"But I could talk to Angelina, I'm sure she might allow you to try out!" Fred consoled me while we reached the portrait. George said the password while I smiled huge at him and hugged as high as I could reach, which was their necks.

"Thank you thank you thank you!" I shouted at them as I practically ran through the commons and up to my room, collapsing on my bed before smiling.

After nearly an hour of relaxing, and two other Gryffindor fifth years come in to introduce themselves, I got up to write a letter to my best friend, Millie.

Millie,

It is beyond cold up here in England. Just last night, I was wearing three jackets on top of a heated blanket. I miss the warm sun in Georgia! I miss everyone so much! Give everyone a hug and kiss for me.

I cant say I hate it here, but I definitely like St. Millingtons more. Everyone here is nice, but noone wants to be my actual friend, like how me and you were. And I can't talk to Chassidy, she is all the way on the other side of the school. Which, by the way, is a freakin' castle! I mean with turrets and a dungeon and everything! But I can't go and see her whenever I want. Slytherin (Chassidy's house, remember?) hates Gryffindor, and I have yet to find out why. But the worst part of this school is how its changing Chassidy. Just two hours ago, I tried to talk to her about her friends (bunch of scum bags) and she completely blew me off. I swear, she has already gotten way in over head with that crowd. I hate it. I can't wait to come home for Christmas.

Before I forget. There's a guy. Harry. He is sooo cute. But he acts like he wants no part of me. And everyone here knows his name. It's so weird. I mean, there were the people that everyone knew back at Millingtons, but this is different, in a weird way. Like he's a celebrity. He has the most GORGEOUS green eyes! And this shaggy black hair I could totally run my hands through all day.

Now write me back fast! You have 3 days before I start to get anxious! Be sure to tell me everything thats going on. And include a picture! As soon as I get my camera back from Chassidy, I'll send some along.

Love,

Alanna Samora Atwood 3

I sighed and put down my quill, blowing the parchment. Since Hogwarts has that "no muggle artifacts" rule, I had to write it out instead of just emailing her. I stretched my wrists and looked at my watch, and realized I only had about an hour left before I had to be in the commons. I chose what I was going to wear, which was a flowery tank top, and some light wash jeans, before heading into the attached wash room.

When I got out, everyone was curled up in bed, either writing letters, finishing last minute homework, or reading.

Hermione looked up from her reading, but everyone else remained unchanged.

I was in my clothes for the "date" with Fred, but my shoes, which were some brown riding boots, and my white pea coat were sitting on my bed.

Hermione pulled her legs to her chest and patted the space in front of her, and I felt like a little kid who was about to get lectured, but went over to her anyways.

"So, how do you like Hogwarts?" I shrugged at her and half smiled at her.

"I mostly miss home." She half smiled back and nodded.

"I was the same way, but don't worry. It grows on you."

"I hope so. . . Hey, when we were in the Great Hall, why were so many people looking at Harry?" Hermione looked at me in shock.

"Don't you read the Daily Prophet?" I furrowed my brows and shook my head. I guess thats their newspaper.

"My Aunt doesn't want to be a part of the Wizard World, and I haven't gotten around to ordering it yet." My eyes widened as I realized I said my aunt, but Hermione didn't notice.

"Well, you should ask Harry for yourself, he'd be better at explaining it." I shrugged and looked down at the floor.

"So, you and Ron?" I waggled my eyebrows at her and she laughed while hitting my shoulder.

"There is nothing going on between me and him!" I could see the smile pulling on her mouth, and it made it VERY difficult to believe her.

"Nothing my ass!" I laughed while checking my watch, it was 10:56. "Oh shoot, gotta go. Wanna have breakfast tomorrow?"

"Sure. But Alanna, you know as prefect I can't let you leave." I pouted my lips at her.

"Then how about as my closest friend at Hogwarts you let me? With your eyes closed? Please?" I cuddled up to her, my face on her shoulder. She sighed and rolled her eyes before covering them with her hands.

"10, 9, 8-" She began.

"Thank you!" I squealed while kissing her cheek quickly. I ran and attempted to jump over my bed and grab my boots and jacket, but ended up slipping on the covers and landing on my side. I jumped up as the two other girls in the room laughed, grabbing my things and slipping my wand in my back pocket. "Thank you Herms!" I shouted while running out the door, slamming it behind me.

At the top of the stairs, I slid one of my boots on while jumping on one foot down the stairs, trying to yank it on. Halfway down the stairs, I switched and tried yanking the other one on, ending unsuccessfully with a trip on the last step.

I crashed into someone, knocking both of us over, me landing on top.

Thinking it was Fred or George, I propped my elbows on their chest and settled my chin into my palms.

"Fancy seeing you here!" I laughed. I blushed as soon as I realized it was Harry.

"Yes, I was actually heading towards my bed." His eyes lit up when he recognized me, and I smiled down at him, feeling his hands resting on my hips.

"I'm sorry, sometimes my tripping abilities get the best of me." He laughed, making me smile wider. Up THIS close, his eyes were an even prettier shade of green, like when the grass at my old house went uncut for a while. Before it was burned down. Then I realized I had knocked his glasses off. I looked around and saw them to my right, so I stretched to reach them. "Sorry, here you go." I slid them onto his nose and smiled down at him again. My blonde bangs were brushing against his eyebrows, and he pushed them behind my ear.

"Oi! You two having a nice time down there?" I heard one of the twins yell.

I laughed and rolled off Harry, seeing them perched on the stairway to the boys commons. I slipped my wand from my pocket and into my boot, my favorite keeping place for it.

"I fell down the stairs and used Harry for a crash landing." I told them while Harry pulled me up easily. "Sorry again." I muttered to him. He smiled at me and picked up my coat from the ground.

"No harm done. Probably just broke a few ribs is all." I laughed and smacked his shoulder.

"I certainly didn't hurt your ego, I see." I joked while rolling my eyes. I saw a girl saunter down the stairs. She was a light chocolate color with straight black hair, and wearing a cream colored sweater.

"Georgie, ready to go?" She asked while he grabbed her hand and kissed her cheek.

"Yes, dear, lets go." He led her over to the window and I turned to Harry.

"You guys going out?" Harry asked.

"Yupp, I'm a substitute." I smiled at Harry and stepped to Fred's side, who put his arm around me and kissed the top of my head, which just cleared his shoulder.

"Oh. Well. . .have a nice night." Harry dissappeard up the stairs, and I turned to look at Fred.

"Bit cold, don't you think?" I asked, borrowing Chassidy's words from earlier today.

"He is probably jealous I got the best substitute girlfriend in the entire school." I laughed and grabbed his hand lightly, pulling it around my waist.

"Yeah, for one night. Now come one, where'd Georgie and Angelina go?" He lead me over to an open window, where Angelina and George had just been. I looked in the sky to see two figures on a broomstick streak across the stars.

I looked down on the roof to see a second broomstick hovering about a foot off the ground- err, roof. I climbed on top of the windowpayne and slipped through, pulling my jacket over my shoulders. I climbed onto it easily, waiting for Fred.

"Come on Weasley! Scared?" I taunted while he climbed on.

"Of your flying? Yes!" He joked. I "accidentally" elbowed him in the stomach while lifting off the ground.

"Champion Chaser. Remember?" He laughed into my ear, and I did a sharp turn before leaning into the turn to descend above the tree tops. I felt Fred's arms tighten around my stomach and laughed at how frightened he probably was. I went at a nearly 90 degree angle upwards, finally relaxing when we were nearly fifty feet above ground. Fred reached his arms past my stomach and toward the front of the broom to tilt it towards the Quidditch Pitch, where Angelina and George were already sitting on the grass, wrapped up in each others. . err. .arms. .

I let him lead us down, even though all I really wanted to do was test how fast this thing could go. When we landed, the two disentangled themselves, a light blush across Angelina's face.

"So, Fred tells me you used to be a pretty good Chaser at your old school." Angelina commented while we layed under the stars. She was pretty much on top of George, only her legs still touching the grass, while I only had my head on top of Fred's chest, and his arm wrapped lazily around my back.

"That I was." I answered.

"How good are you?" I got up on my elbows, looking over at her.

"Can we have a quick round? Fred and George can be Keepers, and me and you can Chase." She shrugged, sitting up.

"Georgie, can you go into the locker room and get the practice quaffle and two brooms out?" He nodded and stood up, brushing off his pants before setting off towards a small building on one side of the field. We stayed sitting on the floor until Georgie came back, passing me and Angelina a broom, and tossing the quaffle into the air. I jumped on my broom and sped off, leaving everyone behind.

I heard Fred laughing below me while I sped towards one of the goals, stopping nearly right in front of it. "This can be George and yours goal, mine and Fred's will be down there!" I shouted down at them while pointing at the opposite side of the field. I saw Fred mount his broom and begin hurrying towards our goal, George doing the same. "GO!" I shouted when the had reached their spot. Angelina was closer to the quaffle, but I was tinier, and I wasn't scared of diving to the ground, so I reached it first. Angelina was clearly in shock of how fast I flew, because it took her a moment to continue flying. I was slowing down while heading towards Fred, checking behind my back every few seconds to watch Angelina get closer. Fred was looking at me with a quizzical look, and I just smiled at him before yanking upwards on my broom, tilting me completely upside down, and speeding over Angelina's head.

It was quiet for a moment, before I heard Fred and George let out yells of encouragement. As soon as the rush of blood in my head settled, I twisted back over, getting right side up. I dipped low as soon as I got near the goal posts, launching the ball through the air, and straight past George, into the goal. He looked at me, then back at the ball. I smiled sweetly while Angelina caught it, giving her a few seconds head start before speeding after her. I flew just above her, keeping speed with her. I saw her look nervously at me before she dipped lower, but as she was making her descent, I swerved down beside her and knocked the ball out of her hands. She looked at me shocked, again, but I just grabbed the ball and sped towards George.

He looked more ready this time, and as I approached him, I smirked at him, to intimidate him. I slowed down in front of him, dipping lower before zooming straight up, my hair trailing behind me, and I tossed the quaffle up, waiting for it to start its slow descent before grabbing it and swerving left, angling it just behind Georges head. It hit the edge of the goal post, and for a frightening moment I thought it would go the wrong way, but then it bounced up and past the edge of it, and I cheered to myself.

"Want to go again?" I asked Angelina as she hovered next to me.

She shook her head and laughed, and Fred came up next to us.

"She is bloody good!" I laughed and half bowed, nearly falling off my broom when it started to tilt. I quickly caught myself and smiled at the group, clearly finding amusement at how clumsy I was when I tried to stay in one place.

"She is like a . . a. A hawk!" George sputtered out. I blushed and laughed, shaking my head.

"Actually, my nickname was Raven. My hair used to be black before I went to this color." I laughed again, adrenaline rushing through my veins.

"Well, I want her on the team." Angelina said. I could tell she was nervous about having to make a cut, and I felt bad that I would already take someones spot, but I really wanted it.

"I'd be happy to be on it!" I offered up.

"Where'd you learn those moves?" Fred asked me while I tied my hair in a bun.

"My old team was really competitive, we used to practice every hour during holidays and after our classes were over. And Chassidy took me to the park one day and showed me what birds did. It was a really, really great idea." I looked down at my watch, it was nearly two in the morning.

"Birds? Thats a brilliant idea. . " Angelina trailed off, looking into the distance. "Well tell you what. You come to tryouts on Friday, and Alicia can sit out for a few rounds. I'll make something up. . " She trailed off again, looking at my watch. I lifted it up so she could see easier and she looked at George.

"We better get going if we don't want to be sleeping during classes tomorrow." I nodded at her suggestion, and we headed in a group towards the locker room. After locking back up, I climbed on top of Fred's broom, and he sped us toward the open commons window. After we both climbed off and into the window, we stopped where we would need to separate.

"Thanks for coming, Alanna. Your the best substitute date ever." He told me while giving me a kiss on the cheek.

"No problem, Fred. And I should be thanking you for getting me a chance to be on the team, you have no idea how much it means to me." I put one hand on one cheek, and kissed his other one quickly before pulling back. "Thank you." I whispered. He leaned back down to me and captured my lips in a kiss before I could process what was happening, and was gone in another second. I walked in a slight daze up to my room, not sure how to process what happened. Whatever it was, I didn't like it. I mean, I liked Fred, but as a brother, definitely NOT as a boyfriend.