Alice sat on the grounds by the lake, reading a book, as per usual. Her eyes scanned through the pages, but her mind was elsewhere. His beautiful brown hair was haunting her thoughts. How badly she wanted to talk to him. And his heritage! So interesting. She really didn't get to talk to him much, but boy did she want to talk to him more!

Alice caught herself when on these thoughts. No, Alice stop. Just keep reading. She started focusing on the words rather than her hopelessly romantic thoughts before the looked up and saw Lexi making her way near the lake. "Hey!" She yelled. "Come here!" She said beaconing. "I really need to talk to you!"

Lexi/Blossom looked up.  He was in a foul mood.  He had no idea what that girl was doing with his body.  He'd seem himself/her come outside but he'd lost track of them.  Maybe Alice would know where he/she had gone.  "What can I do for you Alice?" Lexi/Blossom asked.  "I assume you're Alice.  It's hard to be certain right now."

"Of course I'm Alice, silly! I just really needed to talk to you about him!" She sighed with a smile on her face. "I think I'm in love! I mean, have you seen him in our classes? He is so hot. But not only that! I think he's so sensitive as well. I mean, his heritage is simply amazing. The way he's so proud of it," At this point she squealed.

"But of course, we are not meant to be together. I mean, two totally different houses. He's not supposed to like me, and I'm not supposed to like him. But I still do. I wish he felt the same. But other girls! I feel almost threatened, you know? Like they're going to steal him away! That Matthews girl is bad news. I swear I saw her flirting with him in class in September!"

Alice continued to talk. "I love his name. It's a little odd, don't get me wrong! You don't hear that everyday! But, it's exotic. So cool!" She squealed again. I just wish I got to talk to him more. I feel like we never talk." She took a breath before saying, "But what do you think? Do you think he likes me? Or, even if he could?"

Lexi/Blossom blinked.  The eyelashes were distracting.  "Wait.  What?  What did you say?  What are you talking about?"  Had Alice actually squealed like, well, a school girl?  "You think you're in love?"

He tried to remember everything she'd just said.  "You think you love somebody from another house with an exotic name that Lucy Matthews was flirting with?"  Blossom felt the blood draining out of Lexi's cheeks.  She couldn't be serious.  Alice Hunter?  In love with him?  What was he supposed to say?  Alice obviously thought that she was talking to Lexi in Lexi's body, rather than Blossom.  What advice could he give her?

Blossom didn't really have much interest in girls in general and Alice in particular.  They just didn't matter to him yet.  He was quite certain that they would eventually but now?  He'd rather read an herbology text.  "Are you sure?  I mean, have you really thought it through?  What would his fa- his family say?  Some families are really big on heritage, even when they really don't have a leg to stand on."

"Why do you seem so shocked? We've talked about this before!" Alice said surprised, a little smile on her face. Lexi's acting odd today. Must be her time of the month or something. She thought to herself. "I really can imagine myself with him. We'd be so cute. Everyone would be jealous of us. He's just really cute."

Are you sure?  I mean, have you really thought it through?  What would his fa- his family say?  Some families are really big on heritage, even when they really don't have a leg to stand on."

"I did think of that, but then I thought that you know, they'd probably be okay with it. I mean, it's not like I'm all that strange. He's just super duper adorable, and I really, really like him." Alice looked back at Blossom. "Do you think he likes me back? I mean, it's not like I'd be super devastated or anything. But, I do really, really, like him."

Lexi/Blossom shifted uncomfortably.  "You can't really tell without asking,"  he said.  "And asking is going to be hard, especially if he doesn't feel the same way."  His mind was buzzing, trying to figure out who to give advice that would be useful, without giving too much away.  It was clear that Alice didn't realize that Lexi had body-swapped, let alone with who.

"My advice is to wait.  Boys at our age aren't really all that interested in girls.  They're a year or so behind.  Be his friend before you try to be his girlfriend.  That way, if he doesn't feel the same way, you'll still be friends.  Hopefully."

Wondering if it was something Lexi would do, Blossom reached out and gave Alice a hug.  If felt strange, knowing that she was really wanting a hug from him, to be hugging her for the first time using somebody else's body.  "I don't know what more I can tell you than that.  I wasn't exactly expecting this when you called me over."

Alice nodded to the advice, understanding. "I get it. I mean, who's to say he likes me anyway." She said with a small, disappointed smile. Alice looked at Blossom. "He's just so great. But thanks for listening to me." He hugged her and she hugged back. "You're very different today, Lexi. But I like it."

"I don't know what more I can tell you than that.  I wasn't exactly expecting this when you called me over."


"I totally get it. I mean, Ted just really gets to me. He's also a great dancer." She smiled. "His hair too. I love that he can change it. And who's to say Matthews was really flirting with him? I don't know for sure. But I mean, Lucy and Ted? Sounds dumb. But Alice and Ted, well. That's a couple right there!"

Ted?  Ted LUPIN?  Thank Merlin that she isn't talking about ME!

"Ted's nice,"  Lexi/Blossom said.  "Just give him some time.  Who knows what will happen?  There's a long time between now and graduation."

With the pressure of being the object of Alice's affection deflected onto the Ted, Blossom felt comfortable enough to confess his slight deception to her.  After all, what was the worst that could happen?  "Actually, Alice, I've got a bit of a confession to make.  It's got nothing like what you've told me and I promise I won't tell anyone what you told me but first I need you to promise that you won't be angry."  Then, realizing how Alice might take that request (who knew how the mind of a girl worked?) he thought it best to add "It's got nothing to do with Ted, just so you know."

"Ted's nice. Just give him some time. Who knows what will happen? There's a long time between now and graduation."

"That's true, that's true." Alice said in reply with a nod of her head. It was. She knew she couldn't go boy crazy right now. There was still plenty of time, and she needed to truly focus on her studies. "I still am crossing my fingers he likes me though." She said with a smile. Sure, she could stay away from boys completely, but that wasn't fun at all.

"Actually, Alice, I've got a bit of a confession to make.  It's got nothing like what you've told me and I promise I won't tell anyone what you told me but first I need you to promise that you won't be angry. It's got nothing to do with Ted, just to let you know."

Alice's face turned serious. "What is it Lex?" She took a deep breath. "I mean, if it's something serious, I mean, I totally will understand. Or if it's a secret, well." She smiled. "You'd know I'd keep it. There's no one I trust more than you! And I hope it's mutual!"

Lexi/Blossom walked outside, cursing the world and its absurdities. Out of everyone, she got stuck with Blossom. A pure blooded, upstanding, too-good-for-the-rest-of-them Slytherin. "Really!" She yelled to some unseen deity, "This isn't a joke to me! I'm not laughing!"

Then she noticed her own body and Alice, and she shuddered from watching herself talk to her best friend. "Oh no.... oh no, oh no oh no oh no..." she started running towards them. "I told you not to mess around with my body! What do you think you're doing mister! Back away from the Hufflepuff before you blow this all to hell!" Lexi sprinted towards them, fury coursing through her veins.

Lexi, in Blossom's body, ran even faster. "Alice! Whatever he said was a lie! I repeat, a lie!"

Rather suddenly, Blossom came running towards Lexi and Alice. He was shouting strange things about bodies and hell. "He's a quirky one, that Blossom." She said to Lexi. He seemed very angry, the way he ran, and Alice almost laughed at the absurdness. She really never talked to Blossom, and rarely saw him outside of class. They were in two total different social scenes. He was a pureblood Slytherin. And she was a halfblooded Hufflepuff.

As Blossom approached, he yelled, "Alice! Whatever he said was a lie! I repeat, a lie!"

Alice looked at him. "Are you alright? Did you hit your head or something? I'm just talking to Lexi here. Do you need help?" She was genuinely concerned.

"Actually Alice, that is what I wanted to tell you,"  Lexi/Blossom said.  "Remember you promised not to get mad.  When everybody got switched around and breakfast, I got switched.  Lexi is really in that body,"  she/he point to where Blossom was storming across the grass with Lexi in control.  "I'm really Blossom Rose, in Lexi's body."

There were a few ways the situation could go.  Either both girls were going to erupt on him like offended volcanoes, both of them could be reasonable or only one would continue having a cow.  Blossom wasn't about to hold Lexi's breath as he waited to discover how likely the use of reason was going to be.  The problem was, he wasn't about to keep his mouth shut and see if the three of them could sort things out peacefully.

"Call down, Lexi,"  Blossom snapped in Lexi's voice.  It didn't even sound remotely the way he wanted it to.  "I came out here looking to see what you were doing with my body and Alice called me over.  I didn't realize she thought it was you until after she told me a secret, a secret which I will carry to my grave, by the way.  I was about to tell her she was telling the wrong person and try and find you so she could fill you in but now you're charging over here assuming I'm up to no good.  I thought by now you'd realize that I'm not like that any more.  Frankly I'm getting tired of people assuming that I'm the bad guy all the time.  If that is what you want me to be, then fine, I'll be the bad guy.  As soon as I get my body back, I'll make sure you regret ever having heard my name.  You know what else?  I, I mean you, really need to pee and I'm staying out of the bathroom just so you won't have something else  to complain about!"  Lexi's voice was rising, almost a full cry.  It sort of impressed Blossom that Lexi could achieve that sort of volume without even really straining.

"Sorry, I don't think before I talk a lot of the time. I just figured you were messing around, and I would've figured that with anyone. Didn't mean to be rude." She said, admiring the way her soprano voice worked with Blossom's high pitched squeals. Well, her high pitched squeals.

This was getting really complicated. Too many people were in different bodies. Maybe Lexi should just go sleep the rest of the day off and try not to think about the predicament they were all in.

"Here," she said, holding out her pinky finger. "I pinky promise not to judge you or make assumptions any longer just because you were green and I wear red." She thought about how Blossom might not know what a pinky promise was and amended it, "This is a serious promise. You take Alice's secret to the grave, and I'll keep my promise to the grave."

"And you and I have to talk, but it might do better to wait until I'm me again because I'd feel weird to have you spilling your secrets while I'm like this." Lexi said to Alice.

"Blossom, if you really have to go. Just close your eyes and go." She said, referring to the fact that he really had to go. "And again, I'm really sorry."

"Actually Alice, that is what I wanted to tell you. Remember you promised not to get mad.  When everybody got switched around and breakfast, I got switched.  Lexi is really in that body,"  she/he point to where Blossom was storming across the grass with Lexi in control.  "I'm really Blossom Rose, in Lexi's body."

Alice was stunned. No, she was frozen in what seemed to be fear. She couldn't move, as her head was turning gears. Lexi isn't Lexi. Lexi is Blossom, and Blossom is Lexi. Her eyes widened. So, by that logic, I just told... I JUST TOLD A BOY  THAT I HAVE A CRUSH ON ANOTHER BOY!! She thought worriedly. Her eyes widened, and her face reddened. She just wanted to curl up in a ball and die of embarrassment. Well, no. She really just wanted to curl into a ball and cry.

But then the stopped. There was a body switch that she was unaware to. Alice had skipped breakfast for the library. She was drawn to the nonfiction section that day, and had lost track of time. "What happened this morning?" She asked somewhat worriedly to the both of them.

Blossom looked at Lexi extending his pinkie (his head was starting to ache from trying to keep track of the proper pronouns).  "Uhm, okay," he/she said, reaching out with Lexi's pinkie.  He wasn't exactly sure what was supposed to happen next.  "What do we do next?"

Before Blossom/Lexi could respond to Lexi/Blossom's question, Alice dropped her second bomb of the morning.  Lexi's head turned to look at her as Blossom's astonishment became clear on Lexi's face.  "You mean you don't know?"  He looked back at Lexi in his body.  "Do you want to tell her or should I?"