"You don't meet a girl like that every dynasty."

-The Emperor (Mulan)

Scarlett woke up the next morning wanting nothing more than to stay under her covers. She had returned to her common room the night before to find that both Erica and Justin had gone to bed. This had been a relief at the time, but the prospect of having to face both of them sometime during the day was enough to make Scarlett want to hide under her covers until summer arrived and it was time to go home.

Finally, the time came when Scarlett wasn't able to put off getting out of bed any longer. Glancing at Erica's bed, she saw that her best friend was already awake and most likely in the bathroom. Sighing, Scarlett dragged herself out of bed and reached the bathroom just as Erica was coming out. They stared at each other for a moment before Erica spoke.

"Scar, what happened last night?"

Scarlett fiddled with the hem of her pajama top. "I went to meet Fred and George, as I'm sure you've guessed. We pranked Umbridge, and then Fred and I talked out by the Quidditch pitch. That's why I was gone for so long. I needed time to calm down. All we did was talk, though, I swear."

"I believe you."

"Are you angry with me?"

Erica moved to sit on her bed. "No," she said slowly. "I understand where you're coming from and I know the feelings you have for Fred are simply friendly. I know you aren't actually doing anything with him, and Justin should understand that as well, but I also know something he doesn't with the whole vow thing. Justin really likes you, Scar, and he has some issues with Fred. I don't blame him for being afraid to lose you."

"Which is why I'm afraid to tell him the truth about Fred. He'll freak out." But I know the longer I wait, the harder it'll get. I like Justin so much and I know he really likes me, but I don't want to lose him either and I will if I tell him about Fred."

"You're in quite the tricky situation," Erica agreed.

"Do you think Justin's still mad at me?"

Erica shook her head. "I highly doubt it. You know him. He doesn't usually stay angry for long."

Scarlett nodded and headed into the bathroom. "You know, nine year olds really shouldn't be allowed to make their own decisions. If they weren't, I wouldn't be in this mess."

Erica laughed. "I don't know. In a weird way, I'm kind of enjoying watching you suffer."

"What a lousy best friend you are," Scarlett teased.

"I do my best."

Justin was sitting across from Ernie and Hannah in the great hall when Scarlett got down there for breakfast. She stopped just to his right and fiddled with the end of her sleeve, unsure of what to do. Finally, Ernie looked up and met her eye. Justin turned to see what Ernie was looking at and when he saw Scarlett, his expression didn't change. He simply stared at her, clearly waiting for her to say something first.

"Hi, can I talk to you?" she whispered.

Justin paused before nodding. "Okay."

Scarlett sat down and turned so that she was facing him. "I didn't mean to make you angry last night."

Justin sighed. "Why did you lie to me about who you got the murtlap from?"

"Like I said, I didn't want you to get upset. You'd be suspicious that Fred was bringing me the murtlap instead of Hermione and I was trying to prevent our fight from happening, but it happened anyway. And, honestly, I wasn't expecting to actually spend time with Fred that night. I wanted to just get the murtlap and leave, but he managed to convince me to stay out after hours. Maybe it wasn't the best decision, but…." She trailed off and shrugged. "Anyway, the important thing is that nothing happens when Fred and I are together. We just talk mostly."

Justin stared at her without saying a word. He simply sat there, studying her face.

"Please, say something," Scarlett whispered.

Finally, Justin let out another sigh. "It's really me that should be apologizing to you. I might have overreacted."

"I know you have issues with Fred and I know why, but honestly, you should trust me. If you just trusted me about this, I wouldn't have to lie about when I'm hanging out with Fred."

"Have there been other times you've spent time with him and hid it from me?"

"No, I swear."

"I'm sorry, Scar," Justin sighed. "I do trust you. I just…I overreacted. But I do think Fred and George are reckless. I hate seeing what that toad of a woman does during her detentions and I don't want Fred and George to be the reason you have to sit through them."

"I know where you're coming from, but they're my friends, and it's up to me if and how I spend my time with them."

Justin nodded and rubbed a hand over his face. "I did say I'd try to be more understanding about them, didn't I? I suppose I didn't do a very good job of keeping my word."

"You said you'd try, not that you would, so the way I see it, you're doing okay."

Justin's mouth actually turned up into a small smile. "I'm still going to try, okay? Not for them, though. For you. If you see something worth liking in them, then I'm not going to hold it against you."

"You really don't see anything good in them at all?" Scarlett asked.

"I mean, I suppose they can't be all bad. They did get sorted into Gryffindor, but…." Justin shrugged. "As you know, I have my reasons."

Scarlett nodded. "So…we're okay now? You're aren't still angry with me, are you?"

"Are you still angry with me?" Justin asked, smiling almost shyly.

"No," Scarlett whispered.

Justin leaned in and gave her a gentle kiss. "For the record, I don't think I could ever stay mad at you."

Scarlett smiled. We'll see how true that is once I tell you that I have to marry Fred Weasley, she thought.

Scarlett sat in the common room that night, chewing on the end of her quill. She felt incredibly guilty. Justin had been so understanding that morning once they had talked everything out. She probably didn't even deserve that. She probably didn't deserve him at all.

"So, a week from this Saturday," Justin said, plopping down next to Scarlett and jolting her out of her thoughts.

"What about it?" she asked, looking at him and trying not to smile. She had an inkling of what he was getting at.

"Well, it just so happens to be a Hogsmeade weekend. It also happens to be Valentine's Day," Justin smirked.

"Are you hinting at something?" Scarlett asked.

"I might be," Justin answered, smirking wider.

"Hmm, I wonder what it could possibly be." Scarlett tapped her chin in mock thought.

"Surely a smart girl like you can figure it out," Justin said, leaning back against the couch cushions.

"Well, I can't think of anything you could possibly be hinting at, so maybe I'm not as smart as you think I am." She shrugged and grinned at him.

"Oh, so you're giving me an attitude now?" Justin asked, pretending to be appalled.

"No, not at all. Why would you think such a thing?"

"I don't know." Justin tried to shrug nonchalantly, but he failed to hide his grin. "But I'm not saying anything until you figure it out."

"Okay," Scarlett shrugged, going back to her homework and, unlike Justin, succeeding in hiding her smirk.

Justin groaned and laughed.

"What?" Scarlett giggled.

"You're such a handful," Justin answered.

"This is nothing," Scarlett said, shaking her head. "I can always be even more annoying."

"No," Justin said at once, his eyes widening comically.

Scarlett giggled. "Okay, okay, I won't make you suffer anymore. Were you hinting that you'd like to spend Valentine's Day in Hogsmeade with me?"

"No," Justin shrugged.

Scarlett rolled her eyes. "And you say I'm the handful."

Justin grinned. "Okay, that is what I was hinting at, so will you go with me? It'll be our first official date."

"I thought the last Quidditch match was our first official date," Scarlett teased. "Isn't that why Erica took off with Ernie and Hannah? So that you and I could sit together?"

Justin gave her a look. "Just because we were left alone doesn't make it a date. Wouldn't this be a date if that were the case?"

"So you're saying we should invite more people to Hogsmeade with us?" Scarlett said, still teasing.

Justin rolled his eyes. "You're impossible, but that's why I like you so much. Anyway, my point is that I wasn't aware that the Quidditch match was a date so it doesn't count."

"Whatever you say," Scarlett laughed. "But of course I'll go with you. We can even go to Madame Puddifoots!" she cheered sarcastically.

"No," Justin groaned.

"Gag me," Scarlett agreed.

"Three Broomsticks?"

"Sounds good."

"Okay, it's a date," Justin said, nudging her. Scarlett rolled her eyes and giggled.

"What an odd place to do homework."

Scarlett looked up from her spot at a table in the Hogwarts kitchens to see Fred standing over her, a piece of toast in his hand. George was standing next to him, also holding a piece of toast.

"When did you two get here?" she asked, frowning. "I didn't hear you come in. Usually, the house elves make a big commotion when someone comes into the kitchens."

"They did," Fred grinned.

"They did?" Scarlett blinked a few times. "I must have completely missed it."

"Did you hear that, George?" Fred asked. "Scarlett was too caught up in homework to notice the arrival of the two most handsome blokes at Hogwarts. I find it rather insulting, don't you?"

"Very insulting," George smirked.

"You know," Scarlett said, glancing up at Fred, "if I didn't know you were joking, I would hate you for being so self-centered."

"Who said I was joking?" Fred winked.

Scarlett let out a frustrated groan and turned back to her homework.

"Would you really hate me?" Fred asked curiously as he and George both took seats across from her.

Scarlett looked up at him. "Most likely," she said, almost bluntly. "Being self-centered is never attractive." She shrugged before adding, "At least, not to me."

"Girls loved Lockhart when he was teaching here," George pointed out. "And he loved himself so much that the earth could still go round if he were the only person on it."

"Every time I laid eyes on that man, the urge to vomit was so overwhelming that I began to consider bringing a bucket to class," Scarlett deadpanned, scribbling down another sentence of her Charms essay.

Fred and George gaped at her. "Seriously?"

Scarlett nodded. "I'm completely serious."

"You're the first girl I've ever heard say she didn't like Lockhart," Fred said. "Even Angelina admits to having a crush on him."

"Yeah, well, he made me sick," Scarlett said. "I can still remember the class when he said," she deepened her voice to imitate Lockhart, "'I didn't get rid of the Bandon Banshee by smiling at her'." She did an impersonation of Lockhart's laugh. "Honestly, I wanted to knock his teeth out. Perhaps then he could banish banshees with his smile."

The twins let out snorts of laughter. Fred even began choking on his toast and George had to clap him on the back a few times.

Scarlett looked up and raised an eyebrow. "You thought that was funny?"

Fred nodded. He looked at her almost thoughtfully.

"What?" Scarlett asked.

"Nothing," Fred answered, shaking his head. "It's just that you are pretty funny when you want to be."

"Funny looking, that is," George smirked. Fred laughed and the two of them high-fived.

"Oh, please, that joke's as old as the hills," Scarlett sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Speaking of funny looking, do you have plans with the Finch this weekend?"

"Of course she does," George smirked as Scarlett glared at Fred. "It's Valentine's Day." He looked at Scarlett. "Going to Madame Puddifoots?"

"That's the last place both me and Justin want to go," Scarlett rolled her eyes.

"I thought girls loved Madame Puddifoots," Fred said. "I heard that's where Cho Chang wants to go with Harry on their date this weekend."

"Do I look like Cho Chang to you?" Scarlett asked.

"No, but I'm just saying that normally girls love that place."

"Well, then I guess I'm not a normal girl," Scarlett said absentmindedly.

"That's for sure," Fred snorted. "I didn't mean it in a bad way!" he added when Scarlett kicked him under the table.

"Is that where you're going with Angelina this weekend?" Scarlett looked up from her homework long enough to smirk at Fred. "Madame Puddifoots?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Fred said. "I thought she hated that place as much as I did, but I guess she was curious about it. She's never been there, so she wanted to give it a try."

"That's rough," Scarlett smiled. "Meanwhile, I'll be happily keeping my lunch down in a lovely booth at the Three Broomsticks."

"Shut up," Fred muttered, dusting crumbs off of his hands.

"Watch it," Scarlett said, moving her homework out of the way.

"Why are you doing homework in here anyway?"

Scarlett shrugged. "It's actually not that noisy unless it's close to a meal time." She smirked. "Besides, the house elves will bring me something to eat whenever I want it."

Fred smiled. "Don't let Hermione hear you say that."

"Oh, please, I don't abuse the privilege. In fact, I hardly ever ask. You know how the house elves are. Basically, they keep asking me if I want anything until I finally cave."

"You have more willpower than me and George," Fred said. "They only have to ask us once."

"Then again," George continued, "we don't come in here unless we want food, so there'd be no reason for us to turn them down in the first place."

"How do you know how to get in here, anyway?" Fred asked Scarlett.

"My common room is just down the hallway."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean everyone automatically knows how to get into the kitchens…does it?"

Scarlett shook her head. "I figured it out on my own."

"How?"

"The same way you figured it out, I expect."

"Bill told you, then," Fred smirked.

Scarlett looked up. "No….I just assumed you two figured it out on your own as well…."

"Nope, we didn't have to overexert ourselves trying to figure it out. It was just handed to us while you sat around straining yourself to figure out a way in," Fred teased.

"It wasn't that hard," Scarlett shrugged. "I was determined to find a way in. I was curious."

"Impressive," Fred said, raising an eyebrow.

"It is possible to figure it out. The first person who discovered it must have figured it out somehow." Scarlett shrugged and glanced at her watch. "I'd better get going. The house elves will be preparing for dinner soon and things will get hectic." She packed up her things and headed for the door. When she reached it, she turned around. "Fred?"

"Yeah?"

"Have fun at Madame Puddifoots. Try not to vomit or else I'm sure Angelina would never forgive you."

"Have fun with the Finch," Fred retaliated. "Try not to let his beak get too much in the way."

"Fair enough," Scarlett sighed.

"What do you mean?" Fred asked.

"I may have deserved that one for teasing you first."

The twins stood up and made their way over to her. George exited the room first and Fred stopped in the doorway, right across from Scarlett. He looked down at her and smirked. "One of the rules of playful bantering is not admitting defeat," he said quietly. "You should know. Usually you're pretty good at it."

"Playful bantering? Is that what we were doing?" Scarlett asked.

Fred smiled. "I'm sure Erica and Ginny would beg to differ. They'd think we were flirting."

"Me, flirt with you?" Scarlett asked, raising an eyebrow. "In your dreams, Weasley." With that, she moved out from the doorway and headed for her common room.

"See you there, then," Fred called after her. When Scarlett looked back, eyebrows raised, Fred winked before laughing and walking away with George, who was laughing just as much.

Scarlett rolled her eyes. Fred was just messing with her. He was taking the flirting joke and milking it for all it was worth. "You wish," she called after him.

Fred turned around and walked backwards away from her. "You just like to have the last word, don't you?"

"Yeah, sometimes, and so what if I do? Is that a problem?"

Fred shrugged. "No."

"Good."

"Good."

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

Scarlett let out a frustrated sigh. "Are we seventeen years old or are we five?"

Fred pretended to think. "I'd say more around seven."

As much as she was willing herself not to, Scarlett couldn't help but let out a laugh. "Bye, Fred. Bye, George."

"Bye," they said together, grinning cheekily.

Scarlett rolled her eyes and turned away, determined to reach her common room without getting roped into another odd conversation with Fred Weasley.

"I have something for you," Justin said the next weekend.

Scarlett smiled. "You do? You didn't have to get me anything."

Justin simply looked at her. "You got me something, didn't you? It's a two way street you know."

Scarlett smiled. "You told me that before…at the beginning of the year when we weren't even dating yet."

"I know," Justin answered. He reached into his pocket and pulled out another small box.

"Justin," Scarlett began, making it evident in her tone that he really shouldn't have.

"Come on, just open it," he urged, handing it to her.

Scarlett sighed and took the box, pulling off the cover to reveal a pair of silver earrings with emeralds in the middle. Scarlett's mouth dropped open.

"They'll go with your bracelet," Justin said, leaning back in his chair and grinning.

"Justin, I don't know what to say…I mean, what next, a matching necklace?"

"Maybe," he smirked.

Scarlett laughed and shot him and exasperated look.

"I know, I know, I didn't have to do this, but I did," Justin said, smirking wider, "so just say thank you."

"Thank you," Scarlett whispered, lightly touching the earrings. "They're beautiful. And you really didn't have to do this."

"I did," Justin insisted, leaning forward again and taking her hand.

"And why's that?" she smirked.

"Well," Justin replied, clearing his throat nervously. He glanced down at the table and back at Scarlett. "I've realized something recently and I thought today would be a great time to tell you."

"Yeah, what's that?" Scarlett asked, her mouth turning up slightly.

Justin nervously cleared his throat again. "Scar, I'm pretty sure I've fallen in love with you."

A/N: I know that was kind of a terrible place to end it but at the same time it was so perfect that I had to do it, so hopefully nobody hates me too much :)

Thanks for all the feedback that I've gotten on the story since the last chapter! You guys have no idea how much I appreciate it. :)