Author's Note: All I own is Alex and the stuff you don't recognize. There, I said it. Now you can't sue me.

Chapter 3 A Day in the Life of a Weasley

The weekend flew by in a blur and soon, Uncle Monty was driving Alex to Harry's house. They had arranged for the two of them to meet the Weasley's there so Alex didn't have to travel as far. Sirius had left the night before because he didn't like staying in one place for too long. Erin promised to give Rodger a good beating while Alex was away at school.

They pulled up to the neat row of homes and found Number Four with much difficulty, seeing as all the houses looked the same. Uncle Monty was running late so he just dropped her off and left, leaving Alex to go up to the house alone. She knocked, but there was no answer. She was about to knock again when a large, beefy man opened the door and stared at Alex with distaste.

"We're not interested in whatever you're selling," he said and was about to shut the door in her face, but Alex put out a hand to keep it open.

"I'm not selling anything," she said, setting down her owl cage on her trunk, "My name's Alex Ratcliff, I go to school with Harry. I was supposed to come here to meet up with some of our other friends."

The man, who Alex remembered was Harry's uncle, mumbled something and left the door open, going off somewhere. Alex decided to enter and put her trunk by the door, but keeping Monty with her. She managed to find her way to the living room where an extremely large boy about her age was sitting with his hands over his butt. Alex looked at him with raised eyebrows and sat in a chair far away from him. The sound of shouting reached her ears, a little muffled by the wall next her.

"…allowing someone like her to come into our home and not even telling us?" roared a man's voice Alex thought must have been Harry's uncle's.

"She's not diseased you know," Harry retorted loudly, "And she does happen to have a name!"

"I don't care if her name's Susan! All I care about is that she's in our house! You're going to tell you she needs to leave right now…go on!"

A door opened and Harry entered, closely followed by his uncle, who was very red in the face.

"Hi Alex," Harry said, "My uncle's being a rude pig and wants you to get out of his house."

"Oh," said Alex as Harry's uncle gave him a slap on the back of his head, "Well, my uncle's at work, Mister…"

"Dursley."

"…Mr. Dursley, so he can't come and get me for another hour or so." In truth, Uncle Monty could have been there in five minutes, but Alex knew that she would have no other way to get to the match.

So the Dursley's had no choice but to let Alex stay, although making it perfectly clear that she could not have dinner with them, no matter what time the Weasley's came. Alex was forced to have six eyes watch her every move until finally, she saw a piano.

"May I?" she asked, lifting up the dusty covering and sitting down, not caring if they had nodded or shook their heads. She began tinkering around with the keys, soon discovering the piano was seriously out of tune. She played a few Minuets she had to recall from the far reaches of her memory as well as the Fur Elise. It was just as she played the final chord with a loud sound caused the entire room to jump in alarm and look towards the boarded up fireplace, where they could hear voices.

"It's blocked up!" the familiar voice of Mr. Weasley said loudly, "George, go back and tell Fred and Ron not to come!"

"Too late!" came Fred's voice, resulting in a loud string of curses from Ron.

"Maybe they can hear us. Harry! Are you there?" Mr. Weasley shouted.

"We're here Mr. Weasley!" shouted Alex and Harry together, running to the fireplace.

"It's boarded up," said Alex loudly, "That's why you can't get through!"

"Really, why is that?" asked Ron curiously.

"Maybe because they don't use it, Ron," said one of the twins (it was hard to figure out which), sounding like his face was smashed up against something.

"It's electric," said Harry, trying not to laugh but being unsuccessful.

"Is it really?" asked Mr. Weasley with excitement. He loved anything having to do with electricity. "Well, stand back everyone."

Mr. Dursley strode forward angrily as Alex and Harry ran back. There was a loud BANG and the living room was covered in smoke and bits of debris. A man with extremely red hair stepped out of the ruined fireplace followed by three boys, all having the same colored hair.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry," said Mr. Weasley, looking around at the mess, "I didn't realize this would cause such destruction. I can fix it in a second."

Mr. Weasley pulled out his wand, causing all the Dursley's to scatter, hiding behind chairs. Mr. Weasley ignored them and waved his wand, the fireplace restored. He then turned to Harry and Alex and gave them a wink.

"All right then everyone, we need to hurry. I managed to hook your fireplace up with the Floo Network for a couple of hours so we need to move."

"We'll take the trunks," said the Weasley twins, Fred and George, together. As they were picking them up, a piece of candy wrapped in bright paper fell out. Alex was about to tell Fred this, but he shook his head slightly and Alex frowned but was silent. She watched as the twins stepped into the fire Mr. Weasley had conjured, shouted, "The Burrow!", and were whisked away. It was Ron's turn next and then Harry and Alex's.

"Thank you for having me," said Alex with a smile. She received none in return so she waved and walked near the fireplace, Harry following.

"Harry," said Mr. Weasley, "Aren't you going to say good-bye to your aunt and uncle?"

"Bye, see you next summer," said Harry and was about to go into the flames when Mr. Weasley held him back, looking curiously at the Dursley's.

"You aren't going to see your nephew until the end of the school year," the man said, frowning, "And you haven't said good-bye to him?"

"Good-bye then, boy," Mr. Dursley said curtly. Mr. Weasley let go of Harry and he stepped into the fireplace, Alex after him. When she turned to face the room, a gruesome sight met her eyes. Harry's cousin was on the ground with something large and purple hanging out of his mouth. It took Alex a few seconds for her to realize it was his tongue. Mr. Weasley shouted for them to go on and he pulled out his wand. As Alex and Harry shouted their destination, Mr. Weasley was trying to tell the Dursley's he could help while dodging flying objects thrown by Mr. Dursley. Alex went spinning and she shut her eyes tightly, grabbing Harry's arm just as tight. Finally, they slowed down and came to a stop, the two staggering out of the fireplace and ran into the Weasley twins.

"Did he eat it?" Fred asked excitedly.

"Who ate what?" Alex asked, holding her head as the room spun.

"Did Harry's cousin-" said Fred.

"-eat the candy we dropped?" finished George.

"Well, Dudley's tongue swelled up and turned purple," said Harry.

The twins high-fived each other and began asking questions like about how long the tongue was and what was the exact color, while Ron tried not to laugh too loud. Just then, Mr. Weasley appeared and he was very angry.

"You two," he snapped at Fred and George, "How could you have fed that poor Muggle boy one of those sweets? Haven't I taught you anything about respecting Muggles because they can't defend themselves against magic?"

"We needed a guinea pig," said Fred, "And Harry's told us how horrid his cousin is to him, so we thought it was time he had a taste of his own potion."

"Actually Fred, we need another guinea pig, the last one ran off last night," muttered George quietly.

"Regardless of how terrible he is," Mr. Weasley continued, "What you did was very childish. Just wait until I tell your mother what happened!"

"Tell me what?"

Everyone spun around and saw little Mrs. Weasley standing in the doorway. She was a plump woman who had a warm smile, which was now replaced with a frown that made Alex feel like she shouldn't be there. Very awkwardly, both Alex and Harry backed away from the Weasley family. Mrs. Weasley saw this motion and her frown disappeared in an instant, replaced with her motherly smile.

"Alex and Harry, it's so good to see you two! Harry, you look like a rail! Don't those Muggles feed you anything? Alex, is that really you, my dear? My goodness, you are turning into such a beauty! I'm surprised all the boys haven't started going after you yet."

Alex felt her face flush as she hugged Mrs. Weasley. Mrs. Weasley was how she always pictured a mother, a mixture of warmth and loving, but still able to run a tight ship. Once she had greeted the newcomers, Mrs. Weasley frowned again at her family.

"Now, what did you want to tell me Arthur?" she asked.

Ron slipped away from the rest of his family and led the others up the stairs. As they climbed, Alex tried to block out the shouts of Mrs. Weasley to her twins. She knew that Mr. Weasley never meant to tell his wife what happened, he just said that to scare his sons.

"Are Fred and George going to be all right?" asked Alex as they climbed.

"They get into trouble a lot," said Ron, stopping to rest, "But Mum received an owl from school talking about them selling stuff in school. She went into their room and found their own little business. I mean, Fred and George spent time in their room a lot and we would hear explosions and stuff, but we never imagined they were making stuff to sell."

"Well," said Alex as they resumed the trek, "Why wouldn't Mrs. Weasley mind them starting their own business? I could picture them doing that easily! They have the charisma and are very business-savvy."

"Mum wants them to go into the Ministry like dad and Percy," said Ron, "They didn't get as many O.W.L's as she expected from them."

Alex remembered seeing everyone last year studying hard for those exams. The fifth years took them to help them prepare for what they wanted to do after school.

"Fred, George, and Mum started going at it," Ron said with a shudder, "They told Mum that they didn't want to go into the Ministry, they wanted to open a joke shop. Mum doesn't think that's a career and took away all their inventions. I guess she didn't get everything."

Alex was about to open her mouth when a door on the stairway opened and Percy Weasley poked his head out. Percy had left Hogwarts last year, a tall man with glasses and the Weasley red hair. He was very devoted to the rules back at Hogwarts and Alex had a feeling he hadn't changed since she last saw him.

"Could you all be a little quieter?" Percy asked in an annoyingly superior voice, "Some of us have reports to write for their jobs."

"Nice to see you too, Percy. How have you been?" said Alex sarcastically. She and Percy never talked much, but he was her least favorite of the Weasley brothers. They were on opposites of the spectrum, Alex believing rules were meant to be broken while Percy believed that rules were law and meant to be followed exactly as they were written.

"I'm sorry," Percy said, but not sincerely, "I haven't slept well and my manners are slipping. What is Mum yelling about now?"

"Fred and George fed a candy to Harry's cousin," said Ron bitterly. He and Percy never got along, especially after their second year when Percy found Ron in the girl's bathroom.

"Honestly, those two need to grow up and learn that life's not all fun and pranks," Percy said with a sigh, as though he were much older than his brothers and knew better than they did.

"Well Percy," said Alex coolly, "Someone has to keep the spirits up in this world. What's life without a few laughs?"

Percy got all huffy and shut the door. They continued up the stairs, Ron apologizing that they had to go far up.

"Alex'll be in Ginny's room, which isn't too much farther, but Harry and I'll have to sleep in the attic. Fred and George will be in my room so Charlie and Bill can have their room." He seemed embarrassed by this but Alex didn't mind at all. Her house was so big for two people that she was enjoying all the commotion and moving around.

The boys left Alex at Ginny's room where she found her trunk at the end of one of the cots. Ginny's room was like walking into a Gryffindor cave. The room had red and gold stripes on the walls, mostly covered by posters of wizarding music groups Alex had never heard of. There were many posters of England's Quidditch team and one man with a broken nose who was from Bulgaria. Behind Ginny's bed was one of the banners Alex had helped the Gryffindor house make for the Quidditch Cup game last year.

"Hi Ginny, what's up?" Alex asked, sitting down on the cot and smiling.

"Nothing much," the only Weasley girl said. Ginny was the youngest in the family and usually ended up with her older brothers' clothes and stuff. Right now, she was wearing a large shirt with her house written in gold, curvy letters and a pair of baggy jeans.

"When's Hermione coming?" Alex asked. Hermione was her best friend and was the smartest witch in all of Hogwarts.

"Mum said not until later tonight," Ginny replied, "Do you think she's done yelling?"

Alex didn't need to ask who. She stuck her head out of the door and heard nothing except a door slamming and Percy shouting for silence.

"I think she's done," said Alex, "I heard a door slam so I think Fred and George are in their room, or Ron's room really."

They decided to go outside so Ginny could show Alex some of the Quidditch moves Ron had taught her earlier that summer. As they walked to the broom shed, Alex turned around and saw the Burrow for the first time.

It was an old house, just like everything else around the house. It looked like it used to be much smaller and had been added onto many times. Alex guessed some of the rooms were only staying attached on by magic. It was messy and Alex loved it.

"I love your house," sighed Alex to Ginny.

"Really? No one's ever said that to us before, you should tell Mum. It'll make her feel so much better."

Ginny handed Alex a broom and the two girls went off to a wide area of land. They kicked off and flew around, Alex showing Ginny techniques she had picked up when she had watched the Gryffindor team practice and played on the team. Ginny was a very good flyer and Alex hoped that she would get a spot on the team.

Finally, it was getting dark so the girls returned the brooms to the shed and went inside to help Mrs. Weasley in the kitchen. They found Hermione sitting at a table chopping carrots. Alex went over to her friend and practically choked her in a hug.

"All right Alex," said Mrs. Weasley laughing, "I think Hermione's turning purple. Wash your hands and help me with these potatoes."

Alex did as she was told and sat down with the rest of the girls and peeled potatoes as they traded summer stories. Ginny had just told them about how she and Ron had almost hit a helicopter with their Quaffle and Alex was roaring with laughter.

"So Alex, how's Orion?" Hermione asked. They had decided not to tell anyone about Sirius being Alex's father, especially since the Weasley's were a wizarding family and knew all about Sirius' apparent crimes. The news would affect them more.

"He's great actually," said Alex, "He's getting fatter which is great. He was so scrawny before."

"Didn't Orion run away?" asked Ginny. Alex's hand slipped and she cut her finger. Hermione ran to get a bandage while Alex recovered.

"Yes, he did. He's back though. He managed to find his way back, thank Merlin," said Alex, accepting the bandage from Hermione.

"Did you see any of Malfoy this time?" Hermione asked, "Or were you unfortunate in missing him this year?"

"Yes, I wasn't important enough for him to come to our block party," said Alex, hand over her heart and shaking her head in mock disappointment, "It was very saddening, I didn't sleep for a week."

Once they had finished with the potatoes, Mrs. Weasley had the girls get the utensils together and set them on the picnic tables outside.

"Bill and Charlie are setting them up right now," Mrs. Weasley said with a smile, "There's just too many of us to fit inside."

"I like to eat outdoors," said Alex as she carried a tray of forks, "That way I can hear the animals."

The three Hogwarts girls found a strange sight before them when they went out. Two tables seemed to be fighting each other in the air, controlled by two men in their twenties. Alex guessed these were the infamous Bill and Charlie Weasley she had heard so much about. They watched in amusement as one of the chairs lost a leg and landed on the ground with a loud thud. All of a sudden, a head appeared from on of the windows.

"Will you stop that racket already?" Percy shouted and slammed the shutters.

Laughing, the two oldest Weasleys lowered the tables and attached the leg. The girls set the tables with their help.

"Hi Ginny," one of them said. He was taller and had an earring with what looked like a dragon fang hanging from it. His Weasley hair was longer and pulled back in a ponytail. "What's Percy doing up in his room on a beautiful day like this?"

"He's writing some paper for his boss, Mr. Crouch," Ginny said shrugging, "Something about cauldron thickness."

"Yeah, because that's gonna help change the world," Alex said, rolling her eyes.

"Poor Perce," the other man said. He was more muscular than his brother and had quite a few scars on his arms, "I remember when I started Hogwarts before he did. He was all upset because I got to write essays and take exams while he was stuck at home."

"Now which one of you two is which?" the taller man asked, looking at Alex and Hermione.

"Wait, let me guess!" the other said and studied them carefully. He pointed to Alex and asked, "You're the animal lover, right?"

"Yeah, if by animal lover you mean that I enjoy Care of Magical Creatures class more than anyone else at Hogwarts. I'm Alex."

"Ron told me about you, he said you can talk to the animals. Was he just pulling my leg?"

"Um, no," said Alex, shifting uncomfortably. She didn't like talking about her ability with animals. It made her feel like an outcast.

"That's really cool, I wish I could do that. It would help me out with the dragons. I'm Charlie by the way, I helped you out three years ago with that dragon."

"And I'm Bill," the ponytail Weasley said, "My job isn't as cool as my younger brother's but I work at Gringott's. Although I must say, I deal with much more dangerous things than Charlie. Have you ever seen a goblin yell at his associate for turning in something late?"

Bill shuddered and Alex smiled. Both of them seemed very nice. They talked for a little while, Alex discussing dragons with Charlie while Hermione talked with Bill about the Wizarding system of money.

"I think that dragons are misunderstood," Alex said to Charlie as they began taking food outside, "I mean, it all depends on how their raised, just like with humans. Take Malfoy for example. His family and your family are old Wizarding families. One of them is a bunch of Muggle-hating snobs while you guys are totally different. You don't mind talking with Muggles about their computers or televisions. It's the same with dragons."

"Still," said Charlie as he set down a bowl of salad, "You have to be very careful with them. Some breeds have nasty tempers, like the Hungarian Horntail, and others tend to be calmer. Hagrid was lucky he got a Norwegian Ridgeback. They don't start wanting flesh until they're about three weeks old. How old was that dragon when you brought him to us?"

"Three weeks old," said Alex, "He actually took a bite and Ron and I while we were feeding him. We swelled up pretty bad so I guess the fangs were poisonous."

"They do that so that if they only wound the animal, they can track their prey easier."

Finally, they all sat down to eat, Alex's stomach growling loudly. She took a little of everything and began eating happily as she sat between Fred and Harry. Hermione was across from her, still talking with Bill. Alex turned to the twins.

"How much trouble are you in?" asked Alex.

"Oh don't worry about Mum," said Fred.

"She only thinks she's gotten all our stuff, but she managed to take the supplies we weren't using anymore," George said, looking around for eavesdroppers.

"Trust us, there's plenty more where those sweets came from," they said together and went back to eating.

After Alex had seconds of everything, including a delicious dessert, everyone was sent to bed.

"You'll all have a very early start tomorrow," said Mr. Weasley, "So I suggest you sleep well tonight."

The girls trudged up the stairs and fell asleep on their beds, too tired to even change into their pajamas. Alex dreamt that she was sitting by the lake with Orion, patting his head. Suddenly, he vanished and Alex was running around the entire grounds, screaming his name, but never shouting his true name. That was something she'd never do. Voices around her told her that he would only come if she said his real name but she refused, shouting even louder for them to stop.

"Alex!"

She woke with a start and found Hermione standing over her with a candle in her hand. Alex realized she was sweating and shaking, so she sat up and wrapped her arms around her shoulders.

"Just a nightmare," said Alex shakily, "Come on, let's just get ready."

Alex got up and started pulling clothes on, both Hermione and Ginny looking at Alex nervously.

Author's Note: So there you have it! Hopefully you enjoyed this. Next chapter is when the Weasleys and friends go to the Quidditch World Cup. I'll also let you guys know how the Harry Potter theme part was! Please take the time to review and let me know what you think. :)