Alex sat in the three broomsticks, looking at the last crumbs of her sandwich with regret. It was a pity that her Father had insisted on dropping her off, because, apparently, for the first time that holiday he had to go somewhere. And as it was completely inconceivable that she should just, oh, use the floo network like a normal person, she had been sitting by herself for an hour, which was plain humiliating. Reading had brought a little solace, but she had forgotten that she had almost finished her book, and as she didn't feel like re- reading it, she had been forced to sit and sip at her butterbeer in silence.

Whilst inwardly cursing her Father, of course.

Anyway, Peyton should be arriving soon, thankfully, so there would be someone to talk to- not that Alex objected to silence. But she was in the three broomsticks, sitting by herself was beginning to make her feel unpleasant. Like people might actually start pitying her for having no- one to talk to. And she wasn't in a good mood because her Father had been pulling myriad stunts such as this, which, while they could be viewed as childish, were infuriating, and a complete waste of her time.

Alex looked at the bottom of her butterbeer glass with surprise, then decided not to order something else until Peyton arrived. It shouldn't be too long, and she wasn't thirsty. And she wanted to actually talk to him, having not seen him since school ended, which had been ages ago, especially considering that normally she saw him every single day. Actually, technically, normally she lived with him, but saying that sounded a little creepy. It was a little strange to think that technically she lived with everyone in the whole school, from Headmistress Snark- actually, not anymore, but the point remained the same. Dismiss it before you dwell on it.

Hmm, maybe she would order something after all. Or not, since Peyton wasn't here. Whatever happened to not keeping people waiting?