A/N: Hooray! It's my first try at a Fratie story that's longer than a one-shot. I'm eager to get this one started. No idea how often I'm going to be able to update (what with everything else I've got going on) but I'm going to try my best.

I hope you all enjoy it! Please remember to review!

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Everything you recognize, including characters, plot points, settings, and scenes from the Harry Potter series, belong to JK Rowling.

Inadequately Katie

--- CHAPTER ONE ---

The List

Everything I hate about Katie Bell:

1. She never shuts up

2. She thinks she knows EVERYTHING

3. She's loud

4. She's unladylike

5. She has a horrible temper

6. She can't be serious

7. She's irresponsible

8. Her friends are obnoxious (Fred and George Weasley)

9. She laughs when it's inappropriate

10. She doesn't listen (she refuses to be told what to do)

Have you ever felt betrayed? Stupid? Lost? Inadequate?

How about all of the above?

I have lived on this earth for seventeen years, and I have been living my life feeling all of those things at once.

I may be overreacting a little bit. I have an okay life, I guess. It's fairly average. I go through every day doing basically what I would any day. I wake up, I get dressed, eat, go to classes, eat again, some more classes, eat one more time, play Quidditch, goof around with my friends, and then go to bed.

My school life is typical. My grades are average, my teachers are fairly amicable (aside from Snape), and I get by well enough. I have a favourite class, like anyone else, but I tend to not enjoy class work.

My social life, again, is typical. I spend my free time lounging around with my peers after dinner, laughing and talking about the same old boring stuff we've always talked about. I have my own small group of people I spend most of my time with, along with a few mismatched acquaintances I talk to from time to time. Even the relationships I have with my friends are fairly predictable.

But even there, amongst my greatest friends in the world, I feel inadequate. Inferior. Insufficient.

My group consists of six people, including myself. Five of us joined forces due to the fact that we're all on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. I tend to get along better with people with the same interests as myself, and that's something we all have in common—a passion for Quidditch.

The first two members of our clique are Fred and George Weasley. I've known the two of them since I first stepped foot on the Hogwarts Express during my first year of school. The two are twins, both with flaming red hair and an array of freckles littering their cheeks, and the two of them are the biggest trouble makers I've ever met in my life. They're always good for a laugh, and love being the centre of attention. They could definitely be pegged as the leaders of our group—if we were to have such a thing.

Next up is Alicia Spinnet. She's our resident "dumb blonde". I hope that doesn't offend anyone—I mean it in the best possible way. Alicia is a sweetheart, and she's actually quite bright. She does well in her classes, and can beat out nearly anyone in a game of Wizard's Chess. But when it comes to common sense…well…let's just say she could use some improvement in that area. Alicia's the shy one. She even dyed her hair dark brown just to avoid Fred and George teasing her about being a blonde. Unlike the two of them, she ducks away from any attention that comes her way.

Lee Jordan is our loud-mouth. He never stops talking, which is probably why he's snagged himself a job as Quidditch commentator for the games played between houses. He's very big on public speaking, and loves to tell stories. He'll go on for hours if you don't interrupt him.

The fifth member is Angelina Johnson. This one is the slave-driver. Angelina is the hardest working person I've ever known. She gives everything in life all she's got, whether its school work, or pushing herself to the brink of death in Quidditch practices. She's got more drive than anyone.

So that about covers it. We've got our pranksters, our shy (and mildly stupid) sweetheart, the headache-inducing loud mouth, and the hard worker. That just leaves me. Me in my entire inadequate glory.

I'm not sure what you'd classify me as. I'm fairly funny, but I can't take that title as it belongs to the twins. I'm a bit of a klutz and I tend to lose my head, but not nearly as much as Alicia. I work hard when it counts, but I'm nothing compared to Ang. And as for talking…I've been known to ramble on, but there's no one who enjoys it as much as Lee.

I guess you could say I'm the middle-man (if such a thing can even exist in a group of six). Not one of my traits really outshines any of the others. No one gives me a second glance when I'm with my friends. This may be because of the fact that I simply don't stand out, or perhaps because the other personalities are just so strong that they outshine me. Whatever it is, I've put up with it for years.

I could easily find new friends—become the prankster or the loud-mouth in a group that lacks a member—but I'm not ambitious enough. I guess I wouldn't be able to fill Angelina's shoes in any case.

My love life has always been dull and loathsome. The only boyfriend I had during my first five years at Hogwarts was in third year with Melvin Luthegrow. He was a stupid little thing, only reaching two thirds of my height, and he clung to me everywhere I went. It was lucky he was a Hufflepuff and not a Gryffindor, or I never would have been able to escape him. Anyway, it didn't last long. I ditched him a mere four days after I had agreed to be his girlfriend. Since then, my love life hasn't improved much. In fact, looking back, I think I prefer that relationship.

The next boyfriend I was fortunate enough to snag was Ravenclaw Quidditch captain Roger Davies. I suppose that can be considered an accomplishment, as much of the female population seem to adore the bloke.

But anyway, he asked me to be his girlfriend. I said yes, and was stupid enough to fall for him. I'm talking full-force, idiotic young love.

And, as most relationships go, this one fell through.

He didn't think I was good enough for him. I was insufficient, unsatisfactory, lacking.

The funny thing is, instead of being not enough of something, as I tended to be with my friends, Roger Davies thought I was too much. I was too sarcastic, I was too wild, and I was too talkative. And that was the reason he dumped me.

I was devastated. Roger was important to me. I had fallen honestly, deeply, and stupidly in love with him. And he had crushed me.

Stupid sod.

And that's where I am today. Stuck in the rut Roger Davies left me in, feeling stupid, betrayed, lost, and inferior.

And I was going to change it.

But I needed help.

And who better to enlist than my two greatest girlfriends?

"She never shuts up," Angelina mused.

She was staring down at a piece of parchment I had handed her. It was a list of all the reasons why Roger Davies couldn't stand me. He had written it himself for my benefit—said maybe if I worked on those things I'd be a little easier to live with. Quite the parting gift, wouldn't you say? It had offended me, and I had turned to Angelina and Alicia for help.

"Yeah…I can see that," Alicia said. She was seated on her four-poster bed, her head stuck in some rubbish romance novel. "You do tend to be a little overly talkative."

I glared at her. "You know very well I am not the only talkative one around. No one ever accuses Lee of talking too much."

"Lee talks for a reason," Angelina said. "You just like the sound of your own voice."

I scowled.

"That is not true."

Angelina waved it off and kept reading.

"She thinks she knows everything," Angelina read. She paused and looked up at me. "You can be a bit of a know-it-all at times."

"Giving an opinion is not being a know-it-all," I said defensively. "It's not my fault I'm observant."

Alicia snickered, but said nothing. Angelina continued.

"She's loud," Angelina said with a thoughtful nod. "Well, no one can argue that one."

"I have to be loud," I said. "If I weren't I'd never get a word in with you lot. Fred and George alone drown out the rest of us."

"I'll give you that," Alicia said with a grin.

"HA!" Angelina laughed, looking down at the list. "She's unladylike," she read, chortling.

Alicia laughed out loud.

"It sounds like these are pretty legitimate claims, Katie," she said.

I rolled my eyes up to the ceiling.

"I shouldn't have even asked you guys to help," I said angrily.

"She has a horrible temper," Angelina recited. She quirked an eyebrow at me as I scowled back at her. "I think that one goes without saying." She looked back down at the list. "She can't be serious…you do have an issue with that."

"I can be serious," I disagreed. "I'm being serious right now."

"You're not being serious," Alicia said. "You're being dramatic."

"Hmm," Angelina said, "over-dramatic isn't even listed here. Maybe we should add it."

I snatched the list away from them angrily.

"That's enough," I said, wrinkling up my list and shoving it into my pocket. "If you two are going to take his side in this, then I am dismissing you."

"Dismissing us from what?" Alicia asked.

"Helping me get over the stupid wanker!" I yelled, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Of course, neither of you seems to keen on doing that. I reckon you just want to see me suffer so I'll be just as miserable as you lot."

"Miserable?!" Alicia objected. "Ang may be miserable, but I most certainly am no—"

"Spare me the psycho babble, Leesh," I said in a bored tone. "We all know that underneath your ridiculous happy-go-lucky façade, you're just as pathetic as the rest of us."

"Someone's in a cheery mood," Angelina muttered.

"Well sorry if I just got dumped and my two best friends don't even know how to console me in my time of need," I said bitterly.

The two girls simultaneously rolled their eyes.

"Yes, we definitely need to add dramatic," Angelina said.

I didn't laugh.

"Come on, let us see the rest of the list," Angelina said, holding her hand out expectantly.

"Not a chance," I said. "I've decided I'll find someone new to handle this mission. You two clearly aren't up for it."

"Oh calm down, Kates," Alicia said with another roll of her eyes. "We weren't actually taking Roger's side."

I grumbled in response.

"Come on, hand it over," Angelina urged.

I sighed and gave in, thrusting the list back into her grip. Somehow instead of helping, the girls were making me feel worse about the situation.

"She's irresponsible," Angelina read.

"You do tend to get your priorities mixed up," Alicia pointed out.

"I thought you said you were going to be on my side," I objected.

Angelina ignored the interruption, and continued without commenting. I hoped she would keep it that way. I was tired of them reinforcing Roger's opinions of me. I felt bad enough as it was.

"Her friends are obnoxious," Angelina read. This time she looked offended.

"He wrote that?" Alicia asked, getting up to look over Angelina's shoulder. Her mouth dropped open in shock.

"He was referring to Fred and George," I said, recalling that their names had been placed in brackets. Roger had always expressed his dislike for the twins. I think it was just because he lacked a sense of humour.

"Still," Alicia said with a frown. "That's pretty rude."

"Oh, I'm so sorry for you," I said sarcastically. "It must be awful for someone to find you obnoxious."

Alicia scowled at me.

"At least no one wrote an entire list about all of your faults and used it against you," I told her irritably.

"Alright, alright," Angelina said. "We get it. He's an ass."

"Finish the list," I told them.

"She laughs when it's inappropriate," Alicia continued, taking the list from Angelina's hands. She didn't comment this time. She seemed too upset over being called obnoxious. I was a little relieved.

"And, last but not least…She doesn't listen," she said, finishing up the list.

"Well…can anyone really blame him for that one?" Angelina asked. "I'd bet any money Professor McGonagall would whole-heartedly agree."

I grumbled something unintelligible at them.

Alicia turned the parchment over to check the back.

"Hmm," she said thoughtfully. "Well, that's not so bad."

"Not so bad?" I asked her incredulously. "He gave me a list of all the reasons why he didn't want to be with me! Of course it's bad."

The other two grimaced.

"Okay, so it's bad," Angelina agreed. "But so what? Who cares what he thinks?"

I scowled.

"I do," I said. "I care."

"Kates, what does it matter?" Alicia asked. "So he broke up with you. You're better off without him, clearly."

She tossed the list down in distaste, letting it fall to the floor.

"He doesn't know what he's talking about," Angelina assured me.

I stared flabbergasted at her. "What are you talking about?" I asked. "You just read that entire list and agreed with everything on it!"

The girls frowned a little.

"But Katie—"

"No," I interrupted. "No buts. You both said it yourself. Everything on this list is true."

"No it's not," Angelina disagreed.

"Yes, it is!" I urged. "It's all true! It's no wonder he broke up with me. I wouldn't want to be with me either."

I was growing more and more glum by the minute. I stooped to pick the wretched list up off of the floor and stared down at it thoughtfully. A thought came into my head and I made up my mind almost immediately.

"I'm going to change," I said firmly. I tried to force back my hurt feelings in an attempt to sound strong.

Angelina and Alicia eyed me with uncertainty in their eyes.

"What are you talking about, Kates?" Alicia asked.

"Everything on this list," I said, waving it in front of them, "I'm going to change all of it."

"Don't be stupid," Angelina said with a sigh. "There's no reason for you to get all worked up over this."

"Yes there is, Ang," I disagreed. "I can't expect to have real relationships with people if no one can stand me."

"Kates…" Alicia said warily.

"No," I said firmly. "I've made up my mind. Starting tomorrow…every day I'm going to change one thing on this list."

I spoke with finality, and although both of them stared at me with expressions of doubt and disbelief, I was set on my decision.

"What will that accomplish?" Angelina questioned carefully. She didn't want to upset me any more than she already had. My mood had deteriorated enough already.

"If I can change everything on that list…" I paused. I wasn't sure.

"Roger might take you back?" Alicia guessed, frowning.

"Maybe," I answered. "But even if he doesn't…I can't very well continue on the way I am. If I do, no one will ever look at me twice."

"Katie—"

"No," I said again. "I've decided. I am going to change."

The two of them exchanged glances. They looked uncertain.

"I will," I said. It sounded like a warning.

I was done being the girl who was stuck in a group where everyone else outshined me. I was tired of being labelled by Roger as an un-dateable moron. I was sick of being the middle-man.

From now on I was going to be different, not inadequate.

Angelina and Alicia frowned deeply.

"Okay, Kates," they said.

That settled it.

Starting tomorrow, I was going to be the perfect Katie Bell.