Reunions

Psyche searched through the shelves of Flourish and Blotts, looking for something good to read. But no.

Read that.

Heard it was terrible.

Read that.

Heard it was really terrible.

Read it.

Read it.

Read it multiple times.

Psyche sighed audibly. Looking for a book would be harder than she thought.

She shuffled to the side until she bumped into someone. "Oof!"

Then she heard a familiar voice she never in a million years would have thought she'd hear again.

Alexius walked slowly through his shop, looking at his customers.

Funny.

Soon they'd be his followers or prisoners.

Soon.

All of them.

It was a nice thought. Made him smile, at least.

He saw one person in particular that really caught his attention.

Blonde hair, tall, shapely figure, very pretty. He could recognize her in a heartbeat.

So when she bumped into him, he couldn't resist talking to her. "Could I help the lady find a book?" he asked her, a smirk forming on his lips.

It really had been too long.

"Can I help the lady find a book?"

The question seemed like it was dripping in sarcasm and overconfidence.

The voice was so familiar yet so foreign. Psyche turned around and saw Alexius Acerbant standing right before her very eyes.

So of course, she did the best thing she could with a cool demeanor.

Hug the shit out of him.

Okay, maybe it wasn't cool in hindsight, but she hadn't seen this man in years. He was a seventh year when she was a first year.

He'd been the first to show her around school. She had to admit she had a bit of a crush on him back then.

But then Max came into the picture.

Besides, someone like Alexius couldn't possibly want her, no way, no how. Whether it was romantically or as a friend. Either way.

He did show up for her graduation, though. And he showed up here.

Looked like he still cared a bit.