A/N: This one is… different. Now we're going to start meeting some new characters! Well, new-old characters. This chapter is a little misleading, apologies!

Disclaimer!I own nothing except this plot and my new character! Everything else belongs to J.K. Rowling. (I'm just…twisting it a bit!)

Chapter 3

Everyone was already sitting around the table when Ginny and I walked into the room. Ginny loudly cleared her throat, a subtle announcement to her family that we were there. Everyone turned around.

George whistled. I guess he was thoroughly enjoying what he was seeing. I blushed a little, and glanced around the table. Mrs. Weasley looked proud and excited. Mr. Weasley didn't like what he saw, his little girl was obviously too grown up. George was… well, he was enjoying the view… and not of his little sister. And Ron, his entire face was the color of the tomato sauce on the spaghetti. I blushed deeper.

"You girls look beautiful! Now, let's eat. You have a party to attend tonight!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed. Ginny and I took our seats at the table, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley across from each other at each table end. I sat across from George and Ginny sat across from Ron.

"Well, go ahead. Grab a plate!" Ginny said, grabbing a plate for herself. The food looked incredible. There was spaghetti, dinner rolls, mixed fruits and vegetables, some mushy orange stuff, and this incredible looking cake. I put a little bit of everything on my plate, just to try it.

Mr. Weasley poured me a cup of pumpkin juice (something I'd never had, but it was pretty delicious!). Everything I ate was unbelievable.

"This is delicious, Mrs. Weasley!" I exclaimed. It was the first food I'd eaten all day, and it was well worth the wait.

"Well thank you, dear. I'm glad you like it!"

I smiled. I could get used to this. Dad was never much of a cook. Regardless of his expertise in that area, I still missed him.

"Ginny, Ron," Mr. Weasley started, interrupting my thoughts. "Where are you meeting Ron and Hermione?"

"At the party, that's what the letter said at least," Ron said, his mouth half full of food.

"Don't talk with your mouth full, Ron," Mrs. Weasley scolded.

"Sorry, Mum."

We made some small dinner conversation and when everyone finished we helped clear the table.

"Hey, Lucie."

I stopped washing my plate and turned around. It was Ron.

"Oh, hi… uh…"

"Look… about earlier. Let's pretend that didn't happen."

"I am soooo sorry! I forgot to lock the door! It totally slipped my mind. That was so stupid of me."

He lifted a finger to his lips to silence me. "Really, I should be the one apologizing. I mean, I just walked in without event thinking. The door was closed, I should have knocked. Uh… you're the first girl I've ever seen… well, you know." He blushed. "Let's start over."

Wow, he'd actually never seen a girl naked before. That was a little shocking to me. I mean, he was eighteen, and had a girlfriend. "Absolutely, starting over."

He smiled and shook his head, then walked towards his older brother.

"Well, it seems like it's time for you three to be on your way!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed, pointing to Ron, Ginny, and I.

"Is it seven o'clock already?" Ginny squealed. "I can't wait to see Harry."

"Yeah, let's go," Ron said. We walked outside and the three of us grabbed hands, Ginny in the middle.

"Have fun! Be safe! Make friends!" Mrs. Weasley shouted out.

And with that, we were gone.

…~…

We re-appeared inside this incredible building. There were teenagers running around everywhere and music was playing. I didn't know anybody, but people were staring at me. It was an uncomfortable feeling.

"Lucie, isn't this exciting!" I looked over at Ginny. She had a huge smile on her face and she was examining the crowd, no doubt looking for her man candy. "HARRY!"

A handsome boy with dark hair and glasses turned around. Ginny ran to him, jumping in his arms. A tall brunette girl next to him looked at the couple, then scanned the crowd herself as if to see where Ginny had ran over from. She was beautiful. Not in the way Ginny was (tall and model like). Her curly brown hair practically sparkled under the lights. Her creamy skin was flawless. The bright red dress she was wearing fit perfectly to every curve of her body. She was slim. Just being in the same room as her took a hit on my self esteem. I felt beautiful, but now I wasn't so sure.

Suddenly, she spotted Ron and me. She ran, like Ginny, and attacked the red headed boy next to me. They started kissing violently, and I suddenly felt very awkward. I casually turned away from the two couples and started exploring.

The party was extreme. There were people talking, catching up. There were other people dancing. Then, there were people, like Ginny and Ron, making out with their significant other. I didn't know anyone, and I really didn't know where I was going. Walking around aimlessly, I found myself standing next to the refreshment area. There were kids getting some drinks from the bartender. I sat down on one of the stools and watched, observing my surroundings.

"Butterbeer?"

I jumped a little, and turned towards the voice. Sitting next to me was, without a doubt, the most gorgeous boy I had ever seen in my life. He had flawless, pale white skin and dark brown hair. It was messy, but in the…sexiest way I had ever seen. His eyes were a piercing green color and his lips… oh god those lips were to die for.

"Sorry, what did you say?"

"Butterbeer," he repeated, holding out a cup for me. I hadn't realized he was holding two drink cups. One was obviously for me.

I smiled at him, but asked, "What exactly is butterbeer?"

The boy laughed. "Here, try it."

He handed me the cup and I lifted it to my nose. It smelled… sweet. I swished it around in my cup for a minute and raised it carefully to my lips. I watched the boy out of the corner of my eye while I drank the liquid. It tasted like butterscotch, and I could vaguely taste the alcohol under the flavor. I savored it. It was delicious.

"Wow," I said. It was so great.

He chuckled. "You like it?"

"Yeah, it's delicious!"

He actually laughed this time. "Good. Is this really the first time you've ever had it?"

"Yep. I'm not really from around here…"

"Obviously," he joked. "I think I'd remember someone like you. What's your name?"

I giggled. "Lucie Gould. I just moved here, from the States. I'm actually starting at Hogwarts this year."

"Really, so you've never studied the craft at all?" He sounded shocked.

"Oh, god no. I've been home schooling since I was eleven."

"Good, I was worried for you." He winked at me and got up from his seat. "I'm Theodore, by the way. Theodore Nott. Call me what you want." And then he walked away.

Theodore Nott. The beautiful boy who gave me a drink. That was his name. I wanted to know more about him, and I intended to find out.

…~…

"Lucie! There you are!"

I whipped my head around to see Ginny, Ron, and their friends walking towards me. Harry and Hermione had friendly enough looks on their faces. Well, Harry did… Hermione looked a little… territorial.

"Oh, hi Ginny," I smiled, taking another sip.

"I see you got yourself a butterbeer! I'm gonna have to get one of those," Ron said smiling.

"Actually, someone got it for-"

"Lucie, this is Harry! Harry, Lucie," Ginny cut me off, shoving her boyfriend right up to me. She was grinning, and I could tell she was excited.

"Nice to meet you, Harry."

"You too. I've heard a lot about you," he chuckled. I blushed and wondered what he might have heard and who he might have heard it from. I took a quick side-glance at Ron. He was standing at the bar buying himself a drink.

"And this is Hermione!" Ginny said, pushing the girl next to Harry.

She smiled at me and held out her hand. "Hermione Granger, nice to meet you."

"Lucie Gould." I shook her hand and she seemed to loosen up a bit.

We all sat around the bar and talked for a little bit. Hermione seemed to completely let her guard down, no longer afraid I was going to snatch her boyfriend up at any second. Ginny also didn't forget to mention George's little crush on me, which seemed to release most of the stress she had.

"So, why don't we all get out on the dance floor?" Ginny suggested. We had finished our drinks and I was feeling pretty good.

"Yeah, let's go!" Hermione jumped up, pulling Ron by the wrist.

"You guys go ahead, I don't really have anyone to dance with," I said, encouraging them to go have fun anyway.

"Don't even worry about it," Harry said smiling. "We'll all take turns dancing with you."

The rest of the group agreed and Ginny pulled me off of my stool. We walked out on the dance floor as The Weird Sisters continued a medley of their most popular songs. We danced around, flailing almost, and just had a great time. I was sharing a dance with Ginny and Harry, when he twirled me around. I laughed and stumbled a bit (I've never been the most graceful girl) into the grasp of another person. I turned around to apologize when I locked eyes with Theodore Nott, the boy from before.

"Falling for me already, I see?" he chuckled.

I smiled. "I just can't resist that handsome smile," I joked back.

He laughed. "Slytherin green, it's a good color on you. Maybe you'll get sorted into my house."

"Let her go, Nott," Ron snapped, walking towards us. I had forgotten his hands were still holding my arms. Theodore let go of my arms and stepped back a little.

"Ms. Gould and I were just talking. Besides, what does it matter to you, Weasley?" Nott spat back at him.

"She's our friend," Ginny said, including herself into the conversation.

"And she lives in our house," Ron added.

"So that means we can't talk?" Theodore asked, sounding more threatening than questioning.

"You're a Slytherin. Go hang out with your other little Death Eater friends," Ron said, looking as if he was going to shove Theodore across the dance floor.

That blow obviously hit him hard. Theodore took a step back. "You know what, I don't need this," he said. He turned to me. "Maybe I'll see you around." I smiled at him and nodded, and he walked away.

"What was that about?" Ron asked, obviously pissed off.

"What? I met him earlier tonight, he got me a drink, and we talked a little. What's the big problem? He seems nice enough…"

"Lucie, Nott is a Death Eater. He isn't a good guy," Harry said, trying to explain.

"He was a part of the group who killed your dad," Ginny said softly. My heart sank, and I shook my head.

"I can't believe I-… I didn't know he was-…"

"It's okay," Ginny pulled me into a hug. "It's getting late, why don't we head back to the Burrow?" I nodded.

"Harry and I should probably get back to my house too," Hermione said.

"When is the next time I'm going to see you?" Ginny asked, placing her hands gently on Harry's chest.

"I'll meet you at King's Cross Station. Platform 9¾. I'll be the one with the glasses, holding a bouquet of daisies for my wonderful girlfriend."

Ginny giggled and placed a quick kiss on his lips. "This is why I love you."

"I'll see you there, too," Ron smiled, pulling Hermione into a hug.

"I won't have any daisies for you," she joked.

"If you're lucky, you might get some from me." Hermione laughed at Ron's joke, they shared a kiss and separated.

"It was a pleasure meeting you," Harry said, giving me a quick hug. "I'm sure you'll fit right in with the group!"

"Yeah, you guys are great. I can't wait to see you at school." I smiled.

Hermione have me a hug too. "You'll be a great addition." She smiled at me.

I felt like I was being adopted into a family, and in a way, I was. "Thanks," I said.

We all apparated back to the house and stepped inside. George was sitting on the sofa in the living room reading a book. The clock on the wall indicated that it was far later than I expected it would be.

"Where's Mum and Dad?" Ron asked his brother, sinking into the armchair next to the couch.

"They went off to bed about two hours ago. Way past their bed time. And yours, little brother," he joked, pinching Ron's cheek.

Ron kicked off his shoes and smacked his brother's hand out of the way. "You're a bloody idiot."

We all laughed. Ginny headed for the stairs. "It's shower time for me, then I'm going to bed. I'm exhausted."

I stood next to the door, feeling a little uneasy. I wasn't tired at all. "Jet lag" should have been taking its toll, but I felt more awake and alive than I had in months.

"Well, sit down!" George laughed, patting the seat next to him on the couch. Ron rolled his eyes. I giggled and made my way next to him. I sat down on the yellow couch cushion and George through his arm around my shoulder. "Thaaaaat's better," he joked.

I rolled my eyes at him and through his arm off of me. "Someone doesn't know the meaning of 'personal bubble'," I joked back.

"What is a 'personal bubble'?" He through his entire body on top of me. I squealed and tried pushing him off, but it was obvious he was putting all of his weight on me to make it difficult.

"And this is where I leave," Ron said, standing up. "You two have an…interesting night." George roared with laughter. I couldn't help but let out a small laugh myself.

"George Weasley, you get off of me right this second! Before I hex you off!"

"You would do no such thing," he chuckled, propping himself up slightly so he could stare down at me.

"You don't know that I wouldn't!"

"I do too."

George had resettled himself on me so that he was caging me in, hovering over me a little, rather than crushing me with his body. His face was inches from mine.

"What makes you so certain, Mr. Weasley?" I asked. I felt slightly short of breath. My stomach was doing summersaults. I wasn't sure what game George was playing. In the past twelve hours I'd known George, he was nothing short of unpredictable.

"You find me much to appealing to hex, Miss Gould." He smiled. The look on his face was testing… like he was testing me to make the next move (whatever that was). I didn't move. I stayed completely still underneath the redheaded boy.

"Appealing, huh?" I questioned. I tried hard to keep my composure.

"Yes, appealing." He inched closer to my face, but we didn't touch. I could feel his breath on my lips, and I was certain he could feel the same. I closed my eyes, still completely unsure of what was going to happen next. Then I heard George chuckle. "Let's go for a walk." He raised himself off me and grabbed my hand, pulling me up.

We found ourselves walking around the cornfields behind the Burrow. I could hear chirps of crickets and noises from other animals, mystical and muggle alike. Every so often, a slight breeze would pick up, gently rustling the corn.

George and I walked in a comfortable silence until we reached the orchards towards the end of their property. We approached this huge oak tree. George sat down, leaning on the trunk. He patted the ground next to him, summoning me over. I planted myself on the damp soil, every spell that could take care of the new stains on Ginny's dress running through my mind.

Despite it being late July, the weather was a little chilly. I shivered, and George put his arm around me. I leaned my head on his shoulder. And that's how we sat for quite some time in a comfortable silence. I felt sleep start to overcome me. Determined not to let myself pass out, I closed my eyes, just for some rest.

"Lucie," George said, finally breaking the silence.

"Hmmm," I replied, never opening my eyes.

"I feel comfortable with you."

"I feel com-fer-tu-bul with you too." My voice sounded groggy.

"I haven't felt comfortable with anyone since-…" He paused. "Since Fred…"

I opened my eyes and sat up a little straighter so I could look at him face to face. "Oh, George-…" I started.

"No, hold on. Let me say something." He grabbed my hands. "I like you, Lucie. I feel like I've known you forever, and I don't know a thing about you. I…I feel like I've led you on a whole lot. I feel like… like I've made you think that I'm a bloody lunatic, in love with you after one day.

"I didn't mean to make it seem like that. When I say I like you, I mean I like YOU. Not that I LIKE you. I'm really sorry if I've made you think otherwise." George finished his rant and looked anywhere but my face. I giggled.

"Really, George, it's not even a big deal. I'm not upset. What, do you think I'm some 'bloody lunatic' who falls in love after a day?"

George chuckled. "Now you're mocking me."

"Absolutely," I smiled. "Besides, it never would have worked. I'm off to boarding school in less than a month. I don't do long-distance." I gave the red head a quick kiss on the cheek and jumped to my feet. "Hakuna matata!"

He laughed. "Oh, well I suppose that makes perfect sense," he said, accepting my help up. "And what in Merlin's name is 'hakuna matata'?"

"It means 'no worries'," I laughed. "It's an American thing." I stuck my tongue out at the boy.

"Oh, is that how it's going to be?"

"Is what how it's going to be?"

"You better run!"

The two of us took off through the orchard and back through the cornfields to the Burrow. I beat George back to the house, but only because he let me. I know there is no way I actually won. We exchanged a quick hug and parted ways.

I found my way up the many staircases and past the different rooms to the new room Ginny and I shared. She was already asleep on her bed, so I carefully changed out of beautiful, dirty green dress and into a big grey t-shirt and a pair of white cotton shorts. I pulled my curls up into a messy bun and wiped my face off on my towel from my earlier shower. Then, I curled up into bed and drifted off into a much deserved sleep.

A/N: Like I said! A liiiitttle but misleading. But either way, I hope you enjoyed it. The next few chapters are going to be very different than the last few. Be ready!
Love you all and stuff. :) REVIEWS.