I own nothing.

Chapter 23

Alice chuckled as she put the finishing touches on her current project. The sun was coming up, meaning the people in the Burrow would be moving about soon. Meaning Ginny will begin her own project, she thought, grinning.

"What kind if project will she be working on?" Edward asked as he picked up a throw pillow and began tossing it in the air.

Alice caught the pillow, glaring at her brother before placing it back where it belonged. Oh say can you see! By the dawns early light, she sang loudly in her head.

Edward laughed and held his hands up in surrender. "Alright, alright. You don't have to tell me now. I'm sure I'll find out eventually," chuckling as he walked out of the room.

That you will, dear brother. That you will, she thought, grinning. It was defiantly going to be an entertaining day.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Hermione, it's time to get up," a voice called her out of her sweet dream. She rolled over, hoping to go quickly back to sleep, wanting to get back to get wonderful dream.

"Hermione! You have to get up if you want to look brilliant for our shopping trip," the voice demanded.

She quickly put a name to the annoying person trying to move her from her warm, comfortable bed. "Ginny, what time is it?"

"6:30."

"Bloody hell! We aren't leaving until eleven! Why in the name of Merlin do we need to get up so bloody early?" Hermione demanded, clearly irate.

"Because we need to get you gorgeous. And I can't use magic outside of the castle," Ginny replied, not at all phased by the look of loathing that was coming from the witch across the room.

"I'm so glad to know that you think you need nearly five hours for me to be anywhere near presentable," Hermione huffed, sitting up in her bed, slightly hurt.

Smiling at her friend, Ginny walked over and sat down. "You are already beautiful. We have a perfect canvas to work with. It isn't going to take five hours to get you gorgeous, because you already are. It's going to take us just a couple of hours, so that you'll start making him crazy during breakfast as well."

Hermione smiled at her friend. "Thanks Ginny."

"What are you doing still sitting there? Move your bum and get in the shower!" The red head exclaimed, shooing her in the direction she needed to go.

Without the red hair and the British accent, she could very well be Alice, Hermione thought giggling as she rushed into the bathroom.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"What's taking those girls so long?" Molly fretted later that morning as she placed breakfast on the table.

"I don't know, but they took too bloody long in the bathroom," Ron grumbled as he went to steal a piece of sausage off of the platter. Molly slapped his hand, not wanting to start until Ginny and Hermione came down.

"Language Ronald," his mother scolded as she walked towards the stairs. "Girls, breakfast!"

"I'll go up and check on them," Rebecca decided, standing from her place at the table. Just as she was nearly to the stairs, they could hear the girls laughing as they started down the stairs. "Here they come."

"It's about time you decided to grace us with your presence. I'm starving down here," the youngest Weasley boy complained.

"Honestly, Ronald. Children in Africa are starving. I assure you that you are far from withering up and blowing away," Hermione told her friend as she made her way into the kitchen, where every eye was on her.

"You look beautiful this morning, darling," Rebecca told her daughter, smiling at the blush that was on her face. Every boy at the table couldn't take their eyes off of the breath taking young lady. Ginny had out done herself with the makeover. Hermione's curls were flowing down her back, more controlled than normal, with half of it pulled up with a butterfly clip. She had a yellow muggle sundress on and a little makeup that was tastefully applied. Hermione was a beautiful girl on any given day, but the way the young witch looked that morning was beyond gorgeous.

"Thank you," she replied quietly, taking her normal seat between Harry and Ginny.

"Will you please pass the sausage?" Ginny asked loudly, trying to take the attention off of Hermione.

"So, what's on the agenda for today?" Rebecca asked, staring the conversation as they had planned the previous evening.

"I think Percy was planning on polishing his badge more today," Fred stated, taking a bite of his eggs.

"He only worked on it for five hours yesterday," George agreed, grinning as he winked at Hermione.

"Sod off. You know we haven't gotten our new badges for the year," Percy told his brothers haughtily, sticking his nose in the air.

"Actually, Arthur and I were going to ask Harry if we could show him something after breakfast," Alexander said, smiling over at the black haired boy.

"Sure, what is it?" Harry wondered.

"We aren't really sure what it is, just that Dumbledore sent it and asked if we would sit with you while you look through it," Arthur answered.

Harry's eyes widened, placing his fork down on his plate. When Dumbledore gave him something, it had to do with his parents. "I'm ready whenever you are."

"Harry, you need to finish your breakfast. Whatever it is will still be there when you're nice and full," Rebecca insisted.

Harry quickly picked up his fork up and began shoveling his food in, grinning at the thought of a surprise from Dumbledore. "What are the rest of you going to do?" He asked, not wanting to sound rude.

"They have chores they need to do," Molly replied, raising her eyebrows at her children, as if begging them to complain.

"Surely Hermione isn't going to have to do chores," George said, winking at her once more.

"A bird that's as gorgeous as that should never have to lift their finger," Fred agreed, causing Hermione to turn red.

"So am I not gorgeous?" Ginny asked, grinning at Hermione.

"Yes, but you are my sister," Fred replied, shrugging, as if that was enough explanation.

"Of course Hermione isn't going to do chores," Molly said, shaking her head at her children as she began to gather the dirty dishes off of the table. "She's our guest."

"We aren't guest," Alexander replied.

"No they are more like family," Arthur agreed, grinning.

"Like brothers Arthur and I are," Alexander continued, smiling broadly.

"He just sounded like Yoda," Harry observed, laughing loudly when Hermione's pumpkin juice came through her nose as she laughed. George and Fred laughed loudly at seeing Hermione's explosive nose juice.

"Who's Yoda?" Ron asked, confused.

"It's a brilliant Muggle moving picture show," his father answered, grinning that Alexander remembered that they had went to see the first one.

"You've seen a muggle moving picture show?" Percy asked, his father, impressed.

"A group of us went," his father stated as he took a plate to the sink.

"I'm finished," Harry replied, grabbing his plate quickly and placing it in the sink.

"Why don't we go to Honeydukes?" Alexander suggested.

"Alright," Harry replied, excitedly. He had heard about the candy shop from his older classmates and how brilliant it was.

"You lot have fun cleaning," Arthur said, winking at his kids before following Alexander and Harry outside to the apparation point.

"Do we really have to clean?" Rob wondered.

"Honestly, Ronald. It wouldn't hurt for you to de-gnome the yard once in a while," his mother replied as she put the last if the dishes in the cabinet.

"When are we leaving for Diagon Alley?" Percy wondered, looking at his watch, as if he had something better to do for the day then go buy presents for Harry.

"As soon as Alice and the others get here," Molly replied.

"And when will that be?"

"When they walk through that back door, we'll know, won't we?" his mother answered aggravated with her son. She walked up the stairs, mumbling.

"Why Percy, my dear brother, it looks like you've taken a page out of our book," Fred replied as he followed his brother into the living room.

"Sod off, Fred," Percy grumbled as he stomped up the stairs.

"I wonder what's put his wand in a knot," Ginny mused.

"I could honestly care less," George replied.

"Does everyone have an idea in what they want to get Harry?" Hermione wondered.

"No, I don't," Ginny answered, looking worried.

"I think I'll get him a new broom kit," Ron decided, nodding his head in satisfaction.

"Fred and I've got him something that's one of a kind," George replied, stretching and placing his arm along the back of Hermione's chair.

"What is it?" she asked, curious as to what they could have possibly got him.

"Ah, ah, ah. If I told you that, I would have to keep you locked away with me," he answered, grinning down on her blushing face.

"Merlin, that means that I'm the only one who doesn't have a clue what to get him!" Ginny exclaimed.

"Seriously, Gin. I'm offended that you didn't think to ask me what to get him," Alice said as she waltzed into the kitchen, followed by Jasper, Edward and Esme.

"Sorry Alice," the red head replied, grinning.

"You look pretty this morning, Hermione," Alice complimented her favourite little human, walking over and hugging her.

"Thanks," she replied, blushing brightly as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"You out did yourself," Alice said, winking at Ginny.

"It's not hard to make Hermione look gorgeous," she replied, smiling over at her blushing friend.

"That's the truest thing you've ever said, Ginny," Edward said, his eyes never leaving Hermione. She looked over at him for the first time and lifted an eyebrow. I didn't know you were going shopping with us, she thought to him.

He smiled and nodded, happy that, for the moment, she was speaking to him.

Well, I guess I'll have to make sure that I'm not in your group, she thought, causing his smile to disappear just a little bit.

"Are we going to sit around all day, or are we going shopping?" Hermione wondered aloud, standing from her seat.

"Good Lord, she's been around you too long," Jasper teased his wife, earning a slap upside the head.

"Oh good, you're here," Molly said as she rushed into the kitchen, her bag in hand. "Percy will not be coming. Shall we go?"

They all walked toward the fireplace, taking turns going through the Floo that led to Diagon Alley.

"How should we do this?" Rebecca wondered once they were all through.

"We should split up," Molly suggested.

"I'm going with Alice," Ginny exclaimed quickly, earning amused looks. "What? She knows what I buy and I have no clue what to get him."

"Alright. How about George and Fred go with Jasper, Ron can go with Edward, Hermione can go with Rebecca and I and Ginny can go with Alice," the mother of the red headed clan suggested.

"Sounds brilliant," Alice replied, hooking arms with Ginny and skipping down the sidewalk as the others went their own ways, searching for the perfect gift for the Boy That Lived.

So what do you think? Thanks to my beta, Justbeingsirius, for getting this back to me so quickly. :) You ROCK! Please review and tell me what you think. Do you want me to take you through their visit to Diagon Alley or just give a little over view like thingy of it? Let me know. :) I'll try to have a new chapter up soon. :) Happy Reading.