Chapter 1

-One year later-

"Come on, it'll be fun!" Ginny protested. She was dragging Hermione around the corner. "I heard the band that's playing tonight is supposed to be really good, and I haven't been out in AGES! Harry's always working, and with the wedding planning I feel like I'm indoors all the time. Please say you'll at least TRY and enjoy this?" She looked pleadingly up to Hermione, who was still skeptical.

"I just don't like punk-rock that's all; I mean it all sounds like noise to me." She complained.

Ginny waved her hand. "Well it's not about you anyways. Here! Let's see if we can find a good spot."

They walked into a dimly lit bar off the main road and shoved their way through a crowd. It was smoky, and Hermione felt completely out of place.

"Besides, how often are we in the city?" Ginny smiled.

"Gin," Hermione whispered. "We're surrounded by muggles."

Ginny nodded. "Call it a guilty pleasure, but I like coming here when I can. It's small; no one knows us, and most of the time they have really good bands playing."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Harry knows about this right?"

Ginny's eyes widened a little guiltily. "Uh, no. Actually he thinks I'm looking at silverware."

"Silverware?" Hermione cocked her eyebrow.

Ginny nodded and ordered a beer from the dirty looking man who came to take their orders. Hermione shook her head as he walked off. "This place looks like it will give you hepatitis if you stare at it long enough."

Ginny sighed. "You won't tell him right?"

Hermione leaned in closer. "This isn't one of these, 'getting cold feet you have to do something crazy now,' right?"

Ginny shook her head. "I'll tell him before the wedding, I just want to enjoy it while it lasts."

Hermione shrugged. "Alright, but I'm watching you."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Look the first band is playing."

They watched as a grubby band of teenagers took the stage to start setting up their equipment. When they started Hermione had to cover her ears. It sounded as if they were being strangled with the microphone wires. It was just a bunch of yelling and screaming. She wasn't even sure there were actual words.

"HOW IN THE WORLD DO YOU CALL THIS MUSIC?" She shouted to Ginny.

"THIS IS ONLY THE FIRST BAND; THE ONE I WANTED TO HEAR IS NEXT." She shouted back.

Hermione tried hard to cope with the enormous headache she felt coming on. Ginny was absolutely nuts if she thought this was entertainment

When the band stopped having seizures on stage Ginny stood up, "I'll be right back."

Hermione's eyes widened. "Please don't leave me."

"Well someone has to save the seats!" She protested.

Hermione groaned. "Fine, go. Just be quick."

Ginny bounced off through the crowd towards the loo as Hermione watched the next group come on the stage.

It was a band called 'Dumpster Diving in England' Hermione shook her head at the stupidity of it. It was a group of all boys, except the singer. She came on stage with fish net tights, a short pink mini skirt and vintage Go Go boots. Her shirt was ripped in places, and had strange symbols all over it. Her hair was a mixture of hot pink and black, the top half pulled back and the rest hung over her shoulders.

Hermione shook her head. The way kids dressed these days.

The band began playing a slow tune, and the girl started singing softly. Hermione's mouth opened in shock, this girl could actually carry a tune!

Ginny was on her way back when the music hit her ears.

"No way," She whispered to herself. "It couldn't be." She looked up on the stage and saw the singer, she looked up into the crowd and Ginny saw her eyes flash in the lights.

Hermione looked over as Ginny came running towards her.

The band picked up and the girl began swaying as the song picked up pace. The crowd got louder with cheering.

"Hermione!" She gasped. "Do you see that!"

Hermione looked at her strangely. "No, I don't see a cat."

Ginny shook her head. "NO, DO YOU SEE THAT?"

Hermione leaned in closer, "SEE WHAT?"

"THE GIRL!"

"WHAT SQUIRRELL?"

Ginny palmed her forehead. "ON STAGE!"

"OH! THE GIRL! WHAT ABOUT HER?"

"THAT'S ALEX!" Ginny screamed.

Alex only noticed the girls when the song had finished. Her eyes widened and she hurried off stage. They couldn't have recognized her….

"Great song Hellfire!" Her guitarist shouted behind her, "It gets better every time you sing it."

She nodded her thanks. "It was a good show, you guys are great. Look something came up and I have to split. I'll see you later."

A hand grabbed her gently, "You don't want to hang out, love?"

Alex looked up into a round pair of deep brown eyes, "David, I have to go really. Maybe I'll catch up later?"

"Baby you promised." He pleaded.

She smiled. "I know, but I'll make it up to you." She kissed him on the lips and turned, as she walked towards the dressing rooms she heard behind her, "David, you're girlfriend is like the wind. She's a fresh breath of air for everyone around her, but keeping her contained is impossible."

She smiled to herself and walked out. In her dressing room she peeled off her stage clothes and as quickly as she could manage, dressed in her street jeans and a plain, green T shirt. She kept telling herself over and over that they couldn't have known who she was. Her hair was different, and that alone was cover enough. She'd seen Harry on the street plenty of times, and he never recognized her. She did tend to run the opposite way whenever she saw him though, and she had made a wide berth around any magical gatherings. She'd been living as a muggle for a year now. When she opened the door, Hermione and Ginny were blocking the way out, cross-armed, and angry.

"Oh bother." She sighed.