Switching Sides | Cedric Diggory vs. Fred Weasley

Chapter 48: Familiar Face

"I'm just saying," Alicia started, laying back on Millie's bed as she walked over to flip the Fleetwood Mac vinyl they had playing. "You need to get back out there,"

"I don't know," she said, placing the needle as her face twisted. Go Your Own Way started playing and she walked over to the bed, flopping down next to her best friend. "It just seems too soon,"

"Millie, it's been three years," Alicia rolled her eyes. 

"Two years and nine months," she corrected.

"Still," she spat. "Fred would want you to move on eventually. And now's a better time than ever. You just got back from winning the bloody Quidditch cup, you have some serious galleons in the bank, and you have the entire Summer to sleep around before your training starts back up again in the Fall,"

"Alicia!" Millie chuckled. 

"What?!" she smirked. "It's true! You're in the prime of your life! And all the good ones will get taken if you don't get a crack on them. You're about to turn 26, this is when you have to start thinking about your future!"

"I'm on a 150,000 galleon per season contract now," she said, gesturing to the large bedroom of her gorgeous apartment. "I think my future's set for a while,"

"I still can't believe you traded to the Appleby Arrows last fall," Alicia gawked, staring up at the ceiling. "You traitor,"

"Oh, please," Millie whimpered. "If you were getting offered that much money, you'd switch, too. Plus Ginny got my old spot on the Harpies, so really it was a win-win,"

"Oh yeah, I bet Gin was real happy when you beat her," she chuckled. 

Millie rolled her eyes as she heard the oven ding from her kitchen.

"Oh! The brownies are ready," she sat up. "I'll go fetch them,"

"Don't be long," Alicia stretched out on the bed. "I'll be waiting," 

Walking down the small hallway towards her kitchen, Millie felt a moment of relaxation for the first time in a while. It was her first night back home after the tournament and she was still running off the high of winning. There was also a sense of stability running through her. There she was in a beautiful apartment, very well off financially, still able to help her mother and the Weasley's while living quite the lavish life style for herself.

Things had been going well on the outside, but internally, every day was a serious struggle. Especially now that the Quidditch season was over. How could she distract herself from the fact that Fred was dead, George hadn't talked to her in years, her brother lived in Romania, and she was closer with Molly than she was with her own mother? It felt like too much all at once, every distraction she had being stripped from her. 

At least you have brownies, she thought to herself as she pulled the pan out of the oven.

"Did you hear Adrian got divorced?" Alicia said as Millie walked back into the room, cut up brownies sitting on a plate. 

"Pucey?" she asked in shock. "He's our age and he's already been divorced?"

"It was some pureblood marriage," she mumbled as she began stuffing brownies in her mouth. "I'm guessing he was over all the blood prejudiced nonsense. Well, that's what Katie thinks,"

"Interesting," she said.

"He's back in town, too," Alicia stated, shoving Millie slightly in the shoulder. "Might be nice to pay him a visit,"

"What, are you suggesting I ask him out?" Millie asked in amused shock.

"It would be good for you!" she exclaimed. Millie began mindlessly protesting, but Alicia pressed on. "Come on, he's cute, tall, rich,-"