◣ 𝗦𝗢𝗙𝗧 𝗦𝗣𝗢𝗧 ◥

𝗧𝗔𝗟𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚

TALKING
"𝖨 𝖽𝗈 𝗇𝗈𝗍 𝗄𝗇𝗈𝗐 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗆𝖾𝖺𝗇𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗐𝗈𝗋𝗍𝗁 𝗈𝖿 𝖺 𝖿𝖺𝗆𝗂𝗅𝗒."

—PANSY GROANED WHEN ALEXANDRIA DENIED THAT THERE WAS ANYTHING GOING ON BETWEEN HER AND DIGGORY FOR THE TENTH TIME THAT NIGHT. It was merely a few weeks after the first task and people had finally stopped bullying Alexandria— mostly thanks to her threats. Right now, the three girls were having a sleepover as it was the weekend.

"—you can't deny it forever!" exclaimed Pansy.

"Pans, she just doesn't like him." Daphne joined in, looking up from her newly-painted nails. "Do you, Dria?"

Alexandria glared at her. "No."

Daphne shrugged and went back to her nails.

Alexandria rolled her eyes when Pansy groaned. "Why do you keep thinking that, anyway?"

"You really don't know?" Pansy scoffed. "He's been flirting with you all week."

"What?" frowned Alexandria, oblivious. "He has?"

Pansy groaned again.

♡

"Hey," whispered Cedric as he sat next to Alexandria in the library.

Not looking up from the book in her hands Alexandria said, "Go away, Diggory."

"You've been ignoring me for a while now," He continued, ignoring what she had said. "Are you alright?"

"Yes. I just dislike you."

"Oh," nodded Cedric as if it was nothing. "That makes sense."

♡

Alexandria sat down on the chair in Moody's office, looking at Barty. "How's father?"

"Have you figured out the egg, yet?"

"Not important at the moment, Barty." mumbled the girl with a sigh. "How's father?"

"My lord is.." Barty suddenly frowned. "Confusing."

"Confusing?" repeated Alexandria in confusion. "What? Why?"

"He's been out of it for a while. Rabastan swore he heard him shatter a glass last week."

Alexandria blinked. "Shatter a glass?" she repeated in utter confusion.

Barty shrugged. "Like I said: out of it. Took his horse for a ride, though, so there's that."

"Barty, I meant how he is feeling." said the girl as if she was talking to a toddler rather than a grown man.

Barty's eyes widened with horror. "The dark lord can feel?"

Alexandria's lips parted. "How dumb can you get, Bartemius?"

"Honestly? I think I've reached the limit."

"You don't say?" Alexandria sarcastically said.

♡

Walking out of the classroom, Alexandria started walking around the castle for a while.

She was pulled into a random abandoned classroom, making her pull out a dagger instinctively. "Really, Potter? A warning next time, perhaps?" She put her dagger away.

Harry sighed. "Sorry, Alexandria. How're you dealing with all of this?"

"Fine," shrugged the Slytherin heiress. "Why?"

"I'm worried about you," he replied as if it was obvious.

She took a deep breath. "Why is everyone worried about me?! Do I look weak or something to you all?!"

"Not at all," said the boy calmly. "We just don't want to lose you."

"Lose me?" Alexandria scoffed. "Oh, how ironic! Gryffindor Potter cares for the heiress of Slytherin! Who would've thought?"

"You're no heiress to me," frowned Harry. "You're my sister. That's all I see. Not an heiress to—" he waved a hand "—an actual school and a pureblood family. I searched for you.. for you. Not for an heiress."

"You've got the wrong person." Alexandria's voice dropped, as did her face. "I'm never going to be the sister you were looking for, Potter. I'm not.." she made eye contact with him "I'm not the person you like to believe I am."

He frowned again, but this time in confusion and a bit of hurt. "What do you mean?"

"I've killed people," she calmly started as if she was talking about the weather, rather than admitting to murder. "I've tortured them. I've slept peacefully when there were literal screams a few floors below. I've watched them beg for mercy, but gave them none. I've seen them try to rush their children out and give up their life instead, and still kill their child afterwards.. I'm no 'sister', Harry. Don't you see? I do not know the meaning and worth of a—" she wrinkled her nose "—family."