Chapter 6

Alex smiled as she sat with Summer on the steps of Hogwarts. It was just after dinner. They watched the twilight roll in.

"So how have you been?" Summer asked curiously.

Alex shrugged. "Harry's realized I'm not a little girl anymore and I want to be with someone."

Summer smiled. "Oh really? Who?"

Alex frowned. "I'm not supposed to say. It's sort of our little secret." She smiled, feeling naughty.

Summer giggled. "Oh I see. A secret relationship." She sighed. "I wish I could put up with Draco. He was so sweet to start out, and then over the summer suddenly he's just…not that interesting anymore." Summer laughed. "That sounds bad doesn't it?"

Alex shook her head. "I almost want to say I told you so."

Summer shoved her playfully. "That's not nice."

Alex laughed. "No, not really. But at least you don't have a brother to pick who you date."

Summer chuckled happily. "God forbid he should ever pick Seamus. That would make me laugh."

Alex gasped and widened her eyes. "Ok that was just mean." She smiled. "I have to get going; Hermione promised me a neck rub for getting a good grade in Transfigurations."

Summer laughed. "She's rewarding you now?"

Alex nodded proudly. "I'm a big girl now." She stated happily.

They laughed as they walked back into the Great Hall. Alex hugged her softly.

"I'll see you soon." She said reassuringly.

Summer nodded and smiled as she watched Alex leave the room with a group of Gryffindors. She sighed. Being in Slytherin sucked.

"You have a lot of tension in your shoulders." Hermione observed as she rubbed at Alex's neck. Hermione, Alex, Ron, Fred and George all sat in the common room together around the fire, relaxing after their first week of school.

"School's a bitch." Alex said happily through closed eyes, enjoying the attention and relaxation.

Fred couldn't keep his eyes off of her. He smiled at every facial expression she made. When Hermione dug too deep, even the slightest wince Alex made Fred noticed it. He shook his head when he realized he had been staring too long. George was trying to talk him into going to Hogsmeade to check on the store.

"Yea, yea sure sounds good." He said, not really understanding what he just agreed to.

"Excellent. We'll make sure their taking care of the place." George said happily. They had been training a few people over the summer to take over the store in their absence. They would check in periodically, because they still owned it.

Ron was setting up the wizard's chess board, hoping Harry would come down. He and Alex still hadn't been talking.

She sighed. "I can leave if you want Harry to come down Ron, I don't mind."

He looked nervously around him, not sure how to answer.

She sat up and stretched as Hermione settled into the far corner of the couch with a book.

"Thanks Hermione. I'll be upstairs." She looked directly at Fred for a moment then smiled. Alex walked up to her room, she could hear Ron get up and make his way to Harry.

She frowned. She didn't want to fight with him like this, but she was her own person. Is that why you're sneaking around with one of his friends? Her conscience asked her.

She stopped. "Stupid conscience." She muttered under her breath. She tried to mentally defend herself. She knew it wasn't a mistake. She sat on her bed. Right?

She shook her head of all thought. She was happy to be with Fred. Sure it sucked having to sneak around, but for some odd, demented reason Alex kind of liked it. She lay down, thinking deeply. This was all happening pretty fast for her. It's only been a week since Alex and Fred had agreed to keep their relationship a secret. She smiled at the thought of Fred. She got a giggly little school girl sensation whenever she thought about him. He's mine, she concluded, and she was going to do everything in her power to make this work. In the pit of her stomach she knew she could trust him, a problem she usually had with guys. Hanging around them all the time, she sort of got the hint on how their dirty little minds worked. She sat up and smoothed out her skirt. Harry was right, it was a little short, but she couldn't help that. It wasn't her fault Madame Malkin wasn't in that day. She had grown at least an inch or two taller since last summer, she needed to hem her skirt, but the day she actually went no one could help her. Some sort of personal holiday. Alex shrugged off her rambling thoughts. She looked out the window and gasped. Fred was smiling through at her. He tapped on the glass.

She smiled and walked over. "Can I help you?" She said with a grin.

He looked pleadingly through the window pane. "It's really cold."

"Aaawww poor baby." She giggled and opened the window wide. He was sitting on his broomstick, the wind blowing around him.

"I was in the neighborhood. Thought I would stop by." He said gazing around. "So this is what your dorm looks like."

Alex laughed. "Perhaps." She stepped back. "You know, everyone is down in the common room." She walked backwards until she hit the door. She locked it.

He smiled and slipped through the window. Alex sat down on her bed.

"Won't they miss you?" She asked as he sat down next to her, grabbing her hand.

He shook his head. "Harry and Ron are into Wizard's Chess and Hermione is reading. And George…I think he left to go check on the shop. I wasn't really listening to him." He laughed.

Fred smiled and put his chin on Alex's shoulder, looking deep into her eyes. "You know, I don't get it."

Alex cocked her head to the side. "What?"

"Why do I feel this way with you?"

Alex blushed and looked around the room. She shrugged.

He held her chin with his hand. "I feel so comfortable with you."

Alex smiled. "I feel it too." Fred bent over her and kissed her deeply. Leaning her back onto the bed they barely heard the knock on the door.

"Alex? Alex what are you doing in there?" Hermione called through the door. She could hear Ginny was with her.

"Shit." Alex said, Fred still hovering over her. "Here, get in."

Alex stood up and brought the hangings around the bed, covering it completely. Alex stripped quickly and got into her pajamas. She faked a yawn and went to the door.

"Oh, sorry guys, I didn't realize I locked it. Must have been an accident." Alex stretched and walked back to her bed, sneaking into it. Fred looked her up and down wondering how women could possibly change that bloody fast. She tried not to laugh as he plucked at her shirt playfully.

"I'm really tired, how long have you been down there? I've been asleep since I got up here." Alex said, lying relentlessly.

Hermione got into her own bed. "Oh, well you didn't miss anything, trust me. Harry won a couple of rounds and then Ron one once so they gave up and went to bed."

Alex laughed. "Sounds like tons of fun."

"Yea not really. The twins went to Hogsmeade so they probably wouldn't be back for another couple of hours." Ginny said from her bed.

Fred bit his lip trying not to laugh. She pushed him back onto her pillow and kissed him quickly. He stretched out and smiled at the awkward situation.

Hermione got up again. "Alex? Why is this window open? It's freezing outside!" Hermione shut it, and then locked it.

Alex put a hand to her head. This was not going very well.

"Well, good night." Hermione called from the other side of the room.

Alex smiled, "Yea, goodnight."

"Good night to both of you." Ginny called.

Alex muttered under her breath. She hoped it sounded like a goodnight of some sort.

Fred grinned up at her as she sat over him trying to think of how to get him out of there. She shrugged.

'You're stuck' she mouthed to him.

Fred grabbed her around the middle and kissed her passionately. 'Yay' he mouthed back.

She pulled the covers over them and sank into his embrace, facing him, not being able to keep her lips away from his.

"This is too good to be true." She whispered.

"Alex, stop talking to yourself. Jeez." Ginny murmured sleepily.

Fred tried not to laugh as he kissed Alex's forehead.

Alex snuggled deeper into his embrace and quickly found herself asleep.