Alex Weasley: Book 3

21

A/N- HAPPY NEW YEARRRR

"Where did you get party hats?" Cedric asked.

"Same place I found a ginormous birthday balloon." Alex replied.

"Just to be clear, I wasn't involved with the prank." Hermione told him. "I tried to talk her out of it."

"You were with me when I got the idea."

"I didn't know what you were thinking. All I knew was-" Hermione stopped herself. "Anyways, who wants crisps?"

"I'd like the yellow one please." Luna said, her tone airy and light. Hermione tossed her a pack of Skips, before turning to Cedric. He just shrugged and she threw over a walker's cheese and onion packet to him before handing Alex a walker's prawn cocktail pack and picking out a salt and vinegar for herself. Alex looked at the strange packet in her hands.

"It's not going to poison you." Hermione said.

Alex had also managed to sneak out a tray with carefully selected fruits and vegetables for Kichiro to snack on. As the young foal ate, Luna, Hermione, Alex and Cedric chatted amongst themselves. When night began to fall, they started making camp.
"I can't believe we're doing this." Hermione grumbled, comfortably burrowed in her sleeping bag.

"I can't believe you actually agreed." Alex chortled.

"I didn't know I had a choice. And did we really have to sleep outside amongst the creepy crawlies?"

"We're here for Kichiro."

"And why does that include a sleepover in the woods?"

"We already put up repelling charms, and unicorn magic keeps this place safe."

"Except against pixies." Luna added.

"Except against pixies." Alex agreed. No one said anything after that.

Barely ten minutes passed when the unicorns started getting a little skitterish. Alex was immediately alert, getting out of her own sleeping bag. The way Venus hovered protectively over Kichiro and Mars sought out a threat amongst the trees had her on edge.
"What is it?" Cedric asked.

"I don't know, let me go check it out."

"What if it's a dementor?" Hermione asked and Alex faltered. Mars nudged up against her.

"I'll occlude." Alex said. "But something's wrong." Mars was pushing against her more insistently. "I'll be back."

"I'm coming with you." Cedric stood.

"You guys need to be here to protect Venus and Kichiro. Please?"

"We're not letting you go off into the forest alone."

"I won't be alone." She said, and heaved herself onto Mars's back. "I have Mars." She leaned to whisper in his ear. "Okay, I'm trusting you. Do not throw me off." She said and he began to move slowly until they fell into a rhythm.

"She'll be fine. She has macklebugs watching over her." Luna was the only one who didn't seem worried. She smiled serenely before turning back to Venus and Kichiro. Hermione and Cedric exchanged exasperated looks.

"Okay, so this is kind of creepy." Alex said and Mars led her down a different path than she was used to. "I swear, if you throw me off, I'm going to be really annoyed. I know you and I haven't had the chance to bond properly, but this kind of counts, I hope." She shut up as she heard voices.

"How was I supposed to know the forest wasn't fully mapped out?" She heard Fred.

"Are we lost?" George asked. She huffed and got off Mars.

"I got this. Go back home." She told him softly and turned to face her brothers. She followed their voices and reached them a few seconds later. "Boo!" The boys yelled as they jumped and clung onto each other, and she laughed. "What are you doing here?" She asked.

"Heard there was a party we weren't invited to." They composed themselves.

"Sorry. Invitation only. Wusses aren't allowed."

"We're not wusses. Come on, you've already got a second year and pretty boy diggory with you."

"How do you know?" She narrowed her eyes. "You have a map. That's what you meant by the forest not being mapped out. Are you really that curious that you're stalking me?"

"One, you're our sister. It's called concern, not stalking. And two, it's not you in particular. It's a map of Hogwarts."

"Anyone on the grounds appears on the map. Whoever made it clearly didn't get to explore the entirety of the forbidden forest-"

"Which is why we didn't know where exactly you are. But we must be close-"

"If you've found us."

"You two are infuriating. Just go back to Hogwarts."

"If you're camping out in the middle of the forbidden forest-" Fred started.

"Then so are we." George finished. "Besides, it's on our Hogwarts survival list."

"Then do it on your own time. I'm hanging out with people I like tonight, and you two don't make the cut."

"Alex, come on."

"No." She said. There was snorting behind her and she turned and saw Mars. She tried to ignore the twins' slack jawed expression as she narrowed her eyes. "Didn't I tell you to go back?" She asked, gently reaching for him.

"I made him bring me back." She saw Hermione behind him.

"That's a unicorn."

"Brill!"

"Go back to Gryffindor tower. Leave me alone. Please?" She asked.

"Not a chance." They said simultaneously.

"Hermione, take Mars back. I'm fine. I'll be back soon."

"Be careful." Hermione said before reluctantly leaving. Alex patted Mars before nudging him to go.

"I'm sure mum would like to know you've been sneaking around the forbidden forest in the dead of the night." Fred tried to blackmail.

"Probably as much as she'd like to know you have a map that shows you everyone in Hogwarts that you use to stay out of trouble. Or that you're out in the middle of the forbidden forest in the dead of the night too."

"Why won't you let us come?"

"Unicorns are gentle creatures. The two of you don't know the meaning of boundaries or subtlety. You'd register as a threat."

"We're not threats."

"We're harmless."

"What's it going to take for you to leave me alone?" The twins exchanged glances.

"A favour."

"To be cashed in at our discretion."

"Within reason." Alex said.

"Who decides what is reasonable?"

"Hermione."

"You've got your hooks in her. It's got to be someone impartial." Alex shook her head.

"No, Hermione likes to force me out of my comfort zone. At the same time, she knows where the limits are. Ask any of my roommates. She's who they go to when they want to force me to do something."

"Deal." The twins said, simultaneously.