~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 :)
"Alex Russo. Just who I've been meaning to catch since the term started." Alex groaned, stopping in the middle of the hallway. She had just finished in Divinations, and had snuck out before Hermione could catch up to her. She hadn't considered she'd run into anyone else since she wasn't really talking to any of her friends. She turned around to see Adam Good standing a few feet away from her, decked out in navy blue and Ravenclaw robes, a mischievous smirk on his lips. She'd almost forgotten about his existence until that moment. Almost.
"Ravenclaw, huh? I expected Slytherin." She said as she folded her arms over her chest.
"I guess I'm not mischievous enough." He shrugged, taking a few steps in Alex's direction.
"I wouldn't be so sure about that, not with your antics last year." Alex replied, giving him a knowing look. She certainly didn't forget how he openly flirted with her despite knowing she had a boyfriend.
"Right... last year." The amusement on his face dropped as it was replaced with a sympathetic one. "I never had the chance to extend my condolences at the end of the term, last year. I really wanted to, honesty, but I didn't even know how to reach you over summer vacation. About Diggory... I'm very sorry for your loss, Alex. I know very well what it's like to lose someone you care about."
"Oh. Uh, thank you." Alex replied in surprise. That was not what she expected, not coming from him. He'd spent most of their interactions in the last year trying to hit on her even though he knew Cedric was her boyfriend. Despite that, she could hear the genuine sadness in his voices. And she knew why. "I might have heard a bit about what happened with you as well... from your sister. I'm also really sorry about your loss."
"Thank you." He replied with a forced smile. "It's part of the reason why I left Durmstrang, to be honest with you. Too many memories." Adam motioned down the hall, signaling for her to continue her way. Alex nodded and the two started to walk down the hall together.
"I wish I could have done that. You know... left Hogwarts." She admitted. She wasn't sure why she was saying this to him. "My godfather actually wanted me to stay with him this year and be home schooled by him. Honestly, I almost considered it. But Hogwarts is the distraction I need to stop thinking about Cedric."
"It gets easier, I can assure you that. But I still think about her quite a lot." Adam admitted, a sad smile adorning his lips. "As strange as this sounds, you remind me a lot of her."
"Is this is a pick-up line to get me to sympathize with you? Because I swear-" Alex started as Adam put his palms up in surrender.
"I swear on my own sister that it's not a pick-up line. Would be a really shitty thing to do." He said as he dropped his arms. He bumped his shoulder against Alex's. "I will admit though, you are very much my type of witch. But I could never be with someone that reminded me so much like Alia. It'd feel like I was replacing her."
"Alia?" Alex looked at him in surprise. "That is a beautiful name." She smiled.
"She was a beautiful witch." Adam said with a pained smile. She wondered if that's how she looked when Cedric came up in conversation. Would that be how she'd always look.
"Can I ask you something?" She asked as she stopped and turned to face Adam.
"You already did." He joked as Alex shot him an annoyed look. "Go on with it." He urged her.
"Have you felt any sort of way about someone... I mean, since Alia died? A way that reminds you of your feelings for her?" Her mind went back to her interaction with George a few days ago. She didn't think it was attraction, but she wasn't sure. He was her best friend, it couldn't be. Also, it was way too soon. Wasn't it?
"No, I haven't. But I'm sure if I did, I would have her snatched up immediately. Love is hard to come by." Adam replied. He gave Alex a curious look, tilting his head slightly as he put a hand under his chin. "Why do you ask?"
"I just-" She hesitated, not wanting to give too much away. She wasn't even sure if she was thinking too much of it. "What if- what if it wasn't the same? Like what if it just felt similar to how you felt with Alia?"
"I don't imagine anything will feel like it did with Alia, but I wouldn't want that anyway." He laughed bitterly. "If someone comes along, I would want her to make me feel her own type of way. It may feel similar, but it won't be the same. I'm sure of it." Adam paused, studying Alex with a doubtful expression. "It's okay to love again, Alex. It just has to be when you think you're ready... and with the right person of course." He added as he started to walk again.
"But how do you know when you're ready?" Alex asked as she caught up to him. "And, where are we going?"
"Honestly Alex, only you will know when you're ready. No one can tell you that. You'll just... know." Adam gave her a knowing grin. "As for your second question... I don't really know." He shrugged. "Let's just walk. I feel like talking about Alia."
~~~~~~~~~~
"You've done it Neville!" Hermione said to Neville excitedly as Harry, Justin, Ron and the twins looked around the giant open space filled with training equipment. "You found the Room of Requirement, also known as the Come and Go Room. The Room of Requirements only appears when a person has real need of it. And it's always equipped for the seeker's needs."
"This is how Alex got to our dad last year?" Justin asked, glancing at Hermione questioningly.
"Correct." Hermione nodded. "Though I'm still not entirely sure how she managed that."
"It's brilliant!" Harry smiled. "It's like Hogwarts wants us all to fight back."
"We've got ourselves teachers and a room to practice. I think we are set." Hermione said as she looked at her friends. She glanced at Fred and George. "Anything from Alex?"
George didn't say anything as Fred scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "We actually haven't talked to Alex in a few days. She's been rather busy."
"Busy with what?" Justin turned towards the twins. "Don't tell me she's been ditching class again."
"Actually... she's been spending quite some time with Good." Fred replied before glancing at his twin. George rolled his eyes in response.
"Who?" Justin asked as he looked at his friends in confusion. He didn't know anyone named Good.
"Alex and Adam Good?" Ron asked excitedly. "I didn't know they were friends."
"Wait. Isn't that the troubled Durmstrang transfer from last year?" Justin recalled as the image of the quidditch player appeared in his head. He, like all other students, had heard about the rumors going around about his transfer to Hogwarts. Not to mention Cedric had told him about how Adam had been openly hitting on Alex. "What's Alex doing with him?"
"I saw them walking alone together a few days ago." Neville chimed in. "She didn't seem as annoyed with him as she did last term."
"First Malfoy, now this? This is getting out of hand." Justin slapped a hand down his face. After taking a deep breath he turned to George. "Has she told you anything?"
"You heard Fred. We haven't talked to her in a few days." He shrugged. "Alex is free to do whatever she wants."
"Bitter, aren't we?" Fred said under his breath so only George could hear. George shot him an angry look. Justin saw their exchange, but didn't think much of it. He knew how protective the twins were of his sister.
"Why don't we worry about Alex later." Hermione suggested. "Justin, Harry, you both have a lot to prepare for tomorrow's first lesson. Fred or I can talk to Alex about joining us if we run into her."
"Hermione is right, we have a big day tomorrow." Harry said, speaking up for the first time since the topic of Alex came up. "We can meet in Hogsmeade."
"Sure." Justin agreed reluctantly. "Update me if you hear anything from her." He added, looked at Hermione and the twins. Only Fred and Hermione nodded.
~~~~~~~~~~
Harry and Justin stood on both sides of Neville as he held out his wand, facing a dummy. Neville looked nervously between his wand and the dummy. Harry was starting to question why they chose Neville to practice first... especially considering how close he and Justin were to Neville at that moment.
"Expelliarmus!" Neville called out unconfidently. Neville's wand immediately flew back and the line of witches and wizards behind them ducked to avoid the wand.
"I'm hopeless." Neville's said dejectedly as his wand hit the wall behind them.
"You're just flourishing your wand too much. Try this." Harry turned his attention to the Dummy and extended the arm holding his wand. "Expelliarmus!" He called out, the faux wand in the Dummy's hand fell away to the ground.
"Ginny, why don't you go next?" Justin suggested as Neville moved to the back of the line to retrieve his wand. Ginny stepped up between Harry and Justin.
"Move your wand just like Harry did a moment ago." Justin said as he lifted his own wand and mirrored the motion Harry had executed a moment ago. Ginny practiced a few times, following Justin's directions. "You're doing great."
"How about we give it a go." Harry suggested.
Ginny nodded as she held out her wand, directing it as the dummy. "Expelliarmus!"
The faux wand flew out of the dummy's hand as their friends cheered behind them.
"Brilliant, Ginny!" Harry praised. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.
~~~~~~~~~~
"I was hoping I'd find you here" Alex heard Fred say as he seated himself beside her and slung an arm around her shoulders.
Alex was seated in the courtyard with her Potions book on her lap. She'd put extra time into studying for Potions this year and taking advantage of the extra credit assignment Snape offered her to make up for the terrible grade she expected in defense against the dark arts. She looked at her friend with a smile.
"I haven't seen you in days." Alex commented.
"Been a bit busy." He shrugged.
"You're all going to get caught eventually and you know it." She warned him as she closed the book in front of her and set it aside. She turned her body to face Fred. "Where's George?"
"Beats me." He shrugged. Alex caught something in his expression that told her otherwise, but she didn't comment on it. "You always know where George is."
"He stayed a bit late with Ginny, Justin, and Cho, I think. Probably still there."
"Cho, huh?" Alex pursed her lips. "Something going on there?"
Fred narrowed his eyes at Alex. "Not that I know of. But he'd tell you sooner than he'd tell me. You're his best friend."
"Right. Some best friend... he's been avoiding me for weeks." She muttered.
"You've also been avoiding him, and me for that matter." Fred said, giving her a suspicious look. Alex actually couldn't counter that. She was avoiding George... and in turn avoiding Fred since the two were inseparable. However, she expected by now he'd have come looking for her. "Also... he might not be thrilled that you and Malfoy are spending time together again."
"We never stopped hanging out." Alex rolled her eyes. "He's a great study partner anyway. Since he's actually serious about Potions. Also. Snape gives him a lot of the same extra credit opportunities."
"Yeah, I'm sure he is a great study buddy." Fred replied mockingly.
Alex shrugged off Fred's arm in response to this. She looked at Fred suspiciously. "What exactly are you implying?"
"There might be rumors going around that you and Malfoy were alone in Potions and he was making you blush." Fred said. Alex didn't know whether to laugh at this or be mad.
"Malfoy did not make me blush!" She said immediately when Fred's expression started to turn suspicious. She was going to kill whoever started that rumor. "That's insane! I mean okay, sure I did blush. But I was blushing because he implied that-" Alex stopped mid sentence as Fred raised a curious eyebrow at her.
"He implied what?" He asked.
"That doesn't matter." Alex replied dismissively. "And I already told you guys, Malfoy is my friend. And not to mention he and I are related!" She added in disgust.
"Did he imply something about you and Good?" Fred asked, not letting it go.
Alex frowned, her patience was wearing thin. "What does Adam got anything to do with this?"
"There might be a rumor about you and him getting close as well..." Fred explained as he stared back at Alex in curiosity. Why was it that Alex was always the topic of rumors? She didn't even talk to anyone.
"Adam and I are also only friends. He gets me and what I'm going through in a way that no one else does." She explained. She started packing up her things, no longer interested in continuing this conversation. Maybe she could interrogate Neville to find out where these rumors were coming from.
"And we don't?" Fred asked with an offended tone.
"It's not like that, Fred. Adam has gone through losing someone the way I lost Cedric. It's easier to talk to him about it... it's easier for both of us." Alex explained in a huff. When Fred didn't say anything she looked up at him again. He was staring at her with a surprised expression. "What?"
"You said his name."
"Oh... right... that" She smiled in embarrassment. "I don't know... I guess, ever since I cried it out with George and then visited my dad and Lupin, things have felt... better? Talking to Adam about all of it also helps. It feels validating since he went through it all."
"You saw Sirius and Lupin?"
"Yeah..." She replied awkwardly. There goes her plan to not tell anyone. "Just... please don't mention it to anyone. I kind of think with Voldemort out there somewhere, it's probably best we don't offer this information to anyone about being able to transport out of and into Hogwarts."
"Sure." Fred nodded. He released a sigh "Should probably clear this all up with George. He's not very thrilled with your choice of friends right now."
"He almost sounds jealous." Alex joked nervouslyp. She knew it was ridiculous, but a part of her wanted to hear that he was jealous.
Fred didn't say anything in response to this, he just stood up. "Hopefully I'll be seeing you later."
"Sure." She agreed.
Fred shot her a salute before turning to walk away. She watched as her friend disappeared towards castle. Now no longer needing to escape, she sighed before grabbing the book from beside her and returning it to her lap. Who would have thought Alex Russo would be so studious? She thought as she returned to studying.
Its been a while... but I'm determiend to finish this... eventually... even of its just for myself.