I hummed the latest hit from the Weird Sisters to myself as I tacked up my requirements for a boyfriend by my bed. McGonagall had told us to keep them in a place where we would see them on a regular basis, and who was I to question her seasoned teaching method? Angelina skeptically eyed my list from over my shoulder.

"You chose finding the perfect boyfriend for your goal?" she asked incredulously, with a mix of exasperation and admiration in her voice.

"Sure did," I replied nonchalantly, flopping down on my bed and pouring over a copy of Which Broomstick I'd knicked from Wood earlier in the week. "What?" I asked, slightly annoyed by the look of disgust on Angelina's face. "It's perfectly legit, Ange! And I suppose you came up with something better then, did you? Let me guess...improving at quidditch?"

"As a matter of fact, that is what I chose," Angelina said haughtily, pinning her own list up. "I think it's a great goal...damn you!" she added, grinning and rolling her eyes at me as I pretended to listen intently. She threw a pillow at me which I rolled over to dodge, giggling.

"You guys chose fun things?" Alicia asked, looking extremely put out. "And all I could come up with was raising my grade..."

"Allie, you're hopeless," Angelina said, rolling her eyes at the poor blonde girl who was pouting on her bed.

"Seriously, Al, what do you think you're going to do?" I asked. "Get 120 this year instead of 112?"

Angelina laughed while Alicia blushed. I could have sworn I heard her mutter, "No, that was charms..."

"Oh, c'mon, Katie's just messing around," Angelina said, "She's just jealous she can't get past a 90..."

"HEY!" I yelled, annoyed that the teasing had worked its way back to me. "Just because 10 is participation..."

"You can't get 100 because you never shut up," Angelina finished for me neatly. I didn't argue. When Ange is right, she's right. And you'd better not argue with her.

"Let's have a look at that list of yours, Kat," Alicia said suddenly. She'd obviously been bored with the previous conversation about grades. Or uncomfortable. Her own fault, though, for being perfect.

I laughed it off. "Whatever," I said, handing her my ridiculous goal-setting sheet.

"Hmm..." she said, peering at my requirements. "These are pretty specific, Kates."

"So?" I asked, suddenly defensively of my imaginary boyfriend.

Angelina appeared to be cottoning on to whatever point Alicia was trying to make. It was obvious that the two had been trying to find a way to talk about whatever-it-was for a while. Slightly annoyed but curious, I went along with it as Angelina said, "So...who's to say your 'perfect boyfriend' has to have these specific qualities?"

"Me," I said firmly. "What do you care, anyway?"

"Well..."Alicia said, exchanging glances with Angelina, "What we're trying to say is..."

"We think you should go out with Fred," Angelina finished dramatically.

I stared at the two of them. And then I cracked up.

"WHAT?" I cried, laughing. "FRED? You mean as in...Fred Weasley? Oh wank, that is a pretty good one. I have to hand it to you. Together, you're just about as funny as I am."

"We're serious, Katie!" Alicia said angrily, obviously upset that my reaction wasn't more what she had been expecting. "You two are perfect for each other! Everyone's been thinking it for a while now. And no stupid list is going to find you a better bloke for you than Fred. Besides," she added, "He probably already fulfills a bunch of these and you don't even know it yet."

"Forget 'round the bend, you two are off of this planet," I said, through with playing around now. That number three had hit a little too close to home in class and now to have my two best friends notice the same thing...it was just weird. I wasn't taking chances, even on something I knew to be impossible.

"Oh come on, Katie," urged Angelina. "Will you just listen to what we have to say? You don't need this list, you need Fred. F-R-E-D, Fred."

"And you need a mental health examination," I replied airily, grabbing my list and tacking it back up where it was. "And a reality check—d'you seriously think I need you to spell out Fred's name for me? It's four effing letters. I may not be the best speller, but I'm pretty sure I can handle anything phonetic."

I made sure my list was straight and kept my back to the pair of them, hearing them having a little "talk". Probably about me and my stubbornness. Whatever. I'm stubborn, so sue me.

"Okay, Bell," Angelina said. "We've got a deal for you."

I squared my shoulders and turned around, raising my nose stuffily into the air. "What?"

The two exchanged significant glances. Why do they always do that? Are they really too afraid to say one thing without checking with the other first? Wankers.

"We want to prove to you that you're wrong for once in your life," Alicia said finally. "Take a bet. Any time Fred fulfills one of your little requirements on that list, mark it off. Then, at the end of 2 weeks, if you haven't fallen madly in love with him, we'll stop bugging you. But—if you're right—you have to tell Fred the truth and snog him madly in front of our entire Transfig class at the end of this little goal-setting unit."

I snorted. "Yeah right," I said. "That's the daftest idea I've heard in a long time. That's seriously all you could come up with? I'm ashamed of claiming you two as my best friends…"

"You're just scared," taunted Angelina, crossing her arms and looking at me skeptically. I scowled at her. Stupid dares like that always worked on me and she knew it.

"Fine," I gave in, growling at the pair of them. "But be prepared to lose! And after I prove myself correct, you'll agree to never bring up my dating Fred ever again. It's not so great on the gag reflex."

"Sure thing, Kates," Angelina said easily, "Here's a marker, though. My guess is that you already need it."

She smiled nastily as I yanked the pen from her and made a face at both of my so-called friends as I placed a big red "X" over number three.

Merlin, I need new best friends.