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Chapter 2- At the Burrow

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Alex decided to keep the note to her self. She'd give the letter back to Hermione and confront her once Hermione arrived at the Burrow. Alex and Harry had arrived only two hours ago. Harry was tense, but he tried not to let it show.

"Oh I'm so excited!" Mrs. Weasley was saying as she walked into the kitchen. Alex, Harry and Ron were all sitting at the table.

"It's going to be so much fun!"

"What is mum?" Ron asked curiously.

"Well," Her cheeks were flushed with excitement. "As you know, Charlie and Bill will be arriving tonight, and Hermione, Fred and George will be coming tomorrow! So we'll have a full house! I thought it would be fun to plan a family activity for sometime this week!" Her excitement could hardly be contained.

"What did you have in mind Molly dear?" Mr. Weasley asked as he came up behind her.

"Horseback riding!" She exclaimed gleefully.

"Darling, that's a muggle activity." Arthur said uneasily.

"Isn't it exciting?" Mrs. Weasley was on the verge of bouncing up and down like a little school girl.

"I think it sounds wonderful Mrs. Weasley!" Alex said happily. "Harry and I have been twice, it wasn't very fun with the Dursley's, but it's still the same concept. I'm a good rider!" Alex beamed.

"Yea, we had to chase after her a good couple of times. She's pretty natural at it." Harry agreed.

"And you?" Ron asked with a smile.

"We won't go there."

"Oh Ron you remember when we went last time don't you?" Mrs. Weasley asked hopefully.

"Wasn't I four or something?"

"You were six and you didn't want to ride because one of the horses stole your sandwich." Ginny said as she entered the room.

Harry stared. The room's heat seemed to have intensified when she came in.

"I remember because mum made me share mine with you." Ginny sat down at the table next to Harry.

She smelt so good….

"Oh yea." Ron said thoughtfully. "I do remember that."

Mrs. Weasley smiled. "I can't wait!"

The next day people were everywhere. The Burrow was completely packed. Alex and Hermione were placed with Ginny, Harry and Charlie with Ron, and Bill got lucky enough to be placed with Fred and George. It was mayhem.

Finally after things settled, a quidditch match was suggested. George and Charlie were picked captains.

"I want Harry on my team!" George called.

"Fine, then I want Alex on my team." Charlie shouted.

"No fair! She has to be our keeper!" Fred shouted back at him.

"I think I might actually sit this one out. I need to catch up with Hermione." Alex told them.

Charlie's shoulders fell in defeat.

"Can your favorite Weasley use your broom then?" He asked sheepishly.

Alex laughed. "It's up stairs on my trunk."

With an excited yell Charlie leaped up and ran to the house.

"You'd never guess he was one of the older boys." Alex chuckled. She turned to walk into the house. "Now, down to business."

The letter had been in her pocket all morning. Walking into the house Hermione passed by Alex with a smile. Alex grabbed her arm.

"We need to talk."

Confused, Hermione followed Alex up to Ginny's room. Ginny had been helping her mum in the kitchen so the room was clear.

"Hermione, I…I don't know how to react to this." Alex sighed as she brought out the letter.

"What is it?" Hermione asked. She suddenly saw the wax seal and gasped. "Alex I can explain this!"

"I would hope so."

Hermione couldn't tell Alex her plan, she couldn't tell her she liked her brother, the only thing she could do was lie.

Ginny came to her door and saw that it was cracked. She saw Alex standing with her arms crossed with a letter in her hand. Her expression was tense. Deciding not to spy she turned around to leave, but before she left she heard Hermione speak.

"I uh, I'm dating Draco."

Ginny stopped and slowly turned back around.

"What?" Alex's eyes widened.

Hermione began to sweat.

"I wasn't sure how you or anyone would react, so I kept it a secret."

"How long?"

"End of the school year."

A tear was welling in Ginny's eye, she brushed it away furiously. Gaining her composure she pretended she hadn't heard anything as she walked into the room with a smile.

"Hi!" She said cheerfully. "Oh, I'm sorry. Am I interrupting something?" She looked from Alex to Hermione. The expression on Alex's face told Ginny that she hadn't bought the cheery act. She must have seen her at the door.

Hermione turned to face Ginny.

"Oh, no. you're fine." She said, almost nervously.

Alex put the letter back in her pocket.

"What are you up to today Ginny?" Alex asked politely.

"Nothing really. I just came to see what you two were doing."

Hermione bit the inside of her cheek. She wondered how well Draco was going to take this. She felt so deceptive.

"Mum said she wants to go horseback riding tomorrow now that everyone is here." Ginny said after an irritating silence had gotten to her.

"How exciting! I haven't been horse back riding in ages! I'm uh…I'm going to go talk to her about it." Hermione said, backing out of the room.

Once her footsteps died away Ginny shut the door completely.

"She can't be dating him!" She almost shrieked as she turned to face Alex.

"I figured you heard." Alex sat on Ginny's bed. "It is a bit odd I admit, but I think I might actually believe her."

"But she likes Harry!"

Alex looked confused. "Why do you say that?"

Ginny fiddled with the corner of her shirt nervously.

"She didn't want to tell you, but she's liked him for quite some time now. I can't believe she's with Malfoy after all that."

Alex chewed the bottom of her lip thoughtfully.

"She has to be doing it to get to Harry then." She said finally.

Ginny disliked Hermione more and more. Using poor Draco like that! She'd get hers…. She thought bitterly.

"This isn't good." Alex was saying.

"What isn't?"

"She's trying to make him jealous, but it won't work."

"What do you mean?"

"Let's just say Hermione isn't exactly his main interest at the moment."

Ginny nodded. "Oh. I see." She sat down next to Alex in thought. "Who is it?"

Alex rolled her eyes. "You mean you can't tell?"

Ginny's eyes widened. "Oh."

"So?" Alex looked at her questioningly.

"What?" Ginny was confused.

"Are you interested?" Alex smiled.

Ginny's face flushed a little. "I don't know I mean he's one of my best friends. I haven't really thought of him that way in a long time…I kind of like this one boy…."

Alex waved her hand. "Trust me it's cool." She smiled at Ginny. Good, that'd be weird if they dated, She thought inwardly. The silence became more and more awkward.

"I uh, I think I'll go downstairs now." Ginny said, looking at Alex.

Alex nodded. "I'll go too, you know, see how the game is going."

As they walked out of the room Alex collided with a body. Pinned against the wall she realized it was Ron.

"Oh Alex! I'm sorry!" He said as he tried to balance himself. His hands were flat against the wall on either side of Alex's head. He was dangerously close to her. She could smell his scent, it was almost exotic…EW…why was she smelling him?

"Um, Ron? Could you get off me now?"

Ron's ears turned red. "Sorry." He mumbled.

Ginny laughed. "Let's go Alex."

As Ron watched the two girls go down the stairs he thought about what had just happened. The weird thing was he could have sworn Alex had been smelling him….