Raven | 𝘙𝘦𝘨𝘶𝘭𝘶𝘴 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬

Chapter 15

After the words left Alexandra's mouth, Mike stared back at her with his lips slightly parted in shock, before he snorted in laughter.

"Yeah, nice one." He scoffed, but when Alexandra gave him a meaningful look, it finally hit him and his eyes widened. "Wait — are you serious!? Like — have you — have you seen the Dark Mark?"

"No, I've never seen the Dark Mark on his arm or anything, but the facts are all there!" She then sighed miserably, running a hand through he long raven black hair. "Look... you haven't seen the people he associates with; Abraxas Malfoy, Lestrange, Nott... He hates all Muggles and Muggleborns. He disappears every once in a while and always keeps to himself, never telling us where he's going... it's obvious, isn't it?"

     "Look, Alex, I'm not saying that you should be ignoring all the possibilities... but don't jump into conclusions."

      "Mike, this man has been lying to me my whole life!" Alexandra retorted angrily, catching him off guard. "I want to stay positive and to think that he's been just as clueless as me when it comes to my parents, but I won't fool myself either! You have no idea how it feels, thinking that you lost your parents to a disease, only to learn fourteen years later that they've been murdered! But you don't know who did it or why they did it!"

      And before Alexandra knew what was happening, she had burst into tears, only realizing that when the teardrops had fallen down on her hand.

      "Alex..." Mike breathed out, having no other word to say. So he just stood off his seat and went toward her, bringing her into a hug. "It'll be okay... everything will be okay... you've got me."

***

After an hour of killing time in the common room, Mike and Alexandra finally made their way out of the Ravenclaw tower, passing the ghost of the Grey Lady on their way, who was wishing everyone a merry Christmas.

Although when the two reached her, she came to a halt and gaze down at them for a second longer before bowing her head lightly and floating along.

"I swear she hates us," Mike said with a scoff, shaking his head as they made their way down the marble staircase.

But Alexandra said nothing and only nodded. She had a weird feeling that Helena's cold behavior toward them had nothing to with Mike.

"Ugh, I'm starving already!" Mike groaned as they walked onto the train, looking around for an empty compartment.

"Mike, you've just had breakfast!" Alexandra giggled.

"Hey! Don't food-shame me, Starling!" Mike pointed a finger at her warningly. "Can't a man be hungry in peace around here?"

"Sure." Alexandra chuckled, until they finally reached an empty compartment. "Oh, look — this one's empty."

"So will Edna come and pick you up?" Mike asked after they had settled in and the train had started on.

"Yeah, as always." Alexandra sighed. "It's not like grandpa even cared enough to get me here on my first day either, when I was eleven. He didn't even care when I got my Hogwarts letter. And I had to go to Diagon Alley with Edna. I mean... not that I'm complaining. Edna is a much more cheerfully company than him. At least I know she likes me."

"Oh c'mon, Alex. So you're saying that your own grandfather doesn't even like you?"

"Well, that's what he's been implying with his behavior toward me all these years." She shrugged. "Dunno why he even took me in. He could've easily dropped me off an orphanage and not think twice about it."

Mike and Alexandra then decided to quickly change the subject and busy themselves by talking about their O.W.Ls and the career advice they were going to get with Professor Flitwick the next semester. They even had a blast once the trolley lady brought her cart full of sweets.

But it was when Mike started talking about Quidditch when Alexandra felt her mind wondering away. She had no idea how she was supposed to have that conversation with her grandfather about her parents.

The darker the sky turned and the closer they got to King's Cross station, Alexandra's worries increased more and more. She wasn't ready to face reality just yet. But there was no escaping it, for the train soon came to a stop in platform 9 3/4.

"Hey," Mike nudged her with his elbow playfully, smiling down at her comfortingly when he saw the anxious look on her face, "you'll be fine."

Alexandra smiled back at him, though she still felt extremely nervous as they got off the train, grabbing their trunks.

Everyone soon passed the barrier to meet their parents on the other side. Alexandra was searching the crowd for Edna. It was hard to miss her, seeing as she was a short and chubby woman in an apron and bonnet, always waiting for her at the front. Yet Alexandra couldn't sight her that night.

But her heart sank and her eyes widened when she spotted someone she never expected to see from afar. She wanted to move, but it was as if she had been frozen on the spot.

"Mike, you need to go," Alexandra whispered, her eyes fixed on the man who had his back to her. "Leave. Now."

"What?" Mike frowned in confusion. "Why?"

"It's my grandfather!" Alexandra said urgently in a hushed tone, her eyes fixed on the tall and old man who was standing only a few feet away from them.