AN: Chapter 21 comin' atcha…

Disclaimer: Not mine…

It was now Friday before the first Hogsmede trip. Me and Draco gave Dumbledore our ideas for the Yule Ball that Monday. He agreed with mostly everything, except the music.

Finally we convinced him that it would bring 'house unity' somehow. He finally budged and agreed. He told us that on our first trip we had to buy decorations and other things, with money provided of course.

Since I was the most responsible, Dumbledore told me the Hogwarts pin code for the bank, instead of Draco. Draco wouldn't admit it, but he was annoyed that he gave me the number instead of both of us.

I even offered to give him the number, but he didn't want. He said he might steal something. I smiled. "Ms. Granger, are you paying attention?" Snape asked.

I shook my head slowly. Jackie narrowed his eyes at Snape, to make sure that we didn't have a repeat of last week. He continued his lecture about PolyJuice Potion, like we didn't know it…

After he was done he told us we could leave, I mean get out. I gathered my notes and placed them in my bag. "You will have a test on Monday. It would do you some good to study…" he mumbled the last bit.

"Well, I'll see you later babe. Imma do my homework early so I won't have to wor' 'bout it." Jackie said while hugging me. "We have a lot too. I'll see you at dinner then." This time, I kissed him in the corner of his mouth.

He smiled. "Later baby." he said before walking off. I didn't wait around for Draco. He was still mad at me after all. After walking and walking, I finally made it to the common room.

There was a letter on the couch in the middle of the room. It had 'DM' written in gold ink. I threw it back on the couch and went upstairs to change.

After changing into black jogging pants and a long-sleeve white t-shirt, I came back downstairs to start on my homework. Draco was on the couch reading the letter that I threw.

He looked at me with worried eyes. "What's wrong?" I asked sitting next to him. "My father said someone attacked my mother while she was shopping yesterday. She's in the hospital right now with minor injuries." he finished.

I hugged him tightly as he hugged me back. "My father said he was going to get to the bottom of this. I want to help him, but of course I'm stuck here at school." I pulled back.

"I'm sure he wants you stay here so nothing would happen to you either." Draco nodded. "My mother hasn't done anything to anyone! Who could've done such horrible things?!" He yelled, now angry.

I hugged him again to soothe him. After a couple of minutes, he wasn't breathing as hard as he was. I looked at him. "Are you ok now?" He shook his head.

"I won't be ok with this, but I'm feeling better. Maybe we should do our homework so we could be done by dinner." he said softly. I nodded. He went upstairs to change.

He came back downstairs with baggy black jeans, a gray sweater, and black boots. We began to work on our homework in silence, only asking for help with the harder questions.

We didn't finish our homework until 6:58. "I'll be back. I'm going to change pants." I said. He nodded, apparently still sad. I changed into blue jeans and slipped on my Vans, well, white slip ons.

Me and Draco didn't talk on our down to the Great Hall, but it was a comfortable silence. Our friends were already there. We sat at our table and began to shovel food on our plates.

I noticed Alex wasn't eating. "Are you ok Alex?" I asked. She looked up and nodded. "I'm good, juss a lil' sleepy. I went to sleep after doing half my homework so…" She stretched.

"Alex?" someone asked. Alana stood behind Alex, looking worried. "What?" "I need to talk to you…" Alex sighed. "I'll be back." she said before they left. "She's probably pregnant…" Yalonda said. The Americans laughed.

Alex's POV

Me and Alana walked outside the castle and stopped in front of the lake, now frozen. "What do ya want?" I asked annoyed. She looked down as a tear slid down her cheek. I rose an eyebrow.

I sighed and put an arm around her shoulder. Great, now I gotta be nice… "What's wrong?" I asked. She sniffed and began sobbin' on my shoulder. I scrunched my face and patted her shoulder.

"Today- was momma's- birthday." she half-said-half-hic upped. That's right, no wonder I was feeling a lil' down myself. She calmed down and then lifted, or unstuck, her face from my shirt.

"Are you gonna be ok?" I asked, pretending to pretend I cared. She nodded. She looked around for a while. I shook my head, not sure what to do. "Do you ever miss them Alex?" she asked. What type of question was that?

"Of course I do! They were like my second set of parents." I said, feeling a freakin' frog in my throat. I tear slid down her face. This girl never stops cryin'!

"I miss the them so much. I was barely here before they were taken from me! This is so hard to go through Alex, it's so hard." she said while wiping tears away from her face. I rolled my eyes, to make sure I don't cry.

I hugged her. "We'll be alright man. They would want us to move on." I said softly. She nodded. "I want to kill him so bad." she said, now angry. "We're gonna get em' one day man. We juss can't be rushin' inta' stuff…" She punched a tree.

I sighed and walked over to her. She was now holding her bleeding fist. "Now why did you do that Alana?" She shrugged. I healed it with a spell.

"I'm juss so messed up man. I can't talk about this with anyone else except for you Alex. You the only one who understands, cuz' you were there. I can't talk bout somethin' so personal to my new friend, Dean…" she rubbed her fist.

I sighed. "You can always come to me man." "Then why you be actin' like I bother you or somethin'?" she said while grinning. I smiled. "A front, I guess…" We laughed.

I haven't really laughed with her like this in a while. I usually laugh at her or she would do the same to me. I actually do know why we make fun each other like we do. I guess to toughin' each other up…

"I guess we better get inside, it's cold out here." she said while shiverin'. "Duh, it's snowin' maybe…" I said while rolling her eyes. "Whateva, thanks for talkin' to me." she said while side-huggin' me.

I nodded. "Anytime." We walked back to the castle in silence. It was ok though, I didn't mind.

I was thinking to myself anyways. Visions of hearing my aunt screamin' and the look on her face while she laid dead came through my head.

I shook my head while groanin'. "Are you ok?" Alana asked. I nodded. "Yeah, the cold's gettin' to me, that' all…" I said. She opened the door and I walked in before her. "I didn't open the door for you!" she said while laughin'

I laughed too. "I know, but thank ya…" We walked some ways before we stood in front of the Great Hall door. "Thanks again." she said before walkin' in before me. I nodded and did the same.

I sat next to Ron. "Are you and Alana ok." he asked me softly. I smiled. "Yeah, we were juss talkin' personal stuff." he nodded then continue to eat whatever pie that was.

"What type of pie is that?" I asked. "Sheperd's Pie, want some?" he asked with mouthful in his mouth. "Sure." I grabbed my fork but didn't know Ron had already gotten a forkful on his fork.

"You can use mine, if you don't mind that is…" he said while lowering his fork. "I don't." He smiled As the fork came closer to my mouth, I smelled beef and vegetables. Mmm!

He placed the fork in my mouth and then slipped it out, leaving the food inside. I chewed slowly. This was pretty good! I think I've had this before. We call it something else back home though.

"You like it?" he asked while putting some in his mouth too. I nodded. "It's really good. Think I'll juss…" I tried to dig my fork in his food but I was stopped by his fork.

"There's some in that bowl right there." he said with an eyebrow up. I laughed. That was so hot! Since I didn't really eat anything today besides breakfast, and snacks during class, I was pretty hungry.

I got me 'bout 3 spoonfuls of the Sheperd's Pie and a bread roll. "Alex? What did Alana want whicha?" Allic asked. "To ask, why is Allic so nosy?" I said before biting into my roll.

They laughed. "We talked about personal stuff Allic, anymore questions?" He shook his head. Harry looked like he was thinking as Mariah was talkin' him, probably in Spanish…

"Harry, are you ok?" she asked. "Oh, I'm sorry. I just was thinking about something." "Do you wanna talk later then?" He shook his head. "No, I wanna talk right now. Continue please." he said while grabbin' her hand.

I smiled. He was probably thinkin' about stuff that I'm thinkin' about. Stuff like this can't juss leave our mind. It kinda sticks wit' us, being that someone is actually after us.

Maybe I should tell Harry that- "Alex, can I talk to you?" Ron said nervously while wiping his mouth. He missed a spot. I nodded my head while grabbin' his napkin and wiping the spot he missed.

"Thanks." he said while smiling. I nodded. "See yall tomorrow, what time again?" "We're leaving at 8:00 sharp so be at breakfast maybe 7ish.." Hermione said. I nodded.

"Goodnight you guys" Ron said. We walked out the Great Hall doors. He slip his hand in mine, our fingers now crossed with each others. We said nothing, but let our arms swing.

He finally broke the silence. "Well, I wanted to ask you something, and um… here we are." he said looking around. We stopped. I smiled up at him. "Go ahead." He grabbed my hands.

"Well, I was wondering if you'd like to go to the Ball with me." Aw!! He was so nervous to ask me! I grinned. "Of course I'll go wit' you Ronald." I said while hugging him.

He sighed. Aw, he was nervous. He looked at me while smiling. "Thanks for accepting." "No problem hun. Why wouldn't I?" We hugged for a while. This was what I needed right here.

He pulled back. People were coming our way. "I guess dinner's over… Goodnight Alex." he said before kissing me. It was a short, tender kiss on my lips. He pulled back, his cheeks slightly red. "Night Ron." I said now feeling bouncy.

He turned around and left. I sighed. This is goin' to be fun…

Hermione's POV

Jackie and I walked out the Great Hall. "Well goodnight babe." he said while hugging me. "Goodnight, see you early tomorrow." He nodded. We both walked off at the same time.

This time Draco was waiting for me. He smiled. "Ready?" I nodded while smiling back at him. "So are you feeling a little better now?" He nodded his head.

"I'm going to go see my mother tomorrow after we're done shopping for the decorations. I might take Yalonda with me…" "Aww! That would be sweet Draco. You should."

He nodded. "But I was debating to bring you or her…" I looked over to him. "I think you should take Yalonda, not that I don't want to go, but you know…" He nodded.

We walked in our common room. Another letter was placed on the couch. He picked it up and opened it. As he was reading, he began to grin. Phew! It's good news.

"Father said mother woke up today and she's doing fine. She wants to see me though. I'm so glad she's ok!" he said while laughing. I grinned. I was happy to see him happy.

He yawned. "I think we should go to bed, we have a big day tomorrow." I nodded. I turned off the lights and walked behind Draco. He looked back at me.

"What?" I said confused. He smirked. "Don't think I forgot about that damn code." he said before he closed his door. I laughed and closed my own. I think I forgot the code myself…

AN: It's short, but that's ok. A lil' slang but nothin' to big: wor' is worry… Can't help how I talk… Read and Review… JussMee