Author's note: This is my first fanfic ever! Constructive criticism please! (although a little praise woundnt hurt too ;) ) I shoule update at least once a week. Please, please, please review!

"What, exactly, are you doing? You'll get expelled if you use magic," asked Hermoine in an annoyed tone of voice. I twirled my hair of veela, 14 inch, holly, flexible wand. "No I wont, they will notice that magic has been done in this location, but there are wizards of age so it very well could have been them. What do you think I'm doing? I'm-" suddenly, silver sparks swirled around me.

CRACK!

"Looking like a complete idiot in front of your mates?" said a tall red headed boy with a grin from ear to ear.

"Why do you have to apparate around the house, its annoying," I grumbled.

"Uhhhh…. Alex…. You might want to check your robes…" said Harry tentatively.

"AHHHHH!" I screamed! I had set the hem of my robes on fire! I tried to extinguish them with more waves of my wand, only to succeed in increasing the flames. George hurried to help me. Soon, the fire was out. "Reparo," I said to fix the scorched bottom of my robes. I was panting from all the excitement, and Harry, Ron, and Fred were practically on the floor laughing. Hermione and Ginny looked like they were trying to stifle a giggle, too.

"Why do you wear robes all the time?" asked Ron.

"I do wear Muggle clothes underneath, I'm just always cold!" I responded.

"It's summer," he pointed out.

"Yeah, well, I'm weird, ok?" I said, "Anyway, thanks George!" He smiled brightly in return, and my insides squirmed. I ignored it.

George was still looking at me when Mrs. Weasley burst into the room.

"There you all are, I've been looking everywhere for you! Diagon Alley, who's ready to go?" she asked. Everyone agreed and started to stir as they picked up their coats from the pile they created of them in the center of the room. My hand brushed against George's who kept it there a fraction of a second longer than it should. I felt a blush creeping up my neck, so I avoided his eyes, and instead met Ginny's, who twinkled with knowing. She pretended to tie her shoes as she waited for me.

"Come on, spit it out," she said when we were the last in the room.

"Excuse me?" I asked.

"Don't play stupid, you turn red whenever he compliments you," said Ginny.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said shakily. Darn it, that would give me away.

"Very funny. You know, he practically drops his pudding during dinner when you talk to him," she said laughing.

My insides did a little jump. Really? Now that I thought about it, he had been laughing at my lame jokes, smiling so brightly, trying to make me laugh (more than usual, that is), and complimenting me.

"And lastly, you turn red. All the time," Ginny pointed out.

"No I don't!" I said a little too quickly and defensively.

"You do,"

"It's… uh… Allergies?" I offered. I just didn't get it. My stomach would do flips and my heart would flutter whenever he was around. Why? Why all of a sudden?

"Girls! Come on! We are about to Disapparate!" shouted Mrs. Weasley.

We left the sitting room to find Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, and Mrs. Weasley waiting by the front door. I saw Hermione glance at me, then to George, who I quickly noticed was staring at me while pretending to be involved in a conversation about Quidditch. He had a far off look in his eyes.

"Come on, let's go! Harry, we have to stop at your vault, so I'll go with you to Gringotts, and we will meet the others at Flourish And Botts for books," said Mrs. Weasley.

Everybody grabbed someone who knew how to Side-By-Side Apparate, and George looked at me. "Shall we?" he asked. "We shall," I said. He grabbed my hand and I felt the most uncomfortable feeling in the world, like being squeezed through a tube, and a very small one for that matter. All I could feel was George's warm hand, and that was certainly a good thing to feel. Suddenly, we popped into Diagon Alley. George squeezed my hand when we saw what was going on. Shops were closed, but witches and wizards roamed the streets. Most looked tired and worn, but others looked sketchy. Overall, the sight was… gray. That would have to be the only way to describe it. I held George's hand tight as a creepy old warlock passes closely to me. After a few seconds, I realized we were sill holding hands. "Uh, oh sorry…" I mumbled, blushing furiously. I dropped my hand from his, only to have him grasp it again. I looked at him. "It's scary, you have to admit," he said. I nodded. It was.

"So, all of you, be careful, and I'll meet you in Flourish and Botts in an hour," said Mrs. Weasley, "And don't even place a toe in Knockturn Alley!" She then left towards Gringotts with Harry.

"Sooo…." said Ginny. I noticed that she glanced at me and George. With a huge smile on her face, she said, " Where to?"

But Fred was already way ahead of her. He was walking down the street, toward the joke shop.

We caught up, and spent the hour laughing and joking, surrounded by noises and smells of all sorts and laughing and colors, while outside, the gray air hung over the gray street where window were boarded up and bums begged for money, sitting under Ministry decree posters.