Hi! Okay... I'll try to keep updating as best that I can. This takes place just at the beginning of book five and should carry on through the end of the series. Now, if by some unpredictable event the Weasley twins do get gulp bumped off in the seventh book, the story will become AU. Okay? Okay... OH and I'm not from England so I apologize for not getting the correct Slang words and such, yeah.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything of the HP Universe or anything else you may recognize...(but that really doesn't apply to this chapter) That being said... on with the show.

Alexandria Lennox boarded the Hogwarts Express that morning with no great expectation of the school year ahead of her. It would be her sixth year at the Wizarding school, the year in between testing and decision. The calm before the storm that most people would call growing up.

I've grown up enough, Alex thought as she found her friends in a compartment close to the front of the train. Her best friend, Dani Crowwell nearly bowled her over, excited to see her after the long summer holiday.

"How was Greece? Was it wonderful? What about Italy? Did you take lots of pictures like I told you to?" This was all asked in one breath, while stuffing Alexandria's trunk up above on the shelf. (Which was rather difficult, considering she was about a head shorter than most third years.)

"Yes, I took pictures, and yes they were wonderful. But you have to tell me about your summer first! Is your grandmother okay?"

"She will be. Grammy's too stubborn to sniff it just yet. She says that if my brother keeps causing trouble she wants to be there to help 'give him a good swatting.'" Dani laughed. Of all the people in the world, Dani loved her Grandmother most.

Still talking, Dani and Alex sat down next to a young blonde boy, who looked intensely out of place among all of the sixth year girls. His wide green eyes, and small button nose matching his sister Dani's.

"Hello, Skye," Alexandria said to him. "How are you?"

"Good," he said unconvincingly.

"He's nervous for his first day of school. Don't worry about it Skye, it'll be okay." The boy perked up a little bit at his sister's encouragement, but the color still did not return to his face.

Alexandria pat him on the shoulder, then turned and resumed her conversation with Dani.

"So, now, Greece, Italy, France! Tell me everything! And about the Carribean Cruise you plan on taking with your dad during the Christmas holiday! I want to know it all!" Dani said excitedly. Alex reached into her bag and extracted a photo album, and began to leaf through it commenting on each of the photos.

Alexandria's father was a well-off Muggle businessman who married her mother, who was a pure-blooded witch, some twenty years ago. Now divorced, Alex spent her time flitting from parent to parent. Her mother lived in a quaint, two-bedroom house in London with her new husband Rufus Scimgeour (who Alexandria greatly disliked.) By contrast, her father had houses all over Europe and frequently took his only daughter on ridiculously lavish vacations like the one described above.

Although Alex loved both of her parents, she didn't have much respect for them. Being the foremost witness to their messy, petty divorce five years ago had wiped that out. Now she felt that the only family member that she could trust was her Aunt Annette, her mother's sister. Annette was an eccentric witch who had a taste for all things dangerous and experimental. Alexandria was supposed to have spent some time with her this summer, but wasn't able to because of something she 'had to do for the Order.' Whatever that was.

"I wish I could have gone with you!" Dani said, looking longingly at a picture of the clear blue ocean off of the coast of Greece. "It's absolutely gorgeous!"

"I wish you could have, too. My dad brought his new 'girlfriend' with," Alex said, and Dani's face of distaste mirrored her thoughts.

"How long do you suppose this one will last?" her best friend asked.

"Dunno. She doesn't have much of a personality. I mean, she was nice and all, but not much of an improvement since the secretary." Both girls rolled their eyes at the last comment, slid their left palms across one another, and swept them over their right shoulder. The good riddance signal.

"So, Marietta, where's Cho? It's not like her to go off on her own," Alexandria said, noticing that her fellow Ravenclaw was missing.

"She said that she had to go to the bathroom, but that was 15 minutes ago," Marietta said, looking up from the book of photos that had now been passed on to her. Dani and Alex exchanged knowing looks, and got up.

"We'll go and look for her then," Dani said, opening the door to the compartment. "Be back soon. Skye, make sure that you be good." And with that they headed toward the back of the train.

About half-way there, Dani stopped and peered into one of the compartments. Inside the compartment sat Lee Jordan, Fred and George Weasley, and three girls(one from the Gryffindor Quiddich team whose name Alex couldn't remember).

"Hello," Said one of the girls .

"Can we help you ladies?" asked on of the twin boys.

George turned and looked at the two girls. He recognized them only by face, and was pretty sure that they were 6th Year Ravenclaws.

"Sorry," said the shorter one. She had long, strait, blonde hair and striking light green eyes that had a glowing quality about them. "We're looking for our friend Cho Chang. Have you seen her?"

"No, sorry," Angelina said.

"If we see her we'll let her know that you're looking for her," George said to them.

"That'd be great, thanks," the taller one said, distractedly toying with a strand of her wavy brown hair. Her intense, light-brown eyes were fixed upon the flesh colored bit of string sitting next to Fred on the seat.

"Interested?" Fred asked, picking up the string.

"Curious," corrected the girl. She smiled softly, more with her eyes than her mouth.

"That," George said, "Is an Extendable Ear."

Her dark eyes turned to George and her smile widened. "A what?"

"Care for a demonstration?"

"Yes, please."

Fred got up, and placed the flesh colored string into her hands.

"George, if you would be so kind as to escort this fine young lady to the hall," Fred said, beaming. The girl giggled slightly, and took George's outstretched arm, looking back at her friend with a blaze in her eyes. George could feel how cold her fingers were through his shirt, and the pleasant tingle they left on his skin.

Once in the hallway, George shut the compartment door and fed one end of the string into the keyhole. Her eyes stayed on his, and she looked at him expectantly for instruction, the small smile still playing within her expression.

"Now, listen," he commanded, and brought the other end of the string up to her ear. The look of surprise that crossed her face caused the smile on George's face to broaden.

"That's amazing!" she exclaimed, looking down at the Ear in her hand. Turning back to him, she smiled fully. The light that emanated from this expression made her look even more pretty than before. "Did you make these?"

"Yes, my brother and I did," he replied, proud of himself.

"If you don't mind my asking," she said, looking at him sheepishly. "You are George, correct?"

"Oh. Yeah. George Weasley," he said, extending a hand.

"Alexandria Lennox," she replied, shaking his hand. "Well, George Weasley, I am very impressed." George grinned even wider, and Alex's cheeks reddened. "With the Extendable Ears, I mean."

Alexandria looked at the boy in front of her with interest. Tall, red-haired, and boyish, she didn't understand why it was that she felt a little weak in the knees when she looked him in the eye. Feeling herself flush, Alex looked down at the Extendable Ear in her hand.

"Shall we go back inside then?" He asked her, taking the device out of the lock and out of her hands. Alex felt a jolt of excitement just behind her navel when his fingers brushed her palm

"Yes, I suppose we should," she said, trying her best to be charming.

"Well?" Fred asked as soon as they had re-entered the compartment. "Are you interested?"

"Very," Alex said, her thoughts more on his twin brother than his invention.

"Care to do a little business then?"

"Hmm?" she said, tearing her eyes away from the other twin and facing Fred. "Oh, buy one? Sure, that could come in handy one day." Alex dug in her jeans pocket and extracted her wand and some Muggle paper money.

"Damn," she muttered. "I've left my money in my trunk." She looked at Fred, and said in a very business-like tone, "How about I come and find you tomorrow morning? Say, during breakfast? I'll buy one then."

"Deal," Fred said without hesitation and extended his hand.

Alexandria made a mental note of the difference between the twin's handshakes, and their aura's. As a rule, Andria didn't buy into things like that, but this she couldn't really ignore. It wasn't that there was something distinct between them, looks wise or otherwise, but something more subtle.

"Well, we should go, we have go keep looking for our friend," Dani said, grabbing Alex above the elbow, and ushering her out of the compartment. "Remember?"

"Oh, yeah." And with that they left to look for Cho.