Disclaimer: Still don't own anything you recognise from the books….
Hey…. thanks again to all my fantastic reviewers…. By the way I forgot to mention this in the last chapter but Riley's application form was completed and approved, I'd decided on that before I uploaded the chapter but I forgot to add it in…if I have enough time I'll go back and change it…hope you enjoy this chapter….
Blaise slowly opened his eyes the next morning, he wasn't used to waking with light coming in from the windows, into from living in the dungeons for most of the year, and even when he was at his own home he had managed to work a blackout charm on his windows.
He closed his eyes again, trying to block the light out and get back his lost sleep, when the brunette beside him moved. He breathed her scent in, and traced her hand with the tips of his fingers, that was across his chest. She moved again, pulling her hand away from Blaise and underneath her chin. Sighing slightly, Blaise knew that the light was not going to leave so he wasn't going to sleep.
Carefully, he climbed out of the bed, and quietly he closed the door behind him and sat on the couch in the small sitting room that separated the three rooms. Footsteps and muffled whispers could be heard from Harry and Ginny's room, which Blaise ignored. He glanced at the door, which opened to Alex's room. it was slightly ajar.
Panic rising in Blaise's chest, he stood quickly, grabbed the door handle and pushed the door open. Only to find Alex asleep in her bed. Calming down, Blaise let out a sigh of relief. He sat in the chair opposite the girls bed. She looked so much like Hermione, yet the Zabini blood was so obvious.
She stirred slightly, but did not wake, only turning in her sleep. Blaise carefully stood up and went back into the sitting room, not wanting to wake her either.
"Good morning Blaise," Ginny Weasley's voice came.
"Morning," Blaise said softly, he looked up at the redhead, who looked as tired as Blaise felt, "Where's Harry?"
"He went to see Dumbledore, and then I think he was going to the kitchens," Ginny replied, sitting in an armchair, "I'm under strict instructions not to let any three of you leave until he gets back,"
Blaise nodded, "Well, I don't think that's going to be much of a problem, they're both asleep still, and I don't feel like wandering around the castle by myself in the early hours of the morning,"
"How is Hermione?" Ginny asked him quietly. Blaise took a moment before he replied.
"I think she's in shock still," he said, glancing at their bedroom door, "she didn't talk much last night,"
Ginny nodded, "Good morning Alex,"
Blaise looked toward his daughter room, to find her standing in the doorway, she tried to give them a smile, but couldn't even force on her face.
But before anyone could say anything else, Harry appeared, with Ron, carrying a large tray of food.
Nicole sat down across from Riley, who busy writing on a piece of parchment, at the Gryffindor table. Upon seeing her, Riley quickly stuffed the quill and parchment back into his robes and began to continue to eat his toast.
"Riley," Nicole said, not even noticing the letter or his weird behaviour.
"Um, I got to go, Nic," He told her hurriedly standing up and exiting the great hall, as Draco and Sam entered it.
"Where's Granger?" Draco asked sitting down next to Nicole.
She glanced at Sam, who looked back at her. Neither of the girls had seen Alex since potions the day before, both becoming extremely worried about her since the house elves had taken most of her stuff out of the dorms.
But before either of them could reply, the doors opened again and Alex entered with Ginny Potter.
"Over there," Sam said causally.
Nicole watched as Ginny Potter led Alex to the table, before letting her sit with her friends then moving off to the staff table. For a moment, no one spoke. And it gave Nicole the chance to study her friend.
She had her head down, so he brown curls were covering most of her face, but it was her hands that distracted Nicole mostly. They were shaking, not so much that it could clearly seen, but only slightly. The redhead glanced at Draco and Sam, and once convinced they would not be distracted from their conversation into someone else's she moved closer to Alex, who finally looked up at her.
"Alex, are you okay?" Nicole asked her, just as the doors opened once again. Startled, Alex turned towards the doors and watched as Ben Walker stormed into the room, followed by a group of Fascino Quas students and some Hufflepuff fifth years.
Nicole, too watched Professor Walker, he had a black eye and a bruise on his neck. He stormed past most of the teachers on the staff table, Ginny watching him carefully, choosing to sit alone at the end.
Within five minutes he had left the great hall. But Nicole did not get Alex's response because Charlie and Kimmie sat across from them, but it was only her that noticed that Alex did not speak the entire breakfast. Not until Ginny walked back over to the Gryffindor table at the end of breakfast and Alex followed her hurriedly out of the great hall.
Harry, Ron, Blaise and Hermione, who was now awake, sat in the small sitting room of their secret quarters. They were waiting for Dumbledore, who wanted to ask them some more questions. He had sent replacement teachers for all their lessons, a temporary one for Hermione's classes, and maybe not so temporary ones for Harry and Ron's classes since they had to follow Hermione and Blaise everywhere. Since Snape was still there, no teacher was required for Blaise's classes.
Finally, Dumbledore entered the room, and the little conversation that had been going on between Harry, Ron and Blaise had stopped. Hermione was still yet to speak from the night before.
Without saying a word, Dumbledore conjured a wooden desk hair and situated it in front of Hermione. Then he sat down.
"Hermione, my dear," Dumbledore said, his voice quiet, "I need you to tell me if you know of anyone that would want to do this to you, anyone at all,"
Hermione shook her head, she was numb. She didn't know of anyone who would want to do this to her.
"Then we need to make a list, specifically of the people who know you and Blaise are back together," Dumbledore said, turning now to Blaise.
"Professor, the letters were sent before they got back together," Ron pointed out.
"Well, it needs to be a list of all the people Hermione has made contact with in the last few years," Harry said, "Hardly anyone from Hogwarts knows about Alex,"
Dumbledore nodded, taking a quill and piece of parchment out of his pocket, "Ron, you may be able to provide some assistance here, especially since Hermione is still in too much shock to talk yet,"
Alex sat at the back of her History of Magic classroom, staring at the letter she had received on the way there. It was from Georgie. She had read it, but hadn't really taken anything in. a bit like the class she was in.
"Miss Granger, can you tell me when the trolls over ruled the goblins?" Professor Walker asked her, turning away from the black bored.
"No," Alex replied. She put the piece of paper down, aware that the entire class was watching her. Well almost the entire class, Riley who was sitting two seats across from her was bent over his desk, only aware of the paper he was writing on.
"And why not?" Professor Walker continued.
"Because I wasn't listening," Alex replied, the sarcasm growing her voice.
The three Fascino Quas students who were in the class, smirked at her, as the other students turned back to the teacher, waiting for his reply.
"That's five points from Gryffindor, Miss Granger, please pay attention," Professor Walker told her, turning back toward the blackboard.
"It's Zabini," Alex told him hotly, "Since my parents are getting married,"
He turned away from the black bored, "I believe they are not married yet, so until then you shall remain Miss Granger,"
Alex glared at him, as he turned back to the blackboard and the class finally looked away from her. Finally the class ended, and Alex waited as the students drifted out, before she began to pack her book bag. She waited at the front desk for Professor Walker as he cleaned the black board.
"Miss Granger," He sneered as he faced her, "What are you still doing here?"
"you need to take me back to the great hall for lunch," Alex said calmly
"Well, I think you will need to get another teacher to take you," He said, urgency filling his voice, "I have an appointment."
"But-" Alex protested as he disappeared out of the classroom. Swallowing, Alex walked into the corridor. She let out a sigh of relief, to find Professor Brown, walking past, who stoped when she found Alex alone.
"I must talk to professor Dumbledore about Professor Walker, everything was explained to us, the safety of our students comes first," she told her as they entered the great hall. Alex nodded, but did not verbally respond.
She looked atthe piece of parchment that was crumpled up in her hand, as she sat across from Charlie. This time she took it all in.
Alex,
Logan told me I had to tell you, but you have to promise you won't do anything. Please. Me and Charlie broke up. Just after Christmas. He said we're better off as friends. Just don't do anything without thinking about it. – Georgie
Alex looked across the table at Charlie who was talking to Nicole.
"So what do you think Lex, should Nic learn drums or the guitar?" Charlie said turning to look at her.
Suddenly she couldn't take it anymore, it was too much. Then without thinking she punched Charlie in the face.
"Alex," Nicole cried as she watched the brunette run out of the great hall, "Oh my gosh, Charlie are you okay?"
"Don't worry, I deserved it," he said as one of the teachers hurried over and said a spell to stop the bleeding, "So where's the hospital wing?"
"Elizabeth Montgomery, the twins mother" Ron said slowly, "then there was Hermione's old Boss at the newspaper, Mitch, no Mike Hill, I think that's about it."
"That's what you said last time," Harry mumbled, looking at the list, it had at least twenty people on it.
Dumbledore turned back to Hermione, who was leaning against Blaise's chest. Both had been silent pretty much the whole time.
"Is that everyone?" he asked her.
Hermione nodded, "Apart from Ron and Jess," she said in a quiet voice.
"Well I think we can be excluded," Ron said quickly.
"Blaise, you don't know of anyone do you/" Harry said suddenly, ignoring Ron's comments.
"No," Blaise replied flatly.
"NO, it would be some one who knows Hermione, that's why they are attacking Blaise, because they feel she is being taken away from them." Dumbledore said, "But how they got into the castle is unknown to me,"
"If only we still had the marauders map," Ron said thoughtfully.
"What happened to it?" Hermione asked suddenly.
"Riley had a little accident with his first wand," Harry said, smiling slightly, "Let's just say Ginny won't let him have paper around any naked flames."
Alex ran, she didn't know where she was running. And she knew she would probably get into trouble for not stying with a teacher. But she didn't care. About anything.
Finally, she collapsed in the library. It was empty, since the students were at lunch. And she let the tears fall. Btu she didn't know why she was crying; all she knew was that everything was falling apart around her.
"Alex," Jess Weasley's soft voice came. Finding her on the floor of the library, her godmother wrapped her arms tightly around the sobbing teenager. "It's going to be okay," she told her, stroking the back of her hair.
Somehow, Jess managed to lift Alex to her feet, and with an arm wrapped around her, she began to lead her out of the library.
"Riley," the boy looked up from the floor, which he had taken to staring at when he walked as his aunt's voice called out to him. Suddenly he realised he near the linrar, instead of the great hall where he was supposed to be going for lunch.
"Riley," Jess called him again and he finally turned around, to see her holding Alex up.
"Alex," He said softly, he moved toward them, and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. Alex buried her head into his chest, silently crying.
"What happened?" He asked his aunt urgently.
"She's stressed Riley, and in shock still, I need you to help me take her to your Uncle Ron," she told him.
"She can barely stand up," Riley yelled at her, "she's not going anywhere,"
"Fine," Jess snapped at him, "You need to go get your Uncle Ron then, I can't leave her by herself,"
"I – I don't know where he is," Riley said confused, "I haven't seen him all day,"
"Riley, he's in the- oh don't worry, I'll go get him, just take her back into the library and makes sure she doesn't try to leave," Jess told him.
Riley nodded, before lifting the girl up and carrying her back into the library, he heard Jess put a locking spell on the room. He tried to lay Alex down on an armchair, but she clung to him, so instead they sat, Alex's face still against his chest.
"Everything's going to be okay," he whispered to her, rubbing her back gently. I'll make sure of it he added silently.
"Ron," Jess burst into the sitting room breathless.
"Jess," Ron said standing, "what's happened?"
"it's Alex," Jess tried to explain.
"What's happened," Blaise cut in, standing next to Ron. Hermione paled "Not my baby, no," she whispered.
"Jess, what's happened?" Ron asked again as Harry moved next to Hermione, "Where's Alex,"
"She's in the library, I need you to come get her," Jess said impatiently, before she was interrupted again.
"So you left her alone?' Blaise exploded, moving toward the portrait hole.
"Blaise calm down," Ron said, "You need to stay here, I'll go get her,"
Taking a deep breath, Blaise nodded and sat back down with Harry and Hermione.
"You left her alone in the library?" Ron asked his wife quietly as he followed her down the corridor.
"Ron, do you think I'd be that irresponsible," Jess snapped at him, "She's emotionally drained, Riley's with her, I made sure no one could get in,"
They came to the door and Jess undid the spell. Riley looked away from the now sleeping Alex, as they entered.
"Thanks for waiting Riley," jess said as they made their way toward the two teenagers.
Riley just nodded, and let Ron lift the sleeping Alex off him. She woke up.
"Riley," she said, her voice coarse from crying, she pushed away from Ron.
"I'm here," Riley said soothingly, squeezing her hand gently. She climbed back into his arms.
"I think you need to come with us," Ron sighed, and he led his wife and the two teenagers out of the library and back to the rooms on the sixth corridor.
Ben Walker sat slumped in a chair on the opposite side of the room. a hooded figure moved around it silently, adding various ingredients to the smoking cauldron that stood in the middle.
He stopped and looked at the only thing in the room that wasn't trashed. A single framed photo of her. He gently stroked the glass over her hair; with an old decayed finger, he could almost taste the victory now. His prize being her and her filthy daughter. Surely he could get rid of the daughter too though, then there would be no reminders of that stupid man she 'loved', then it would just be the two of them. He liked that.
Suddenly the form of Ben walker stirred and the hooded man looked at the body irritably, he threw a book at him. Knocking him unconscious once again. Smiling to himself the man turned back to the smoky substance in his cauldron. Yes he liked that plan. He liked it a lot.
A/N: wow what an ending…hope you all liked it…please REVIEW!
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