Alexis and Ginny wanted an off day so bad; they almost couldn't wait for
the end of Friday. As they walked down the streets of Hogsmeade, Ginny
decided to bring up the matter of why Alexis was crying the day that
Valerie had gotten mad at her. But Ginny wasn't sure how to approach it.
She didn't want to make Alexis feel like she had to talk about it, she
didn't have to. And Ginny certainly didn't want to run
Alexis off, so it was something to think about all day.
"Alexis," Ginny began.
"Mhmm?" Alexis looked up from her line of gaze.
"Why were you, I mean," Ginny just couldn't get the words out. She felt uneasy about what could happen and she didn't wan to t be in fight with both sisters.
"What is it?"
"Why were you, you know, crying that day that Valerie yelled at us?" There was a bit of silence before Alexis smiled and waved Ginny over to a bench.
"Me and Valerie are our own best friends. We trust each other with things that no one else knows, like you, Gins. There are some things I don't even tell you. And Valerie is the only one I can talk about them with. And when she's mad at me, or I'm mad at her, we don't have anyone to talk to about those little secrets." Alexis sighed as if contemplating a better sentence to use. "When she gets mad at me, it's more than just because I danced with her guy. Something is really bothering her and I don't what it is. And that bugs me. It really does. Gins, no one has a perfect life. No one. And I think that Valerie and I got stuck with the scrapings of the bottom of the barrel." She sighed again. "Your mom's sick, Harry is an only child without parents, me and Val have a sucky life. If you get my point say so, because this is getting harder to explain by the minute." Ginny laughed at Alexis' smile. " And if Valerie really does think that I was trying to steal Seamus, than she must have forgotten something we agreed on a long time ago. Boys always come after best friends."
"I get it." Ginny crossed her arms. "I get it real good. And I'm sorry that you can't tell me these things. I try to be there. I really try to understand. But, I know that sometimes you have to be there to completely understand, or else you're only getting half the story."
"Yeah, it's something like that." Alexis and Ginny got up and made their way back to Hogwarts. Today was going to be a quiet day.
"Hey, Ginny, can I talk to you?" Valerie poked her head in through the door. Alexis had gone out and wouldn't be back before dinner and it was only noon. And
Ginny didn't have anything to do, so she nodded and put away the book she was reading and followed Valerie to the Quidditch field.
"What is it, Val?" They hadn't said anything and Ginny felt like breaking the silence.
"Well, I wanted to talk to you about the other day." Ginny nodded and was about to blurt out a readied apology, but there turned out to be no reason for it. "Ginny, I want to apologize for blowing up in your face. I didn't mean to. And I didn't mean to get that mad at Alexis either. It's just," Valerie sighed. "It's just that Alexis has always been the one to get the guy, every single time. And I'm tired of being the odd girl out. I want my special guy! And when I heard what Seamus was saying, not only about Alexis, but about you too, it made me angry. It made me absolutely furious. And I am truly sorry if I offended you or made you feel like I wasn't your friend anymore, because I am, I really am."
"Oh, Val!" Ginny smiled. "Don't be stupid, I know we'll always be friends. And besides, I would get steamed if I heard Draco talk about you." Ginny breathed in the crisp air. "I just wish you and Lexi would, you know, mend."
"Me and Alexis are too tough to let a little fight get to us, but I must admit that you'd love to hate her."
"I know. But sometimes you just can't."
"That's why she's still my sister."
"Val, if you need me, I'll be here."
"I know, Gins, I know."
Alexis walked up and down the rows of joke props and trick props, and plain old fake props (of course she was in the three W's). Once she turned the corner of exploding jellybeans, she saw a tall, dusty blonde with a tight black tee shirt and jeans with his thumbs hooked on his pockets.
"Tristen Murray." Alexis whispered as she felt her cheeks grow hot and her hands break into a cold sweat. "What's wrong with me? Alexis! Snap out of it." She whispered to herself angrily. She began taking small, slow steps towards the counter and leaned over, revealing her tanned legs from beneath her short, denim skirt.
"Hey, there, you." He said with short breaths in-between each word.
"My, I've never heard that one before."
"I hope not."
"Why are you hoping not?'
"Look, I'm not used to anything besides books. Books are good, but you, you are great. You're really great."
"Thanks, but.."
"No, no, no. You don't get it. If there was a book on how to get Alexis Jenkins, I would own every copy so that no one else would know how exactly to captivate you, to grab your attention."
"You're doing a pretty good job at it." Alexis looked down and then up again. "Tristen, just ask me out, alright?" His deep blue eyes seemed to free her in her every movement. Her heart wouldn't slow down. It was weird, there was only one time she had felt this way, and she had gotten hurt. This guy wasn't Harry; he wasn't going to hurt her.
"Why?"
"Because I'm pretty sure if you ask now, I'll say yes." He grinned at this and somehow Alexis felt motivated to kiss him. Slowly she inched towards him, raising her arms to circle his neck. Softly, she settled into his body. She felt his strong arms encircle her waist and his hands hug her sides. As their lips softly pressed together, she seemed to be touched by heaven as they linked in a tender, soft, sweet kiss. The loud bang that usually came with the three W's door opening didn't faze the couple at all, the moment was too perfect.
In walked Ron, Ginny, Astella, and Harry. Ginny had planned on waking the others so they could have a day away from Hogwarts in the local joke shop. Harry had volunteered to go in first because no one really cared whether or not he got punched by a joke exploding from the door that Fred and George would most likely find hilarious. Instead, he found Alexis and a mystery man engrossed in a kiss, which hurt him more than any stupid boxer's glove could. Ginny's eyes widened but then she realized who Alexis was 'bonding' with. She smiled and said, "So that's what she meant by good time."
"What?" Harry didn't find this the least bit amusing and raged by staring on at the two until he could regain whatever pride he had left. "Alexis!" She couldn't hear him as he repeated her name over and over again. "Alexis!" She awoke from her personal heaven and pulled away softly, while looking into Tristen's eyes. He smiled with a small, yet heart-arming smile. It was small, but it gave you the feeling that you could never see any one smile like that because it was too precious to waste on more than one person. "Alexis!" Came Harry's voice again as she looked up at his purple face.
"What?"
"What are you doing?"
"What does it look like?"
"Why?"
"Why not? YOU don't like me, Ron doesn't like me, no one but Tristen likes me. And don't give me any of that bull about the fact tat he's a Ravenclaw."
"Because you can't!"
"And who gave you the privilege to decide that? I'm serious mister," Alexis was now pointing to Harry with a look of pure hatred blazing in her eyes. "Who do you think you are? What makes you think that you can throw people around like trash and then all of a sudden kick them around for fun?" Alexis saw Ginny. She knew Ginny had been dieing to say something angry to Harry, so Alexis gave her a reason. "You know what I'm talking about, Gins." Ginny looked from one to the other, and then she took a good look at Harry before she nodded.
"I do."
"Ginny! You're taking her side?"
"Harry, get off your high horse, will you?" Ginny raised her voice a bit, but being Ginny, she had to stay sweet somehow.
"Go on, Ginny." Alexis encouraged Ginny's anger.
"You know what, Harry, even though I don't really know you that good, I know that how bad you could hurt someone. You hurt me. And you hurt Alexis. You've hurt Hermione, and I bet you've even hurt Draco before." Harry had a guilty look on his face. "Harry, get over yourself before you decide you deserve a girlfriend." With that, Ginny and Alexis walked off, leaving Tristen to bare Harry's gaze and Ron to deal with Astella's flirting.
Alexis off, so it was something to think about all day.
"Alexis," Ginny began.
"Mhmm?" Alexis looked up from her line of gaze.
"Why were you, I mean," Ginny just couldn't get the words out. She felt uneasy about what could happen and she didn't wan to t be in fight with both sisters.
"What is it?"
"Why were you, you know, crying that day that Valerie yelled at us?" There was a bit of silence before Alexis smiled and waved Ginny over to a bench.
"Me and Valerie are our own best friends. We trust each other with things that no one else knows, like you, Gins. There are some things I don't even tell you. And Valerie is the only one I can talk about them with. And when she's mad at me, or I'm mad at her, we don't have anyone to talk to about those little secrets." Alexis sighed as if contemplating a better sentence to use. "When she gets mad at me, it's more than just because I danced with her guy. Something is really bothering her and I don't what it is. And that bugs me. It really does. Gins, no one has a perfect life. No one. And I think that Valerie and I got stuck with the scrapings of the bottom of the barrel." She sighed again. "Your mom's sick, Harry is an only child without parents, me and Val have a sucky life. If you get my point say so, because this is getting harder to explain by the minute." Ginny laughed at Alexis' smile. " And if Valerie really does think that I was trying to steal Seamus, than she must have forgotten something we agreed on a long time ago. Boys always come after best friends."
"I get it." Ginny crossed her arms. "I get it real good. And I'm sorry that you can't tell me these things. I try to be there. I really try to understand. But, I know that sometimes you have to be there to completely understand, or else you're only getting half the story."
"Yeah, it's something like that." Alexis and Ginny got up and made their way back to Hogwarts. Today was going to be a quiet day.
"Hey, Ginny, can I talk to you?" Valerie poked her head in through the door. Alexis had gone out and wouldn't be back before dinner and it was only noon. And
Ginny didn't have anything to do, so she nodded and put away the book she was reading and followed Valerie to the Quidditch field.
"What is it, Val?" They hadn't said anything and Ginny felt like breaking the silence.
"Well, I wanted to talk to you about the other day." Ginny nodded and was about to blurt out a readied apology, but there turned out to be no reason for it. "Ginny, I want to apologize for blowing up in your face. I didn't mean to. And I didn't mean to get that mad at Alexis either. It's just," Valerie sighed. "It's just that Alexis has always been the one to get the guy, every single time. And I'm tired of being the odd girl out. I want my special guy! And when I heard what Seamus was saying, not only about Alexis, but about you too, it made me angry. It made me absolutely furious. And I am truly sorry if I offended you or made you feel like I wasn't your friend anymore, because I am, I really am."
"Oh, Val!" Ginny smiled. "Don't be stupid, I know we'll always be friends. And besides, I would get steamed if I heard Draco talk about you." Ginny breathed in the crisp air. "I just wish you and Lexi would, you know, mend."
"Me and Alexis are too tough to let a little fight get to us, but I must admit that you'd love to hate her."
"I know. But sometimes you just can't."
"That's why she's still my sister."
"Val, if you need me, I'll be here."
"I know, Gins, I know."
Alexis walked up and down the rows of joke props and trick props, and plain old fake props (of course she was in the three W's). Once she turned the corner of exploding jellybeans, she saw a tall, dusty blonde with a tight black tee shirt and jeans with his thumbs hooked on his pockets.
"Tristen Murray." Alexis whispered as she felt her cheeks grow hot and her hands break into a cold sweat. "What's wrong with me? Alexis! Snap out of it." She whispered to herself angrily. She began taking small, slow steps towards the counter and leaned over, revealing her tanned legs from beneath her short, denim skirt.
"Hey, there, you." He said with short breaths in-between each word.
"My, I've never heard that one before."
"I hope not."
"Why are you hoping not?'
"Look, I'm not used to anything besides books. Books are good, but you, you are great. You're really great."
"Thanks, but.."
"No, no, no. You don't get it. If there was a book on how to get Alexis Jenkins, I would own every copy so that no one else would know how exactly to captivate you, to grab your attention."
"You're doing a pretty good job at it." Alexis looked down and then up again. "Tristen, just ask me out, alright?" His deep blue eyes seemed to free her in her every movement. Her heart wouldn't slow down. It was weird, there was only one time she had felt this way, and she had gotten hurt. This guy wasn't Harry; he wasn't going to hurt her.
"Why?"
"Because I'm pretty sure if you ask now, I'll say yes." He grinned at this and somehow Alexis felt motivated to kiss him. Slowly she inched towards him, raising her arms to circle his neck. Softly, she settled into his body. She felt his strong arms encircle her waist and his hands hug her sides. As their lips softly pressed together, she seemed to be touched by heaven as they linked in a tender, soft, sweet kiss. The loud bang that usually came with the three W's door opening didn't faze the couple at all, the moment was too perfect.
In walked Ron, Ginny, Astella, and Harry. Ginny had planned on waking the others so they could have a day away from Hogwarts in the local joke shop. Harry had volunteered to go in first because no one really cared whether or not he got punched by a joke exploding from the door that Fred and George would most likely find hilarious. Instead, he found Alexis and a mystery man engrossed in a kiss, which hurt him more than any stupid boxer's glove could. Ginny's eyes widened but then she realized who Alexis was 'bonding' with. She smiled and said, "So that's what she meant by good time."
"What?" Harry didn't find this the least bit amusing and raged by staring on at the two until he could regain whatever pride he had left. "Alexis!" She couldn't hear him as he repeated her name over and over again. "Alexis!" She awoke from her personal heaven and pulled away softly, while looking into Tristen's eyes. He smiled with a small, yet heart-arming smile. It was small, but it gave you the feeling that you could never see any one smile like that because it was too precious to waste on more than one person. "Alexis!" Came Harry's voice again as she looked up at his purple face.
"What?"
"What are you doing?"
"What does it look like?"
"Why?"
"Why not? YOU don't like me, Ron doesn't like me, no one but Tristen likes me. And don't give me any of that bull about the fact tat he's a Ravenclaw."
"Because you can't!"
"And who gave you the privilege to decide that? I'm serious mister," Alexis was now pointing to Harry with a look of pure hatred blazing in her eyes. "Who do you think you are? What makes you think that you can throw people around like trash and then all of a sudden kick them around for fun?" Alexis saw Ginny. She knew Ginny had been dieing to say something angry to Harry, so Alexis gave her a reason. "You know what I'm talking about, Gins." Ginny looked from one to the other, and then she took a good look at Harry before she nodded.
"I do."
"Ginny! You're taking her side?"
"Harry, get off your high horse, will you?" Ginny raised her voice a bit, but being Ginny, she had to stay sweet somehow.
"Go on, Ginny." Alexis encouraged Ginny's anger.
"You know what, Harry, even though I don't really know you that good, I know that how bad you could hurt someone. You hurt me. And you hurt Alexis. You've hurt Hermione, and I bet you've even hurt Draco before." Harry had a guilty look on his face. "Harry, get over yourself before you decide you deserve a girlfriend." With that, Ginny and Alexis walked off, leaving Tristen to bare Harry's gaze and Ron to deal with Astella's flirting.