Alexandra Weasley: Book 5

18

It was the end of the week when Susan came to Hermione in a panic. "You've got to come!" She hastily tugged Hermione from Ron and Harry. She led her down to the common rooms, not even bothering with the usual cloak and dagger routine they usually employed to ensure Hermione didn't know the password. She pulled Hermione into the dorms and Hermione saw what was so urgent.

"Oh my god! Did Danny get back at you for last year?" She gasped. Alex's previously long hair had been cut short. Very short. The cuts were rough and Alex's cheeks were pink.

"Worse. She did it herself." Megan said.

"Why?" Hermione moved closer to Alex's bed. The girls shrugged and glanced at each other and then at Alex.

"She didn't go to Snape's class again but this time she also missed charms. When we came back, she was like this. She won't say a word."

"Alex?" Hermione shook her gently but Alex didn't look at her. "Hey, bad day?" She asked. No reply. "So you cut your hair?" Hermione tried a different tactic. "Okay. Come on. Let's go to the kitchens." She tried to rouse her, but Alex pulled away, sinking deeper into her bed. "We're just going to get you something to eat. I didn't see you at breakfast. We can come right back." Alex stayed silent.

Alex ended up not going to any of her lessons that day. Hermione left after lunch only to come back as soon as classes were over. She mainly left Alex to her own devices, taking over a spot on the floor near Alex's bed. That night, Charlie and Megan pushed together their beds (well, Charlie's bed was only unofficially hers. She still had a room of her own), and shared with Hermione who was getting more and more concerned.

When Hermione woke up, Alex's bed was empty. She went out to the common room, and caught sight of her.
"You don't have to keep an eye on me at all times, you know." She said.

"Yeah, I kind of do." Hermione said. "You cut off your hair."

"Is it really that bad?"

"It just needs a little evening out." Hermione assured. "Or you could get a hair growth potion." Alex shook her head.

"Don't want it."

"Why not?"

"I know what you're trying to do." She said, staring at the fire. "Trying to keep me talking."

"Can you blame me?"

"I don't need my hand held."

"I do. You scare me sometimes. Days like yesterday. Promise me you won't do anything drastic until you've thought it through? Please?" Alex nodded and Hermione smiled thankfully. "Are you good now?"

"I don't know." Alex admitted. "What if I stopped him from entering? I had my wand, and I was right there. I don't care if Ced wouldve hated me for it, I could've stepped in and did something."

"None of us knew what would have happened, Alex. It's not your fault."

"Or maybe it was because I taunted him. That letter I sent telling him where he could go. Maybe he killed Cedric to punish me."

"Stop that. You can't think like that. It's not your fault. It's Voldemort's and Pettigrew's. No one else's."

"I wish I could obliviate myself. Forget about Cedric entirely."

"Alex!"

"Relax, I can't. Remember? I can't even use a stupid drying charm on my hair!" Alex protested and Hermione looked a little relieved.

"Is that why you cut it?" Alex nodded.

"I got a bit annoyed. Look, I'm fine. I promise, I'm not going to do anything stupid." Hermione still looked troubled. "I'm just doing homework now, anyway. Nothing to worry about."

"I'm always going to worry." Hermione said with a yawn.

"You should go back to sleep. You can take my bed, if you want. I'm just going to continue, and then work on the study guide for defense."

"I asked Harry to start a defense club."

"Why?"

"He's the one of us with most experience, and the best in the whole year." Alex looked offended and Hermione amended her statement. "Aside from you, but you don't count. Besides, I didn't think you'd want to."

"True. What did he say?"

"He asked me to let him think about it for a little while. Doesn't really like the idea. I think he'll come around." She yawned again.

"Alright, go to sleep, H. I promise, I'll be right out here." Hermione narrowed her eyes but Alex looked sincere.

"Okay." She said and headed back into the dorm. Alex waited a few moments before flipping the page of her notebook, looking somewhat guilty.

Susan helped Alex the next morning in wrangling her hair to be much more presentable than the shabby chops they were. Instead of attempting to fix her hair themselves, they decided that they could visit the hair dressers on the Hogsmeade weekend. For now, hair clips and gel seemed to be Alex's best friends.

"What happened to you?" Pansy looked horrified.

"What?"

"Your hair! What happened?"

"I cut it."

"Why would you do that?!" Megan, traitor that she was, just laughed beside her and left her to suffer Pansy.

"Pans, I just wanted a change."

"If you need some hair growth-"

"I don't." Alex reassured.

"You... don't?" Pansy looked perplexed.

"No, I don't. I just need to even it out."

"Just looking at it makes me want to throw up. In the nicest way possible. Let me fix it. Please?" Pansy looked like she couldn't actually fathom what on earth Alex had been thinking.

"Sure, whatever." Alex gave in. Pansy turned to Daphne.

"Meet us in the bathroom after class, and bring me my kit."

Pansy ushered Alex to the bathroom on the first floor the moment lesson ended, with Megan following.
"Why would you do this?" Pansy asked, aghast, as she rinsed Alex's hair.

"I wanted a change Pans." Alex sighed.

"So you chopped your hair off? That's extreme."

"Oh my god." Alex groaned.

"Okay, I sketched three styles I could do for you in class." Pansy handed her a parchment with three drawings, before starting to comb out Alex's hair.

"Oh, wow. Okay. Thanks."

When Pansy was done, she grabbed her wand to do a stasis charm so Alex's hair would stay.
"No no!" Alex said, immediately.

"What? I'm not going to hex you."

"That's not it. After certain events last year, I kind of use full protection charms on myself. It's not going to work."

"Oh, okay. Well, ta-da. Finished!" Alex looked in the mirror.

"Oh, wow. Pans, you're really good at this." She'd evened out Alex's hair and curled it.

"I know." Pansy fiddled around a little more before beginning to pack away her equipment.

"Like, seriously really good at this."

"She's right." Megan agreed. "She looked awful before you got your hands on her."

"Megan!" Alex objected.

"What, we all thought it. You went a bit psycho." Alex rolled her eyes and turned back to thank Pansy.

A/N- I like the Pansy friendship ☺️

Favourite line is "I cut it." "Why would you do that?!"