CHAPTER IX:
hogsmeade day

( November 1994 )

"ALEX, HURRY UP ALREADY!" The shouts of Ginger Lunette etched themselves through the ears of passing Ravenclaws. Hogsmeade day had arrived at last and Ginger was eager as ever to get out of the castle and into the cold weather.

"Stop shouting, would you? You're going to rupture my eardrums," the brunette boy finally replied emerging down the stairs of the boy's dormitories, hat and scarf perfectly matching each other. "Has Cedric ditched us again or is he going to be joining us for once?" he linked arms with Ginger as she guided them out of the tower.

She sighed, "he's ditched us once more. Shame, I would've enjoyed watching him slip on the way into Honeydukes." They both giggled and continued their walk to the entrance. The school had already been partaking in the cold weather of the November elements.

The walk to Hogsmeade was relatively short filled with giggles and huddled students. Though it was short and sweet, it was long enough to turn the tips of Ginger's nose and ears a bright pink and leave Alexander's cheeks, nose, and ears furious bubblegum pink due to his pale complexion.

Ginger laughed at his pinkish face buried in his scarf as they entered the Hogshead, "you're as pink as a pigmy puff!" She continued to laugh when he scoffed and jokingly shoved her away from him. Apparently, the shove was a bit too harsh because she ended up tripping and knocking into someone while she fell.

The fur hood of her coat overshadowed her eyes as she sat on the floor of the restaurant. "Alex, I could kill you," she muttered as a freckled hand was offered in front of her. Adjusting the hood back out of her vision she noticed the face in front of her. "Sorry, George." He helped her up while Alex stood back and poorly contained his laughter.

"He's not George, I am," "Honestly girl, you call yourself our friend." The twins jokingly scoffed at her while she returned to her spot beside the Blomgren boy.

"Sorry boys." She shrugged apologetically.

"Well, there's always a way you can make it up to us," Fred smirked down at her, George looked confusedly at his twin before the same idea sparked in his mind.

Ginger looked at Alex worriedly then back at the twins. "What did you have in mind?"

"Well-"

"-You could always-"

"-Join us."

The boys motioned towards a table where Lee Jordan was sitting. Ginger shifted her gaze to the boy beside her as if asking if he was okay with them sitting with the group and he gladly nodded. "I suppose we could join you."

They motioned to the table to take their seats while they subtly high-fived behind the duo.

"Ah, Ginger, thank Merlin you're here to relieve my eyes of having to see these gits," Lee commented as the four teens neared their seats.

"Oi, Lee, go get the lady and her friend butterbeers." Fred jabbed his thumb in the direction of the bar. Lee scoffed and sat back in his seat while Ginger and Alex took their seats beside each other.

"Why don't you two get them?"

"Because we brought them over here, so piss off and get the drinks," Fred picked Lee up by his elbows and moved him in the direction of the bar.

"Asshole, carrot crotches." The boy stuck up his middle finger at the twins while George smirked and stole his spot beside Ginger. Fred must've caught the last comment because his head jolted up and he dashed after Lee with a stream of curses following.

"You really didn't have to do that, we could've gotten our drinks," Lunette stifled a laugh in a shiver.

"Lee's always a git about one of us getting drinks for him and his lady friends, it's nice for him to finally get them himself," George defended while keeping his eyes in the direction of the shouts to avoid any way of his cheeks reddening around the girl beside him.

"Alex, you can take off your hat and scarf," Ginger laughed looking at the boy who stuffed himself in his weather protection. He thoroughly shook his head to keep himself away from any form of the November elements.

Ready to begin conversation, George opened his mouth to speak but became interrupted by the harsh downbeat of Butterbeer mugs. "A drink for the lady," Lee winked at the girl sliding over the mug. "And a drink for the lady's friend." He then slid the jug to a shivering Alexander.

Their time in the Hogshead was needless to say, an amazing day filled with laughter, shouting, and at some point, a mug being smashed to pieces.

They were obviously kicked out of the establishment into the cold and decided on mindlessly exploring Hogsmeade as a group.

"So, Ginger," Lee gained her attention while they continued in the cold weather, "what is this thing you've got going on with Pretty Boy Diggory?" George choked on the thick air and Ginger went wide-eyed at the assumption. Alexander laughed while Fred furrowed his eyebrows since they both were aware of the relationship the duo had with each other.

"What thing?" she questioned walking into the nearest shop to get warm. The group all huddled in after she began to be greeted by the warmth of the small store.

Lee snorted at her honest confusion, "Love, you and Diggory have a thing going on between you." Gingers wild curls bounced as she shook her head no at the boy.

"Absolutely not, strictly friends." She stated while surveying their surroundings of Honeydukes.

"So you've never fancied him at any point of your lives together?" Lee shivered beside the twins who were listening while picking up random candies from the shelves.

Ginger giggled, "that wasn't the question though was it?"

"Il est très curieux," Alexander mumbled beside Ginger. She giggled and nodded agreeing. "On pourrait penser qu'il essayait de sortir avec Cédric et pas toi." This time the boys caught their conversation in French, the twins were huddled beside each other with hands full of candy and confusion glazing their faces and Lee stared like a deer in headlights.

"You two speak French," Fred questioned in more of a statement than a question.

"Oui." They both spoke through chilled spines.

"And you didn't think to tell us?" The twins synced their words while dropping many treats from their hands.

"George you stated that my last name is French," she mused. George squinted his eyes at her then widened them in realization. "And I didn't think it was all that important."

"Moon, this is very important." George wrapped an arm around her shoulder leaving the other three boys to follow them to the front of the shop.

"How so?"

He dramatically sighed while almost running into a third year, she pulled him by the coat to avoid any other collisions while kindly smiling at the younger student. "Because you could get Lee here a date with one of the Beaubaxton beauty's." He jabbed his thumb in the direction of Lee who was making conversation with Alexander and Fred behind them.

"C'est une idée stupide." George grinned widely at Ginger, not understanding a word she was saying, but still parading his Cheshire grin.

"Great, I knew you'd come around." He began paying for the remaining candy that hadn't fallen out of his hands on the way to the register.

Ginger sighed and giggled sliding a box of Droobles onto the counter for him to pay for, "believe what you'd like."

"Thank you," he paid for the candy and noticed the candy she wordlessly added. Without a second thought, he handed them to her showing his charming smile once more, "I will."