SIXTEEN DEFENDER OF THE PEOPLE

     "That catch was amazing! I thought Smith was really going to get it, but no! Merlin, what a game!" Diana was recounting the events of the Ravenclaw-Hufflepuff quidditch match that had just transpired as they headed back into the castle. Hufflepuff had lost, but Xander wasn't too disappointed as he knew Ravenclaw's win was deserved with how hard they played. Xander had never cared too much about quidditch, but he liked how excited Diana got about it. Justin ran up and joined them -- now having changed out of his uniform. The girl turned to him and kissed him, after she said, "You played great, like always."

The two got absorbed into their own conversation as Xander walked beside them, not really minding being the third wheel. His mind had been other places lately if he was being terribly honest. Mainly on the fact that he hadn't seen Draco or Harry since the incident save for seeing Harry in some classes. He was nervous about Draco, but he was sure the boy had healed up just fine considering his friends were walking around as nothing happened. There was also a chance they simply didn't care about him, but Xander didn't want to think of something like that. How lonely that could be.

"Oi, Salamander, quit dragging your feet. I swear, we'll be the last back to the common rooms at this rate," Diana turned back to get the boy's attention as a smile donned her face with Justin's arm around her shoulders. Xander was happy she was happy, but he'd be lying if he said he wasn't the least bit jealous of the fact that her love life was stable.

"Yeah, yeah, all right," Xander scoffed as they continued walking. Something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. Harry Potter was leaving Professor Snape's classroom. In a split-second decision, he called out to Diana and Justin, "You two go ahead, I'll catch up with you later."

The girl shrugged and waved goodbye as they turned the corner. Immediately, Xander whipped around to where Harry was clearly trying to hustle back to the Gryffindor common room, calling out, "Hey, Potter! I think we need to have a chat about the sorts of spells you think are okay to use on your classmates."

"I threw it out!" Harry immediately defended as soon as Xander approached him, clearly looking nervous, "The book that I learned the spell from, I mean. It's gone, I don't want to mess with it after seeing what it did--"

"So you're telling me you cast a spell that you found in a random book without even knowing what it did? Harry, I never thought you were stupid, but wow," he exclaimed, hating the twinge of anger in his voice. He was angry at Harry, though, for being idiotic and for putting all three of them in danger. "You could have killed him! You are lucky I cared more about Draco not dying than I did about hexing you to the high fucking heavens. I know you're the "chosen one" and all and you're kind of used to things working out for you and nearly escaping death every year, but the rest of us aren't that lucky. You've got a brain and I know you're smarter than that so I strongly suggest you actually use your brain next time you're in a duel. Or just try not to get into a duel in the first place."

"Malfoy cast first," Harry shot back and Xander rolled his eyes.

"You drew your wand first," he defended, "He was in no state to fight, we both knew that. I always knew you and Malfoy were enemies, but I never thought someone could be that cruel to not have the slightest bit of empathy when it comes to another wizard."

Harry's expression darkened at the boy's words, his eyes skirting to the floor as he muttered, "I'm sorry. I wish I had thought about it before I cast it and you're right, I could have killed him. I'm sorry, Xander."

"I'm not the one you need to apologize to," Xander sighed, but he knew Draco would never hear such words coming from Potter's mouth. Both because Harry was too prideful to say them and Malfoy was too prideful to even give Harry the time of day. It was ridiculous, those two, but it wasn't Xander's responsibility to fix either of them. "Just don't be an idiot, for Merlin's sake. And don't start any more fights. Good luck with your detentions for the rest of term."

Xander didn't give him room to respond as he took off in the direction of the Hufflepuff common room. Now he really wanted to speak to Draco, but the boy had made it clear he didn't want the same thing considering it had been almost a week and he still had yet to even run into the boy accidentally. He was hopeless and a fool and the worst part was that he knew it.

"What was that about?" Diana asked Xander as he caught up with them just before they made it to the common room.

He shook his head, "Potter being... Potter. I don't know, things have gotten quite weird, haven't they?"

"You're telling me," Diana scoffed, "Try watching you live through it and then trying to make sense of it all. Sheesh, I feel like I need a full diagram on a chalkboard of all the drama you're involved in."

"Wait, what? What's been going on?" Justin asked, speaking the password to the portrait as it swung open, "Xander and drama have never once coincided in a sentence before, what could you possibly be getting into?"

"Oh, nothing," Xander brushed it off as best he could even though he was a horrible liar, "Just threw myself into the middle of Malfoy and Potter's rivalry and let me tell you it's exhausting."

Diana laughed at this as she fell down onto the couch in front of the fireplace, "You're telling me! Men and their emotions! So angry all the time, it's ridiculous. I'm surprised there aren't more duels around here."

"I'm not angry all the time, am I?" Justin muttered to which Diana shut him up by pressing a soft kiss to his lips.

Xander looked away and went to head up to the dormitories, but Diana called his attention as she said, "Oh, Xander! You slept through breakfast, but you got a letter! I had Justin drop it on your bed for you!"

"Oh, thanks!" he exclaimed as he went up the stairs. Immediately, he tugged off his robes and sweater, loosening his tie and letting himself breathe for a moment. Walking over to his bed, he picked up the letter and saw Alecks' loose scrawl on the back of the envelope. His mood immediately shifted to one of worry as he tore open the envelope.

Xander,

     I figured I owe it to you to tell you the truth that things aren't looking good back here. Mum's quit her job, but I feel like that was a given. We've been using most of dad's inheritance to pay for her medical treatment, but nothing is working the way it should. She asked that I write you because she's gotten too feeble to hold a pen for very long. She wants you to know that she loves you and that she's proud of you no matter what. She also asked that I give you something that will be in the attached package. I'm sorry this is how I have to tell you, I hope you'll get to see her when you get back from summer holidays, but write back just in case, okay? I love you so much, Xander, and we'll get through this together.

Love,

Alecks, Jo & Mum

The page was already tear-stained, but Xander couldn't help but add a few splotches as he stared down at the words on the page. His mother was dying and he was stuck here at school -- it was driving him crazy. He tore open the package and inside it was a small, navy blue velvet box. A note was attached, a brief note in his mother's handwriting that said, Your father gave this to me the day you were born -- he couldn't be prouder of the family we had made.

Opening the box, it was a necklace with a small blue topaz pendant -- their birthstone since Alecks and Xander were only two weeks apart -- and an inscription on the back. Alexander. Defender of the People. It was the combination of both his and Alecks' names, something their mother had said she did so that way they would always complete each other no matter what. Without another thought, he clasped the necklace around his neck, tucking it under his uniform. He sat on his bed with his head in his hands for a while as he cried, not knowing how to face this reality he would soon be forced to live in. Sometimes, a boy just wanted his mum.

i hate putting through xander so much he really is my baby however that's not going to stop me from continuing to put him through things <3