The day after the ball, Alexandrina had gone back home to England for a week.
Alice Reddins was thrilled to hear her daughter loved the dress, and was now friendly with Cedric Diggory once again. She had always believed the pair would find their way back to one another, in time.
Alexandrina always wondered about her father. Who he was, what he was like, and how much her mother and him loved each other. Every time Alexandrina asked her mother, Alice would shut the topic down and start a new one, never wanting to reminisce of the past. But Alexandrina continued to wonder, and with this new confidence that was building up within her, she decided to try again.
"Mum, do you think you'll ever become an Auror again?" Alexandrina asked one day as her mother and her were sitting at their little dining table, enjoying breakfast.
Alice was startled and she split her tea on her shirt slightly, "I-I well I don't know If I would-what's brought up this topic?"
"Well ever since I was a second year, I've wondered why we don't live in the wizarding world, if you were a witch" Alexandrina took a bite of her cereal, "Was dad a muggle? Is that why?"
Alexandrina watched as her mother's eyes grew wide, "No he wasn't a muggle, he was a wizard just like us"
"Then why don't you talk about him?" Alexandrina sat up a little straighter, ready to finally get some answers, "You only say he died when I was young, but you never tell me what he was like?!"
"I-"
"Was he bad or something? A death eater?" Alexandrina pried, leaning forward eagerly. "Maybe that's why you don't talk about him"
"No! He was no death eater!" Alice screamed, exhausted at her daughter's troubling questions. All the old memories she spent so long trying to hide, began to come back to her, and under her breath she whispered, "Not when I knew him"
"But mum-"
"Please my love, I really cannot right now" Alice looked at her desperately, and Alexandrina's curious eyes softened as she stood and walked over to her mother.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you upset mum" She gave her mother a big hug, and Alice leaned into her daughter, feeling lighter already.
"You didn't my dear, I just don't like thinking about what he did" Alice stroked Alexandrina's hair absentmindedly, "I'll tell you all about him one day, when it feels right"
"Promise?"
"I promise."
/
"Final call!" The Hogwarts express whistled one last time.
Alexandrina sat in a compartment alone, reading a muggle book her mother had given her over break. After the Yule Ball, students had the chance to go back home for a week, and many took the offer, seeing as it was the week of Christmas and New Years.
Alexandrina decided to go back to the castle a day early, and the train was practically empty. She took this opportunity to read and sleep to her heart's desire, not worrying about anyone sneaking up on her.
When she finally got to the castle, she was met with eerie silence, and instead of scaring her, it comforted her. She walked the hallways all throughout the day, realizing just how open and free the castle really was. She never did explore the castle, she couldn't recall why, but here she was now making up for lost time.
Alexandrina walked past the school trophies, studying each house's showcase thoroughly.
In the Gryffindor section she saw old photographs, some recently old, but many were clearly taken decades ago. But something rather particular caught her eye, as she squinted trying to look at the photograph clearly.
And what she saw made her gasp loudly into her hand. How could she have gone so many years without seeing this.
In the photograph was a younger version of her mother holding a glittering trophy, covered in Gryffindor Quidditch robes, her eyes sparkling and her mouth upturned, smirking at the boy in front of her. Alexandrina cursed quietly to herself when she realized she couldn't see what he looked like, only his wavy brown hair and his tall frame. He wasn't wearing the same robes as her, in fact, it looked like he was cheering her on, and she was staring at him longingly as her eyes grazed over everyone.
Alexandrina had no doubt in her mind, that the boy her mother was looking at in the photograph was none other than her father. But who was he.
/
Alexandrina told Darcy and Fleming all about her mystery father, showing the two girls the Quidditch display. She watched as they theorized with her, trying to piece together a scrambled puzzle. They sat beside her through the few days she was completely battered down from her own mind, and encouraged her during the time and watched as she gleamed with a new found excitement to keep searching.
Cedric spoke with her daily through those days. Hiding with her underneath the staircase during Study Hall, and staying up past late hours to listen to what she had on her mind. He loved the fact she became so open with something so personal with him. and he hoped it would never end. And so far it hadn't.
Something changed between them after the ball, they would spend moments just gazing at each other before one blushed and looked away and constantly tried to be around the other.
Alexandrina woke up one morning and decided that today was the day she would put her mystery father second, and focus on Cedric now, whose problem was looming up closer and closer. The second task was a week away, and they still hadn't been able to figure out the mysterious golden egg.
It was a Saturday morning, and Alexandrina was on her way to meet Cedric at the Three Broomsticks.
As she ran through the corridors, something peculiar happened and she stopped mid stride, a tingle hit her back and she felt something warm spread through her arms to her toes. Just as fast it spread, it finished, and Alexandrina shook the doubtful feeling she was feeling, and began to run again, already late.
She didn't notice the man hiding behind a pillar, wand in hand, and tongue flicking in and out of his mouth.
"Hey Ced, sorry I'm late!" Alexandrina took off her green and black scarf, and sat down in front of Cedric who was now looking up from his book. "Find anything?"
Cedric smiled at her but shook his head no. He made eye contact with a worker and signaled him to get two Butterbears. "The second Task is only a week away, and no one has yet to figure it out"
"Exactly. That's why we need to figure it out before anyone else! You need to be prepared for the worst" Alexandrina spoke over the loudness around them. All around them students sat, some snogging, talking, and gossiping about their new favorite topic. Cedric and Alexandrina. Everyone wanted to know what was going on with them.
"The golden egg-hey Alex? Alex? Merlin what's wrong" Cedric stopped his first statement as Alexandrina sat up straight unnaturally, and her gray eyes rolled up for a few seconds before going back to normal. "What happened?!"
"I-I don't know" Alexandrina shook her head slightly before it finally crossed her mind. "Cedric, we need to go! Now!"
"Alex The Black Lake is freezing at this time of year!" Cedric looked at Alexandrina pointedly. She had dragged him all the way from Hogsmeade to The Black Lake, mumbling he needed to go swimming with the egg.
"Quit your whining! Here take the egg and go already" Alexandrina handed him the egg, that was now icy cold to the touch.
"I'll bloody die if I go in rig-"
She whispered a quick spell and Cedric felt his body warm up rapidly fast, "I guess you have to go in the water to cool down!"
Cedric didn't even think twice before he ran fully clothed into the lake. And as he emerged himself and the golden egg in the water something strange occurred. A glowing came from inside the egg, and he took this opportunity to unlatch the nob.
A beautiful riddle chorused through his mind and the water, voices smooth and silky spoke before him.
Come seek us where our voices sound, We cannot sing above the ground, And while you're searching, ponder this: We've taken what you'll sorely miss, An hour long you'll have to look, And to recover what we took. But past an hour - the prospect's black, Too late, it's gone, it won't come back"
"Alex! I've got it!"
//