Hi again. Here is Ch.3 the longest chaper yet.
Disclaimer: Still Not JRK.
Bella looked at her furious sister.
"What's wrong Meda? "
" That goddamn mudblood! He made me wait for him for a half hour before patrol, while he was off snogging his girlfriend. AAAAHHHH! I can't believe I have to put up with this the entire year."
Bella, who had seen enough of Annie's rants to know that she needed to vent out her anger, merely nodded at the right time. She never really paid attention to Annie when she was angry. Her mind began to drift of to the man she met recently. He fascinated her. He was flawless, and powerful. More powerful than anyone she'd ever met. Power radiated off of him, like light from the sun. He told her about the cause, and asked her to serve him. She had no choice but to agree.
"Good night Bella."
" Hmmm. Yeah. 'Night Meda." Said Bella, absentmindedly.
Annie took one last look at Bella, before trudging to her dormitory. Bella was her best friend, even more than Rabastan, and they told each other everything, but this year something had changed. She had been told over the summer that she was going to marry Rodolphus Lestrange, and she hadn't even said a word. Bella, who defied their parents, who was the best dueler in Slytherin, whose temper was legendary, was submissive about the biggest decision her parents had taken. The girl, who had blown up her mother's vanity desk when Druella raised the necklines of one of her gowns by an inch, was okay with an arranged marriage to a man who was almost 10 years older than her, and whom she had never spoken to. It made no sense to Annie.
Halfway up the stairs, she turned around and went back to the common room. She saw Bella sitting on her favorite olive couch staring at the dying embers of the fire. She sat down next to her sister, and placed her hand on Bella's shoulder.
"What's wrong Bella?"
"Meda, I thought you went to bed."
"I was going to, but you are making me worried. Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, Meda. Why do you think something is wrong with me?"
"I don't know. Maybe it is because you haven't hexed anyone this year, or that you are so quiet. Or that when Cygnus told you that you getting married this summer, you didn't even glare at him. Or maybe it because you don't talk to me anymore like you used to. We never have our sister's night, or randomly gossip."
" Oh Meda. I didn't mean to be distant with you, or not care about you. You know that I'll always be here to listen to you, or care for you. You are my conscious, remember. It is just that I met someone, and he made me realize that there more important things to fight for, than a stupid marriage. Besides, I have met Lestrange, and he seems alright. But there are more important things like the cause. As for hexing people, I hexed Mulciber yesterday. Damn SOB screwed up our potion and turned my hair blue, and I'll cursed that mudblood for you if you like. How dare that filth keep a Black waiting?"
"Forget Mulciber and Tonks, Bella. What are you doing? What is this cause? Who is this man you are meeting? Do you realize that you are engaged?"
" Meda, I can't tell you right now. This man is going to be the savior of the Widzarding World. Greater than even Grindewald. He will achieve what we, generations of purebloods, couldn't achieve."
" Bella, you're scaring me."
" Meda, I know what I'm doing. Just made sure that you are on the right side. "
Bella got up in one fluid motion, and went to her room. This time, Annie was left staring at the ashes that remained.
After that conversation, something changed between Annie and Bella. They still spoke everyday, but the closeness that they had before, seemed to be vanished. Bella began gravitating towards a darker crowd. She disappeared every night, and spent hours in the library, especially the restricted section.
Annie, on the other hand, threw herself into her textbooks, speaking only to Cissy and Rabastan. She was determined to do well on her OWLs and would pause only to eat and sleep, or patrol.
Weeks passed by like this and it was already November. Annie walked to Charms, and sat down in her usual seat next to Rabastan. Flitwick was passing back there lastest essay. In spite of her nonstop studying, she still sucked at charms. She had managed to pull her grade from a P to a A, but that was not good enough for NEWT level Charms. Annie, unknown to anyone except Bella, had harbored a secret desire to be Healer, especially for kids. She loved kids, and she loved knowing that she made someone feel better. Even though, she knew as a pureblood wife, he could never have a job; she still wanted the satisfaction of knowing that she was good enough. Unfortunately the only thing stopping her dream was her grade in Charms. It wasn't that she wasn't trying, she just epically failed at the subject.
Annie looked at her paper. A red A was at the top. She wanted to cry. She had worked so hard on that essay.
"What you get Annie? "
"An A, Rabbie."
"That's really good. I got a P. Why are you so upset?"
" Because I worked really hard on this essay. I was hoping for an E, at least."
Sighing, Annie waited for the period to end. When the period was over, she walked up to Flitwick.
"Professor, I really help with this class. Is there anything I can do?"
" Well, Miss Black, you seem to be able to do the spells fairly ok, but you don't understand why they work. I could assign you a tutor. Ah, Ted m'boy."
Annie whirled around to see Ted Tonks, staring at her.
" Ted, Miss Black here needs help. You wouldn't mind tutoring her, would you?"
"No problem, sir."
Annie's jaw dropped. Tonks teaching her? She HATED him. After that first patrol, she hadn't spoken to him. Rounds were bad enough, and now she had to spend more time with him.
"Professor. I can't do this. Its s'ok, I'll manage."
" Don't be silly, Miss Black. Ted's one of my best students. And you need the help if you want to do your OWLs well"
" Yeah, Annie. You need the help." Smirked Ted.
Annie turned red. " FINE! Meet me tomorrow before rounds in the library." She spat angrily and stomped out of the room.
Ted grinned at the sight of her.
"Real spitfire isn't she. Anyway thanks m'boy."
" Anytime. Professor. Anytime."
Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I think Bella is a little OOC. She is too maternal for my taste, but I wanted to show the closeness of the sisters. Plus there is Ted/Annie fluff coming up!!!! I won't update until Feb, but I will prolly put up my Bella one-shot.
So please REVIEW!!!!!!!
