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—"POISON?" REPEATED ALEXANDRIA WITH A FROWN. "I know it's risky," said Draco before she could say anything else, "but it's the only good plan I've got. If this doesn't work, I'll just kill Dumbledore with the killing curse."
She looked hesitant, but nodded regardless.
"Good news," said Harry, joining in. "Slughorn's having a Slug-Club party in a few weeks. I'll find a way to sneak you both in and you can put the poison in a bottle of alcohol and charm Slughorn to want to give it to Dumbledore."
"That's perfect," Alexandria said as Draco nodded to show that he agreed.
"Thanks, Potter."
Harry wrinkled his nose at him and stood up. "I'm not doing it for you."
Draco merely rolled his eyes.
♡
A few hours later, Draco was busy with trying to fix the vanishing cabinet, while Alexandria was reading on a couch nearby.
She looked up when Draco punched the cabinet in frustration. "You don't have to finish fixing it now," she pointed out, standing up and walking over to him. "You'll eventually get it fixed."
"But when? I have to finish this soon."
"Let me try," said Alexandria, earning a frown from Draco. "Please."
"Fine," said her boyfriend, walking away and sitting down on the couch.
"Harmonia Nectere Passus," mumbled Alexandria, pointing her wand at it, then frowning in confusion when a snap was heard from the cabinet.
She put her wand away and walked to look at the back of the cabinet, eyes widening. "We fixed something."
Draco immediately stood up. His frown only deepening when he realized she was right. "That's enough, Ellie. Leave the rest to me."
"But—"
"Please," he cut her off, looking desperate. "I really don't want you in this mess. If the dark lord found out you helped me— even if it was just a tiny amount.."
"Fine," replied Alexandria reluctantly.
"Thank you," he said softly, putting a hand under her chin and making her look at him.
"Of course," she mumbled, smiling when he kissed her forehead.
♡
"Did you know your father had a group of friends— the first ever group of death eaters when he was just a student?" asked Harry that night in the library as his sister was putting the books she borrowed back into their places.
"How do you know that?"
"Dumbledore accidentally let it slip today. He also said something like: 'They were a motley collection; a mixture of the weak seeking protection, the ambitious seeking some shared glory, and the thuggish gravitating toward a leader who could show them more refined forms of cruelty.' and guess what?! Your boyfriend's grandfather was one of the first few death eaters."
"I won't ask how you know he's my boyfriend," she said calmly, not turning to look at him. "but who else were the first?"
"I've got no idea. I've just told you everything I found out."
"Maybe this book knows something," she said, admiring a book in her hands.
Harry walked over to her and frowned. "Alexandria, that book is literally illegal to own—"
"What's the minister going to do? Send a 16-year-old to Azkaban for owning a book?" scoffed his sister.
The door of the library opened, making the two jump.
'Hide it,' whispered Harry in Parseltongue.
Too shocked to move, Alexandria merely stared at him with widened eyes.
Harry rolled his eyes and grabbed the book, hiding it immediately. "Let's go."
♡
"When were you planning to tell me that you knew Parseltongue?!" asked Alexandria as soon as the two were walking through empty corridors.
"What?" Harry questioned blankly.
"You know Parseltongue! You're a Parselmouth!"
"No, I'm not."
"Yes, you are. You just spoke in Parseltongue at the library!"
"But— why would I speak in Parseltongue randomly?"
"Maybe because you were under pressure?" She shook her head, obviously confused. "Whatever reason it was, it doesn't matter. You're a Parselmouth."
Harry frowned. "Say something in Parseltongue."
Alexandria nodded. 'Do you understand me?'
"Yes, but I meant in Parseltongue, not English."
Alexandria stopped, looking at him as if he were dumb. "It was Parseltongue."
"It was English."
"It was Parseltounge."
"No, I'm pretty sure it was—"
"I believe I know what language I spoke, Harry."
"But it makes no sense, Alexandria. How could I even be a Parselmouth?! And why didn't I know this sooner? Why haven't I been able to understand Nagini?"
"Were you even near Nagini?"
"..No, I was scared—" he was cut off by her laughter. "—Hey! Don't laugh at me! That snake was twelve feet long!"
"Oh, of course," said Alexandria sarcastically after finally getting her laughter under control. 'I'll see you around.'
Watching as she walked away, he stopped, finally noticing the slight hiss in her voice. "I think that was Parseltongue."
