~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?" Tonks whispered beside her.
The two were sitting at the dining table, looking through the albums Remus had brought with him from his home. They were full of photos of him, Alex's parents, and Harry's parents when they were still students at Hogwarts. There were a few photos with Justin, Harry and Alex as babies as well as a photo or two with baby Neville and his parents.
"What?" She whispered back before glancing on the opposite side of the kitchen where her dad and Remus were preparing tea and cookies.
"Does Dumbledore know where you are?"
"No. I haven't even seen the old man since I got to Hogwarts." She shrugged. "He is a pretty absent uncle as far as I am concerned. He seems to only make an appearance when it comes to keeping me away from hijinks or ensuring I stay at freakin Hogwarts."
"Does anyone know you're here?" Tonks asked, ignoring her comments about the headmaster.
"What do you think?" She gave Tonk a knowing look. "I obviously snuck out. But don't worry, I covered my tracks this time. No one will be looking for me until at least the morning. And by then I'll be back in my assigned bed in Gryffindor tower." She rolled her eyes. Alex made sure to emphasize to George that she just wanted to rest, and should not be bothered. She even stuffed some pillows under the covers so Hermione would think she was asleep.
"You are exactly the kind of trouble that Remus and Sirius need right now. They're such a bore. My mum told me that Sirius was such a troublemaker growing up. Not to mention I'd heard so much about the Maurders."
"Wait... your mom knows my dad?" Alex asked in surprise.
"One of the reasons I volunteered to protect you with Remus this summer is so I could get to know you, you know. All we really did though was teach you magic." Tonks gave her a pointed look.
"First of all, let's be real. You wanted to protect me because you wanted to spend the summer fawning over my godfather." Alex said, looking Tonks up and down. When Tonks didn't deny it, she continued. "Second of all, why would you want to know me?"
This time Tonks did react, she looked at Alex in confusion. "Has Sirius never told you?" Alex shook her head, still confused what she was even talking about. "What a shame. For your information, my mum and your dad are both cousins."
"Wait- like part of the Black family?"
"Precisely." She smirked. "Black is my mum's maiden name. She's actually sisters with Narcissa Malfoy and Belatrix Lestrange. She'd be the middle sister and that would make them both my aunts. And it would make you my second cousin." Tonks explained confidently.
"How did I not know this?" Alex asked, mostly to herself. She spent the whole summer with her second cousin... and she didn't even realize it?
"You've had a rough summer kid." Tonks replied, patting Alex's shoulder as she looked at her with a sympathetic smile.
"Let's go back to the main reason you were with us all summer." Alex said, deciding to return focus to the topic of her godfather and Tonks.
Tonks rolled her eyes at Alex. "Your godfather is disciplined, I'll give him that. But I am just as, if not more determined." She said proudly as she glanced in Remus' direction. "I'll have him biting in no-time." She shot Alex a wink as Remus and Sirius made their way over.
"Tea and biscuits for the ladies." Sirius announced as he placed a tray with four mugs and a plate of cookies between Alex and Tonks. He took a seat beside Alex while Remus took the seat beside Tonks.
"What did we miss?" Remus asked.
"Tonks just told me we're second cousins. That's so cool!" She turned to her dad. "Why did you never tell me! Literally she's the coolest witch I've met!"
"Must have slipped my mind." Sirius replied with a smile. Alex didn't notice the pleased look that Remus and Sirius exchanged as Alex reached for a cookie.
"Alex, we've meant to ask, when are you expected back to Hogwarts?" Remus asked as he lifted his wrist to look at the time. "It's getting quite late, is it not? We don't want a repeat of the last time. You did tell someone you're here, did you not?"
"Of course." Alex waved her hand dismissively. She caught the eye roll from Tonks at her lie. What did they don't know, won't kill them... "I just need to be back by morning. I promised George I'd join him and Fred for breakfast."
"It's been a few days since the term started. I would hope you'll get better about spending time with your friends. We hear you've been keeping to yourself. Justin-"
"I don't want to talk about Justin. Or Harry while we're on the topic. Can we just not right now, please." Alex pleaded as she looked between her dad and godfather, her mood clearly dampened.
Sirius gave his daughter a sad smile but nodded before looking at Remus. Remus also nodded in agreement.
"Great. I don't know about your guys but I want a cookie." Alex placed a plate in front of her as she started loading her plate with more cookies. Tonks looked at the two encouragingly before mouthing baby steps. The two nodded, deciding to enjoy the night with the Alex they'd missed all summer.
~~~~~~~~~~
"Harry, Justin, we need to do something. We're learning absolutely nothing useful from Professor Umbridge on how to defend ourselves. If Voldemort really is building an army, we stand no chance reading these books!"
"But what can we do exactly? It's not like we can lodge a complaint to the ministry of magic." Justin replied with a frown.
"You two can teach us." Hermione suggested. Harry and Justin both looked at Hermione as if she'd grown a third eye. "You both have mastered several defensive spells that we should be learning. Harry, you trained with Professor Lupin all of last term. And Justin, you were training with Professor Dumbledore all summer. I would even dare to say Alex would be an excellent teacher... however she's not exactly speaking to any of us right now. My point is, we need a teacher and you both are exactly what we need."
"I don't know about this..." Justin started. He was confident of the magic he'd learned from his uncle... but teaching others? "I mean, we know some things, but we aren't qualified to teach you all magic."
"Neither is Umbridge, but you see her doing it." Ron said bitterly.
"Who would even want to learn... from us?" Harry asked.
"You let us take care of that." Hermione said confidently. "You two just prepare to teach us."
~~~~~~~~~~
"You know... you could join us today." Fred said to Alex as she and the twins walked out of the Great Hall after breakfast. To her relief, Justin, Harry, Hermione, and Ron were nowhere to be seen while they ate.
"I'd rather not." She replied, shooting her friends a smile.
George glanced at his brother who just shrugged in response. After a moment, Fred sighed. "I am going to find Lee and grab our coats. I'll meet you in the courtyard in half an hour." He said, looking pointedly at George before looking at Alex. "See you later, Alex."
"Fred always seems to duck out at the right time, huh?" She said to George once Fred was out of sight.
"He tends to leave me with the tougher conversations." He replied with a shrug. "Speaking of which..." George started, coming up beside her and bumping her shoulder. "You haven't spoken to your brother or Harry since you returned to Hogwarts. It's been three and a half weeks... not counting the summer holiday."
Alex rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest and fully turned to face George. "What's your point?"
George stepped closer to Alex, causing her to step back in surprise. He continued towards her until Alex's back hit the wall, ending her retreat. George placed his hands against the wall on both sides of her, successfully trapping her. She looked up as George leaned over her, a hopeful look on his face. "I really think you should talk to your brother... and Harry too, I reckon."
"I-uh. I'm not interested in- in- in that." She said, her mind going blank on what she was not interested in. What was she even saying no to?
"Dumbledore's army could do good." George pleaded, his eyebrows scrunching together in frustration as he looked at Alex.
"I'm not joining Dumbledore's stupid army."
"That's not what you said at headquarters..." He reminded her, looking down at her pointedly.
Alex couldn't help but be distracted as George looked at her with a crooked smile on his lips. Why was she so distracted? She actually couldn't recall a time George had been this close to her. This was odd. Right?
"Alex?"
"Huh?" She snapped out of her thoughts to find George's playful expression now replaced with one of concern.
"You alright, Alex?" He asked her.
Alex forced a smile and nodded. "Yeah, yeah. I'm fine." She assured him. Alex placed her hands on his chest and pushed him slightly away from her. "Shouldn't you be getting to your little meeting?"
"I really wished you'd come with us." George said, dropping his hands beside him.
Alex took advantage of his arms no longer blocking her and stepped away to put a bit more space between them. "I'm not going anywhere Justin and Harry are at. If you need me, I'll be in Potions." She waved at George before turning and walking down the hall.
"But Alex, it's Saturday!"
"Flitwick gave me detention for pranking Seamus." She called out, not looking back and disappearing around a corner.
Alex glanced back momentarily to catch the proud look on George's face as he watched her leave.
~~~~~~~~~~
How Hermione had managed to convince Justin and Harry to teach defense against the dark arts, he didn't know. The girl was persistent. A week ago, he would have told anyone that they were crazy for thinking it. Now, he was sitting beside Harry at Hogshead, surrounded by other witches and wizards who'd been invited to join the cause. All of them were watching as Hermione fumbled through a stack of papers on her lap in front of them.
Ron leaned over beside Hermione. "Mione'... maybe it's time-"
"I know, Ron!" She shushed him. Hermione handed him the stack of papers before standing up to address the room. "Um, hi." She greeted them all awkwardly "So you all know why we're here. We need a teacher." She continued, looking around her. "A proper teacher. One who's had real experience defending themselves against the dark arts."
"Why?" A blonde boy in the front challenged.
"Why?" Ron spat back. "Because you-know-who's back, you tosspot."
"So they say." The boy motioned towards Harry and Justin. Justin looked at Harry and rolled his eyes. This is pointless.
"So Dumbledore says." Hermione corrected him, shooting the boy a challenging look.
"So Dumbledore says because they said." The boy shot back. "The point is, where's the proof?"
"If they could tell us more about how Diggory got killed-" A boy sitting beside Ginny suggested. Around them, a few student silently nodded while others looked between Harry and Justin in interest. Justin looked at his his girlfriend, who gave him an encouraging smile. Now he remembered how Hermione convinced him, with her help.
Harry stood in beside him. "I'm not going to talk about Cedric so if that's why you're here you might as well clear out now."
Justin stood up and put a hand on Harry's shoulder. "Agreed. Hermione let it go, this is a waste of time." He added in a low voice.
As their schoolmates started chatting amongst themselves, Luna stood up. "Is it true you can produce a patronus charm?" She asked as a few students turned to her in surprise.
"Yes, I've seen it!" Hermione responded when Harry didn't immediately respond.
"Blimey Harry, I didn't know you could do that." Their friend Dean said in surprise. Amazed whispers broke out around them.
"And Justin learned to do the spell over the summer from Dumbledore himself." Ginny added proudly.
"Ginny." Justin shot her a disapproving look, which she ignored.
"And Harry killed a basilisk with a sword in Dumbledore's office." Neville said from beside Ginny. A few gasps erupted around them and more whispers.
"It's true." Ginny agreed. "I was there."
"Third year he fought about a hundred dementors at once." Ron added proudly.
"And last year he fought off you-know-who right in front of me." Justin said, joining the others. He didn't know why he decided to join in, but he couldn't deny that it was swaying them.
"Wait..." Harry stepped forward. "It all sounds great when you say it like that. The truth is, most of that was just luck. I didn't know what I was doing half the time and I nearly always had help."
"He's just being modest-" Hermione started only to be cut off by Harry.
"No, Hermione. I'm not." He said to her before turning back to look at the others. "Facing this stuff in real life is not like school. In school if you make a mistake, you can just try again tomorrow. But out there, when you are a second away from being murdered or watching a friend die before your eyes... you don't know what that's like." Harry said, shaking his head as he sat down. Justin sat back down beside him, the images of Cedric in his head. They really didn't know.
"You're right Harry, we don't." Hermione agreed, taking the seat on the other side of him. "That's why we need help. Because if we are going to have any chance of beating... Voldemort." She paused and looked at him determined. "We need your help." She said before looking at Justin. "Both of your help."
"He's really back?" A younger redhead boy asked, looking at Harry sadly.
Harry nodded silently.
When no one said anything else, Hermione grabbed the pile of papers she'd given to Ron and pulled off the top of the pile, placing it in front of her and Harry. Justin leaned over curiously, noting the page was a table with a space for names and signatures, and the top was labeled Dumbledore's Army. She looked at the group in determination. "If you are ready to learn."
Justin and the Golden Trio smiled as the group around them started to form a line in front of the table, Ginny and the twins standing at the very front. After Ginny and Fred transcribed their names, George stepped up to them.
"Alex?" Hermione asked him hopefully. Justin frowned, already knowing his answer since she wasn't at the meeting.
George shook his head. "She'll come around eventually." He replied before turning to Justin and Harry. "Just give her time... and space."
"She can have all the space she needs." Justin sighed. "I can't particularly think of how to convince my sister I had nothing to do with her boyfriend's death."
"She'll come around." George repeated before stepping aside to join his twin.
"I wouldn't hold your breath." Justin said under his breath before the next person stepped up to write their name.
~~~~~~~~~~
Alex stared at her Potions book. Not really ready or paying attention to the words on the page. Her head was stuck on the moment she had with George the previous day. She wanted to think she was caught off by surprise, but she knew that wasn't true.
"Alright, what is it?" Draco asked in irritation from beside her. She'd almost forgotten he was there. The two were working on an extra credit potions assignment in the dungeon and Draco had tasked her with reading up on the first potion.
"I don't know what you mean?" Alex said dismissively. She turned her attention back to her potions textbook.
"I know for a fact you were not reading that book." He said. "Just get on with whatever you need to get out so we can return to the potion brewing." He waved his hand obnoxiously. A part of Alex really wanted to hit him.
"What makes you think I even want to talk to you about it?"
"True. Why don't you run along to those Weasley twins you're chasing around all day." Draco suggested with a sneer. Alex must have given something away because a smirk had appeared on his face. "So this has something to do with the Weasleys?"
"I didn't say that."
"You didn't have to. I saw the look on your face. I'm getting better at reading you." He replied smugly. "So which one is it?"
"I don't know what you're talking about." Alex said quickly. She turn her attention back to her textbook again, even though her mind was really still on George. She just hoped that Draco would let the conversation go. He didn't.
"I didn't think you of all people would stoop so low. So which one is it? I reckon it doesn't matter since they are twins, but humor me. Is it Fred?" Alex didn't give anything away as she started pretending to mark up her book with notes. She was a bit surprised though, that he even knew their names. "Hmmm, no reaction, alright... is it George then?" Draco paused again while Alex tried to keep her face neutral. She must have failed because a few seconds later a triumphant look came over his face. "George it is! Well, well, well."
Alex looked at Malfoy in fake disgust. "I didn't say that, okay. Fred and George are my best friends! That is all it is."
"Whatever you say, Alex." Draco rolled his eyes at Alex as he started to examine the vials in front of them.
"Shut-up, Malfoy." She shoved Draco, nearly knocking him off his chair. He resituated himself on the chair, but didn't say anything else on the topic as he proceeded to look at the vials.
~~~~~~~~~~
"I just witnessed a disturbing sight." Ron said as he dropped into the vacant seat beside Harry. Harry, Justin, and Hermione were seated with the other Weasley children at the Gryffindor table for dinner.
"You look in the mirror, Ron?" George joked, him and Fred exchanging high fives.
"Very funny." Ron replied sarcastically. "Actually, I went down to the dungeons to see if I left my quil in Potions. Saw Snape talking to Umbridge outside the Great Hall so I thought it was great timing. I didn't get to check for my quil though. I saw Malfoy and Alex there together, alone. Alex was a bit pink in the face."
"Pink in the face, as in angry? Did she punch him?" Fred asked excitedly as the playful expression on George's face changed to a serious one.
"She looked like she was blushing if ya ask me. Do you think Alex fancies Malfoy?" Ron asked, a disgusted look on his face.
"Absolutely not!" "No." "Are you mental?" Justin, Harry and Hermione responded all at once. The three looked at each other before turning their attention back to Ron.
"What exactly did you see?" Justin asked. He knew there was no way Alex would have a thing for Draco, especially considering they were second cousins. But disregarding that, he questioned why Alex was spending time with Draco in the first place. "Ron?"
"The pair were in potions, sitting together at a table. Probably one of the extra credit assignment from Snape that Alex would always brag about." Ron said bitterly. "Draco was sayin' something to Alex and she was blushing. I don't think I've seen her blush like that since Diggory started trailing after her."
"I have to go." George said as he stood up abruptly. They all stared in confusion as he got up and left without saying another word. Fred didn't even say anything to his twin as he stared after his departing brother with a frown. He turned and looked at the group.
"George really can't stand Malfoy." He explained. "I reckon I better go find him before he hexes Malfoy." He added before standing up and collecting his things. He started to go but stopped and looked at Ron first. "Tell me if you see this again." He instructed his brother before heading towards the entrance of the Great Hall.
Justin pinched the bridge of his nose. "The last thing we need right now is Alex befriending Malfoy. The son of a death eater."
"I'm sure what Ron saw isn't the entire story." Hermione reassured him. "Let's not jump to any conclusions just yet. You and Alex had enough issues last year with rumors such as this one." He couldn't disagree with that.
"I know what I saw." Ron huffed, earning him a death glare from Hermione.
"I agree with Hermione." Harry chimed in. "Not to mention Alex and Draco are related."
"Exactly." Justin nodded. "For now, let's just focus on finding somewhere to learn." His friends all nodded in agreement.
This has been sitting in my drafts for months... thought I should finally upload.