Alex Weasley: Book 3

14

A/N- Okay, so in bits of this, Alex isn't kind to herself. I'm not trying to minimise the effect of disorders, and having health issues- mental, physical and emotional doesn't make you not normal or strange. This is Alex just thinking everything wrong is her fault. It's right up at the beginning so if you'd like to skip that bit, you can skip the first two paragraphs. Hope you enjoy, xxx.

———————————
After dinner, Alex ducked away from her friends and headed to the vanishing room. She ignored the way her stomach turned, and instead asked for some specific things to be waiting in the room.

She was halfway through some charms when she felt a familiar burning in her chest. She paused and tried rubbing it away. "No throwing up." She told herself. "Not today. Just be normal for once. Just be normal." She leaned back on the chair until slowly the urge to gag dissipated. She continued working on her prank.

Alex managed to get back to her dorm before curfew, for once. Megan informed her of her surprise. Alex answered with a rude gesture that made Hannah gasp and Charlie's eyes widen. Megan just grinned.
Alex stayed up longer than everyone, sitting in the common room and doodling on scrap paper. Well, it would look like doodles, but more accurately it was the map of the tunnels. She couldn't wait to explore Ravenclaw's study and Gryffindor's grove. She could live without seeing Slytherin's chamber. According to Hermione, there was a sixty feet long, dead basilisk there. She was too immersed in her drawing to notice someone walk into the room, until a body plopped into the seat in front of her. She jumped, startled before realising it was Cedric.

"Oh hey." She smiled. "It's the birthday boy."

"Not for another half hour." He replied.

"Close enough." She shrugged, folding her parchment and setting down her quill. "Wanna race tomorrow? On the brooms?"

"I'd love to." His face lit up.

"Say, four?"

"Perfect."

"I'll go easy on you." She grinned. "Since it'll be your birthday, and all."

"No need. I'll win against you one day."

"I think Madam Pomfrey needs to take a look at your head. You've clearly been knocked down by bludgers one time too many."

"I've only been hit by a bludger twice at Hogwarts. And that doesn't really help my case." Alex laughed at him. "You gonna get to bed or planning to camp out here all night?"

"Just a little while longer." She said. "I'm not really tired."

"Mind if I sit here for a bit with you?"

"Yeah, sure." She shrugged. "Got any homework?"

"Nope." He looked proud of himself. "It's all done."

"That would be more impressive if it weren't the second week of school."

"Yes, but this time I'm going to keep it up all year." Alex rolled her eyes.

"No you won't. Pretty soon it'll be quidditch season and schoolwork will fly out of your mind."

"That's not true."

"I've yet to see evidence pointing to the contrary." She told him and he shook his head.

"Not everything's about quidditch, although while we're on the subject- you should try out."

"No." She deadpanned immediately.

"You didn't let me finish."

"What more could there possibly be?"

"Try out for seeker."

"Are you trying to punish the both of us? Force me to do something I don't want to and force yourself to not do what you want most in the world?"

"I'm not explaining this well. I was thinking you should try out for reserve seeker. We, technically, don't have one. Odds are you probably won't get to play."

"No, thank you."

"Come on." He plead.

"Quidditch is your thing. I hate it."

"Okay." He didn't push it. Alex quickly cast a time spell and smiled softly when she saw it was 11:59.

"One more minute until your birthday."

"Do I make a wish?"

"Not unless you have a birthday cake next to you." Alex narrowed her eyes as a grin grew on his face. "No."

"You don't even know what I'm going to say."

"I don't need to know. You never have good ideas."

"I beg to differ. Come on." He stood up and held out a hand for her to grab. She hesitated. "Consider it my birthday gift. Come with me. We won't get caught, and we're not going to be any longer than a half hour." She stood up, ignoring his hand.

"Fine. Where to?" He just shrugged and led her to the door.

Alex shook her head in disbelief as Cedric sat in front of her.
"You really brought us to the kitchens for a birthday cake?" She asked.

"Technically cupcake." He said, focusing on the candle on his cake. "Now shh. I need to think."

"Ah, what could a popular captain of the quidditch team and Hufflepuff prefect wish for on his birthday?" She teased. He looked at her, and held her gaze before blowing out the candle. "Let me guess, a broom keeping kit?"

"If I tell you, it won't come true." He said. "Eat your cupcake. Mizzy baked them for us, it would be rude not to."

"Thanks Mizzy." Alex said to the single house elf left in the kitchens.

"Mistress not needing to thank Mizzy. Mizzy is happy Master and Mistress celebrating very happy occasions." The house elf called as she finished clearing away the tabletop.

"Why don't you join us, Mizzy? I'm pretty sure I saw you put away some more cupcakes."

"Mizzy is not wanting to intrude on Master and Mistress's date." Alex coughed suddenly in surprise, choking on icing.

"It's not an intrusion." Cedric told her, patting Alex on the back. "And this isn't a date."

"Yeah. It's just friends celebrating a birthday. You wouldn't be intruding."

"Please, join us." Mizzy nodded bashfully- Alex didn't know how she managed that particular facial expression, but she did- and sat opposite them, conjuring a cupcake.