<human>: Can you succinctly summarize the text in 1-3 sentences?

Okay! 2 years ago, I had this huge group of friends where we'd be out for a few drinks almost every night. One of these friends was a girl I started sleeping with. Was just a semi-drunken bit of fun and I never thought anything of it.

I then moved away, went to work in a different country for a year. Kept moderately in touch through facebook and things, but just as friends. But this was when I started to think about her a bit more.

I came back for a week last christmas and met up with everybody. Turns out there'd been some messed up scenario between her and another girl. So when I met up with her (hoping to tell her I liked her), this other girl turned up and I ended up having to bear hug them both to the ground. Since then, the girl I like has been pretty much kicked from the group of friends. (don't worry too much about the argument, it's inter-group politics that have meant she's been kicked out and not the other girl)

I've now returned from the other country, but moved to a different city from my old friends (not TOO far away). So, although a relationship is now possible, I haven't seen her since last Christmas.

Here's the question: I'm meeting up with her this Christmas, how do I approach asking her out? And, foreseeing what she might fear, how do I put her at ease about the friends who don't like her?
<bot>: How do you let your ex-FWB know that you fancy her? (when most of the mutual friends, you once had, don't like her)