Well, Gwenog Jones got scouted to the Harpies right out of Hogwarts, but she's amazing," Katie added. "So I don't know how many games we'll actually have. But it'll be the first thing I ask," she said with a grin, "after 'where do I sign?'"
"What are you going to do tonight? Got any big plans with Dean?"
"No. I'm just going to do some flying when I get home and then go to bed early. I'll be getting up at 5:00 tomorrow so I can get a good warm up in before I head over there."
"Where is Ballycastle anyway?" John asked, frowning.
Katie shrugged. "Don't know. I'm going to floo to the team offices. You can apparate, but since I've never been there, I'm not risking a splinch. That would be bloody embarrassing." John chuckled.
"Well, send me an owl after. Let me know how it goes - how they go. How many teams are there again?"
"Thirteen," Katie said.
"Bloody hell. You're a little barmy, sweetheart."
"I know. But I'm not letting anything stand in my way of getting on a team. Even if it's the sodding Cannons." She wrinkled her nose in disgust.
"You'll make it. I know you will," John said. He reached across the table and squeezed her hand. "And I'm stealing you for a celebratory dinner. Dean can come along so long as you two don't spend the whole time kissing and making love eyes at each other, alright?"
"Yes, Dad. We'll behave ourselves just for you," Katie said with a giggle.