Throughout the rest of Christmas break, Alexandra and Regulus went to the library every day to study for their upcoming N.E.W.Ts, and at meal times they would join each other at either the Ravenclaw table or the Slytherin's because not too many people were present at the Great Hall.
The castle was as magnificent ever and perhaps even more than ever with the snow covering the grounds like a beautiful white dress, and it's halls designed with Christmas trees and ornaments. Even the Room of Requirements that they occasionally visited had an enormous Christmas tree in the middle of it with a bright star on top of it.
But soon as the holidays came to an end and the students returned, the Christmas decorations were taken off and the seventh year students were faced with exhaustingly hard lessons and even more homework than before.
Although the whole school had the rest of the Quidditch games to look forward to every once in a while. With Gryffindors' four best players out of Hogwarts this year, it wasn't too hard to defeat them and Slytherin was in lead, which was a matter of great delight and pride to Regulus.
The Ravenclaw girls in Alexandra's dormitory didn't bother to ask her questions about her and Regulus anymore, because from the occasional pecks he left on her lips or the way they held hands on their way to classes, it left no room for questions, seeing as it was now rather obvious that the two were together.
But Alexandra and Regulus hardly ever cared what they thought of them, for they were too busy enjoying each other's company to even notice the others.
One of their most enjoyable times together was definitely the Hogsmeade trips, which looked more beautiful than ever through winter as it was covered in snow, looking like a Christmas postcard.
But now that their examinations were closer to them than ever, Regulus and Alexandra found themselves more occupied with their studies than before.
Although that day, feeling tired of spending long hours at the dull library, they both decided to wear their warmest coats and go outside to the snow-covered grounds to continue their studying.
"Okay... tell me the usage of the Patronus Charm and explain what shape it takes," Regulus tested her, with his Defense Against the Dark Arts book open in his hands as they were walking alongside the frozen Black Lake.
"It's... er... to protect ourselves against Dementors," said Alexandra with uncertainty. "Although I really don't see the point of studying about its usage if we're never going to learn how to produce it at school."
"The spell's supposed to be above the N.E.W.Ts level. Not everyone can produce it at our age," Regulus reasoned. "Now let's focus on the lesson, shall we?"
"Mhmm..." Alexandra mumbled, though it was too late to try and focus because her mind had already wondered off.
"The answer to the last question was that a Patronus takes the form of an animal, individual to every witch or wizard," Regulus explained. "Now... tell me the three effects that Dementors have on witches and wizards, and explain how their effects are different on Muggles."
Alexandra was quiet for some while before saying out-of-the-blue, "What do you think your Patronus will look like? I mean, have you ever wondered about it?"
"I — no, not really, but that's not really the point of the lesson —"
"I think mine would be either a Raven or an Eagle," she said, her dreamy gaze upon the magnificent lake as they kept on walking alongside it.
"A Patronus doesn't necessarily take the shape of the animal of our Hogwarts House," Regulus tried to reason, though Alexandra had other logics for her musings.
"What do you think yours will be?" Alexandra asked thoughtfully, ignoring his previous remark.
"Er —"
"Maybe a cat? Cause you're sometimes moody," Alexandra said jokingly, giggling.
"Hey! I'm not moody!" Regulus said grumpily. "Can we go back to studying now? The exams are in less than three months." He then shook his head at her, walking forward as he read the book in his hands to himself, tryin to memorize it.
But as always, Alexandra was in no mood for studying. So with a rare mischievous glimmer in her eyes, she suddenly bent down as Regulus had his back to her, and she made a huge snowball. She then picked it up, aiming.
"Okay, what's the difference between a — AARGH!" Regulus was saying, but he suddenly yelped when the snowball hit the back of his head hardly.
"OI!" he yelled as Alexandra burst into laughter, holding her stomach. "You think that's funny!?"
"Yes — very — much!" she said between roars of laughter, tears forming in her eyes.
"Well, then you'll find this hilarious," Regulus said grudgingly as he briskly bent down to put his book on the ground and then picked up a snowball, throwing it at her quickly before she could even move.
"You git!" Alexandra gasped at the coldness, and so in a quick motion she picked another which she threw at Regulus, hitting him in the face when he was too busy laughing.
"Okay, that's it!" Regulus snapped and Alexandra yelped as they started a snowball fight, the sound of their laughter filling the Hogwarts grounds.
***
After returning back to her dormitory later that evening, Alexandra went to take a long and warm shower, hoping that she wouldn't catch a cold after spending their whole afternoon outside in the snow. Humming a song to herself, Alexandra got dressed and left the bathroom inside their dorm, combing her long raven black hair, unable to wipe the goofy smile off her face.
But she was finally snapped out of her thoughts when one of the Ravenclaw girls entered the room along with her friend, turning to face Alexandra.
"Your boyfriend's waiting for you outside the common room, Starling," she said.
"Oh?" Alexandra tried to hold herself back from smiling like a fool. "All right. I'll be ready in a minute —"
"He said he needed to see you immediately," she said, looking rather concerned. "It seemed pretty urgent."
"Yeah." Her friend nodded in agreement. "Is he always this intense?"
Alexandra ignored her. Instead, she quickly left the dormitory went down to the common room, her brows furrowed as she wondered what could it possibly be that Regulus wanted.
As quickly as she could, Alexandra walked toward the entrance and pushed the common room's door open and peered her head outside, only to see Regulus in the corridor below, pacing up and down anxiously with a letter clutched firmly in his grasp.
"Reggie?" she called out his name softly, causing him to come to an abrupt stop. "Is everything okay?"
"I — Alex — I'm so sorry..." he breathed out, watching her with an expression on his face which she had never seen before, his complexion pale. "I-I just got a letter — it's — it's from Avery."
"What's wrong?" Alexandra asked in a hollow voice, taking hesitant steps toward him.
"It's about your nursemaid," he said, gulping. "Edna."