Big Night Big City

[Katheryn Kingsley]

Katheryn Kingsley took her final curtsy for the evening, beaming as hundreds of people applauded for her. She was still starring as the Little Mermaid on broadway with her famous, flaming red hair. The critics had all raved about Katheryn in the reviews the past month. Many of the magazines were talking about the innocent little Southerner with a famous sister who had made it to a starring role in the Big City. the show was selling out almost every night, though she couldn't exactly take all the credit for that one. There were many other people who had a part in the making of a great show, one that was worthy of praise. The producers really had done a fabulous job in picking the cast members and the story was one that was familiar and beloved by many in the Muggle world. After all, it was a Disney classic. Kat took her Prince's hand as the two of them waved at the crowd, standing center stage. Despite all the people in the audience, there was only one person who Katheryn was looking at for approval and it was her friend, Brody Flynn, sitting in the special seat Kat had reserved for him alone. There he was, standing, grinning like crazy, applauding with the rest of the audience. As Kat's icy blue eyes caught his, Brody let out a loud wolf whistle. The young woman laughed, resisting the urge to roll her eyes in front of the packed out theater. Instead, the red head winked at her friend as the velvet, ruby red curtain began to close signaling an end to the show but only the beginning of her night.

The stage was hectic the second that the curtains fully closed and the lights were raised. The large cast was scattering, impatient to get out of their costume and theater makeup. Katheryn Kingsley was no exception to this. The twenty year old rushed back into her private dressing room. Katheryn had been invited to some fancy shmansy party on the upper east side that would no doubt have all of Manhatten's wealthies and most influential people at it. It wasn't exactly how Katheryn wanted to spend her night but she knew that it would be good for her to form connections with these people. Kat had in turn asked Brody Flynn to accompany her. It would have been inappropriate of her to show up alone for one thing but for another, Kat knew that it would be good for Brody's career in photography to get connections among these people. Katheryn very carefully locked the door, insuring that no one could come in unannounced. Normally, Katheryn would never use magic outside of her apartment. She had chosen to live in the muggle world so she did things the muggle way. Today, however, was a special occasion. The former Hufflepuff took out her wand from where she had hidden it in her bag. In only a few moments, Kat had transformed from Ariel the mermaid into drop dead gorgeous actress extrodianire. With a glance in the mirror, Kat grabbed her purse, carefully shoving her wand back inside, and left her dressing room. The young actress hurried out the side door, anxiously looking for Brody, ready to start their night. However, there were fans waiting, specifically for her, to take pictures with and sign autographs for. Katheryn did all of this with pleasure while her blue eyes scanned the crowd for her friend.

 

[Brody Flynn]

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<COLOR color="#000">One could not possibly put into words the exact feelings that overwhelmed Brody Flynn as he joined the rest of the crowd in hollering for Ariel and Prince Eric. There was this itch he couldn’t scratch, this irrepressible pride to cry out to the audience behind him that Katheryn Kingsley was indeed his friend. Him, Brody Jem Flynn, the nobody and aspiring somebody from Brooklyn. Arguably she wasn’t just his friend though. In his head they had already shared one blindingly beautiful first kiss on the deserted subway and had gone on three dates, one of which had been spent fine dining that Brody had somehow miraculously been able to afford. In his head they were just about as perfect as Ariel and Prince Eric. In reality it was more along the lines of Shrek and Princess Fiona. Kat was a princess, not only on the stage but off as well. She was sweet and she was gracious and she was patient. It seemed that every second of the day everybody wanted a piece of her in one way or another. She glowed inside and out, everyone fell in love with her. All he seemed to be able to do was sit back with those big brown puppy eyes and watch as she graced the world with one beautiful smile at a time. But Brody, he came from a different planet altogether. Planet Loser, Planet Who-the-hell-was-that-guy-?, Planet Brooklyn. He was simply lucky to have any of Kat’s time at all and extremely grateful that she valued him as a friend. He should be happy for that but there was one teensy problem. He was head-over-heels, passionately, incessantly, unmistakably in love with her.

There was an ache that swept through his racing heart as the red velvet tumbled down, curtaining Katheryn from view, even though he knew he’d see her soon enough anyway. Brody snatched his scarf from the chair he had been seated on and wrapped it around his neck before whisking out to where he knew Kat would be following the show. Expecting he’d be early, for Kat still had to change out of her costume, Brody stopped part way to discuss the show with a eldery woman and her granddaughter who seemed rather awestruck by it all. “And that Ariel, she was an absolute gem.” The young man smiled, a little more knowingly than most people would have felt comfortable with and replied, “Wasn’t she just?” The pride swelling in his chest was so insistent he felt as if he was about to burst, he had to see her now. Politely bidding adieu to the sweet strangers, Brody raced ahead through the growing crowd only to see that Kat was already there, busying herself talking to her fans looking infinitely more beautiful dressed up in a tiny silver dress for the after-party. And if he had gone gaga over her on stage then that was definitely saying something. But how she had freshened up so speedily was lost on the budding photographer. People he knew spent hours and hours in hair and make-up to come out looking not half as gorgeous as Kat did right now. She really was magical. Across the crowd the friends eyes met and Brody had to shake himself out of his daze. Hoping that he had managed to rid his expression of the lovestruck goo before she had caught him, Brody grinned and began to expertly squeeze his way through the crowd. By now he had mastered the weaving to an art form yet still it seem like hours before he finally reached Kat on the other side. “You got out here quick.” He chuckled quietly as he kissed her cheek in greeting, some part of him wishing it could have been sociably acceptable for friends to kiss other friends on the lips instead. “And you look... wow, beautiful by the way. Oh! And the show... The show was amazing Kat. Just you wait, the critics will be quadrupling their praises by the end of tonight.” Brody threw her a wink of those deep brown eyes to solidify his statement. The name Katheryn Kingsley was about to get even bigger.
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[Katheryn Kingsley]

Katheryn glanced up from the autograph she was signing for a fan to see Brody Flynn, standing at a distance, a crowd of people in between the two. The auburn headed girl winked at him before turning back to her fans, knowing that Brody would reach her in only a minute. A small girl asked for a picture, to which Kat kindly obliged. She signed their program before feeling Brody lightly touch her back. The young girl turned to face her friend with a bright smile on her face. The witch blushed at his implication of her unnatural quickness of changing clothes. She cringed internally, cursing herself for using magic when it could be so easily noticed. Luckily for her though, Brody didn't seem to pay it any attention other than the casual comment. The blush grew more flushed against her pale face as Brody's lips brushed across her face. Her pulse quickened. There was no denying how handsome Brody Flynn was. Even if he may not see it himself, he was quite the catch. With his gorgeous brown eyes, witty sense of humor, charm, and intelligence he was nearly everything any girl could want and many girls did want him. Kat had never noticed Brody take more than a brief interest in his admirers, only a fling here or there. Katheryn herself had considered making a move on the older photographer, her first real friend here in New York City.

There was only one thing holding Katheryn back, making her not want to get more romantically involved with the handsome photographer. Katheryn Elizabeth Kingsley was a witch. She had graduated from Hogwarts New Zealand, not a private boarding school in New Zealand like she had told Brody and anyone else who asked. The autumn haired girl had a wand and could do magical spells. She had a huge secret that she kept from her friend, one that would surely make Brody think she was insane. Surely Brody would want to lock her up in a mental institution if Katheryn admitted she could perform magic. Kat couldn't tell him about this giant part of her and it would keep her from going any further with Brody than friendship. Kat didn't want to lie to Brody. He was much to wonderful to deserve that fate.

"Oh well thank you." Katheryn accepted his compliment with grace. "Do you really think it was that all of that?" she asked, her southern accent noticable now that she was no longer on stage. It had taken her many hours to practice fading it out of her voice. It had been grueling. The young actress flashed a mischievious smile at Brody Flynn. "Are you ready to go mingle with the elite of the Upper East Side?" she teased him lightly, knowing he was Brooklyn born and bred. The snooty high society was not his choice company but it was what he needed to grow his photography buisness. He was there to accompany her as her friend and a sort of bodyguard. It was Brody who always looked after when she attracted unwanted admirers. He looked after Katheryn as her brother might.