Disclaimer: still don't own anything you recognise from the books….
Hey…. sorry about not being able to update for over two weeks, I know I said I'd try and update after I got back but I had heaps of homework when school started back again because I didn't do cos I was writing the last chapter to give to you guys…so anyway here's the next chapter…. you'll have to excuse it if it's a bit crappie but I'm a little stuck fro ideas….
Alex woke the next morning with a splitting headache. Since all students from Niveus had gone on the Hogwarts trip, it been arranged that Alex was staying in the girls dorm in the Croceus house. Checking her watch, she found that it was 5:30 in the morning, but with her headache she knew it was going to be impossible to go back to sleep.
Silently she climbed out of her bed and headed toward the bathroom, careful not to wake any of the other girls in the room. She flicked the light switch on and shielded her eyes from the harsh light. Sighing and once adjusted to he new lights she turned the cold tap on and watched as the water began to run into the basin. The lights were making her head pound even more so she wet the nearest face washer and held it to her face.
Finally she showered and dressed and silently made her way through the girl's dorm and into the common room, which was empty apart from one of Brian's friends who was asleep bent over a desk. Sitting on an armchair, Alex watched him for a few minutes before he began to stir from being in such an uncomfortable position and voices could be heard from one of the dorms. As a door opened and two male voices filled the room, one she recognised as Brian's, Alex swiftly exited the common room in an escape from anything causing he headache to grow worse.
Eventually she found herself on the top floor, the morning breeze whipping her school robes around her body. She watched the many muggle cars, as they'd rove along the streets of New York and the bustling sidewalks, which were already full at this early hour.
Her stomach rumbling snapped her back into reality as she realised it would be best if she went and had breakfast now before there was too many students up. Slowly she made her way down to the bottom floor of the building, realising that some one was following her she suddenly stopped, half in fear, half in hope that it was simply another student.
Her hand began to shake and she had to grab hold of the railing on the side of the wall, as her knees grew weak as she clearly saw a hooded figure disappear into the wall.
"Good morning beautiful," Charlie's cheeky voice filled her ears, "and here I was thinking I'd have to eat breakfast alo- Alex! Somebody help!" he yelled as her legs finally gave way and she collapsed into his arms.
"Nikki!" Sam's cheerful voice filled the girl's dorm.
Groans could be heard from the other beds in the room, although both Sam and Nicole ignored them, for different reasons however.
Sam pulled the curtains back on the red head's bed.
"Nicole Weasley get up now," She said, trying to sound stern, as Nicole covered her head with the nearest pillow.
"Go away," Her muffled voice replied.
"Come on, you have to get up, you know you want to get up," Sam said, trying to pry the pillow out of the girls hands.
"No I don't, I want to stay in bed," Nicole whined as the pillow was torn out of her hands, "Why don't you go annoy Draco,"
She sat up and looked at her friend, who was fully dressed and beaming from ear to ear.
"I had breakfast with him, and there was no annoying done, thankyou very much," She paused and grinned cheekily at her friend, "Besides you know I wouldn't be waking you up this early on a Sunday if I didn't have something important to tell you…"
She waited for Nicole to ask her what it was, but instead the girl just sat there, trying to pull the covers around her shoulders.
"Well, as you know they said the next Fascino Quas trip would be soon and we all figured they would have come yesterday, but they didn't."
"Yeah so?"
"So don't interrupt me," Sam joked, "Well when me and Draco were having breakfast a few first years in who we'd never seen before where there so Draco asked them who they were and they said they were Fascino Quas students, which means they came last night…"
"WHAT?" Natalie's voice came through the curtains on her bed, before they were suddenly pulled back and she was standing on her bed.
"Which means that Alex is now somewhere in the castle," Sam finally finished.
Nicole nodded, but didn't get too excited. Well she was excited about seeing Alex, and Georgie for that matter, but she knew they would be with Logan and they still hadn't talked, except for when that thing happened to Alex over there and technically it was Georgie who had written to her.
"Can I go back to sleep now?" she asked Sam, who's excited face turned to disappointment.
"What? No…" Sam said a bit shocked as to why she wasn't rushing around the room looking for some clothes other than her pyjamas, like the two other girls that occupied the room, "I thought you'd want to find Alex straight away, and Draco had a theory about you disappearing with Logan," she tried to make her friend laugh, but instead Nicole just flopped back into her bed.
Sam just stood there in the middle of the girls dorm, with Nicole's pillow in her hands as Jess and Natalie were rummaging through their stuff.
"Nicole?" Sam finally said to the girl who was burying her face into the mattress, she tried to pull the cover over her head, as Sam sat on the edge.
"Nikki?" she said more gently this time, "is there something wrong?"
The dorm was almost silent now as the two other girls went into the bathroom.
Nicole shook her head into the mattress, but didn't say anything.
"I told Draco to stop being a loser and made him promise not to tease you when Logan's around," Sam tried again, "Besides I wouldn't worry about that, you have every right to snog him if you want,"
A soft sob, that Nicole tried to muffle, escaped into the room.
"Nicole?" Sam said worried about why her friend was upset, "Has something happened?"
Finally Nicole sat up, wiping her eyes, she face her friend.
"You don't have to worry about Draco," she said confidently and began to climb out her bed," Because I doubt Logan will even talk to me, let alone kiss me,"
"What? Why?" Sam asked confused.
"Because I haven't talked to him since Alex left and he probably thinks I'm a bitch," Nicole replied, pulling some clothes out, before heading toward the bathroom.
"You said you were going to write to him," Sam stopped her, "we figured that's who all those owl's were coming from every week,"
"Well they weren't," Nicole, snapped, "they were from my mum,"
"Jeez sorry, we just figured they were from him," Sam answered, "anyway he won't think you're a bitch,"
"Who thinks Nicole's a bitch?" Natalie asked coming out of the bathroom.
Nicole just glared at the girl.
"She seems to think Logan thinks she is because she's been ignoring his letters," Sam said.
"I wasn't ignoring them," Nicole almost screeched.
"Not replying is the same thing as ignoring them," Sam tried to pint out.
"So, wait, you, Nicole have this gorgeous guy who practically followed you around everywhere when we were in New York writing to you and you just ignored his letters. And now you're scared he thinks you're a bitch?" Natalie asked trying to work things out.
"I…yes..." Nicole answered.
"Well, I don't think he thinks you're a bitch, your too nice," Jess said coming into the room, pulling her hair into a pony tail, "but the only way to find out is to talk to him."
"But I don't know what to say to him. Why do you think I never replied to any of the letters after I got over Alex leaving?" Nicole said, wishing hey would all just drop it.
Sam, Jess and Natalie all looked at each other, a knowing look on each of their faces.
"Well, then you'll have to get him to talk to you first," Natalie, said as if it were obvious.
Nicole looked at them confused, "And how is that going to happen?"
"Well he likes you right?" Jess asked.
"And you like him," Sam put in.
"So, with our help, you just have to look irresistible when you see him," Jess continued.
"Which more than likely will be at breakfast, when the normal people go down there," Natalie finished, glancing at Sam.
Nicole looked back at them horrified, "Are you going to give me a make over?"
Natalie laughed, "Don't look so scared, but if you want to get to breakfast at the time when most people get there go have a shower it's nine o'clock now,"
They all stared at her when Nicole didn't move and she had no choice but to go into the bathroom.
Riley woke in the infirmary. Unsure of where he was of why he was there, the memories of the day before suddenly filled his head. His head was throbbing slightly from where it hit the floor.
He tried to sit up when a small figure entered the room.
"Riley," Dana's soft voice filled the room, "how are you?"
"My…head…. it hurts," He said dumbly, lying back down after his attempts to sit didn't really work.
"Well you did hit the floor pretty hard," Dana replied.
Riley didn't know whether or not to agree, so decided on saying nothing.
"Nick said he'd stop by later, if you were awake," Dana said breaking the silence, "I'm not sure about Dougie though,"
Riley simply nodded.
"He told me everything," she spoke quietly, "he thinks it's his fault Riley, even though I've already told him it isn't."
She waited for Riley to respond.
"He's been really upset about it," she said slowly.
"Tell him not to worry about it," Rile said bitterly, "it's not his problem some psycho's trying to hurt her and her family, tell him just to forget it,"
"Riley?" Dana asked him after a minute of silence. He looked up at her, a genuine look of concern in her eyes, "Alex…she was your girlfriend wasn't she?"
"Who told you that?' Riley asked, trying to sound surprised.
"No-one, I kinda figured it out myself," Dana said, taking his answer as a yes, "if you still love her then why did you break up?"
"She decided to go back to America when she found out I was accepted here," riley paused, "but I wasn't going to come and she thought it was because of her, which I guess it was. I wanted to be there to protect her. Then she left."
The nurse came into the room before either of them could say anything else.
"Well, I might come back later with Nick," Dana said, brushing her blonde hair out her eyes as she stood up, "See you later Riley,"
"Yeah see you," Riley responded as the nurse began to check him over.
Forty-five minutes later, three Gryffindor fifth years, push a red head girl into the great hall.
"You look great," Sam told her for the seventh time since they left the dormitory.
It was true, Nicole did look good, even thoguh the three girls had hardly done anythign to her since they didn't have enough time.She wore a simple green peasant skirt that fell to just below her knees and a white tank top. Her red hair flowed to her shoulders in natural waves and she wore light make up, which gave her a natural glow.
Infact she looked so good that when she entered the Gryffindor common room, the fifth year boys that were waiting for Natalie and Jess went silent.
Sam and Draco began to leave the great hall.
"Where are you going?" she asked them quickly.
"We've already had breakfast," Draco pointed out.
"So, who am I going to sit with?" she asked.
"You can sit with us," Tom, one of the guys said grabbing her hand, pulling her into the group of guys.
"Tom, leave her alone," Jess, said, "come one Nicole, you can sit with me and Nat,"
The three girls sat down, away from the group of boys. Natalie and Jess began to talk as Nicole concentrated on her breakfast, and only her breakfast. She didn't even look up as her brother bill came tearing past, with her cousin's Clair and Stef right behind him.
Finally she was snapped out her trance.
"Nicole?" Natalie's kind voice spoke to her, "you like you've fallen in love with that piece of toast."
"What?" Nicole asked.
"You can look up, it's not as if the whole world is watching you," Jess giggled, "Although maybe the male population is."
Nicole glanced down the table to see the guys from her year level still watching her. She shuddered slightly and looked away, only to find herself facing the doors to the great hall. A group of fifth year students entered the room, although they were clearly the Fascino Quas students as Nicole immediately recognised Georgie and Logan.
"That's weird," Natalie, said, who was sitting on the same side of the table as Nicole, "didn't you say it was Alex's house that was coming?"
Jess turned around to face the group and Nicole quickly scanned through he rest of the students, realising that Alex was not with them.
"Maybe she's with her parent's," Jess spoke.
Nicole nodded, but didn't say anything as Georgie looked in her direction. She smiled at Nicole, who smiled back, but didn't not walk over to them, instead choosing to follow the rest of her year and sit down at the Hufflepuff table. Logan sat with his back to the Gryffindor table.
"Nicole," Tom slid down the seat next to her, "how do you fancy coming to Hogsmeade with me next weekend?"
"Shove off tom," Natalie replied as he tried to put his arm around the red head. Just as Logan turned around after Georgie pointed toward them.
He stared blankly at her, then turned back to his own table. Nicole's heart sank.
"Well it looks like your plan didn't work," she said, shrugging tom off her and standing up, "Thanks anyway,"
"Nik-" Jess called after her as she began to walk away from the table.
Both girls glared at Tom who was still sitting with them.
"What?" he exclaimed.
"Nothing," they both replied and exited the great hall aswell.
"She's leaving," Georgie told her brother," By herself, now would be the perfect time for you to talk to her,"
Logan looked at his sister, "of she wanted me to talk to her then she would have replied to my letters,"
"Logan, do you really believe that?" Georgie asked.
"Yes," Logan replied and piked up his piece of toast.
Georgie sighed and looked down at her own breakfast, Logan's stubbornness had suddenly turned her off her food.
Hermione and Blaise left the hospital wing, hand in hand. Hermione had a small smile on her face, while Blaise wore a huge grin.
Ron and Harry were following them closely behind, but put enough distance between them so they could still have their privacy.
"Do you think she's pregnant?" Ron whispered to his friend.
Harry shrugged, "We don't even know if that's what they went in there for," he pointed out.
"Yeah but if Blaise said it wasn't her you know, and I mean Jess acted like that when she was pregnant with Paul," Ron protested.
"Well we'll just have to wait won't we," Harry pointed out again.
They continued to follow Blaise and Hermione down the corridors, passing the library.
"You don't think they're a bit old to have a baby, do you?" Ron asked suddenly.
"Ron, I'm only 34," Hermione's voice joined their conversation.
"I…what…. sorry" Ron stuttered, "does that mean you are?"
Hermione glanced at Blaise, who looked back at her, before she turned to her two best friends, "yes, we are…just don't tell anyone, we want to tell Alex first,"
Ron and Harry nodded, both slightly surprised. The four of them continued to walk down the corridors.
"So, who hasn't breakfast yet?" Hermione asked suddenly.
"Erm...We've all had breakfast," Harry replied.
Hermione grinned at him "Yeah I know, but I've suddenly had a craving for a croissant with peanut butter on it,"
Ron glanced at Blaise, who in turn glance at Harry.
"What if I just called Dobby?" he suggested, not wanting to go down to the great hall.
"Just as long as I get it," Hermione responded, "Hello Nicole,"
Nicole Weasley stopped as her name was called out, she looked up and found herself face to face with the four of them, "Hello, Professor Granger, Professor Zabini, Professor Potter, Uncle Ron," (A/N: imagine if you actually had to say that.)
"I suppose you know by now that Alex decided not to come back yet," she said softly.
"Um, no I didn't," Nicole, replied, hoping she didn't look too disappointed.
"Yes, we have to wait a bit longer to see her don't we Blaise," Hermione continued.
Nicole glanced at Professor Zabini, who nodded.
"Well, I was just going to he library," Nicole lied, "History of magic homework I have to finish,"
"Okay, don't work too hard though, it is the week end," Hermione told her, before allowing her to leave.
As she walked away Nicole heard her uncle tell Hermione that was a bit rich coming from her.
Sighing, Nicole continued to wander the corridors, not wanting to go back to the Gryffindor common room and see Sam and Draco or Natalie and Jess, finally she found she had not choice but to go to the library, knowing they probably wouldn't look for her there.
It was after lunch and Draco and Sam still hadn't seen Nicole.
"Maybe we should have stayed with her at breakfast," Sam told Draco again.
"And what if she's with Logan and your just stressing over nothing?" Draco asked as they walked into the great hall, "Just forget about it, Nicole knows how to handle herself,"
He grabbed her hand and pulled her gently toward the great doors, putting his free hand on the handle, preparing to open it when it was flung open from someone on the other side, almost hitting him in the face.
"Oi," He shouted, stepping back as the door swung to right where he was just standing, "Watch what your doing" he finished angrily.
Georgie poked her head around the door, "oh sorry Draco, Mikey can be a bit over excited sometimes," she said motioning to a boy standing in front of her.
Draco's face softened slightly when he saw it was Georgie.
"That's all right, Draco can get overly angry sometimes, can't you Drakey?" Sam replied.
The four of them stood in an awkward silence.
"So…um how come we haven't been smothered by Alex yet?" Draco asked breaking the silence.
"Because Alex didn't come on the trip," Logan answered as he and some other students re-entered the building, stopping with Georgie and her friend 'Mikey'.
"Oh," Sam knew she sounded disappointed.
"Where's Nicole?" Draco asked suddenly, knowing she hadn't been with Natalie and Jess when they had seen them talking to Professor Brown.
Logan shrugged, before walking away.
"He won't talk to her," Georgie told them, "He's a stubborn moron. But I bet if she looks the way she did today, he might forgive her in about a week and a half,"
"You'll be back in America in a week and half," Sam responded as the other students began to wander off, "do you wanna come out side with us to catch up?"
Georgie glanced at their still entwined hands, then at Draco's face, before turning back to Sam.
"Maybe later," she told them, "I might go talk to Logan,"
"Oh," Sam replied.
"See ya later," Georgie grinned at them, before bouncing off in the direction Logan went.
Finally Draco got Sam out by the lake. Sitting underneath a large tree, Sam began to rip pieces of grass up.
"I wonder why she didn't come back," she finally spoke.
"Maybe she still needs more time," Draco responded.
"I guess," Sam looked at the blonde boy, "I wonder if Nicole knows,"
Draco didn't reply, but instead put his hands on hers, causing her to stop shredding the grass.
"Has anyone every told you, you worry about your friends way too much?" Draco asked her.
"You're the first," She responded.
"Well you do," He replied, "but I guess that's what makes you so cute, how much you care about them,"
"So I'm cute now?" Sam asked.
"Yep," Draco said grinning at her.
Logan wandered around the castle on his own. It wasn't that eh wanted to be by himself, he just couldn't remember how to get back to the common room his year level was assigned to.
He felt like he'd walked down this corridor about six times and it was frustrating him because it felt like he wasn't in control, even though he knew it was a different corridor every time. He passed different classrooms, each one displaying different magical things, until finally he came to the library.
With the hope of finding a teacher that would able to direct him back to the Hufflepuff common room. Entering the library, he was slightly shocked at seeing one so big.
Bookcases filled with ancient looking books mixed with new books filled the entire room. Empty desks and chairs were placed randomly between the bookshelves and small armchairs and couches were strategically placed around windows and unlit fireplaces.
Finding no teacher at the desk, Logan turned to leave the room, when a glimpse of bright red on the other side of the room. Knowing he would be getting a few glares from a few people if he didn't talk to her, Logan began to walk across the library toward Nicole.
"Nic-" Logan began, but found she was asleep, a book in her hand. Logan glanced at his watch, it was only three-thirty, but he guessed she must have had a late night.
The book slid out her hand and dropped to the floor, making a soft bang, but she didn't stir. He watched her for a minute and he had to admit to himself that she looked adorable when she was asleep.
The library door banged opened and a group of rowdy Slytherin's entered the library, not noticing Logan or the sleeping Nicole. Logan glared at them, before he glanced back down at the red head, who was now sitting up and wide-awake, although she was yet to notice Logan, who was standing behind the couch.
Logan watched as she brushed her hair behind her ears, before rubbing her eyes, before searching for the book she had dropped minutes before.
Just as Logan was about to back away and exit the library, Nicole stood up and faced him. Both just looked at each other for a moment, Logan losing the ability to speak.
"Hi," Nicole finally broke the silence.
"Hey," Logan managed to say back.
Silence filled the space between and Nicole could fill the tension.
"I, um, have to go," she said quietly, looking down at the book in her hands. She began to walk around the couch and past Logan, hoping he would stop her.
He didn't say or do anything, and as Nicole reached the library door, the only sound she could hear was the laughter coming from the Slytherin's.
She put her hand on the door handle, when his voice finally filled her ears.
"Um, Nicole?" she turned to face him, "would you be able to show me how to get back to the Hufflepuff common room?"
"I don't know where it is," Nicole responded, before slipping out of the room and down the corridor, in the direction of her own common room.
Alex woke in the dark hospital like room Fascino Quas had for the students when they found themselves sick or if they had an accident with a charm or a potion. It was very different from the Hogwarts hospital wing, for one thing it was only three rooms, and was much more hospital like.
It took her a moment to adjust to the darkness and to realise where she was. In a chair, closet to her bed, she could make out Charlie, his head resting against the bedside table, snoring lightly. At the end of her bed, against the wall was a small couch, being occupied by both Kimmie and Brian, both asleep, Kimmie with her head resting against his shoulder.
Ignoring her pounding headache, Alex decided to think about her friends in Hogwarts, hoping this would also help her to erase her memories from that morning. Eventually her thoughts turned to Riley, as she began to wonder how he was doing, and how much she missed him.
Silently a tear slid down her cheek and Alex rolled over so that she was facing the wall, although Charlie was asleep. Sniffing, Alex wiped her eyes on the sheet.
"Alex?' Kimmie's voice asked into the darkness.
Alex didn't respond, hoping she would think she was asleep. Alex knew she had stuffed up and she didn't want anyone to give her advice on it. Pulling the sheet tighter around her, Alex began to feel her eyelids grow heavy and minutes alter she too was asleep, her dreams being filled with a red head, glasses wearing, quidditch player.
"The school is definitely closing," a low male voice filled the classroom.
"And that's final?" Professor Dokoft's voice responded.
"Yes," the American Minister of Magic replied, "I will be informing Dumbledore shortly, tomorrow I expect you to have sent out the letters to the parents, explaining the real reason for the Hogwarts trips this year,"
Professor Dokoft nodded and the short round man disappeared in a flash of green flames.
A/N…yes I know not much happened in this chapter and yes I do know it was mainly about Logan and Nicole but I have to admit they're my favourite two characters in this whole story so I don't care…. but anyway moving on…I know for a fact that their will definitely be more stalker action in the next few chapters, but if any of you readers want to see something happen, ideas would be appreciated…
Please REVIEW and I'll try to update as soon as I can….
Luv emgurl