AN: I don't own Harry Potter.

Alicia's POV:

"One… two… three… one…. Two…three" She mumbled under her breath, her eyes never leaving from her and her partners feet on the floor. Alicia heard an amused chuckle from her partner, causing her to look up with a raised eye brow. "Do I amuse you Davies?"

The tall bespectacled boy dancing with her, his large brown eyes innocently looking back at her, whilst his glasses slipped slightly down his nose as they danced. "Not at all Spinnet, Just I have one question" Bradley Davies, stood a whole head taller than her, unlike his brother he had sandy coloured hair with a large number freckles covering his nose and cheeks. He had a wide smile and opposite to his older brother, was more interested in his studies than the number of girls he could get.

"Well, I guess I could let ask one question Mr Davies, two if you're lucky" Alicia let out a small laugh as the boy dipped her, before leading her into a spin, causing her dress to flow nicely. Over Bradley's shoulder she could see Katie and Angelina dancing gracefully with their respected partners. She turned her attention back to Bradley, ignoring Fred's stare over Angelina's head as he danced with her.

Bradley laughed "Well, I guess it's my lucky night then" He grinned, pulling the blonde closer to him. "My question is why is it that you are probably one of the only purebloods I know that cannot, for the life in them, dance?" Bradley grinned cheekily "You're even worse than Longbottom." He nodded towards the fourth year who was dancing with Ginny, stepping on her toes almost every step.

"How do you know I'm the bad dancer, it could be just you." Alicia answered, her cheeks going red causing the Ravenclaw to chuckle softly. She concentrated on the movement of her feet as Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore gracefully danced past. "Remember Spinnet, step forward, step back, step side to the right and step forward again" McGonagall said with a small smile to the Gryffindor. "Yes Professor, I'm getting there." Alicia replied with a small nod.

"How about I make this easier on you Alicia" Bradley said with a relaxed grin, before picking her up and setting her feet on top of his, moving them both to the music. "Thanks Bradley, that is a lot easier." Alicia acknowledged with a small nod, leaning her head on the boys shoulder. "Thanks for coming with me today, I mean, I'd rather go with a friend than by myself..." She looked up at him "You weren't going to ask anyone right? Cause if you were you coul-"

Bradley cut her off with a shake of his head "Don't sweat about it Alicia, I wasn't going to ask anyone and was glad you could go with me... Like you said, better than going by yourself" He looked over her head "A Weasley twin is coming over, I can't tell which one though..." Alicia stiffed slightly but was relieved when Fred appeared with Angelina in toe.

"Mind if I steal your partner Davies?" Fred said as a new slower song started as Alicia and Bradley stepped apart. "I guess so Weasley, as long as you don't mind that I do the same." Angelina grinned at Bradley, grabbing his hand pulling him closer to her. Fred moved cautiously closer to Alicia, with a nervous look on his face. "Fred? Are you okay? I'm not going to bite or anything" Alicia grabbed his hands and placed them on her hips before wrapping her own arms around his neck. She found it easier to dance with Fred than with Bradley due to the Weasley being a lot stockier than the Ravenclaw. Fred gave her a faint small, moving her across the dance floor in tune to the music. "Sorry about that, I didn't know how happy you would be about dancing with me." Alicia frowned slightly, her eyebrows knotting together. "Why wouldn't I be happy? It's not as if you have done anything to Angelina or anything. Wait, have you?"

Fred let out a nervous laugh "No, no of course I haven't, I'd never do that to Fre- I mean, I'd never do that to Angelina" He pulled her closer, looking over to his twin through the corner of his eye who was now talking to Harry and Ron in the corner. Alicia carried on frowning at the ginger boy "Are you feeling okay? You haven't drunk any of those experiments of yours and it's gone to your head?" She sighed softly, biting her lower lip in concern.

"I haven't, I'm fine… I just want to say something and I don't know how you'll react..." Fred let his eyes wonder over the blonde girls face, searching for an answer. "Ask me Fred, whatever you have done, I'll forgive you or even if it's George, I'll forgive you both. Now please tell me. You're worrying me"

Fred sighed "I'm not Fred... I mean... I'm like Fred but I'm not him..." Alicia froze "What do you mean you're not..." Her mouth fell open slightly as the scar above the boy's eyebrow disappeared and he grew a tiny bit "George..." Alicia pushed the boy away from her. "Is this some kind of sick prank of yours?" She glared at him, ignoring the stares from the dancers around them. The fellow Gryffindor gulped "O-of course not, I'd never- It was just to get you to talk to me." He took a step closer to her. Alicia outraged, gracefully side stepped him and walked away "Yeah, you ruined that one Weasley. Stay away from me. You've ruined everything." She quickly made her way out of the hall ignoring the stares from other as a tear slipped down her cheek.

"Alicia! Wait!" The real Fred ran after her, his dress robes billowing behind him. He grabbed her arm gently "C'mon Leesh, tell me what I have to do to make you better" Fred pulled Alicia closer to him, hugging her tightly and giving her a gentle kiss on the top of her head.

Alicia sighed into his shoulder "I thought he was you... and I wanted just for once to forget why I was mad at him but then he just... Came and reminded me why I was upset and… "She gently pushed the boy away "Look its fine, I think I might just go find Dumbledore and ask if he could get my dad to come get me..." Alicia gave him a pained smile "I'll see you at the end of the holidays..."

Fred nodded slowly "I'll walk you to his office and then go back to the ball" He wrapped an arm around her shoulder as they made their way to the headmaster. "You do look beautiful by the way, well, if you ignore the slightly messed up makeup." Alicia let out a watery giggle "Thanks Fred" She smiled as Fred said the password (mince pies) and hopped up the first few steps. "I'll see you soon, okay?" She gave him a small wave and climbed up the steps to the office door.

Alicia knocked on the wooden door, waiting until she heard a small "Come in" from inside to enter the room. She looked around, seeing a smiling Professor Dumbledore sitting at his desk.

"Ahhhh, Alicia what can I do for you this evening? Would you care for a lemon drop? I find them rather enjoyable" He held up a pot full of yellow sweets, as she took one. "Thank you sir" Alicia said whilst sucking on the sweet in her mouth. "I was wondering whether I could maybe go home. I mean, I miss my parents…" She paused as Dumbledore surveyed her over his half-moon spectacles. "If it's not too much trouble"

Dumbledore gave her a warm smile "Yes, I think that would be agreeable. I feel maybe time away from your peers would do a wonder of good for you" He stood up from behind his desk "Dobby." Alicia blinked, thinking that Dumbledore might have finally cracked before jumping as a loud crack appeared and a house elf materialised in front of her.

"Professor Dumbledore called Dobby" The house elf squeaked. Alicia took the house elf in with a slightly amused expression as the house elf was wearing a tea cosy, a pair of shorts and a long pair of yellow socks that almost reached his shorts.

Professor Dumbledore nodded "Yes, if it was not too much trouble I'd like you to go to the Gryffindor 6th year dorm for the girls and collect all of Miss Spinnet's processions"

The house elf spun round, only just noticing Alicia "Miss, I didn't see you there" He bowed to her "Dobby will gladly get your items." Alicia smiled, liking the elf "Thanks Dobby? Was it?" She watched as Dobby nodded happily, before pausing "Does Miss have a cat?" Alicia nodded too "Yes a small white one, but he'll be already in his carry case as I put him in there before the ball to stop him from sitting on the dresses."

Dobby gleefully disappeared with another crack, leaving Dumbledore and Alicia alone once more. Dumbledore pulled out his wand as something bright appeared in front of him and sped through the wall before Alicia could work out what form the Patronus was. Dumbledore then settled back into his seat once more. "Your father should be arriving any minute" He stated gently with a smile as Dobby reappeared with another crack. "Here are your things miss, Dobby thinks your cat is most delightful" Dobby bowed to her before turning towards the headmaster. "Would that be all you will need of Dobby?"

Dumbledore nodded "Yes, thank you Dobby for your help." Dobby bowed deeply before disappearing with yet again, another crack. Alicia smiled as she heard her cat purring gently in his carry basket.

The fire in the corner lit up with green flames as Alicia's father stepped out of the fire and onto the rug in front of it. Alicia father, a tall muscular man, with dark brown hair and grey eyes looked with a smile at Dumbledore. "Evening Albus" He said before walking over to his eldest daughter and giving her a kiss on the forehead. "Come on you; let's get home before it gets too late." Alicia nodded, standing up from her seat across from Dumbledore. "Thank you professor, I hope you have a good rest of the holiday." She smiled, passing her trunk to her father and keeping up her cat basket and broom.

"Thank you Alicia, the same goes for you" Dumbledore replied, with a smile to Alicia's father. Alicia and her father made their way to the fire, her father throwing in some floo powder and pushing her trunk in. "You go first sweetheart" Her gave her a gentle push into the grate and then passed her some floo Powder. Alicia smiled, holding both her broom and cat basket in one hand, saying clearly and loudly "Spinnet Manor" before disappearing in large green flames.

Alicia was spun around quickly, before falling clumsily onto the red carpet of her living room at her mother's feet. "Merry Christmas mum" She said as she was pulled up from the ground by her mother and into her warm arms.