"Goodbye, kid," Mike told Alexandra as daylight had forsaken the sky and they had finally arrived at King's Cross station at nighttime. "You sure you didn't want to spend Christmas with us this year too?"
"Yeah, I'm sure." Alexandra nodded, forcing a half-smile at him. "Last year I was furious at the lie my grandfather had been telling me about my parents. I know I'm no closer to the truth now than before, but... I have to go back home. But I guess I'll be free to leave in a few months, when I'm finally of age."
"All right. But just know that you can always count on me if you wanted anything," Mike said, goofily. "Mum can never get enough of baking Christmas cookies, so we'll have some extra for you any time you come over."
Alexandra chuckled, going forward to bring him into a hug. "Thank you, Mike. You're the best friend anyone could ever ask for."
"Yeah, duh." He scoffed mockingly after she pulled away, making Alexandra roll her eyes at him playfully.
"Merry Christmas, Mike," she said, getting a hold on her trolley. "And be careful, will you? It's not too safe out there."
"I will be." He nodded half-heartedly. "Merry Christmas, Alex."
So with that, Alexandra waved him goodbye and pushed her trolley through the wall, appearing at the Muggle side of King's Cross station, where Edna was awaiting her. She was thoroughly glad that her grandfather hadn't made an appearance.
Once Alexandra got back home to her grandfather's mansion, she took a quick shower and when she went back downstairs, she saw that Edna had made her fresh pumpkin pie, just like she always did through Christmas breaks.
Although she had to wait to eat the pie until after dinner. So sighing to herself, Alexandra went and sat behind the table in the dining room, waiting for her grandfather to come downstairs.
The moment the clock stroke nine o'clock, Alexandra heard footsteps coming from up the stairs, and seconds later Marcellus Starling appeared inside the dining room, wearing his black robes with his cane in his hand as always.
"Good evening, Grandpa," said Alexandra, and her grandfather nodded at her curtly.
It was when he had sat down beside her on his usual seat that she saw him more closely, realizing that he looked paler than she had ever seen him before. But Alexandra decided to remain quiet and not say anything to him on the matter.
"I asked Edna to buy you a new gown for the Malfoy's Christmas Ball," said Mr. Starling as he was chopping the food on his plate. "The Ball will be bigger than all the previous years. Abraxas Malfoy is outdoing himself this year, apparently."
"How come?" Alexandra questioned, just for the sake of making a conversation. Otherwise she had no interest in the matter.
"Because it's also going to be a celebration for his son, Lucius. He has recently married Narcissa Black."
Alexandra nearly choked on her food at those words. But she tried to quickly regain herself and then cleared her throat, taking a sip from her water.
"And... um... would the bride's family make an appearance at the Ball as well?" Alexandra tried to ask casually, her heartbeat picking up.
"Yes, I suppose so," said Mr. Starling coldly.
Alexandra spoke of nothing else during dinner, for her mind had wandered far away as she smiled to herself. She was going to see Regulus at the Malfoys' Christmas Ball this year.
***
The next few days commenced as before. It was too cold to go outside and read like Alexandra had done all summer, so she would stay inside and sit beside her window, watching the snow fall from the sky wondrously.
She also had to spend the majority of the day doing the homework that the teachers had set them for Christmas break, including many essays that they had to write.
But every minute of every day, Alexandra found herself distracted from what she was doing as she thought of the Malfoys' upcoming Christmas Ball and the idea of seeing Regulus there.
Although she really hoped that his mother wouldn't show up there. Because even though Alexandra had only met Walburga Black once, the woman's judging and cold gaze still haunted her.
Usually these Balls were rather dull, filled with important people at the Ministry with high posts or witches and wizards coming from a pureblood family, drinking and speaking of politics all night. But this time Alexandra had something to look forward to.
As the Christmas eve night proceeded, Edna knocked on Alexandra's door and walked inside, carrying a small box.
"Here's your dress, Miss Starling," she said kindly, placing the box on her bed.
"Thank you, Mamma," Alexandra said with a smile, but then she bit her lip, thinking to herself. "I-I was wondering... do you think you can make my hair for tonight?"
"Oh, of course, my darling girl!" Edna sighed happily, touched at the request. "I sense a rare little excitement in your eyes tonight... is there a particular reason?"
"M-maybe..." Alexandra chuckled nervously, her cheeks turning slightly pink.
Edna smiled at her, but then she suddenly clapped her hands together in excitement as she remembered something.
"Ooh, I have the most brilliant idea!" Edna exclaimed, and without waiting to explain to Alexandra what it was, she quickly left the room wordlessly.
Alexandra frowned in confusion. She then went and looked inside the box, where her dress lay. It was cream colored and rather plain, just like how she always dressed up for such gatherings. She would always either braid her hair or let it fall carelessly down her shoulders, never caring how she looked like.
But Alexandra wanted to make a difference in appearance this year and Edna had the perfect idea in mind.
A few minutes later, Edna showed up at the door with a big smile spread across her face as she was carrying a wooden and old-looking chest in her hands.
It looked rather heavy, so Alexandra rushed forward, helping Edna bring the chest inside the room and place it down on the floor with a loud thud.
"What is this, Edna?" Alexandra asked, gazing down at the old and dusty chest curiously.
"Miss Starling, you already know that I had never met your parents or other grandparents, and had only lived and served your grandfather, and he had always been alone," she said and Alexandra nodded. "Well... your grandfather gave me this chest years ago, after your parents... passed away. He said that this belonged to your grandmother; your father's mother."
Alexandra's heart leapt at those words. She had never possessed anything that used to belong to a family member. Although she couldn't even remember her grandmother. Weirdly enough, her grandfather had never mentioned his wife and didn't even have photographs of her around the house.
"This had been passed down through generations," Edna went on, "and I was supposed to wait until you were seventeen to give it to you... but perhaps you have waited long enough."
So with that, Alexandra waited with her heart beating rapidity as Edna opened the old wooden chest and took the heirloom out of it.