asking in vain // george weasley

chapter one

"Alexandra!" a voice rung up the steps to my room, and I tensed immediately, knowing it was my grandmother. She is the only one who still insists on calling me by my full name, instead of my nickname, Ace, like everyone else. 

"Yes, Grandmother?" I called back, letting my hair fall out of its scrunchie. If she decided to come up here and saw me with my hair up she would make a snotty remark on it, my grandmother was very set in her ways. I mean, the woman was old as dirt anyways.

Thank Godric for my intuition, because as I turned around to call out again I caught sight of the elegantly aged woman draping a hand on my doorway.

"My, my, Alexandra, darling, you are such a beautiful woman. You should have no issues finding a nice, pureblood husband to give me great grandchildren." 

I loved my grandmother, honestly, but because my mum dared to turn her back on her Burke history and marry outside the 28, she was obsessed with the idea of me marrying the family back in.

My father is a wizard too, but his bloodline wasn't quite clean enough to earn my grandmother's full approval. That's why she rarely visits, because she can't stand to see how truly happy my mother is even though she isn't living the life Grandmother had planned for her.

I simply smiled at my grandmother's twisted compliment. It's not like I was anywhere near having a suitor. I was so afraid to even talk to the opposite sex that the only people I socialize with are my two Hogwarts roommates and best friends, Angelina Johnson and Alicia Spinnet. Both of them played on the Quidditch team, but Alicia was technically only Angelina's back up, for now. 

The three of us were betting on Angelina getting Captain our seventh year, and then Alicia will finally have a chance to play as full Chaser.

"Have you been eating enough? Don't want you to waste away before your parents' eyes!" my grandmother continued.

"Yes, Grandmother," I assured her as we both stared at each other, unmoving. I was hoping that the more complacent and appeasing I remained the quicker she'd release me from her claws. 

"Have you thought of your future yet, dear? After this year you only have two more before you must either get married or start your career path."

She also liked to do this, make it seem as though I had a really difficult path or a really easy one. The easy one was usually the path she wanted me to take, and the really difficult one was often not nearly as treacherous as she made it out to be.

"I'm still mulling over my options for right now, Grandmother." In truth, I wanted to be a Magizoologist. I loved animals, especially my five year old silver lab, Bullet. He's been with me for four years, I got him right before I went to Hogwarts. I was very lucky that Dumbledore had approved him, otherwise I would have to be on so many medications at school to keep my heart in check. My condition causes me to have occasional panic attacks, and if I get too stressed it can cause strokes, but Bullet's really good at recognizing the signs and calming me down before anything gets too out of hand. 

"Well, you'd better make a decision quick. Time's running out." She didn't change her expression once, continuing to stare at me with a slight, disapproving frown. Eventually, and without any words, she turned around and headed back to the first level of the home, either to leave or to annoy my parents.

No matter what her reasoning, I was not complaining. I had to get back to packing my trunk, I was set to leave for my fifth year of Hogwarts in less than two weeks!

**

I woke up on my departure day a full hour early. I had had an awful night's sleep, and I was glad to finally be awake. I had finished packing the last minute materials into my trunk last night, like sweaters for Bullet when the weather got colder, a few scrunchies I had ordered off some muggle sites, and hair dye I had gotten at the beginning of the summer and never used. Maybe I'd have Angie and Alicia help me lighten my midnight black hair into something more fun at some point this year.