Chapter 46:

Alicia walked out of the Three Broomsticks to find Fred standing just under the arch to hide from the downpour. Her umbrella appeared and she moved over to him, catching his attention.

"Where's George?" she asked

"He's with Lee." Fred shrugged "Did you have a butter beer?" Alicia blinked before she frowned

"I didn't actually, I didn't get the chance."

"What were you doing?" he wondered

"Hermione's blackmailing Rita Skeeter and she's organised for Harry and my story to be published in the Quibbler about the night Voldemort came back." she explained.

Fred looked at her surprised.

"Hermione's blackmailing Rita Skeeter?" Fred questioned and Alicia chuckled

"Yeah."

"How?"

"Rita's an unregistered animagus and Hermione got proof of it."

"Brilliant." Fred grinned. "So when's the article going to appear?"

"We're not sure, either this issue or the next." Alicia shrugged

"Do we get to read it?"

"Well if we don't tell people how will they know to look?" Alicia asked "I think it'd be smart to tell the D.A. members as they'll definitely be interested and want to know."

"Umbridge will have a cow."

"I know." Alicia smirked "Now we just need enough people to read it."

"I'm sure you'll manage." Fred said and he hung an arm over her shoulder, leading her away from the Three Broomsticks and through Hogsmeade.

They ended up in Spintwitches Sporting Needs, a shop full of sporting goods. The two Quidditch fans moved through the shelves with interest. Fred took to telling Alicia what half of the items were and she let him despite being aware of them all through books. As a treat for Alicia the Weasley twin took her to Tomes and Scrolls, Hogsmeade's book shop where she moved through the shelves excitedly, Fred following behind her. She pulled off some books that could help with the D.A. meetings as well as some extras class information for her exams.

"Just cause you didn't care about your O. ." Alicia rolled her eyes when Fred explained he didn't know why she was bothering. "Besides, can't let Hermione show me up." she smirked

"So why did you decide to publish what happened?" Fred asked as they moved to get a quick drink in the Three Broomsticks. "I mean, you didn't really tell anyone but Dumbledore what happened?"

"It was still a bit daunting." Alicia admitted "I mean watching someone die, and being close to possibly doing the same, isn't something you just get up and talk about. To be honest I think Harry and I just pushed it away to try and forget the trauma."

"I can't really understand what that'd be like." Fred mumbled

"Hopefully you'll never have to." Alicia nodded.

By the time they'd finished their butterbeers it was close to dinner time and they began to travel back up towards the castle. As they did they noticed the training practice was still continuing.

"I kinda feel bad." Alicia sighed

"Kinda?"

"Well I also think that if she wants to boost us up we've just got to play a quick game with Ginny getting the snitch as soon as possible."

"Well if Ron could—" Alicia hit the boy.

"He's actually really good Fred, he just has confidence issues and as soon as people start expecting things of him his nerves get in the way. You two making fun of him all the time doesn't help either." she scolded "Perhaps if you'd encourage him more he wouldn't be so bad."

"So it's our fault?" Fred rose an eyebrow

"That and the Slytherins. That song gets to him too much." Alicia sighed. "I'll just have to pocket as many goals as possible." she smirked.

They reached the castle to find George in the Entrance Hall.

"You waiting for us?" Alicia asked grinning

"Well you're only taking forever."

"Well we much more prefer each other's company than yours." Alicia shrugged simply and Fred smirked.

"Well that's what happens when you're into someone." George tried to return. Alicia however put a hand on his shoulder.

"And some day, it'll happen to you." she said with mock sympathy.

Fred chuckled and George rolled his eyes before they moved into the Great Hall and sat down for some dinner.

Hermione and Harry didn't arrive while they were eating their dessert and Ginny and Ron were apparently still training with Angelina.

"She can't keep them there all night, they need to eat." Alicia assured when Fred pointed this out.

"Still feel bad, Hufflepuff has an easy game ahead of them." George sighed

"Well if Umbridge wasn't around this wouldn't be a problem." Alicia confessed glancing at the women at the Staff table.

They proceeded to the Gryffindor common room to find Harry and Hermione already there. Both were standing over their pile of homework, Harry struggling with an Astronomy Star chart.

"Ron and Ginny not here?" asked Fred, looking around as he pulled up a chair and, when Harry shook his head, he said, "Good. We were watching their practice. They're going to be slaughtered. They're complete rubbish without us."

"Fred!" Hermione looked at Alicia and she laughed as she too took a seat.

"We've already talking about it. We're terrible." she said simply

"Alicia even ditched out." Fred smirked and Alicia hit him.

"Don't tell them that."

"Ginny's not bad," said George fairly, sitting down next to Fred. "Actually, I dunno how she got so good, seeing how we never let her play with us…"

"She's been breaking into your broom shed in the garden since the age of six and taking each of your brooms out in turn when you weren't looking," said Hermione from behind her tottering pile of Ancient Rune books.

"You really think she'd be left out?" Alicia smiled

"Oh," said George, looking mildly impressed. "Well — that'd explain it."

"Has Ron saved a goal yet?" asked Hermione, peering over the top of Magical Hieroglyphs and Logograms.

"Well, he can do it if he doesn't think anyone's watching him," said Fred, rolling his eyes. "So all we have to do is ask the crowd to turn their backs and talk among themselves every time the Quaffle goes up his end on Saturday."

"Or Ginny catches the snitch early on but…" Alicia sighed, Fred patted her back before he got up again and moved restlessly to the window, staring out across the dark grounds.

"You know, Quidditch was about the only thing in this place worth staying for."

Hermione cast him a stern look.

"You've got exams coming!"

"Told you already, we're not fussed about N.E.W.T.s," said Fred.

"The Snackboxes are ready to roll, we found out how to get rid of those boils, just a couple of drops of murtlap essence sorts them, Lee put us onto it…"

"Huh." Alicia grinned turning to Harry.

George yawned widely and looked out disconsolately at the cloudy night sky.

"I dunno if I even want to watch this match. If Zacharias Smith beats us I might have to kill myself."

"Kill him, more like," said Fred firmly.

"That's the trouble with Quidditch," said Hermione absentmindedly, once again bent over her Rune translation, "it creates all this bad feeling and tension between the Houses."

She looked up to find her copy of Spellman's Syllabary and caught Alicia, Fred, George, and Harry looking at her with expressions of mingled disgust and incredulity on their faces.

"Well, it does!" she said impatiently. "It's only a game, isn't it?"

"Hermione," said Harry, shaking his head, "you're good on feelings and stuff, but you just don't understand about Quidditch." Alicia rose an eyebrow, why were they talking about feelings?

"Maybe not," she said darkly, returning to her translation again, "but at least my happiness doesn't depend on Ron's goalkeeping ability."

Alicia couldn't argue with that and she could feel Harry agreed, but telling her wasn't an option.

"So, what's this about feelings?" Alicia wondered looking at her brother.

Harry began to grumble under his breath and Alicia could feel his annoyance as she looked at Hermione.

"It's Cho." Hermione admitted

"Right, I noticed she wasn't in the Three Broomsticks, what happened?" Alicia asked and Harry simply stared at his homework. "Was it bad…?" she asked slowly and Harry still said nothing. Alicia turned to Hermione.

"Harry told Cho that he wanted to meet me at the Three Broomsticks today." Hermione admitted

Alicia blinked.

"Is that how he said it?" she looked at Harry who nodded.

"Let me guess, she got angry about that." it was more a statement and Harry looked at her surprised. "Harry you spend so much time with Hermione that any girl who doesn't know you two well, would be seriously jealous of her." Alicia admitted "Technically Hermione's a threat." Harry looked at Hermione who nodded. The boy seemed to look her up and down as though trying to find what was threatening about her.

"But that's ridiculous." he believed as Fred and George shared a glance.

"I dunno, Alicia's pretty threatening…" George thought and the girl grinned proudly before turning back to her brother.

"Some girls, especially emotional ones, will jump to that conclusion. And if you turned around and said, in the middle of your date, that you wanted to meet with another girl, they're gonna get upset about it." Alicia confessed. "Especially if it's one you spend heaps of time with."

The Weasley twins were watching, seeming to enjoy the pep talk Alicia gave her brother.

"How was I supposed to know that was wrong? She got all huffy because I talk to Hermione but couldn't talk to her, about Cedric."

"Of course she would, it makes it sound like you like Hermione more than her. Now for me, it's not an issue, if I was Cho, I'd understand because you and Hermione are closer, so you trust Hermione more. But that's not what's going through her head, she just wants to know how you felt."

"She should have just asked." Harry grumbled

"And have you possibly reject her?" Alicia asked and Harry looked surprised. "Harry, Cho's emotions are already all over the place and she doesn't know how you feel about her. And if you're saying you want to meet Hermione, instead of spending time with her, she's worried you don't like her. She's not going to ask so you can confirm that." Alicia admitted and Harry stared.

"Reject her?"

"That's why she tried to make you jealous." Hermione said

"Jealous how?" Alicia wondered

"Apparently Rodger Davies asked her out." Hermione shrugged "And she took Harry to the same place she and Cedric used to go."

"First, never take a guy to the same place you took your ex, immediately it's like you're still thinking about them." Alicia admitted and Hermione nodded before thinking.

"Although, Cedric isn't technically her ex…" she mumbled frowning.

"Still, and why go somewhere where it reminds you of someone else?" Alicia asked before she turned to Harry. "Did she start crying again?" he nodded.

"She wanted to talk about Cedric." he grumbled

"And what did you say?" she asked

"I tried to change the topic and she got angry about that as well. Said she needed to talk about it." Harry said annoyed

"Well if she started crying I guess I get why you wouldn't want to make it worse." Alicia confessed and Harry looked thankful. "But the sympathetic thing to do, would have been to get her to let her feelings and thoughts out. It's better than letting a person bottle it all up." Harry looked at her incredulously. Alicia was looking thoughtful though. "Guys don't really do well when dealing with crying girls though, so I get why you tried to avoid it."

"Some don't have a problem." Fred said and George nodded

"No, some are more in touch with their emotions." Alicia nodded wisely and the twins looked annoyed as Harry chuckled slightly. "But other's are scared of when a girl cries cause they've got no idea how to deal with it." she shrugged

"How do you deal with it?" Harry asked

"It's not complicated, sometimes all they need is a hug. Just let them cry till their done and ask them if they need to talk, then you just let them rant. If you can offer some advice, do so, if not, just admit it." Alicia assured "I think if I was crying and I told a guy what was wrong and they said they had no idea how to help, it might even make me laugh." Hermione chuckled

"Well depends what it is that's wrong." she said "If you're crying cause they did something wrong and they say that…"

"God they're in so much trouble." Alicia admitted and George put a hand on Fred's shoulder. Fred looked at his twin who looked sympathetic for him. Harry looked slightly worried as well but Alicia put a hand on his shoulder reassuringly.

"Look, for future reference, if you need to meet another girl while on a date, unless you want to use it for an excuse to get out of the date, always make it look like it's the last thing you want to do and insult the girl as much as you can, as long as the two girls aren't friends of course. It'll make who ever you're with feel more secure in the two of you as an item, and less worried that you want someone else." Alicia shrugged simply

"That's it?" Fred, George and Harry all asked and Alicia looked at the twins with a raised eyebrow as Hermione nodded.

"Some girls will need that. For someone like Harry, who's really close to Hermione, there are some girls, like Cho, who need that security. Now if it was say, Ginny who Harry was going on a date with, he wouldn't need to bother. Ginny's confident in herself and she knows about Harry and Hermione's relationship, so she wouldn't care. She also wouldn't lay hints, she'd just say it straight."

"You're saying I should be dating Ginny?" Harry asked as Fred and George snickered

"I'm saying maybe you need someone who's more confident in themselves and a little more emotionally stable than Cho. Because you don't get all the little hints and nudges girls send at you." she shrugged and looked at Hermione who seemed to think this over.

"Well with Harry's life he would need someone strong willed anyway." she believed

"But hey, if you want to give it a shot with Cho then go for it." Alicia assured "You wont know if she's not right for you if you don't try." she admitted

"So what happens if you insult a girl, to another girl, and they turn out to be friends?" George asked, he had a look on his face that made Alicia believe he knew the answer.

"You run."