When Fred left St. Mungo's the only thought on his mind was seeing Alexandria. He needed to know that she was alright after everything that had happened to them, but she was nowhere to be found. James had told him that she was staying at St. Mungo's but when he tried to find her room, she had already left the hospital. Every visit he paid to Vic's home she wasn't there, she also wasn't at work. Whenever Fred got Vic alone, Vic kept his mouth shut, which bothered him to no end, it only meant that Vic knew everything that he didn't. And he needed to know.
It was weeks before Fred finally decided that he should give up searching. If she wanted to be found, she would've let him find her.
"Why does it matter? She clearly doesn't have feelings for you," Lee Jordan questioned.
"She saved my life recently," was Fred's only response. "again."
Lee fell silent as they sat around the flat in silence, their game of chess suddenly feeling dull.
"I'm sorry, I'm going to bed. night mates," Fred muttered to George and Lee before going down the hall.
"Never seen him like this," Lee's voice carried down the hall as Fred rested his hand on the doorknob of his room.
"The love of his life disappeared....again, give him a break, Lee."
"He should just give up on the girl, clearly she's not interested."
"But she is and he knows it."
Lee let out a sarcastic laugh, "yeah, because when a girl wants me she ups and leaves without a word."
"He loves her and he knows there's something there."
"The longer he stays like this the more he's hurting himself."
George let out a long sigh," I know. But what do you want me to do? Tell him he needs to give up? We both know that Fred doesn't give up on anything. He went three days without sleep when we were working on our earlier products."
Fred opened his door and slammed it shut behind him, he didn't want to hear much more of that. He stepped over to his nightstand and looked at a picture he had of Alexandria and him from their years at Hogwarts during a Hogsmeade trip. He smiled at the picture as a tapping noise came from the window behind him.
The owl wasn't familiar but it dropped a letter and quickly disappeared, Fred's heart skipped a beat when he recognized the writing.
Freddie,
I hope that you've recovered successfully and that you don't hate me much. You're probably mad at me for not talking. I've just been trying to......Fred frowned at the train of thought that stopped here, so many ideas came to mind-none were good.
I'll see you soon, I promise. I hope you don't hate me enough that we could start back where we left off a year ago before all this stuff happened.
Please don't hate me. It'd break my heart...
Alexandria
It was short and to the point, but Fred didn't care about the length. She was fine. That confirmation alone made Fred grin as he folded the letter up and placed it on his nightstand beside the picture. He didn't want to write back, if Alexandria did this to think, she needed her privacy, so long as she was going to return one day Fred could wait. He'd wait forever if that's what it meant.
"How you holding up?"
Fred looked up from his desk, Vic sat in George's chair, leaning on his elbows with his chin in his hands as he smiled at his friend.
"You tell me," Fred said gruffly, returning to the paperwork in front of him.
"I could only guess that you're hopeful optimism is keeping you together, otherwise you'd be a mess." Vic tilted his head to the side, "I miss her too. She's not staying with me....not sure where she went this time."
"Doesn't matter really, she's going to be back," Fred reached for his pen with a frown as he signed his name to something.
"She sent you a letter also?" Vic laughed.
"A short one, but yes," Fred nodded, giving a tight smile as Vic smirked. "Is that all the interrogation for now?"
"If she comes back, what will you do?"
Fred gave a heavy sigh, rubbing at his face as he thought over his words. "Vic, my love life is really not for your commentary."
Vic gave a Cheshire grin as he clapped his hands together, "I need entertainment in my life. Lex isn't around for me to feed off her embarrassment. And honestly your love life is for commentary, at least through Lex's side."
"Are you two going to be back on normal terms?"
Vic shrugged, "we'll be back to normal one day. But it's going to take a lot, that little tart is so flippant. It's really frustrating at times."
Fred snorted slightly, shaking his head as he got up from his seat. "Do you have any theories?"
"She's close by, that I know. Her balcony garden is back and thriving. Not really sure what she planned with this little excursion of hers though. After almost dying twice in one year, I'm very content on letting her do whatever the hell she wants right now."
"She's going to be back right?"
Vic shrugged, he didn't have the answer to that. Alexandria had left before he even got a chance to see her after the hospital stay. All he had was a letter saying she'll be back, he noticed a few things around the apartment shift throughout the day, she was still around but he accepted that she needed space for whatever thing she was planning next.
***
The park was busy with commotion as the bitter wind cut through Alexandria's thin grey sweater. Children were shouting with excitement as they ran around the playground that was settled in the middle of the park while parents watched and chatted from afar.
Alexandria took a seat on a vacant bench, watching the happy families smile and laugh, she was so enchanted in watching the families she didn't notice the man who sat down beside her and silently regarded her with identical hazel eyes, but ones that held so much sorrow.
"I remember when I use to push you on those swings," Claus Desmond finally spoke up.
Alexandria jumped about a mile in the air, her smile falling and her eyes going wide as she realized who was next to her.
"We came here a few times when your mum was working and we would visit her for lunch, remember?" Claus Desmond continued.
Alexandria lost her voice, there was no way she could speak. Not to this man. Never in a million years.
"What're you doing here?" her father spoke with a smile.
"Th-thinking," Alexandria stuttered horribly as her back stiffened and she tried to keep a vacant expression.
"Care to talk about it?"
Alexandria frowned, her father had turned his back on her three years ago, why would he care now?
Claus sighed and seemed to read Alexandria's thoughts, "I regret not defending you against your mother every single day, I miss taking you to the train station or listening to you ramble on bout....What those Weasley boys did or what Vic did that semester during break. If I could, I would go back and fix it all," her father finished speaking with a heavy sigh.
"It's been three years," Alexandria choked back her tears with a great effort.
"If I could I would rewrite everything."
Alexandria studied her father for a few moments, noticing that he still looked exactly the same, from the day she saw him in Diagon Alley and even before then. It was as if he didn't age, "how'd you find me?" asked coldly, her eyes narrowing as she regarded him with a frown.
"I was on my way to your mother's office and saw you across the street. I wasn't sure it was you until I walked over here," he shrugged nonchalantly.
Alexandria gave a small nod, not giving much away. "Surprised you're speaking to me. Considering my face was all over the papers."
"I never believed a single word they wrote about you, I was worried about the bounties. I searched everyday to see if your name came up in the list of missing."
Alexandria was quiet for a moment, unsure what to say.
"How is Vic?"
Alexandria shrugged, "haven't seen him for a few months."
"Your birthdays are next month."
"Why do you even care?" Alexandria snapped, in her mind she was urging herself to get up and leave, but something kept her there. Maybe it was that she hadn't spoken with an actual person in two months or maybe it was that she truly missed her father and was holding onto every second. Alexandria bit down on her lip so hard she tasted blood.
"Because you're my daughter," Claus stammered, taken back by her tone.
"The daughter you casted aside when she desperately needed someone!" Alexandria hissed. "I was fifteen. Fifteen when you and mum abandoned me to fend for myself!"
"You don't know how regretful I've been since," Claus' voice was distant and strained.
"You're right, I don't," Alexandria snapped.
"There's no need to be this hostile."
"Three years....Three years to wonder how my parents could treat me like that...three years of me feeling unloved...unwanted...useless...invisible...." Alexandria choked back the next words as her mind ran a mile a minute. The reason she was so willing to join Colleen and her followers, the reason she felt so at peace with them...she had lost her family, been cast away, shunned. And the second she found people so accepting....Alexandria's stomach turned on itself, making her want to vomit, she hunched forward and clutched her torso as she began to shake. She hated herself in that moment, hated how she had treated Vic, how she treated everyone, how she was completely blind to the undying love that she always had from Vic, Fred, and even George.
She let out a heavy sigh and clutched her hands tightly in her lap as she shook her head slightly while straightening herself out, tears fell onto her hands as she began to shake. "I found the cure to vampirism but...I'm terrified to take it. It was a legend, a ruddy myth! But I have it right there in my pocket and I'm completely terrified of it." Alexandria whispered to her lap.
"Scared of the potion or scared of how it'll change things?"
Alexandria looked up at her father, frowning, she still felt as if she were going to vomit as she looked at him. Hesitating if she should truly talk to him. "both...I suppose."
He chuckled slightly, his mouth turning up at the corners, "no matter what I'm sure you'll still have friends."
The corners of her mouth turning down and staying in a harsh frown. "Mum might worry...I know how she feels about people being tardy."
"You're much more important than lunch with your mother. You know....she loves you right?"
Her mother didn't love her. Her mother cast her out without a second thought, no regrets to her daughter's safety, and when she saw her in Diagon Alley months ago it was like her mother was beyond terrified to even be near her.
"I better get going," Alexandria muttered quickly getting to her feet.
Her father grabbed her arm and pulled her down beside him on the bench, Alexandria didn't realize she was crying until she began wiping away the tears as they fell on her hands. "You have to believe me, she regre--"
"No she doesn't," she shook her head, a sob leaving her throat. "If she did...she would've stayed by my side, she would've tried to find me during the last several months, she wouldn't have run from me in Diagon Alley. But she did. I could've died in that battle of Hogwarts and she wouldn't even care."
"Don't say things like that," her father snapped instantly. Alexandria looked up to see his hazel eyes narrowing underneath his light hair.
"Then she should be saying all this herself," Alexandria muttered miserably.
Her father sighed and let go of her arm, nodding slightly, "she's worried about what you'd say."
Alexandria raised an eyebrow as she made a noise of acknowledgment. They fell into a brief silence that was broken only by the shrill of children, Alexandria shivered as the breeze broke through her again.
Alexandria nodded slightly, "I'll be going now."
Her father grabbed her arm and pulled her into a very tight hug, Alexandria instantly felt at home as the familiar scent of wood and vanilla, wafted over her, when he let go he was crying but smiling.
"No matter what happens, you'll always be loved, my darling."
"I'm not your darling," Alexandria seethed.
Claus sighed deeply, closing his eyes briefly, "please....I'm sorry...if I could...I would fix it all."
Alexandria gave a curt nod.
"Your mother would-"
"I don't give a damn what she would want," Alexandria said bitterly.
"I know what she did-"
"I'll be going now," Alexandria stood up quickly, averting her gaze.
Claus had a painful expression on his face as he stammered. "I love you, Alexandria. I know you know that."
***
Vic groaned loudly at the pounding on the door as he slowly shuffled his feet down the hall.
"Oi! would you stop it?! It's one in the afternoon, some of us are sleeping!" Vic yelled at the door.
"Get up you lazy sod and let me in!" Alexandria's voice came from the other side.
Vic rolled his eyes as he opened the door and Alexandria jumped up, wrapping her arms around his neck tightly, she felt cold and was shivering horribly as Vic shut the door.
"Where have you been?"
"Walking near the Ministry," Alexandria answered with a shrug as she clung to Vic tighter.
Vic sighed as he carried her over to the couch, pulling the blanket they kept atop the couch around Alexandria and securing her tightly in it. "You're a loon to go outside without any proper attire," Vic muttered as he shook his head, trying not to smile.
Alexandria leaned up and kissed his cheek, Vic raised an eyebrow and smirked slightly, "Fred will be awfully jealous when I tell him you've been kissing me now."
Alexandria snorted, "that's for everything....I...I'm an idiot...and I'm sorry. I'm so very sorry."
Vic grinned slightly, "then you owe me a lot more than a single kiss on the cheek dear," he ruffled her hair slightly as he stood up straight. "Honestly, look at you. You're a mess."
"Still love me of course, right?"
Vic scrunched up his face and made a quizzical sound as he thought this over, "you did wake me up...I just....I don't know if I can love someone who does that."
Alexandria rolled her eyes thoughtfully as she sat there, Vic chuckled as he took the spot beside her, "now tell me about your adventure."
Alexandria smiled slightly, after everything that happened with Colleen, Vic and Alexandria's relationship was back on course. They weren't as happy as they once were but that would only take some time to mend. As Alexandria sat beside Vic and told him everything, she couldn't feel happier to have him in her life. She just wish she hadn't been so stupid and blind before....maybe the incident with Colleen wouldn't have ever happened and she would've taken the cure by now. Vic wouldn't have hated her for as long as he had either...Alexandria inwardly kicked herself as she thought over all the things that could've been avoided had she opened her eyes and saw that she had a family who fully accepted her right beside her.
Even if it was just one person. Vic made up for it by being himself. Being the guy who was always sacrificing everything for her. Because he was her family, he always had been. Alexandria was just blind.
"Vic....I know what I'm going to do," Alexandria said with as much confidence as she could muster.
Vic gave an approving smirk as he nodded, pushing her hair away from her face, "no matter what, you're still going to be drop dead gorgeous, darling."
****
so, I have a lot of school work to do. I hope you can accept this chapter. The next chapter...will be interesting. Please comment and vote below. I really love comments!