Returning After so Long.

[angeleyes]

The wall folded back into a large archway, revealing the bustling streets of Diagon Alley, the wizarding hub, where one could find everything you could think of for school at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, or anything else for that matter. A broad smile spread over the face of the girl who was standing in the archway, a bright smile, a pretty smile, that of Alexa Lee, a sixteen year old fifth year at Hogwarts. She had long, almost waist length raven hair, which was done in a single braid down her back, and long legs, as she stood five feet, ten inches tall. She was of Asian decent and had that characteristic oriental look, and she was a very pretty girl. On this day she was dressed in muggle attire, black slacks and a mauve turtleneck sweater, as she hadn’t felt like travelling the Floo network, and had travelled by bus to London, and the Leaky Cauldron.

She stepped into the street that was filled more so than usual, with students, mostly first years, who were getting their school supplies for their first year. Alexa, having spent the last few years at Hogwarts, was more than used to this sort of thing as it happened every year and every year she had to get her own supplies for her next year. She stepped onto the cobbled street and waved at a witch who she passed, a friend of her grandmother’s. Her first item of business was a trip to Gringotts, the wizard bank, and then to Flourish and Blotts for her books, she had her letter with the list of her new school supplies tucked neatly in her pocket. She walked the road to Gringotts, the large wizard bank, with slightly off pillars; she walked up the stairs and entered the bank, where she was greeted by the goblins that worked there.

Alexa’s face fell, as she saw the line in front of her, though they were many goblins, it seemed there were more people needing to visit their vaults than usual, so she resigned herself to a wait. She stood there, her arms crossed over her chest, and watched the watch on her hand as the second ticked by ever so slowly, just then she felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to see whom it was.

Alexa has spent the last few months away from school due to illness. The cancer which had plagued her body as a child had returned, and she had spent her time in St. Mungo's recovering. Like muggles, wizards face illness and sometimes not even magic can save you; but lucky for her this time it had, but it had been a long and arduous ordeal. Having been through all of this, she beamed as she saw the face of someone she knew.

[Cole Waters]

It was a nice day and the streets os Diagon Alley were filled with students. Cedric walked down the street taller than alot of the first years there and he could see the frightne look on there facea anytime he loked down at them. As Cedric walked down the street his black robes swished behind him. Cedric had on his ussual balck robes with the ussual black shirt and black slacks. As he walked down the street he turned a corner that no other students were going in. Cedric had turned into Nocturne Alley.

Cedric walked down the alley and saw many old wizards and witches looking at him. Cedric was not afraid of anyone down there for they all knew who he was and wouldn't try anything. As Cedric came up to a store he turned and walked in.

When Cedric walked in a bell sounded saying someone was there. Just then a old man poped out from behind the counter. "Good day Master Wood." the man said. "What can I do for you?" Cedric looked around the shop and said "I need another book on new curses. I have goten tired of my old one." The old man looked at him and said I've got just the book for you." Then the man left and went into the back of the store. While the man was gone Cedric walked around looking to see what there was new in the shop.

There were the ussual books and such. Then Cedric saw a book on potions that he had not had yet. Cedric took the book and returned to the counter. The man finally came back and gave Cedric the book and said "That will be fifty galleons". Cedric pulled out his money puch and gave the man fifty galleons. Cedric put the two books in his bag and walked out of the store with his bag heavier and his money puch lighter. Cedric walked don the alley and turned back onto Diagon Alley.

Cedric still had to get his school supplys and was running low on money so he dicided to go to gringots. Cedric walked into gringots and looked round at the long lines everywhere. Just then Cedric noticed a face he hadn't seen in a long time. It was Alexa. Cedric walked up behind her and there was a first year standing by himself. Cedric looked at him without saying anything and he moved. Cedric got behind Alexa and tapped her on her shoulder. When she turned around Cedric said "Hey it's been a while since I saw you."

[angeleyes]

Alexa looked into the face of Cedric Wood, a boy who had been very close to her the last school year. In fact they had been dating until her illness manifested itself and she ended the relationship. Alexa had not seen or heard him since, no one except her best friend Catalina had any idea what had happened to her. “Yes, it has been a while hasn’t it Cedric.” Alexa was a little nervous about seeing Cedric again, their break up had not been the greatest. She had broken up with him the last day she was at Hogwarts and had not contacted him since, for it had been impossible while she was still in St. Mungo’s. She had not wanted anyone to feel sorry for her, or to be weird around her, so she had kept her illness secret from everyone, the only others outside her family who knew were Professor Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey.

Alexa was happy; despite her nervousness; to see Cedric, she hoped perhaps that they could be friends now. “How have you been? How did the last school year go? I heard a few things from Catalina, I saw her earlier on in the holidays.” The line began to move and Alexa turned and stepped forward a bit. She turned back to Cedric, “So what are you doing in Diagon Alley? Getting school supplies or just out and about?” she asked pleasantly.

[Cole Waters]

Cedric smiiled at Alexa as she talked. Alexa had been a huge part of Cedric's life and even though he smiled on the outside his insides lurked with a mixture of excitement and fear. Alexa had broke up with Cedric and he had not gotten a reason so he didn't know what to think. Alexa had dissapeared and Cedric had not seen her or heard from her. Cedric still had feelings for Alexa and he hoped they could get back together. When she finished talking Cedric began.

"I've been doing ok. How about you I haven't hear anything about where you were." Cedric said. "The school year was ok. The last day I got my wand taken away for dueling Justin Lionheart. I got it back though." Cedric heard Alexa's last question and he put his bag behind his back. Alexa knew that Cedric did the Dark Arts but Cedric didn't want to ruin the moment so he didn't want her to see the books he had. "Oh Im looking for school supllys. I assume thats what your doing." Cedric said smiling.

[angeleyes]

Alexa smiled, “I’m glad to hear that you have been doing well Cedric. I knew you would.” Alexa became a little nervous at the subject of where she had been, her St. Mungo’s stay was a total secret and she didn’t want to talk about it. “There was a family emergency and I had to go away, there was no way I could contact anyone.” This was not entirely a lie, there had been a emergency, her own, and she couldn’t owl anyone from St. Mungo’s, Catalina had been there from the beginning so she was there. “I’m glad school was good for you. I wish I could have been there,” she said a little disheartened.

“You did what?” Alexa asked in shock, “You didn’t really duel Justin did you? I mean; it’s Justin. Glad you got it back, but why were you duelling him?” Alexa noticed that Cedric shifted his bag but didn’t think too much of it. “Yes I am getting my school supplies. I guess that’s what you are doing also, or have you already started?” she asked nodding her head towards his bag, and smiling. Alexa and Cedric had only one problem between them, he practiced the Dark Arts and she knew it, and didn’t care for it.

“So what have you been up to for the entire summer? Did you go away on a trip or did you stay close to home?”<br>

[Cole Waters]

Cedric listened to Alexa talked and said "Oh well I hope whatever happened in your family is ok." Cedric looked around and listened to Alexa. "Well he attacked me and I wasn't about to take that so I atacked back." Cedric said. It wasn't exactly the truth Cedric had started making fun of Justin but that wasn't important. "Yeah I started." Cedric said moving the bag farther out of sight. Cedric looked at Alexa and said "Well I didn't do much this summer. I sat at home mostly." Then Cedric asked Alexa "What did you this summer?"

((OOC:Sorry its so short I ahve writers block.))

[angeleyes]

Alexa listened to Cedric, it was nice to talk to a friend after being away for so long, “Yeah, everything is fine now,” she lied. It was not entirely a lie, Alexa was better to an extent, she was in remission, but there was no telling if or when her cancer would return. “He attacked you?” Alexa asked somewhat sceptically, she knew Justin, he was hot-headed but she couldn’t see him attacking someone unprovoked.

“Well glad you are getting your school shopping underway. I haven’t started mine yet. This was my first stop.” Alexa tried to make a pretence of being happy, “My summer?” her face dropped for a moment as she recalled the hours of medication and treatments, no friends, her family being so far away; but she couldn’t let it show. Alexa flashed a fake smile, “Oh it was great. I went to Romania to see my parents. It was spectacular there.”<br>

[Cole Waters]

Cedric smiled as he heard her talk. "Well he attacked me but that was after I said some stuff about him." Cedric said smiling. Cedric looked at her. He felt great being able to see her again. "Yeah I almost have it all done." Cedric said looking at her. The line moved up so Cedric moved up with it. When she said she wen't to visit her parents Cedric smiled and said "Well that must have been fun." Cedric couldn't help but look at Alexa's eye's. They were beautiful. Then Cedric snapped back to life and said "Well if you want I can accompany you to your shopping."

[angeleyes]

“That sounds more like it,” Alexa said jokingly, she had doubted the way that Cedric had explained events. “Well you’ll be leaving soon then?” she enquired. The line moved forward again, bringing Alexa that much closer to the counter and the goblin that would assist her. “Yeah Romania was fun. I saw a few of my friends there, helped out at the dragon roost and stuff.” Alexa shifted her weight under Cedric’s gaze, “What?” she asked since he was still staring. Cedric came back to reality soon afterwards, “Accompany you? Sure,” she replied after only a second’s thought.

The line moved again and Alexa stepped forward to the goblin, she pulled out her key, “I’d like to make a withdrawal from vault number 927.” The goblin looked at her with suspicious eyes, they always did, and then ushered over another goblin to take her down to the vaults. “I’ll meet you at the front door when I’m done,” she said to Cedric before she followed the goblin to the long tunnels that led to the vaults.

[Cole Waters]

Cedric smiled and said "Well you know Im not about to let Justin walk past me without saying anythihng." Cedric laughed and looked at Alexa. She started talking about her trip to Romania and Cedric looked at her when she finished and said "It sounds like you had a blast." Cedric was having fun seeing Alexa again. Something had changed though. His feelings towards her changed as they talked. He no longer thought of her as someone he wanted to be with, but instead as a freind that he was really close with. As Cedric realized this he began to get looser and more relaxed around Aelxa.

When Alexa said she would accompany him Cedric smiled and said "Great." Then they got to the front of the line and Alexa took off with the goblin. "Ok I'll be there waiting." Cedric said. Cedric walked to the front door and sat there waiting for Alexa.

[angeleyes]

Alexa followed the goblin out the marble hall into the cavernous corridors below, where one could get lost easily, but the goblins never did. She got into the trolley and they were off, they whizzed past tunnel after tunnel, past vault after vault, the cold air whipped in her face. Finally, the trolley stopped in front of vault # 927, “Thanks,” Alexa said as she hopped out. The goblin took her key and opened the vault door. Before Alexa stood mountains of gold that no one knew she had. This gold was her inheritance; it was not connected to the money her parents had saved for her, or their own wealth. Alexa guarded the fact that she was rich very closely, she didn’t want fake friends because of her money, and besides she really didn’t care, there were more important things.

Alexa grabbed a handful of gold, some silver sickles and some bronze knuts, and stuffed them into her bag and pockets. Alexa got back into the trolley and off they sped once again. They reached the hall in no time and Alexa walked out to meet Cedric. “Hey again,” she said as she stood before him, “Ready to go?” she said with a smile.

[Cole Waters]

Cedric sat there and waited for Alexa looking at the different people. Thre weret all wizards and short witches. Young and old. Cedric saw a little b oy run past him holding what looked like a potion. Finally when Alexa had come out Cedric smiled at her and said "It seems like I haven't seen you in ages." Cedric started laughing and said "Yeah Im ready." Then he stuck his arm out and said "I will escrot you my lady." Cedric smiled and waited for Alexa to grab his arm.

[angeleyes]

Alexa smiled at Cedric as he told her that it seemed like he hadn’t seen her in ages, “That’s cause you haven’t,” she joked. He offered his arm to her and she took it, “Thank you good Sir. Where shalt we begin?” she asked him, looking around as she did so. There were many people walking past, witches, wizards and a few muggles, with their children and Ministry workers taking them around. “How about Flourish and Blotts? Or The Alchemist’s shop perhaps?”

[Cole Waters]

Cedric smiled as Alexa took his arm. When they walked out into the crowd Cedric heard Alexa ask him where they should go first. "Flourish and Blotts sounds good to me." Cedric said walking with Alexa towards the store. "So what haven't you bought for school yet?" Cedric asked looking at Alexa. When he looked at her he remembered when they first met. "Hey do you remember where we met?" Cedric asked with a grin on his face. Cedric would remmeber that day forever. It was at the festival and they had dueled and Cedric had lit her on fire by accedent. Cedric looked at her waiting for her response and smiled widely.

[angeleyes]

Alexa smiled, “Flourish and Blotts it is then,” she said, and they walked towards the bookstore. Alexa bumped shoulders with several people on their way to the bookstore, the street had filled up a bit more since she had entered Gringotts. “What haven’t I bought? Try everything. I had to come into Gringotts first to get some gold, we didn’t have much at home.” This was true, most of the money her grandmother had kept at home was used when Alexa became ill so there was nothing left when she had to buy her school supplies. Her grandmother would replenish her stores of gold later that day, but Alexa wanted to go shopping by herself, much to her grandmother’s reluctance.

Alexa was surprised by Cedric’s next statement, “Do I remember where we met? Of course I do. The festival, we had a duel. Did you think I would forget?” she smiled and sort of laughed at the thought. “You almost fricasseed me that day.”<br>

[Cole Waters]

Cedric looked down at the first years who bumped into him. "They look a little small this year." Cedric said smiling. When Alexa said she hadn't bought anything Cedric looked at her and said "Well we had better get going shouldn't we." Cedric smiled at her and kep walking as she talked. When she said she rembered how they met Cedric smiled and said "Yeah that was a fun day. Sorry about the whole fire thing. I don't like to lose." Cedric smiled again as they neared florish and blotts and he opened the door saying "After you my lady." Cedric laughed and followed Alexa into the store.

When they got in Cedric looked at the tons of books and parchment and everything else. The store was packed with things and it seemed liked it would explode if anymore was forced in it. Cedric looked around then back at Alexa and said "So what do you need here?" Cedric looked around again and then looked back at Alexa.

[angeleyes]

Alexa looked at the first year how had bumped into Cedric, “Yeah, a little u guess. But we were like that once.” Alexa listened to Cedric reminisce, “Yeah, I know you don’t like to lose. I learnt that day didn’t I? But I know you didn’t mean to light me…did you?” she asked jokingly. “Perhaps we’ll get another shot at each other, see who would win then?” When they reached Flourish and Blotts, Cedric held the door open for her, “Thank you milord,” she said before walking past him into the store, he followed after her.

Flourish and Blotts was packed with useful school items, and so many books it was almost unbelievable…almost. Alexa however was used to this sight, having been witnessed to it many times over the years since she first came to Hogwarts. “Umm…I need,” she said and took a minute to think, “I need these books,” she said handing him her letter with her book list. Alexa had already memorised them, but it would be faster if Cedric helped her. “How about I take the top half and you the bottom, we can meet back here when we’re done.” Alexa’s list had books for DADA; Care of Magical Creatures; Transfiguration; Charms; Potions; Arithmancy; Ancient Runes and Herbology. Alexa gave Cedric a smile and then went in one direction, to her right.

[Cole Waters]

Cedric laughed at what Alexa said. "Well I still don't like to loose. And if I meant to light you I wouldn't have appologized." Cedric said smiling. Cedric laughed and said "Yeah well if we do get another shot at each other I'll make sure to go easy on you." Cedric smiled at her and looked down at the list in front of him. "Ok bottom half it is." Cedric said walking towards the potions books. Cedric walked to the shelf and easily found the potions book that Alexa needed. Then he looked back down at the list and said to himself "Arithmancy." Cedric walked over to another shelf and found the book on the list. Then Cedric walked around and found the Ancient Runes and Herbology books.

Cedric walked back to the middle of the store looking for Alexa. He couldn't find her so he dcided to just sit and wait. Cedric opened the ancient Runes book and started to read it. "Man this is some confusing stuff." he said closing the book.

[angeleyes]

“Don’t I know it,” Alexa laughed, “I know you wouldn’t have apologised. I was surprised when you did actually, but it was a pleasant surprise.” Alexa laughed boldly, “Thank you. I wouldn’t want to get hurt.” Alexa left Cedric and went to find her books; for DADA she picked up Dark Creatures of Mongolia, Russian Relics, and a few other books, then came her Care of Magical Creatures; Transfiguration and Charms books, by the time Alexa was done she was laden with books so that you could hardly see her head. “A little help here,” she said to a passing clerk, who came over immediately to help her. The clerk took the books and Alexa pulled out her wand and cast a featherweight charm on them, she then took them back.

Alexa walked back to the middle of the store, where she found Cedric with his nose in what looked like her Ancient Runes book, “Not really when you get used to it,” she said to his comment about it looking confusing. “Lets go pay for this stuff,” she said to Cedric and walked to the counter.

[Cole Waters]

When he closed the book Cedric looked up and saw Alexa. "Yeah well it looks like it would take a lot to get used to it." Cedric said laughing. "Ok let's go." Cedric said walking up to the front counter with the books in his hands. Cedric set the books on the counter and watched as the chasier rang them out. "So what else do you need today?" Cedric asked looking at Alexa. Cedric knew everything she needed he was just trying to make conversation. Cedric looked back at the cashier as he finished ringing up the books and Cedric looked at Alexa witing for her to pay so they could leave the store.