"He doesn't get a trial?!" Alliana exclaimed as she stood in the Ministry, speaking to Remus Lupin.  The older man stared at Alliana as she held a toddler Alexandria, who was the spitting image of a young Sirius.

"It's for the best," he told her calmly, "he betrayed the Order in a way that can never be forgiven.  He's the reason the Potters are dead and Harry is orphaned-"

"The lot of you are completely insane to think Sirius would ever betray James Potter, who was practically his brother, who took him when he ran away from home, who stood by his side through every single struggle we have had these past few years.  Don't you dare tell me that my husband would betray his brother!" She spat angrily at him.

"Alliana," a different voice spoke, causing her to turn and come face to face with Dumbledore, the fire in her chest burning hotter, "the evidence adds up.  There is no questioning it at all."

"How can you say that?!" Alliana shouted, causing Alexandria to begin crying, activating Alliana's motherly instinct.  "Sirius was one of the most faithful members of the Order.  He didn't do this." She shushed Alex quietly before looking at the two men. "I hope you both are able to live with yourself, knowing that Alexandria will grow up without a father and you encouraged putting an innocent man away," she spat before leaving the two men behind, neither bothering to run after her as she walked away.

The next day, Alliana stood on the platform, holding her daughter's hand and small velvet beaded bag.  To muggles, it was a simple pouch, but to the wizarding world, it held an undetectable extension charm, holding all of Alliana and Alexandria's possessions.

A train was called for and Alliana quickly picked up Alexandria, walking onto the train.  Tears slowly flowed down her face as they found a compartment to themselves.  Alliana pulled a small piece of parchment of her bag, reading it over and over again with the job offer before the train began moving in the direction they were headed.

She thought of all that had happened in such little time and part of her was ready to leave this all behind.  She would stay in touch with those who mattered most to her but she knew that leaving England was best for now.  There was nothing left for her and Alex there. She needed to get her daughter away from all the negativity that was surrounding their surname and going to work at the dragon sanctuary in Romania was the way to go about it for now.

The young, single mother began sobbing as she thought of having to do this alone.  Slowly, she felt the anxiety tightening in her chest as her sobs grew louder and she begged it to go away.

But it wouldn't.

☽

Alex awoke with a gasp, her own chest tightening with the same anxiety her mother had been feeling in her dream. She slowed her breathing before glancing at the clock on her nightstand, it read three o'clock in the morning, causing her to groan and fall back in her bed. She closed her eyes to try to see if her body was tired enough to go back to sleep, though she knew it was futile.

A loud groan left her again as she sat up and turned on the lamp that sat on her nightstand. She rubbed her face before a light tapping caught her attention and she looked to see a familiar snowy owl perched outside her window with a letter in its beak.

"Hedwig," she spoke, opening the window and allowing the owl to fly in, dropping the letter at her feet and landing atop her dresser and next to Al, who was sleeping. "Letter from Harry?"

Picking it up in her hands, she immediately recognized her best friend's sloppy handwriting across the front of it that read her name. She should've suspected receiving a letter at this hour of the night. The Muggles he lived with never let him let Hedwig out of her cage unless it was late and no one else could the oddity of it.

She ripped open the letter and sat on her bed as she read:

'Dear Alex,

I hope your summer has been going well. I think we'll need to really prepare ourselves for this quidditch season as it is Wood's last season and he'll be hoping for the Quidditch House Cup.

My summer has been quite eventful. The Dursley's had some family come over and she insulted my family, which resulted in me blowing her up-'

It took a second for her to register the words she had just read from Harry and her stomach tightened with anxiety.  He had used magic outside of school, meaning he could very well be expelled.  She didn't want him to be expelled.

Harry was the only friend she could really relate to.  They both were essentially orphans as her father was in jail and her mother abandoned her.  Yes, they had Ron and Hermione, but Harry and Alex just understood each other on a closer level.  Unbeknownst to him, they essentially would have grown up together if her father hadn't done what he did.  She didn't know what she would do if Harry wasn't at Hogwarts anymore.

A shiver ram down her spine as she thought of her father and what he had done.  In previous years on several occasions, Cornelius Fudge had come to the home where Alex resided with Severus in Spinner's End.  Sirius had begged to see his daughter but she always refused to make the trip to Azkaban. 

She wanted nothing to do with her father.  And yet, part of her had always wondered what would happen if she decided to go but she didn't want to see the man who had caused her best friend so much pain.  She looked back down at the letter.

'I'm at the Leaky Cauldron in London and I'm spending the rest of the summer here.  If you wanted to and if Snape allows it, you could come spend the rest of the summer here. It'd be nice to have a friend to have a normal conversation with because people gawk at me anytime I walk anywhere and you know how much I hate that.  We could also get our school supplies and finish our schoolwork. Write me as soon as you can and tell me if you're coming.

Harry.'

He didn't sound disappointed or depressed, so maybe he wasn't in trouble for what he did.  The thought reassured Alex but still, she was worried for whatever trouble he was in for it.  She'd have to wait until the morning to ask Severus if she could go to the Leaky Cauldron.  Being wide awake, she decided to go for a walk outside, just down the road a little ways.

Severus never approved of it, but it usually helped her fall back asleep after a short walk.  She quickly changed into a sweater that Mrs. Weasley had knit for her and jeans with some black ankle boots.  After grabbing her jacket and beanie and pocketing her wand did she quietly make her way down the stairs and out the front door.

It had rained earlier in the day, so there were puddles of water scattering the road and sidewalk as she made her way down it.  The wind blew softly, hitting her pale cheeks and causing a chill to run down her spine as she continued walking.  In the distance, she could hear the sound of owls and what she assumed was people talking, though it was a wonder how people, other than her, were awake at this hour.

Alexandria continued on her way, thinking of the school year starting soon and how she hoped to better her sleeping schedule but that never seemed to be the case.  Her whole body was exhausted from how abnormal her sleeping schedule was. She couldn't help but think about what the new school year was to bring, as well the ending of last year's school year.

It had been completely hectic with the opening of the Chamber of Secrets and with Harry being accused of being the Heir of Slytherin, the stress all got to Alex to the point where she was a walking zombie and didn't get any sleep at night.  Towards the end of the school year, Alex had gone into the Chamber of Secrets with Harry, Ron and Lockhart to save Ginny and in the process of the ceiling caving in after Lockhart tried to wipe their memories, she had broken her leg while shoving Harry out of the way of a rock that almost hit him in the head. 

After saving Ginny, they all made it back to the school and Snape was furious at the fact that she had gotten hurt.  He didn't approve of the friendship whatsoever because usually whenever Harry got in trouble during their first two years at Hogwarts, Alex was always right there with him. It wasn't like she had planned on them getting in trouble, they just always seemed be in the right place at the right time, or rather the wrong place at the wrong time and it caused problems.

"Please let this year be normal," she groaned out as she sat down in front of a small wooded area not far from the home.

Just as she went to stand up to continue walking around the neighborhood did she hear a twig snap, causing her to stand up quickly and draw her wand from her pocket. She turned quickly where she heard the noise, taking slow step backs as she heard a low growl coming from the bushes. Her heart pounded against her ribcage as she watched a black dog emerge from the shadows, snarling its teeth at her.

Her breathing grew faster as she held her wand out in front of her, ready to stun the dog if needed. It was clearly set in motion to attack as it slowly moved right out of the shadows. After letting out a snarling bark at her, Alex took off running back down the road towards Snape's house, her heart pounding as she didn't dare look behind to see if the dog was chasing after her or how close it was if it was chasing her.

The house came into view and she quickly ran in, locking the door right behind her. Taking a second, she rested her head against the door before turning to find Severus standing there, watching her with a displeased look on his face. Although, his resting face and any other facial expression he made were the same, so it was hard to tell. But she knew that she was in trouble.

"What have I said about taking walks late at night?" He asked angrily.

Alex couldn't help but roll her eyes as she knew what lecture she was about to get. "Nothing I haven't heard a million times, it feels like," she grumbled as she began to walk back up the stairs, Severus hot on her tail.

"It is extremely dangerous, especially considering we don't know if whoever is or was after your mother is still out and if they are after you!" He exclaimed.

"Alright, I get it!" She yelled back, not bothering to turn around as she walked towards her room. "I don't need a lecture from you because you are not my father!"

That seemed to stun him but only for a second as he regained his composure. "No, I'm not but it's not like your real father is that much better of a figure to look up to," he spat.

Alex shook her head. "I'm not disagreeing, but it still doesn't give you the right to try and lecture me like you're him," she snapped.

"No, but I am your guardian!"

"Well, maybe I wish you weren't!" She yelled.  "Then you would stop being so damn overbearing!  I don't want you to be my guardian!  I want my mother!"

"That is enough, Alexandria!" He snapped.  "Go back to bed and we will discuss this in the morning!"

Alex gave him an annoyed look before slamming her door and locking it. She knew it was futile because he could just unlock it, but she didn't care. She took off her jacket and quickly changed back into her pajamas from before and laid in her bed.

In her mind, he had no right.  Her mother was still alive, otherwise she would have found out by now if she wasn't. She looked at the picture on her nightstand that was of her and her mother at the dragon sanctuary.

"I miss you, Mum," she whispered. "I just wish you would try to contact me or something to let me know that you're alright."

Knowing it wouldn't happen just like that, Alex held the photo to her chest before she closed her eyes and tried to fall back asleep.

☽

Agh!!! Guys!!! How do we like the new cover for the story???? jasperhaIe made it and I literally want to cry because of how beautiful it is!!  And she made me a gif banner for Fred and Alex!!!

Also I'm going to try to update this story, as well as my other story on weekends!  I'm pretty close to being done with the other story, so I can focus more on this one and such!!  And I'm super excited for continuing Alex's story!

Don't forget to vote and comment!

Love you guys!

-Squid☽

*look how beautiful it is, I want to cry*