The Eighth Horcrux

Chapter 3: Salome

Back to the present

Alex was sitting on the couch trying to concentrate on a book, but she kept reading the same paragraph over and over. She had told Steven that she had a family emergency and she needed the week off, and she had taken a train from Cardiff to London. It felt good to be in her proper flat again, instead of in the ones that were rented out for the Who cast, but she felt nowhere near at ease. Her thoughts kept drifting back to the awful nights when she found herself swept away from whatever she was doing and back at Malfoy Manor. She shuddered just thinking about the rhythm of the chants and the pounding of feet stomping on the polished floors and hot breath on her cheeks and Bellatrix smirking and laughing at her from the center of the room. And the one line Bellatrix had said kept spinning in her mind- "You will always be one of us, Alexandra." Had she ever really escaped the Death Eaters? Or did she just like to think that she had? She was just as bad as they were now; it was like she never left. Alex was so deep in her thoughts that when she heard a knock on the door, she nearly jumped off of the couch in surprise.

She got up and opened the door, doing a double-take when she saw Matt standing there, with his fringe falling adorably over his face and a warm smile on his lips.

"Matt?" she cried. "What are you doing here?"

"Just checking on you, Kingston," he said, pulling her into a hug. She inhaled the familiar smell of his ocean cologne and hugged him back tightly. She didn't understand why he cared so much about her. Of course, she would like to think it was because he returned her feelings that she had been harboring for him since the first day on set. But that was stupid. He could never feel the same way about her; she was completely broken and weak, and the reason that the entire world was in grave danger. He was just being a good friend.

She let him inside and they sat down on the couch.

"Matt, you really didn't need to do this," she said.

"It was no trouble," he insisted. "I want to be here with you."

He smiled and covered her hand with his. Why did he have to be so perfect? Why did he make it impossible for her to tell him to go?

"Thank you," she said softly.

They sat in silence for a few moments, and then he got up to make them tea.

"Are you hungry?" he asked, once they had settled back in on the couch with their mugs.

"Yeah, a little, but you are not going to make dinner," she said firmly.

He put his hands up, "Alright, fine, we'll order something in. Pizza? Chinese?"

"Whatever suits you, darling. Either sounds fine."

"Alright," he pondered. "Pizza, then."

They placed the order and watched a romantic comedy on TV while they waited. They ate while the movie was ending, and then Matt reached for the remote and turned it off.

"Alex," he said quietly. "Is everything okay?"

"You know I can't answer that," she sighed. "Can't we talk about something else?"

"Alex, look at me," he pleaded. "Please just at least let me know that you're going to be alright when this is all over."

"I don't know," she whispered. "I'm sorry, but I don't know."

"There has to be something I can do to fix this."

"Matt, I know you don't want to hear this, but believe me, there isn't," she said dryly.

He looked at her with sad eyes. "You're getting hurt. And I can't do anything?"

"The only thing you can do is stay out of it."