Skinny Love - Ron Weasley

Chapter 5

"Remember, these visits to Hogsmede village are a privilege. Should your behaviour reflect poorly on the school... that privilege shall not be extended again. No permission form signed, no visiting the village. That's the rule, Potter."

Alex sighs, "Come on, Granny, you signed mine."

"That's because I'm your grandmother and carer, Alexandra."

She scowls at the name and huffs crossing her arms over her chest, "Forget about it, guys. See you later."

They sigh and watch him as he walks back into the school, "I wish he could come with us."

A rustling in the trees makes Alex stop, looking towards the trees of the forbidden forest she squints slightly, "Lex? What is it?"

"I just thought I- Never mind."

~~~~~

"Honeyduke's Sweetshop is brilliant, but nothing beats Zonko's Joke Shop. We never got to go to the Shrieking Shack. You heard it's the most..."

"The most haunted building in Britain. I know. What's going on?"

Alex stands on her tip-toes to see over the crowd of people outside the Gryffindor common room, "Probably Neville forgot the password again." Ron sighs.

"Hey."

"Oh, you're there."

"Let me through, please. Excuse me! I'm Head Boy! Get back, all of you. No one is to enter this dormitory until it's been searched." Percy yells making Ron and Alex rolls their eyes in sync.

Changing her hair to a red that matches the Weasley's Alex clears her throat, "I'm Head Boy, out of my way! Listen to me, I'm your superior, Ronald."

"The Fat Lady! She's gone!" Ginny exclaims as she runs over to them.

Ron chuckles slightly, "Serves her right. She was a terrible singer."

"It's not funny, Ron." Hermione says glaring at him as she tries see what's going on.

"Keep calm, everyone. Break into fours. Back to your common room. Be quiet. Make way. The headmaster's here. Come on, move. You heard. Move!"

"Mr. Filch? Round up the ghosts. Tell them to search every painting in the castle to find the Fat Lady." Dumbledore orders as he appears on the stairs.

"There's no need for ghosts, professor. The Fat Lady's there."

The students rush towards the portrait that the Fat Lady cowers in, "Dear lady, who did this to you?"

"Eyes like the devil, he's got, and a soul as dark as his name. It's him, headmaster. The one they all talk about. He's here, somewhere in the castle! Sirius Black!" The students whisper amongst each other.

"Sirius Black?"

"The man that escape from Azkaban?"

"The murderer?"

Looking at her three friends Alex raises a brow, "I still don't know what it is that he did."

"Secure the castle, Mr. Filch. The rest of you, to the Great Hall."

~~~~~

"Psst, Harry." Harry looks over at Alex gesturing for her to be quiet as he listens in on Snape and Dumbledore's conversation.

"I've done the dungeons, headmaster. No sign of Black, nor anywhere else in the castle."

Dumbledore nods with a smile, "I didn't really expect him to linger."

"Remarkable feat, don't you think? To enter Hogwarts Castle on one's own... completely undetected?"

"Quite remarkable, yes."

"Any theories on how he managed it?" Alex shifts closer to Harry and looks up from her sleeping bag making him drag her back down before the Professors notice they're awake.

"Many. Each as unlikely as the next."

Harry holds a finger to his lips and she rolls her eyes but nonetheless nods at her friend.

"You may recall... prior to the start of term I expressed concerns... about your appointment of Professor..."

"Not a single professor inside this castle would help Sirius Black enter it. I'm quite convinced the castle is safe... and I'm more than willing to send the students to their houses."

Snape sighs and rolls his eyes lightly, "What about Potter and his friend? Should they be warned?"

"Perhaps," He says, "But for now, let the pair sleep. For in dreams, we enter a world that's entirely our own. Let them swim in the deepest ocean or glide over the highest cloud."