~Everything's Not What It Seems~
Alex and Justin are siblings sent to Hogwarts to learn about magic just like their father. There they meet new friends, fall in love, and find out that truly everything is not what it seems.
Disclaimer: J.K Rowling and Disney Channel own the right to all these character. I am only borrowing them :)
"Justin!"
Justin looked up, searching for the person calling for him. As he looked around him, he realized that their boat had landed by the stands and his friends were already getting off the boat. Justin stood up to follow Harry and Neville as Cedric made his way over to him.
"Justin, is Alex with you?" He looked past Justin at the other boats docking behind him.
"No... actually I thought she would have come with you. I assume now that she has not?" Justin searched the stands in concern. "Maybe she's with Max?"
"No, your brother docked the same time as I did." Cedric frowned. "I didn't think she'd miss it altogether."
"It's possible she's with Ron and Hermione. Harry and I haven't seen them all morning. You know Alex wouldn't miss being here for us." Justin frowned himself, unsure if he was trying to convince himself more than Cedric.
"We'd better get going. I heard the headmaster say they would be ready once you and Harry arrive."
He nodded as Cedric turned and made his way back through the stands. Justin followed after him, his eyes searching the crowd for Alex and his friends. Now that he thought of it, he hasn't seen Ginny all morning. Ginny definitely wouldn't miss being by his side for this.
"Ah Justin, just who we were waiting for." Professor Dumbledore smiled at Justin as he and Cedric approached him. "Are you ready?"
"As ready as I'll ever be." He replied, taking his position beside Harry. He looked at the gillyweed in his hand in concern as the headmaster kicked of the second challenge.
"Quickly, put that in your mouthes." Justin turned to see Professor Moody standing behind him and Harry. "Go, on!"
The boys looked at each other skeptically before shoving the plant into their mouths. Justin watched Harry struggle to swallow the plant, almost choking as he also tried to keep down the plant.
"You may begin at the sound of the cannon!" The headmaster called out just as a cannon shot out ahead of them.
Victor, Fleur, and Cedric dived in immediately at the sound of the cannon. Justin jumped in after them in panic, momentarily forgetting that he wasn't entirely sure what the plant he had consumed did. As soon as his body was engulfed in water, he was surprised to find that he wasn't gasping for air. Justin examined his surrounding, gasping as he looked down to see his feet had transformed into webbed fins. I sure hope this is temporary...
He turned as a loud splash came behind him. Harry watch Harry struggle as he gasped for air. A few moments passed before Harry stopped moving and looked at Justin in surprise. Justin swam towards him as he noticed something stuck to the the sides of his neck. Harry touched the area, noticing Justin's stare. Gills? So that's what was helping them stay underwater. "We better go." Harry pointed past him, reminding him that they were limited on time. He quickly moved in the direction he had pointed. Justin nodded, following after him.
"What exactly are we looking for? All we know is that something was taken from us."
"Have you noticed anything missing? In the past few days?" Harry asked.
"No, I'm pretty good about keeping track of my things." Justin replied as he continued to think. "Well if you don't count my sister. I can never keep track of her." Justin joked.
Alex. Justin stopped abruptly the same time as Harry. The two stared at each other.
"You don't think they took Alex, do you?" Harry asked.
"And Ginny, and Ron, and Hermione. We haven't seen any of them all morning. It's quite odd for them not to be here. If they've been taken..." he trailed off, as images of what could possibly be keeping his sister and their friends down there came to his head. "We should hurry."
Harry nodded in agreement before the two continued forward.
"Are we even going the right way?" Justin asked.
"Possibly..." Harry shrugged.
"So are we supposed to find them, then what?"
"We get them out of here. I don't suppose they found something to keep them in the water long. I wonder how this work. There is four of them and only two of us."
"Well there's Cedric too. Maybe Cedric has to find Alex and I have to find Ginny?"
"But that leaves Ron and Hermione." Harry frowned.
Justin looked at his friend doubtfully. He wasn't sure if Harry's reaction was due to his mention of Cedric or that two of their friends were missing, and Harry was only one person. "Well we don't know that any of them have actually been taken. It's all theory for now."
"I don't know about that." Harry stopped as he stared ahead. Justin followed, his eyes looking on in surprise as the scene before them. Ahead of them were five floating bodies, tied down with a rope to their ankle. Justin immediately recognized four of them as his friends and sister. The fifth he assumed was someone important to Fleur, as she was dressed in a Beauxbaton robe.
"Now what?" Justin looked at Harry.
"We get them out of there." They both looked at each other as the sound of screeching came in the distance. "Before whatever that is gets to us."
The two quickly approached their friends, Harry attempting to get a reaction out of Ron as Justin pulled on the rope that held Ginny down.
"We can't leave them all here..." Justin frowned as he looked between his girlfriend and sister. As he finally released the rope from Ginny's ankle, he was relieved to find Cedric beside him. Cedric quickly untied the rope around Alex's ankle and grabbed onto her. He turned to Harry and Justin, tapping at the watch on his wrist. The boys nodded in understanding before Cedric started to make his way to the surface with Alex.
"What about Hermione?"
"I'll get her, you get Ginny back." Harry said as he pulled his wand out of his pocket.
"Are you sure? We did this together."
"Yes, I'm sure. Go, before Alex worries about you."
Justin nodded at his friend before grabbing onto Ginny and starting to make his way to the surface. As Justin went further and further up, the water cleared up and he could see past the surface more clearly. Justin could hear muffled cheers right before he hit the surface. As his head came out of the water, he heard the cheers more clearly and a splash beside him. He looked to Ginny, smiling as she floated beside him, looking around then in amused confusion.
"What just happened?" She asked.
"The second challenge." He laughed as he waved at the cheering students triumphantly.
He looked around him and was relieved to see Cedric already on the dock with his sister. Cedric was crouched over her, wrapping a towel around a sitting Alex, as she rubbed her arms with her hand in an attempt to warm herself from the cold.
"You did it Justin!" Ginny said proudly beside him.
"Just one more challenge to go." He nodded in relief.
~~~~~
"I can't believe we tied for second place." Justin said in disbelief as he and Harry made their way back to the castle with their friends.
"Sorry about that Justin, I know you rightfully earned second place."
"No Harry, I'm glad they made that decision. You and I got to them at the same time. You deserve it." Justin replied with a genuine smile.
"So do you, you only left Hermione because I told you to go on without me."
"Ever so humble, you two." Fred said, rolling his eyes as he made his way past them.
"You coulda left a Weasley or two down there." George shook his head at Harry and Justin. "Our mum woulda been mad, but we wouldn't mind." He added, shooting an amused smirk to his younger brother and sister.
"Bug off, George!" Ron frowned.
"Happily. We need to find Alex anyway. She and Diggory were the first off the boats." George shrugged before following after Fred.
"They never run out of hijinks, do they?" Hermione asked in disbelief as she watched the twins disappear down the hall.
"Never." Ron and Ginny said simultaneously.
~~~~~
"Alex, are you sure you're okay?" Cedric asked again as he squeezed her hip gently. After docking, the two had made their way to Alex's hiding place in the greenhouse. The two found a place on the floor where Alex was seated on Cedric's lap facing him. Her legs were wrapped around his torso, arms wrapped around his necks, as she buried her face in his chest. Cedric held onto her, enjoying their embrace as he whispered to her every so often. "Alex."
"Mhm, I'm fine." She whispered.
"You sure? Because you've been holding me like this ever since we got here. I'm not going to disappear, I promise." He teased as she lifted her head of his chest.
"I'm just scared for the last challenge. I don't want to lose you guys. Dragons, underwater treasure hunt with mermaids... what's next?"
"I like that you called yourself a treasure." He smirked.
"Cedric." Alex rolled her eyes.
"Hey, it's just one more challenge and then we put this thing behind us. We start thinking to the future."
"And what exactly are you thinking of with the future?" Alex asked shyly. She and Cedric had never discussed their future together. They were too young.
"It might be too early to say this Alex, but I couldn't imagine a future without you. You make my existence whole. You're the adventure I need in my life." He laughed.
"As if this tournament wasn't adventure enough?" She rolled her eyes.
"You know what I mean, Alex." Cedric looked at her unamused.
"I think about it too sometimes." Alex said as she fixed her eyes on a button on his shirt. "I think about what it would be like to have a little place in London together. You working for the ministry while I work as an artist."
"I was thinking more of something in the outskirts of the city. So we can have a big garden." Cedric said, causing Alex to look up at him.
"I don't do gardening, Cedric." Alex frowned.
"Neither do I, but I'm sure the children would enjoy the space. To play and get into mischief."
Alex couldn't help but blush at the mention of kids. "O-Kay... I guess you have a point."
"I bet they would be smart like you!" She reached for his cheek with her hand. "And loving."
"And I hope they're talented and mischievous like you. And beautiful." He added as he leaned towards her to take her lips in his. Alex ran her fingers through his hair, deepening the kiss. Alex felt Cedric squeeze her hips a few times before gently pulling away. "Sorry, love. Don't think we want to get that far into the future so soon."
"Nothing comes from snogging." She frowned.
Cedric's eyes widened in surprise as a smile appeared on his lips. He lifted his finger and pointed it at her in amusement. "You said snogging!"
Alex groaned. "I hate that you Brit's are influencing my vocabulary. I hate that word!"
"At least it sounds adorable coming from you." Cedric noted as she rolled her eyes at him. "Should we head back?"
"No, we have at least an hour before dinner. We haven't properly celebrated your first place victory today." She smirked. "Or your last victory."
"And how exactly do you plan to remediate that?" Cedric asked with a raised eyebrow.
"With lots and lots of snogging." Alex smirked.
"I rather like the sound of that."
It's been a while, but here's an update. Had some of this in my drafts for a while /
