Alex Weasley: Book 3

39

That evening, Alex had dinner with Cedric and Hermione in the Hufflepuff common room. Hermione refused to allow her anywhere near the hall or the grove and the dragon, insisting Luna and Laila could feed her for today.

After dinner, Cedric went to go do homework with his friends and Hermione said she had to go see Ron and Harry. She extracted a promise from Alex to stay away from the grove, the hall, the vanishing room and the library. Considering she didn't know where Lupin currently was, exploring was a bad idea. So she decided to go see Snape. She stood at his door, peering into the seemingly empty room. He suddenly walked out of the store cupboard.
"If the door is open, it means I'm available." He said. "Stop your lurking."

"I thought you made a mistake." She shrugged, ignoring the offended look on his face.

"It's not Friday, so what can I do for you?"

"Do I need a reason to come speak with you?" She asked. "I thought that was how this worked? Open door policy and all."

"It does." He sighed. "Everything okay?"

"Yes, I guess."

"You guess?"

"I'd give you a hypothetical, but I'm pretty sure you'd see through that now."

"You could just tell me."

"I will. But not for a while. I've got things under control, don't worry."

"The last time you had things under control, you stopped eating and sleeping properly."

"Hermione watches me eat three meals a day, and it's just as creepy as it sounds."

"And sleep?"

"I'm not falling asleep in class, am I?"

"That doesn't mean you're well rested."

"I sleep until I wake up. Is that good enough?"

"I think you should visit madam Pomfrey."

"Why?"

"Well, you no longer have the excuse of the werewolf mutation keeping you out. She should take a look at you, make sure you're okay."

"I am okay."

"Humour me. Let her take a scan of you. Just a simple check up. Everyone gets a check up every once in a while."

"But nothing happened."

"Then you have nothing to worry about." She nodded.

"Fine, when?"

"By the end of the week, deal?"

"I'll go now." She said. "Get it over with."

"Would you like me to accompany you?"

"It's okay. I can make it to the hospital wing." He nodded.

"Oh, before I forget. Give these to your friend, Emiko. Her mother sent them to me by mistake. I think there's a letter for you in there too."

"Why would she send them to you? Are you guys in contact?"

"Where do you think the material for your defense lessons come from?"

"Oh, yeah. I forgot about that." He sighed and handed her a few envelopes. She looked through them and saw six for Emiko and two for herself. "I'll deliver these and go to Madam Pomfrey and show you once and for all that I'm fine."

"Miss Weasley?" Madam Pomfrey looked concerned, which was to be expected. Alex only came when she was majorly injured. "What can I do for you?"

"Can I get a full scan? Just to make sure everything's okay? I'm fine, but people around me don't seem to believe me."

"Of course. Take a seat on a bed. I'll be over in a moment." Alex sat tentatively on the end of a bed and waited. Madam Pomfrey walked over soon enough with several potion vials. She gave Alex an orange one first. "Drink this." Alex took the potion and gulped it. A minute later her body was encased in a light orange-reddish hue. Madam Pomfrey jotted something down on her clipboard as it faded. She pushed a green potion towards Alex who drank it. There was no reaction and Madam Pomfrey wrote something down again. Alex couldn't see what was being written. She did this for four more potions and eventually ended with a seventh murky brown potion. Alex drank it, grimacing at the bitter taste in her mouth.

"I'm all clear, right?" Alex asked but Madam Pomfrey didn't answer, just continued writing on her clipboard. Eventually she set it down.

"To start with, you're severely malnourished. You've got an iron deficiency, and a bit of a chill. You'll be taking your meals here for the foreseeable future. I'll be planning your meals. You'll have to take some blood replenishment and vitamin potions."

"But I'm fine." She repeated confused. "I eat three meals a day with Hermione. Honest, you can ask her."

"How big is your portion?" Alex shrugged. "Until I see a significant and positive change in your health, I want you here three times a day. You can bring your friend along. You'll also have to make sure to snack in between your classes, and try not to wear yourself too thin. I've also got some concerns about your sleeping. How many hours a night do you get?" Alex opened her mouth to answer an Madam Pomfrey cut her off with a stern glare. "I want the truth, Alex. I'm not here to tell you off. I'm just here to help you. Alright?"

"I don't know. I just go to sleep and wake up when I wake up." Madam Pomfrey stood and walked away, returning with a sort of watch.

"Keep this on when you go to sleep. It will activate when your asleep and deactivate when you're awake. Alright?"

"It's not so bad. Really, I am okay." She tried to stress but Madam Pomfrey shook her head.

"Either this or you sleep here tonight." Alex deflated.

"Yes ma'am."

"I'll have to write to your parents, of course."

"I can't convince you otherwise can I?"

"You're under the age of seventeen, I'm obligated to tell a parent or carer."

"It really isn't so bad. I'm just not very hungry all the time."

"You've gotten used to it." Madam Pomfrey said. "Your stomach shrunk. We've got to naturally build it up again and get you healthy."

"Oh."

"So how long have you had trouble eating?"

"I haven't-" she tried to deny but Madam Pomfrey clearly wasn't buying it.