"So you're really out here all the time?" Cedric asked.
"Yeah." She smiled at the unicorns before them.
"Oh, good."
"Good?" She asked. He grinned sheepishly and scratched the back of his neck.
"Uh, well. You disappeared so often, and no one knew where you were. Figured maybe, I don't know." He shrugged, trailing off.
"I really wasn't trying to avoid you. Or Hermione or any of the Hufflepuffs. Kichiro needed me. And now, he's going to need you." She looked at the sleeping foal worriedly.
"Yeah?"
"I brought you here because I thought maybe I could ease you into his life so that, come April, he could have you." She said. "But, it turns out, I don't have that long. I'm leaving December."
"What, why?"
"Hogwarts isn't very safe anymore. Dumbledore can't risk allowing any more students into the school right now, so we'll be doing a switch. I'll be in Mahoutokoro from December till April, and if the culprit is caught, then the exchange student and I will be back here for the last term."
"I suppose that makes sense." Alex looked up at him.
"Don't frown. I promise to owl you."
"I know. You'll eventually get annoyed with all my letters."
"More likely Hermione will force me." She teased, turning back to Kichiro. His eyes were open now. "Oh, look. He's waking up." Cedric watched her as she reached out and softly stroked Kichiro's side. "Hi, Kichiro. Have a nice nap?" She cooed. Kichiro lazily closed his eyes, content with the petting. "Here, Cedric. You try." She said.
"What?"
"Here, give me your hand." She grabbed his hand and pulled it towards Kichiro.
"You're really good with him." Cedric said. "Do they have a care of magical creatures course at Mahoutokoro?"
"No, but they do have flocks of giant storm petrels transporting students to and fro the school." She sighed. "They focus more on producing scholars and strategists." She brought out the defense book Snape gave her.
"Haven't finished it yet?" He asked.
"Of course I have." She sounded puzzled. He laughed. "I'm just going through it again to make sure I understand. My Japanese isn't exactly top notch."
"Not being perfect at something might be good for you." He said. "A little challenge every now and then is healthy."
"You think I'm perfect?" She raised a brow.
"You're quite gifted in your academics, and I've see you on a broom. You've even managed to befriend a baby unicorn and his mother."
"You're misguided in your views of me." She told him.
"I am?"
"Yes."
"Are you going to try to convince me that you're evil again? Because, honestly, it'd be easier to believe if you weren't petting a baby unicorn."
"Don't!"
"Don't what?"
"Stop acting like you know me. You don't." She insisted. He looked skeptic but shrugged.
"Okay."
"You don't. You don't know me! You don't! So just stop it." Sensing her distress, Venus trotted over, neighing angrily. She nudged Cedric away from Alex with her nose and Alex stood up and reared her back. "Shh, shh. Hey, I'm okay. And Cedric's okay. Don't be mad at him." He was standing too, his hands up in surrender. Alex managed to soothe Venus who turned to her foal. Alex turned back to Cedric. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to- I'm sorry." He just shook his head.
"Don't worry about it." He shrugged it off. "And I don't presume to know everything about you. You can be a bit of a puzzle. What I do know is that you are not evil."
"Come on. We'll be late for dinner." She turned to leave, marking the end of the conversation.
Charms might have been one of her favourite classes the year before, but it was quickly becoming her least favourite. She'd tried being nicer to Malfoy, she really did. But he was a right prat whenever he was around other Slytherins. And charms was full of Slytherins, which meant there was absolutely no chance of a truce between them.
"We'll be working in groups again today." Alex groaned at Flitwick's announcement. He made them pair up in class almost every other lesson. "You all know your partners. For next week, I would like a presentation on concealment charms. Some points to consider would be a definition, appropriate settings and circumstances under which one may use it and advantages and disadvantages of the charm itself. I've taken the liberty of borrowing some books from the library so you should have enough material to look at."
"So what are you going to do now that you actually have to work with them." Charlie whispered. "No ignoring each other's existence."
"I don't know." She hissed back.
"Miss Weasley, if I may have a word with you." Flitwick called. She nodded and dragged herself to the front of the class, away from prying ears. "I understand that you'll be leaving us earlier than planned?"
"Yes, Professor." An idea occurred to her. "In December. And, well, you did say this project would take all year rather than all term. Maybe I could work on it by myself, so that I don't cause much of a disruption to Mal- to Draco and Blaise by leaving suddenly." The look on Flitwick's face told her he wasn't buying her excuse.
"The point of this exercise is not just learning how to perform concealment charms. It's to teach you how to work alongside your peers, regardless of how well you get along or whether you're in the same house, Miss Weasley."
"So that's a no?"
"It's a no." He confirmed. "Inform misters Malfoy and Zabini that I would like to speak to the three of you after class."
"Yes, Professor."
"Can you at least leave your doodling until the we've concluded our research?" Alex hissed at Malfoy.
"I'm just adding a little creativity so our presentation doesn't send everyone to sleep."
"You think we'll get better marks with a few scribbles than actual information?" His jaw clenched.
"Can't you guys just turn it off for five minutes?" Charlie cut into their argument. "Working together for one hour can't be that difficult."
"Why don't you try it?"
"Alex, a spot of colour might liven up your poster. Not everyone absorbs pure information like you. And Malfoy, stop focusing purely on your depictions. Try to include something more substantial every once in a while." Charlie huffed before turning back to her own project. Malfoy sneered, and Alex rolled her eyes.
"She has a point. This is supposed to be a collaborative work."
"You may be okay with a mud- muggleborn telling you what to do." Alex had her wand pointed at Malfoy's throat in an instant.
"I dare you to say it." She said, her voice icy. "Go on, say what you were going to." Zabini raised his own wand in retaliation and pointed it at her. Megan jumped to her aid, her wand pointed at Zabini.
"Give me a reason." Megan said.
"Miss Jones, Miss Weasley, Mr Malfoy and Mr Zabini!" Flitwick yelled. "Wands away, now!" Alex made the first move, Megan following her lead and then the two Slytherins. A bell rang signalling the end of class. "You four, stay behind. Miss Little, Mr Nott, if you would fetch Professors Snape and Sprout, please." Charlie sent an apologetic look at her friends before leaving.
