Insomnia | Fred Weasley |

27. Again with the timing, George!

Nobody from Gryffindor slept that night.  The castle was being searched again, but luckily, they weren't forced to sleep in the Great Hall like before. Alex sat on the ground in front of the fireplace, trembling as she held her head in her hands.

Her dad had been in Gryffindor Tower and she had a sinking feeling her mum was with him. Those were the two figures she had seen running out of the common room.

Fred stayed by her side the entire night, wrapping her in one of the blankets to keep her warm, as well as keeping his arm around her as she trembled.  She silently cried the entire time, apologizing over and over to Ron and anyone, which worried Harry as he watched his distraught best friend.

When dawn came, all of the Gryffindors were practically zombies with how tired they were. However, the sound of the portrait door opening had several jumping to their feet and drawing wands, including Alex, who put herself in front of everyone. However, everyone lowered their wands when it was McGonagall who entered and they all visibly relaxed, except Alex, who look hopefully at McGonagall.

"He has escaped again," she told them all grimly, though she spoke more directly to Alex.

She couldn't help but cover her face in frustration.  She just wanted him captured and her mum to be safe again.  From across the room, Fred could see tears beginning to well up in her eyes. Before he could walk over to try and comfort her, she ran up the stairs to the girls dorms, no one attempting to stop her.

She found Hermione in their room and the older girl immediately pulled Alex into a hug as she began to quietly sob. "I just want him captured and gone from my life, 'Mione," she cried. "I just want my mum to be safe again, why can't that happen?"

"I don't know," Hermione responded.

"I mean, I know Ron and I aren't on the best terms right now but he's still my friend and that fact that my dad almost killed him-"

She couldn't even finish the sentence because Hermione was looking grim over Alex's words.  It was clear that even Hermione didn't want Ron to get hurt, even if he was being a jerk to her.  Both girls fell silent before Alex spotted all the notes that they had taken for Hagrid and wiped under her eyes.

"Let's go down to Hagrid's," she suggested.  "We can deliver our notes and then discuss what he needs to say for his case."

Hermione sniffled as tears had begun to well in her eyes and nodded.  "Yeah, let's do that."

After getting dressed and sending a note with Al to deliver to Hagrid to meet in the entrance hall after breakfast, both girls went downstairs to grab some food.  Security was getting tighter as they walked along the corridors to the Great Hall.

"I really hope they catch him soon," Alex mumbled as they sat at the Gryffindor table.

Hermione reached across the table and squeezed Alex's hand.  "I know," she told her before they fell silent and ate their breakfast.