The Redheaded Wonder

Alice rolled her eyes and smirked as Granger tried to teach Ron how to cast a levitation spell. It was so simple to Alice that she thought she might be able to do it in her sleep. In fact, she had learned this spell a few years earlier. Alice had gotten away with so much underage magic that she began to wonder if the Ministry really did moniter it or if it was just to scare them all into not using it.

Draco sat next to her, entranced by the color of her hair, it seemed. He blushed slightly when she turned her attention to him, but slapped himself mentally. He had developed a slight crush on Alice over the short period of time they had been at Hogwarts.

"Alice" he said.

"Yes Draco?"

"Have I told you how lovely your hair is?"

She smirked at him.

"You make fun of Wealsey's hair all the time though."

Draco frowned. It was true, he had taken a liking to making fun of the Weasley's and their matching red hair, but Alice was different. She had a sense of power that radiated off her skin. Somehow, red looked so much better on her; it suited her.

"It's different" he said. "Red hair suits you. On them, it looks....."

"Stupid? You've said it at least a hundred times."

Draco shrugged his shoulders, looking away to avoid eye contact.

"Draco, I was only joking wih you."

"I know."

Alice went back to levitating her feather, though it bored her still. Draco smiled confidently as he cast the spell, expecting it to rise into the air just as easily, but found that nothing happened. He winced as he asked Alice for help. He never asked for help, especially from girls. Yes, it was Alice, but he never asked for help no matter who it was from. He silently vowed he would never ask for the help of Alice Walker ever again.

-----

Ron sat in the Gryffindor common room alone. Everyone else, including Harry, had gone to bed already. Maybe Hermione isn't as bad as I thought..... He sighed. He and Harry had saved her from the girls lavatory after the troll escaped from the dungeons. What was Hogwarts doing with a troll anyway?

And then his thoughts traveled to another subject entirely. Alice was good at charms. No, she was better than good. She had cast the levitation spell during Charms class as if she had done it thousands of times before. Maybe he could use that as an excuse to talk to her. He could ask her for help with his Charms homework. But then he hit a brick wall in his fantasy. Would she really help him? Or would she laugh in his face and walk away hand in hand with Malfoy? Probably the latter.

"Why Slytherin Alice? Why not Gryffindor?"

"Alice? Slytherin?"

Ron turned around quickly, eyes wide. He had been caught rambling about Alice, the Slytherin who he had never met and who he was supposed to hate.

"Harry? What are you doing up? I thought you were in bed?"

Ron laughed nervously.

"I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep" Harry said slowly, eyeing Ron.

He walked around the couch and sat himself in front of the fireplace.

"So...... Alice?"

Ron groaned and Harry waited.

"You weren't supposed to hear me. I was talking to myself."

"Care to explain?"

Ron hesitated but nodded his head.

"You know that Slytherin who hangs out with Malfoy, Alice?"

"Yeah. What about her?"

"Well, I kind of..... Maybe...... Fancy her."

"What?"

"Please don't make me say it again."

"Really Ron? Have you ever even talked to her?"

"No. But I've known since the moment I laid eyes on her that she's the one. Or at least, I think she is."

It was silent between the two for a few minutes before Ron spoke again.

"You won't tell anybody, will you Harry?"

Harry shook his head.

"Of course not Ron. We're friends. I could never do something like that to you."

Ron sighed in relief.

"Thanks Harry. That means a lot."

"No problem."

Harry and Ron yawned simultaneously, then laughed.

"Maybe we should try to get some sleep?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, that's probably not a bad idea."