After a minute or two, Regulus and Alexandra had to return back to the main alleyway because she didn't want Edna to return back to the robe shop and see that she was missing, and Regulus had to return back to his mother, who was buying him a new quill and other school supplies.
"So... I'll see you at school?" Regulus asked her, a faint grin playing at the edge of his lips.
"Yeah." Alexandra nodded, feeling her cheeks blush at his usual manner. "See you at school."
After returning back to their mansion, Alexandra felt more excited than ever to start her sixth year at Hogwarts. She always looked forward to going back to school each year, but this time it felt different.
Because despite all the unsolved mysteries in her life and her troublesome past with Regulus, Alexandra still wanted to be around the boy and she couldn't help how she was feeling about him.
On September first, Alexandra had gotten up early as always and when she entered the dining room, she saw that Edna had already set down the breakfast table for her.
"You better eat well, Miss Starling," said Edna as Alexandra sat down behind the table. "I never approve of the food they give you on the train. It's not healthy."
"I'll be fine, Mamma, don't worry." Alexandra chuckled before staring with her breakfast, and then smiled when Edna placed a sweet and motherly kiss on her cheek.
After she was done eating, Alexandra left the house along with Edna, so they could head to King's Cross station. Her grandfather hadn't bothered to come down to see her off, seeing as they had already said their goodbyes the previous night. Although her grandfather never really seemed like he cared much whenever she wanted to leave for Hogwarts.
Once they reached the station, Alexandra placed her trunk upon a trolley and she pushed it through with Edna walking right beside her, until they reached the barrier between platform 9 and 10.
With one last deep breath, Alexandra moved forward and ran at the wall, closing her eyes as she passed right through it. When she opened her eyes once more, she found herself in platform 9 3/4.
Alexandra was greeted with the same air of excitement as everyone rushed to say goodbye to their families before starting yet another year at Hogwarts. The owls were flying around as they hooted and the cats meowed in their baskets.
But then Alexandra's smile widened when she sighted Mike from afar. She was just about to wave, but she stopped herself from doing so, because she knew better. Mike was a Muggle-born and Edna — who was a half-elf — was bound to tell Mr. Starling about it.
Even though her grandfather already knew about her friendship with Mike after she had stayed with his family last Christmas, Alexandra still tried to keep the interaction with him it to a minimum at least when Edna or Mr. Starling were around.
"Goodbye, Mamma," Alexandra said, bending down to place a soft kiss on her cheek. "I'll see you on Christmas."
Maybe it was just her imagination, but for a moment Alexandra could swear that she saw a look of worry flash through Edna's face. But she said nothing and only nodded, waving Alexandra goodbye.
Alexandra then boarded the train a minute after Mike and finally caught up with him down the corridor.
"So how was your summer?" Alexandra asked him after they made their way through to find a free compartment all to themselves.
"Meh, same old, same old." Mike shrugged casually, though he then grinned. "I've been coming up with loads of new strategies for our team this year. The Quidditch Cup is ours this year! I can feel it!"
"Didn't you say the exact same thing last year?" Alexandra asked, suppressing a smile as Mike turned to glare at her.
"So, anyway," he said, trying to change the subject. "How did you do with your O.W.Ls?"
"Er... well, I did pretty good, unless you want to count Potions."
"Really? What did you get?"
"I — er — I kinda failed."
Mike snorted mockingly. "No surprise there."
"Hey!" Alexandra nudged him on the arm playfully, making him laugh.
"Well, it sucks to be you, but you are looking at a guy who got four Outstandings," Mike said with a smug face, arrogance slipping off his tongue.
Alexandra opened her mouth to give him a witty reply, but she came to halt when inside a compartment she saw Regulus. But he wasn't alone. Instead, he was surrounded by Avery, Mulciber, and Snape.
"Alex?" Mike called her out the next moment when he realized she had stopped walking, snapping her out of her thoughts.
So with that, Alexandra shook her head to get back to reality and then cleared her throat, following Mike away. She felt ridiculous for thinking for a second that just because her and Regulus had become friends, he would stop hanging out with those Slytherin boys who were all now Death Eaters.
***
The feast at Hogwarts which came after the sorting ceremony was as magnificent as ever. Although it was obvious to Alexandra and everybody else that the atmosphere had certainly changed. There was an air of fear even as they sat in the Great Hall.
They were safe as long as they were at Hogwarts, but the students weren't scared for themselves. It was their families that they were mostly worried about. None of them knew what awaited them outside the walls of the castle. They dreaded the day that they would learn about the death of a loved one or the news that they had gone missing.
Alexandra had nothing to fear for herself. Because the only family member she had left was her grandfather, and he was both a Death Eater and also had a high post at the Ministry, for his coverup.
But as much as she was trying to put on a happy face, Alexandra was still worried about all those red names which she had found on a list in her grandfather's office.
The list contained many names; some were written with black ink and the others were in red. The black ones were the list of the Death Eaters, but the red ones Alexandra feared that were the Dark Lord's main targets. She had recognized many names on there, including some of her peers' parents.
Although she was mostly worried about her best friend. Mike was a Muggle-born. He was safe at Hogwarts as long as Dumbledore was there, but she didn't want to think of the possibility of losing him after the school ended.
But just then, Alexandra was snapped out of her thoughts when a small note floated toward her and landed next to her plate on the Ravenclaw table. Mike was too busy enjoying his dinner to even notice it.
With a confused frown, Alexandra opened up the crumbled note and read through.
Join me for breakfast tomorrow? We can meet in the entrance hall.
R.A.B
With a smile forming on her lips, Alexandra turned her head to glance behind her shoulder and look over at the Slytherin table, until she finally spotted Regulus.
Just then, their eyes connected and Alexandra felt a spark run down her spine. So she slightly nodded her head at him in response to his note.
With that, a grin appeared upon Regulus's face and he winked at her from across the hall, before finally looking away.