Hey! Thanks for all the great reviews…I'm so happy you all liked that chapter…anyway in reply the question one of you guys asked me I don't know how long I'll be writing this story for, I guess I'll know when it's time for the end but at the moment I'm just having fun writing it…enjoy!
Neither Alex nor Riley returned to their common room or was seen by any of their friends until late Sunday after noon. Of course, since each were both in the same clothes from the previous day, rumours began where they had spent the night together, to (the more outrageous ones) where they had found the infamous three-headed dog fluffy inside the castle.
They of course ignored most of the other students, choosing to talk briefly with each other before they each disappeared into their separate dorms. Nicole Weasley who had been watching the two since they entered was the only one he saw the small amount of fear enter her American friends eye, it was a look that she had never seen in the girl.
"Alex?" she asked as she entered the girl's dorm room, Jess and Natalie were talking loudly across the room, but Nicole was still able to hear the soft reply.
"Yeah?" Alex said, coming out from the bathroom.
"Do, you ….ah want to talk?" She asked her quietly, so that the two other girls did not hear her.
"About what?" Alex asked her back, knowing that she sounded fake.
"Um…anything," Nicole replied quickly, noticing that the two others were starting to listen; she pulled Alex back into the bathroom.
Alex was looking in the mirror at the basin as Nicole pulled the door shut.
She turned to look at her friend.
"So, Nikki, what is this important thing you want to talk about?" Alex pretended, giving her an innocent face.
"Look, Alex, I know I haven't exactly had a lot of close friends. At least close girlfriends, but I can tell when something is up, so I don't care if you don't want to talk about because whether you like it or not I'm not going to let you leave the bathroom until you tell me what's going on." Nicole said, stepping back in front of the door.
Alex looked down at her hands, and Nicole felt a sudden pang of guilt for forcing her to tell her.
"I c-can't tell you," Alex whispered.
"Why not?" Nicole asked gently, stepping toward the girl.
"I just can't alright," Alex, replied, her voice growing louder, it's nobody's business except my own." She tried to side step the red head to get to the door.
"Alex," she said stepping g in front of her," If it's nobody else's business then why does Riley know? Don't tell me he doesn't because I can tell he does." She said firmly.
Alex shook her head, "I can't tell anyone…"
Nicole frowned at the girl, 'H-He didn't hurt you did he?"
'Who?" Alex asked, frowning back at the girl.
'Riley." Nicole said, "He didn't hurt you did he, because if he did you need to tell someone."
"Nicole," Alex basically shouted, "He's your cousin, do you think he hurt me?"
Nicole simply shrugged, "Some people are never what you expect." She stated and Alex realised she was serious.
"No, Nicole, Riley did not hurt me. he protected me, from what I can't tell you, so will you please let me leave?" Alex said firmly, before stepping around the red head and entering the dorm room.
(MONDAY)
Blaise entered the great hall a few steps behind Hermione he gazed in awe as he watched her move towards the staff table and sit down. He too sat, but continued to watch the woman he was glad to have back in his life.
Hermione looked up from her coffee and smiled at Blaise, who in return blushed slightly at being caught staring like a school boy.
FLASHBACK"What?" Hermione yelled crossly as she entered the living room in Grimmuld place.
The portrait of Sirius's mother had yelled abusive words at her and while Hermione now should have been used to it, she found herself taking it out on the dark haired boy, who she saw first.
"Nothing." Blaise said simply, turning to leave.
"How do we even know if you're with the order, for all we know you could be some filthy Deatheater that's using us," She spat at him, not meaning any word she said.
Blaise turned back around and Hermione saw that both sadness and anger filled his indigo eyes.
"Believe what you want, but I know what I believe and Dumbledore knows what I believe," He said simply, taking a step toward the girl as if daring for her to say something else.
"Well I don't believe you." She said simply, daring the boy back, "you're a slytherin why the hell would you want to help us."
She knew that what she was saying wasn't true, but she couldn't help it.
"Hermione," He said taking another step forward, forcing her back into a wall, "You know nothing about me, nothing about my life, nothing about my family. Don't pretend that you know who I am simply because I am part of the slytherin house."
Hermione pushed him back and quickly stepped out of the room into back into the entrance hall where Sirius's Mother started screaming at her again. She took a deep breath, before watching as Blaise staled past her out of the family room and up the stairs into the room Dumbledore had given him.
"Blaise, Wait," She said and he stopped halfway up the stairs, "I'm sorry…I guess I'm just used to judging people for what they appear to be like, not for who they are."
Blaise continued to walk up the stairs, leaving Hermione standing with the screaming portrait.
END OF FLASHBACK.
"Wait, what?" Blaise asked, listening to the end of the conversation he was supposedly having with Hermione.
"I was just saying that on Thursday we need to go into Hogsmeade to pick up the portkey's and stuff from Fred and Georges," She smiled, "but since you're not all that interested I'll just get Ginny to come with me."
"Ok, no…I mean I'll come," He quickly replied.
"Good," she said standing up, "I thought we could have some to really catch up if you know what I mean." She whispered in his ear, before walking off.
"Wait, where are you going?" Blaise said standing up.
She turned around, "To my class, I'll see you later." she said before meeting Ron at the entrance door where the two of them left together.
"So, Hermione, is there anything you want to tell me?" Ron asked as he walked her to her classroom.
"Like what Ron?" she answered.
"Hey you can't answer my question with another. You know exactly what I'm talking about." He said as they walked past some second year Ravenclaw students.
"Huh," she said stopping, hiding her smile from the redhead, "I've got not clue Ronnikins."
"I'm talking about you and Blaise," He hissed at her, blushing slightly at the use of his childhood nickname.
"Oh that." She said as she pushed open her classroom door and the both entered.
Ron watched as she sat at her desk and pulled her text books out of her bag, waiting for her to continue on.
"That's it, that's all your going to say?" He asked when she didn't reply.
Hermione looked at h im, pulling a stray hair behind her ear.
"What do you want me to say Ron?" She paused, "You and I both know I'd be lying if I said I didn't have feelings for him."
"I know," He replied, leaning against a desk in the front row, "but you're my best friend, I just don't want you to get hurt and leave again."
He went to leave as Hermione stood.
"Ron," she said and he turned back to face her, "I trust him, but even if I didn't I couldn't leave, not now that I've come back. I couldn't do that to Alex just when she's found her family.'
She hugged the man, "Besides, I couldn't leave my best friend again either," she whispered and they broke apart and Hermione watched as he exited to go to his own class and her students began to fill the classroom.
"Okay, okay everyone settle down and take out your wands," she said closing the door, turning to the students.
The next few days went by slowly for Alex. Apart from talking to Riley, she had exchanged few words with the other students and had not spoken to Nicole since their little talk in the bathroom Sunday afternoon.
Thursday morning she was in the library when Sam, Draco and Nicole entered. They immediately sat at the table she was sitting at by herself, with Sam and Draco unaware of the tension that was surrounding Alex at the time.
Sam and Draco were talking about their trip to Fascino Quas (in between smothering each other with kisses), while Nicole was watching Alex very closely. Finally when Sam and Draco moved to look for a book, Nicole spoke to her.
"Alex, I'm sorry," she said and Alex looked at her.
"I don't think I'm the one you should be saying sorry to," she said before turning back to her notes.
"Look, I know what I said, it wasn't fair, but it just came out before I could stop it. I know riley isn't like that, he's got friggin Weasley blood in him after all," She paused and took a deep breath, preparing for what she was about to say next, "you just…you looked so scared…and I just…you're the first real friend I've ever had Alex and when I saw how scared you looked I though the worst,"
"Thought the worst of what?" Riley asked as he too joined them at the table.
"Um, nothing," Nicole replied going bright red.
"No, really what?" he asked looking closely at the two girls.
"Nicole here was just telling me about a dream she had," Alex added in brightly, trying to close the subject.
"Oh really, what was it about?" He asked interested.
"Um, a giant rabbit chasing her through a jungle shooting cockroaches at her," She lied, before standing up, "but now she's going to show me her cool costume for the Halloween ball." She pulled the redhead girl out of the library with her.
Once they were out in the library, Nicole stopped and looked at Alex.
"What?" Alex asked her brightly.
"Where are we going?" She asked her quietly.
"To the Gryffindor tower." She replied
"So me and you, were ok?" Nicole asked, the sound of uncertainty in her voice.
Alex nodded, "I can't really blame you for saying what you did, I mean I can't tell you what's going since I'm not really sure myself, but if I was in your position I guess I would have thought the worst too."
Nicole embraced her in a hug.
"So, why are we going to the tower exactly then?" she asked as they broke apart.
"To do exactly what I told your cousin, your going to show me your costume that will make all the boys ignore all the other girls in the room," she said laughing as she skipped ahead of the open mouthed red-head girl.
"Alex, you know that's not going to happen," she replied as she caught up with her and gave the fat lady the password.
"To hell it isn't," she said laughing still as she climbed through the portrait hole, "I think I already know of one guy who will love you."
Thursday evening, Blaise and Hermione were sitting in the same café that he had visited with his daughter.
They were eating in silence, but a comfortable silence, and Blaise couldn't help but keeping looking up to check that she was actually there, having dreamed of this many nights.
"Blaise," she said finally, her eyes laughing slightly, "Why do you keep looking at me, I'm not going to run away."
"Huh?" Blaise responded, "Oh I was just thinking how nice you look. Not that you don't look nice the rest of the time. Just tonight you look particularly nice, beautiful infact." He covered up.
"Oh really? Beautiful?' she asked, taking a sip from her wine, raising one eyebrow.
"Beautiful, like always," He said confidently taking her hand, as she blushed.
"Blaise! Hermione!" Fred Weasley's voice filled the air, "What a surprise!"
The two twins stood at the table.
"Dumbledore said you'd be in to get the stuff today, he never said you'd be on a date though did he George?" Fred asking teasing them.
George who was standing slightly behind his brother simply shook his head, and mouthed sorry to Hermione, who giggled and stood up.
"Well, actually we were just coming to see you guy's now," she said as Blaise said, placing some money on the table, "But if your going to be here awhile, I guess we could pick up the portkey's first," she grabbed Blaise hand, leaving the twins standing in the middle of the café.
Once outside, Hermione shivered, before puling Blaise close to her. Covering his mouth with hers she kissed him passionately, wrapping her arms around his neck, finally he responded and deepened the kiss, wrapping his own arms around her waist, pulling her closer to his body.
"What was that for?" Blaise whispered against her cheek, as they finally broke apart.
"Well, first of all Fred is still watching us from the window," She paused kissing him softly, "secondly do I need a reason?"
He shook his head and kissed her again, "I think we should get those portkey's now, or else Fred will never get to eat," Hermione whispered to him, wrapping his arm around her waist as they headed away from the café.
Friday morning, the Gryffindor students woke with excitement, but none more than Alex, who was looking forward to seeing her best friends in a few hours.
By the end of lunch al the students were waiting patiently in the great hall. Alex who was sitting with Sam and Nicole.
"Are you sure you don't want to get changed?" she asked them for the tenth time, "I mean New York is cold, but not as cold as here." She finished looking at the two girls.
Both were wearing jeans, with thick jumpers, scarves and, while Alex herself simply had on jeans a pink tee-shirt and a red-knee length coat with a thin black scarf.
"Besides," She said pointedly, "Were not even going to be outside today, they're probably going to port key us into their hall or somewhere like that."
"Alex, were fine," Sam, replied, while Nicole rolled her eyes back.
Finally Hermione and Harry entered the great hall, with Blaise and Jessica following closely behind, each were carrying what appeared to be the portkey's the students were travelling by.
The students stopped talking ass Blaise began to address them.
"Okay, I'm glad to see that everyone is here." He paused, "as you know we will be travelling by portkey's, you will be divided into your year levels, then again into two groups. Professor Granger and myself will activate our portkey's first, taking the first years. The second years will then follow, and so on until only the seventh years are left, where Professor Potter and Professor Weasley will accompany them."
Alex groaned slightly at the thought of travelling by portkey.
"What's wrong?" riley asked her as they began to get in to their year levels.
"Nothing, I just don't like using portkey's," she stated as her 'aunt' jess began to give out the portkey's.
Only minutes later, Alex and the rest of her year level were forming two groups, each group had their own portkey and as she place her finger on the old boot she felt the familiar tug at the navel. Seconds later she was on the floor, actually she was on top of some one who was on the floor.
"Hey,' riley said, as Alex helped him up, "You okay?"
She nodded, blushing slightly, "Sorry about that."
"No problem." He replied.
"Welcome to Fascino Quas," A short blonde woman called out to them.
A/N: ok there's the chapter. Hopefully I'll have more very soon…review!
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