A.J RYAN IN THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX

Chapter 24 - Hogsmeade

A.J was rather concerned with how Fred and George were acting so normally towards her on Saturday morning. After yesterday's discussion they were supposed to hate her. She left that morning for Hogsmeade with Simon and some of his Ravenclaw friends, who were not that far behind Cho and Harry.

Once A.J reached the village she edged away from the group and wandered by herself. In every shop window there was a large poster. The faces of the ten escaped Death Eaters were staring out of it, under a reward of a thousand-galleons to anyone with information leading to their recapture. A.J stopped and stared at one, only a shop over from where Harry was.

"It's funny isn't it, remember when that Sirius Black escaped. And there were Dementors all over Hogsmeade looking for him? And now ten Death Eaters are on the loose and there are no Dementors anywhere..." Said Cho quietly from nearby.

A.J tore her eyes away from the poster and looked to her and Harry. Harry was now looking up and down the High Street; "Yeah..." he was saying before she walked out of earshot.

Ron and Ginny were at an all-day Quidditch training session in preparation for the match against Hufflepuff, she didn't need to watch Harry, because there would be someone from the Order here doing that, and Fred and George would be wandering around somewhere. A.J turned to look around for them. There was no need; they were walking towards her with Lee.

"Hello." George said cheerfully as he and Lee continued walking past. Only Fred stopped.

A.J stared at him wearingly.

"You may be incredibly smart, but you're oblivious to certain things." He started.

She raised her eyebrows at him.

"Like how much I was getting to know you. You wouldn't deliberately hurt someone like that."

A.J kept her face neutral. Fred was watching her very closely.

"You really like me Lexi, more than you ever did the Slytherin and Hufflepuff. I know you do." He finished.

She walked away and Fred smiled triumphantly.

A.J had snuck off to visit Sirius. Today she disguised him as a teenager, only mildly changing her own appearance. They headed to the south-coast of England to an amusement park for the other half the morning, and the entire afternoon.

At dinner on Monday evening, Dean and Neville were sharing their enthusiasm at Harry giving his full version of Voldemort's return to Rita Skeeta – an ex-reporter for the Daily Prophet. The story would appear in one of the next issues of the Quibbler, a magazine run by Luna Lovegood's father.

A.J had taken a seat in the common room that evening before Fred and George had joined Harry and Hermione.

"Ron and Ginny not here?" Fred looked around. When Harry shook his head, he continued; "Good. We were watching their practice. They're going to be slaughtered. They're complete rubbish without us."

After a minute Fred stood up and moved to the window, staring out across the dark grounds. "You know Quidditch was about the only thing in this place worth staying for."

A.J's eyes shot up from her book she was reading in a chair a short distance from him, before she could stop the reaction. Fred glanced at her from the corner of his eye.

"Told you already, were not fussed about N.E.W.Ts. 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 on to it." Fred said. A.J now realised why they were walking bandy-legged after Quidditch training that time.

"I dunno if I even want to watch this match. If Zacharias Smith beats us I might have to kill myself." George said before a huge yawn.

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

A.J, whose eyes had adverted back to her book, slowly looked up at him. She thought of the smug Hufflepuff, wjo wasn't very well liked.

But what was stirring in her mind most, was Fred's words. He had a darker sense of humour than George, who seemed fairer and more kind. A.J wondered why it was Fred she had preferred.

When A.J refocused, Fred was eyeing her. With her face neutral again, she met his eyes for a few moments before looking away.

A.J left the common room as Ron and Ginny returned.

She stood out in the corridor for a while, before retreating to her temporary office on the same floor.

When A.J resurfaced close to midnight, she reached the Portrait hole, where a tall redhead stood leaning against it with folded arms.

Fred clicked his tongue disapprovingly; "You're out after hours again, Miss Ryan."

She stood a few feet away from him, with the most undeterred expression she could muster.

"You know, I guess you were right about it being easier to date someone from a different house, you can't exactly avoid me, can you?" He smirked.

"Excellent observation Mr Weasley. You have five seconds to get out of my way or I'll make you." She smiled sweetly.

Fred gave her a rather appraising all-over look, which made her insides flutter, before standing aside.

She gave a rather grumpy Fat Lady the password, whose portrait flung open towards them.

"In." She ordered Fred.

He smiled and walked through ahead of her.