When Alvara apparated back, Hogsmeade was thriving. Almost all at once, they were ambushed by five figures. Two from Alvara's left and three from Pansy's right.
"Where the hell have you been?" was the first thing off the Malfoys' lips.
Pansy caught Alvara's eye and the older girl understood. "We went out for ice cream . . . in America."
"YOU WHAT?!" Shay exploded. "Are you nuts, Allie? You're kind of still a wanted fugitive!"
One of the identical girls interrupted Shay's shouting. "Why are you a wanted fugitive, Allie?"
Alvara smiled at her. "'Cause I'm running from the government, Hestia," she said brightly. "American witches and wizards aren't allowed to take their wands from school property and aren't allowed to leave school property unless vitally important or during holidays."
Three Slytherin girls had wide eyes, while one Slytherin boy regarded the Americans with slight admiration.
Alvara grinned. "But it's okay now, cause I'm back on foreign ground where they can't catch me."
Lucien suddenly squashed Alvara in a choking hug. "You scared us half to death, Allie."
"Luce," she rasped. "Can't . . . breathe."
Almost instantly, he let go of her. "We looked all over the castle. We even went to ask Xander and his friend Charlie if they'd seen you. Shay even asked What's-his-face Bulgaria if he'd seen you."
Alvara glazed over Lucien's exaggerated concern in favour of the funny look Shay got on her face at the mention of the Bulgarian boy. She turned to Pansy. "You'll be okay from here on out?"
The younger witch nodded, subtly glancing at Draco.
"Don't hesitate to call me if you're not. Us kind-of pathetic girls gotta stick together." She held out her fist in front of Pansy and the girl stared. "It's called a fist bump. You make a fist and bump mine."
"Why?" Pansy asked incredulously.
"I don't question the Friendship Code, I just follow it."
Slightly reluctantly, Pansy did as Alvara said, smiling for no apparent reason after that.
"See? Don't question them, just follow them."
Pansy looped one arm with each twin and they turned to leave. Draco rolled his eyes and left in a different direction. Alvara turned back to Lucien, who did not appreciate being ignored.
"Thanks for your concern, Luce, but as you can see, in perfectly fine."
Lucien rolled his eyes. "That's besides the point and you know it. Now, since you're back, I have some stuff to do with Cedric. I'll see you before the task, okay?"
Alvara nodded. When she noticed Lucien's subtle once-over of the blonde beside her before he left, Alvara knew for sure something was up with Shay. "Walk with me, babe?"
"Always," Shay said with a smile, looping her arm with Alvara's. "I hear the Three Broomsticks is nice."
Alvara shook her head. "I know you better than that, Shay. You'll like the Hog's Head."
Reluctantly, Shay allowed herself to be dragged to the slightly dingy pub entrance. "This place looks riddled with disease," Shay stated. "Lets go inside."
Alvara smiled, glad she knew her friend so well.
Once they were in there, Alvara provided two goblets and asked the old man behind to counter to fill them up with "his strongest" before paying him his dues and joining Shay at a corner table.
"I dusted that chair for you," the blonde said as she pocketed her wand.
Alvara nodded her thanks and pushed a goblet towards Shay as she sat down. She leaned back and dropped her feet on the equally dusty table. "So, what's bothering you?"
Shay sighed. "The third task is today, remember? Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, 'cause we want this to be over so our stupid friend doesn't accidentally kill himself, but . . . I kinda want it to go on a little longer."
Alvara understood then. "I'm sure he'll still write to you."
"Oh, I know he will . . . but it's not the same as having him here with me."
"You could always go with him and finish school there," Alvara mused, taking a sip from her goblet, pleased with the alcoholic drink.
Shay's jaw dropped. "You're joking, Al. I couldn't. Leave you and Lucien alone? One of two things would happen."
Alvara raised an eyebrow.
"Sex or death . . . maybe both."
"Shailene! You watch your mouth!"
Shay smiled. "It's the truth and you know it."
"I'm serious, though. It's an idea."
Shay shook her head. "He's in his final year. If I do go to Bulgaria, I'll be at Durmstrang while he's at home. It'll be no different."
Alvara shrugged. "Well, you've still got the notepads, so . . . it won't be so terrible."
Shay sighed and downed what was left in her goblet. "I know. Is this what it feels like? To love someone and then let them go?"
Alvara slowly sat properly in her chair, feet firmly on her floor. "You love him?" she asked quietly.
Shay fidgeted in her seat. "I don't . . . I think I do. I don't know, this is all very new to me."
Alvara smiled and grabbed her friend's hand. "Shay . . . if he cares about you as much as you care about him, a little distance isn't going to break you up. It'll work out, you'll see."
Shay tilted her head. "You can't know that," she said, now slowly shaking her head. "No one can actually know if it'll all work out."
Alvara shrugged. "No, but I can feel it in my heart that it will. Look, I've seen you fly through guys with no second thought. This one is special, and on the odd occasion when he and I are both around you, I can see it in the way he looks at you that he really truly cares about you. But aside from that, if I miraculously turn out to be wrong, nothing's going to stop me from Imperiusing him and making him dance on live TV in just his underwear which I will have charmed with moving unicorns or something. What's the law gonna do to me anyway? I'm already a fugitive."
Shay smiled. "I love you, you know that?"
"Of course, Shay. C'mere."
She pulled Shay into a tight hug. After a moment, something occurred to Alvara. "Did you say the task was today?"
"Yeah."
"Mm . . . what time does it start?"
Shay glanced at the clock on the filthy wall, just managing to make out the time behind the equally filthy face of the clock. "Five minutes ago."
"WHAT?! WE HAVE TO GO, MY BROTHER IS IN THAT DEATH TRAP!"