Sirius paced in front of James in the lobby of St. Mungo's. It was only a few hours since Sirius and James found out that Annie has a chance. Now James' father was trying to found out which floor she was on.
"Sirius, breathe. They managed to find a pulse. I bet she'll be awake and waiting for us." James said boredly.
Sirius wrung his hands nervously.
A Healer walked up to the two and smiled. "Can I help you boys?"
Sirius shook his head while James nodded. "My Dad's at the desk over there, but since you're here; can you tell me where Anne Heart is? She was-"
"In a Death Eater attack last night?" The Healer asked.
Sirius scratched his head. "Yeah."
"Fourth Floor, if you want I can lead you there. She's in a private room." The Healer bit her bottom lip. "I was so shocked when she came in... doesn't deserve what happened..."
"Er... sure?" Sirius said while James ran off to grab his dad.
"This way. So are you relatives of Annie?" The Healer asked.
"Friends." Sirius said.
"I know. Annie told me that Annie didn't have any aunts, uncles, grandparents, or godparents before the incident," The Healer explained, before stepping into a lift. "Just making sure you're not Death Eaters in disguise."
"Annie as in..." James bit his lip in thought. "Richard's fiancee?"
The Healer nodded. The lift reopened, and she led the three down a long hallway. Nearing the end, she opened a door and ushered them in. Inside the room was a young woman kneeling over the bed. She she stood up, Sirius and James noticed she had an engagement ring on her left hand, and she had long black hair with shining gray eyes. But her face showed grief. She held her hand out. "Annie Mikals."
Harold shook her hand. So did James and Sirius. Annie quickly walked out of the room, and said to the Healer, "I finished fixing up that gash. It's still fragine, I think it was caused by a curse."
Sirius ran up to the bed. Annie was lying there, eyes closed, with a large tube in her wrist. Another tube was attached to her nose, and a small moniter was up, showing her pulse. James went onto the other side of the bed. Her large gash was closed up, thin and white. The skin around the former gash was very red. Sirius looked up nervously at the Healer. "Is she okay?"
The Healer looked slightly sad. "She looks like she's napping. But she isn't. She's in a strong..." The Healer sighed. "She's in a coma. From our tests..."
Sirius' head snapped up again. "From your tests..?"
"She has four days. There are four possibilities that might happen. First, she might wake up perfectly fine. Second, she'll wake up with no memory of who she is- whenever her memory comes back depends when she wakes up. Third, she'll wake up, but, in Muggle terms, be a vegtable. Not speaking, no moving, just alive. Sitting there. The fourth..."
James and Sirius looked at each other worriedly.
"The fourth, she never wakes up. She dies."
James poked his head into Annie's room. "Dude, it's like 11 o'clock at night. You going to get some sleep?"
Sirius shook his head and held Annie's hand.
James sighed. "Sirius... it's been twenty four hours. Three more day's."
Sirius looked at James sadly. "James... she's like my little sister. That day on the train, when I spaced out, I was looking into her eyes. I could practically see all her emotions, thoughts..."
James grinned. "Why did you think I jumped in there with you? Same thing I saw on New Years..."
"James... what do you think is going to happen to her... if she wakes up fine?" Sirius asked. "She has no family friends, and no relatives. Her brothers fiancee is in grief, and besides, she's pregnant. Annie won't impose on her. Will she go to an orphanedge? Will she continue to go to Hogwarts?"
James' eyes lit up. "What if..."
"What if what?"
"My parents could take her in!" James said.
"That's great!" Sirius said exitedly.
And they both ran out. When they came back twenty minutes later, they could of sworn they could see the ghost of a smile on Annie's face.
July 13.
Sirius paced around the room.
James poked his head in. "I got a reply from Remus."
Sirius looked up.
"Sirius, James, what the hell were you thinking, going into a Death Eater attack? You could of died! I'm so grateful you two are okay... but I can't help but think the fact the two 14 year old boys managed to live through an attack unharmed, except for slight shock, is a bit stretched. Because it's not logical. But enough about you, is Annie okay? What's up with this four day buisness? I'm going to visit St Mungo's later today with Peter. What floor is she? Or maybe just wait in the lobby, around 2? Great. Sounds like a plan.
Remus."
"Okay, Remus isn't believing us. The girls don't know and Peter was having a total panic attack. What else can go wrong?" Sirius asked.
"Annie dieing, the girls being invited to the funeral and then totally beating us into a pulp?" James asked.
"Yeah. But they probably read the Prophet." Sirius said. "There was a large article on the attack, remember? And a picture of us sleeping against the tree."
"Teenage heroes help save bodies of the deceased and the lone survivor." James reread the caption.
Something tapped at the window. Sirius and James whirled around to see Reginald.
Opening the window, Sirius grabbed the letter and opened it.
"Sirius, James, how come we just read an article on a Death Eater attack and theres a picture of you two AT THE ATTACK! WHAT WHERE YOU THINKING? ARE YOU TWO INSANE? AND WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED? There's only the names of the deceased. Gwen, Derek, and Richard Heart. Who's the survivor? Are they okay? Are you okay? Okay, I'm rambling. But seriously- what the hell were you thinking? And how did you get there? It said something about you two jumped into the fireplace as Richard was leaving... wait. He's an auror? His last name's Heart? Oh god. Annie...?
Write back NOW!
April, May, June, Alice and Lily."
"Damn. They're insane." James said, as he sat down to write a reply.
"Yo. James! Remus and Peter is here!" Sirius ran in, Remus and Peter behind them.
James stood up and dusted off his hands. He was just sorting some of the few things that were in the house, and most of them were incinerated, so his hands were covered in ash. "Hey guys. Care to help?"
They nodded, and sat down to work.
Sirius pulled out a perfectly fine, though slightly dirty, teddy bear. Placing it next to Annie, he sighed. "Two days..."
"Until...?" Peter asked.
"There's no more hope." James said, pulling out a photo albulm, dusting it off.
Remus' eyes widened. "What the hell did they do to her?"
Sirius grinded his teeth. "Crucio'd her for at least ten minutes, gave her some magical gash, tied her up in suffocating ropes and made a large heavy cabinet fall on her legs."
Remus sighed. "The odds arent in our favor. 25% she'll be perfectly fine. 75% she won't be, no memory, no brainwaves, or no life."
Peter nodded. He picked up a small metal box. "What's in here, do you reckon?"
"Open it." James said.
Peter did, and gasped when he did. He pulled out a large blue stone. "What the hell...?"
Remus stood up and walked over to Annie. Reaching around her neck, he undid her necklace and held the stone next to the jewel Peter was holding. "It's the same. I say that at one of Richard's training camps, he went into a cave and found this rock. It's really rare, too."
Peter put the jewel back into the box. Sirius got up and held it. It flickered from white to black, and all the colour drained from his face.
"She's dying."
July 14.
James held Annie's hand as Felicity, the Healer who had led them to Annie in the first place, told him and Sirius that there was little hope left for Annie.
"It would be best to let her go now. We have a potion that-"
"No." Sirius said.
"But sir, there's no chance-"
"There's always a chance!" Sirius said angrily.
"Sirius... maybe she's right..." James admitted, tears rolling down his face.
"No!" Sirius screamed. "I am not giving up on her! Theres still twenty-four-fucking hours and I intend to see it through!"
Felicity nodded, and ran out of the room. She walked up to Harold Potter very square in the eye and said, "Your boys are some of the toughest I've ever met, Mr. Potter."
"What do you mean?"
"Most people can't hold out this long knowing theres barely any hope. I've seen so many parents, brothers, spouses and friends let their loved one go. My only fear is that Mr. Sirius will not be able to let go."
July 15.
James and Sirius sat crying by Annie's side, begging her to wake up. Felicity stood opposite them, Bethanie and Harold in the doorway.
James wiped some of his tears away. Swallowing his pride, he went over to his parents and buried himself in their hug.
Sirius stayed next to Annie, holding her hand.
"You coming, son?" Harold asked.
"I... I need a moment..." Sirius said quietly.
Felicity nodded, and followed the Potters out.
"Annie..." Sirius started. "I can't belive I'll never be able to hear your voice again. Just a month ago, we were laughing. Talking. I was always telling my friends how I would kill whoever would hurt you. I was ready to help you back up. You would of become a fifth Marauder. It was you that made me realize that I didn't hate April... I like her alot. It was you that helped Lily swallow her pride and see past James' exterior. It was you who made me not to be afraid to let my inner child out. I promise you, Annie, I will make sure Bellatrix and that Darin guy go to Azkaban for everything they did. I lo-." Sirius gulped. "I love you, Anne Evangeline Heart. You will always be my little sister, even though I never had the chance to tell you. I know James feels the same way. That's why we ran in to save you. It was all for you." Sirius leaned down and kissed her forhead, his tears falling on her face. "Goodbye, Evan."
He was just about to open the door when he froze. He leaned against the door and burst into tears.
A few minutes later, he had his hand on the doorknob. But something stopped him.
Looking back, with his sad tearstained face, and opened the door to go to the lobby where James was waiting.
"Sirius, why are you crying?"
Sirius whirled around. "ANNIE!" He ran next to her and hugged her with all his might.
She squeaked. "Ribs... ribs... can't breathe..."
James burst in. "ANNIE!" He ran next to Sirius, shocked.
"What... how... when..?" He said in a hurry.
Annie started crying slowly. "I heard you guys... I couldnt get to you... but then I saw Richard. He said it wasnt my time. I woke up."
James and Sirius hugged her (softly, this time). She threw her arms around them (with a slight wince) and started to bawl like a baby.
Bethanie poked her head in, "James? Sirius-!" She yelled for Felicity and Harold, who came running into the room.
Sirius let go of Annie and James kissed her forhead before letting go.
The three adults gaped at the tearstained little girl. Felicity ran up to her and did a form of complex spells.
Annie blinked.
Felicity looked up. "She's in near perfect health- besides the fact most of her muscles are bruised or torn."
Harold looked at her. "She's nothing short of a miracle."
Annie blushed.
The next day, Annie was sitting up, and most of her muscles were doing well.
Sirius sat by her, and James sat at the end of her bed.
"Annie... we know you're trying to stay happy... but your entire family is gone-" James started.
"I know." She said plainly.
"So, how about we plan the furnerals?" Sirius asked, trying to stay cheerful.
Annie smiled a sad smile and nodded.
"Gravestone material?" James asked.
"Black granite with white lettering."
James looked at her.
Annie smiled. "That's what all the Heart gravestones are made from."
Sirius nodded. "Any decorations?"
"Roses on the corner of Daddy's, tulips on the corner of Mama's, and poppies on Richard's." Annie said. "Hearts also have their favorite flower engraved on the top right corner of their graves."
Sirius bit the quill. "Memoires?"
"For Daddy, Derek Heart, expert in chemistry of all sorts. It was his and Mama's little joke. For Mama, Gwen Heart, sometimes the best art is the type that you could paint in their head. For Richard.. Richard Heart, Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus."
"The Hogwarts motto?" Sirius asked.
"Yeah. James' dad told him that when he was training."
"He tickled a sleeping dragon?" James asked.
"He was dared to tickle your dad in his sleep."
James winced. "Even worse."
Annie was released from St Mungo's July 19th in the morning. She was going to stay at the Potter Manor for a few weeks (or so she thought) and when she saw the place, her jaw dropped.
To her, the Manor was a place from a fairy tale. But she was even more excited when she saw her room. It had another floor. There was a small swirling staircase to lead to the second floor of her room, which was half the size of the main part. She had decided to put her bed and dresser on the second floor, with a small cat castle for her two cats, Queen and ACDC. Later that day, she sat on her bed. Looking down, she saw the back of the Manor. There was a Quidditch Pitch, a large forest encircling the entire thing, and a large pool with a waterfall. She looked around the first floor of her room. There was a refridgerator, a large sofa, a TV, a desk, a laptop computer, a microwave (next to the fridge) and a table with a few chairs. A tear rolled down her face. The only reason she got such a huge room was that she had alot of her family's possetions. Most of the more personal stuff was in the attic (the Manor was HUGE), except for a few items that were special to her family.
Getting up and walking down the stairs, she opened her room door and looked up and down the hardwood hallway. The walls were covered in a red wallpaper with golden designs in the middle. She was trying to find the library. She accidently found her way into James' room.
It was even bigger then her room. It also had the second floor, and she was guessing Sirius' room did too. The walls were covered in red paint with golden lions. The four-poster bed had a deep yellow bed covering. The dresser and desk were covered in picture frames. The walls had posters of brooms, a few pictures of the Marauders, and the Gryffindor Quidditch Team.
She walked out of the room and turned into the room right next to James'. It was Sirius' room. The walls had a red and gold paint as well, except his bedsheets were a deep red with a bit of black threading. Gryffindor flags were hung, scarves were tied around bedposts, and the vanity was wearing a Gryffindor hat. He was really trying to make a statement.
Annie opened the door again and walked out, and managed to find her way back to her room. Throwing herself onto her bed, she gave up holding it all in. She burst into tears.
On July 20th, April was woken up by Lily dumping water on her. It was very cold. She saw her siblings and Alice all waiting impatiently, dressed. May held out a letter. "It's addressed to all of us, but your name is first, so you have to open it." She said with a slight frown.
"Who's it from?" she asked.
"It was Artemis, but the letter has Sirius' writing."
April nodded and broke the seal.
"Dear April, June, May, Alice, and Lily.
I sadly have to be writing this letter for Annie. Any thoughts of this now brings her to tears.
The Death Eater attack was on Annie's family, and she was the only survivor. She was in a coma for
four days, and everybody thought there was no hope for her. James' parents are trying to let the Ministry let them
be her foster parents, so she can live with James' family and still keep her identity. Yes, me and James were at the attack.
Yes, we're fine. But what I'm writing about isn't."
You are hereby invited to the private furneral of Derek, Gwen, and Richard Heart. It is on July 21st. It starts at 5pm.
Please owl back your response.
It would mean a great deal to Annie if you five showed up. Owen is coming, as is Juliet, Jordan and Samantha. Her other friends are away or cannot make it due to previous engagement. Remus and Peter are also coming.
Sirius Black, on the regards of James Potter, on the regards of Anne Heart."
Lily covered her mouth with her hand in shock. May's face blanched. June shot a glance to Alice. How could Annie, the happy-go-lucky girl they had met only in September, be the only Heart left?
"Well..." April said. "Are we going?"
"Uhm. DUH!"
The five girls arrived at the cemetary in Godric's Hollow. They all joined hands and walked together nervously. Then somebody tapped on May's shoulder, and she screamed bloody mary.
"May!" Remus said soothingly. "It's this way." Holding out his hand, she took it.
When they walked into the small gated off area, they saw only 20 people or so. There was a few of Richard's friends, there was Annie Mikals, and there was also Mad-Eye Moody and Harold and Bethanie Potter. The rest of people were Hogwarts proffesors. There was Proffesor Dumbledore, Proffesor McGonagall, and there was also Rubeus Hagrid, the gameskeeper who had befriended Richard. There was also Proffesor Flitwick, who was Richard's favorite proffesor. There was Proffesor Slughorn, having Richard in his exclusive club. All the teachers were huddled up and conferring, while Hagrid spoke to James and Sirius.
"Where's Annie?" May asked.
"With Sirius. You'll barely recognise her. I didn't." Peter said, who had joined the group. As they walked up the James and Sirius, James moved aside, revealing Annie who had Sirius' arm around her shoulders, as if he was going to stop danger from touching her. Annie did look different. Her long brown hair, which was a little dark, was now shoulder-length and was more like ebony. Her bangs were long, and they hid a long scar that ran from her face down her neck, stopping at her collarbone.
She smiled sadly and waved. Alice nearly burst into tears. "She's only twelve. And she's scarred for life."
"That's not it. We think she lost her ability to metamorphose." Remus whispered. "That darkness is natural. I saw her in the hospital, it was brown with a hint of darkness. Next, today, it's so much darker."
June sighed. "But look at her... she looks so fragile... but so beautiful..."
Lily walked up ahead and hugged Annie. She stood stunned for a minute, then hugged back.
She and Sirius walked away to speak with the other girls and some of the first (second, really) years who came, and Lily leaned over to James.
"Why did she pause?" She asked.
"She's not very comfortable with hugs. She was in St. Mungo's, when she woke up, but now... she's so sad. Sirius and I spend most of our days wondering how to cheer her up. Last time she had a smile on her face was when my parents asked if she could be their foster-daughter. That was six days ago." He whispered.
"Six days without a smile..." Lily bit her lip. Annie almost always had a smile, and never went a day without one.
Dumbledore stood up on a small stage. "May I have your attention? Thank you. Now, we are gathered here for a very sad occasion. The funeral of Auror Richard Heart, and his parents, Gwen and Derek Heart. They were murdered on July 11 by Death Eaters. Now, the reason, most likely, is because Gwen and Derek Heart were Muggles. That does not give them an excuse to die. That just makes the act more saddening. The worst thing, perhaps, is the fact that they also had two other children. Robbie, who had died four, almost five years ago at the age of six, and Anne, who is now orphaned, and was forced to watch all her loved ones pass on.
"'It is not the big things that make the man, Proffesor,' Richard had once told me. 'It is his noble and small acts. If a man promised to do something, even if it ruined his own life, if it made him give up one of his dreams, he has to fufill the promise. If a man is small, weak and unintelligent, but stays to his word, he is more of a person then somebody who can transfigure their desk into a pig with their eyes closed, but can never keep a promise.' He told me that when I told him his grades were not the highest, and would be unlikely to be accepted into the Auror program. I asked him why I should recommend him. After he said that, I felt as if I was forced to.
"Richard Heart was a noble and brave man. He loved and forgave easily- once there was an attack on a home of somebody who used to beat him up at school and insult him in his first year. He ran in to save that person and his family. He also would do anything for those he loved. He had given his own life to save his sister. He had made a promise to his sister, a promise which he had kept to his grave." Dumbledore looked sadly at one of the three graves, the on on the far right. "He was not only to noble one in his family. His parents were noble on the two occasions I had met them. The first, when Richard came home from his Muggle school on the last day. I walked in while he ran up to see his baby sister. His father tried to beat me with an umbrella. His wife ran to hide her kids (though very pregnant herself). They quickly apologized and allowed Richard to go to Hogwarts. The second time was when his younger sister turned eleven, a year ago. They were happy to see me again, and I spent nearly an hour there telling them about the Wizarding World." Dumbledore chuckled slightly. "I recall Derek telling Richard when he was eleven, 'Never tickle your sleeping siblings!' after Richard accidently woke up his baby sister. He had a slight trouble remembering not to tickle sleeping things in the future. I also recall the Hearts asking me what was wrong with Anne when she was crying, because her hair was blue. I replied, 'Absolutely nothing!'" He looked around. "And that is what's wrong with all Muggles, Muggleborns, and Wizards. Absolutely nothing."
Much much later, back at the Potter Manor. Sirius was teasing James on how much time he spent with Lily. James shushed him and began to skip down the hall. Until they heard a small meow.
It was ACDC, one of Annie's two cats. Sirius walked towards it, and it bolted into Annie's room.
They walked carefully into her room to see her asleep on her bed in a large white wool sweater and a pair of brown courdoroy. When they got closer, they saw she was crying in her sleep. Sirius shook her awake.
"Sirius..." she said, and threw her arms around his neck and burst into tears.
James rubbed her shoulder. "What's wrong?"
Annie hiccuped, obviously already falling back to sleep. "I had a nightmare... they killed my brothers."
Sirius paused. "Anne, your brothers have already passed on."
Annie curled up, with her head on Sirius' lap. "Not you guys."
Hey, guys! Chapter ten, over and out! There's more to people that meets the eye. Who knew Sirius liked to chase cats, eh?
Next Chapter: Birthdays, Diagon Alley and Trains.
Missy396: Glad you liked the game.
GryffindorkinSlytherinColours: Why would I do that to Annie? Well, this makes it so Annie has no attatchments- which makes it easier for her to help hook people up in the future. She doesnt really start focusing on her own relationships until around James and Lily's seventh year. But I'm glad (?) you cried, means I wrote that chapter well.
ShimmyBabe: Yeah, they arent meant to be. They're meant to be sister and brother (ish). And Sirius and Lil Miss Heartbreak haven't snogged yet- or have they? Remember what they said at the beginning of the year- The day Lily realizes she wants to marry James is the day April gets caught in a closet with Sirius, which is the day people catch Owen and Annie snogging. So I can't say if they have for certain yet.
RaNdOmGeEk: Why did they have to die? Well, as I stated for GISC, Annie has to be a free spirit. No family or guys tying her down (but she will start dating in her 3rd year, but it's not Sirius, or serious relationships.)
Naturally Potter: Yeah... I think it'll always hit people hard how this happened. I made Sirius sad to show how much he cared about Annie. This year will be pretty happy-ish for the fifth years, but not exactly for Annie. Why? Well, whatever chapter November is, you'll see. (Yes, another pre-planning.)
Enjoy, everybody. I won't say how much I lubb you guys in french during this chapter. And I don't know spanish. Or mandarin. Or Welsh. I think learning Welsh would be so cool! They have the coolest names for everything!
Okay, I'm getting carried away. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, the most mood-swingy yet, of, The Family.
26, UP, UP, AND AWAY~