The next day, which was Wednesday and three days before the ball, Jacob decided to finally confront his fears and ask Alexis to be his date.

The Gryffindors and Ravenclaws still had Defense Against the Dark Arts together, and lucky enough for Jacob, Professor Potter had separated the Weasley twins and seated him next to Alexis. Why Professor Potter did this was an event from their second year…

…Two Years Ago…

"I'm only going to ask once. Who painted the Cornish Pixies?" Professor Potter growled, extremely annoyed. None of the students even dared to move.

Jacob and Anthony quickly shared a terrified glance; they thought their uncle would find this rather…er…amusing? Jacob had been brave enough to sneak into the room the night before, and Anthony had been clever enough to find a charm that would change their colors.

"Now because of their new color of a rather unattractive shade of hot pink, the pixies do not have that eagerness to cause mischief." Professor Potter left the side of the pixies and stood in front of his desk, staring each of his second years straight in their eyes.

He hadn't been this angry with a class since Dylan Thomas and his best friend Michael Weasley (Charlie's oldest son) had decided to switch his wand with one of the Weasley's Wizard Weezes' fake ones while he was trying to attack his boggart.

"This was going to be the most exciting lesson of the semester, but since no one is confessing, you're all going to write a five feet long essay on…how to explain the color blue to a blind person." Professor Potter smirked, crossing his arms over his chest.

All the students stared in shock, their jaws dropped all the way down to their tables. Whispers began to spread throughout the class as the Professor's eyes scanned the room for guilty faces. He immediately stopped at the twins' table. Jacob's eyes remained calm, but the furious blinking of Anthony's made Professor Potter smirk with success.

"Let me make this a little fairer, to the rest of you honest students. If the culprit, or, shall I say culprits, (he saw Anthony's face turn green) stay after class and confess…then you'll only have to write three feet. Agreed?"

The small students nodded, all still extremely scared of their angry teacher.

At the end of class, when they were sure that none of the other students saw them, Jacob and Anthony snuck back into the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.

Professor Potter wasn't surprised, and he sentenced the two to a week's detention with him, and took thirty points away from Gryffindor. To the twins, they had gotten off easy.

……

Jacob strolled into the classroom, giving high fives to his fellow Quidditch players, Brian and Bridget (who were the team's Beaters). It had been a lucky break for the two fourth years. When they were in their third year, both of the Quidditch team's beaters had graduated the year before, and no other Gryffindors were as skilled as these two were as Beaters.

Alexis was already sitting in her seat, reading one of their books carefully; twirling a strand of her jet-black hair around her finger. Jacob casually took his seat next to her, not bothering to say hello to her. Alexis looked up slightly and looked him over in quick glance that Jacob didn't notice.

The other students filed in, Anthony and Taylor hand in hand. James and Brian ran in from behind them, just as the bell sounded that class was in session. A murmur filled the classroom; where was Professor Potter? Normally, he was in the class before any student arrived, or he was ushering his late students into the doors.

Joseph slid out of his chair and peeked out of the door, looking up and down the hallway.

"He's no where to be seen!" He exclaimed, jumping on his chair and throwing his arms up. The other students whispered in excitement, for Professor Potter had never been absent.

Alexis looked up from her book, interested in the current situation. Jacob sent her his million-dollar smile, and she just softly smiled back, although he did see a hint of a blush.

"How are you today, Miss. Diggory?" He asked, pushing his seat closer to the desk. Alexis pushed some of her hair behind her ear and looked at Jacob. He loved that even if her eyes were narrow, they seemed to be so bright all the time, full of emotion.

"I'm doing well, Mr. Weasley, and yourself?" It was common for the two to talk so formally to each other, like their own personal way of flirting…or at least, that's how Jacob saw it as.

"I'm bloody brilliant, getting ready for the match this Sunday. It's exciting, don't you think?"

"Very exciting indeed, I'll be out there cheering you on. You're amazing on the field." She said softly, biting her lip and looking up from her book. Jacob's face reddened and he looked away towards his tangled fingers.

"Thanks." He said simply. Now or never…now or never…His mind kept repeating the same phrase over and over. "Youhearabouttheball?" He said in one quick breath.

Alexis' eyes widened and she smiled softly. She nodded, causing her hair to fall in front of her face.

"Yes, I did. Are you going?" She asked calmly, a blush growing on her cheeks. Jacob really hoped that Alexis did not notice the heat he felt on his face.

"I will…if I have a date." He said softly. "Do…do you have a date?"

Alexis sat up and put her hands on her lap. She stared at them for a while, and Jacob was extremely worried that she was thinking of a way to say no to him.

"No…I don't."

"Will…would you want to go with me?" He whispered barely audible. Alexis' face blushed so deep, that Jacob thought that she might not be breathing. But, she nodded, and Jacob's heart began to beat again.

"Yes, I'll go with you." He felt his face heat up immediately.

"Really?" He asked stupidly, like he couldn't believe it. Alexis giggled and nodded.

"Yes, really. I was hoping you'd ask me, I turned down a lot of offers waiting for you." She smiled and tossed her hair over her shoulders.

"Like who…?" Jacob asked, but as soon as the words left his mouth, Professor Potter entered, a huge smile on his face.

"Good morning class, splendid day, isn't it?" He said cheerfully, in a very uncharacteristic way.

The class nodded slowly, wary of their Professor's mood. "I haven't had such a good day in a long time!"

"He hasn't even had his coffee." Brian whispered to James, who snickered softly.

Professor Potter's smile didn't fade for the entire time of the class. He actually discussed Dementors and laughed. It didn't take the students long to realize that he was genuinely in the wrong state of mind to be teaching.

After class, Anthony, Jacob, and Brian stayed after to talk to their uncle, although James and Taylor hid outside the door.

"What can I do for you, my boys?" Professor Potter said, sitting in his chair and swinging his legs onto his desk. Jacob and Anthony shared a look, but Brian asked the question.

"What's with the good mood Professor Potter?" He said quickly, raising his eyebrows at his uncle. Professor Potter laughed full heartedly as he put his hands behind his head.

"Call me Uncle Harry! You three are my nephews after all." The shock this caused the boys was very confusing to Harry. "What?"

"We haven't called you 'Uncle Harry' in Hogwarts since we were first years!" Anthony exclaimed, clearly bewildered. "What happened?"

Harry sat up, still smiling widely.

"Fine fine! I just found out, about ten minutes before I came to class, that you three are going to have a brand new Potter in the family." The smile he had on previously was replaced by a smile ten times that size.

The boys' also grew a smile on their faces.

"That's awesome!" Jacob shouted, clapping his hands together. Harry nodded furiously, and then he put up his finger.

"I haven't finished! There is also going to be another Weasley!" The boys didn't know whether to be excited or terrified. They, of course, did not want another sibling.

"Oh please tell me the Bill and Susan decided to finally give Juliet a sibling…" Anthony groaned, remembering that Emily had to tell him something.

Harry laughed and stood up, putting his hand on Jacob's shoulder. The young Quidditch player's face turned grim immediately.

"Sorry you two, you're going to have a little brother or sister in about eight months." He said, his smile never flickering. Anthony and Jacob groaned as Brian breathed a sigh of relief. Harry began to push them towards the door, laughing at their faces.

James and Taylor stared at the twins oddly as they began to walk down the hallway like zombies. Professor Potter and Brian were laughing hysterically, and the two just shrugged their shoulders.

On Friday, Anthony and Jacob finally sat down to listen to Emily in the common room. She was quite angry with her uncle for telling the twins the news before she did, and refused to talk to them all of Wednesday and Thursday.

"Mum wanted me to tell you two, that's why she sent me an owl." Emily explained, straightening out her skirt. "She's due in about eight months. I can't wait to have a little sister!"

"Sister?" Anthony and Jacob said at the same time. Emily looked very cross at their response.

"Yes, sister. There is no room for another boy in our house." She said knowingly. The young girl is said to remind her teachers of her mother a great deal. Taylor sat down next to the first year and nodded.

"I agree, anyway, baby girls are so much cuter than baby boys." She winked at Anthony, who was rather red from her comment.

"If it's a boy, we can have a makeshift Quidditch team, because Mum doesn't let us play with Bludgers and we lose every Snitch we get." Jacob said excitedly, shoving Anthony in the shoulder. The calmer twin cringed at the thought of having to play Quidditch.

"Maybe it would be better if she had a girl." Anthony said, avoiding Jacob's smack.

"I've always liked Elizabeth." Emily said, writing it down on a piece of paper. Taylor nodded happily. Emily was sitting on the ground with her parchment and ink on the table. Taylor lied on her stomach across the couch, playing with her fingernails.

"Natalie Weasley." Taylor said simply, and rolled to her side, smiling. Emily's eyes lit up and she quickly scribbled the name down.

Anthony and Jacob had joined Brian and James at the table, and they were all working on their Divination homework.

"I actually enjoy this class." James said quietly as he began to explain why Venus had such an affect on the moods of females. "I'm starting to see things in my crystal ball."

Jacob rolled his eyes, scratching out his entire first paragraph. Anthony looked on, quite disappointed.

"Mum told you not to take that class." He said knowing, tapping his quill on his Muggle Studies book as he smiled smugly at his brother. Jacob glared at his twin, but then just sighed.

"Yeah well, she also said you and Taylor weren't allowed to date until sixth year." He said this in such a whisper, that Anthony almost didn't hear him. Unfortunately for Jacob, he did.

"What does that matter to you?" He growled, causing the other boys at the table to look up, interested. "You're not going to tell them, are you?"

Jacob's eyes brightened; he hadn't even thought of the idea.

"If you keep bothering me, I just might. Chudlina does like me better, you know. I can always tell her not to accept letters from you…"

"That's not funny, Jacob." Anthony said, slamming his quill down. "Mum'll have a fit, you know how serious she is about rules and stuff."

"Then why are you breaking her rules? I would think, Mr. Good Twin, that you would know better."

The glare Anthony was sending his brother was one his friends had never seen before. The boy looked literally enraged, and Jacob was beginning to get a tad worried.

"Mr. Good Twin? Right. If I wasn't here, you wouldn't be able to perform half the tricks you do, or have you forgotten all my charm work?" He spat, pushing his chair away from the table.

"Are you saying my magic isn't as good as yours?" Jacob said angrily, his face heating up. Their voices were now way above a whisper, and many of the Gryffindors were watching.

"I didn't say that!" Anthony said, standing up and pushing his books into his bag. "What I'm saying is that maybe you're not the tough guy you and everyone else thinks you are!"

Jacob stared coldly as his brother as silence fell onto the common room. Brian and James didn't dare move from the table, fearing that the movements would cause one of the twins to blow up.

"You're just so smart, aren't you Anthony?" Jacob said, his voice much lower than his brother's had been. The quietness of his voice sent chills throughout the room. "Well, maybe you should've been in Ravenclaw, it would've made things easier for the both of us."

There were a few gasps released by some of the girls in the room. Emily Weasley was completely frozen, never witnessing a fight between her brothers. Taylor was staring, bewildered.

Anthony didn't know what hurt more, his headache from all the screaming or the fact that his brother admitted he didn't like having him around. He knew that the entire common room was waiting for his response, but he had no idea what he could say to his brother that would hurt more than what he had just said to him.

Jacob smirked, knowing he had won the argument. He tapped his fingers on the table, daring his brother to retaliate. Yes, the comment had been harsh, but the red head believed that Anthony had deserved it. The stupid git always thought he was so much smarter than Jacob, why should he get away with thinking that?

"Fine." Anthony said finally, nodding and standing up straight, but his voice still cracking slightly. "Fine." He began to back away, nodding his head repeatedly as he turned to the stairs up to the common rooms. He paused slightly before he went up, but he finally started to ascend the stairs. Taylor immediately rose and she followed him, sending Jacob a confused look.

As soon as the two were out of sight, Brian and James turned to Jacob. Emily, Andrew, Joseph, and Bridget immediately reached the table, all asking questions.

"I'm going to tell Mum!" Emily squealed, clearly annoyed at her brother.

"Don't you dare! Chudlina will bite your little fingers off!" He hissed, not even looking up at anyone. He was boring a hole into the wall, and his arms were so tightly crossed against his chest that the stiffness in his shoulders was beginning to hurt.

Emily huffed and smacked her brother hard on the back of the head before she stormed away up the stairs. The other Gryffindors took this as a sign, and they too headed up to their dormitories.

Jacob, glad that he was finally alone, broke his gaze from the wall and he turned in his seat, to stare at his books. He put his elbows on the table, and then his head in his hands. Against his own will, tears began to fall down his cheeks, and he sobbed quietly into his hands.

Why did he have to be such an idiot? Why couldn't he control his temper? Mum was right; he was exactly like Dad.