Ron quickly rushed the two girls inside, begging Bill to help him as they both bled. Bill and Fleur both knelt beside a girl, carefully healing each of their wounds.

"You'll have a scar," Fleur said, referring to the healed gash across Alexandra's cheek.

"They're not so bad," Bill smiled, bringing over a glass. Alexandra quickly drank it's contents. "Harry's arrived. You three stay here."

As soon as Bill and Fleur left, Alexandra's head began aching.

"Ah!" She yelled, throwing her head in her hands as vivid images began playing in her head. Bellatrix, Narcissa, Lucius, Greyback and Draco all stood in a line, falling over in pain as Voldemort ruthlessly punished them. She looked at Draco, blood covering his face from the shattered glass, screaming in pain as he suffered for his decisions.

"Alex," Ron said quietly, afraid he would hurt her if he touched her. Her yelling turned into crying as she stared at the wall in front of her and attempted to catch her breath. "What's the matter?"

"He's angry," she cried.

"It'll be alright. They can't find us here. I'll send you to my aunt's-"

"No," Alexandra protested, grabbing onto his arm. "You can't leave me alone again. Please."

"It's too dangerous for you to come with us. You're in no shape-"

"Please," she cried, falling into his chest as he held her. His heart broke as she let out loud, gut-wrenching sobs as she begged him not to leave her alone. Hermione, having woken up only a moment ago, cried herself when she heard her friend fall apart.

"I'll talk to Harry," Ron assured once she had calmed down.

"Why don't we get you cleaned up?" Fleur asked, re-entering the cottage. She whispered something to Ron before helping Alexandra up and guiding her to the bathroom. Alexandra wasn't able to stand on her own, so she sat in the tub as the water from the shower washed over her. She watched as dirt and blood poured off of her body and down the drain for quite a while before the water finally became clear. When she was finished with her shower, Fleur handed her a towel before helping her up again and bringing her into the bedroom and helping her change into more comfortable clothes. She wrapped a blanket around the girl, and brought her back into the living room where Hermione had been patiently waiting. Her friend definitely looked cleaner and smelt better, but still didn't seem like herself.

"I'm so sorry, Alex," Hermione cried, now sitting up on the couch. Alexandra sat next to her, resting her head on Hermione's shoulder as they sat in silence. Neither of them knew what else to say. They just enjoyed each other's company for the first time in months.

"Where's Harry?" Alexandra finally asked.

"Dobby didn't make it," Hermione admitted sadly. "Ron and Dean are helping him dig a grave."

"Dean?" Alexandra asked. "Thomas?"

Hermione nodded. Alexandra decided not to ask how he ended up with them, and thought it was best just to be glad he was alright.

"Where's Luna?" Alexandra panicked, picking up her head.

"I'm right here," Luna smiled, entering from the kitchen and handing Alexandra a plate of food. "Dobby brought Mr. Ollivander and I to this cottage during the ruckus. I'm glad you're alright."

"I'm glad you're alright as well," Alexandra smiled.

"Is the potion treating you well?" Luna asked.

"Potion?"

Alexandra had drank the glass of what she assumed was water so quickly that she never noticed the strange taste of it.

"Your body's taken quite a beating. We had a bottle of healing potion lying around from Ron's last visit, and thought it would do you some good," Bill explained, bringing Alexandra an actual glass of water. "You should feel much better by morning, once you rest."

"Thank you," Alexandra smiled, finally standing on her own as she hugged Bill. "Have you heard from your family? The Death Eaters saw Ron-"

"They're being taken to Aunt Muriel's now. They'll be safe there," Bill explained.

"Thank Merlin," Alexandra sighed, sitting back on the couch as Bill and Luna left.

"When Harry, Ron and I leave the cottage," Hermione explained, her voice hoarse yet quiet. "You'll be joining them."

"Hermione-"

"You won't be alone there," Hermione assured. "I can't let you join us. It's too much of a risk. You have to understand, none of us are willing to put you in any more danger."

"Tom Riddle once showed me a battle full of death and destruction," Alexandra stated sternly. "I refuse to sit and watch when I can be doing everything in my power to change the outcome I once saw."

"Until that day comes, you must rest. You've spent eight months locked away in a dungeon, you're not going to become as strong as you once were overnight," Hermione argued. "You've been fighting so hard, Alex. You deserve a moment to breathe."

Alexandra looked down at her lap, playing with Draco's wand in her hands. Hermione hadn't noticed the object until that moment.

"How did you-"

"He gave it to me. Just before the chandelier fell," Alexandra explained. "I held it in my hand, but couldn't remember a single bloody spell in time to use it. Now I've got his wand, and he's got nothing."

"I'm sure he'll find another," Hermione assured. She laughed lightly, shaking her head. "He saved my life. If he hadn't mentioned the goblin, I surely would have been killed. I'm so sorry for what she did to you."

Hermione reached her hand out, weakly tracing the long healing scar across Alexandra's cheek. She flinched, and Hermione pulled her hand away.

"I'm so sorry I couldn't save you the night of the wedding," Hermione cried, apologizing for the moment that has yet to leave her memory. "If I had just waited-"

"It wasn't your fault," Alexandra assured. Alexandra remembered the moment, the image of her friends disapparating a split second after she had mistakenly dropped her wand. Her wand left with them, but she stayed behind. "You needed to get out of there. I could have apparated on my own, but I didn't. I was foolish to depend on you all. I could've gotten each of you killed. I should've handled things on my own."

"Nobody should have to handle things on their own, especially now. We've got to stick together," Hermione told her friend. Alexandra looked her in the eyes, but didn't say anything.

"Harry is about to bury the elf, if you'd like to join," Luna smiled, entering the room. The girls nodded, both being helped up and taken across the beach to where Harry stood with Dobby in his arms. Alexandra looked down at the ground where Bellatrix's knife laid flat, covered in blood.

"We should close his eyes," Dean told them. He looked at Alexandra and nodded, smiling lightly. Alexandra smiled back.

"There," Luna smiled, backing away from the elf. "Now he's sleeping."

The lot of them watched as Harry placed Dobby in his grave.

"Shall we say something?" Luna asked. Everybody looked at her expectingly, deciding she would go first. "Thank you, Dobby, for rescuing us from the cellar. I'll always remember what you've done for us. I hope you're happy now."

Alexandra stayed silent. She had never really known Dobby, so she had nothing to say.

"Thanks, Dobby," Ron said quietly. Dean followed.

"Thanks."

"Goodbye, Dobby," Harry said sadly, watching as Bill filled the grave with a small swish of his wand. "Do you mind if I stay for a moment?"

Everybody accepted his wishes, slowly walking back to the cottage. Dean offered to help Alexandra, but she refused. Instead, she slowly brought herself towards the ocean where she sat near the shore's end, taking in the moment as the waves crashed only a few feet from her. It wasn't long before Harry joined her, and they sat together in silence. They didn't need to say anything. The two just enjoyed each other's company for the first time in eight months, thankful.

"Happy Christmas, Alexandra!" A young Harry called as he and Ron sat at the large Christmas tree towering over the Gryffindor common room.

"Mum's got you both a gift," Ron smiled, handing boxes to both Harry and Alexandra. They opened them to find wonderfully knitted sweaters beating the first letter of each of their names on the front. "She says you're both welcome to the house any time you'd like. She even said you can stay over the summer holidays, Alex, so you don't have to return to that orphanage."

"Right," Alexandra smiled lightly, remembering the lie she told both boys about having been living at the orphanage rather than the Malfoy's. "Thank you, but I can't."

"Oh, you've got to! My sister Ginny would love the company, and Fred and George promised to teach me Quidditch. You can join. It'll be loads of fun," Ron begged, hoping the girl would change her mind. She smiled.

"You really mean it?" She asked. He nodded excitedly. "Alright, then."

"Brilliant! I'll write mum straight away!"

Harry laughed as the boy ran up to his room, rushing to send a letter to his family.

"Happy Christmas," he smiled, handing Alexandra a chocolate frog he had saved from the train ride. "I heard you've never had one."

"I haven't gotten you anything," Alexandra frowned. Narcissa Malfoy held the key to her parents' vault, so she had been left with no money.

"That's alright," Harry assured. "Open it, see what card you've gotten."

Alexandra carefully opened the box, jumping back when the frog leaped out. Harry, prepared for this moment, grabbed onto the frog and snapped it in half so it would no longer try to hop away. Alexandra was too busy to notice his actions, as she was focused on the card she held in her hand.

"Salazar Slytherin," Harry stated. "You never know who you'll get, I suppose. I don't think you're anything like a Slytherin. You're very polite, kind and a wonderful friend. I'd never be friends with a Slytherin, but I think you and I will be friends for a long time."

Alexandra smiled. "Me too."