Disclaimer: It's not mine! I swear! lol See J.K. Rowling's published works.

George once told me that no matter how horrible you felt going to bed, when you woke up you'd have a fresh start. "it all goes away when you're asleep, Allie, if you let it," he'd said. I guess he was right because I woke up the next morning feeling better and as I looked out on the clean blanket of snow, unmarked by any human presence, I knew that today was a clean slate. I took a deep breat. Maybe George andI would never be anything more than friends, but for right now that was good enough for me. It was almost Christmas!

Angeling and Katie were both still asleep. the six of use were planning on visiting Hogsmeade that day, and I didn't want to be late. I hate being late worse than anything. So I threw a pillow at Angelina's face and called it good. Experience had taught be not to try to wake up Katie in the mornings.

I sang "Winter Wonderland" in the shower, painting a scene of somehow getting Cedric Diggory to confess his love for me and "dreaming by the fire" with him. Significantly happier than I was last night, I dressed in my most flattering red turtleneck sweater and leather jacket. I did my makeup and brushed out my semi-long, light blonde hair until it shimmered. Oh yeah, I looked good.

Both Angelina and Katie's jaws dropped when I returned to our room.

"Al, you look hott," Katie said simply, returning to her mascara.

"Oh, Katie, shut up," Angelina said, dismissing her friend's rather blunt comment. "Alicia, you do look very cute today. How are you feeling?"

"Fine," I said firmly, wrinkling my nose a bit. I hated revisiting my stupid emotional outbursts.

"Well, in that case, you should really borrow my lip gloss. That's all you need and you'll be absolutely faculous," Angie said seriously.

"No way," I replied, flopping on my bed. "You know I hate that stuff on my lips."

"It's watermelon," Angelina said as if that had settled the matter. "Oliver loves it when I wear this kind."

"Well I don't want to kiss Oliver, do I?" I shot back, grinning.

Katie looked up. "well, I don't see why not, Al. Ollie's fine!"

Angelina squealed and threw a pillow at Katie, who caught it and fell giggling on her bed.

"You have your own boyfriend!" Angie shouted as she watched Katie roll over and kick her legs up in the air. "What would dear Freddy say?"

Katie just continued to giggle, going into her top speed "chipmunkisms" as Lee Jordan called them. The girl was a ham.

My little brounette friend was dressed in a bright orange slim fitting sweatshirt that read "Pride of Portee", a jean jacket, long colorgul scarf and matching knit hat and gloves, and a pair of patched and faded blue jeans. It was amazing how Katie could pull off outfits that would make the rest of us look like underfed hobos.

Angelinga, on the other hadn, was dressed in a more conservative attire, matching her sensible, no-nonsens approach to life. She wore a red beret over her long and rich ebony hair, white sweater, black slacks, and a red overcoat. She had on designer leather gloves. I decided I balanced out the two.

"Are you two ready yet?" I asked impatiently, checking my watch. The girls quit playing around.

"What's the hurry, 'Leesh?" asked Katie.

"Well, would you rather spend the day here or in Hogsmeade?"

"Good point," Angelina concurred. "Let's go, ladies."

"I hate it when you call us that, Ange, it reminds me of some stupid quidditch coach I had back in girls' league that--

"Shut up, Katie."

"Okay."

We met the boys in the entrance hall. My stomach did a backflip when I saw George. He'd always looked good in black...

"Alicia?" His voice brought me out of my daydream. He was staring at me, stunned. I smiled inwardly. Good.

"What?" I asked innocently.

"You look...amazing," he said finally.

"Thanks, nerd."

He grinned. "Geek."

"Super freak!"

I stuck my tongue out as I said this. George just laughed.

"Would you like to be my date for today Allie, if you can stand the freakiness?"

Could I ever.

"I'd love to, George."

"Greeeeeeeeeat."

George grabbed my arm as we all headed for the secret passage way that would lead us into Hogsmeade.

"Look who's got the hottest girl in all of Hogwarts on his arm!" George declared, grinning at me. I was blushing. Oh Merlin, I was blushing.

"Yep," said Fred, pretending to check himself out in a passing mirror. "Look at me and this fox."

Katie scowled and kicked him. "Don't call me hot."

I was happy. In no time at all, we were in Honeydukes. I was there, with five of my best friends in the whole entire world, on the arm of my very best one, it was Christmas time, and George thought I looked beautiful. Who could ask for more?

We spent a whirlwind day chatting, Christmas shopping, eating at a local restaurant, having a huge snowball fight in which Angelina accidentally caused Fred's nose to bleed, and now it was all winding down and we were just walking along the edge of the streets and enjoying the beauty of the village. Katie and Fred were holding hands and whispering softly to eachother in the language of lovers. Oliver had his arm around Angelina and the two were taking advantage of every bough of mistletoe we passed. I sighed happily and smiled at George.

"I'm glad I'm here with you," I said, surprising myself at my own boldness. "Geek," I quickly added.

He just smiled in a knowing way and said, "I'm glad you're here with me too, super-freak." And to my complete surprise, he took my hand and held it in his, lacing our fingers delicately. I looked at him in shoch, but he just smiled again and said, "When you're in the snow, you're like an angel, Allie."

I had to catch my breath. Katie turned around and gaped, whispering someting to her boyfriend and pointing at our intertwined hands. Fred just put his arm around her shoulder and told her it was rude to point. George and I looked at eachother and laughed. I rested my head on his shoulder and we swung our hands as we walked. Today was, without a doubt, the best day of my life.

And yet, I wondered as I stared at the falling snow, how long was this all to last? A snowflake falls for only a short time before it hits the ground and is no more. Was this just another one of George's flings?

I don't care, I decided firmly, as George layed his own head on mine. I'm enjoying the fall.