As the day got later, the anticipation for the match to start was getting more and more noticeable. It seemed that the Ministry gave up on trying to stop the obvious outbursts of magic that were going on all around.
Merchandiser were Apparating left and right to sell their goods, which is where Alex found herself with her friends.
"Gin, what do you think?" Alex asked as she examined an Irish scarf. "Is it worth it?"
"Yeah, it'll bring out your eyes as well," Ginny responded with a smile.
"Thanks," Alex said before noticing the twins sitting a little ways away, not bothering to look at the merchandise, since they'd bet all of their money. She set the scarf down and walked over to where they stood. "C'mon, I'll buy you something for the match."
"No, we're good," George stated, obviously too proud to let her buy anything, not after raising their bidding money earlier. "We think we'll just look normal for the match."
"Yeah, we don't want to look like a couple of tossers," Fred added.
Alex frowned. "So if I buy that scarf, you're saying I'll look ridiculous?" Her tone was soft and almost sounded hurt, causing Fred's eyes to widen.
"N-No!" He exclaimed, worried he'd offended her. "That's not what I meant-"
But he stopped mid-sentence when Alex began to laugh hysterically. "You should have seen your face, I really had you there for a second," she laughed, wiping a tear from her eye-line. "Now c'mon," she stated, linking arms with both of them, "I'm not taking no for an answer."
After much reluctance and fighting on it, they settled for some face paint, as well as scarves and a hat for Fred, which Alex insisted on when he had jokingly put it on. They made it back to the tent to get ready for the match.
"George Weasley, hold still!" Alex exclaimed for the millionth time as she attempted to paint the Irish flags that he wanted in his cheeks.
"I'm sorry!" He exclaimed. "It's just so ticklish!"
She shook her head before finishing. "I did the best I could with how wiggly you were," she told him with a scowl as he climbed from the seat. "Now, c'mere, Fred."
Fred did as she said, pushing his hair from his face as she dipped her fingers into the paint. As she worked her fingers along his face, she did her best to ignore the beating of her heart because the last time their faces were this close, they had been kissing, which was a thought she was trying push from her mind.
Fred, too, was trying to not focus on the fact that he could easily lean over and kiss her again. He wanted to but it had gone so poorly last time, he didn't want a repeat of it again. He didn't want to risk his friendship with Alex again...
A few minutes later, she sat back with a satisfied smile. "All done," she stated, clearing her throat and moving to clean her hands and the paint.
"Wait!" Fred exclaimed, grabbing the paint from her. "Let's put a little color on you as well, yeah?"
She felt her cheeks heat up but nodded. Fred did his best to paint a shamrock on her cheeks and Alex did her best to look everywhere except for his eyes or any feature on his face or even focus on how close his face was. After finishing the last stroke, he held her face for a few more seconds and they held eye contact before someone calling her name interrupted their moment.
"Alex, I got you a pair of Omnioculars for the game!" Harry said, walking up to them.
"Oh, thanks, I couldn't find any at the vendors I was at," she stated, clearing her throat of the awkwardness as Fred walked away.
Harry glanced at Fred's retreating figure before looking at her. "Is there something still going on between -"
"No!" She quickly answered, glancing around to make sure no one was close to hear their conversation. "No, nothing has happened since last year and we don't need to bring it up, okay?"
Harry gave her a suspicious look but nodded. "Oh, I never got the chance to ask but who was that woman you saw earlier?"
"Oh!" Alex exclaimed. "That was my mum's sister, Ivory!"
"So she's your aunt?"
Alex nodded. "Just think, Harry, maybe I could help them repair their relationship, wouldn't that be wonderful?"
"If they're both willing, then yes," he told her optimistically.
The conversation stopped as Ron and Hermione had now joined them. "Check it out, Alex," Ron said as he showed her his Krum action figure.
"Wow," Alex commented as she took a closer look at is as it walked around his hand. "They really captured that scowl perfectly, didn't they?"
That caused Hermione and Harry to snicker quietly while Ron scowled at Alex for her comment. "He's brilliant, you'll see."
"Like I've said already, Ronald," Alex began, "just because Bulgaria has one good player does not mean they're going to win."
"Whatever," Ron grumbled before pulling red and black paint from his pocket. "Will you paint my face please?"
Alex rolled her eyes. "Yeah, alright."
After they had argued the entire she was painting his face, Alex had done the design Ron had requested, finishing just as a booming gong sounded, causing her to jump.
"It's time!" Mr. Weasley exclaimed with his Irish flag draped over his shoulders. "Come on, let's go!"
Following the path up to the stadium, Alex walked with her arms linked with Ginny's, the both of them gushing over how excited they were for the game to start. They walked up to the witch at the entrance as Mr. Weasley handed her their tickets.
"Prime seats!" She stated. "Top Box! Straight upstairs, Arthur, and as high as you can go!"
They began the long climb up the stairs, which about halfway through, Alex was lagging behind, having to stop and take a breather every other flight of stairs.
"Bit on the slower side, aren't you?" Charlie teased before turning and squatting slightly. "C'mon, hop on!"
"Are you sure?" Alex asked with a quirked brow.
"Yep, your lagging is slowing us down," he teased, causing Alex to nudge him but hop onto his back. She wasn't about to deny the ride to the top.
After making sure she was secure, Charlie began the climb up the stairs with the rest of his family. Alex was certainly grateful because even if she played Quidditch, cardio was not her best workout.
They made it to the top and Alex hopped off Charlie's back, thanking him before claiming the spot next to Hermione with Ginny on the other side of her.
"This is going to be the best!" Ginny exclaimed, which Alex quickly agreed to.
Fred and George claimed the spots next to Ginny, which wouldn't have bothered her, if Ginny hadn't exchanged a knowing glance with George and done what she did best, "You know, the view from this seat is rubbish with my height. Fred, switch spots with me!" She demanded, standing up.
"Wh-What?" Fred stuttered as Ginny and George smirked.
Alex decided to look down at her program at that moment, unable to see Ginny threatening her brother with her eyes to switch seats. He did, cautiously sitting down next to Alex, who bit the inside of her cheek out of nerves.
"Anything interesting in there?" Fred asked as she looked over her program.
She shrugged. "Just basic facts about the players, a rundown of what will precede the match, and an endorsement or two about some product that will get any stain out if I need it."
Fred laughed. "But does anything catch your eye when it comes to the advertisements?" He asked curiously. "Research purposes for when we begin the shop."
Alex smiled before looking down her program. "Okay, this one here immediately catches my eye because it's literally illuminating off the page and just stands out," she told him as she pointed to the one about the cleaning supply. "But that could be overbearing to some people, it just depends on who you want your adds to target."
"Noted," Fred answered. "Stand out, but not too much, depending on whose attention I want to get."
"Exactly," she added with a laugh.
"Thanks for the tip," Fred told her, resting his arm over the back of her chair, which made her cheeks warm up.
"Of course," she responded. "I want you guys to do well with your business."
However, the moment was ruined when Cornelius Fudge entered the Top Box and greeted not only Harry but Alex as well. She stood up and shook his hand before spotting who was with the Minister as one of his guests.
"Velkan!" She exclaimed, climbing over her seat to hug him again. "You're in the Top Box as well?"
"I am," he told her with a smile. "And so is he."
He gestured to Nikolai, who had just come walking into the Top Box and spotted where they were standing.
"Alexandria, you are seated in here as vell?" He asked as he approached with a smile, gently kissing the back of her hand.
"Yeah, I'm with my friends family," she stated, trying to fight the blush that came on her face after he had kissed her hand, which didn't go unnoticed by Fred, who was watching.
"I am so happy I vas able to see you again," he told her, which made her smile.
"Who are you here with?"
Nikolai pointed to the man standing by Cornelius Fudge, who she learned was the Bulgarian Minister for Magic. "That is my father," he told her, which made her eyes widen.
"Your dad is the Bulgarian Minister?" She asked.
He nodded. "I know, it is not a fact I vould share vith many people."
"I understand," she told him before turning to Velkan and hitting his arm. "Why did you never tell your uncle was the Minister?!"
"Why am I being attacked?" He asked before looking behind her. "Charlie!"
"Velkan!" Charlie exclaimed as he stood and slapped him on the back. "Good to see you made it alright, mate!"
Fred took this as his chance to walk over. "What's the party going on over here?" He asked, nudging Alex's shoulder.
Charlie gave Fred a knowing look before introducing him, "Fred, this is Velkan, who I work with at the dragon sanctuary. He also knows Alex because her mum used to work there a few years ago."
"Oh gotcha," Fred stated with a nod before look to Nikolai. "And you are -?"
He offered his hand. "Nikolai Petrov, Velkan's cousin."
Fred took and shook it firmly, hating that he didn't have a prissy handshake but rough man's handshake. "Nice to meet you."
Nikolai nodded before looking to Alex, now spotting the Irish scarf, as well as the shamrocks on her cheeks. "You are not rooting for Bulgaria?" He asked, pretending to be offended.
Alex rolled her eyes with a smile. "Sorry, but I have money on Ireland, so yes, I'm supporting them, as they are the far more superior team."
Nikolai pretended to grab his chest as if he'd been stunned by a spell. "Ah, you vound me, Alexandria."
The Bulgarian Minister said something in a foreign language and gestured for Velkan and Nikolai to come join him at their seats.
"Vell, ve must be going to our seats," Nikolai said before looking to Alex again, "but I do hope to see you again."
The blush on her face made Charlie smirk while Fred was fuming from where he stood behind her.
"Likewise," she said before following the Weasley boys back to their seats.
However, instead of Fred sitting next to her, he had switched seats with Charlie, sitting as far away from her as possible. It caused her to furrow her brow in confusion before grabbing her program to look over until the game started.
"You're a twat, you know that?" Charlie stated before he went to walk to his new seat.
"Don't know what you're on about," Fred stated, keeping his eyes forward and not letting them wander, especially down to where Alex was sitting.
Charlie rolled his eyes. "Bloody Hell, Fred, you obviously fancy the girl, tell her how you feel, for Merlin's sake, or you are going to lose her to the Bulgarian Minister's son and rightfully so."
He gestured to where Alex had looked up and made eye contact with Nikolai again, smiling at each other.
"She's just my friend, Charlie," Fred gritted. "Stop putting your nose where it doesn't belong."
Charlie huffed. "Whatever you say." Then he walked over to sit beside Alex.
Fred groaned as he dropped his head into his hands. "Merlin's beard, what am I doing?"
"Ah, and here's Lucius!" Fudge spoke loudly, causing Alex to look up with her friends to see Malfoy and his parents coming into the Top Box.
Alex narrowed her eyes at Draco as he walked up to where his parents were standing by the Minister.
"Ah, Fudge!" Lucius Malfoy greeted. "How are you? I don't think you've met my wife, Narcissa? Or our son, Draco?"
"Is it just me or does Malfoy's mummy look like she's got dung underneath her nose?" Alex whispered to Hermione, who snorted into her hand.
"How do you do, how do you do?" Fudge greeted. "And allow me to introduce you to Mr. Oblansk - Obalonsk - Mr. - well, he's the Bulgarian Minister of Magic, and he can't understand a word in's saying anyways, so never mind. And his son, Nikolai -" The young man had stood up to bow to the Malfoy's and winked at Alex as he seemed to pretend to not know English as well, which made Alex quirk her eyebrow in question, "-and his nephew, Velkan." He, too, was acting like he didn't speak English, which made Alex turn away, trying not to laugh.
"And let's see who else - you know, Arthur Weasley, I daresay?" Fudge asked, gesturing to their large group.
The tension thickened as the two separate groups just looked at each other for a few seconds.
"Good lord, Arthur," Lucius spoke. "What did you have to sell to get seats in the Top Box? Surely your house wouldn't have fetched this much?"
That made Alex almost stand up, reaching for her wand up her sleeve, only for Hermione to firmly grab her and keep her seated in place.
Fudge, who hadn't heard the exchange, spoke up, "Lucius has just given a very generous contribution to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, Arthur. He's here as my guest."
"More like kissed Fudge where the sun doesn't shine," Alex whispered to Hermione, but she didn't laugh because Lucius Malfoy was staring her down.
Alex gripped Hermione's hand as a comfort and glared back at the older man, not feeling afraid of him in the slightest. His gaze met hers and he seemed to smirk, but Alex only narrowed her eyes before he walked down to his seats with his wife and son.
"Slimy gits," Ron commented after Malfoy had thrown them a contemptuous look before sitting between his parents.
"You can say that again," Alex added before turning to Hermione. "Are you okay?"
Hermione smiled and nodded. "I'm fine," she stated. "Really, I am."
"Good," Alex told her as she held her arm to comfort her. "You're a far better witch than the lot of them will ever be, don't forget that, 'Mione."
"I won't, Alex."
Ludo Bagman entered the Top Box, causing Alex to smile as she turned forward, ready for the match. She caught Fred's eye, who offered her a smile, which she returned before turning back forward.
"Ireland, you better win but Krum better get that damn Snitch."
⊰ ⁜ ⊱
Hey, look at me updating! Go me!
Also, if you haven't already, go check out the new Fred fic I have on my profile called 'Human,'
Pretty excited about it actually!
Also, remember how I met Oliver and James Phelps last year at FanX? Bonnie Wright is coming this year and I'm so excited!
Please vote and comment!
-Squid♡