Chapter 2- The Burrow
As the portkey landed Anna's nerves, which had been frayed, all morning increased. She glanced at Charlie whose face had broken into a large grin at the site of his childhood home. Anna looked up at it, it looked exactly as Charlie had described it, it even felt homey. Charlie grabbed Anna's hand and pulled her up the path, pointing out the broomstick shed and the chicken coop along the way. He reached the door and knocked three times. A nervous yet excited voice answered the knock.
"Who is it?"
"Hi mum, it's me Charlie!"
"Oh Charlie dear…now what's the question…oh yes, what was your imaginary friend called?" she asked hurriedly, Charlie chuckled
"Edna" Charlie answered, Anna stifled a laugh with difficulty, "What does Auntie Muriel insist on calling you?" he asked in the same urgent voice, it had been a while since he had seen his family,
"Millie" Mrs Weasley answered puling the door open and engulfing Charlie in a hug.
"Oh Charlie it's so good to see you, you must come home more often dear, oh and this must be Anna" she said pulling away from Charlie.
"Nice to meet you Mrs Weasley" Anna said nervously presenting her with the bouquet of flowers that looked slightly less impressive now after the journey that when she had bought them at the Portkey station in Romania,
"Oh thank you dear, their lovely. It's wonderful to meet you at last; we've heard so little about you from Charlie! Come in dears!"
Charlie pulled her inside the door and Mrs Weasley disappeared into the kitchen,
"See, she loves you already"
"Charlie you have told her haven't…" but Charlie pulled her into the crammed kitchen, there were at least 15 people in there, most of them redheads, she smiled nervously at them as Charlie began introducing them. He was in the middle of introducing Ron's friend Hermione when she caught the eyes of two people she recognised; she did a double take before one of them spoke.
"Charlie, what do you think your doing bring her here? Have you gone mad?" Tonks exclaimed loudly halting his introductions,
"What?" said Charlie looking at her,
"Do you know who she is?" she replied, Anna looked at Charlie sharply before Tonks continued,
"For Merlin's sake Charlie, Neville's here!"
Anna looked down at the boy called Neville and felt herself grow warm,
"What are you talking about Tonks dear?" asked Mrs Weasley loudly,
"You haven't told them!" Anna said turning to Charlie,
"I told you Anna it won't matter!"
"You promised me Charlie"
"What's going on?" said Ginny looking at Tonks, who glanced at Kingsley, who cleared his throat,
"Everyone, this is Annabella Lestrange, Bellatrix's daughter" everyone gasped and Neville turned white, Anna turned to Charlie,
"You promised me Charlie," she whispered, tears forming in her eyes, she turned to leave,
"Anna don't…please"
Mr Weasley seemed to come to his senses,
"Get out of my house now! Charlie how dare you bring her here!" Anna waited a second or two for Charlie to defend her, when he didn't she blinked back the tears and left the kitchen.
As she closed the door to the Burrow she leaned back against it and allowed the tears to fall, she could hear arguments raging inside the house, Charlie's voice was lost among the tirade insults directed at her and her mother. Everyone assumed the same, that she was her mother's daughter. The truth was she hated her mother, and her father come to that more than anything else in the world, she had fled to Romania upon leaving Hogwart's to escape, when she met Charlie it took months before she trusted him enough to tell him. When her mother had escaped from Azkaban, the Aurors including Tonks and Shacklebolt had questioned and interrogated her for hours for information, she had none.
She pulled herself away from the door and walked down the path she had been led down only minutes ago. She was angry at Charlie for lying to her, and herself for allowing herself to trust him. She pulled out her wand ready to apparate to the ministry to arrange a portkey when she heard a series of loud pops behind her, she whipped around and saw at least 20 death eaters inside the wards of the Burrow making their way to the door, they all had their backs to her. She was so shocked at their sudden appearance that that she was momentarily at a loss of what to do, when her senses returned to her she screamed as loud as she could,
"CHARLIE!"
She then stunned at death eater and began running back down the path, the windows of the Burrow all shattered sending glass into the house, the door burst open and Charlie led the population of the kitchen into battle.
The fight must have been raging for at least 30 minutes before she heard her mother's taunting voice,
"Longbottom, I've always wanted to see how long you lasted before you crumble…" Anna made towards Neville stunning death eaters on her way, she was not going to let this happen, Neville was cowering by the broom shed his broken wand lying at his feet, her mother raised her wand and uttered the curse just as Anna dived in front of him, she felt the curse hit her and barely heard the scream leave her mouth, there were flashes of light all around her but all she knew was pain, she heard her mother's voice as she lifted the curse,
"Well, well, well, look who it is. I've always wanted to she the light leave your eyes you disgusting traitor, which of you shall it be first",
Anna staggered to her feet her wand raised shakily,
"You leave him alone!" she screamed sending a cutting curse, which her mother dodged,
"Protecting him are you? Well I suppose the traitors must stick together, you could have been great you know Annabella, if only you'd chosen the right side"
"I am on the right side!" Anna screamed as the duel began.
Anna was always a good dueller but next to her mother she felt like a first year, she heard the death curse spoken in disgust and looked at death racing towards her, she thought of Charlie and closed her eyes, it would never have worked anyway, she cared too much.
She felt two sharp blows hit her, one at her shoulders pushing her to the ground and one at her legs pulling her, she hit her head hard of the water butt and opened her eyes to see Neville and Professor McGonagall had saved her, she heard the popping sounds of Aurors arriving and death eaters fleeing and the sound of her mothers voice,
"One day Annabella" and then Anna allowed the darkness to overtake her.
A/N Please review!!!