CHAPTER LVI:
can i make it up to you?

( January 1996 )

THE TRAIN RIDE BACK TO HOGWARTS WAS ANYTHING BUT BORING WHILE SITTING WITH THE TWINS, BUT NOW THEY WERE FILING INTO THE GREAT HALL. Ginger had been walking into the hall, the twins off to say hello to their friends that they hadn't seen over the holiday, so she was alone searching for Alexander. She just had to tell him about her new discovery of romantic feelings.

She turned her head to the left to see her favorite friend in the distance, though his head had been hung low, it was nothing out of the ordinary for the boy so she skipped her way over to him.

Ginger surprised him with a hug from behind hoping to get a laugh or two, but he just slowly turned around after slightly flinching.

"Alex, you would not believe..." she  excitedly spoke but trailed off as she took a moment to see his face. There was a healing slice going from his right cheekbone down to his lip and it seemed as though there had also been a similar yet smaller one on his left eyebrow. His eyes were slightly sunken in and he seemed paler than usual while he had a solemn expression.

      "They didn't..." she said in disbelief putting his face in her hands.

      He shrugged her hands off an expression of hurt falling over both their faces. "You didn't call me once," he swallowed the bile that built up in his throat as he spoke.

Guilt washed over Ginger immediately. The entire two weeks she was out having fun and having one of her first experiences of romantic feelings, Alexander was undergoing a holiday torture without anyone to confide in. Being a pureblood didn't always have its advantages in life. For him, his parents held him to an inhuman standard to meet. Chin up, shoulders back, back straight. Nothing could be out of order, no poor grades, robotic movements and mannerisms, and only speaking when spoken to.

Ginger actually found out about the way they treated him in her third year while he was in his second and she witnessed their cruel behavior. Shouting, making a scene, and what made Ginger snap was when they put their hands on him. She of course stepped in to say something, Cedric telling her to stay quiet to avoid any attention and consequences, which lead up to the reason Alex, Cedric, and Ginger were forbidden from interacting.

That same year, the older two begged Amos to purchase Scrying Mirrors for the three of them to use so they could always interact with Alex without his parents ever finding out.

"Alex, I was with the Weasley's, my mirror wasn't with me," she defended while he sadly looked at her. Alex nodded understanding but not allowing his hurt to leave. "How can I make it up to you? Anything you can think of, as long as it's legal."

      He frowned a smile at her last comment and thought for a moment. "Nothing special, only a day together, just us and no one else." He shrugged with a small smile.

      Ginger clapped her hands smiling, "my Saturday is all yours, as soon as it hits midnight, I am only with you."

"All mine?" his spark flickered in his eyes as he held out his pinky. She beamed at him securely interlocking their pinkies.

"All yours."

NOTE. honestly sad tbh that my updates are getting slower ☹️ not even for just this book, its all of them ☹️ sosos sorry for not updating as much guys
AND YES I PUBLISHED AND UNPUBLISHED THIS CHAPTER, SHH