It was misting in the area of Muggle London Fred tended to frequent most often, which always seemed to make people less aware of what was going on around them. This was fine by him, as none of the Muggles bustling to and fro were likely to recognize him anyway, leaving him to wind a path among them on the way to a pub he favored a few blocks farther down. He narrowly dodged an umbrella being opened as he passed, cringing as cold drops of water hit the back of his neck. Shoulders rounded against the chill, hands tucked in the pockets of his jeans, he continued on past shops and cafes, pausing in front of a yoga gym as a woman stepped directly into his path.



She was frowning and snapping directions at the two children she had in tow, and Fred started to go around them toward the street side, since they didn't looking to be moving immediately. He glanced left and reached out without really thinking, snagging the jumper of a toddler about to wander in front of an oncoming taxicab and hauling the little boy back onto the pavement. The child howled in indignation and ran back to his mother, who was staring at Fred, her mouth working soundlessly. "Might want to keep an eye on that one," he suggested as she turned to check that both of the others were still next to her, "bit of an explorer, it seems."

He made to move on as the woman frowned again, and nearly walked straight into someone just outside the gym. "Beg pardon," he began, then stopped as he realized he was looking at a familiar face.

Alicia Spinnet looked up at the person who'd nearly knocked her over, her hair falling in her eyes, dripping wet, and curling slightly from the moisture. The eyes that met hers seemed older, and he had lines on his face that hadn't been there before, but there was no mistaking him.

"Fred?" Her voice nearly cracked, and her heart was pounding.

This is silly, Spinnet, you and Fred knew each other well, there's no need to be nervous around him... But you haven't seen him in forever... And I'm quite sure he never looked this nice before.

She shook herself slightly, and smiled at the man she'd not seen in far too long, ignoring the urge to trace those lines that aged him so nicely.

"What brings you to this area of London? And in the rain, no less," She put up her umbrella and held it higher than she normally would, an invitation for him to join her under it.

"You must be freezing. Look, you're soaked to the bone." She knew she was babbling, and shut her mouth, literally biting her tongue to stop more words from pouring forth.

Blinking at the sudden barrage of questions, Fred caught the umbrella being offered and held it himself, since he was taller and at least theoretically a gentleman. "Alicia," he managed finally, guiding them both out of the flow of foot traffic on the pavement. "I'm fine, really, and I was headed to supper. Didn't mean to almost knock you flat." He wasn't sure it was a night for company, now with images of soaring above the Hogwarts pitch with George in his head, but it was good to see a friendly face after that grouchy woman and her son.

"Might ask you the same, actually. Thought I heard you were playing for Puddlemere?" Better not to mention Quidditch specifically in front of so many Muggles.

Alicia laughed, and raked a hand through her hair which was doomed to be tangled until she could watch it, thanks to this downpour.

"I teach Yoga here at Stretch Yourself. Mostly toddlers. And yeah, I play for Puddlemere, but while I was on the reserve I started working here part-time. And now I love it... I don't think I have the heart to quit, y'know? It's kind of hard to balance, but hey! When have I ever had a social life?"

Alicia let the conversation lull for a moment, and with it, her smile faded as she realized how much like a loser she sounded. Just when the silence threatened to become very awkward, she spoke again, not really planning anything, but just talking.

"Well, are you going anywhere specific for dinner? I was gonna cook this awesome Indian dish... I could easily make enough for two... My flat is only a few blocks away," Her heart was pounding in her ears and her inner voice was screaming at her not to invite a handsome, sad-looking man, back to her place for curry chicken.

Her response to the annoying voice in her head was to amend what she'd originally said, "Or I can make something else, if you don't like Indian food."

A bit startled by the sudden potential change to his plans, Fred was silent for a long moment, trying to figure out how much of a bad idea it would be to have company he didn't want to upset this evening. He wasn't feeling particularly social, but then, sitting at the pub by himself all evening never boded well for the next morning, and he needed to be at the shop at a decent hour to feed the pygmy puffs. "I was going to head for the Coach and Four, but it'll be full of crotchety old codgers chewing over the football scores. I'd rather hear about what you've been up to lately, though you don't have to feed me."

He gestured down the street in the direction he'd been heading. "Shall we walk and you can decide where we're going?" he offered, holding the umbrella aloft.

"Well, if you're sure you don't want me to cook, sure, I can join you."

She fell into an easy stride beside him, and they walked silently for a moment or two.

"I've only been to the Coach and Four once, and that was for pudding with my dad. Let's go there anyways," She grinned at Fred, "I don't want to intrude too much on your plans."

Well, now Alicia, you know that that's not entirely true. You've been wondering how he has been, and suddenly he shows up, practically on your doorstep? And you haven't stopped sneaking glances at his arse since you started walking. You want to intrude, alright... But that's his own fault for having such a cute bottom.

Cursing her own thoughts, and trying to hold in her smirk at the last, she breathed a sigh of relief as they reached the Coach and Four. The familiar smells of ale and sweat, and a lovely aroma of fresh soup and bread drifted out the door Fred was holding for her. She stepped inside and inhaled deeply, calming herself with a Spinal Breath that forced her thoughts away from the attractive man who was leading her to a booth.

"What's on tap here, do you know?" Alicia asked, sitting across from him and removing her rain-drenched jersey, suddenly feeling self-conscious in her yoga clothes.

Why didn't I make him stop on the way so I could change? I look a fright in workout clothes... Not to mention my hair! Too late now, I suppose. And it's Fred... He won't care...

"And do you know what's good to eat?"

Processing Alicia's questions in the order they were asked, Fred waved the server off as she approached so that he could answer. "Nearly anything you could want, I imagine... there's bitter, porter, mild... I'm having a stout, which happens to be quite good here." It was nearly the most he'd said strung together all week, and he waited a few beats before adding, "I don't always eat when I come here, but the shepherd's pie is tasty, and it's hard to bollocks up fish and chips."

He noticed the workout clothes and drummed up a small smile. "What possesses you to chase small children around in your free hours? I'd think games and training would take up enough of your time and energy." He missed Quidditch, but it wasn't the same without George. Even when they'd played on opposite teams at home in pick-up games, they'd been together, and he could hardly look at his bat without wishing like hell there was some way to bring his twin back. He'd given up flying entirely for over a year before realizing it had sort of a calming effect that was less detrimental to his customer relations than spending the night in a bottle.

Alicia laughed, a soft chuckle that belied her driven nature.

"Well, Yoga gets the kids moving, so it's more like 'follow the leader'," Alicia told him after she'd ordered a stout and fish and chips, "It's really a lot of fun, and kids are way less likely to be smart arses. I fell in love with Yoga when I was in India, and with kids it's even more fun."

She pulled on a piece of hair and started braiding it, and then dropped it, laughing.

"Sorry, nervous habit," she smiled, a sort of grimace that spoke of her regret in saying that, "But, yeah, now that I've been called up to starter, I definitely have joined the Nobby No-Mates club."

She raised her hand slightly and laughed a bit more.

Merlin, I have GOT to stop laughing, I sound like a scatty. Fred is probably wondering why on earth he agreed to spend time with me. What happened in a couple of years that made seeing an old friend so hard?

"What about you, Fred? What do you do with your free time? Besides coming here for a stout... Or a few of them, if I've any recollection of your drinking habits at all," she grinned cheekily at him after the food was placed on the table, and took a large swig of her drink.

"Oh gods, that is brill," she breathed. "I haven't had a good drink in so long. I go out to clubs now and then, but the last time I went out my date ordered my drinks and got bloody girly drinks. This... Is blinding."

She settled back in her seat and looked at Fred. "So yeah, what's been going on in your life?"

With a snicker at Alicia's blissful expression over her pint, Fred stirred the mash atop his shepherd's pie and nodded thoughtfully. "I'm a fan of the stout here, as I said. Otherwise... keeping up with the shop, mostly. It was a lot easier when there were two of me," he attempted to joke. "I've been spending a bit more time in London proper than I used to, just walking around or going to dance, sometimes."

He took what he hoped would be a fortifying pull of his pint, wondering when he'd stopped being able to chat normally with a friend, even if he hadn't seen her in a long while. "I haven't seen much of anyone lately, really. Katie came into the shop earlier in the week, though. She's been out of the country a while, in Italy I think she said, for the pre-season... It was good to see her again, too. Mostly Gin shows up to make sure I'm feeding myself, and then I'm back to living in the shop or the lab."

Alicia tilted her head to one side, studying the man seated across from her. She pursed her lips, as she often did when thinking, and then bit her bottom lip and tilted her head the other way.

She took the last drink of her pint and then looked Fred straight in the eyes, emboldened by the drink she'd just finished.

"Okay Fred, I'm going to be blunt, because... Well, you're Fred, and I think you can take it. Do you want me to talk around in circles and not tread on any subject that might make you think of George? Or would you rather I just talk to you now, like I would anyone I talk to, about my passions, about myself, and about yourself, because you are who you are now? I don't want it to be awkward, and I really don't get the sense that you're comfortable... So, how do you want to be treated?"

The silence was deafening as he looked at her, brow slightly furrowed as he tried to formulate an answer, both surprised and not by her question. He knew he was being awkward, and if anyone were going to call him on it, Alicia would. It was one of the things he'd loved about her in school.

"Oh Merlin, I shouldn't have said anything... Oh gods Fred, I just... I don't want you to feel like you have to be good company or anything, I just want you to tell me if I should shut up about something... I'm not exactly the best at reading people. If you want... I'll just go."

She fumbled around, having assumed his silence meant he was upset, and pulling out money for her food and laying it on the table. Grabbing her jumper, she scooted off the bench.

"I'm sorry Fred. I shouldn't have opened my mouth. It just, never used to be awkward, you know? And now... Well, I want it to not be, though I'm sure it's largely my fault that is is." She turned and started to walk away.

Well, you sure made an arse out of yourself, you silly bint.

She was glad when she stepped out into the rain, pulling on her jersey. The rain hid the two hot tears that she didn't manage to keep in.

"Bloody Hell!" She yelled, kicking the ground, and glad that there was no one around to witness her shame.

Fred stared at his plate for a second after Alicia darted away from the table, then shook his head sharply, dropping more Muggle money than was strictly necessary in the center of the table and snagging the umbrella Alicia had left behind. He made his way through the pub and outside, hoping she hadn't been upset enough to Apparate away already. Looking around quickly, he caught sight of her standing in the rain and stepped over, catching her carefully by the arm. "Ali," he said exasperatedly, handing her umbrella back to her, "there's no need to run off. I know I've been acting like a git; I just get... antisocial... sometimes. I was honestly headed here to have a few pints where no one would care who I was or why I was here, then home and back to work tomorrow. I am glad to have met up with you, but I was in a lousy mood and I'm not dealing with it very well."

He hated explaining himself, sounding pathetic and unable to cope with life as it currently was. Shrugging and shoving his hands into his pockets, he added, "Sorry if I've bollocksed up your plans for the evening. Really, I never recommend my company, anymore, it's not worth putting up with me."

Alicia looked at him hard, trying to decide if he was just trying to make her feel better, and, deciding he was not, she laughed.

"Ironically, my plans for the evening were to get home, cook for myself and go flying. I'm not fit company either, my life consists of Yoga and Quidditch, and I'm tired. What a pair of loners we are, Fred Weasley! But then I bumped into you and... Well, it made my life seem not so boring. That sounds barmy; but really, Fred, when have I ever cared whether you were good company? It was hardly good of you to feed me Canary Creams without my knowledge back in sixth year, after all." She grinned at him.

She started walking slowly, hoping he'd join her. "I love the rain, even if it is bloody cold," she said, conversationally.

Arching an eyebrow, wondering if all his friends had gone crazy around the same time he had, Fred finally shook his head and stepped out into the rain. "Hell, we're already wet, might as well," he acquiesced, catching up to Alicia. "In fact, since we've skipped the first two parts of your plan; care to revisit the first and move on to the third?" he suggested, slightly wary of mentioning flying in the middle of a Muggle street, even if there was hardly anyone around. "I haven't been in ages, so I'm sure you'll laugh at me, but we could hop from your flat to mine, then go out for a while."

He was slightly surprised to realize that all of this actually sounded like a good idea. Flying in the rain was somehow appropriate to his mood, and he felt better knowing that Alicia didn't expect him to act like his 'normal' self. That was the most stressful part of interacting with anyone in the wizarding world, especially if they'd actually known him before the war. With the exception of his family and a very few others, everyone still looked for the clownish teen he'd been, and he had a hard time remembering that fellow, nevermind pretending to be him. "What do you say?" he asked, returning to the present and shaking his now-damp hair out of his eyes.

Alicia grinned, pleased that he'd suggested such a thing, "I bet I can still beat you in a race... THAT's what I say."

She directed them to her flat where she let them in, and she let Fred look around her place while she changed into her Quidditch training robes. Coming back to the sitting room, she grabbed her broom, the Firebolt Inferno she cared for so lovingly.

"I'm ready when you are," she smiled.

Fred turned from the mantle as Alicia reappeared and nodded, giving a last wistful glance to the photo he'd been examining; the Gryffindor Quidditch team from the year before he and George had left school. He gave a low whistle as he noticed the broom she was carrying, having spent a bit of time in Quality Quidditch Supplies admiring the Infernos when they'd been released for sale. He'd upgraded to the latest Nimbus the year before, not able to justify the frivolity of a Firebolt since he rarely flew and almost never played Quidditch anymore. "I'm guessing that's not standard-issue, there, Miss Spinnet," he teased, quirking a wry smile.

"Are you on the Floo network or shall we Apparate?" he asked, figuring she remembered where the shop was from previous visits.

"Standard-issue? Who's the best with standard issue... Well, except you of course," she swept him a little bow, "I lived off of pasta for two months so I could afford this... Oh, and Floo?"

Fred went first, and Alicia followed him. When she stopped spinning, she looked around the shop.

She wandered over to the Pygmy Puffs, which she had adored since Fred and George had put them in the shop. She had spent hours cuddling them. She smiled as they all looked up at her sleepily. Stroking one softly, she moved over to the patented daydream charms. She could just imagine who her daydream would feature if she used one of those.

Chuckling at Alicia's fascination with the Puffs, Fred grabbed a handful of their food-pellets and scattered them in the cage, rolling his eyes as the little furballs squeaked in joy and snuffled through the bedding. "Goofy things," he muttered, turning to Alicia. "Are you dying to see the flat, or shall I just grab my broom and come back? And where are we flying, anyway? I usually go to the field out by my parents', but then, I don't get dedicated pitch time, so..."

Alicia smiled. He almost seemed nervous about flying with her.

"C'mon Weasley, show me your flat, and then we'll go to your turf. Home pitch advantage, eh? Might make up for my broom... Which, if you're nice, you can take for a spin."

She laughed and turned to face him. She felt so comfortable in the shop, memories of hanging around with Fred and George and testing their products made her feel at home and like it was her and Fred just hanging out, with no expectations... Just like it always had.

"And Weasley, just because I'm famous now doesn't mean you have to be scared of me," she joked, "I don't bite... Unless you're asking for it."

A snort of laughter escaped Fred before he could quash it. "Famous? Please, Spinnet. You're good, but you're not Viktor Krum," he taunted, heading through the back of the shop to the stairs. "And I'll keep that in mind. Biting on request. Good to know." He was probably going to get smacked, but figured it would be worth it.

"Well, come on, then," he prompted, smirking at her standing at the bottom of the stairs. "You're only getting the very quick tour of the bedroom right now, though. Have to be nice so I can try out that Inferno..."

"Of course I'm not Victor Krum, thank Merlin you noticed... I'm not a seeker... Or a man, for that matter. And don't worry, I'm pretty sure most tours of your bedroom are very quick either way." She smirked, easily falling into the banter she had missed. It was like a homecoming, scary at first, but warm and exhilarating too. She looked around her. The flat was masculine, but well put together.

"I like it here. It's comfortable," she announced, looking in his fridge, always the first thing she did in anyone's flat, "Weasley. You have nothing but alcohol in your fridge. You only do the wine part of the wine and dine, or what?" She peered at him from around the fridge, and then closed it to follow him.

"I'll give you that you're better looking than Viktor Krum, and I severely resent that assumption. I might even have offered to prove you otherwise, but now I think my feelings are hurt," Fred huffed, holding hand to his heart and wearing a wounded expression. He didn't see the point in changing clothes, since he was only going to get wet again, and hadn't bothered flying in robes since his school days.

"That's generally the more important bit, considering I don't intend the 'dine' part to involve food, but really I just haven't been home much. Ginny's the one who thinks it's important for there to be food around." He rolled his eyes and opened the hall closet, grabbing his broom and shouldering it. "Ready to go?"

"Oh Fred," she grinned, "You are missing out if you leave food out of the equation, haven't you heard of aphrodisiacs? And I'll be sad about not getting to have you disprove my theory later. Right now, I'm due to beat you in a race. Will we side-along? Or what were you thinking?"

She smiled, not bothering to hide her blatant appreciation of him. He'd always been one of the sought-after guys at school, and from what she'd heard here and there, he was still a ladies' man. Well, perhaps someday she'd play that game, but for right now, she was ready to go flying with an old friend.

Smirking as Alicia eyed him, Fred held his arm out to her. "Well, unless you know how to get to the pasture outside Ottery St. Catchpole, without provoking the neighbors' bull, I'd suggest letting me Apparate us, yes. And I've no doubt you'd beat me in a race; you're a good few stone lighter and you have a faster broom. The trick is going to be whether I decide to play fair."

Grinning ear to ear as she took his arm, Alicia laughed at him. "Now, now Weasley, I thought you wanted a ride on my broom?"

The tugging sensation around her navel was hardly comfortable, but when they arrived, she looked around. Spotting a bull in the next field, Alicia grinned.

"That bull looks pretty docile to me... Maybe it's just aggravated by all that red hair. I'm surprised your Mum hasn't held you down and forced you to cut it," She grinned, ruffling his hair as she spoke.

She suddenly realized how close to him she was standing, and backed up.

"Well," she said, trying again to use the Spinal Breath to regain control of her raging hormones, and mounting her broom. "Let's see who rides a broomstick better, Weasley."

Her choice of words was deliberate... It had been her favorite taunt to Fred at school right before they raced back then.

Laughing hard enough to attract the bull's attention, Fred grabbed hold of his Nimbus and shot off across the field, calling back, "I'd guess whoever has had more practice lately!" He leaned forward over his broom's handle, enjoying the drizzle pelting his face as he gathered speed, skimming along almost touching the tall grass until he was a split second from plowing into the bull's fence before pulling up sharply. The bull bellowed his irritation and charged off after Fred.

Alicia sat on her broom, higher than Fred was flying and watched as he taunted the bull. She knew he was doing it for a reason, but she wasn't sure what the reason was. She lazily flew in a circle above him, calling down now and then, "Watch out Weasley, he's right behind you!" and "Your head is not a matador, remember!"

Smiling, she flew down to where he was, and waited for him to finish tormenting the poor animal.

"There," Fred announced, once the bull was stamping and heaving in anger, "he's good and brassed now. Three times around the fence line do it for you, Spinnet?" he challenged, grinning broadly as she blinked at him. "Low as you dare, of course. This one's a good sport and only tries to gore you if you actually stop." His eyes were twinkling brightly as he waited for her reaction, biting his lip to keep from laughing.

Knowing without a doubt he had done this to mess with her, Alicia decided that two could play at his little game.

"You have no idea what does it for me, Weasley. Just let me stretch for a second first."

She handed him her broom and shrugged off her outer robes.

Slowly, she knelt and then started stretching her right leg in front of her, and then the left straight behind her, and raising her arms, She leaned back, moving into Hanumanasana, or Monkey Pose. After holding her pose of splits and a arched back for ten seconds she repeated the process with the opposite legs and then hopped back on her Inferno.

"You're on. Three times around the fence line. Loser buys winner dinner."

Clearing his throat, having appreciated her little show exactly as she'd meant him to, Fred agreed. "Now that we're both ready," he glanced over at Alicia and adjusted his grasp on his broom, "Set? Go!" He whooped gleefully as he zipped off again, reaching low to swat the bull's nose as he passed, laughing as the animal bellowed and gave chase.

He could feel Alicia just above him and made a quick hill in his flight path, forcing her to move just as he threw his weight left to make a tight corner at the edge of the fence. It was mean, but also meant she wasn't in the way, as he nearly was, when the bull leapt at the fence as they made the corner. He loved the thrill of narrow misses and continued to hug the fence, darting at Alicia when she started to move ahead.

Three laps wasn't very far at top speed, and he called out as they rounded the last corner, "How's that for fun, Miss Quidditch Star?" Glancing to the side proved nearly fatal as the bull lunged again, forcing Fred off course, nearly into Alicia as they crossed the 'finish line'. He dropped low to avoid her and pulled back to brake, tumbling off several meters later because of the swift deceleration. He lay in the damp grass, snickering to himself, for a good bit before raising his head to look for Alicia.

Alicia was over at the fence patting the now docile bull, as she'd hit it with a Calming Charm, and chuckling over his smooth dismount. She turned to see Fred looking at her, and walked over to him, flopping down beside him. She leaned back on her hands and raised her face to the sky, letting the rain fall on her face, refreshing her.

"That was fun. And was it just me, or did that bull remind you a bit of playing against Marcus Flint?"

She turned to face him, and noted his smirk.

"And I totally won." She laughed, tossing her broom in his lap. "But you can take the Inferno for a "loser lap" instead of a victory one."

"Why do you think Gryffindor always destroyed Slytherin while Flint was playing? We had one of these to practice on... much bigger, equally horrible to look at... it was great training." He arched an eyebrow at the 'loser lap' comment, then shrugged and grabbed the broom. "Well, I'm getting to ride your broomstick, regardless, even though you won because I was almost gored."

He hopped onto the Inferno and turned a few fast circles around where Alicia was sitting, then stopped and held his arm out to her, nodding at the broom. "C'mon, there's no point in taunting the bull anymore, and the view is great from right above his pen."

"There's a view when it's raining?" She laughed softly and took his arm, climbing on behind him, and putting her arms around his waist.

She became very conscious of the fact that her body was pressed right near his, and it was very disconcerting. He moved her broom up in a quick movement, catching her unawares, and making her hold tighter. They rose up above the pen they'd just raced in, and her heart was pounding more than it had then, in the exhilaration of competition.

"Fred?" She said quietly, resting her head on his shoulder, "This is fun."

"There is," he pointed out as he set them in a slow circle over the pen. "The hills are great when it's wet out... Looks like you're dreaming, from the water haze." He smiled over his shoulder at Alicia, patting her hand at his waist. "That was the idea. Just because, and to make up for being a complete ponce earlier tonight."

He chuckled softly, spiraling them a bit lower over the pen where the bull was munching calmly on the wet grass. "Besides, I figured our friend could use some exercise."

"Just like Marcus Flint," Alicia quipped fondly, glad to be sharing this with him.

Suddenly she panicked.

"What time is it, Fred?"

Realizing she had a watch, she looked at it.

"Oh bollocks! It's after midnight! I teach yoga again in six and a half hours! And there's a GAME tomorrow... We're playing the Arrows!"

Her mind was whirling a million miles a minute, with all the stuff she had to do, and all the stuff that she had been forgetting about.

"Gods, I'm sorry Fred, I shouldn't be rushing off on you and after we had such a nice time..."

Shaking his head as he set them down next to where they'd left his broom, Fred waved off Alicia's apology. "It was a good time, and there'll be others. I owe you dinner, remember? Go home and get some sleep so you don't scare the bait... I mean... Children, in the morning." He smirked down at her and handed her broom back, summoning his Nimbus to his hand.

"Now, will you Apparate home or would you rather use my Floo? I didn't poke around in your wards while we were at your flat, so I don't know how you've set the Apparation blocking."

"It only blocks insufferable red-heads... Since I can stand you, I think you're okay. But just to be on the safe side, I think I'd rather Floo home. I'm a bit tired, and don't really want to take many chances."

She smiled at him and grabbed her outer robes that were still laying on the ground where she'd shed them to "stretch" before their race. She flushed slightly at the memory and turned back to him.

"This might sound really dumb, but... Can we side-along back to your place? I really wasn't kidding about the tiredness, unfortunately."

Fred offered his arm once again with a crooked smile. "I think you just want to cuddle up to me some more, but sure. I'd be upset if you splinched yourself just to save face, after all." Granted that he was hardly complaining, but teasing Alicia was too much fun to pass up. "Especially since it's my fault you're all worn out..."

They Disapparated with a quiet 'pop' and reappeared in the sitting room of his flat. "There. Now just don't miss your Floo exit and you're all set."

"Thanks, Fred. It's been fun. Owl me and we'll figure out dinner. I AM going to collect, and you ARE going to like it." She stepped into the fire and smiled, "And Fred? When I want to cuddle with you... You won't have to 'think' it... You'll definitely know."

With that, she was gone.

Smirking at the fireplace where Alicia had just been, Fred dragged a hand through his wet, tangled hair. Spitfire, that one, he mused to himself as he set his broom back into its place in the closet and started peeling out of his wet clothes on the way to his bed. He banished the sodden mess to the hamper and dove between his sheets, wrapping himself up in the blankets. It had been a good while since he'd really looked forward to anything besides sleep or a drink, but seeing Alicia again should prove as much of a lark as this evening had been, and he didn't see a downside to that at the moment.

Alicia got into her flat and hugged her broom to herself. Sure, she was out later than she should have been... But she hadn't felt so... free in a long time. She was definitely looking forward to dinner, whenever it happened to be. With all those warm thoughts, she put on her oldest, most comfortable Puddlemere jersey and climbed into bed. She was asleep by the time her head hit the pillow.

{Summary: Alicia and Fred run into each other after five years. They're still teammates after all.}