Okay so the votes total for the relationships are…
Step it up now: 2
Hold it back:1
My decision is to speed it up because I have been given a lot of comments about how people cant wait any longer, yet it will probably occur within the next two chapters so be prepared for that. The reason the romance doesn't start in this chapter is because im going to try and drop some hints like my friend Catpokemonfuzz told me. Just trying to make everyone happy :D On with the chapter then (and yes I do skip up a lot to progress the story.)
October 5, 1992
Harry and Ron probably had the most amusing way to get to school that year, they had flown in on the Weasley's Family car (Earning them a lot of detentions). Fred, George, Lee, and I had a good laugh about it back in September but now we had little to laugh about, the teachers were piling on the homework…
"Can you believe that slimy grease ball! A 14 inch essay on the use of worm blood in potions! I cant even think of one use! Who honestly takes the time to think about that in class when all you do is think about how much he looks like an ugly parrot!" I exclaimed as I collapsed on my favorite couch in the common room.
Fred gave a half hearted laugh then collapsed next to me, "Well, your Great Aunt hasn't been that kind either, honestly full animal transformations? And we have to be adept at it by next Wednesday!"
"True, but still, Snape's worse."
"Yah, he looks like he wants to kill you whenever he sees you." Fred said grimly
"Yah, what did I ever do to him anyway?" I furrowed my brow, he treated all Gryffindor's badly but I must have been number two on his hit list next to Harry. After me were Probably Fred, George, and Lee…
"Well, there's that time you mocked him by transforming your nose into a parrot bill… or the time you squawked 'Polly wants a cracker'."
"Mmmm…" I nodded thoughtfully smiling and I heard Fred laugh
"Or, all the times you've set up those dung bombs to go off when he opened his desk."
'I laughed, "Yah I remember that! I shoved them into the way back of his drawer and then enchanted them to go off whenever moving air made contact with them."
'Best of all, the stench was so bad it made him close the drawer whenever he opened it so he couldn't get them out until a month later!" Fred laughed 'He reeked for weeks! And whenever he went to open the drawer he flinched!"
"The look on his face was priceless!" I agreed smiling
Fred paused for a moment and I saw his cheeks turn a light pink.
"Fred?" I asked raising my eyebrow, "Do you have a fever? You look a bit red." I said concerned
'What? No, I don't think I do…" He answered
"You're sure you don't feel sick?" I asked him again.
"Yah, just a bit tired from all the homework that's all…"
"You know we don't have to do everything tonight, we could take a break while George does his detention…" I said slowly
Fred looked over at me interested,"What do you suppose we do then?" he grinned
Which was how we ended up running down the hallways away from a maniacal Filch that evening after we had slid under the door a fake love note from Madam Pomfrey. It wasn't our most creative thing we could do, but still, it was a classic.
"You little brats! Get back here so I can thrash your asses into next week!" He raged
"Sorry Filchy old pal but that's against the rules!" I laughed
"Don't make me tell that Great Aunt of yours! Some of the stuff in this letter is pretty dirty!"
"What's dirty? How our wonderful nurse Madam Pomfrey wants to get you up against a tree so that she can snog you?" I laughed
"You think you can sass me now don't you, you little freak!" Filch snapped out of Breath "Well guess what! You cant!"
Soon enough we were out of earshot and back in the Gryffindor common room, both of us out of breath. Eventually Fred managed speak, "Nice one!" He laughed as he high fived me "This letter was better than the last!"
I smiled at him, "Thanks Fred!"
"You just keep getting funnier and funnier." He grinned
"And less, and less innocent…" I sighed pretending to be devastated
He laughed again, "Hey Allie?"
"What?" I asked him
"Just out of plane curiosity, have you ever… you know…snogged someone?" He asked hesitantly
I looked blankly at him, and then pretended to reminisce…
"So you have?" he asked
'No, you knucklehead, I haven't. Why did you have to ask me that anyway?" I raised an eyebrow
"just curious, you know… you wrote it in the letter."
I sighed then said, "Oh, right the letter yah..." I ended the conversation there but I knew he was covering up something, this reached far past curiosity and eventually I was going to find out what…
October 31, 1992
"Happy Halloween!" I smiled as I ran into the Gryffindor common room. My canine teeth had been grown out so that they looked vampiric, my skin I had paled down so that I looked almost bloodless, and my hair was a straight dark black. My eyes I had altered to a blood red.
'Wicked Allison!" George and Fred said together, identical evil grins on their faces .
"Thanks guys!" I smiled again showing my fangs
"Being a metamorph sure has its advantages doesn't it?" Fred asked
"Yah, I envy you Al…" George grinned 'I mean who wouldn't want to turn their hair bubblegum pink at a moment's whim?"
I laughed.
'Don't forget that it makes Halloween much easier." Fred smiled
I grinned back at him.
"Hey Allison! Like the fangs!" Lee called over
"Thanks Lee!" I laughed back
He winked then walked over to Angelina.
Sighing I shook my head and turned back to Fred and George. 'So what do you want to do? It's the weekend we don't have classes… were free to prank to our hearts content…"
'Why don't we… go bother or lovely little sister Ginny over there?" George grinned wickedly
"Agreed." Fred and I said at once we turned to look at each other and laughed, "Wow Allie, you've spent so much time around us that you're turning into us." Fred grinned and something weird happened in my stomach, it felt like little butterflies had erupted inside and a strange tingling feeling went through my body. I sat there numb, staring blankly at Fred confused, snapping out of my stare only when he waved his hand in front of my eyes, "Allison? Allison are you okay? You look… kind of sick."
I flushed embarrassed at my pause, "Oh… um… I'm fine, just had this brain lasp, that's all... guess all the homework's getting to me."
Fred raised his eyebrow at me, "Are you sure? We can take you to your Aunt or the hospital wing if you don't feel well…"
"No, no, no I'm fine." I interrupted him swiftly,
"Allison? Fred? Are you coming over here? Our little Ginny is writing in her diary!" George asked smiling
"Yah, were coming George," I called over. When I turned to walk away however Fred grabbed me by my arm gently.
"Are you sure you're alright?" He asked, concern etched across his face
Yet again the weird butterfly feeling erupted in my stomach and my eyes widened, "Um, of course I'm alright Fred. Why wouldn't I be?" I felt my face heating up and instantly wanted to hide my face under a blanket and hide.
Fred watched after me confused as I pulled away and ran out of the common room and down the hall towards the hospital wing. Maybe he was right, maybe I was just a little sick from all the potion fumes yesterday. Who knows? I might be having an allergic reaction. By the time I reached it I was out of breath, I stumbled into the room gasping.
Madame Pomfrey turned around to look at me, "Oh Allison my dear, what's wrong?" she asked me
"I felt a little sick so I ran down here, I thought that I might be having an allergic reaction to some ingredient we used in potions yesterday."
"Come over here and take a seat my dear…" she gestured at one of the hospital gurneys "Now tell me Allison, what did you feel when you had the reaction?"
"Well…" I said as I sat down, "I felt like there was something in my stomach, like butterflies you know? And I got all hot on my face…"
Her eyes widened and slowly her face broke into a smile, "Were you near anyone when this happened to you?"
"Well yes, my best friends Fred and George…"
'Has it happened more than once?" She asked smiling even wider
"Twice this morning." I confirmed
"And who were you near on both times?" her eyes sparkled
Confused I answered, "Fred, but what does this have to do with anything?"
"Oh my dear, this isn't an illness or allergy for that matter. This is something entirely different indeed." She looked quite happy
"Well what is it?" I asked
"well my dear, your growing up…"
'You mean this is just a really weird growing pain?" I asked, my eyebrow making an arc.
"No, my dear… but I don't think I'm the one to tell you this, let's go visit your Aunt."
She led me out of the hospital room and up to my Aunts office. When she knocked on the door she spoke a few quick words with her and then with one last smile at me, turned and left. My Aunt looked at me, smiled then said, "Come inside my dear…"
I obeyed her as I walked into the office and sat down on my favorite chair by the fire.
"So, you've been feeling butterflies whenever your around lately have you?" she asked warmly
"Well, maybe they weren't butterflies, maybe they were really light hummingbirds!" I said quickly
My aunt sighed and shook her head smiling, "Well maybe they are overgrown hummingbirds my dear, but the feeling only means one thing."
"What is it!" I asked anxiously
"Its love my dear, it happens to everyone."
"Its what?" I asked my eyes wide
"Love, my dear. I believe that you feel something for him, something more then friendship. You have just yet to realize it." She smiled at me "I have been expecting this for a while you know… I was to be quite honest worried for awhile that you haven't felt something like this before now. Your father was extremely popular with girls at your age." She took out a cup and poured some tea. "Allison, I'm glad that you chose Fred. Despite his pranks and lack of self discipline he really is a good boy and I know that he will respect you greatly. He has proven that through years of friendship. I don't want you to be sad if someone breaks your heart, nothing hurts more, and you've suffered enough in your early years… " she sighed as she shook her head taking a sip of tea. I sunk into my chair, oh… , I thought, my life at hogwarts is about to get much more complex and confusing... Little did I know how correct I was...
I spent the rest of the morning in my Aunts office completely confused and utterly flabbergasted. I mean, yes, Fred was cute and sweet. He was funny and caring and would never do anything to hurt me in any way. He understood me unlike anyone else and I understood him in the same way. Okay, so maybe my feelings for him were more than one feels for their friends under usual circumstances… But how am I supposed to tell him that? It would be hugely embarrassing to just walk up and say it, and George would probably have a field day over it… I sighed demoralized as I looked down at the picture of my parents. They sat there in their frame frozen forever in time, blindly waving up at someone they could not see, someone that they would never see. Briefly I wondered how they had gotten together… who had asked who? My Aunt had told me that they had met at the ministry when they were both young Aurors… I wondered if it had been awkward… but they hadn't exactly had much to lose now had they. Not like I had to lose anything, but still they hadn't been friends beforehand they wouldn't have had anything spoil between them or get awkward… To be quite honest I was afraid of asking him, I was afraid of his rejection. Sighing I pulled my knees up to my body, when I was younger I always dreamed of having a mother. Someone who would take me on walks to the park in the autumn and push me on the swing, someone who would no matter what always be my friend and always be someone that I could talk to. I wanted someone who could tell me stories as I got old enough to hear them, someone who could give me advice and make me feel more comfortable than anyone else when she pulled me into her arms. But I always knew that I would never have such a person. My aunt was a great person in many ways, she made me feel loved whenever I was around her and provided a warm and sheltering home on rainy days, but she wasn't a mother. She wasn't someone that I could confer to like a child would to her mother, she was my Aunt. And yes she told me stories, but they weren't the same as a mother's stories… Right now I didn't need an Aunts advice as much as I needed a mothers, tears welled up in my eyes and I chocked back a sob as I whispered, "Mum, what would you do?" but she didn't respond she just looked up smiling at me, her ears deaf to my question as they always would be. I looked out at the black lake as tears welled up in my eyes, the frost air nipped at my nose.
It was just then that I heard the crunching of feet on frozen grass. I turned around to see Fred walking over to me, once he sat down next to me he spoke, "Allie what happened to you this morning?" he asked his dark brown eyes staring into mine. Wow I had never thought about his eyes that way… I had it bad.
"How did you know it was me?" I asked automatically, my hair had changed into dark brown and was down to my lower back. My eyes had turned into a dark brown.
"The Marauders Maps." he said simply
"Oh, I should have known…"
"Allison is something wrong? You're not acting like yourself."
"I'm fine honestly."
He rolled his eyes at me, "Allison if I believed that lie then I wouldn't be your best friend."
I looked at him with my dark eyes.
His eyes drifted down to the picture and then back at me, "Is it about you parents?" he asked softly
"Partly, it's more than that though… Fred what's it like when your parents give you a hug?" I asked before I could stop.
He got an amused expression on his face,"So you're saying that all this is about hugging?"
"Well…" I trailed off
'A hug is a hug Allison, and deep down inside you know what it felt like when your parents hugged you." He smiled at me 'Allison a hug from my parents feels like any other hug that I've ever been given."
I raised my eyebrow, "Who else has given you a hug?" I smirked at him feeling more and more comfortable
"Well, I've never hugged a girl before… except for Ginny and my mum, and my Aunt Muriel…" he trailed off and I smiled at him. "I've been forced to hug Ronnykins."
I laughed at him.
"Allison, all of the hugs felt the same to me. So I suppose that a hug from your parents would feel the same as any hug that you've ever received."
'Even a hug from you?" I whispered before I could stop myself.
He grinned, "Yes, even a hug from me." And he pulled me into a warm electric feeling hug which I returned. And I had never felt anything like it.
After the feast that night…
"Oi, Allie! Come on now show off your fangs!" George laughed as I hissed
Harry laughed, "Brilliant Allie!"
"Thank you Mister Potter." I nodded at him using a manner which was very similar to that of my Aunts.
He laughed again.
I beamed, it was just then that we came to a stop.
A loud gasp sounded from across the hallway, "Mrs. Norris… who did this? Who killed my cat!" Filch snapped, 'Was it you Potter? Or how about you three?" he pointed at us "You three are always out to get me! I wouldn't be surprised if one of you did it!"
It was then that I noticed the writing on the wall, "It's in blood." I whispered
"What's in bloo-" Fred gaped as he noticed the message
"The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the heir, beware." I whispered terrified
"What does it mean enemies of the heir beware?" George asked his eyes wide
I swallowed, "I don't know…"
It was just then that Professor Dumbledore pushed through the crowd, after reading the message on the wall his mouth dropped. "students report to your dormitories immediately! Not, you three…" he said holding his hand up in front of Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Ron gulped. "Don't worry, you have done nothing wrong. You simply were among the first to discover Mrs. Norris in this terrible state."
"It's not them who would of done this! It's those three! Those troublesome fourth years!" Filch's eyes were watery; "They killed my cat!"
My aunt arrived just then, "I hope, Mr. Filch, That you are not accusing my niece of petrifying your cat?"
Yes! My Aunt comes to the rescue just in time!
"Petrified? You mean that she's not dead?" Filch's eyes glittered with hope
"Of course she's not dead. Allison and the Weasley's might be pranking troublemakers, but even they wouldn't do anything like this to your cat. In fact they aren't even capable of such a thing."
I turned around and whispered at Fred and George, "Of course we wouldn't do such a thing. That cat is his only companion, I'm pretty sure he's married to it."
"Yah, and if we did something like that to it, he would spend all his time following us around." Fred agreed
I turned back around to face the horrifying message on the wall.
"Well than, now that all of this is sorted out, I can send Allison and her friends back to their dormitories." My aunt nodded at us
I turned around and ran, I didn't want to spend one more moment looking at that message or that cat.