Notice: Please vote in the poll on my profile to decide where Harper will be travelling to in her sub-plot! It closes 11th October 2014.

A/N: I know I said I wouldn't put many of these in but I just have a few small notices to give. Sorry - skip it if you want!

Firstly, I'm genuinely surprised at the amount of response this has gotten - I was certain I'd joined the fandom too late! I've been reading the fanfics on here for about a year and all this time I'd been thinking that I was one of maybe... ten people if I was lucky? But 88 visitors already! To know there are... others out there (dramatic statement), well it's pretty cool.

However, as much as I'd love to write everyday... sigh... I'm currently in the midst of university applications (English Literature, woo!) and coursework and yeah - busy, stressful times! So expect an update once per week but please don't give up hope if I occasionally take two (do message me to ask about it).

Wanna be friends? (It's lonely out here) Drop me a PM (personal message) and I'd be happy to chat.

I've replied to the reviews so far through PM and will be doing this with any future reviews this receives.

Anyway, see you in seven days!

Warnings: Some strong language, a somewhat sexual situation (with Justin by himself, thinking about things) and, no, we still haven't got to the holiday yet - what do you mean, I'm being slow? I'm setting the scene here. And Harper's here! You've gotta love Harper!

At a subway station somewhere in Manhattan, a man returning home for the night was reading a newspaper: 'Woman Claims Wizards and Vampires Roam the Streets of Waverly Place'? Jeez, tabloids these days. A sudden rush of air ripped the paper right out of his hands, scattering the pages across the platform.

'Fuck!' some teenager slapped him on the shoulder, 'did you freakin' see that, dude? That thing looked like a diner!'

'Alex,' Harper said from within the diner, 'do you really want to go to this party so badly that you'd put both of our lives in danger?' Hands clenched around a table in an attempt to stay balanced in a subway cart actually not designed for transport, she called over towards the girl grinning out into the darkness once again - except this time, rather than looking out into a street she was watching a subway tunnel twist and bend at a frightening speed.

By this point in their relationship, Harper had often wondered if Alex had any regard for the lives of her best friend, herself or - let's be honest here - anyone she came into contact with. It was moments like this (so pretty much once a day), with the adrenaline pumping through her body and her friend who had put her in this situation ignoring her, that Harper struggled the hardest to remember that it wasn't evil, it was just impulsiveness... stupid, reckless impulsiveness.

And she had let her do it.

The lights swung wildly above their heads - haha, looks like strobe lighting! Alex noticed as it lit up her map in half-a-second long glimpses. She heard Harper shout 'For the record, I just want to say I think this is a really, really bad idea! And when it goes wrong-' she paused to grab a salt shaker about to fall off the table, 'you're not going to blame me for this, Alex!'

Alex laughed, still facing the window. 'I hope by "bad idea" you mean genius. Oh, I love twisting people's words!' Try destroying my life now, Mum!

'Alex!' Alex looked up from the map. Fuck! A train was heading straight for them. She had the urge to duck. The noise got louder and louder - but then, a second before they would have both been dead, the cart swerved, lurching the girls sideways and onto another track.

Alex turned around to give Harper a nervous smile, 'See? Perfectly safe. Why doesn't anyone think I can be trusted?' Her words were slightly less reassuring given the fact that they were weak and breathy, on account of almost having a heart attack.

'Can't we slow this thing down?' Harper begged. She was working against Alex's pride here, she knew she'd have to sound pretty desperate.

Seemingly recovered, she replied 'Yeah... no. When they put the tables in they must have taken the controls out - weird, huh?' she strolled over casually to Harper's end of the sub, 'But don't worry, it's fine,' she collapsed down into a seat and crossed her legs, 'this thing is enchanted, it knows where it's going.'

'Then why are we heading uptown?'

Alex look out of the windows again to see 42nd Street, 49th, 57th flashing past within moments of each other.

'Brooklyn's in the other direction, on the other side of the river - oh please, Alex, can't we just go home?' Reasoning, emotion - Harper was willing to try anything to appeal to that little, tiny part of Alex that might actually listen to her.

'No! Harper, we are going to this party! Stupid spells,' she mumbled, 'hang on,' and started flicking through the spell book.

'Why? It won't be that great! Really, Alex, it doesn't matter!' she tried to get closer but the floor was shaking too much.

Alex snapped the book shut. 'Yes, it does! It's a matter of principle! And I need to hook up with someone! I swear to God if I have to hear one more word about "Schnuggly-Boo-Boo-McFang-Face-Fuck", I'm gonna transport Justin into the middle of the subway!'

'What?' Harper was confused, 'Is this about Justin?'

'No, it has nothing to do with mister-' her voiced morphed into a bad impersonation, 'I'm so great, Dad trusts me, Alex, he thinks I'm responsible! I- oh!' Alex cut herself off, 'My bad. I had the map upside down. Alright, then,' Alex rolled back her shoulders and gave her wand a shake. Harper tried her best not to shake Alex, 'Misguided directions we shouldn't have taken, hurry up and get us to Bergen Street Station - wow, these forbidden spells are so super user-friendly!' Clearly she had no more to say about Mr. I'm-so- oh, you get it.

'Forbidden? A-' Just then the spell took effect. Sparks flew up the sides of the walls as the cart forced itself to a rapid halt, literally throwing the girls across the room, along with six tables and a number of other items Alex's father would not be pleased about having to replace - Alex was pretty sure she noticed a few things fly out through the open window.

From their position on the floor, neither Harper nor Alex knew what station they'd stopped at, or had time to think about the reactions of the waiting passengers through the pain of the many bruises they were going to have tomorrow, before they took off again, this time moving in the other direction.

When they'd stood up and brushed themselves off, Harper continued her line of thought. 'Alex! Forbidden? Why are you using forbidden spells?' Seriously, she wondered how many more times this evening she'd have to use Alex's name as a replacement for swears - because Harper Finkle just did not swear. It wasn't lady-like (seriously, ignore her use of the word 'bitch' earlier, it was a moment of rage-fuelled weakness and Harper is deeply regretful for it).

'It's not really a big deal when you have the right wand,' Alex said, walking back towards the front of the sub again, avoiding eye contact.

Harper sighed, following after her, 'And do you have the right wand?'

Alex sighed too, except it was more of an angry huff. 'No. Apparently, it's too powerful and I'm not responsible enough and I can't be trusted, unlike some people.'

Harper bit her lip. Boy, was this going to be a long night.

Meanwhile back at the Russo's place, Justin was seething. After hearing Alex use an unfamiliar spell and looking down to see a considerable section of the Sub Station just plain missing, along with both Alex and the still very-stalkerish Harper, Justin had stormed back upstairs in a rage.

It wasn't fair! Alex just bent the rules, all the time, without thinking about any of the consequences or the effort it took for Justin to inevitably fix the messes she undoubtedly made - every single time. Sure, there were times when he'd worked with Max to make Alex's life a living hell - before, when it was the two boys versus the girl, rather than the two somewhat-normal kids versus their perfect older brother, when their magic lessons had just begun and they were equal. There had also been times when Alex had saved Justin, plenty of times - she'd helped him with his first kiss, weirdly enough, saved his life at Wiztech, she- but Justin didn't like to think about those times. So he made himself forget about them. Yes, Justin was always saving Alex's backside.

He wasn't scared of going into her room now. This would be revenge. He could pack later (Mum didn't approve of using magic on chores but his dad didn't mind, so that made it even).

Alex's room was... a flashback to the night he helped her with her flying lessons. A sentimental smile crept onto his lips - no, now is not the time for sentimentality! Pink, fluffy wallpaper; a bed like it came out of a fancy hotel; a chandelier? Justin shook his head. Alex's extravagance, and tastes, were just too foreign for him to comprehend. Where was the structure? The cleanliness? The- Focus, Justin! His time was limited, what could Alex have that she wouldn't want anyone to look at?

He opened drawers. Bracelets, an old MP3 player, a... half eaten sandwich gathering mould in the corner? Justin tried not to inhale - yeah, she was definitely Max's sister. He moved on. Tampons - he slammed that drawer shut; eyeliner from her punk phase back when he was dating Miranda - what had he seen in that girl, again? She had nothing on Juliet, his Schnuggly-Boo-Boo-McCutiekins. He was missing her so much, why did she have to be visiting relatives in Transylvania? The next drawer had Alex's diary in it but she'd been so humiliated with the whole Gigi episode - he was surprised she still had the thing. A trickle of guilt made Justin start to close that drawer, and spotting a necklace Dean had given her before he moved away made him move over to her wardrobe instead.

Maybe he could mess up Alex's clothes? Yeah! She'd hate that! I'm a genius! He started rummaging through her tops and dresses, chucking some onto the floor, doing his best to crease others - ha! Now she'll have to iron! That'll teach her. Justin seemed to have forgotten that they'd already learned a spell for that. All of Alex's clothing was enchanted with a no-crease spell. She loved how lazy magic let you be.

He looked down at the bottom of her wardrobe, hoping to find some neatly paired-up shoes to disorganise (like that was going to happen) when he spotted a box labelled Justin's Favourite Things from his Room. He gasped, 'I knew it! Alex!' Well, this was going straight back to his room, thank you very much, 'Room... broom... doom - my sister's thieving will lead to her doom? No, might be interpreted incorrectly. Ah! My sister's place could use a broom, take the things she stole back to my room,' he waved the family wand for the very first time - Justin usually objected to wasting magic but it had worked perfectly. The box was now empty. What else did Alex have lurking in here?

He opened another drawer at the bottom of her wardrobe and regretted it. Justin had forgotten how old Alex had gotten; in the drawer was her underwear - bras and... he would not say the word... delicates. A few were lacy and sophisticated - like Juliet's had been after Zombie Prom and they'd gone back to her bedroom, giggling in the darkness. Others were ironic, decorated with cartoons: Little Miss Naughty, Winnie the Pooh... Captain Jim Bob Sherwood.

His face was burning - had someone put a spell on him? He whipped round, half-expecting Alex to be there, laughing at him. Blushing alone shouldn't be able to have this much of an effect, it was spreading to his neck, his hands, his... all over his body. It was a different kind of burning now, Justin had realised, as much as he tried to tell himself that it was only embarrassment. He couldn't bring himself to close the drawer - but oh! Of course! I'm missing Juliet - my brain thinks Alex's lacy things are her's! Understandable but, for obvious reasons, extremely awkward.

Maybe he could... pretend that the underwear was Juliet's and- no! That would be sick! Unlawful! Sinful! Well, Justin supposed he was agnostic these days, science couldn't prove the existence of a God either way, but all those years of Sunday school weren't easy to forget. And, right, this was sick, sick! Justin stumbled backwards, pushing the drawer closed with his foot.

Why did Juliet have to be away? Why? Justin's stomach was churning with guilt and other emotions. He left Alex's room quickly, abandoning his search for revenge. He'd fetch her back from the trouble she was most likely in. Then it would be fine.

'Harper!' Alex cried, gripping on to her friend. They were going to die, they were going to die - why am I so stupid? Another train was scraping against the side of their cart, sparks going everywhere. She flinched every time one flew towards her, digging her fingers into Harper's arm and pressing herself against the back of the opposite wall.

They switched routes again and they both slid down to the floor, too relieved to speak.

A moment later, 'Seriously,' Alex breathed, 'who... designed this subway?'

They crawled along the floor. Harper just really hoped they could go home soon - her body, and mind, couldn't take much more stress.

'Oh my God,' Alex was standing, looking outside the window again. Harper joined her. She really didn't want to.

Ahead of them was a brick wall; END was painted on it in large letters, red lights flashing in warning.

'Ahhh!' they both screamed, gripping onto each other. Alex squeezed her eyes shut, waving her wand around frantically - it wasn't working, they weren't leaving, they were going to die!

They were going to- the sounds of the subway were gone.

Alex opened her eyes, not loosening her hold on Harper. They were back in her parent's Sub Station - the restaurant kind. They were alive! Harper was crying... or laughing, maybe both. 'I... did it,' Alex said, 'I can't believe I did it! I saved us! I can't believe it!' She wanted to cry too, she was just so happy.

'No, you didn't,' when Alex turned around - slowly, her legs were still shaking - she saw her brother standing there with his arms crossed, carefully composed, the family wand in his hand, 'I did.'

Smug bastard.

'Oh, Justin! Thank you, thank you, thank you!' her friend had broken away from her, abandoned her for him (okay, so maybe it had been her fault that they almost died in the first place and maybe he had saved them - but it was still a betrayal, okay?). Harper had wrapped her arms around Justin's neck, clinging to him tightly - and maybe it was only because if she didn't, she'd fall over but Alex had to admire the girl for her persistence, trying to move in while the girlfriend was away. With Justin's ego, worshipping him was a pretty effective technique.

'Harper, don't thank him,' Alex crossed her arms - she needed to interrupt before Harper started kissing his feet, 'he just did it so he can run off and tell on me,' Alex didn't think she was sounding pathetic or petty at all, 'I'm sure he knew we'd been gone the whole time.'

Justin smiled as Harper returned to Alex's side, 'Okay, yeah, normally I would do that,' he turned to Harper, 'It's pretty funny when she gets all...' he made an impression of Alex's moody face, and Harper giggled, staring at him dreamily - until Alex glared and she stopped. Justin opened his mouth to speak again but then panicked - he needed a reason for not telling other than as a way to get rid of the guilt from his little mishap earlier, 'But... I- I'm not about to go tell Mum and Dad something that's gonna ruin their vacation one night before it happens,' Like, for example, finding out their son had been going through their daughter's underwear drawer, he took a breath, 'For once, I'm not gonna let you destroy something important to me.' He tried to look superior, possibly overcompensating a little - because he certainly didn't feel like anything more than a sleazebag right now.

Alex shifted her hands to her hips, thinking, 'Then we're good - because they're certainly not gonna hear it from me.'

Justin walked around her to the returned subway cart, trying to avoid eye contact, 'And you know why they're not gonna hear it from me?'

Alex sighed, 'Didn't we just have this conversation?'

To be honest, Justin hadn't really been paying attention to most of it. 'Because I just did my first spell using a full-powered wizard wand,' that thing earlier with the box and Alex's room didn't count. Justin was erasing the whole event from his memory - not with a spell of course, in case he needed to remember why Alex's clothes were on the floor and her box of his stuff was missing, but figuratively speaking, completely and totally erased. Definitely.

And Harper, still standing speechless, idolising her saviour as he leant against the sub cart's wall, boasting to Alex, thought Gee, I wish Justin would try that hard to impress me - wait a minute, Juliet isn't here so... that means he must be showing off to impress me! Take that, Juliet! making a little fist bump of success.

'It went perfectly,' Justin said, and blew on the wall to remove a speck of flint.

Uh-oh. All three of them looked up at the groaning noise coming from above their heads. They stood frozen in shock as the entire wall dislodged itself, Alex slightly yanking Justin back into the empty space as it came crashing down around them.

'Almost perfect.'

Then the lights fell down.

And the loose wires sparked electricity.

And their parents walked through the door.

'Well,' Harper chose to be the one to break the awful, colossal silence, 'see ya in P.E.!' - and then immediately ran out of the door Mr. and Mrs. Russo had just entered, despite the fact that school had just broke up and P.E. would not be for quite a while.

Alex looked at her parents, one hand still lingering on Justin's cardigan from when she had pulled him, and tried to smile reassuringly.

As she'd suspected, it didn't really work.