See If I Care

35

*Gobbledygook*

$Parseltongue$

-July 14th, 1992-

{Alex's POV}

Over the past few weeks, Alex had gotten used to living at home with Remus again. They had missed him heaps while at Hogwarts, but it was also difficult to adjust to living with one person rather than their whole year level. Sirius was over every day, for one thing or another. But it was usually just to see Remus and get to know them again.

They were missing their friends like mad. Even though they were writing to each other every day, it wasn't the same as seeing each other face to face. They were already trying to organise a time for them all to meet up, but that was quite difficult, given the size of their friend group.

They headed downstairs, black journal in hand. Alex took a seat at the table as Remus plated the food up before sitting down opposite them. After they finished breakfast, Alex helped Remus clear up before sitting down at the table again and opening their journal to their newest idea.

Alex looked through all their ideas and research for their newest spell. It all looked like it should work, but they hadn't worked out how to combine it all together. Without that, the spell wouldnt work. It would be an extremely difficult spell and probably would take them a few months at least once they started working on it. It was going to require at least 4 layers of spell-work and was going to be the most complicated spell they had made to date. Their shield spell was the most complicated they had made yet and that only required 2 layers. Their messaging spell also had two layers, but wasn't as complicated as it was a passive spell, rather than an offensive or defensive spell. But they were confident they could make it work.

They summoned their red and yellow journals with a flick of their wrist and flicked through them, trying to find anything that they might have missed. They couldn't find anything in their yellow book, the spell craft section not having anything to say about the binding part that they needed and the languages not going to be able to benefit their research. They found a small note in the red book that was useful though.

Alex flicked their wrist again, setting the red book to float in front of them on the page they had found, the note enlarged slightly so that it was easier to read at a glance. They began using that new piece of information and noting down how it would interact with the spell and if there would be consequences from it. It might be the binding part that they needed. They were so absorbed in their work that they hadn't realised that they had company until Sirius spoke.

"Merlin pup, what are you working on?" Alex looked up to see Sirius standing behind them, eyebrows raised in surprise. Alex didn't bat an eye at the name, having gotten used to it now that Sirius was around more. They could understand his surprise, however, as he had never seen them while they were working. Normally when he came over, they were reading or up in their room working; no one disturbed them while they were in their room.

"I'm working on a new spell," they replied airily, turning back to their work. Sirius sat down next to them, not saying anything as Alex continued to work out what the new item would do to the spell. About 5 minutes later they were sure that they had covered all the options and put their pen down, turning to their left to see Sirius watching them, mouth open slightly in what they assumed was shock.

"If you're looking for your boyfriend, he's probably in the library or his room." Sirius ignored them, instead just staring at them.

"Sirius? Sirius? Padfoot?" Sirius finally snapped out of it, blinking rapidly.

"Sorry pup. Did you say you're working on a new spell?"

"Yeah, what of it?"

"You're 11."