holding on {t.r.}

t w e n t y o n e

The trip to Hogsmeade was useful in helping Alexandra forget about her worries, even if it was only for a short amount of time. She even convinced Tom to visit the joke shop and was greatly amused with how confused and out of place he seemed both there and in Honeydukes. It was a memory she could look back on at any moment of the day, and she would smile.

Once again, she found herself in the Room, walking up and down the aisles of prophecies as she ran her fingers across the glass. She so desperately wished one would glow, but was afraid of what she would see if that were to happen. She still didn't know if her suspicions were true, or if everything was just a scenario she made up in her head to make sense of everything.

She looked across the room at the door, watching as it slowly opened. Tom walked in, holding the small paper bird she had sent him that day after class.

"You no longer wish to be alone?" He asked, making sure she truly wanted him there before making himself comfortable. She made it clear after the trip to Hogsmeade that she needed time alone to collect her thoughts, and he respected her wishes.

"If I think anymore I'll go mad again," Alexandra joked, walking to the center of the room where one big couch now replaced the two little ones.

"Are you feeling better?"  Tom asked, inviting her to sit with him.

"I am. At least a little bit," Alexandra smiled lightly, looking ahead at the fire where her notes were burning as she wrapped her blanket around her once again.

"I see you've decided to take your independent research in a different direction," Tom pointed out. "Any ideas?"

"I've been considering Astrology, or even Alchemy," Alexandra explained. "Who knows, maybe I'll create the next Philosopher's Stone."

"I don't doubt that you could," Tom complimented, watching her books slowly burn. It was a shame. "Have you eaten all of the chocolate?"

"No, there's some on the table next to you," Alexandra chuckled, pointing to the box holding her half eaten chocolate frog. "I can't believe you've never had one of these before."

"I purchased one on the train during my first year and the bloody thing jumped out the window," Tom scoffed, taking a bite of the sweet. "It was humiliating."

"Poor Tom," Alexandra joked, frowning. In retaliation, Tom took out his wand and used it to pull Alexandra's blanket off of her lap before sending it across the room. "Now I'm sad."

"Poor Alexandra," Tom frowned, causing her to glare. She stood up to retrieve the blanket, groaning in frustration when he made it move again. The game didn't last long before Alexandra became frustrated and pulled out her own wand, disarming him. He was impressed, to say the least, as he looked at his wand in her hand. "That was good."

"You're not getting it back," Alexandra told him, sitting back down on the couch with her blanket. Tom smirked, and, with a wave of his hand, the blanket was once again on the floor. "This is ridiculous. You're getting it dirty."

"Fine," Tom gave in, putting the blanket back on the couch. Alexandra shook it off before placing it comfortably over her lap. He held his hand out, and she handed him back his wand. "What's so special about that blanket, anyway?"

"Nothing, really," Alexandra shrugged, looking down at the knitted blanket. "It's just comforting. It's big enough for two people if you'd like to share."

"I'm not cold," he told her, noticing she wasn't wearing her entire uniform. She rolled her eyes. "It's rather warm in here, actually."

"Then take one of your twelve layers off. You don't need to wear your robes, we're not in class," Alexandra laughed.

"I have prefect duties this evening," Tom explained. "I'm surprised you were never chosen to be a prefect."

"Why?" Alexandra chuckled, never believing she could be a prefect.

"You're not entirely irresponsible," he joked.

"You're not great with compliments, love," Alexandra stated. Scrunching her nose at how strange that sounded coming out of her mouth.

"Im not trying to be, love," Tom mocked. "It's better when I say it."

"I prefer calling you love over my lord," Alexandra joked, changing the subject. "That was ridiculous."

"I don't see what's ridiculous about it at all," Tom argued.

"I'm just not a fan of pet names," Alexandra shrugged. Tom scoffed.

"It's not a pet name, it's a title."

"It's a title," Alexandra mocked, causing Tom to rip her blanket away once again. "Would you stop it?"

"You're being rude," Tom said, cracking a small smile.

"I am not," Alexandra laughed. "Come on, that blanket means a lot to me. It'll be ruined if it gets tossed around anymore."

Tom gave in, handing it back to her.

"It's funny, actually. I don't even know who gave this to me. I received it as a gift last Christmas, but there was no name on the package. Not even a note. I never really thought anything of it until now," she explained, holding it in her hands. It was true that the blanket meant the world to her. When she wore it, it felt as if someone was there holding her and telling her that everything was going to be all right. The blanket wasn't even meant to exist for another fifty years when Molly Weasley would gift it to her for Christmas, yet she held it in her hands today. "We should get to supper."

The walk to the Great Hall was, like most of their walks, silent. Both Tom and Alexandra were instead kicking themselves for the multiple missed opportunities they could have taken during their time in the Room. All of the flirting and snogging was all fun and games to them until it started to mean something. Now even thinking about either of those things terrified them.

"Look at him," Lestrange glared, whispering to Avery as they looked at Tom and Alexandra enter the hall. "It's a bloody disgrace."

"Calm down, will you? Be thankful he hasn't bothered us in months," Avery defended, not seeing what the problem was.

"He was going to conquer the world with us right alongside him. Together, we would purge not only this school, but the entire Wizarding World of the disgusting mudbloods that ruin our good name," Lestrange ranted, tightly gripping his utensils. "He has power; power that you and I cannot even fathom achieving. He'll never use it to its full potential for as long as that girl stands in his way."