Alexandra Weasley: Book 6

53

Alex woke up the next day feeling like crap. Her body just ached to stay in bed all days, but she had arithmancy first and couldn't miss the class. She wasn't risking her O.

Somehow she'd managed to pull herself up and went to the bathroom. She splashed water on her face and brushed her teeth, before deciding to leave her hair up in a bun without brushing it. By the time she got back to her room, she looked less zombie-like, though far from fit for civilisation. She didn't have a choice though.

"Are you okay?" Susan asked, catching sight of her. Alex nodded and grumpily put on her clothes. She was freezing so she cast a heating charm on one of her jumpers and pulled it on, and put on trousers. "Alex?" Susan frowned, reaching up to put the back of her hand against Alex's forehead. "Oh my god, you're really warm. You should really stay in today."

"I'm fine." Alex said and grabbed her bag. Rather than picking it up, she ended up dragging it alongside her as she walked out of the room.

When Alex got to class she took a seat at the back corner where she could be alone. She laid her head on her arms and half drifted off to sleep.

Luckily, Professor Vector let her stay silent and alone the entire lesson. When she finally dismissed the class, she came to stand by Alex.

"Have you been by to the hospital wing?" Alex shook her head slowly. "I'll escort you."

"I'm fine." Alex said. "I have defense and then care."

"Miss Weasley, you are clearly ill."

"I'm fine."

"You haven't noticed class is over." Alex looked around and saw the room was empty.

"I'm fine." She insisted and drowsily stood up. It was easy to pack away since she hadn't touched her quill or opened her inkpot. She shoved everything back into her bag and dragged herself out and headed to defense.

She got there last and slumped into her usual seat beside Hermione.
"Susan wasn't exaggerating. You look terrible."

"I'm fine."

"You're sweating. Did you cast a heating charm on your jumper?" Hermione asked. Alex burrowed into herself, and shook her head. "I can feel the heat, Alex."

"Shh." She said and pretended to pay attention to Snape.

To tell the truth, Alex's head was pounding too loud for her to actually listen to what her uncle was saying.

"Miss Granger, escort your friend to the hospital wing." He instructed. Alex glanced up, ready to disagree but caught the look on his face. His eyes were hard and she knew she couldn't get away with saying she was fine. She reluctantly stood and let Hermione help her out.

The moment Madam Pomfrey caught sight of her, Alex was bustled into a bed.

"She put a heating charm on her jumper, I think, and she's had no breakfast." Hermione informed the matron.

"Alright. You'd best get to class." Madam Pomfrey said.

Madam Pomfrey closed the curtains around Alex's bed and instructed her to take off her jumper. While she did, madam Pomfrey moved around to her cabinet, pulling out vials.
"Okay dear. So this is a nourishment potion, this is a temperature regulation potion, and this is an anti-nausea potion." She explained. "First take the anti nausea, then the nourishment, then the temperature regulator. Understand?" Alex nodded. "Would you like a sleeping draught?"

"Can I get a dreamless sleep too?" Alex asked. Madam Pomfrey nodded sympathetically and brought over the other two potions.

"Take care and call for me if you need anything." She instructed. Alex nodded and downed each of the potions before settling into the bed. Madam Pomfrey took a seat at the desk not too far away and began filling out a report.

When lunchtime rolled around, Snape headed to the hospital wing. He caught sight of Madam Pomfrey first and walked over.
"How is she doing?"

"She's sleeping right now. It's just a fever. I'll keep an eye on her here, but she should be fine." He nodded.

"Did something happen?" He asked. "Did she do something?"

"No, not this time." Poppy smiled. "She just got sick. It happens."

"Okay." He said. He looked over once more at Alex's bed.

"I will need more supply for anti nausea potions, though." She informed him, with a knowing look. "If you don't mind?"

"I'll bring it by later." He said and promptly left.

Snape returned later that evening with a tray of vials for the hospital wing. He approached the entrance only to see Blaise peeking around the door.

"Can I help you, Mr Zabini?" Blaise turned around, a little wide eyed but recovered.

"I wasn't really feeling too well." He moved to the side and coughed a little.

"Perhaps you should get some rest instead of slinking around the school like a pest."

"I just wanted to check in on her. She's my friend." He glanced through the window on the door. Snape looked at him and backed down.

"I'll tell her you stopped by." He said, and walked around Blaise. He set the tray down at a desk and looked around for Madam Pomfrey who had seemingly disappeared. The curtain around Alex's bed was still drawn so he turned to leave.

"What are you doing here?" Alex had come out of her bed and was peeking out into the room from behind the curtain.

"Madam Pomfrey asked for some potions." He gestured to the tray.

"You're not the potions master anymore. It's not your job." She pointed out.

"How are you feeling?" He avoided the question.

"Better."

"What possessed you to think it was okay to go to classes as ill as you were?"

"I couldn't miss arithmancy. Professor Vector said if I came to all the classes this year, I could change my A to an O." He didn't look impressed. "I was fine, I didn't feel so bad."

"It didn't look that way." He said.

"Well, I was." She opened the curtains a little wider and sat back down on the bed.

"I see I've missed a few things." He told her. She frowned. "I found Mr Zabini attempting to sneak in outside."

"Blaise was here?" She said. Snape levelled an admitted glare at her. "What? He's my friend."

"And that's all?"

"I don't know what you mean."

"Alex, be careful. He's violent and unreliable."

"Nott deserves it." She said. "And he's been my friend for years."

"Nott deserves it? Is that what he's told you?"

"It's what I've seen for myself. He says really disgusting things sometimes. To me. And Draco said he says them about me in the common room sometimes. So I'm not going to feel sorry for Nott."

"Alex-" he began and she cut him off.

"I can just as easily ask you questions about headmistress Kurata."

A/N- Favourite line is "Perhaps you should get some rest instead of slinking around the school like a pest."