Alexandra Weasley

40

"Did you have to send Cedric to come find me?" Alexandra huffed, sitting in front of Hermione.

"I needed someone who could get into the Hufflepuff common rooms. What did professor Snape say?"

"He said a lot of things."

"About the quidditch match. Harry's freaking out."

"I already told you. Snape isn't refereeing to make it easier for him to curse Harry."

"So why is he refereeing?"

"To keep Harry safe. In case something happens."

"He said that?"

"Not in so many words."

"So how do you know?"

"He implied it."

"But he didn't actually say it?"

"Trust me. It's not Snape."

"Well if you say so." Ron said sarcastically as he and Harry joined the table. Alexandra stood.

"Wait, Alex-" Hermione stopped her and Alexandra turned back to face her. "I didn't tell them to come here."

"I know."

"You're leaving because I'm here?" Ron asked.

"Exactly."

"Be at the game tomorrow?" Hermione asked.

"Someone's got to cheer when Snape gives out unfair penalties." Hermione let out a grin and Alexandra walked away.

"What are you grinning about?" Ron scowled at his friend.

"She made a joke. It was funny. So I smiled."

"That was a joke?"

"Honestly, Ronald. Of course it was."

"How would I know? I'm not as close to her as you are."

"Alex is just... complicated."

"Why you?" Harry asked. "Why does Alexandra like you out of everyone?"

"Because I'll be her friend no matter what. Also, we bond over things you hate, like studying. Now come on, it's time for dinner."

The next day, everyone was at the quidditch game, Alexandra included. She sat at the end of the Hufflepuff area, Hermione on her other side where the Gryffindor section began. Ron sat on Hermione's other side too far to reach Alexandra.
"I know who Nicholas Flamel is." Hermione said, as everyone began settling in to their seats.

"Good for you." Alexandra said, not believing her. If anyone could find out, it would have been Hermione, but Alexandra also knew Hermione wasn't beneath pretending just to get answers out out of her.

"Seriously, Alex. I know Fluffy is guarding the sorcerer's stone." Alexandra tensed, turning to Hermione.

"You couldn't just leave it?"

"If Snape-" Alexandra glared and Hermione amended herself. "-or any other professor is after the stone, we're in big trouble, Alex."

"It's not Snape. And maybe we should leave the protecting up to the teachers. It's not so easy to get past Snuffles."

"We're not going to stop looking into it, Alex."

"You'll get yourselves killed. And if by some miracle you survive, I will kill you myself."

"You know, death threats are new."

"Hermione!"

"Look Harry!" She pointed. The young boy was diving down on his broom, in a risky manoeuvre. He zipped past Snape, arm outstretched as he grabbed the snitch and pulled out of the dive.

"And game over. That was quick." Alexandra shrugged. Hermione looked beside her at Ron but couldn't find him.

"Ron? Ron! Where are you? The game's over!"

"He was fighting Malfoy the whole time." Alexandra told her. Hermione turned back to her friend.

"We figured out what Fluffy was guarding, we'll figure out who's after it. Snape or not."

"Well I'm not helping." Alexandra stormed away. Harry was safe, anyways. Hermione looked back at Harry on the field and then at Alexandra. She saw Ron on the ground.

"What are you doing, Ronald?"

"What?"

"Go to Harry. The games over, we won." She said and ran after Alexandra. She grabbed Alexandra's elbow.

"What?" Alexandra said.

"Come on. I know a place we can get some privacy that doesn't include a giant three-headed dog." Alexandra let herself be led out by Hermione. Hermione led her to a girls bathroom.

"What are we doing here?" Alexandra asked.

"Nobody ever comes here." Hermione said. "Moaning Myrtle freaks them out."

"And Moaning Myrtle is...?"

"I am!" A figure flew at them and Alexandra took a step back.

"You brought me to a haunted bathroom? Hermione, I love it!"

"Of course you do. It's another place you can go to hide from everyone else. How many of those do you have, now?"

"Has anyone ever told you you need to get a life?"

"I hear it significantly less now that I'm at Hogwarts."

"Well, I'm telling you now. Hermione, you need to get a life."

"I'll figure them all out." She said. Alexandra rolled her eyes.

"What happened to Myrtle anyway?" Alexandra looked for the ghost who'd gone away. She saw her perched on top of a toilet stall. "How did you die?"

"Ooh!" She said, and grinned. "How pleasantly morbid!"

"Pleasant?"

"Nobody ever asks me that. Nobody ever asks me anything."

"I'm asking."

"It was dreadful." She flew down, stopping right in front of the girls. "It happened right here, you know. Olive Hornby-" she sneered. "was teasing me about my glasses. Nasty girl, she was."

"I bet you haunted her for as long as she was at Hogwarts."

"Of course! Well, until the ministry stepped in. Now I can't even leave my toilet!"

"That seems a little harsh."

"She's dead. What else could the ministry do to her?" Hermione said.

"Not banish her to a toilet forever?" Alexandra frowned. "Did Olive kill you?"

"No, but she might well have."

"What did?"

"I don't know." Myrtle huffed and floated away.

"Really, you can be nice to a ghost but not to your brother?"

"He's not my brother."

"Shouldn't you know by now that you aren't fooling me?"

"Shouldn't you know by now there are reasons for my unkindness to my brother?"

"Shouldn't you know by now that he won't care?"

"Shouldn't you know by now that he will? You've been his friend for months, Hermione. Ron means well, but he's impulsive. The moment he finds out, I won't be his sister anymore."