TAINTED BLOOD ━ FRED WEASLEY ( editing )

𝖝𝖎𝖛. 𝖙𝖗𝖚𝖙𝖍 𝖚𝖓𝖛𝖊𝖎𝖑𝖊𝖉

Following her gut instinct, Alexandra walked forwards, long strides taking her past several people's resting places.

No one could have ever guessed how she truly felt, for her ( almost ) perpetual stony expression masked all her emotions with the same ease a mother's voice soothed a babe. Curiosity, anger, nerves, annoyance, and determination swirled within her like the watery whirlpool that she'd observed as a child during one of her family's short trips to the sea.

A sudden gust of wind brought the teen to a halt, eyebrows furrowing in confusion, for none of her nightmares had ever been bothered by the weather. Tilting her head in the direction in which the wind was blowing, Alexandra's eyes fell onto the entrance of a rather peculiar mausoleum.

Usually, the utterly realistic teen would have considered such oddity a little twist brought upon her nightmare by the piercing of the veil; however, months of restless nights had taught her better. There were no coincidences in her dreams; only signs one was meant to take notice of and follow. The energy the mausoleum was emanating was enough to solidify her theory. This was the place.

With cautious steps, Alexandra entered the vast building. The first thing she noticed was a giant statue of a man lying in an unnatural position on top of an elevated stone, his face twisted in agony and facing a tall wall filled with several resting places. The room was tall, imposing, and had her determination to get to the bottom of things not been there, Alexandra was confident her surroundings would have managed to spark fear.

Allowing her eyes to flutter close, Alexandra focused on the source of the energy that had brought her there. With a silent exhale, the white-haired teen turned to her right, walking into a corridor with small fires illuminating the area. The teen didn't have time to take in her new surroundings. A rumbling noise coming from the wall beside Alexandra was soon followed by the opening of what must have been a hidden door.

Now, had Alexandra's nightmares allowed her to have her wand at her disposal, she would have brandished it, for common sense dictated one should never walk into what could be a trap without a plan. Cursing under her breath and admonishing herself for not knowing wandless magic, the witch bent down and armed herself with fallen rock. The sharp object in her hand wouldn't have helped her against any hex. However, her silent footsteps would have been enough to allow her to enter unnoticed and throw the stone to convince whoever awaited her that she'd used a different entrance. Or so she thought.

The small flight of stairs led Alexandra to a room that rivalled the Great Hall in size, yet she did not cast a single glance around, electing to crouch down behind a pillar with a raven statue on top. The witch did not dare to breathe, her eyes scanning the walls for any other possible entrance and falling onto one a few feet away from where she hid. Rearing her arm back, Alexandra threw the stone she'd been holding, the object soon landing right before the open pathway.

At first, silence blanketed the circular room, forcing Alexandra to consider the possibility that she had been wrong to assume that this was her final destination. After all, logically speaking, signs could often be misinterpreted.

Anyone in Alexandra's shoes would have either rejoiced or fallen prey to panic. However, the young witch was known for being rational, and it was her mind-set that caused her to think that ( right place or not ) fleeing in panic, or giving in to senseless bravery were both pointless and daft moves. Rationality dictated that, if the owner of the voice had harboured ill intentions towards Alexandra, he would have already killed her. This, however, did not mean that cockiness was an option; it was better to await their first move, were they even there to begin with.

Suddenly, a loud voice filtered through the air. "Alexandra," His tone was even, charismatic, and laced with unspoken eagerness all the same. "I've been waiting for more than half a century for you." Only silence followed his statement, but even that was soon interrupted once more. "Come out, child. Deep down, you know I have no intention to harm you."