Twice Over

I named my plot bunny Eggbert. Now Eggbert lately has been a very bad plot bunny and he thought that the grass and clover was better and much greener on the other side of the hill, so he abandoned me. No Eggbert, means brain blockage, which means writers block. So, of course, I went to retrieve my little plot bunny. I went to the other side of the hill and realized that the grass over there WAS greener, to my embarrassment, and for my little plot bunny, it looked a lot tastier. I spotted him chewing on some clover, so I did the regular thing that anyone in my situation would have done to the grass on that hill. I poisoned it. (MUAH HAHAHA. WANT TO COME BACK NOW, EGGBERT? I BET YOU'RE MISSING MY SIDE OF THE HILL!) So, like a good little plot bunny when they realize the grass their eating has been poisoned, he hopped right on back into my imagination, and he's getting along fine. Sadly however, he came down with some sort of stomach sickness (which I swear has nothing to do with the poisoned food… what poisoned food? You never heard anything.), so he is a bit rough. Yeah, it's a bit of a technical difficulty, if you will. So if this chapter is bad, I'm sorry. It's all due to bad plot bunnies and poisoned- I mean, bad diet choices. I hope it's not as bad as my last chapter at least. That's when I realized Eggbert was missing.

Sunnysweetie- thanks so much for the review, and the compliment! I hope you didn't wait too long for this chapter.

Angel de la Luna- a long review! YAY! I love them! Thank you! Yeah, we're going to be seeing a little more of Alicia's mother soon! Thanks for the review, and I hope I didn't keep you waiting.

Lauren- I can't wait till you guys all see the little twists I've decided to throw in here. I hope you like the chapter, and thanks for reviewing! I always love hearing from you!

LittleWriterGirl- thanks for the review! The picture's been outlined in my mind, and I have a couple lines on a page. I'm going to try really hard to get it done, but I've been really busy! I'll try to work on some of it tonight too! Anyways, thanks!

Jagged Epiphany- wow, just reading your review inspired me! Thanks so much for the review, and I always love hearing from you! Anyways, I hope you like this chapter, and sorry about the delay!

Disclaimer- me no own, you no sue. Eggbert is trying to be good, but he said he couldn't make any promises. He thinks I poisoned him… HA! Like I'd do such a thing.

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Chapter 14- Fights and a train ride home

Lee rolled out of bed and crawled across the floor to the bathroom. He pulled himself up to look in the mirror and shook his head, his dreadlocks falling around his face. Wiping his eyes, he grabbed a towel and fell backwards onto the floor, curling up and getting comfortable. When he was about to fall asleep once more, he realized that he couldn't and regretfully stood up on wobbly legs, taking off his boxers and stepping into the shower.

George however, was sleeping away as his alarm went off tunelessly in the background, making Fred pull his pillow up over his ears.

"Turn the thing off, George!" Fred mumbled.

George shook his head. "Nah. I'm going to wait till it stops cause I knows I'm not getting out of bed." He said, attempting to fall asleep once more.

Fred stood up and rolled his eyes. "It's an alarm clock. Not a living creature." He walked over to George and gave him a shove, knocking him off his bed and he landed with a loud thump on the floor. Then Fred crawled over George's bed and turned the alarm off.

All he had to do was get through this day- this one last day before Christmas Holidays and he would be free for a couple weeks. Of course, it had it's minor setback, and still, he stayed awake the previous night wondering why he cared that Alicia wouldn't be staying at Hogwarts for Christmas. She would be gone the whole time they were off.

Though he found it odd that he was feeling strange about the whole 'Alicia leaving' thing, he found it even more odd that Fred was in his happiest of moods lately. He had even mentioned that the people Angelina would be hanging around most with, was their group of three- himself, Fred, and of course Lee.

Fred looked at the calendar that was hanging at the side of his bed and a red X appeared over the day. "Looks like after today it's just you, me, Lee, and Angelina." He said casually, digging his hands into the pockets of his robes.

George stood up from the floor and tried to straighten out his matted and ruffled hair that stuck up every-which-way. "Yeah, I'm sure you're having fun with the whole idea." He said with the same, in-the-air casualness that his brother had previously used.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Fred asked, now attempting to straighten his hair out.

George shrugged and turned to his bag, grabbing some books and shoving them in. "Nothing, really. What makes you think it meant anything? Unless it means something to you…"

"It means nothing." He said, turning from the mirror and trying to buckle up his own bag.

"Do you seriously think you can lie to your twin? Maybe Lee will buy it, but I'm like your other half. I can see straight through you and I don't even have to look." George said.

Fred sighed. "That's some accomplishment."

"I know. It's what I do best." He replied.

"Well you don't seem all to thrilled at the fact that Christmas Holidays are coming up. I mean, that's why I'm so happy… No school." Fred answered, shrugging.

"Yeah…" George said slowly, "that among other things." Fred looked over at him and George smiled, continuing, "I just don't want to get too excited yet, I think."

"You think?" Fred started tying his tie around his neck.

"Yeah, I think. I'm not exactly sure what's going on." George answered truthfully.

Fred gave George a side-grin. "Or there's something you don't want to tell me."

Lee walked into the room in a white towel wrapped around his waist, while he rubbed his frizzy dreadlock hair with the other one. "Sorry, what did I miss? Someone not admitting to something?" He asked.

"Put some clothes on." George commented.

"Its what I plan to do when I get out of the shower." Lee said, walking over to his bed and grabbing his robes off of it.

George stood there, drifting away from his body for a moment. Was it something he didn't want to tell Fred, or something he didn't want to tell himself?

"Is this about the George liking Alicia thing?" Lee asked as he started doing up the buttons on his school blouse.

"WHAT?" George asked, loudly. "I do not like Alicia!"

"Didn't you tell her that, that one time we got back from detention?" He asked.

"No, that was about the whole green hair situation." He answered.

Lee laughed. "Which you cared a lot about."

"I was the one who made it green." George said plainly.

Lee shrugged.

"So that's what that whole winking thing was about when you left us that night." George said as he remembered back to the night they got back. "You seriously thought-…?" He trailed off and tried to make it not too obvious that he was wondering what exactly it was he felt, then and now.

"Yeah well, I ran into an assumption." Lee said as he threw on his cloak.

"You guys ready to go?" Fred asked as he put on his backpack.

"Yeah." Lee and George said together.

Lee grabbed his bag and followed Fred out the door and down the stairs, and George looked around the room for a moment, feeling suddenly empty, and followed behind.

……………………………

Angelina was sitting on the arm of the couch in her dormitory, waiting for Alicia to get out of the bathroom. Like any other usual morning, Alicia woke up late, rushed through a shower, and left while her hair was still wet. As an early riser, she herself didn't have to deal with that.

Rolling her eyes as her friend got out of the bathroom roughly dressed in her cloak and uniform, she stood and straightened her skirt. "Are we going?" She asked lamely.

Alicia gave her a testing look and then pulled her hair into a ponytail. "Yes, we are."

"Why put your hair up? You never have it down… its always in two low pigtails or a ponytail." Angelina pointed out.

Alicia laughed as they made their way down the staircase. "Whoever made the name for those hairstyles must have loved farm animals… why name them after a horse and a pig?"

"Who knows?" Angelina said, "All I do know is that if you don't hurry your arse tomorrow, we're going to be late for Herbology."

…………………

As the day lazily ran through, the moon coming up ever so slightly as the sun set, students made their way into the Great Hall for a bit of a going away feast for students who would be leaving for home the next day. The tables were full like usual with an amazing assortment of food, and Alicia, Angelina, Fred, George and Lee all entered the hall, sitting down in their regular spots.

"I'll wake you up early so you can catch the train out tomorrow, don't think they will wait for you to get out of bed." Angelina said to Alicia, grabbing some chicken and putting it on her plate.

"I didn't think they would…" She said quietly.

Angelina smiled. As she continued talking and began a conversation with Fred and Lee, George looked over at Alicia as she stared down at her plate, the food lying untouched. She sighed and looked over at the doors of the Great Hall.

"Are you okay?" George asked.

Alicia looked up and raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"You don't want to go home for Christmas, do you?" He asked.

"Everyone is acting like it's some big deal." She said. "It's not. I'm going home, so what? People always go home on the Holidays."

"I was just asking." He answered. "It will be different without you."

"Nice. Different." She said sarcastically. "I'm glad you chose that word. How about better?" She slammed her knife and fork down on the plate and made Angelina, Fred, Lee, Oliver, Percy and John looked over at George with a glare, and then at Alicia with confusion. George cringed at the sight of everyone staring at him evilly… what did he do?

Alicia stood up and turned on her heel, walking swiftly of the Great Hall, making everyone at the table fall silent as the rest of Hogwarts noisily chatted around him.

"What did you do?" Fred asked in surprise.

"Alicia doesn't get mad easily…" Lee added with an afterthought.

Percy rolled his eyes. "Always has to be something with you George, now doesn't it?"

Oliver looked over to Percy. "Maybe it's not his fault-…"

"Shut it wood." John snapped, who was always in a bad mood around Oliver.

George didn't care much for any of their comments, all he was doing was paying attention to the look that Angelina was giving him, out of the corner of his eye.

"George Weasley, what happened?" Angelina said snappily, pushing her plate out of the way.

"Nothing, I didn't do anything… I was only trying to help…" George stuttered.

"You know that you trying to help with anything always makes it worse," she said in a bossy tone, "so what you need to do, is butt-out."

"Hey! That isn't fair! He was trying to be nice, not be mean!" Fred said in defence of George.

"Oh, and you have any better idea's for him?" Angelina asked.

Lee groaned as he could sense another one of Fred and Angelina's bouts beginning again.

"No… but you cant just tell him to shut up like that!" He said.

"I didn't! I merely said, to butt-out. That's nowhere near shutting up, thank you. It means minding your own business." Angelina said, trying to reason with him.

"Why don't you mind your own business then? I don't see you paying attention to only your life, your perfect little textbooks and your new school supplies! No, you're always in our lives too! That's what friends do, they help each other and don't just pay attention to themselves!" Fred spat.

Angelina stood up angrily. "HOW DARE YOU? Seriously, my perfect textbooks and new school supplies? What are you turning this into? We were talking about Alicia, not about me!"

Fred stood up, equally enraged. "Well then maybe you should pay more attention to where the conversation is heading!"

"I AM!"

"YEAH RIGHT!"

"I CANT BELIEVE YOU!"

"DIDO!"

Lee leaned over and whispered to George, "are you following this?"

George shook his head. "Not really…"

"WELL THEN, FINE! SEE IF I EVER WASTE ANY TIME ON YOU AGAIN, FRED!" Angelina screamed and stormed out of the Great Hall, just as the group of friends realized that everyone was paying attention to them and no one was talking.

Fred sighed with frustration and then stormed out of the Great Hall after Angelina, his feet noisily stomping on the stone floors.

"Okay… how many people are mad at each other now?" George asked.

"Make that- three, and counting." Lee said as the Great Hall erupted with noise again and Oliver started yelling at John for talking about the Quidditch plays with the wrong 'approach'. John barely had the temper to hear it.

"Well pretty much everyone's mad at me." George answered.

"Oh yeah… well then, it's more than three." Lee said, starting to tick off his fingers.

……………………………

"Tell Fred to pass me the book on 'Herbs and Potion's'." Angelina said snappily to Lee and George.

"Fred," George leaned over, "Angelina wants you to pass the book on 'Herbs and Potion's'."

Fred shook his head. "Tell her I just don't 'feel like it' right now." He said.

George sighed as he looked over at Angelina, who's face was red. They had now been playing the silly game of tell-her and tell-him for a couple of hours and Lee was already sick of sending bickering between the both of them, and almost had a mental breakdown because he was convinced he was arguing with himself.

George lazily leaned toward Angelina. "Ange, Fred said he doesn't-…"

"I know what he said." Angelina said, standing up. "It's not very mature of you to bring in what I said to you earlier. So what if I didn't feel like talking to you after you had been an absolute arse to me?" She snapped, not looking for an answer to her question.

"Well I don't think it's very mature how you said that!" Fred said back, ready to rise from his seat as well.

Nice, calm, levelheaded Lee, stood from his chair and practically screamed at the both of them. "YOU KNOW WHAT I THINK? I THINK IT ISN'T MATURE HOW GEORGE AND I HAVE TO SUFFER THROUGH THIS! I MEAN, WHO HAS EVEN THOUGHT OF GOING TO TALK TO ALICIA? SHE'S THE ONE LEAVING TOMORROW MORNING, AND HOW THIS FIGHT ALL ORIGINATED!" Lee took a couple of deep breaths and continued, "look, you two are fighting because we care about Alicia… is that really a reason to fight? You'll both look for any reason to tee each other off, and I don't think this is one of them."

Fred and Angelina looked at each other for a moment, and then back to Lee, and finally to George who was shocked at Lee's abnormal outburst.

"He's um-…" Angelina coughed off her statement.

"Yeah…" Fred answered quietly.

George sighed and stood up beside Lee. "Face it guys, he's right. Now lets go and see Alicia, all right? No fighting."

Fred stood from his chair as well and the four headed up the stairs to see Alicia.

…………………………

"Go away." Alicia called from her spot on her bed. She was spinning her small stuffed cat in between her hands, sitting with her pyjamas on and listening to her friends as they tried to get in for the millionth time.

"Come on Alicia!" An aggravated voice that was loud and rough and sounded all too much like Fred, came.

There was some quiet bickering about how Fred sounded too angry, and then Lee decided to give it a shot.

"Alicia, did I ever tell you, you were the most beautiful person in the world?" Lee asked.

"What's that got to do with anything?" Angelina asked.

"Relax, Ange, you're pretty too." Lee said with ease.

Alicia smiled as Angelina protested back, "that's not what I was getting at! Its not like she's going to open the door cause you said she was pretty."

"Say something George." Fred said.

There was a lot of silence and then George said, "She doesn't want to hear from me… she's mad at me remember?"

Alicia frowned; she wasn't actually mad at him… not really.

"Alicia!" Angelina called. "It isn't fair how you magic-ed me out of my own room!"

Alicia pouted. 'I know it's not fair, but that doesn't mean I'll let her in.'

"LET US IN!" Fred yelled. There was a lot of silence and then he said softly, "please…?"

"Ugh, shut up Fred." Angelina said.

"Don't start with me again." Fred warned.

Lee yelled at the both of them, "you two- both of you- SILENCE. NO MORE."

George sighed. "Are we arguing or making Alicia feel better?"

There was a lot of silence then and Alicia was wondering if they were still there, when George said very quietly, but just loud enough for her to hear, "Alicia, please, let us in. We're trying to help you- we want to see you before you have to go."

There was a lot of silence as they stood behind the door, waiting for a reply, and then Alicia swung open the door, looking at her four friends. They were all very quiet, just sort of looking at each other's shoes and giving small smiles.

"Hi." Alicia managed a smile. "You guys wanted in, and I open the door and you stand there like a little girl meeting the guy of her dreams."

Angelina gave Alicia a full smile, and then Fred shoved past Alicia and sat on her bed. Lee did the same, kissing Alicia on the cheek and sitting on Angelina's end of the bed as Alicia rubbed her cheek. Angelina walked in and George smiled at Alicia from the doorway.

"Well um- see you later then- after Christmas." George said quietly, and he turned around slowly and began making his way down the stairs.

"George! Wait!" Alicia said, walking out of the room and closing the door behind her quietly.

George turned to face her, as the three friends from inside Alicia's room, unknowingly to Alicia or George, ran to the door and pressed their ears against it.

Alicia looked to George and tried to smile. "I didn't have to yell at you at dinner. I just did."

George raised an eyebrow. "No, you didn't have to. Look, I'm sorry." He said softly.

"Shut up with the 'I'm sorry' stuff, when you have no reason to be." She scolded, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Well um- night." He said quietly with a lopsided smile. Then he began to descend the staircase again.

"George?" Alicia called.

George stopped, but didn't turn around. "Hmm?"

"You don't have to leave you know- I'm not mad at you. And I never meant to get mad…" She trailed off slowly.

George turned. "Was that supposed to be an apology?" He asked, grinning.

"NO! Nothing of the sort." Alicia shook her head. "I'd never apologize to you."

George laughed. "Right, how soon we forget." He said with a wink.

"So you want to stay with me, Fred, Angelina and Lee? Not that I'd care-… people get mad at me when I let you go cry off somewhere 'cause you're alone', or so they say." Alicia teased.

"Right, I do cry a lot around those Hufflepuff's… such sensitive, nice people." He smiled.

"So you'll come with me and stay away from them? I'm sure they'd like a night off from your complaining." Alicia said.

George smiled, "I'm sure I could fit this into my busy schedule." He said.

"Great- I mean, crap. Now I have to deal with you." She said, rolling her eyes.

"Awww, you're starting to warm up to me, aren't you?" He teased as they headed back up the staircase together.

"George," Alicia said, "I couldn't warm up to you if we were cremated together."

George laughed. "Making plans for the future?"

Alicia rolled her eyes and turned the knob of the door, pulling it open just in time for her three friends to run back to the beds and sit on the edge.

"You guys look suspicious…" Alicia said slowly, "You were all talking about me, weren't you?"

"No," "Of course not" "Would never…" They all muttered at once.

"Right." Alicia said, sitting down on her bed and pushing Fred over so that she could lie down. Fred moved over for her and then leaned against the bedpost as George comfortably leaned his back against a wall.

The group talked deep into the night, and no one spoke of why Alicia was so angry and sad that she was going to her moms for Christmas; they all just talked about random things, some of which included Quidditch, teachers, and old stories.

……………………

"Bye Alicia!" Angelina waved as her friend began to load on the train.

Just then, Fred, Lee, and George came sprinting down the Entrance steps and running over to Alicia.

"Late, as always." Angelina rolled her eyes and the boys just smiled at her as Alicia came off the train and stared at the three of them, confused.

"I thought you boys weren't going to show up for a while there." She said.

"Wouldn't miss it," Fred began.

"For anything." George finished.

"Of course we'd see you off Leeshie!" Lee said with a wink.

Alicia rolled her eyes. "Sometimes I wonder why I hang around you guys…" She said slowly.

"That's easy enough to answer." George said.

"Yeah," Fred agreed, "it's cause we give good group hugs."

Lee, Fred and George all enveloped her in a rib-cracking hug, lifting her off the ground in the process.

"Oh yeah, how could I forget?" Alicia asked in a mocking tone as they released her. "See you guys later… remember to write, and I gave Angelina your Christmas presents, so don't bother trying to get them early, 'cause I'm leaving', I don't fall for that stuff."

Lee laughed and Fred looked slightly disappointed, while George just smiled.

"Well, here is yours." Lee said taking out a bag of candy and handing it to her. "No eating it until Christmas."

"All right, I promise I wont. Thanks Lee." She said, tucking it into her robe pocket.

Fred handed her a package that was wrapped very badly, and you could really tell exactly what it was: a chocolate frog. There was no way you could miss the shape of the box. "This would be my present to you." Fred said winking.

"Thank you, Fred." Alicia said.

Fred and Lee went over to Angelina and began talking, and Alicia gave George a warm smile.

"Well, see you after Christmas then." Alicia said. "Bye."

"Oh yeah," he said, his hands plunging into his pockets, "aren't you forgetting something?"

"No…" Alicia began slowly.

"I think you are." George said with a wink, bringing out a small wrapped box.

"George- what is this?" Alicia asked, looking at it.

George laughed. "Your Christmas present."

Alicia sighed and looked up from the box to his smiling, freckled face. "I don't deserve…"

George cut her off. "Merry Christmas. Don't open it until Christmas of course." He winked.

Alicia's mouth fell open. George got her a present? Of course, she got him one too, but he was George- getting her a present should have been the last thing on his mind. Before she could think too much, she was brought out of her trance as she felt George grab her hand and push the box into her palm, bringing her fingers to a close around it and holding her hand closed with his own.

"You don't want to miss the train." He said.

"Right- thanks." Alicia said, giving him a small smile. She then turned and stepped onto the steps of the train as the horn rang in signal of its take off. Its wheels began to turn slowly as other students that weren't already on; scrambled onto different openings, and then it began to take speed.

"BYE ALICIA!" Angelina called, waving to her friend and blowing kisses.

"Bye!" Fred, Lee and George said in unison.

Alicia waved from the stairs of the moving train. "Bye guys!" She waved, and then she turned and climbed the steps into the train, leaving their sight.

As she walked through the halls of the train, she found her empty compartment and sat in it, staring down at the box that George enclosed in her hand. It was wrapped- somewhat nicely. She noticed the effort put into wrapping it.

Just then, the compartment door swung open and a very tidy-looking boy with neat black-brown hair, fair skin and brown eyes appeared, looking shocked to see her sitting there. "Oh, I'm sorry- I didn't know you were in here-…" He apologized.

Alicia's hand closed around the box and she shoved it into her pocket. "Hi." She said, smiling up at him.

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There, I sort of did what I said- I made it to Christmas Holidays. Next chapter is coming up soon, who's the boy Alicia has just seen in her compartment… I'll give you a clue- he's been mentioned in my story before. Whoever knows, tell in your review and you get a free wink and round of applause, compliments of well… ME! What more could a reader ask for? I'm not going to say much, and um- review to get a new chapter and see how the Christmas holidays goes for the crew, who are now minus one, and how it goes for Alicia, who is now minus four!

Kit