-A/N: Hi everyone! I really appreciate your reviews and your positive feedback. I always look forward to reading your thoughts about the chapters.

September 30

Outside with the Girls

LAST DAY OF SEPTEMBER!

Seeing how its Saturday, the three of us decided to just hang outside the castle for awhile. Just because it's a cloudless, warm and brilliantly bright, sunny day, Katie and Alicia insist on attempting to get tans.

I have one word for them. Dorks.

Alicia is sitting on my right side and Katie on my left.

The two of them are sprawled out on the grass in shorts and tank tops, with tinted sunglasses perched on their noses. Katie says she feels like she's in a Calvin Klein AD, which Alicia promptly asks, "Who's that?"

Since it is kind of muggy out, I was going to go for a pair of capris and ¾ length shirt, but Katie, Fashion Queen that she is, insisted that I wear jeans and borrow one of her halter tops.

I asked her who we were trying to impress and she and Alicia just exchanged this "look" and started laughing like loons. I also politely informed Katie that I was a little bit more equipped in the…ahem, "chest area" but she forced me to try it on anyway. Surprisingly, it fits. Not too snug and not too loose. It's the color of a dark cherry made out of a silk-like material, so it's very comfortable.

Katie looked like she was going to faint of excitement as soon as I stepped out of the dorm room and modeled the top.

"That prat Fred will be drooling when he sees you in this," she squealed.

Alicia readily agreed and I scowled at them, but deep down inside, was beaming.

I used some of Katie's Sun-In, which she "borrowed" from her muggle sister Danielle, who's about two years older than her. I've heard and seen of the stuff before, due to the fact my Mom's a muggle. The directions say all you have to do is evenly distribute the product in your hair and will lighten it when exposed to sunlight.

I only did a few streaks but Katie says they're already starting to show quite nicely. I have jet-black, wavy, shoulder-length hair, so I thought it would add a little spunk with highlights.

I just hope they don't turn a weird shade of red or something.

Anyway, the past few days have been all right. Not exciting, not spectacular, just normal. The next few days after the detention incident, Fred started acting really aloof towards me. He wasn't necessarily mean or giving me the cold shoulder. However, whenever he is around me, he appears to be thinking about something entirely different. It was as though he physically were here but not mentally.

I asked George about it and he claims he doesn't know what Fred's deal is. Yeah, my ass. I bet George knows and he doesn't want to tell me.

Alicia says don't think anything of it, because it's Fred and he's just being himself. Katie says Alicia's probably right, but she also has a hunch that Fred is having girl troubles, which she gathered from Lee.

This is kind of weird, because Fred's life is one big trouble with girls. But then again, there's no use trying to figure out Fred Weasley because he'll stump you every time. Actually, for the past few days, he's returned back to normal. Or at least, how he was before that whole incident.

Speaking of the boys, they're off somewhere terrorizing the castle. I bet the three of them are working on that 'Weasley's Wizard Wheezes' commodity the twins started this summer. Just yesterday, Fred tried to make me try something called 'Ton Tongue Toffee' but I chucked it back at him and told him to eat it himself.

First Rule Of Being Friends with A Weasley Twin: Never accept food from either of them OR Lee, unless you see the actual preparation process.

"Oy, look! Here come the boys!" Katie calls, sitting upright.

And she's right, Fred, Lee and George are waltzing right towards us. George elbows Fred in the ribs and nudges his head in my direction (I think) and says something with a grin.

Lee laughs and Fred playfully shoves George, who pretends to stumble and then promptly topples to the ground. Lee laughs even harder and helps George up, then the two catch up with Fred.

"I wonder what they want. Because if George insists that I try one of those crazy sweets they concocted, I'm going to throw it in the lake," Alicia grumbles, adjusting her sunglasses.

Katie shrugs, propped up on her elbows, peering intently at Lee through her sunglasses. It's safe to say that Katie is the only one of us that is successfully going through with our pact. Rumor has it around school that Lee is going to ask out Katie sometime soon.

Alicia's in second place. She's had her slip-ups but is doing moderately well. Just yesterday in Transfiguration, I overheard George whisper to Fred about buying Alicia flowers, because she's been acting funny for days and he can't figure out what he did wrong.

I'm obviously in last place.

Sigh

I don't think I'll ever see the finish line, at the bloody rate I'm going.

I'd better close this up because here they come!

Same Day Moments Later

The boys waddled over and acted like their usual, annoying yet oh-so cute selves. We all laughed, joked around and talked, then the boys bid us farewell, due to the fact they had some "business" to attend to.

Whatever that means.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Katie latched onto my arm and started giggling.

"Fred was staring at you the entire time!" she informed, through a mouthful of giggles.

"And your point is?" I demanded.

Alicia, who was now lying on her stomach, smirked.

"And he wasn't just staring at your face, either. His eyes kept wandering…if you catch my drift," she teased, her voice muffled.

"What in the blazes are you talking about?"

And then I looked down.

At this, I snapped my head up and let out a loud screech of horror.

FRED WEASLEY HAD BEEN VISUALLY HARRSING MY CHEST!

SWEET MOTHER OF PEARL.

Now I feel dirty, like I need a long shower….or something. Yuck. Just because I'm mad about the dolt doesn't mean I appreciate being ogled like slabs of beef at a butcher.

Katie and Alicia laughed even harder, then give each other high-fives over my head.

"It was the halter top, I tell you. It works wonders. I should know. My sister wore that to her Winter Ball and she got to slow dance with her crush," Katie firmly informed.

I rose an eyebrow.

"And what happened to Danielle and her so-called crush?"

Katie frowned, lost in thought for a moment.

"Well, they went out for three years."

"Wicked!" Alicia praised.

Katie grinned sheepishly.

"He cheated on her six times, then eventually dumped her the night of graduation for her best friend," she reluctantly finished.

Great. So now Fred Weasley has not only ogled me but I'm wearing a top that is known for its consequences of long-term bad luck.

Am I doomed or what?

On another note, DADA is quite interesting and I've stopped passing notes with the girls. Or maybe this is because Mad-Eye Moody has this magical eye that allows him to see from like, all angles.

He caught us passing a very juicy note about Jennifer Hollingsworth and her new haircut that makes her resemble an oversized pineapple. He threatened to read it aloud to the class but luckily, Katie stuffed it into her mouth and ate it before he could figure out where it had went.

She's genius, I tell you. Maybe short of a few marbles, if you know what I mean, but pure genius.

October 18

DADA

So, with it being October and all, it's only a few more days until my birthday. This morning over breakfast, Fred promised that his gift would be "even better than last year." Seeing as how last year he threw me into the lake, I'm preparing myself for the worst.

Then again, in addition to that early morning wake-up call, he also bought me a box of chocolate frogs and this really pretty necklace. I'm wearing it right now, in fact. It has a thin silver chain with a double charm. The charms are a silver heart with a tiny gold key.

I was so surprised when he gave it to me. I gave him a great big hug when I opened the box and he blushed a shade or two darker than his hair. He mumbled that "It was nothing" as I gushed with gratitude.

First off, I had no idea he even put that much thought into what to buy me. Second of all, I was even more surprised the gift wasn't like a discount to some invention he, Lee and George were promoting.

The only thing that I think could be better for this year would be a major make out session. Or maybe a new racing broom.

Wait…did I just think that first part?

Oh well. What does it matter. It's never going to happen. Just yesterday, I saw Fred walk Maria-What's-Her-Face's Best Friend to Ancient Runes. I think her name is Olivia. But anyway, I was coming back from the Great Hall because I left my set of quills at the table. I spotted Fred and was going to walk over but then I saw Skelo-Girl.

I've bestowed her with that nickname due to the fact she's about as heavy as a feather. She's so skinny I bet I could poke her and she'd break a few bones! He had his arm vainly draped over Olivia's bony shoulders as though he owned her, and he was whispering something in her ear, grinning like the Cheshire Cat all the while.

Every time Olivia giggled, she daintily covered her hand with her mouth. It was so bloody annoying but it was like a train wreck. I couldn't look away. When they finally got to the door, Fred pulled her into his arms and kissed her the way only I'd IMAGINE he'd kiss me. She let out a little lament of bliss, then he let her go and winked.

I didn't want to look like I'd been following him, so I was a little late to Transfiguration. Mcgonagall was in a tizzy, but I made up some excuse about how Peeves had hid my quills in a suit of armor and wouldn't give them back. Sadly, she believed me.

The only open space was next to Fred and reluctantly I took it. I didn't want to be bothered with him though, because that image of him and Skelo-Girl was burning in my mind. It made me queasy. Why couldn't Fred look at me like that? Am I destined to be deemed as "The Best Friend" and never "The Girlfriend"?

I do really hate playing this game of pretend with him. But I'd just die if he found out. Besides, there's no point fooling myself. Even if Fred and I got together, what would stop him from dumping me after a week or two?

McG is giving me the evil eye. Better stop for now.

Over and out.