Alex didn't know how long she had been sitting there against the wall when footsteps caught her attention. She looked up and spotted Cedric walking in her direction with his friend, Malcolm. They were laughing about something when the two boys noticed her up ahead.
"Alex!" Cedric called with a smile but it quickly vanished when he saw her crying. "What happened?" He rushed over, Malcolm trailing back since he didn't know Alex as well.
She could only shake her head and cover her face. Cedric motioned for Malcolm to head on without him as he sat there with Alex. He slowly put his arm around her shoulders, which caused her to just cling to the front of his robes, quiet sobs leaving her mouth.
"Hey, it's okay," he told her, trying to shush her softly.
All she could do was keep shaking her head. "He's coming for me, Ced," she cried. "He's coming for me and I don't what to do."
Cedric's brow furrowed at her words. "What are you talking about?" He asked. "Who's after you?"
Immediately, her stomach dropped as to what she just confessed, and she pulled away from him. "I shouldn't have said that," she quickly said, scrambling to stand up and walk away. "I'm sorry."
She went to turn and run before Cedric grabbed her arm, gently pulling her to sit at one of the window seats close by. Her breathing became sharp as she realized she wouldn't be able to avoid this conversation.
"Alex, are you in danger?" He asked.
Looking up at his eyes, she could see the genuine concern he had and nodded meekly. "And I don't even know why," she whispered with frustration. "I don't know why he's after me but he is."
The look of realization seemed to cross Cedric's face at her words. "Sirius Black?" He whispered.
Alex let out a strangled sound and nodded again. Her head dropped in her hands as she felt her chest tightening, making it hard to breathe. Her sobs grew louder before she began hyperventilating, which worried Cedric.
Without thinking, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, trying to calm her down. "Alex, just breathe with me, okay?" He whispered. "In through your nose and out through your mouth very slowly."
Cedric's words managed to make their way for her to hear it clearly and she slowly breathed along with him as the older boy held her there. She closed her eyes before her breathing was normal and she pulled away slightly, looking at him.
"I'm sorry you manage to always see me when I'm distraught," she told him as she wiped away the tears.
He smiled softly and shrugged. "I must be a good shoulder to cry on," he joked, which caused Alex to smile.
"Must be," she told him softly.
They fell silent for a minute before Cedric looked at her. "So he's after you," he began slowly. "Why?"
YOU ARE READING
Insomnia | Fred Weasley |
FanfictionAlexandria Selwyn - the insomniac daughter of Sirius Black. - Book Harry Potter X Fem OC Best Friend Book Fred Weasley X OC Fem Prisoner of Azkaban ↣ Deathly Hallows & Beyond - Book #1 in the Insomnia series Cover by the talented @jasperhale