How it Began

|17|

"Hey guys, you free tonight?" Hal asks as he walks up to the group in the hallway.

"Depends, what do you have in mind?" Fred wonders.

"Dinner at my place."

"I'm busy." Alice tells him. "So is FP." She grasps his hand.

"I am?" She squeezes his hand tightly, digging her nails into his skin a little, and he winces. "I am."

"No you're not, both of you are free. All of us are, Hal, dinner sounds lovely." Mary answers on behalf of the group.

"Wait, no, I'm busy!" Alice insists.

"You just don't want to come."

"That too but I have good reason."

"Yeah? What's that?"

"Hal's mom hates me, I prefer to eat dinner not being criticized."

"She doesn't hate you." Hal tells her.

"You don't have to lie to me, that woman has hated my guts since the first time I met her."

"She doesn't hate you she just thinks you're a bit vulgar with your language."

"So as long as I don't say something dirty or swear she'll be fine?"

"For the most part, yes."

Alice rolls her eyes and sighs. "Fine. But if that woman gives me so much as a nasty look while I'm trying my best to be respectful I'm cursing her out." FP tries to stifle his laugh.

"I'll tell her to be nice. Six o'clock work for all of you?" The group nods. "Perfect. And make sure you wear something a little more on the dressy side, the Coopers pride themselves in looking their best, and if you want to be on my mom's good side, all of you, I'd clean up a bit." Alice's jaw clenches and FP snakes his arm around her waist to keep her from lunging at Hal.

"Mary, you could've let us have a say." Alice pouts.

"I knew you wouldn't come if you had a choice."

"Damn right I wouldn't." She sighs. "And now I have to come and I have to dress up all nice and fancy, I don't own anything up to the Cooper's standards."

"You can borrow something of mine." Hermione offers.

"Oh great, so I'm going to have dinner with the Cooper's while dressed in panty hoes and pearls. Joy oh joy."

"Fine then, fend for yourself."

"Wait! No, I didn't say I didn't want it!"

Hermione rolls her eyes. "Come home with me after school and we'll get you ready. Boys," she points towards FP and Fred. "meet us at my place and we'll head over."

"We'll be there at 5:30?"

"Perfect."

After school, as promised, Hermione gets Alice ready to Cooper family standards. She gives her an outfit that consists of a nice lavender coloured dress that reaches just above her knees, she pairs it with a white sweater, pantyhose and pearls.

Alice comes out of the bathroom full dressed and Hermione looks her up and down. "Mhm. Very Stepford. Just one more thing," she runs to the bathroom and roots through the drawers until she finds what she's looking for. She comes back and slides a headband through Alice's hair. "there, you look absolutely nothing like yourself."

"I'm itchy." Alice whines, pulling at the pantyhose covering her legs.

"Stop whining and suck it up." There's a knock on the door and Hermione runs to go let the boys in. Alice reluctantly follows.

FP rounds the corner and smiles when he sees Alice. He opens his mouth to say something but Alice beats him to it. "Don't say a word."