Finally Me ~

Chapter 86

**Alex's POV**

I light my wand again and study Dane carefully, considering his offer. He doesn't have a wand on him and he seems harmless enough, but I know not to judge by appearance.

"Did you go to Hogwarts?" I ask him.

"Finished year before last," he says, "I was Head Boy."

I shine the light in his face, shocked. I had thought he looked familiar! But the Dane who was Head Boy had a soft, gentle face and a ready smile. This Dane's face is sharp angles and he looks too tired to bother pulling his mouth into a smile.

"Dane," I breathe, "Dane Wesley?"

He frowns slightly, trying to place me. Suddenly his eyes spark.

"Alex," he says, "you played Quidditch for Gryffindor!"

I nod and he shakes his head.

"I didn't recognise you without the red and gold," he jokes feebly.

"You look different without the blue and bronze," I say, "when was the last time you ate?"

"A few days," he says.

"Come with me," I say, "we can have a feast."

The hike back to the tent doesn't seem so bad with some company. Dane tells me how he went to the Ministry and they took his wand and tried to throw him to the Dementors. There was a break in at the Ministry that day and while everything was in commotion he managed to escape. He met up with two of his friends who were also on the run. They were together for a few weeks before the Snatchers found them and they were forced to scatter.

"- Daniel had a wand, so he disapparated out of there, but Neil and I were left to run," Dane says, I guess- AH!"

He jumps as hot air rushes over us.

"Relax," I tell him, "it's just some protective spells I put up."

The hot air stops and the tent is revealed. I open it and climb inside.

"I'll expand it some more," I say. I give it three spacious rooms - a bedroom for each of us and a living room - then we sit down and I get out some food.

"What happened to your wand?" I ask as we eat.

"Dunno," Dane shrugs, eating like he's never seen food before, "destroyed probably."

He finishes his meal and licks his fingers with relish. I crinkle my nose, but let it pass. I'd probably be the same way if I hadn't eaten a decent meal in a while.

"So, what's your story?" Dane asks, clearing the plates. I hand him a couple of blankets.

"I didn't turn myself into the Ministry," I say, "I sent my family away and erased all evidence of my existence in their lives. They went looking for me and destroyed my house. A couple of months later they turned up at my boyfriend's house, that was Christmas Day, and I just managed to get out."

"Got a boyfriend, huh?"

I roll my eyes.

"Is that all you got from the story?" I ask. Dane's eyes glitter.

"No, but the fact that you're cute hasn't escaped me," he says.

"Cute and taken," I smirk, "what happened to your family?"

"Either killed or on the run, I haven't heard," Dane says, his expression darkening. I feel a surge of sympathy for him and feel around in my pockets. I pull out a piece of parchment. It has all the names of people who have been reported dead since we started the radio station. I hold  it out to Dane.

"If your family are dead, more than likely they'll be on there," I tell him. He skims the list, his eyes wide. Finally he hands it back, shaking his head.

"Why do you have a list of dead people?" he asks.

"Have you heard of Potterwatch?" I ask him. He nods eagerly, brightening.

"Yeah, of course!" he exclaims, "Neil had a radio and we used to listen to it whenever it was broadcast. What about it?"

"I started it," I tell him, "with some friends."

"No way!"

"Yeah," I nod.

"With who?" he asks. I hesitate, realising I've revealed too much.

"It's better not to know names," I say quietly. He nods.

"Still, that's wicked," he says. I go to reply but yawn instead.

"Sorry," I say, shaking my head, "it's been a long day."

"I can imagine," Dane says, "I'll take first watch."

"Watch?" I frown.

"Yeah, to keep a lookout for Snatchers," he says, "it's easier with more than one person, you actually get to sleep in peace for a bit."

I gaze at him for a moment, wondering if this is a trap. Eventually however, my eyelids droop slightly and I crawl into my room, leaving Dane near the entrance to the tent. Before I get into my sleeping bag I put up some extra defensive spells around my room. And then I fall into a sleep deeper than an ocean.

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Hey guys, thanks for reading! What do you think?
I probably won't be uploading for about a week and a half, because I'm going on holiday - Sorry! Anyway, hope you liked this chapter, vote, comment and let me know what you think!