A/N: I'm not very sure of this chapter, maybe I will change it.

I know it's silly to update when I'm not finished but I just felt like it !

Chapter 19

Mitch couldn't believe it. Here she was finally.

She had changed a lot. Mitch could see that even if her heavy coat was hiding most of her figure. In fact, Mitch wouldn't have recognized her if he hadn't looked into her eyes. She had the same green eyes.

Mitch entered the living-room again with a cup of hot chocolate in his hands. Alicia didn't seem to notice he was back. Her eyes were closed.

Mitch stared and stared at her as much as he could. It was so good to see her again. He had often thought of her these last days. He hadn't been able to speak of it to anyone. His friends would never understand how he could get attached to such a young girl.

But Alicia was not a little girl anymore. She had turned into a beautiful woman. Mitch had to admit he was seeing her differently.

"Are you going to offer me that hot chocolate or are you going to wait all night?" Alicia said. She had opened her eyes.

Mitch smiled foolishly. He used to be the one who made Alicia blush. It was as if they had switched places. But somehow, Mitch didn't mind Alicia's teasing.

He handed the cup to Alicia and sat down beside her.

"How come it took you so long?" Mitch asked suddenly. He didn't want to break the magical moment but he had to ask her.

"I was scared." Alicia said. She sighed and laid her head on Mitch's shoulder.

They stayed like that for a while.

"Mitch?" Alicia whispered.

"Yes?"

"You know that snake I told you about? She's dead."

Mitch said nothing. But his hand took Alicia's and that was all she needed.

Alicia wanted to stay like that forever. It was nice to be his arms, after so many years.

The boy who broke your heart

That was how Dumbledore had described Mitch. Alicia knew now what he meant. She felt her heart flutter happily as she felt Mitch's touch.

"I've really messed up things, didn't I?" Alicia asked softly. "I should have apologized long ago. Instead I wasted three years."

"Maybe it was best for both of us." Mitch answered.

"What do you mean?"

Mitch smiled. He still had the same smile. For a second looked at his lips and wondered how soft they would feel if she kissed him. Quickly she pushed away that awkward thought.

"Well, that day when we visited your attic …" Mitch began. He blushed. He felt silly to be talking about something so old.

Alicia didn't say a word. Maybe Mitch was finally going to reveal her what he had seen in the mirror.

"I didn't just see my reflection in the mirror, you know. I saw someone else by my side."

"Who?"

"Can't you guess?" Mitch said.

Alicia shook her head. For a second a horrible thought came to her: what if he was going to start talking about Beverly? Alicia was not sure she was going to take that well.

"No."

"Okay, I'll give you a hint. It was a young woman. She had long red hair and a very pale face. And her green eyes shone like a diamond."

"You mean … you saw me with you? Alicia asked in wonderment.

"Well, yes and no. I saw an adult version of us both." Mitch said.

Alicia's mouth fell open. She made up her mind to ask Harry and Ginny about the mirror as soon as she went home.

They said nothing again, but not because they had nothing to say to each other but because they liked the silence. They needed time to get used to one another again.

Soon, Mitch's parents came home and Alicia decided to leave. She greeted Mr and Mrs Perkins politely and hugged Mitch.

"We'll see each other tomorrow. I promise." Alicia said.

Mitch watched Alicia walk away. He smiled.

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Alicia stood outside Mitch's house and waited. She felt a warm feeling in her heart, as if she had just experienced something very beautiful. Alicia felt happy and light like a bird in the wind. She felt like she could accomplish anything.

Alicia walked over to her own house and entered inside without knocking.

Ginny was waiting for her.

"Alicia! There you are. I have just gotten McGonagall's letter!" She cried.

They hugged. Alicia ignored the little girl who clung on to Ginny's robe.

"There was a letter for you too." Ginny said and handed over a small brown envelope.

Frowning, Alicia took the letter. It was strange, who would write to her? Surely it wasn't any of her friends from Hogwarts, she had talked to them only a few hours ago.

Alicia went into her bedroom to find some privacy and also to get away from the cries of Emma.

She ripped the letter open and began to read.

Why don't you remind people that Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin used to be friends?

Alicia read out loud the question a few times but still it didn't make sense. Who had send this to her? And why?

There was no explanation, no signature at the end of the letter. Nothing. Just one question.

Alicia shrugged and threw the letter away in the dustbin. She changed into her night things and went straight to bed. She wasn't in the mood to do anything but think of Mitchell Perkins, the muggle from next door.

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Alicia woke up early in the morning. She hummed happily as she ate breakfast. Harry entered the kitchen and grinned.

"Well, someone's looks in a good mood," he said.

"Hello, Dad." Alicia said as Harry bent down to kiss her cheek.

A little girl was holding Harry's hand. Alicia didn't seem to notice her.

"Ginny told me you've got Minerva's permission to spend a few days here, but I don't understand why. Apparently it has something to do with Dumbledore and with the chamber of secrets."

"Why didn't she explain it to you properly?" Alicia asked.

"I came home very late yesterday. I woke her up in the middle of the night to ask her why you were home. Well, she wasn't in the mood to explain much. In fact she even used violence at one point." Harry grinned.

"You know better than to wake Mum up in the middle of the night." Alicia laughed as she poured herself some milk. It was so good to feel happy again.

"Mama said Alicia is a hero." Emma addressed herself to Harry. Admiration shone in her eyes as she looked at her older sister.

Harry and Alicia exchanged a look. Alicia knew she couldn't be nasty to Emma in front of her father.

"Mum is right." Alicia said and bit her lip. It wasn't right to tell lies like this. She knew she would never be able to tell her family the truth about the chamber of secrets, but showing her as a hero was not the solution.

It was supposed to be simple, Dumbledore had said so. He had told McGonagall that Alicia managed to kill the monster. McGonagall did not seem to believe this story, but she obeyed Dumbledore when he suggested she should give Alicia a small holiday.

And now Alicia was sitting in front of her father and her sister, and they thought she was a hero. It was unbearable. A few days ago it wouldn't have bothered Alicia, but since she had apologized to Mitch it was as if she had completely changed.

But she had no choice.

"I found the monster and I killed it." Alicia said.

Emma gasped. Harry said nothing. He looked at Alicia with one eyebrow raised. Like McGonagall, he didn't quite believe this story.

"Did the portrait of Dumbledore tell Minerva to give you a few days of?"

"Eh, yes." Alicia said blushing. Her father could detect a lie so easily sometimes.

"Tell me, how did you kill this monster?"

Alicia saw herself hugging the dead body of Morla. The tears came to her eyes. She kept her head bent down.

"It was horrible. I pointed my wand and with only one whisper she died. It happened so quickly, so silently. Her body fell in my arms and I felt her last breath on my neck." Alicia's voice was trembling as she spoke. She swallowed a few times, pretending like nothing was wrong.

Harry sighed.

"How did you know the monster was a female?"

Alicia realised her gaffe too late.

"She was a female person, that's all, I could feel it," was Alicia's only answer.

"Why do you call this mysterious monster a person?" Harry asked.

Alicia thought of her many laughs with Morla, of her many talks. She reminded hugging the snake, teasing her, tickling her.

"A monster can have a person's heart, the same way a person can have a monster's heart." Alicia said.

Emma looked at her sister's face closely and turned back to Harry without a word. Alicia stood up and left the room.

She ran into her room and hid her face into the nearest pillow to stop her sobs. It had been horrible to think of Morla again.

Suddenly Alicia felt a tiny finger poking her shoulder. It was so light at first she thought she had imagined it. She turned around.

Alicia found herself face to face with Emma. Emma's eyes were as wet as Alicia's. The two girls looked alike as they stared at each other. For the first time Alicia didn't think of sending her sister out of the room.

And then Emma began to speak. It was the first time she addressed herself to Alicia.

"Morla was not a monster, was she?"

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Alicia froze.

"What did you just say?" She cried grabbing her sister by the shoulder.

Emma looked down at Alicia's hand. She had never felt her sister's touch.

"Morla was my friend." Emma said.

Alicia slumped on the bed, not believing. So all this time Morla had been speaking to Emma as well! She had not only served the oldest daughter of the Potters. Morla had been Emma's friend as well.

And then something else occurred to Alicia.

"Wait, you mean you can speak to snakes as well?" She asked.

Emma smiled proudly. She stuck out her tongue. It was the first time she had Alicia's full attention and she was savouring every single second.

"Yes, but shhhh … it's a secret." Emma said.

Alicia laughed.

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Harry did not question Alicia again.

He watched her as she went out every single day to visit the neighbour from next door.

He watched as Alicia smiled at Emma. The two sisters were still awkward next to each other, they still didn't talk but from time to time they smiled at each other. And for now that was enough to make Harry happy. He knew they could not become friends in a single day.

It was nice to see Alicia so full of joy but Harry knew that a single wrong word could change her attitude completely once again. And as he saw how much Alicia hugged the muggle from next door he began to understand. It was the muggle's words that changed Alicia.

Of course the muggle knew nothing of it.

Harry had to smile as he realised that his daughter was just a teenager in love.

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"How old are you again?" Mitch asked.

They were in the park. That day they had decided to have a walk outside, to get a bit of fresh air. Now they were sitting on the grass next to each other.

Alicia smiled. She often did that.

"Fifteen." She said.

Mitch nodded.

"Well, I reckon you're old enough." He said.

"Old enough for what?"

Mitch blushed. He fidgeted with the grass for a while before answering.

"This friend of mine is having a party this week-end. And I thought that if you wanted to … you might not want to … I completely understand if you don't want … I was just wondering …" Mitch mumbled.

"Oh, spit it out!" Alicia said laughing. Mitch grinned.

"I was wondering if you would like to come with me, I mean, not as a date, but …"

"Yeah, I'll accompany you." Alicia said.

Mitch looked relieved. The red blush faded away from his face.

"But just as a friend." He said as if to reassure Alicia.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. But aren't you afraid I'll be too young? As far as I remember you always saw me as a kid." Alicia said teasingly.

"Well, I don't anymore." Mitch said without thinking of what he was saying.

Alicia messed up his hair fondly. She was happy that Mitch had invited her.

But she couldn't help worrying. She had never been to a muggle party.

"You'll see. It will be fun." Mitch said as if he could read her thoughts.

Alicia hoped he was right.