Donna's Summer|| Bill Weasley

22 | A L E X

"Times of joy and times of sorrow
We will always see it through
Oh I don't care what comes tomorrow
We can face it together
The way old friends do"

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Being back in her family home and not just a holiday away from university was a breath of fresh air. It certainly was a good choice to return as she quickly realised the value of being around family and familiar territory. Travelling was amazing and it was totally the right thing for her to do but being back here was just as good, if not better. There was no worries about where she'd be sleeping during the night, no worries about ending up in man's bed that wasn't Bill's. It was great.

Eros, however, didn't leave her alone and spent as much time as possible with her. Being away from his sister took a massive toll on him both when he was at school and when she left for university and then to travel the world. It was like a piece of him was missing as during their childhood they spent every waking moment together. They were like two peas in a pod and boarding school took that from them.

River had grown accustomed to the individual life. She didn't feel so dependant on anyone else like she was when she was younger. Before Eros left, she couldn't do anything without him. She was super shy and he would speak for her. He would wait outside the bathroom if they were in a public place just so she didn't go alone. Then out of nowhere she had to do everything for herself. She went to a new school where her brother wasn't there. She had to make friends all by herself without making them through her brother. She had to walk to school alone. She had find people to sit with at lunch, but ultimately started off alone. She didn't have her brother there when she was picked on by older boys. She didn't have her brother there when the girls made fun of her because her boobs didn't develop until years after theirs did. She didn't have her brother there when the girls laughed because she didn't start her period until she was 16. She had herself until Alex Peterson gave her a chance.

Alex was her first friend in secondary school, he wasn't the tallest boy in the class but she didn't care. He was picked on for his height but he didn't care too much. His excuse was that it meant he could hug her better and that "good things come in small packages". The pair were often mistaken as being a couple but they laughed that off as it wasn't true.

Their final year of school hurt them because they knew it was the end of seeing each other everyday. They wanted to go to the same university but at the same time they knew that would not be the most beneficial thing for them based on their choice of courses. So, instead, of choosing the same university because of each other they decided to keep it to themselves. They didn't tell each other where they had applied to until the day after results day.

The day after? Yes, they told each other the grades the got for their alevels and that they both got into their top choice university and went out celebrating that night, but waited until the next day to say which universities they had been accepted into.

River and Alex, their families alike, sat in the Dawson living room as the pair expectingly sat opposite each other. You could sense the tension from the thickness of the air as even Eros looked saddened. He knew it was unlikely that they would be going to the same university.

"Who's going first?" Asked Mrs Peterson who held hands with Mrs Dawson. Neither of the families knew which universities either so that they could t accidentally let slip to either River or Alex.

Alex took a deep breath, "I will. There's no time like the present."

"Okay."

"My choices were, number five: Hull. Number four: Falmouth. Number three: Aberdeen. Number two: Queen's Belfast and I'm going to Coventry."

River's mouth dropped into a frown, of course she was happy he got his first choice but hated one thing. "I got, number five: Exeter. Number four: Kent. Number three: Queen's Belfast. Number two: Coventry and I'm going to Cambridge."

Her second choice was his first. They were so close to going to the same place. "YOU GOT INTO CAMBRIDGE?" Everyone shouted, including Alex who was flabbergasted and proud of his best friend.

"Yeah but my second choice was Coventry! We could have gone to the same one!" River's eyes welled with tears.

"No, shush! That doesn't matter, Riv, you got into bloody Cambridge! That's fantastic! Wow, oh my! I just can't-" Alex cut himself off and dove into River embracing her tightly, "My best friend is a smart-arse!"

River laughed at the memory as she hurried downstairs to the telephone. She rang his house phone and thankfully he picked up. "Hello, Peterson Residence." Alex's deep voice said and she immediately felt warm inside.

"Long time, no talk, stranger." She grinned.

"Oh my! River! You're home? Jesus Christ, I was going to find out where you were and come and surprise you. Why didn't you say so? I'll be right over."

River stood waiting by the door and as soon as she heard the front gate open she ran out with her arms outstretched wide. Her mother was quick with a camera a took multiple photos of the pair as they hugged for the first time in months. Before finishing university River had visited Alex one weekend before exam season. Alex lifted River up and she wrapped her legs around his waist holding her tight.

"I've missed you, Alex."

"I've missed you more, Riv."

"Mam, I wouldn't mind Alex as my brother-in-law." Said Eros coming up beside his mother and watching the two best friends embrace. "It's a wonderment how they're not together already."

"I think Alex is wonderful but from River's far away look since coming home, I think she met her beau whilst travelling."

"She better not have done!"

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Tobi Brown as Alex Peterson