Alexandra Weasley: Book 5

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Hermione pretty much ignored Alex for two weeks straight. It was a day before Valentine's Day when she finally spoke to Alex.
"Harry's going to Hogsmeade with Cho Chang." She said, taking her usual seat beside Alex in the library. Alex looked up.

"Poor Harry." She said simply and turned back to her book.

"You probably want an explanation." Hermione frowned.

"No, I got it. I did a stupid thing when I took the potion. I was so focused on myself last term, I didn't even think about how it had to have been for you. You loved Cedric too. And his loss wasn't only mine to mourn. I was kind of a selfish bitch, and by taking the potion, even with the desired effect of forgetting just Cedric, I was hurting you too."

"Huh. Okay, so you do get it."

"I'm sorry, Hermione, and I'm sorry for forgetting everything, including you. And I'm sorry for abandoning you when you needed me too." Hermione hugged her.

"Thank you." She squeezed her friend.

"So, um... Alexandra me was clueless, but I am not and I have all my memories and you like my idiot brother." Hermione let go.

"What? No! What?"

"I invented the good-luck-before-the-quidditch-game kiss on the cheek, remember?"

"I do not!"

"I saw you."

"It was friendly." Alex hummed skeptically. "I do not have feelings for Ronald!" Hermione hissed.

"If you say so. I'll be here when you're ready to face your feelings."

"What about you and Pedro?"

"Alexandra was too young when she met him. Besides, he's nice but I just don't feel anything like that." Alex shrugged.

"You are Alexandra." Hermione pointed out.

"Yeah, but not the one who met the Brazilian potion rival."

"So, what are you going to do?"

"I don't know, I don't have to see him or anything. I don't have to do anything, I think. And there's the whole Cedric thing. It's too fresh."

"Is that what you want?"

"Yep." She glanced at the clock. "I gotta go. Meeting with Shay soon, and I need to go to professor Dumbledore's office."

"Are you going to stick with her this time?"

"Yeah, I think I will."

"However many times I say it, it always feels... I dunno. Sort of taboo." Alex confided.

"Why do you think that is?"

"Because it kind of is. No one's supposed to know. It's supposed to be this big secret. But now a few people know."

"Say it. The words 'I'm adopted'." Shay challenged. Alex frowned.

"Why?"

"Humour me for a moment."

"I'm adopted." Alex said, fiddling with her hands in discomfort.

"Clearer." Shay said.

"I-" at Shay's encouraging look she tried again. "I'm adopted."

"Okay, good. Now how do you feel?"

"Like an idiot." Alex crossed her arms. Shay smiled.

"Okay, yes. But aside from that?"

"Oh, so there's supposed to be a point to this?" Shay raised a brow and she sighed. "Sorry, I'm working on not being so confrontational all the time. I don't know. Feels weird. Feels like I'm detaching myself from my family. Still feels wrong. Like I'm breaking the rules."

"How many people have you told? Not including people who knew, like your parents."

"Um, Hermione, Cedric, Ron. Harry sort of found out on his own. Bill and Charlie, I told. Um, Snape kind of overheard me talking to Dumbledore, but I knew he was there. Um, I think that's everyone."

"And how were the reactions?"

"No one really thinks differently. Not because I'm adopted, at least."

"And what about you? What was your reaction to finding out?" Alex sighed, fiddling with her fingers.

"I didn't find out in any sort of... traditional way." She started. "I guess I was relieved."

"Relieved?" Shay said, a hint of surprise in her voice.

"Not like that. Okay, ugh. So, this all starts about the time I went missing. I was with my biological grandfather. He found me, sent a minion to threaten me and pretty much locked me away." She reached for the tub of sweets on the desk.

"Your grandfather?"

"Voldemort." Alex said casually. Shay was very much a professional. Alex could see her flinch and the questions and the surprise in her eyes, but Shay didn't comment on it. "He told me my mother was dead, and then eventually when he told me he was talking about his daughter and my biological mother and telling me he was my grandfather, thus letting me in on the fact that I am adopted, he told me my mother, my- Molly, was alive. So relief was one of my first emotions."

"Right." Shay noted something down. "What else did you feel?"

"I was curious. I was under his control when he told me, so I didn't get to feel everything I wanted to feel. Not until I got home."

"In our first sessions, you said you were made to do terrible things. Does that have anything to do with being under his control?" Alex nodded. "Do you want to talk about that today?" Alex shook her head. "Okay."

"Why was Snape helping you?" She asked. "You said he helped you find a healer, right? When you were at Hogwarts. I mean, you don't have to tell me."

"My father didn't like me very much." She said. "I guess he wanted a boy to carry the family name."

"That sucks." Alex said. "Guess in some ways I'm lucky. No matter what happens I've got my family."

"It's not a contest. You went through some incredibly bad things. There's no lucky and unlucky."

A/N- So Hermione and Alex made up yay. Alex made some big mistakes, but I'm not keeping our girls away from each other for too long. Also I love Shay.

Okay favourite line is "I invented the good-luck-before-the-quidditch-game kiss on the cheek, remember?" 😭😭