Shutting the door behind her, Katie padded into the house, back to the trashy paperback novel Tonks had lent her the last time they'd seen each other.  Her nose crinkled in a frown at the bags and luggage still littering the floor, but it would wait.  She wanted to see if Esmerelda was finally going to give into Desmond.  Picking up her book, she settled into the couch and her over-sized sweats, Kaiya and Pea snuggled close. 

Cormac shuffled through some files on his desk, grabbed the more pressing ones, and placed them in his bag.  He looked at the clock and groaned-he really had to start getting out of the office at a more reasonable time, or at least when it was still daylight.  His brow furrowed with the sheer amount of stress he had endured today and he knew if he went straight home and tried to sleep it wasn't going to happen with out a few drinks too many.  He smiled as an errant thought crossed his mind.  Katie.  Katie should be home. His entire countenance changed and his posture relaxed as he grabbed some Floo powder off the mantle and spoke the words, "Rose Cottage."  He wrapped his cloak around him, and stepped into the fireplace.

Katie started when the little fire that had been burning in her living room suddenly began to crackle and turned green.  An instant later, Cormac McLaggen was standing in her living room in all his stuffy Ministry finery.  Kaiya's head rose and then she sniffed, quite used to magic and it's unexpectedness, but Pea bounded off to welcome him with happy little barks.  A smile bloomed on Katie's face and she jumped up from the couch, book falling to the floor, forgotten.  She crossed the room in a few steps, jumping up to wrap him in a hug.  "Cory! How are you? You remembered I'm home! I should have owled. I missed you!" she said in a rush as her arms came around his neck firmly, in the excitement at seeing one of her closest friends not caring much for decorum. 

Cormac tightened his arms around Katie, all the while breathing in one of his favorite scents-security and acceptance.  Katie was Cormac's one indulgence, in the sense that he could truly be himself around her without the fear of anything he said or did being broadcasted throughout the Wizarding world.  There were no judgements passed on his somewhat questionable activities or prejudices in Katie's presence. 

"Of course I remembered you'd be here, beautiful.  He squeezed her again tightly, grabbed her hand and led her back to the couch.  "I'm glad you made it home safely.  How I've missed you!  Things have been insane at the Ministry, Maria has me busier than I've ever been and I just knew I wouldn't be able to sleep tonight if I didn't come see you and blow off some steam.  Will you tell me about Italy?" 

Katie sat back on the couch, watching as Cormac set his bag down and took off his cloak.  She listened to him as he sat down next to her, glad to hear his voice again after so long, and scooted over so that she could loosen his tie as he finished talking.  She grinned as her fingers worked. "You know you're not allowed to be completely stuffy in my house," she teased before looking up to study his face.  "And I'll only tell you about Italy if you tell me why you have purple smudges underneath those pretty blue eyes.  You know, blow that steam you were talking about," she nudged softly as she settled next to him.

Suddenly, Cormac stood up and starting pacing around the room.  His hands were balled into fists as he started his second circuit around.  "I'm having a difficult time of things, Katie. And you know how difficult it is for me to think that, let alone share it.  I know my uncle got me this job, but I'm trying to prove that I can hold my own, and that it isn't just him that's keeping me there-that I'm good at what I do.  I'd like it if I weren't the only one who thought that."

A worried frown settled across Katie's face as she watched her friend pace, tension written into every line of his body.  Unfolding herself from the sofa, she took a few steps towards him, grabbing his wrist before he could complete another circuit of the room.  He stopped and looked at her a moment, eyes slightly unfocused, his thoughts obviously focused inwards.  "Cory, the first thing you need to do is relax, maybe starting with your hands, yeah?" she said softly, wrapping both her hands around his fist.  "Then maybe we can go to the part where I tell you how I think you can do anything you put your mind to, well."  Her lips quirked as she continued, "And really, who cares what the stuffies think, anyway?  You're there and you do what you do good and they can just deal with it."

As he looked down at Katie, who had such fierce proudness and devotion shining in her eyes, a look of confusion, but then finally understanding and happiness crossed Cormac's face. He sighed deeply and said,  "You really  mean that.  Amazing."  This was what made Katie great in his eyes, her ability to take any mood he was in and turn it into a better one.  This was why he took the risk of finally trusting someone enough to let them see inside himself; it was nice having someone in his corner. Finally, he chuckled and put a finger under Katie's chin and looked her full in the face.  "Now, are you going to tell me about Italy, or are you withholding something truly scandalous from me?" Cormac said, as he raised his eyebrows. 

Katie smiled to see the tension drain out of Cormac's body as he laughed lightly.  She gave him a cheeky grin as he tipped her head up, eyes twinkling.  "Me? Withhold something scandalous? Never."  At his arched eyebrow, she laughed and pulled him back towards the sofa, dropping unceremoniously back onto the cushions.  Cormac had always come across a bit prickly to most people, but Katie had never had a problem with that.  When they'd met as firsties, he had seemed to need a friend and didn't quite know how to go about getting any.  She'd decided, in her little eleven-year-old mind, that she'd adopt him no matter how standoffish everyone seemed to think he was.  And here they were, still friends after all these years.  "There isn't really all that much to tell actually.  We played of course, but we were kind of shackled together.  Team bonding and all that," she sighed, "and the media, of course.  I feel like I'm on display enough here at home and it seemed like there was an never-ending stream of press conferences."

"How were the fans?" Cormac asked.  "You didn't pick up any new stalkers at least, right?" Cormac chuckled as he saw a look of amused annoyance on Katie's face.  "Face it, beautiful, the people love you."

Katie eyed him, a bit indignant that he'd bring up the 'stalker' thing, though she could feel a smile tugging at her lips.  There'd been a few...over enthusiastic fans in the past.  It was one of the reasons she'd moved to her little isolated cottage.  It was unplotable though entirely too lonesome at times.  "The fans were really great, just as rabid Quidditch fans as here.  They heckled us out on the field, which is normal, you know?  We were playing all their favorites.  It makes for a really exciting atmosphere, and it's twice as much fun to score."  She stared off into space a moment as she thought, and then continued, "Though, I never met a mean fan.  For all the things said in the heat of the game, they were particularly friendly." 

"Good," Cormac said, with a hard look in his eyes, "I wouldn't want to have to hurt someone for getting rowdy at a Quidditch match." 

She smiled at him then, eyes twinkling with mirth.  "And we wouldn't want that.  It'd completely mar your Five Year Plan.  No room for openly questionable little black marks like publicly roughing up a little too enthusiastic Quidditch fans."   She grinned.

"While I get the feeling you're mocking me, thanks for keeping my thoughts on the plan.  Homicide would definitely interfere with my eventual bid for minister."  Cormac eyed his watch and grimaced.  "I've got to run. I have a bag full of files that aren't going to go over themselves.  Did I tell you I'm glad you're back?"  He leaned forward to hug Katie and kissed her on the forehead. 

"Yeah, you may have mentioned it," Katie answered as she wrapped him in a quick, tight hug, "but I don't ever get tired of hearing it."  As Cormac put his cloak back on and picked up his bag, she smiled up at him from her perch on the couch.  "Thanks for dropping by, Cory.  I missed you lots," and as an afterthought, "and don't let those dreary files stress you out too much, otherwise I might have to do something drastic.  I'm not quite sure what it would be, but it would be bad, like balloons sent to the Ministry or something."

Cormac shuddered. "Yes, all right, dear Merlin, no balloons."  He looked suggestively at Katie and said, "Oh, and I'm taking Alicia Spinnet out for a drink tomorrow night, any advice?"

Katie laughed.  "Just be your charming self and I'm sure it'll go great.  You've never seemed to have any problems wooing witches, Cory.  You don't need any tips from me," she answered, chuckling.

Cormac grinned sheepishly and said, "Well, you can't blame me for trying.  Goodnight, beautiful."


{Summary: Cormac calls on Katie after a long day at work.}