Happy Update Monday

After our meeting about the last task, I quickly excused myself and hurried outside. When no one was around, I transformed into Loki and ran through the woods. I needed some time to process it all. Harry looked concerned when he noticed my face pale, but I disappeared from the castle before he could say anything. I spend the whole day in the forbidden forest, so I wasn't surprised to find the twins frantically pacing in the common room. Angelina and Lee simultaneously let out a breath of relief and their shoulders sagged. When Fred and George noticed me, they gathered me in a tight hug, like they never would let me go. I wrapped my arms around their necks and breathed them in. It calmed me instantly.

"I'm sorry. I just needed time." I said when I pulled back reluctantly.

"It's okay. We understand. Harry told us." They leaned down and kissed the corner of my mouth, it made me smile.

"Where is Harry?" I asked when I saw Hermione and Ron sitting alone with textbooks spread around them.

George looked around the common room. "He was here earlier but disappeared about an hour ago. He didn't tell anyone where he was going."

"Hm." I frowned. "I know I'm only back for a minute, but I need to find him."

"It's okay. You'll know where to find us." Fred winked.

I couldn't help but kiss their cheeks before I walked out of the common room. I had an idea where I could find Harry if he wasn't with Ron or Hermione. And my guess was correct when I found him in our training room. And like I knew he would, he wasn't alone. I heard their voices filter softly from the door. Only because of my wolf/werewolf hearing I was able to hear it as I walked closer to the room.

"Alec looked so spooked. And if she's afraid of the maze, what does that mean for me?"

"She'll get through it." Draco's voice so gentle. He had never talked to Harry like that. "And so are you. I know it's supposed to be one winner, but if you find each other, maybe you can work together. Win together."

"Maybe… We do work well together." It was silent for a moment before Harry gasped softly. "Draco."

As I arrived, I opened the door and just saw their intertwined pinkies before they jumped apart. Draco must've taken the first move. I smiled softly at them. "You don't need to hide anything from me."

"We're not hiding anything." Draco said hurriedly.

"Right." I let the word stretch out with a smile. "How do you feel about the third task?" I asked Harry.

He shrugged. "I've faced deadly creatures before, so I should be fine." He said as if it was nothing, but something flickered in his eyes. Draco seemed to notice it too but didn't say anything.

Harry was a great wizard. He faced more than a kid his age should have. With the acromantula, the basilisk, the three headed dog, Voldemort himself... But still, I worry for him, for me. Maybe Draco was right, and we should work together. I had no doubt the maze would be even worse than the nightmares I was having about the third task. I glanced to Draco, who was watching Harry with mixed emotions. Fear, proud and if I dare say... longing. But Harry's gaze was fixed on his wand as he twirled it between his fingers.

"Alright, if you're so confident." I took a stance in the middle of the room and gestured him over. "Come fight me, Potter."

LB

"Uncle Moony? Sirius?" I called out after I walked inside the house.

"Alec?" Two voices came from different sides. Moony came out of the library while Sirius walked out of kitchen wiping his hands on a frilly pink apron. Under other circumstances I would have laughed.

"Are you alright?" Moony asked, noting my anxiety immediately.

I shook my head as my hands trembled. He guided me to the couch. They both sat beside me.

"Did the twins do something? I will fucking kill them!"

Uncle Mooney and I looked at Sirius wide-eyed. He always seemed a fan of the twins. But that ends apparently if they would hurt me.

"No, it's not the twins. They are amazing." I smiled a little but when I turned to Moony it fell. "The third task involves a maze."

"Oh, shit." He breathed and pulled me into his side. Sirius looked shocked as Moony cursed. He almost never did that.

"They already told you?"

I nodded my head. "Yes, they told us everything yesterday. We saw that they changed the quidditch pitch into a maze. And Draco said he has seen Hagrid walking in with crates."

"So, you need to find your way out and battle a couple of creatures on the way. That's easy compared to a dragon."

Uncle Mooney shook his head, pulling me closer.

"Alec doesn't do mazes." Uncle Mooney continued when Sirius looked confused. "A year after Alec came to my house, we went to a Halloween festival. They had a corn maze. Alec ran in without me and got lost. I found her two hours later in a corner crying. Apparently, there were people dressed in long black robes, like..."

Sirius swallowed and clasped his hands around mine. A few weeks ago, he has seen the memories my mum kept for me and my last one. "Fuck!"

"I don't know what I'm going to do." I whispered, looking down at my lap.

Moony rubbed my arm. "We will figure it out, cub."

"How? When? It's in three weeks."

"We have always figured things out. And we will do so now."

I dropped my head on his shoulder and nodded silently.

LB

I didn't know how or when, but I fell asleep at one point. I woke up on the couch when I heard voices whispering nearby. Moony and Sirius were standing near the kitchen, huddled close as they talked.

"She had night terrors for weeks, woke up screaming her lungs out. She hasn't been near a maze since."

Sirius cursed. "She is such a strong young woman. She has been through so much. Too much for someone her age. We need to make sure she makes it through this task."

"Hey, sleepyhead." Two almost identical voices said softly.

Those voices were all too familiar. That's when I noticed the twins were on the couch with me. My head was on George's lap and my legs on Fred's.

"Not that I'm complaining, but why are you here?" I asked with a sleepy voice.

"Professor Lupin called for us." Fred said

"They were worried about you and thought we could help." George said as he caressed my head.

"They told you?" I wasn't in the mood to go over all of that again.

They nodded. Not stopping their soft movements on my head and ankle.

"You must think I'm being stupid. Or weak." I looked away.

"Godric no!" They exclaimed.

"You are so strong."

"Whatever happens to you, you'll come out stronger. We will find a way to beat this, together."

I sat up and kissed them both softly on the lips. Two throats were cleared. Sirius and Remus sat down across from us. Sirius scowled a little, his eyes flickering between Fred and George.

Moony sighed before he said. "I think the only way to get over your fear or at least to deal with it for the task, is the hard way."

I swallowed. My throat already dry. "That's what I thought." I dropped my head in my hands and took in a few deep breaths. "So, we go maze hunting?"

"Actually, the twins made one in the garden." Sirius said as he nodded his head towards the glass sliding doors.

And there it was, a green bushy maze, not even two meters high. But it looked dark and scary. As the memory flashed before my eyes, I shivered. The twins shuffled closer and looped their arms around me.

"Hey, we'll take it one step at a time, yeah. If you want, Fred and I can go in with you."

I offered them a small smile. "Thank you. I'll take you up on that offer but..." I looked at Moony. "Maybe you can go in with me first?"

"You don't have to ask, cub." He gave a little smile.

LB

Sirius, Fred and George were standing at the side of the maze while Moony and I stood in front of the entrance.

Moony squeezed my hand. "Alec, remember. You are not a five-year-old defenceless girl anymore. You are strong and smart. You can defend yourself with and without your wand. You can do this."

"I can do this." I muttered to myself. I looked at the dark maze. "I can do this." I squeezed Moony's hand tight as we walked in.

We walked around slowly, my wand lighting up the way. I muttered a spell under my breath to create a large light bulb that floated in front of me, making the area brighter.

"Good thinking, cub." He smiled. I knew it was a simple spell but the way he was proud of me made me grin wide. "I didn't want to say this in front of the twins because they don't know. But once you're in the maze you could turn into Loki. Your senses are heightened then."

"But my defence is weaker."

"True, but it's possible some of Hagrid's creatures would leave you alone. Or that the spells the teachers are going to place over it won't identify you as a human."

"I will take it in consideration."

He nodded before eyeing me carefully. "How are you feeling?"

"O-okay." I didn't say that I was clenching my wand so hard I thought it might break. But, of course, he noticed that but kept quiet. "You don't think they will use..."

"No." He said steadfast, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "They won't bring in something that so many people have a strong history with."

"Alright." I let out a breath of relief.

"But there will be other horrible things in there." He joked.

I slapped his arm, laughing. "Thanks for that, uncle Moony."

"You can handle anything that comes your way, trust me. I'm the one who trained you, remember." He grinned.

"I remember." I smiled but kept my eyes on the bushes and trail. The light bulb making shadows that was giving me shivers. We walked in silence for a while, the grip on my wand not loosening. "How long is this fucking maze?" I cursed as I was getting anxious.

"We passed the exit two times already."

I whipped my head towards him. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"You were doing great. I didn't want to interrupt."

"I don't know if it was great." I said loosening my grip on my wand as I saw the light of the exit. "I'm surprised I didn't snap my wand in two."

"Miss Maes did make the strongest wands."

When we walked out of the maze. The twins were nervously pacing in front of the maze. Sirius was on the ground, his head dropped between his legs, his shoulders tense.

"Is everything alright?" I asked.

Three heads snapped our way. The twins made their way towards me, but Sirius was faster. He wrapped me up in a tight hug, lifting me from the ground.

"Wow! Hey, what's going on?" I asked once he put me down.

"We were worried." Fred said.

"You were in there for so long."

"Are you okay?" Sirius asked, checking me over.

"I'm fine." I stepped back, that felt to close to a father-daughter thing. "It was Moony's fault anyway."

Uncle Moony huffed a laugh. The twins stepped closer and intertwined our fingers together.

"Do you want to try again?"

I shook my head. "Not today." I glanced back at the maze. "Maybe tomorrow."

"We will let the maze here, so you can come over whenever to practice." Sirius promised.

"Thank you. All of you, for being here for me."

The twins brought my hands to their lips to give a soft kiss. Uncle Moony kissed the top of my head and Sirius said. "Always."

The next week we switched between practicing and reading up on creatures that might appear in the maze. Draco was there with every practice but not with the reading. The library was too public for them to be seen together. So, when they could Ron and Hermione would join us. Or my boys. Harry had looked at them strangely when they plopped down next to me and helped us quietly. It was a side of them he hadn't seen yet.

LB

So, this year will go up to chapter 80 before moving on to the next year. So, we are very close to the ending of Alec's sixth year. I will continue weekly updates until chapter 80. Then the chapters will come in slower paces since I'm still writing her seventh year. So, please be patient with me. ?