Let the games begin pv Alexa Closed

Alexa was finally back at Hogwarts after an uncomfortable holiday split between two parents, and two locations. They were officially divorced now, and they had sold the family farm along with all of the animals on it, all of the things Alexa had grown up with. Spending Christmas in two different cramped apartments with awkward parents had not been pleasant. She was much happier to be back at school, back to work, back to her friends.

Speaking of friends, she had just sat down at the Hufflepuff table in the Great Hall, her new pet rat Rascal perched on her shoulder, when suddenly there was a flurry of movement from further down the table. Orange movement. And before she could truly place what she was seeing, a handsome orange cat was sitting in front of her, on the tabletop.

“Loki!” She cried happily, and reached out to scratch his ears. Rascal squeaked uncertainly from her shoulder. As she pet the cat, she looked around nearby. “Okay, you’re here, but where is Henry?” Henry, on whom she had a crush that she had tried to get over during the Christmas break, since he seemed oblivious to her feelings. Alexa wasn’t sure if this was deliberate or not, but either way, having this crush was turning out to hurt more than less. So she had tried to “crush” her feelings over the Christmas break, but just seeing this animal brought them all flooding back again, and she looked about expectantly and excitedly for her friend.

Spotting him headed in their direction, she leaned back on the bench so he could see her, and waved with her free hand. Rascal clung to her shoulder with all 4 feet, and she reached up and touched him reassuringly. “Hi Henry! How was your holiday?” She couldn’t deny that it was good to see him again.

Meeting with @Alexa Mackenzie

Loki seem to love the attention he was getting from the red head as be sat down right in front of her which was when he noticed the grey ray on her shoulder however the feline never been one for hunting through so instead he examined the creature for a moment for licking it once or twice to show that he liked it and won't hurt it although that didn't mean a rodent would still be comfortable around a cat since Loki tried once to befriend a mouse but it scrambled away leaving the cat alone.

Henry finally made it to his feline and his face lit up when he saw Alexa as he spoke " Alexa! Hey!" Even through the twelve year old didn't know it, he had a crush on the girl which was good since she had one on him except he was a idiot with love that he didn't notice it as he spoke " how was your holiday? Did you get the gifts I sent you?" Remembering that he sent the girl a crochet rat, the book; fantastic beasts and where to find them, and also a brown also almost a horse riding type of jacket that had her name sewed to the front along with hufflepuff dueler underneath.

That's when he saw the rat on her shoulder and the boy immediately sat in front of her as his smile grew before saying " you have a rat! What's their name! Thus is amazing!" Still happy for his close friend before remembering a key detail and adding " Loki doesn't hunt rats so don't worry he won't harm them," still rather happy that she had her pet as he watched it on the red heads shoulder.

Rascal stood frozen on her shoulder as Alexa stroked Loki's soft orange coat. Loki was examining the rat carefully, and with some delicacy, he reached up and licked Rascal a few times. They touched noses, introducing one another, before the cat sat back down. Rascal relaxed and chattered in her ear quietly and contentedly. He had just made a new friend!

Alexa watched Henry’s face light up when she saw him, and knew that hers had done the same. Her heart beat faster when he greeted her, but she told herself to calm down. Still smiling, she stood up and hugged Henry. She released him and looked quickly away, blushing again. Whether he had a crush on her or not, he was still a very good friend.

He asked about his gifts, and Alexa blushed deeper and smiled shyly. “I did, thank you Henry! They were all wonderful. Did you get mine?” She wasn’t sure if the Muggle mail would have reached his house, because she didn’t have an owl to send it with. She hadn’t had much to spend, either, so she had simply gotten him a Celtic braided leather bracelet. She had put in her note that she had a matching one. She now had two bracelets on her arms, one from Alina, and one from herself that she hoped would connect her to Henry.

Henry sat down and saw Rascal. After asking, Alexa laughed and said, “His name is Rascal! He is so smart and friendly, and I love him already.” She nodded at the explanation about Loki and rats. “They just introduce themselves, and they were both very polite,” she said with a smile. It was good to see Henry again.

So sorry for the delay!

Talking with @Alexa Mackenzie

After touching noses, Loki would flick his tail a bit before continuing to watch the grey rat as he occasionally sniff at him before going back to watching the furry creature.

Taking a seat across from Alexa, Loki would perk up and after a few more moments walk across the table and jump down to the seat next to his owner. Sitting on the bench but still watching the grey rat as Henry smiled toward Alexa and the grey rat now known as Rascal. " Rascal is such a adorable name and he looks amazing. That's also amazing that they get along but between us Loki isn't much of a hunting cat so," feeling his cat glare at him for a moment Henry starched between Loki's ears before reaching across the table and letting Rascel sniff him before he would gently pet the grey rat.

"I did yes and it's amazing," Henry spoke showing off his wrist which had his shared bracelet with Logan but also the celtic leather bracelet from Alexa. Friendship bracelets always were something that amazed the boy so when he was younger they were something that he used to make but again before Hogwarts didn't have many to give them to so it explains his interest with them now at Hogwarts.

Henry sat down across from her, and eventually Loki returned to him. He complimented Rascal's name and appearance before offering his hand to the rat to sniff, before gently petting him. Rascal chattered happily, pleased with the extra attention.

Alexa reached up and gently touched Henry's hand, when it was by her shoulder petting Rascal. She couldn't help it. She had spent the past few months trying to get over him, trying to get over her crush, and the devastation of rejection, but they just had so much in common. And she couldn't deny her feelings for him.

Swiftly moving her hand away with an awkward smile, she said, "I hope you enjoyed your holiday. It's good to see you again," she added softly. Then she shook off these feelings and brightened, smiling at him as she always did. "So, do you have any rules laid out yet for this competition of ours?" She grinned wickedly. "I've already been teaching Rascal various tricks, so you'd better be ready to catch up!" This was somewhat untrue, as most of the things she had "taught" her pet rat, he had already seemed to know, so it had been not at all difficult to reinforce the knowledge she already had.

So sorry about the delay :-(

Talking with @Alexa Mackenzie and Rascal

After sitting down and getting the approval from Rascal, Henry would lightly stroke the creature with two fingers smiling as he did before feeling Alexa touch his hand unexpectedly but also a sudden warmth spread across him as well in which Henry couldn't explain.

Not yet knowing the feelings he had for the red head, Henry would turn his hand and lightly grab her hand before making eye contact with the hufflepuff and smiling lightly.

For a moment time seemed to freeze and everything seem peaceful but that was just for a moment for when time seem to catch up with them and a sense of awkwardness suddenly appeared out of thin air, Henry lightly let go of her hand before placing his arms on the table to rest them.

Loki was sitting on the seat next to Henry, watching the whole scene and looked as if he was rolling his eyes before giving out a light meow as if he knew that both shared feelings for each other and that Henry was a idiot for not noticing them.

Fiddling with the now two bracelets on his right arm before speaking " it was fine, did you enjoy your holiday Alexa? It's great to see you again as well," Henry smiled up at the red head since he meant that before the topic moved on toward their competitions causing a bit of a laugh from Henry before they boy spoke " what about a few ground rules; like no using magic to get your pet to do a trick, a friend or someone can't help you train your pet, and no sabotaging the other."

Henry smiled toward Alexa as the light entered his eyes before replying " what have you taught him? I taught Loki a few simple tricks as well."

So sorry for the delay! :-(

Henry reached up to pet Rascal, and the little rat sat upright, pleased with the attention, his paws dangling in front of his chest. Alexa smiled at Henry, hoping the awkwardness from the chess game before Christmas would be gone between them now.

But alas. Henry grabbed her hand and squeezed it slightly before looking at her. She didn’t take her hand away, but she looked down, blushing. A sudden warmth had spread through her at his touch, but she tried to beat it down because she knew now that he was unaware of her feelings, and that anything he did not was just friendly.

Apparently also feeling the awkwardness, Henry let go of her hand, and Alexa slowly slid it back to her lap, where both for hands could remain hidden. Rascal nuzzled her ear, trying to give comfort, as he sensed her awkwardness and unhappiness. He chattered very softly for only her to hear, and she smiled slightly before looking up again at Henry.

As Henry fiddled with the two bracelets on his arm, Alexa fiddled with her own, looking at the golden bracelet Alina had given her before leaving her alone here at Hogwarts. For a moment she was tempted to take it off; but it also represented her friendship with Lucia, not that she saw much of her lately. Instead her fingers went to the braided Celtic leather bracelet that matched Henry’s. She showed it to him. “I got one for myself, too, by the way. A kind of, friendship bracelet…” She trailed off.

When he asked her about her holiday, she frowned slightly. To most people she would just lie to not burden them, and say that it had been fine. But Henry was a close friend, the closest thing she had to a best friend now that Alina was gone. So she told the truth. “My holiday wasn’t that great, honestly. My parents sold the farm and all of our animals, and they now live in two separate apartments in Inverness. So I spent half the time with both of them, but never the three of us together.” She looked away, saddened by her recounting. “I hate divorce…” She whispered, almost too low to be heard.

But she shook it off, not being one to dwell on sad emotions. So she looked up at Henry again with half a smile. “Those sound like good rules to me!” She said with as much enthusiasm as she could muster. When he asked her what she had taught Rascal so far, she got into the conversation more. “Oh, he knows how to sit up, stay, and come. He knows when I stretch my arm down to him to climb up to my shoulder and sit there. I haven’t gotten much farther than that, yet, though. What about you and Loki?” She asked.

Talking with @Alexa Mackenzie

Henry smiled at the grey rat on Alexa's shoulder as he scratched Rascel between his small little ears before pulling his hand back and resting them both on the table.

Lol however jumped onto the table and walked across the table to Alexa before inching his head close to Rascel where then the orange feline stayed to slowly lick the tiny creature.

Henry watched Alexa fold her arms into her lap and mess with a bracelet on her wrist which he noticed that one looked like his or the one that she gave him. Henry would eye the celtic leather bracelet and smile when he heard Alexa speak before saying himself" a symbol of our friendship, I think that's a lovey idea Alexa and I promise I won't take it off," words from a twelve year old boy who was playing with the bracelets on his wrist before he would look up at Alexa bright green eyes with a smile to listen to her.

Barley hearing her whisper as Loki leaned against Alexa as a way to comfort her but not purring before the feline gave the grey rat another lick before walking across the table and jumping back next to the seat next to Henry.

Henry however looked at his friend sincerely and with a smile as he spoke" that's bloody awful, I'm sorry Alexa. It must be hard to have the life that you know suddenly change and if you ever want to talk about it or even just sit in silence know that I will always be here for you," remembering when the girl was there for him when he was having a panic attack a few months back now the boy wants to help her in anyway that he could.

As the conversation changed, Henry smiled widely as he nodded to the rules before listening to Alexa speak when she would finish the twelve year old would then say " Rascel sounds wicked smart! Loki knows to sit, stay, come, and lay down. That's all for now really, however currently I have been teaching him to stand on his back feet, spin, roll over, and also to jump and eventually sit on my shoulder."

Alexa again found herself fiddling with the bracelet that now matched Henry's. When she had gotten them, she had been uncertain about creating such a solid connection between Henry and herself, after his rejection last December, intended or not. But as she had health bracelets in her hand in the shop in Inverness, the idea of having a physical connection to Henry started to appeal. Maybe he would begin to understand her feelings… Maybe his own feelings would change toward her. But she couldn't really worry about that now; the change wasn't likely to happen in the next few minutes, if it happened at all. So she simply smiled at Henry.

No matter what, he was a good friend. He sympathized with her regarding her parents' divorce, and said that he would always be there if she needed someone to talk to. She looked down at her bracelet, her vibrant red hair falling forward to hide her face. Even if he didn't feel the same way that she did about him, there was no doubt he was an excellent friend.

She thanked him for his support, and then listened happily while he complimented Rascal, and told her of the tricks he had taught Loki. Rollover, Alexa thought, that would be a good one to teach Rascal next. He would probably pick it up quickly; like Henry said, he was very smart!

"Those sound like great tricks, Henry!" Alexa looked back up at him and smiled. "We will have to catch up with you; it seems like you have more good ones planned." She looked around the Great Hall and noticed that everyone was beginning to disperse and head to their first classes of the new term. She looked back at her friend. "I think I should be getting to class, but maybe we can meet later on?" She asked.