"Katie," The voice was soft and low, almost reproachful. "Katie, c'mon."

I groaned, and shifted away from the voice. I heard a sigh, and pulled the comforter over my head to block the noise.

"Katie Bell, wake up."

I groaned, and somehow formed something intelligible. "Go away, I'm tired."

Another agitated sigh told me that they had heard me, and I heard footsteps move around the bed to face me. I peeked up through sleepy eyelids to find Alicia standing in front of me, hands on hips. "You need to wake up now, Katie. Fred, George, and Lee told me that we're going out now to do our annual snowball fight against the first years."

"S'easy for you to say Sleeping Beauty," I moaned, putting my pillow over my head again. "you slept the whole afternoon."

Suddenly, the pillow was ripped from my grasp and I felt someone plop down on the bed behind me. "Katie darling," Angelina drawled, trying to rip the cover away from me. "you really do need to get up. You know we always go and ambush the first years before dinnertime on Christmas Eve, and it's getting late."

I glared at Angelina, and then at Alicia. "You can go on without me, I'm tired."

The pair of them exchanged an annoyed look and the covers were ripped from me moments later. I was still in my sweater from earlier and an old pair of jeans.

"Shut up Katie, we're going outside now. Get your boots on and grab a coat!" I was about to open my mouth to speak, but Angelina cut Alicia and I off.

"Don't make me get Fred and George up here to drag you downstairs, either."

And the two of them made their way to the door, but Angelina turned just before stepping down the stairs. "Be down in five, Kates, or I will get Fred to drag your arse down here."

I groaned loudly and chucked a pillow at her before swinging my legs over the edge of the bed and getting up. My clock told me that we had a good hour or so before dinner would be ready, leaving us the perfect amount of time to nail a few first years.

I grabbed a pair of snow boots out from under my bed, and began tying the extremely long laces. I bit my lip, contemplating if Angelina really would have Fred come up here and drag me down, but decided not to test this theory and hurried my getting dressed up just in case the twins had figured a way up to the girls' dorms.

Not even five minutes later I had grabbed a coat on, laced up my boots, slid some knit gloves on, and ran down the stairs—but not before grabbing my Gryffindor scarf on the way out. Jumping down the last few stairs, I caught myself before crashing into Lee and beamed up at the rest of my friends who were all donning their jackets and hats.

"Ah, there's the lady of the hour!" George beamed, slinging an arm around my shoulders, pulling me into his side.

"Ready to go get some first years, Kates?" Fred was grinning down at me now, and I nodded my excitement.

So, with that, the six of us made our way down to the snow covered grounds, cracking jokes and harassing one another the whole way out the door. Once outside, we were all met with the icy air and a fresh snow falling about us.

"Perfect weather, don't you say ladies?" Lee wiggled his eyebrows at Angelina, who rolled her eyes and whispered something to Alicia and laughed.

"All right, let's pair up now—" I began, but was cut off by Lee, who grabbed Angelina and Alicia's arms and had already begun walking off towards some trees away from us.

"Ange, 'Lic, you're coming with me this year! I will not be stuck with Fred and George again—they're walking targets!"

Fred laughed heartily, and George scooped down to grab a handful of snow to whip at Lee's retreating figure. "I resent that, Jordan! You and the first years better watch your backs today!"

I saw Lee turn around and stick his tongue out at the three of us, and slip his arm around Angelina's waist. I gave George a look, who just blushed deeply and glared at Lee.

"Georgie loves Angie, Georgie loves Angie, Georgie lo—Oof!" Doubling over in laughter, I looked up to see George shoving snow in Fred's face in attempts to shut his brother up. Afterward, he brushed his gloved hands free from the snow and turned in his heel to leave a sputtering Fred trying to regain composure and get rid of the snow on his face. Fred glanced at me, and a large grin broke out onto his snow covered face. Bending down to grab a handful of snow, I knew that he was ready to get George back for shoving the frozen substance in his face moments ago. Panicking, I ran forward and grabbed George's arm, pulling him away from the snowball before it hit either of us.

"Traitor!" I heard Fred shout behind George and I's retreating figures. I looked back at him, now being dragged away by George, and laughed. Fred was now running after us, catching up rather quickly, and I shrieked in laughter some more.

"Faster, George!" Obliging to my shrieking, George yanked me behind a group of trees and bent down to make snowballs to throw at Fred. Heart racing due to the excitement of the chase and fear of being caught by Fred, I peeked around the snow covered tree I was hiding behind.

Good, Fred must have lost us. I turned around to tell George of the news, but was met face to face with Fred instead. He was grinning evilly from ear to ear, holding a large snowball in his hand.

I gulped, taking a step backwards.

"Sticking up for Georgie-pie, now are we Kit?" Fred took a step forward, still clutching the mound of snow in his hand.

I laughed nervously, and looked sidelong for George, but couldn't spot him. That traitor. "Well I had to, seeing as I need my date for the ball tomorrow."

I was backed up against the tree now, and Fred was only a breath away, the snowball still in hand. I glanced down at it, and Fred's eyes followed, his smirk getting larger if possible.

I opened my mouth to plead for Fred to not throw the snow in my face, but was caught off guard as the freezing cold feeling of it met my open mouth. I blinked rapidly, registering that my face was now covered in snow, and glared at a hysterically laughing Fred.

Scooping up my own handful of snow, I ripped Fred's hat off of his head and smashed the pile onto his flaming red hair. He let out a surprised yelp and tackled me to the snowy ground, each of us wrestling one another, trying to shove more snow down the others throat. I had pinned him underneath me now, trying to hold him down with one hand while gathering snow with the other to shove it in his face. I succeeded in my attempts to get him back when I shoved a small handful of snow into his face, leaving him sputtering. He shook his hair out and pushed me off of him, rolling on top of me in the process.

I looked up through teary eyes from laughing at Fred to see that he wasn't laughing or smiling anymore. He was almost glaring down at me now, holding a snowball in one hand menacingly.

"Now Kates," He began. I gulped, trying not to laugh anymore. "I don't take your switching sides lightly, y'know."

Deciding it was better to hold my tongue rather than getting a face full of snow again, I didn't speak. Fred shifted a little on top of me, still trying to look as mean as possible. I glanced around, searching for George. That stupid prick was still no where to be found, leaving me here with his brother.

Not that I was objected to Fred straddling me in the snow right now, but considering that he was not my date to the ball tomorrow, I was a little uncomfortable.

"Well then, what're you gonna do, Fred?" I did my best to keep a straight face and match his 'mean' look, but probably failed miserably. "Shove snow in my face? You did that already."

Fred seemed to consider this for a moment before a sly smile crept across his face. Before I knew what he was doing, he had dropped the snowball he held and cupped my face in his gloved hands, leaning in towards my face. My breath quickened, and I shut my eyes, and felt his lips on mine.

The kiss was everything I had imagined it to be from these past few days of fancying Fred. It was sweet, but eager at the same time—purely Fred. But before I could enjoy it even further, I realized that I was laying here in the snow kissing someone that was not my date to the ball tomorrow. I pulled away quickly and pushed a surprised Fred off of me.

He looked confused as I got up in a huff and grabbed my hat off the ground, stomping away.

"Kates, wait, where are you going?" I felt his hand on my arm, and shook him off. I couldn't even look at him.

Continuing to walk away from him, I heard the snow crunch behind me as Fred followed me closely behind. "Katie, c'mon, did I do something wrong?"

I barked out a bitter laugh, and turned on my heels to face him now. "You're really something, Fred." I shook my head at him, still not meeting his eyes. "You're taking Angelina to the ball, not me. You can't just go around kissing your friends like that!"

He blinked at me a few times, and I turned to walk away again, but he caught my arm and pulled me back. I couldn't shake him off this time.

"Look, Katie, I didn't mean to upset you, I just thought..."

I turned to look at him, still upset. I couldn't get a grasp on what I was feeling right now. Part of me wanted to jump into his arms and kiss him again, but the rational part of me wanted to go lament in my dorm over the fact that I can't be the one at the ball with him tomorrow.

"I just thought you liked it, is all." He finally finished, casting his eyes downward.

I swallowed hard, and met his gaze as I spoke.

"I did, Fred." I shrugged his hand off of my arm again. "That's the problem." And with that, deciding I had said too much already, I turned and stomped off toward the castle.