TAINTED BLOOD!
george's plan.
WHILE THEY'D ONLY RECENTLY ANNOUNCED THE EVENT, ALL THAT EVERYONE WAS TALKING ABOUT WAS THE YULE BALL. No matter where one went, they either walked by a group of giggling witches and nervous wizards or witnessed an invitation of sorts.
Finding a date seemed to be an easy affair for some, but a daunting task for others. In regards to the 'dates' struggle, Gryffindor's troublesome sixth-year students were not an exception.
"Merlin's beard! Is our Reed smiling?" George exclaimed as soon as the boy in question had shut the bedroom door behind him, his teasing tone not going unnoticed by the other occupants of the sleeping quarters.
"He sure as hell is! Who's the lucky witch or wizard?" Fred chimed in, wiggling his brows and smirking at the now-seated boy.
"She's a third-year –"
"A third-year?!" The Weasley twins and Lee Jordan chorused, all of them shocked by their friend's revelation.
Reed Shacklebolt merely rolled his eyes, for he'd expected his friends to react in such a manner. "Her name is Luna Lovegood, and don't you even try to make fun of her." The raven-haired boy added, pointing an accusatory finger at Lee, who raised his hands in surrender. "I like her, I really do."
"We solemnly swear to behave ourselves," George announced dramatically by placing both hands on his chest.
"Yeah, that'll be the day." Reed chortled, his laughter slowly subduing as a grin tugged at his lips. "What about you, Fred? Are you finally gonna ask Alexandra to the ball?"
Fred Weasley almost fell from his bed, his previously amused expression now nowhere to be seen, a shocked one in its stead. There it was again, this odd sensation of his stomach tightening into knots as his hands suddenly grew clammy. Fred had always been a confident wizard, so much that not even his first Quidditch game had riddled him with nerves. However, as he attempted to collect himself and answer to his friend, he couldn't help but stammer out. "What? I – why – I mean, why would I even ask her?"
Amused by his friend's reaction, Lee Jordan chose not to answer the boy, turning to his twin instead. "Merlin, George, is Fred stammering?" Lee gasped, feigning shock.
George didn't bother hiding his teasing smirk. "Sounds like stammering to me." He affirmed amusingly upon noticing Fred's reddened cheeks.
Having crossed his arms against his chest, Fred allowed his gaze to fall onto each one of his friends, his stance a stark contrast to his flushed cheeks. "I am not stuttering." He insisted, attempting to defend himself. "Why would I even stutter?"
It didn't come as a surprise that the hopeless romantic of the four was the one who addressed Fred's query. "Maybe because of a certain white-haired witch with heterochromia?" Reed countered, causing both Lee and George to nod along.
"No, no, no, no," Fred shook his head vehemently. "I have no reason to stammer because of her or to ask her to the Yule Ball."
Lee Jordan fought the urge to roll his eyes as he leaned back on his bed, addressing his friends in a faux casual manner. "The last time I saw her, she'd just turned down a Durmstrang student. Angelina told me he'd used the fact that Gellert Grindelwald had gone to his school as an excuse."
George's hearty laugh engulfed the whole room. Having known the Grindelwald girl his entire life, the red-head was well aware of the hatred the witch harboured towards the crazed wizard. The boy tilted his head back, hand clutching his stomach. He couldn't help but laugh as he pictured a few Durmstrang students mentioning Gellert Grindelwald, hoping it'd be enough to persuade Alexandra to be their date, while the witch in question was fighting the urge to hex them.
However, George's amusement was short-lived.
For a split minute, Fred Weasley felt his limbs stiffen. He hadn't felt that way since his first year when he was waiting in line beside his twin for the Sorting Hat to forever change their lives. Nerves aflame, a hot fiery feeling coursed through his arms and reached the back of his neck, leaving what he could only describe as a sizzling feeling behind. Fred did not know it then, but his heart and mind were at war with one another, each one attempting to control his next words.
"She can go with whoever she wants. I don't care." Fred said bitterly.
His mind had won over his heart, and Fred Weasley was utterly unaware of it.
While he once considered it amusing, George Weasley was utterly fed up with his twin's obliviousness. He did not know if his brother was actively attempting to quell his feelings or was genuinely unaware of his evident fondness for the Grindelwald witch, but, at this point in time, he no longer cared. George was genuinely baffled by his twin's constant denial, for even a blind wizard could have seen that Fred and Alexandra fancied one another.
Playing nice was no longer an option, and George found himself with one card left to play. He might have mocked the boy's pre-games inspirational speeches, but Oliver Wood had taught him a precious lesson: always make sure your last move happens to be the most unexpected. All George wanted was for Fred and Alexandra to finally get rid of the blindfolds they'd been relying on for years now, so he folded.
"Well, if that's so, you won't mind if I ask her to be my date." George paid no mind to Lee and Reed's shocked expressions as he stood up from his bed. "I need to get a move on before all the good dates for the Yule Ball are gone." He mused, biting back the grin that threatened to toy at his lips.
It was a bold move, one not even their closest friends could have seen coming, one only George Weasley could have come up with. He knew what he was doing, and he was willing to bet that, by the end of the Yule Ball, both Fred and Alexandra would have finally realised how they truly felt about one another.
Fred wasn't usually surprised by George's actions; however, he hadn't seen this one coming. As soon as the initial shock vanished, Fred straightened himself up, an odd feeling brewing within him, one he did not recognise. "Go ahead, ask her." The unfamiliar emotion dictated the red-head's biting tone, the words that he had uttered leaving an odd and unpleasant lingering taste in his mouth.
"Well," George exclaimed as he reached for the doorknob. "Wish me good luck!" With one foot out of the door, the wizard turned his head and winked at Fred before disappearing in the bustling corridor.
A powerful gust of wind slammed the door shut, an awkward silence suddenly blanketing the room.
Unable to remain silent any longer, Reed faced Lee with a slightly amused smile. "Well," The brunette whispered, casting a quick glance in Fred's direction. "Looks like George might win the bet after all."
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Su Li might have been onto something when she'd decided to place a bet on the Yule Ball invitations.
Much to Alexandra's shock and disbelief, four Durmstrang students had asked her to be their date to the ball. While the witch had been initially flattered, she had found herself nearly hexing the boys when they all used the excuse that Gellert Grindelwald had once attended their school. Part of her couldn't fault the guests for not knowing of her deep hatred towards the last name she carried, but this didn't stop her anger from flaring up.
Alexandra had lost count of how many cups of chamomile tea and scorching hot showers she'd taken in the past days to calm her nerves. What surely did not help her current situation was that the white-haired teen was well aware of the fact that her anger was somehow heightened by an outside force.
Being a teenage witch was no easy feat, and the fact that some of her emotions were either heightened or did not belong to her, to begin with, made it all the more taxing. Some feelings wholly belonged to her, but a few were akin to a riddle yet to be solved.
Oh, the beauty of being oblivious to matters of the heart.
Alexandra had even considered avoiding the ball altogether. Still, just as soon as the idea of skipping the event had blossomed, it'd been squashed by an early morning parcel coming from her parents. The package she'd received had managed to leave her both in awe and heartbroken, for she'd been sent the most beautiful dress she'd ever laid eyes on. Instead of gushing over the contents of the parcel, Alexandra had been crushed by a suffocating and oppressive feeling. Having refused to disappoint her parents any further, Alexandra had silently vowed to wear the dress proudly.
However, not even a beautiful garment would have been worth an evening spent in the company of a wizard who saw Alexandra as the most desirable date because of her crazed grandfather's identity. The white-haired witch had no qualms in going stag ( as embarrassing as it might have been ) if it meant avoiding those who relished in her tainted blood, and her best friends were aware of that.
While deeply appreciative of Blaise and Freya's attempts to aid her in avoiding any incoming Durmstrang students, only to buy her time to make a run for it, Alexandra didn't want to jeopardise her best friends' chances at finding a date for the ball. Convincing Blaise had been slightly harder than dealing with Freya ( who had simply shrugged before telling Alexandra to 'suit herself'). Still, in the end, the Grindelwald witch's speech had managed to change her future adoptive brother's mind.
Intent on avoiding the guest students, Alexandra had hidden in the far corner of the library.
Exams might have been suspended, but this hadn't stopped the professors from assigning a hefty load of homework in preparation for the O.W.L. exams they would have taken the following year. Having just finished her DADA's essay in regards to the Imperious Curse, Alexandra had decided to focus her attention on creating a spell of hers that was proving to be far trickier than she'd expected. Who would have known that creating a spell that rebounded all opponents' attacks, causing them to be the recipient of the hit ( she had Ron Weasley to thank for this idea, his magical-slug-vomit back in their second year having inspired her. ), would have been this hard?
"Retrepetus," Alexandra whispered, waving her wand upside down, only for a single spark to erupt from its tip.
The white-haired witch rolled her eyes at Oaksett, who'd let out a scoff of disappointment. "Two weeks of try, no improvement," The bowtruckle scolded her, tutting her by clicking its tongue. "Need five spark for spell to work, not one."
Alexandra raised her right eyebrow, tilting her head to the side. "You're becoming a lot bossier. Getting too chummy with Blaise, aren't you?"
Much to the teen's amusement, Oaksett stuck its tiny tongue out in response, blowing a raspberry at her before pointing at the inked page of her diary. "You try my favourite way now." It spoke up confidently.
"Half Slytherin, half Gryffindor ... just my luck" Alexandra bit back a small smile. "Just once, okay?" She bartered, receiving a curt nod from the stubborn bowtruckle.
"Retrepetus" This time, the witch waved her wand in a semi-circular motion before flicking it sideways as if she was striking the semicircle in half. Five bright sparks erupted from the tip of her wand, a current of intense energy running through the black and gold instrument. "Merlin's bloody –" Alexandra trailed off, eyes wide open and mouth slightly agape. "How...?" Oaksett merely crossed its arms on its chest, tilting its head up in a prideful manner.
The light chuckle about to escape her lips was replaced by a muffled groan accompanied by a throbbing headache. "Alexandra..." The eerily voice caused the witch to ground her teeth and clench her fists. "Stop fighting the inevitable." The more she fought the voice, the stronger her headache became.
The voice's presence had been increasing with each passing day, and the more Alexandra attempted to erect the walls within her head, the weaker her body became. Nosebleeds and ear bleeds had become a common occurrence, the nightmares had worsened, and Alexandra was fed up of waking covered in sweats and gifting Dobby a new pair of mismatched socks for him to clean up her bloodied hankies discreetly.
"Lots of blood." Oaksett voiced worriedly, climbing on top of Alexandra's shoulder as soon as she'd hidden her handkerchief and taken a few drops of the Blood-Replenishing Potion Flitwick had given her.
Alexandra sent the little creature a reassuring smile. "It's okay, Oaks. I am okay." She tickled one of the bowtruckle's leaves, eliciting a small laugh, before turning to her diary and proceeding with writing down all the information about the spell she'd been working on for weeks now.
"Just the person I was looking for." Alexandra slammed her diary shut, her panicked eyes darting towards the figure on her right. George Weasley stood right in between the rows of bookshelves, a mischievous smirk tugging at his lips. "Hiding from someone, are we?" He wiggled his eyebrows.
The white-haired witch grabbed George's writs, tugging him towards the table she was sitting at to make sure they were both hidden by the bookshelves. "Sit down." She urged him. "Sit down before anyone sees you."
"Woah, woah." George chuckled. "Wrong twin here, Alexandra."
"What?" The witch, slightly confused by the wizard's statement, queried. George merely rolled his eyes, biting back a sassy remark. "Doesn't matter," Alexandra waved him off. "Where's Fred?" She finally asked, her eyes darting behind the red-headed boy as if she expected for his twin to jump out from behind the corner and pull a prank on her.
A grin pulled at George's lips, yet such expression went completely unnoticed by the Grindelwald teen. "I don't know." He shrugged rather nonchalantly, successively gaining Alexandra's attention. "Probably still sulking in our room and basking in his obliviousness." He added playfully. "Why, are you bummed he's not here?"
"Yes – I mean, no – I mean –" Alexandra stammered, confused by her quickened heartbeat. "I am glad it's you who found me and not another Durmstrang boy."
Why was she suddenly so nervous? Why did she immediately think of Fred the moment she laid eyes on the person who'd found her? What was this odd, warming yet scary feeling she was currently experiencing?
George, much to Alexandra's relief, simply hummed in response ( although, unbeknown to the witch, he was silently celebrating, for it seemed that the two had started to realise that their friendship was not of the ordinary kind ). "Lee might have mentioned something about that," He nodded. "Which got me thinking...What would you say we go to the ball together as friends? It's a no-brainer, really: we get to go with someone we get along with, have fun with a mate, and have a good laugh."
"Is this a pity invite?" Alexandra scrunched her nose.
"No." George snorted. "It's me asking one of my closest friends to go to the ball because I don't really fancy anyone enough to ask them."
It wasn't a complete lie; only half of it was. George did fancy someone, the same someone who'd agreed to help him with this plan of his. Alexandra was indeed one of his closest friends, but he was simply asking her in the hope it'd awaken some jealousy in his twin, enough for Fred to realise he was indeed beyond smitten with Alexandra.
However, George Weasley's plan went even further. Just as he was asking Alexandra to the ball, Angelina Johnson was asking Fred. By doing so, they hoped to awake the very same jealousy in Alexandra in order for her to grasp the depths of her feelings towards Fred.
One day, they would have thanked them for meddling...at least that was what George hoped.
Eventually, after a brief silence, Alexandra found herself nodding. "Why not." She smiled while shaking her head in amusement. "Okay, George, I'll be your mate-date." She faked a posh accent, bowing her head dramatically and earning a scoff from Oaksett, who was still perched on her shoulder.
"Well, now that it's settled, I've got to recruit some first-years to test our Puking Pastilles on. Fred and I need to get a move on if we want to start selling them next year."
George had just stood up when Hermione Granger turned the corner and dropped her hefty stack of books on the table. "George." She greeted the boy.
"Hermione." George nodded with a smile, only to proceed with dipping his head and waving dramatically in Alexandra's direction before disappearing from the witches' sight.
To say that Alexandra was puzzled by Hermione's appearance would be a rather large understatement. Having known Ron ever since they were born, the white-haired witch had met Hermione when she first befriended the boy ( and subsequently met Harry ). The two had always been kind to one another but did not truly befriend each other until the previous year, when the Grindelwald teen had found herself experiencing what was 'another normal year' for the Golden Trio.
It was nice to know that Harry and Hermione did not care for her last name, that they trusted her with some of the secrets they kept from all others. Regardless of that, Alexandra tended to gravitate a lot more towards her own group, having just begun to spend a lot more time with Harry ever since the beginning of the tournament.
However, Alexandra still found it odd for Hermione to seek her out, for she was known to spend the majority of her time with Harry and Ron, lacking the kind of female friendship the Grindelwald teen shared with Freya Solarin.
What Alexandra did not know was the Hermione had often wished to approach the white-haired witch, backing up at the very last minute, fearing that she wouldn't have been wholeheartedly welcomed by the girl. She was well aware her fears were somewhat irrational, but her insecurities tended to play tricks on the smart girl's mind.
'Alexandra is very guarded' was what Reed Shacklebolt ( someone she'd often seen hanging out with the girl due to his friendship with the Weasley twins ) had once told her, having noticed her glancing at the ( then blonde ) witch. Alexandra had just spared an amused smile for one of her best friends, only for her infamous emotionless expression to reappear straight after. Hermione couldn't blame her, having been the victim of bullying herself. It baffled her how Alexandra mostly managed not to let other people's comments about her and her grandfather crack her composure. And, while most people found her stony expression intimidating and scary, Hermione understood that Alexandra must have started to build walls around herself from a very early age.
Hermione's recent spat with Ron Weasley, however, had temporarily silenced the girl's insecurities. The curly-haired witch had found herself wishing she could talk to a female friend about what had happened, and the first name that had popped in her mind just so happened to be Alexandra's.
Having taken a seat before the Grindelwald teen, Hermione opened one of her textbooks, her eyes meeting her fellow white-haired witch. She hesitated to speak, momentarily unable to conjure a viable topic to start the conversation. "What was George doing in the library?" She finally queried.
"He asked me to the Yule Ball, and I said 'yes'," Alex shrugged.
"Are you sure George is the twin who asked you to the ball?" Hermione quirked a brow. She wasn't blind – anyone who'd spent time around Alexandra and Fred was aware that the two had feelings for one another, and had probably fallen in love without even realising.
Alexandra scoffed playfully, rolling her eyes for what felt like the thousandth time that day. "Of course. I could tell those two apart with my eyes closed."
"Wrong twin." Her observant companion muttered while climbing down her arm and sitting in between the two witches on the smooth wooden table.
"What is it with all of you today?" Alexandra exhaled as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Anyway, why are you in the library?"
"I am always in the library," Hermione replied quickly, only for Alexandra to quirk her brows in a challenging manner. It wasn't unheard of Hermione spending time in the very room they were currently sitting in. Still, having been informed by Harry of all their 'adventures', Alexandra was all too aware that Hermione's presence in the library wasn't as frequent as she'd just claimed. "Okay, most of the time." Hermione sighed.
"I mean – what brings you here, sitting with me without Doom and Ron."
Hermione pressed her lips together. "Don't mention his name."
"That bad, yeah?"
"That's a way of putting it." Hermione simply answered.
"That's it. I know what you need – you need some girls' time." Alexandra announced while pointing at Hermione. "Tomorrow – me, you, and Freya, butterbeers and a good boys-free time."
A smile tugged at Hermione's lips. "I'd like that."
The two witches spent the rest of the afternoon studying and chatting, strengthening an unlikely friendship in a chaotic world.
However, the witches weren't the two with the brightest smiles that day, for George and Angelina were currently cheering in the kitchens.
George Weasley's plan had been put in motion, and none of them could have ever imagined the outcome.
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Alexandra had never seen the Three Broomsticks as packed as that day. Elders, adults and students alike filled every corner of the establishment, their chatter and laughter forcing smaller groups out and to the Hog's Head.
The three witches had somehow managed to find an empty table at the end of the pub, and Freya had wasted no time ordering three butterbeers, glaring at Alexandra the moment she'd offered to pay.
"A toast!" Freya spoke up as she raised her butterbeer. "To our new-found member of 'The Witches' Club'!"
Alexandra immediately clinked her glass with her best friend's, eyeing a slightly hesitant Hermione, who eventually joined in their small celebration.
"What's 'The Witches' Club?'" Hermione queried with interest, setting her glass down while the other two witches drank a sip of the delicious drink.
A grin pulled at Alexandra's lips. "It's a club Freya, and I founded during our first year – only girls are allowed, only close friends are invited." She explained, noticing how Hermione's lips tugged upwards at the mention of the words' close friends'. "Ginny and Angelina have joined last year, which makes you our new addition."
"Whatever we say to each other has to remain a secret, and new members have to be approved by the most difficult of us all." Freya pointed at Alexandra, who playfully kicked her under the table. "Ouch, come on! You're by far the most difficult of us all – you barely trust anybody."
Raising both hands in the air, the white-haired witch defended herself. "I am just selective when it comes to friendships, but at least I was born with a filter."
"Oi!" Freya exclaimed, although she did not bother denying what her best-friend had just said, for she knew she was right. "Anyway, what has Ron done now to get your knickers in a knot?" Suddenly, all the attention was on Hermione, who sighed annoyedly.
Ever since she'd first met Freya, Alexandra had found herself growing more familiar with muggle sayings – this, however, did not mean that she'd stopped finding some of them rather confusing. The teen scrunched her brows. Why would someone's knickers be in a twist? A wand made far more sense to the white-haired witch.
Groaning, Hermione laid both arms on the sticky wooden surface of the table. "He asked me to the ball as a backup, thought I'd be desperate for a date, and it'd be sad for me to go alone to the Yule Ball." She scoffed. "He said it as if he was doing me a favour! Just because the guy I wished had asked me didn't, so I said yes to someone else, doesn't mean –"
"Hold on." Both Alexandra and Freya cut her off, a smirk on their lips.
"First of all, Ron can be a nitwit at times, and secondly, doesn't always think before he speaks... you'd be surprised at how many times he got on my nerves when we were younger, even if I absolutely adore him." Alexandra motioned for Freya to continue, for she knew her best friend shared her curiosity.
"But, most importantly." Freya raised her brow, her smirk growing. "Who's the guy you fancy, and who's the lad you're going to the ball with?"
In a vain attempt to hide her reddened cheeks, Hermione lowered her head. "Swear it won't leave this table." She said hesitantly.
"Promise."
"Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye." Alexandra vowed.
Hermione turned around as if to check that the interested parties were nowhere in sight, before finally facing the two best friends who were now leaning forward, waiting for her confession. "I am going with Viktor Krum –"
"The muscled dweeb?" Freya gasped, only for Alexandra to flick her forehead. "Ouch!"
"Let her finish – even if he's lucky Hermione is even giving him the time of day." It was no secret that ( having been followed by some of them in the past few days ) Alexandra hadn't exactly warmed to their Hungarian guests.
Now scarlet as Dumbledore's phoenix, the brunette of the group lowered her voice, her words barely reaching her friends' ears. "But, Blaise is the guy I fancy." She finally admitted.
After a beat of silence, Freya let out an audible gasp. "Shut your gob!"
"Freya!" Alexandra chided, forcing her best friend to sit back down and directing one of her infamous stony glares at all those who'd turned towards the trio. Some people shrank, others shifted in an attempt to put as much distance in between themselves and the Grindelwald girl, while a few scurried away in a heap.
An elderly wizard walked right beside their table on his way out, his hand clasping who must have been his son. "I swear on Merlin's grave, that look ... I could never forget it, just like her grandfather." He said loud enough for the girls to hear, his tone laced in fear.
Noticing Alexandra's closed fists, the two curly-haired witches both placed a hand on the girl's wrists in an attempt to soothe her nerves.
However, her friends couldn't even begin to fathom the reason why Alexandra had found herself clenching her fists, nails digging into her palms.
Half the anger did not belong to her.
"All okay. All okay." Oaksett, who'd remained silent thus far, cooed. All Freya and Hermione heard were clicking noises coming from the little bowtruckle on their friend's shoulder. Alexandra slowly exhaled from her nose, her fists opening and fingers caressing Oaksett's leaves as she smiled warmly at her companion.
"Blaise, uh?" Alexandra finally spoke, a knowing grin tugging at her lips. Making sure Hermione didn't see her, the white-haired witch quickly glanced at Freya, shaking her head ever so slightly to make sure she didn't utter a word about Blaise's crush on Hermione.
"At least we've all got dates." Freya hummed. "Lee has finally asked me out," She said, dramatically fanning herself. "Alexandra is going with Georgy, and you – well, let's just hope Krum doesn't butcher your name one too many times."
It hadn't been hard for the dark-skinned girl to pretend to be gobsmacked when Alexandra had told her who her date to the Yule Ball was. Having made the very same bet as George, the wizard had taken both Blaise and Freya aside to inform them of his plan as soon as Alexandra had agreed to be his date. Once Angelina had joined them and confirmed that the second half of the plan had gone smoothly, the four partners in crime had decided that their next step would have been to force the two oblivious teens to share a dance with one another. The Yule Ball had gone from being a celebratory event to a carefully crafted plan to help Fred and Alexandra realise how they felt about one another.
Hermione couldn't help it, for as Freya and Alexandra doubled over in laughter, she soon found herself doing the same. It was a nice change of pace, hanging out with girls her own age and being welcomed as one of their new close friends with open arms. Hermione Granger was happy, and suddenly all the resentment she harboured towards Ron Weasley disappeared into nothingness.
However, the small bubble the trio had found themselves in was soon pierced by an annoying high-pitched voice they knew all too well.
"Well, well, well, when I thought she couldn't stoop any lower." Pansy Parkinson snickered, her judgemental tone causing Freya to narrow her eyes at the girl. "Hanging out with the likes of these two..." The Slytherin girl continued, gesturing towards the two curly-haired girls sitting beside one another. "Pathetic."
Freya tilted her head to the side, eyes narrowed as she stared at Pansy. "Got a problem, Parkinson?"
Violet Gamp scoffed bitterly. "We weren't talking to you, so shut up, you filthy mudblood."
Hermione froze, the disgusting insult bringing back many memories she wished she could simply forget. At the same time, Freya went to open her mouth, only to falter when she noticed her best friend calmly setting her empty mug on the table. Hermione and Freya glanced at one another, both aware that the two Slytherin girls had managed to ignite a wave of flaming anger in their friend.
No one seemed to be paying attention to what was happening, the tables around them having previously been vacated by scared customers. Unbeknown to any of the girls, one wizard sat nearby, both eyes ( good and magical one ) focused on the white-haired witch.
Alexandra stood up in a very composed manner, her feet moving towards the two Slytherin girls until she came to a halt right before them. Her face was impassive as she stared at both witches, locking eyes with one before doing the same with the other.
Tone lacking any emotion whatsoever, Alexandra proceeded to address both Pansy and Violet. "You know, if I cared, I would actually feel sorry for you two. Looking for validation and attention by behaving and acting like someone you're not. I see right through you. You pretend to be tough, acting out, and running your mouth hoping for a reaction, while in reality, all you are is cowardly, spoiled, and ignorant." Alexandra's lips tugged in a humourless smile, a dead look in her eyes as she continued. "You have a problem with me? Then face me, but don't use that word on anyone ever again."
A cold shiver ran down both witches' backs, Alexandra's empty and cold stare reminding Violet of the only time she'd ever seen her terrifying father truly afraid. It had happened when they'd first disembarked the Hogwarts Express after their first year, and Caius Gamp had mocked the clothes sported by the Weasley family. Alexandra Grindelwald must have heard him, for she'd immediately turned around, her dead white and blue eyes locking with her father's brown ones. No one had seen Caius' shoulders stiffen, breath caught in his throat, but Violet. Back then, she'd wondered how a twelve-year-old could have frightened a grown man, but now she finally understood.
"You chalky-white-skinned, white-haired, mismatched eyes, freak." Pansy Parkinson spat.
Alexandra had already turned when Pansy brandished her wand, but her hopes of catching the Grindelwald girl off-guard were quickly squashed when the white-haired witch twirled around, her own black and golden wand pointed at her.
Once again, Alexandra felt her heightened anger bubble within her, like scorching hot lava bubbling within a volcano.
"Do you know what happened to the snake that tried to attack the eagle, Pansy?" Alexandra queried, her tone flat and intimidating as she tilted her head. "Nothing good whatsoever."
It was one thing to target her, but her friends? Alexandra's protective and loyal side was far too strong to let that go. Alexandra's words were a clear warning, one that, a few years from now, Pansy Parkinson would have wished she hadn't forgotten.
Pansy lowered her wand and grabbed Violet's cloak, forcing the latter to follow her quick steps that led them outside the pub.
"Where are we now, Alexandra twenty and annoying-duo zero?" Freya laughed, patting her best friend's shoulder. "Come on, Hermione and I still need a dress for the ball, and I am not gonna let those two banshees ruin our afternoon."
Alexandra slowly opened the close fist she'd hid in her pocket, well aware she would have had to tend to the cuts once they got back to the castle.
Hermione had gotten used to Alexandra cold and guarded nature, even if she'd never found herself on the receiving end of her stares. The brunette knew the white-haired witch thought herself to be tainted, yet she couldn't help but disagree with her, just like the rest of her friends. Alexandra was far from evil ( and Hermione Granger was never wrong in regard to important matters such as this one. ).
Hermione's lips tugged upwards, and the trio walked towards the exit of the establishment. Now, more than ever, the curly-haired brunette felt lucky to have a friend like Alexandra Grindelwald in her life.
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AUTHOR'S NOTE
YES – i am in a big harry potter mood, so expect frequent updates
on this story.
george weasley is the captain of this ship, period.
how do you feel about his plan?
who was the one observing alexandra at the three broomsticks?
and why was that person observing her? any theories?
while this might have felt like a filler chapter, trust me, it wasn't.
everything in here happens for a reason ( and some things you will have
to wait till DH pt2 to find out ).
till next time!