DISCLAIMER: SORRY, NOT MINE. Just the plot and Alexis.

A/N AT END OF CHAPTER

Chapter 4 - Return

"Draco?" Alexis gasped at the teen that was shivering slightly, the wind blowing his white blonde hair around his face. His arms were crossed tightly, trying desperately to keep himself warm, despite the black overcoat and grey scarf he wore. Despite the cold, he smirked.

"Well, Lexi, are you going to let me in, or should I just stand out here all day?"

The comment brought Alexis out of her reverie and, glancing over her shoulder to make sure the coast was clear ( that was, that Harry wasn't anywhere near) she ushered Draco into the hallway, leading him into the drawing room, where the door was firmly shut behind him. Alexis turned around and told Ginny in a whisper to keep Harry away from the room at all costs. Ginny hurried away and Alexis opened the door and slipped into the room.

Draco was standing at the large windows, his hands behind his back, just watching it snow.

"What on earth are you doing here?" Alexis asked sternly butshe was grinning, and she couldn't help herself. She launched herself into Draco's arms and hugged him.

"Well it's been far too long Alexis dear. I felt that it was high time to visit my best friend. Particularly since we haven't seen one another for years." He said with a chuckle.

Alexis felt suddenly light hearted. Draco standing here before her was a sign that troubled times were gone. Pulling out of the hug, she held Draco at an arms length and surveyed him.

"My god Draco, you look just the same as ever."

"Well you Lexi have changed. Quite a bit if memory serves me correctly. I bet you have all the young wizards chasing after you, asking you to take a ride on their brooms" He smirked again, while Alexis tried to look mortified.

"You, Draco Malfoy are a prat" she said, hitting him in the arm. "And you have some nerve coming here, considering this is Harry's place and he's livid. Given half the chance, I wouldn't put it past him to hit you with the Arvada the minute your back was turned"

At this, Draco fained a look of pure shock.

"Potter, hurt me? Surely not?" he smirked.

When she raised her eye and said nothing, Draco sighed.

"Then perhaps you will accompany me outside for some fresh air and we can talk then. You do know we have a fair bit to disscus, none of it is pleasent." And with that he offered her his arm and the two left the bright drawing room for the dark hallway.

"I'll meet you out the front" she said quickly ushering him down the long hallway and out the front door.

She had no trouble finding Ginny who was reading in a large cushy chair by the fire in the living room. She told her friend that she was leaving with Draco and she would be back by dinnertime. She left the room quickly, with Ginny smirking at the girls retreating back, before going back to the large novel open on her lap.

"Ding dong"

Ginny looked up suddenly when she heard the doorbell, noticing that it was dark, and it was 6pm. It wasn't until the bell rung for a second time that Ginny jumped up to open the door. It wouldn't be Alexis, because she had a key, and the door wasn't locked anyway. Lost in though, she didn't notice Harry had beat her to the door and ran straight into his back. She picked herself up off the floor and glanced over Harry's shoulder wondering who it could be. She nearly fell over again when she saw who was standing in the dark doorway

"HERMIONE!" Squealed Ginny, launching herself at the friend she hadn't seen in 4 months.

Harry stepped out of the way, laughing at the two, before suggesting they both come inside where it was much warmer. Harry led the two squealing girls into the kitchen where he told them to take a seat and grabbed 3 butterbeers from the cupboard. He placed two in front of the girls before taking a seat himself and opening his own.

"So Hermione" he asked, when the squeals had subsided "What brings you back?"

Hermione had been traveling abroad and they hadn't expected her back for quite sometime. She looked great, Harry noticed. She had obviously been traveling where it was sunny because she had a healthy tan. Her fuzzy hair was very sleek and wavy and her eyes were bright with excitement.

"Oh Harry, I missed it here so much. It sounds ridiculous considering we're practically war torn country, and I've been traveling in some of the most beautiful places, but essentially, its not the same without your friends. And I realized one day that you must have left St Mungos by now and I felt so guilty, what with Ron and that and the fact that it was just you and Ginny and Alexis here at the moment, with the Mr and Mrs Weasly living in Ireland at the moment and Fred and Geroge and busy travelling and setting up their buisness around the world. I bumped into them a couple of times actually. They're doing famously is Alexis by the way?" Hermione asked suddenly glancing around the room, as if she might jump out and yell "surprise". Ginny suddenly realized again that Alexis still wasn't home, and hoping that Malfoy hadn't abducted her she said simply " Oh you know, gone out for a walk. I suppose she got caught up.

Hermione could tell Ginny wasn't being 100 percent truthful but she ignored it.

The conversation continued on without mention of Alexis. Hermione filled the two in on her excursions, about who she ran into, where she went, what she did. It all sounded so exotic to Harry and Ginny who had been under house arrest due to the terrible weather. After talking for hours, Harry suggested they move into the living room where here was a fire and much more comfortable seating. He told them to go on and he would come in momentarily with coffee.

Hermione used this opportunity, the moment they were out of ear shot of Harry, to question Ginny again.

"Alexis isn't 'just out' is she?"

Ginny looked a little guilty, but feeling it was safe to tell Hermione she mentioned she left the house early afternoon with Draco Malfoy.

"Malfoy? She's out with Malfoy?" But, why?" Hermione was quite as confused as Ginny had been, but thankfully had not lost her cool like Harry had.

"No idea, something about them being old friends. All I know is he came to the door and they left about 10mins later. Thank god Harry wasn't around. Though that was probably because he was stalking around the yard, because he and Alexis had a minor disagreement over the fact that she had received an owl from Malfoy. Anyway-"

Just then a very wind blown Alexis came into the room, pulling off her gloves and scarf, her hair was covered with snow, but she seemed quite content. It took her a moment to register Hermione but the moment she did, she acted much the way Ginny had, and squealing she pulled Hermione into a hug, just as Harry came into the room.

A/N : Not much of an ending, but I didn't know what else to use. I didn't want to continue the story cause that's for the next chapter. Hope you like the story so far. Once all the characters have been introduced into the story, it will hopefully be off rolling.