By Essence of Circe

Enjoy

Famous By Association

At first glance you would think her a Greek goddess, she knew she was beautiful and she despised it. Peering at her reflection, she scowled at the haughty, formidable stance and face that stared back at her. She stood before the elegant floor length mirror, mechanically smoothing out the wrinkles of her pale lavender dress. The dress's light and flowing fabrics fell away from her hips and were draped gracefully from shoulder to shoulder. The dress was, as her mother would say, "completely innocent with just a touch of immodesty, perfect for a girl her age."

She rolled her eyes as she thought of her mother. A gentle knock sounded at the door as she lifted a frustrated hand to push several curls behind the golden circlets that sat upon her head. Ignoring the latest visitor, she walked to her dresser and pulled out a long golden chain with a single rectangle-shaped charm. Fastening it around her small neck, she examined the effect it had on her appearance.

Feeling she could not ignore her any longer, she turned from the mirror to face her mother. Her mother's name was Rana Elemere Callista Wood; it was a big name for a very important lady. In her youth, Rana was the most famous witch model in the wizarding world. She was photographed thousands of times and appeared on multiple occasions in every well-known magical newspaper and magazine. She was made even more famous by her ambitious attempt to become what muggles would call a "supermodel."

She was a force to be reckoned with and could barrel over all those who would dare stand in her way. In her later years, Mrs. Wood became bored with modelling and set off in a direction that (if it were possible) made her even more famous. She was now the editor and chief of the very popular "Witch Weekly." Both beautiful and intelligent, the then Ms. Callista, would one day catch the eye of the very popular Quidditch player Oliver Wood. Rana and Oliver would marry three years after the war and undoubtedly add to each others' fame.

Standing in the lavender dress was Alexandra Callista Wood and she was born "famous by association." Inheriting all of her mother's good looks, her father's Quidditch skills, and their combined intelligence and dedication, it was hard not to admire the sheer perfection of her genetic makeup. If the wizarding world had Kings and Queens, she would undoubtedly be royalty. She would not be a princess, no, that would be a Weasley or a Potter, but she would at least be a duchess or a countess. She would be invited to all the balls and would sit along the high table with all her fellow royals. Alexandra hated her position and she hated her title and had always felt that she had been defined by her surname, not by what she did with her life.

Her scowl pronounced even more as she turned to face her mother who had long since entered the room.

"I don't know why you are so unhappy, do you know how many people are dying to go to this party?" responded Mrs. Wood without even saying hello.

"There is no need for them to die, one of them can just have my invitation." responded Alexandra coolly.

"Why are you wearing that ghastly necklace?" said Mrs. Wood changing the subject quickly.

"We went over this the last time mother, Dad bought it for my eleventh birthday, and it means a lot to me."

An argument was about to break out when a slight knock sounded on the bedroom door and Mr. Wood entered cautiously.

"Not fighting are we ladies?" said Wood as his wife swooped down and immediately began to straighten and fix his tie.

"Not at all dear, just having friendly conversation." said Mrs. Wood with a falsely cheery voice.

Just then, the bedroom door flew wide open to reveal the fourth and final member of the Wood family. Alexandra's older brother Ace strode uninvited into the room holding four very thick pieces of parchment.

"Oi, we better get ready, it is almost our turn."

With this announcement, each member took an invitation that had their name written upon it. Each invite was an individual portkey and would take them directly to the exclusive party. Seconds before they were about to depart, Mrs. Wood looked up and hurriedly said, "Now remember we will be appearing in a tent just outside the red carpet. One by one we will walk down the carpet and into the entrance hall. Alexandra, please remember to smile, every reporter this side of the Alps will be there. It is a party thrown by the Potters and Mr. Potter is a very good friend of your father's."

Rolling her eyes, Alexandra fixed her grip on the invitation, even after all these years of traveling to parties in this manner she still hated it. Her brother began to count down, "5…4…3…"

Just as he had finished saying three, an odd tingling sensation overcame her that had nothing to do with the portkey. As the world began to spin and blur and that all too familiar jerk came from behind her navel, Alexandra let out an earth shattering sneeze. As the world righted itself for the other three family members, Alexandra's continued to spin. Unable to regain balance, she fell unhindered through the tent entrance. She landed rather ungracefully onto the red carpet. Alexandra felt her dress fly up around her face.

Instantly, flashbulbs and shouting exploded from the laughing reporters. Blushing furiously, Alexandra realized that the next morning's press would definitely have a full page picture of her knickers. The press had hounded Alexandra since she had become a teenager. Each reporter thinking it was their sole responsibility to uncover every detail of her "famous" life, which is why she hated parties and going out in general, because no matter how crappy of a day she was having, there was always a reporter there to make it worse.

Alexandra felt a firm hand grip her elbow and drag her upright. Unsurprised, she looked up to see her mother smiling toothily beside her. The grip on her elbow increased and, following her mother's lead, Alexandra smiled falsely as she continued her path down the wretched red carpet. How much dignity do you really have after you flash a crowd of middle-age reporters? Well, I guess that depends on the person who did the flashing. Scraping up the little dignity that still lay on the floor, Alexandra walked up the stairs and into the Potters' mansion.

The Wood family was immediately greeted by the Potters'. Harry, Ginny, Lily, and Albus walked over, with the ominous exception of James, who seemed to be off doing more important things. Slightly relieved, she couldn't help but feel that she had dodged a bullet by his absence. James Potter was (in a very easily distracted sense) infatuated with Alexandra. She had never returned his feelings, barely giving him the time of day and Alexandra dreaded the day he made a serious attempt to woo her. As far as she was concerned, James Potter was nothing more than a spotlight-loving git.

Smiling genuinely for the first time in hours, Alexandra shook the Potters' hands and thanked them for the generous invitation. In the next hour, Alexandra shook more hands and spoke more politics and Quidditch tactics than she was pleased to admit. In no time at all, a small dinging bell announced that dinner was being served. Alexandra sat down as her father pulled out her chair. Looking up for the first time, she realized that James was sitting directly in front of her with a mischievous grin painted over his handsome face. Rolling her eyes, Alexandra busied herself with her dinner and ignored James's many attempts to catch her eye.

The pair had made it successfully through all five courses before a slight disagreement threatened to overcome them. Alexandra was gently lifting a spoonful of crème brulée to her mouth. James watched, not at all abashed to show every ounce of his desire. Almost absentmindedly, he stretched out his foot to touch her ankle and began to run it along the inside of her leg. However, somewhere between her knee and her thigh something went terribly wrong. In a sheer moment of excitement, he barely noticed the extreme amount of force that had caused his chair to skid dangerously backwards. As his chair flipped and James toppled out stunned and confused, Alexandra quickly stuffed her wand back into her dress.

Every head in the hall turned first to James, who was unsteadily beginning to stand up, and then to Alexandra, who with great effort, remained sitting with an innocent face. After a few more seconds of awkward silence, the hall returned to the murmur of individual conversations. James had replaced his chair in its proper spot and sat down upon it once more. Looking up, he saw Alexandra's eyebrows raise slightly as if to say, don't ever do that again. He had a bruised ego, but even public embarrassment wasn't enough to prevent James Potter from getting what he wanted.

The rest of the dinner went on with little to no disruptions. Alexandra sat determinedly staring at her unfinished dessert. After a while, the meal broke apart and the guests began to mingle once more. Bored, Alexandra merely followed her mother and tuned out the conversations that she observed. Coming out of a slight daze, she realized that her parents were talking animatedly to Mr. Potter and James. They were undoubtedly talking about Quidditch. Rolling her eyes, Alexandra was about to tune out once more when she heard the fateful words depart from her father's lips.

"So I heard a rumor that you just signed a contract with Ireland to coach for the next season?" asked Harry.

"I knew it wouldn't stay secret for long, but yeah, I will be coaching for Ireland." said Wood.

"That is totally awesome, Mr. Wood! Is it okay if I go to a practice with you? Those guys are amazing!"

Alexandra's mind came crashing back down to earth, how on earth could I not know about this? Turning quickly to face her mother, she crossed her arms and stood looking for an explanation. Her mother sensed the danger ahead and said from the corner of her mouth, "Not now Alexandra, we will have time to talk later!"

Horrorstruck, Alexandra walked, nearly stomped, away. Heading for the terrace, she allowed the warm summer air to brush her skin. In the pale moonlight, she reflected on the news that she had received. Her father was never home back in the days when he had still played Quidditch. They would go days without seeing him and this was no laughing matter when you had a mother who was insistent on running your life. So many times she had gone forgotten as her mother ran a magazine and her brother led the life of a teenager. It had been painful and she had been delighted when her father had retired from his career as a keeper.

Her life had taken a turn for the better since her father had come home. Curling her hand into a fist, Alexandra was mad at herself for believing that it could have lasted. Turning on her heels, she walked from the terrace and back into the party. She was walking down a narrow hall with many doors leading off of it. As she ventured around a corner to find the bathroom, a door to her left suddenly flew open and a hand grabbed her wrist. Before she had even realized what was happening, Alexandra was pulled haphazardly into an empty room. Slamming into a wall, her momentum finally slowed enough to regain her balance and stand upright.

James stood before Alexandra with a self-satisfied look upon his face topped by that irritatingly messy head of hair. Alexandra stood with her arms folded and, if looks could kill, James would have been long since dead. Sensing her anger, he grinned nervously and messed with his untidy hair. Annoyed and angry, she pulled out her wand and twirled it threateningly in her hands. She may have been a home-schooled heiress, but she had been trained by some of the best duelers the wizarding world had ever seen.

"Whoa, whoa, now Wood take it easy, it was just a joke." stammered James taking a step back.

"Real witty. Now can I please leave?"

"No, I think we should talk. You know get to know each other better."

"Can I pass?"

"Not unless you want to fight."

"Fine. With wands or without?"

Slightly in awe of her audacity, James replied, "Without."

James was slightly less willing to hit a girl, while Alexandra was all too happy to take her anger out on a guy who had tortured her for well over a decade. With her shoulders squared, the battle began. In ten minutes flat, she was straddling James who was sporting a swollen eye. While Alexandra thought that she had won the battle, James couldn't help but feel that he had won the lottery. With the exception of the black eye he was now sporting, everything had pretty much gone as planned. Not being aware of the half a dozen reporters that began to snap pictures like mad through the slightly open bedroom curtains, James looked up into her angry eyes and smiled pompously. Alexandra's golden necklace hung from her neck and dangled inches from his face. He reached up to get a better look at it but his hand was swatted away by the annoyed girl who still sat upon him.

"Wood, for someone who hates me so much, you do seem to like sitting on me."

"Stuff it Potter, you would be lucky to get a girl half as good as me!"

"Ooo, that hurts Wood, come on we both know that you can't resist me."

"But I wouldn't want to steal you from all your adoring fans!"

"Don't worry about them, they'll get over it."

"The day I kiss you Potter is the day my mother stops being a total control freak."

"I guess that means never then."

Chuckling slightly, Alexandra responded, "Never in a million years."

Standing up, Alexandra turned and walked from the room, not stopped by James or the reporters still staring hungrily through the window.
When she returned to the party, she was all too happy to find that her parents were ready to leave. Bidding goodbye to their hosts, the Wood family arrived back into the living room via a portkey. Mrs. Wood had prepared herself for her teenage daughter's raging anger, but was slightly taken aback as Alexandra turned and left the room quickly. Her daughter wasn't one to raise her voice often, but when it came to her father's retirement she knew her daughter only to be very outspoken. Still concerned, she left for bed hoping that Alexandra would be ready to discuss it all the following morning.

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