"That wasn't funny, Fred!" Those were the first words out of Mr. Weasley's mouth as soon as he registered that the twins were standing right there. "What on earth did you give that Muggle boy?"

"I didn't give him anything!" Fred defended, though he had the same evil smile he'd had back at the Dursleys. "I just dropped it... It was his fault he went and ate it, I never told him to."

"You dropped it on purpose!" Mr. Weasley yelled Alex flinched away because she had never seen him so angry before.  "You knew he'd eat it, you knew he was on a diet -"

"How big did his tongue get?" George asked, obviously eager to hear the success of their invention.

"It was four feet before his parents would let me shrink it!" Mr. Weasley exclaimed.

All the Weasleys, including Harry, began laughing.  Alex bit back a smile, remembering that it was quite a stressful situation for Mr. Weasley.  She dreaded to think what would've happened if she hadn't been there to lend a helping hand.

"I also had to threaten Harry's aunt and uncle with my wand just to get a clear path for him to shrink Dudley's tongue," Alex told the group, unable to hold back her laughter.

Everyone began laughing again.

"It isn't funny!" Mr. Weasley continued.  "That sort of behavior seriously undermines wizard-Muggle relations!  I spend half my life campaigning against the mistreatment of Muggles, and my own sons -"

"We didn't give it to him because he's a Muggle!" Fred argued.

"No, we gave it to him because he's a great bullying git," George finished.  "Isn't he, Harry?"

"Yeah, he is," Harry defended quickly, obviously not wanting the twins to get into trouble.

"Yeah, you saw how awful he and his family were being to you, Mr. Weasley," Alex added as well.  "Who knows what could've happened if I hadn't been there to help you?"

"That's not the point!" Mr. Weasley exclaimed before turning back to the twins.  "You wait until I tell your mother -"

"Tell me what?" A new voice questioned.

Everyone froze.

Alex turned to see that Mrs. Weasley was walking into the kitchen now, which caused her eyes to widen. She knew that the older woman was not a fan of the joke shop that Fred and George wanted to open up.  George had told Alex about their mum burning the order forms that she had found and how she lost it when she found out they wanted to open a joke shop.

Alex glanced nervously over at the twins as Mrs. Weasley greeted Harry before she turned her attention back to her husband. 

"Tell me what, Arthur?" She repeated.

Nervously, Mr. Weasley remained silent, which Alex knew meant that he hadn't actually intended to tell her what the twins had done. She couldn't help but wonder if they would oust her for giving them the idea to test the product on Dudley. She did not wish to face the wrath of Molly Weasley.

As a small distraction, Ginny and Hermione walked in behind Mrs. Weasley. Both smiled at Harry, who smiled back, which caused Ginny to go red in the face. Alex bit back a smile at the fact that Ginny still had a big crush on Harry.

"Tell me what, Arthur?" Mrs. Weasley repeated, her tone dangerously low as everyone continued to exchange nervous glances.

"It's nothing, Molly," he finally responded. "Fred and George just - but I've had words with them -"

"What have they done this time?" She asked, visibly getting irritated. "If it's got anything to do with Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes -"

"Why don't you show Harry where he's sleeping, Ron?" Hermione quickly spoke up, obviously wanting those who weren't in trouble to get out of the room quickly.

But Ron, being as oblivious as he was, said, "He knows where he's sleeping, in my room, he slept there last -"

"Ron!" Alex exclaimed, motioning to the elephant in the room with her eyes. "Show. Him."

"We can all go," Hermione added with a nod.

"Oh," Ron finally said, catching onto what the girls were meaning. "Right."

"Yeah, we'll come too," George quickly said, him and Fred trying to follow.

"You stay where you are!" Mrs. Weasley threatened slightly.

As Harry and Ron edged along out of the room, Alex sent a fleeting glance at the twins, who looked defeated over what was about to happen. Fred made eye contact with her and motioned for her to leave since she technically wasn't the one performing the prank; she had only given them the idea of who they could test it on.

But that still didn't make it right.  So she stayed put.

"Alex, dear," Mrs. Weasley began as calmly as she could, "go on upstairs with the others."

"Actually, I think I should stay because I am partially to blame," Alex admitted.

Both Fred and George began to shake their heads over what she was doing but she ignored it as Mrs. Weasley looked at her questioningly.

"What do you mean?"

Alex sighed. "I gave them the idea to test the product on Dudley."

Both Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's eyes widened as Charlie and Bill decided to leave the room as well, slipping out the back door. Fred and George continued to shake their head at her as if to say they would be able to handle whatever Molly Weasley was going to throw at them. But she ignored them.

"Why would you do that, Alex?" Mr. Weasley questioned. "You've lived with Muggles this past summer-"

"Yes, but the Grangers were absolutely lovely!" Alex defended with a smile. "But after hearing all of the things that Harry has been through these past few years at the hands of the Dursleys, I just wanted to see them suffer in a small way as well, which is why I gave the idea to the twins and told them about Dudley being on a diet."

By this point, Alex's gaze had dropped to the floor as she felt the disappointed stares of the Weasley parents. She chanced a glance up at Mrs. Weasley, who was shaking her head.

"I do appreciate you being honest with me," Mrs. Weasley began, "and while I am severely disappointed in that attitude, you didn't pull the prank yourself. Now go run along while I have words with the twins."

"But Mrs. Weasley -"

"Please, Alex!" Fred begged, causing her gaze to shift to him.

She could see that they both didn't want her to be involved in their punishment. With a heavy sigh, she opted to head outside, where she was less likely to hear the yells that were undoubtedly about to happen in the Burrow.

"That took some guts," a voice spoke up, causing her to turn and see Bill and Charlie walking up to her.

She shrugged. "It really didn't," she defended. "I just admitted to being an accomplice to a crime. Just don't tell your mum that I support their business venture one hundred percent, that'll be the end of me."

That caused the older Weasley brothers to laugh. "You really are as funny as Fred said," Charlie told her, which caused the blush to burn her cheeks. Bill and Charlie gave each other knowing looks.

"Oh yeah," Bill added, obviously enjoying seeing the younger girl get flustered. "He hasn't stopped talking about you since we both came home."

"Cool," Alex quickly said. "So what's it like being a curse-breaker? I've seen firsthand what it's like being a dragon keeper but curse-breaking sounds equally exciting."

"Are you kidding?" Bill teased as he nudged Charlie. "It's far more exciting than taking care of some dragons."

"Oh please!" Charlie cut in. "I'd like to see you survive one day at my job!"

"Oh yeah?" Bill challenged.

"Yeah!" Charlie challenged back before they both lunged at each other and began to wrestle around in the yard.

Alex laughed as she took a step back to avoid being knocked over. Without looking, she stepped back into a hard chest and turned to see the twins were now outside, laughing as well as they watched their older brothers wrestle around.

"Why are they fighting?" George asked as Charlie managed to get Bill into a headlock.

"I just asked Bill about curse-breaking and how exciting it must be," Alex responded as Bill freed himself from the headlock and pinned Charlie into the grass by his face.  "She wasn't too harsh on you boys, was she?"

Fred shook his head.  "Mostly just went on about how we're wasting our potential and how our actions will one day have consequences."

Alex sighed.  "I'm sorry."

He smiled down at her.  "Don't worry, we don't regret it, not one bit."

"Good," she told him.  "Don't let anyone tell you that you can't live your dreams."

Fred's smile grew at her words.  "I'll remember that."

"Bill and Charlie, will you please - Stop wrestling right this instance!" Mrs. Weasley's voice exclaimed suddenly, causing the two boys to quickly pull apart as their mum looked out the back door. "Now set up the tables, please! We're eating in the garden!"

Still laughing, Bill and Charlie pulled their wands out to levitate two old tables over to where Mrs. Weasley had told the older boys to place them. However, that also became a battle when Charlie's table accidentally bumped into Bill's table.

Fred and George began to cheer as Alex laughed over the sight of it. At that moment, Ginny and Hermione walked out, carrying the plates to set the table. Ginny began to laugh with Alex, while the sight just gave Hermione anxiety.

"Knock him out of the sky!" Alex cheered, causing the older boys to look at her questioningly.

"Who was that meant for?" Charlie asked.

Alex shrugged with a laugh. "You boys decide!"

Harry and Ron came out a moment later and began to laugh at the spectacle of Bill knocking one of the legs off of Charlie's table before a loud voice cut into their fun.

"Will you keep it down?!" Percy yelled from the opening of a second-story window.

"Sorry, Perce," Bill apologized but still grinned widely. "How're the cauldron bottoms coming on?"

"Very badly!" He answered before slamming the window shut.

"I don't think that stick could be stuck any farther up his arse," Alex commented, causing the group to laugh loudly.

After they set the two tables back on the ground and conjured some tablecloths, Alex helped Ginny and Hermione set the table. The entire time she kept feeling someone's eyes on her and looked up to see Fred glancing up at her every once in a while from where he was talking to Bill and Charlie with George.

It felt so confusing. She thought they had decided that being friends was better but judging by his actions since she got to the Burrow and what the other Weasleys had told her, it was beginning to feel like the previous school year.

And the school year hadn't even started yet.

"I thought we said no drama this year, Alexandria," she mumbled to herself.

Luckily, Mrs. Weasley came out then with all the food prepped and carefully set it on the table with her wand. Everyone immediately took their seats and began to eat the meal Mrs. Weasley prepped for them all to enjoy. Alex sat down at the far end of the table with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. She also found herself sitting next to Charlie with the twins right across from them.

"So Alex," Charlie spoke up in between bites, " I hear that you are quite the Chaser on the Gryffindor team."

"I'm okay," she shrugged but Fred quickly cut in.

"Oh, she's absolutely brilliant!" He exclaimed. "When she tried out in second year, she knocked Katie Bell right into a reserve position but even Katie couldn't deny how much talent Alex had during the try-outs."

"It's true," George added. "She's a bloody beast up in the air."

Alex shook her head. "You boys think too highly of me."

"Not if it's true," Fred stated, causing her to blush and look down at her food.

Charlie sent a knowing glance to Fred, who immediately found the salad on his plate very interesting. George smirked and nudged his twin as well, who shook his head, as if telling the both of them to drop it.

"So who do you think is going to win the final?" Charlie asked Alex, trying to clear the awkward silence that befell them.

"Ireland, of course," she stated like it was obvious. "I've been following the scores through the Daily Prophet."

"I don't know," George began in a sing-songy voice. "Bulgaria could certainly give them a run for their money."

"It's got to be Ireland," Charlie quickly spoke up through a mouthful of potatoes. "They flattened Peru in the semifinals."

"Bulgaria has got Viktor Krum, though," Fred stated.

"Oh wow!" Alex exclaimed sarcastically. "One decent player against Ireland, who has seven? Yep, those odds are certainly looking up for Bulgaria."

Charlie laughed as he put his arm around her. "I like you!"

From across the table, Fred sent a subtle glare to his older brother, who had yet to remove his arm from Alex's shoulder as she blushed. She nudged the older boy before turning back to eating her food.

"I wish England had got through," he added gloomily. "That was embarrassing, that was."

Alex groaned. "I know, such a disgrace!"

"What happened?" Harry asked from beside Alex.

"Went down to Transylvania, three hundred and ninety to ten," Charlie told Harry. "Shocking performance."

"Don't forget that Wales lost to Uganda, and then Scotland was completely slaughtered by Luxembourg," Alex added with a shake of her head. "I was so hoping Scotland would be in the final two."

Charlie laughed again. "Alex, I think this could be the start of a beautiful friendship," he told her.

Alex smiled at his comment before the plates were cleared away and some homemade strawberry ice cream was brought out for the group to enjoy. As the night got later, everyone was well-fed and sitting back, just enjoying small side conversations.

Ron glanced down to make sure his family was deep into their conversations before looking at Alex and Harry. "We haven't had a chance to ask Alex yet with everyone being around," Ron spoke quietly. "Have you guys heard from her parents lately?"

While Hermione knew Alex's answers, they didn't know Harry's answer. They both nodded.

"Yeah," Harry told them softly, "twice."

"I've heard from them three times," Alex added. "They both sound okay. I wrote to my mum just yesterday."

"I wrote to Sirius yesterday as well," Harry told her with a smile. "Maybe they'll respond while we're here."

"I'd love that," Alex responded. "I want to hear from them."

Harry seemed to realize something but before he could say anything, Mrs. Weasley spoke up, "Look at the time. You really should be in bed, the whole lot of you - you'll be up at the crack of dawn to get to the Cup. Harry, if you leave your school list out, I'll get your things for you tomorrow in Diagon Alley. I'm getting everyone else's. There might not be time after the World Cup, the match went on for five days last time."

"Wow - hope it does this time!" Harry exclaimed.

"Well, I certainly don't," Percy spoke up. "I shudder to think what the state of my in-tray would be like I was away from work for five days."

"Yeah, someone might slip dragon dung in it again, eh, Perce?" Fred teased.

"That was a sample fertilizer from Norway!" Percy defended. "It was nothing personal!"

"It was," Fred whispered to Alex and Harry as they all stood up to head back into the house to get ready for bed. "We sent it."

Alex snorted as she shook her head before following the two girls into the house and up to Ginny's room. They all silently got ready for bed before Alex walked out of the room to brush her teeth.

However, she wasn't the only one.

"Oh, sorry," a familiar voice spoke up as she spit into the sink.

She turned to see Fred walking up, already wearing his pajamas. Immediately, she wiped her mouth and put her toothbrush away. "No worries," she told him, feeling her cheeks heating up since it was the first time they were alone the entire time she was there. "The bathroom is all yours."

Keeping her gaze down, she began to walk away before Fred gently grabbed her arm, causing her to look up at him questioningly. "Yes?"

He seemed to battle internally before letting out a heavy sigh. "Nothing, just good night," he said before leaning down and gently kissing her cheek.

A soft gasp left her lips as she looked up at him, realizing how close his face was to hers. She could easily lean in and kiss him again. And she hated that she wanted to.

But she didn't.

Quickly, she pulled away. "Good night," she mumbled before running back into Ginny's room where both girls were lying down and quietly whispering to each other.

Alex quickly laid down on the cot at the end of Ginny's bed and wished the both of them good night. She turned over and closed her eyes, willing herself to not think about Fred and his perfect lips that had just been inches from hers.

⊰ ⁜ ⊱

Okay, let start off by saying I'm sorry this took so long, but with it being the new year, I got a new job and I'm working more hours, so I don't have as much time to write as I normally would.

I also began working out at gym because I'm determined to be healthier this year, which takes up a little more of my time.  So while I will try to keep updating on weekends, I can't make any promises!

But enjoy! Things are about to get interesting...

Please vote and comment!

-Squid♡