Alexandra Weasley: Book 5

42

Molly Weasley was ecstatic. She'd set up the dining room with decorations for Alexandra's win.

Hermione was happy for her friend, of course she was. But she couldn't help but hide out in a room and try to gather her thoughts until Alexandra came home.

"Thought you'd be downstairs with Ginny." Tonks came into the room, knocking on the open door.

"I'm a little busy wallowing in self pity and sadness." Hermione replied. "I thought you'd be out doing auror work?"

"Moody wants us to keep a low profile after what happened to Mr Weasley. Don't want to tip off the ministry."

"Oh, right."

"So, self pity and sadness? Not happy for your friend?"

"Of course I am." She said, sounding offended.

"So, what's up?" Hermione sighed.

"Can't tell you."

"So who can you tell?"

"At this present moment? No one."

"That sounds lonely."

"Yeah, well, that's what happen when your very secretive friend forgets all her secrets." She shrugged.

"Alexandra?"

"Yeah. And I feel like I'm turning into her now. Except with significantly less issues." Hermione sighed. "So I'm taking today to wallow in self pity and then tomorrow I'll figure out what to do."

"I don't like to brag." Tonks started. "But I'm a good listener and problem solver. At least, that's what my CV says, so maybe I can help you if you let me."

"You can't help me. I can't tell you- especially you, either. God, Alex would avada me if I did that too."

"The other Alex actually strikes me as the person who could and would do that." Tonks teased. Hermione sighed.

"She couldn't." She said, defending her friend. "You have to actually mean an unforgivable, and Alex hates the idea of hurting anyone. She'll threaten, sometimes, but she's really all talk."

"All bark and no bite."

"Well, I suppose she does have a bit of a bite. She does get even, sometimes. When Malfoy called me a mudblood, she jinxed him. He spent a whole day with an itchy nose and the urge to sneeze before going to professor Snape. He thought it was a cold. And when Danny poured a bucket of red paint on her head in front of everyone, she collaborated with Peeves and pug-faced Parkinson to cut his hair. He was weirdly attached to it."

"Malfoy called you a mudblood?"

"Long time ago, and Alex already put him in his place. Several times." Hermione assured.

"The two of you are pretty protective of each other." Tonks said and Hermione nodded.

"Of course. We're best friends. We've seen each other through bad times and good."

"Her memory loss came with a pretty drastic change." Tonks prodded.

"The only difference between Alex and Alexandra is that Alex is afraid. Other than that, she's very much the same. Even Megan will attest to that and she doesn't ever sugarcoat anything when it comes to Alex. It's usually what Alex needs. A good strong dose of the truth to her face." Hermione faltered. "She just needs to be faced with bluntness sometimes. It works. Better than anything else." Hermione began muttering to herself. She brightened and looked up at Tonks. "You were right! You're a great listener and a great problem solver."

On their third day back at Hogwarts, Hermione took Alexandra out to the forest. "I think I remember Kichiro being born. Luna was here."

"Yeah." Hermione agreed.

"And I know Portuguese? And Spanish? And French? And Bulgarian?"

"Yes, and a bit of Russian too."

"I don't remember learning it."

"I need to talk to you about that." Hermione said. Alexandra frowned.

"About what?"

"Your memories." Alexandra pouted and Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I thought we agreed not remembering was for the best?"

"That was before." Alexandra turned to leave but Hermione stepped in her way.

"No. I don't want to remember. I don't want to become Alex. Can't I just be me?"

"No, because this isn't just amnesia. Alex, there is a real problem here."

"Alexandra." She corrected stubbornly.

"Maybe, but Alex is in there too." Hermione grabbed her shoulders keeping her in place and stared at her. "Alex, please. I know you're in there, and I know you're upset and hurting and I know you think the only way to protect yourself is to hide, but it's not. I know everything sucks right now, Cedric's gone and everything with Snape's been tipped upside down and I know. I've had to keep your secrets all to myself for two months and I'm ready to burst. I know it's hard, I do. But I also know the longer you hide within yourself, the more likely the damage to your mind'll be permanent."

"Aside from the memory thing, my mind is fine." Alexandra shrugged Hermione off and turned away. She paused before speaking up again. "I'm sorry you miss the person I used to be. For the life of me, I really can't imagine why. I know you say she was special but she was mean and rude and clearly very unhappy. But you said it yourself. It's unlikely I'll ever get my memory back, which means you're stuck with me. And if you can't handle that, then tell me, because I thought you'd be my friend too."

"I will always be your friend." Hermione said and she turned back. "Which means I will always do what is best for you."

"Good luck." She said and started walked away.

"You can't fool me, you know." Hermione called. "If you don't think I don't know you well enough to know who you are by now, then you don't credit me enough."

"I don't know what you mean."

"You know what tipped me off? The guilt trip. You know I wouldn't abandon you, not even when you're not you. Alexandra knows that too, except she wouldn't use it as a weapon. I've heard enough of your lies to know when you're telling the truth and when you're not, Alex."

"I guess the cat's out of the bag." Alex turned around. She crossed her arms.

A/N- heh heh, oop. Y'all following?

Favourite line is "I feel like I'm turning into her now. Except with significantly less issues."