The wind stung Annabelle's skin as she fell through the darkness. She felt like it was lasting forever, and yet she couldn't see the ground yet.
Just as the dark tops of many trees became visible, Anna heard her dad yell something through the rush of wind. Then, Anna's descent slowed immensely. She dropped slowly through the tree branches, which whipped her face and arms. Finally, she dropped to the ground on her stomach.
Groaning, Anna pushed herself up onto her hands and knees, looking around. She saw her dad slowly sitting up a few feet away, rubbing his head with a grimace. Continuing to look around, Anna gripped her wand tightly in case someone came out and attacked them again. But then her eyes saw the large, shadowed mass of gray feathers.
"Buckbeak?" Anna whispered shakily. The hippogriff didn't move. "Buckbeak?" Anna called a bit louder, her voice squeaking with fear as she stumbled to her feet and hurried over to him. She walked around him and dropped to her knees by his face, her dazed eyes taking in his large head.
His black eyes were open and glazed over, staring sightlessly into the trees beyond, and his beak was open.
"Buckbeak, get up." Anna whimpered, pushing at his shoulder with the hand not gripping her wand. "Buckbeak. We have to go. Come on."
"Anna." her father knelt on the ground next to her, putting a hand on her upper back. "Anna, he's gone."
"No." Anna whimpered, tears burning her eyes as she continued shaking Buckbeak's shoulder. "No, he can't be dead. He can't be. Get up!" she cried, shaking him with both hands.
"He is dead, Anna." her father told her gently. "He died protecting us, but he'll have died in vain if we don't get out of here. We have to go."
"But-but we can't just leave him here, Dad." Anna protested weakly.
"We don't have time to bury him, Darling. I can cover him, but we really need to go. Now."
Anna swallowed thickly, forcing back her tears despite how hard it was. Buckbeak had been in her life since she was eleven. They'd saved each other's lives, and now he'd died protecting her and her father. Nodding quickly, she leaned down and wrapped her arms around Buckbeak's thick neck. Giving him a tight hug, she briefly buried her face in his still-warm feathers before pulling away and forcing herself to stand on shaky knees.
Sirius stood with her and waved his wand. It caused a thick layer of moss and flowers to appear and drape over the still body, covering it in a temporary grave.
"Come on." Sirius whispered, wrapping his arm around his daughter and hugging her close for a moment. "We'll Apparate home and hopefully catch our portkey to the Burrow."
Anna nodded, forcing herself to pull it together. They still had a mission to complete. And now that she was thinking about it, she was anxious to know if everyone had made it.
Anna gripped her father's hand tightly and he Apparated them to the woods behind their cottage, where they'd been assigned to go. Silently, they walked through the dark woods together until the cottage came into view through the trees, a couple downstairs lights shining through a few windows.
Anna pointedly refused to look at the round paddock they passed in the woods, the one where Buckbeak had stayed when he lived with them.
A few moments after they left the cover of the woods, the back door to the cottage flew open. Wren came hurrying across the lawn.
"Are you okay?" she called as she neared them. When she got a good look at them, her eyes widened worriedly. "What happened? You're all scratched up!"
Anna looked down at herself and realized she had a few scratches on her hands. Reaching up to touch her own face, she felt the sting of several scratches crisscrossing her cheeks.
"We ran into some trouble." Sirius explained, pulling his wife close in a hug. "Death Eaters were on us from the start, split up and chased us all down. Do we have time to catch our portkey?"
"Yes. You've got five minutes." Wren told him. "Do you know how the others are?"
"No clue. Last we saw of anyone was them flying off in different directions with Death Eaters chasing them down." Sirius explained.
"Where's Buckbeak? Did you put him back in his pen?" Wren asked, turning to her daughter.
Anna struggled to swallow and had to look at the ground.
"He got hit." she heard her father whisper. "Rabastan was after us, and Buckbeak took a Killing Curse for us."
Wren gasped quietly, but Anna couldn't bear to listen anymore. She turned and headed for the house, knowing their portkey was waiting in the living room to take them to the Burrow.
Sure enough, there was an old, chipped teacup sitting on the coffee table.
"Promise you'll come back as soon as you can to tell me what happened." Wren insisted of her husband when they followed Anna into the house.
"I will, love, I promise." Sirius swore, kissing the top of her head. "I'm not sure when it'll be, but I will come home as soon as I know everyone's okay."
They waited a few more minutes before Anna and her dad put a finger each on the teacup. Then, with a familiar jerk behind her navel, Anna was pulled into nothingness with her finger stuck to the Portkey. Finally, her feet slammed onto the ground and she stumbled, barely keeping herself from falling to the ground. Hearing running footsteps, she turned and saw the Burrow, and Remus and Harry running toward her and her dad.
Remus slowed and raised a wand to Sirius, who did the same.
"What Animagus was Prongs?" Remus asked in a strained voice.
"James was a stag." Sirius answered tensely.
Remus dropped his wand arm and pulled Sirius into a tight hug. When they pulled away, Harry gave Sirius a tight hug, as well.
"We were betrayed." Remus said shortly. "They somehow knew we were leaving tonight, but they didn't know about the multiple Harrys."
Sirius nodded curtly. "Who else has made it? Ron and Dora should've been here first, right?"
"They didn't make it yet. It's only been Hagrid and Harry, and me and-"
"George." Anna's whisper caused all three men to turn and look at her. She was staring as the blood staining Remus's sleeves. "What-where's-"
Remus sighed. "George is in the living room."
Anna's eyes flew up to stare at Remus's face, her expression horrified. Without another word or thought, she raced past them and toward the Burrow. Her vision was tunneled. She paid no mind to Hagrid sitting in the kitchen. She entered the sitting room and her eyes focused on the back of the couch. She could see Molly and Ginny bent over it and moved around the sofa.
There, laying unconscious on the couch, his face pale and neck drenched with blood, was George.
Anna dropped to her knees on the floor next to him, her eyes fixed on his face in horror.
"It's George, dear, and he'll be fine." Molly told her gently, dabbing at the side of George's head with a wet rag. When she pulled it away to dip it in a bowl of water, Anna's stomach clenched. His ear was missing. It was almost hard to tell under all the blood, but there was definitely no ear there.
"She knows who it is, Mum." Ginny told her, sitting between Anna and her mum. "She cares about George, too, you know."
Anna could feel herself going into shock. First Buckbeak was killed, and now George was laying on a couch, looking close to death. Anna lifted a hand and placed it on his chest, making sure she could feel his heartbeat. Even feeling the familiar thump-thump of George's heart, Anna couldn't bring herself to feel any relief.
"Could I…?" Anna's eyes didn't stray from her best friend's face, but she held a hand out to Molly. The wet rag was placed in her hand. Anna sat up on her knees and gently pressed the rag to the bloody side of George's head. Through the rag, she could feel a gaping hole where his ear should have been.
"So, what happened to you?" Ginny asked. Anna dragged her eyes from George and looked over at Ginny. She hadn't realized until then that her hair was natural again; long and brown. She was also no longer wearing glasses; they must've fallen off when they crashed. And her clothes were big and baggy now that she was back to her normal size.
"Um…we got chased by Death Eaters." Anna admitted, looking back at George. "We got shot down, but it was fine. Dad used some spell to slow our fall, but we fell through tree branches. That's why I'm all scratched up."
"Well, I'm glad you're okay." Ginny told her, wrapping an arm around her. Anna wrapped her free arm around Ginny in return, still cleaning up the remaining blood from George's ear.
"What happened to George?" Anna asked shakily.
"His ear was cursed off. We won't be able to grow it back, because it was Dark magic. But at least he's alive." Molly answered.
"Did I hear someone else in the yard?" Ginny asked. Anna glanced at her and followed her eyes over the couch where Harry was standing, looking down at George.
"Yeah. Hermione and Kingsley just got here." he admitted. He looked up and met Ginny's eyes while Anna looked back at George. She pulled the rag back to look at the hole. Now that it wasn't bleeding, and Anna had gently wiped out the drying blood, all that was left was a clean, gaping hole. Her stomach clenched at the sight.
"I'll prove who I am, Kingsley, after I've seen my son, now back off if you know what's good for you!"
Anna almost didn't recognize Arthur's voice, and looked up over the couch to watch them enter. Her body tensed with anticipation as she realized with Arthur, Fred would be here.
Arthur burst into the room, bald spot glistening with sweat and glasses crooked on his nose. Fred was right behind him, and Anna breathed a sigh of relief. While both were pale, they appeared uninjured.
Anna and Ginny scooted closer to Molly, above George's head to make room as Arthur came to kneel at his son's side. Fred, however, was frozen. He stared over the back of the sofa, gaping at the huge wound on his twin's head. Anna wanted to get up and comfort him, but she remained where she was.
Feeling movement under her hand, Anna realized she was still holding the rag to George's neck. She pulled back slightly and looked at him with wide eyes. He was stirring, possibly at the sound of his father and twin's arrival.
"How're you feeling, Georgie?" Molly whispered gently, running her hand through his messy, ginger hair.
George's hand slowly came up, his fingers brushing the back of Anna's hand before reaching the hole where his ear should've been. Anna swallowed thickly, watching him worriedly as his finger explored this change.
"Saintlike." he murmured.
"What's wrong with him?" Fred asked, his voice breaking as he looked fearfully down at his twin. "Is his mind affected?"
"Saintlike." George repeated. He turned his head and opened his eyes, looking right up at his twin. "You see? I'm holy. Holey, Fred, geddit?"
Molly started sobbing, and Anna's shoulders slumped with relief. If George was well enough to make jokes already, he would be fine. Feeling exhausted, Anna leaned forward and rested her forehead on the edge of the couch by George's shoulder.
"Pathetic." Fred told his twin. Anna forced her head up to look up at Fred over the back of the couch. Color had returned to his face. "Pathetic! With the whole wide world of ear-related humor before you, you go for holey?"
"Ah well." George tilted his head back to look up at his teary-eyed mother. "You'll be able to tell us apart now, anyway, Mum."
He looked around and took in everyone in the room.
"Hi, Harry-you are Harry, right?"
"Yeah, I am." Harry answered, moving closer to the sofa.
"Well, at least we got you back okay. Why aren't Ron and Bill huddled round my sickbed?"
"They're not back yet, George." Molly told him, which made George's grin fade.
Ginny got up, and she and Harry walked back outside.
"Hey, what are you all teary for?"
Anna glanced up and realized George was looking down at her. She had her chin rested on his arm. He reached down with his other hand and used his thumb to wipe a tear off her cheek. She sat up straight, wiping her cheeks with one hand.
"Nothing. I'm fine." she told him, trying to pretend people weren't looking at her.
Arthur stood up, patting Anna's shoulder as he moved to stand with his wife. Fred moved around the couch and sat on the ground next to her. He leaned back against the coffee table, wrapping an arm around Anna's shoulder and pulling her into his side.
"So, who all's here and not here?" George asked, glancing around.
"Ron and Tonks missed their Portkey. They aren't here yet. Fred and I missed ours, too, but we Apparated over a little bit ago." Arthur explained. "Hagrid and Harry obviously made it, and Sirius and Anna, and Hermione and Kingsley. Mundungus and Moody haven't arrived yet, and neither have Bill and Fleur."
George nodded, turning to look at Fred, who grinned reassuringly at him.
"So, what happened to you, George?" Anna asked, leaning heavily on Fred. "Who attacked you?"
"Snape." George grimaced. Anna stiffened. "We were being chased by a couple different Death Eaters, but it was Snape who cursed my ear off. Don't know what happened after that, must've passed out."
"As long as you're safe, that's all that matters." Molly told him, fussing with his missing ear once more.
They spoke quietly for a few minutes. Anna remained quiet, her head on Fred's shoulder. She tried to focus on the conversation around her to keep her mind off everything, but she couldn't muster the energy to participate in the talk. Suddenly, the backdoor banged open again and Ginny hurried in.
"Ron and Tonks are back!" she yelled.
Arthur jumped up, but Molly glanced anxiously between George and the backdoor.
"I'm fine, Mum. Go check on Ronniekins." George told her with a smile. Molly smiled worriedly back before getting up and running after her husband and daughter to the backyard.
"So that just leaves Mad-Eye and Dung, and Bill and Fleur." Fred noted.
"They'll get here soon." George stated confidently. "So, what happened with you two after the Death Eaters showed up?"
"Well, Dad and I were chased by a good handful throughout the chase." Fred answered. "I recognized Yaxley, and one of them looked a bit like that Goyle kid in Ron's year, he might've been his dad. Anyway, we held 'em off pretty well, but they managed to cut us off and slow us down a few times, which is why we missed our Portkey. But we eventually got to our assigned house, your grandparents' house," Fred added to Anna, "and after checking in with them, we Apparated here."
George nodded while Anna just looked down at the floor, her head on Fred's shoulder.
"What about you, Anna?" George asked curiously.
Anna struggled to swallow for a moment. "Oh, we were fine. We caught our Portkey in time."
The twins stared at her for a moment.
"Anna, you gotta give us more than that." Fred told her, nudging her cheek with his shoulder. "You're all scratched up. Something must've happened."
Anna's throat closed, and she struggled to breathe for a moment. Finally, she took a deep breath and whispered, "I'd rather not talk about it right now, please. There's too much going on right now."
"There's really nothing going on right now, but I suppose we can leave you alone for now. We will get it out of you eventually, though." George told her. Anna smiled softly at him, nodding in defeat.
"Fair enough. Does your ear hurt?" she asked, mostly to change the subject.
George turned his head and patted his uninjured ear. "Nope. Just fine."
"Not what I meant." Anna told him sternly.
"Well, I can 'ear you just fine, so that's something." George told her, causing Fred to chuckle. "And no, it doesn't hurt. But that could change." he added seriously.
"Oh? And what could change it?" Fred asked, smirking.
"Christmas." George answered seriously. "Because then I'll have to endure Celestina Warbeck." Fred and Anna laughed at him. "Maybe I can play up my hurt ear to get out of that this year."
Anna shook her head, still chuckling while Fred and George laughed loudly. They were still laughing when everyone entered the house. Anna's laughter died when she saw the serious and glum faces as everyone gathered in the sitting room. Bill and Fleur were among them.
"What's wrong?" Fred asked, also scanning everyone's expressions. "What's happened? Who's-?"
"Mad-Eye." Arthur answered simply. "Dead."
Anna felt like someone had punched her in the gut. The twins' smiles fell into shocked expressions. How could Mad-Eye of all people have been killed? And as Anna surveyed all the people present, she noticed Mundungus was gone, too.
Dora was crying softly, and Anna remembered Mad-Eye had been Dora's mentor while she was training to be an Auror. Hagrid, who was sitting on the floor in the corner, was wiping his eyes with a tablecloth-sized handkerchief.
Bill got out a bottle of firewhiskey and several glasses. With a wave of his wand, he sent full glasses around the room until everyone had one. Bill then held his up and offered a solemn toast. "Mad-Eye."
"Mad-Eye." everyone echoed before downing their drinks.
Anna threw back her glass, grimacing at the burn as it slid down her throat. She honestly couldn't understand how her dad liked that stuff. She'd always thought it numbed people's pain, but if anything it just shocked the pain back into her.
She tried to focus on the conversation going on around her, but she honestly couldn't. She could only catch snippets of conversation, enough to gather that Dung had bailed the second they were surrounded by Death Eaters, which made some people suspicious that he might've been the one to betray them. But someone, she thought it might've been Bill, pointed out that the Death Eaters hadn't known about the eight Harrys, and that bit had been Dung's idea.
Every time Anna tried to focus, she couldn't last more than a few seconds. Buckbeak's blank eyes kept popping up in her mind's eye. Or the flash of green light that Buckbeak took for her and Sirius. She couldn't bring herself to focus on anything else, and she could feel her resolve to not cry breaking with every passing second.
"Hey. You okay?" a gentle voice asked near her ear. Anna blinked and glanced around. Fred and George were both looking at her, Fred still with his arm around her shoulders, and George still laying on the couch. She noticed a few people had left. Sirius was talking with Hagrid and Arthur near the corner, Molly was heading toward the kitchen with Fleur, and Ginny was talking with Dora.
"Where's-?" Anna cut off, her voice coming out more hoarse than she was used to.
"Bill and Lupin left to find Mad-Eye's body. And I think Kingsley left a little while ago." Fred told her, rubbing his hand up and down her arm.
"What about Harry? And-?"
"Harry stepped outside." George told her. "And Ron and Hermione went to talk to him." He eyed her worriedly for a moment. "Are you sure you're alright? Just how long have you been spaced out?"
Anna wiped her hands down her face, trying to clear her mind. "I don't know. Sorry. Tonight's just been-"
"Rough." Fred finished for her, pulling her closer into his side. "We know. It's okay."
"Did I miss anything? I'm sorry, I just couldn't focus." Anna admitted quietly, not wanting the whole room to hear her.
"Nothing too big. Mostly just a bunch of theories, and Bill and Lupin went to find Mad-Eye's body, and Harry had a mild meltdown. No big deal." George told with exaggerated casualness.
Anna smiled, but it was fake and the twins could easily tell.
About half an hour later, people had begun clearing out. Hagrid left for home, as did Dora, who told them to tell Remus if he came back and asked where she was.
Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Fleur headed upstairs to go to bed.
"Well, I best be off, too." Sirius agreed after Dora left. "Wren will be wanting to know what all happened. Anna?" he called across the room to where his daughter was still sitting with the twins. "Are you coming home, or do you want to stay?"
"I want to stay." she admitted quietly. "If that's okay." she added quickly with a glance towards Molly, realizing how rude she was being.
"Of course that's okay, dear." Molly agreed with a warm smile, though she looked exhausted. "I'm sure we could make room in Ginny's-"
"She could stay with me and George." Fred cut in, tightening his hold on her.
"Well, yes, I suppose she could, but I don't think we should move George tonight. I don't want Anna to have to sleep on the floor." Molly pointed out fretfully.
"I'll be fine down here, Molly." Anna assured her quietly. "I want to stay with George and Fred."
"Alright. I'll get you all some blankets and pillows." With that, Molly hurried up the stairs.
Sirius kissed the top of Anna's head before leaving, and Arthur headed upstairs to go to bed. Molly left them a pile of blankets and pillows before joining her husband.
Anna put a pillow behind George's head on the arm of the couch. Then, she helped Fred drape a blanket over him. Then, Anna and Fred spread a couple blankets out on the floor next to the couch for padding, laid down on them side-by-side, with a couple pillows, and draped a blanket over them. Anna snuggled into Fred's side, his arm wrapped around her to hold her close and her head rested on his chest.
Just as Anna closed her eyes, Fred gently squeezed her hip. "You gunna tell us now? What happened to you on the way here?"
Anna sighed in defeat, opening her eyes in the dark room. "I was hoping you'd forgotten."
"Not a chance." both twins said together.
"Come on, just tell us." Fred added on his own.
"Yeah. I'm all ears." George joked.
Anna sighed heavily. She really didn't want to get into the details. She figured, she could just spit it out and leave it at that.
"Buckbeak died." she admitted quickly.
She heard Fred's breath catch with her ear on his chest, his arm tightening around her. "Anna…" he breathed.
The sympathy in his voice broke her resolve. Burying her face in his chest, a silent sob shook her chest as tears began pouring from her closed eyes. Fred's shirt was quickly soaked. Fred wrapped both arms around her, practically pulling her completely onto his chest before rubbing a hand over her back.
"What happened?" Fred asked gently, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
"We were b-being chased by a few Death Eaters." Anna sobbed quietly, "It seemed like every time we got r-rid of one, another one would pop up. Then Rabastan Lestrange was the only one following us. I dueled with him for a while. Then I shot a Stunning Spell at him, but I don't know if it hit him or not. He'd shot a Killing Curse at us at the same moment, but Buckbeak rolled over in the air. He got hit and we fell off him…" Anna paused to take a few deep breaths, trying to get her breathing under control. When she continued, she spoke in a whisper, "I didn't realize he'd been hit until after we hit the ground. Dad had used some spell to slow down our fall, otherwise we probably would've died. We fell through a forest canopy, that's why I'm all scratched up. I hit the ground lightly. Then I looked around and saw Buckbeak laying limply on the ground a few feet away. I tried to wake him up, but…" she trailed off, tears falling silently from her eyes and drenching Fred's shirt.
Fred squeezed her tightly to his chest, running one hand up and down her back soothingly. "I'm so sorry, Anna." Fred whispered, his warm breath stirring the hair on the top of her head. "I know how much he meant to you."
"I never should've agreed to him being involved in this mission." Anna whimpered. "He should've stayed at Hagrid's with the other hippogriffs."
"This isn't your fault, Anna." George told her firmly. "Buckbeak cared about you. He would've protected you a hundred times over if he could. We'll get Rabastan back for this, if he didn't die already."
Anna nodded silently.
They laid in silence like that for a while, just settling down and waiting to fall asleep. Eventually, Anna ended up rolling over so that Fred spooned her from behind and she ended up holding George's hand, which hung over the side of the couch. They all fell asleep like that.
XXX
"Hurry up! Hurry up!" Anna exclaimed, dragging both twins by their arms down the lane toward the Burrow.
"What's the hurry?" Fred demanded. "He's probably not going to be there yet."
"He might be." Anna pointed out. "And even if he's not, I want to be there to greet him when he does arrive."
"Merlin, you're obsessed." George huffed, rolling his eyes. "You're going to give Harry a complex. After all, it's supposed to be his day."
They entered the front door of the Burrow a few moments later, and it was strangely clean. The twins and Anna had been lucky enough to get out of helping clean the Burrow up for the wedding the following day, given they worked during the days and lived elsewhere. The Burrow had been pretty packed lately, for multiple reasons. With Dumbledore dead, they couldn't continue using Grimmuald Place for the Order's headquarters, since he was the Secret Keeper, and Snape was a Death Eater. So, the Burrow had been acting as HQ instead. Plus, with the wedding approaching, Fleur's parents and sister were staying at the Burrow for a couple days.
"Oh, good, you're here." Molly rushed by, pausing only to kiss Anna and her sons on the cheeks. "Why don't you all head outside and help decorate for Harry's birthday?"
Anna exchanged a glance with the twins before sighing in defeat and heading outside. In the garden, several tables were placed end to end.
"Harry!" Anna called as soon as she saw him. He turned and greeted her with a smile and a wave. She hurried over and hugged him. "Happy birthday!"
"Thanks. And thanks for the gloves." Harry told her, pulling away from the hug.
"I wanted to get you something you could use for,…you know." She wasn't sure what Harry and the others were planning, but she knew Dumbledore had given them some kind mission that would help stop Voldemort.
"Well, thanks. I bet they'll come in handy."
"So,…is Charlie here yet?" Anna asked, finally giving in to her desperate hope that her favorite Weasley was there.
The twins and Harry laughed, and Ron told her that no, Charlie hadn't arrived yet.
Anna and the twins started helping decorate the garden some more. After several minutes, Anna was interrupted from helping the twins make purple lanterns by a redhead approaching from the distance, just outside of the protective enchantments surrounding the Burrow.
Anna narrowed her eyes, though an excited grin was already stretching across her face.
"Charlie!" she squealed excitedly, racing across the yard. She vaguely heard George make what sounded like a joking comment, but she ignored him.
Charlie looked just the same as when Anna last saw him during the Triwizard Tournament three years before. He was short and stocky with muscular arms that strained against his shirt sleeves. His freckles were so dark his skin looked tan, and his red hair was windswept and long enough it brushed his shoulders.
He grinned at her, dropping his bag and opening his arms in time to sweep her up in a tight, familiar hug, swinging her around a few times before letting her feet touch the ground.
"Well, that's a nice greeting." Charlie joked, pulling back to look down at her. "Don't you look all grownup. I like the hair." he added, tugging lightly on a piece of Anna's wavy, nearly-black hair. The last time he'd seen her, it'd been it's natural brown, but after she'd changed it for the Yule Ball, she kept it the darker color.
"Thanks. I like yours, too." she added with a laugh, stretching up to mess up his hair.
"Let's just hope Mum lets me keep it." he grumbled, running his own hand through it to fix it slightly.
"Keep dreaming. It's your big brother's wedding. You need to look presentable." she added mockingly.
"Speaking of weddings." Charlie grinned again. "When am I getting an invite to yours?"
"Not sure." Anna admitted as Charlie picked up his bag and they both started walking back toward the Burrow. "With everything going on, and the future being so uncertain, we aren't sure how or when it would work. Plus, we didn't want to plan our wedding on top of Bill and Fleur's."
"Good point. I take it Mum's been going insane?"
"Just a bit." Anna smiled.
"So, let me see if little Freddie's got good taste." Charlie suddenly reached for Anna's left hand, pulling it up to see the engagement ring that was once again on her finger. She'd taken it off on the night they'd picked up Harry. If she'd changed into Harry while wearing it, it probably would've cut off her finger. "Not bad."
"Thanks." Fred grinned as they reached him. "Now quit putting the moves on my fiancé."
Charlie laughed, pulling Fred, and then George into hugs. He wished Harry a happy birthday and greeted Ron, Ginny, and Hermione before they were interrupted.
"Charles Septimus Weasley!" Molly called from the back door of the house. "You get in here right now! You are long overdue for a haircut! I will not have you looking like a homeless hoodlum at your brother's wedding!"
Anna and the twins sniggered while Charlie scowled across the lawn toward his mother. "Love you, too, Mum! Such a nice greeting after not seeing you for three years!" Turning back to the others, he sighed. "Well, guess I better get this done and over with."
"Good luck, bro. Kiss your lovely locks goodbye." George joked, patting Charlie's shoulder as the older Weasley walked past.
After the garden was decorated, Fred and George headed to the end of the lane to lead the guests to the house. Molly even made Harry a cake that looked like a giant Snitch. Anna had a feeling Aslan would love that when he saw it. Anna, Sirius, and Harry were raising him to love the sport as much as they all did.
Sirius, Wren, and Aslan were the first to arrive, and Fred lead them to the house before returning to his brother. Aslan was quick to ask Harry to hold him after Sirius got his hug in.
Hagrid was next to arrive, wearing his best suit, which was a hairy, brown suit that smelled odd.
Remus and Tonks were the last to arrive, and Anna noticed from a distance as she watched them greet Harry, that Remus's smile was fake, but Dora was practically glowing. Curious, Anna made a note to talk to one or both of them later.
"Hey." Anna turned to see Charlie walk up behind her. His red hair was now clipped short to his scalp, looking very strange after years of it being at least a few inches long. "I've got something for you. It's in my room. Do you want it now or later?"
"Well, now you've got me curious." Anna admitted, glancing around. The party hadn't properly started yet. "I'd say now, before the party's in full swing."
Charlie lead her back to the house and up to the third floor where he shared a room with Bill. Anna waited just inside the doorway while he approached his bed and dug around in his trunk. Finally, he pulled out something that was haphazardly wrapped in old newspaper and walked back to her.
Anna took it from him curiously. It was rectangular and somewhat flat. "What's this for, exactly?"
"Just open it." Charlie suggested quietly.
Anna glanced up at him before looking down and ripping the paper carefully off whatever it was. When it was revealed, her lips parted in awe and her eyes turned glassy.
It was a framed photo of her sitting curled up with Buckbeak. She recognized it as the photo Hagrid had taken her fifth year for Buckbeak's trial. They were inside Hagrid's hut and Buckbeak was curled around her with his head by her leg. The frame was a light silver with intricate carvings that looked similar to feathers, and at the top, curving down one of the corners of the frame, was a long, gray feather.
"Fred wrote to me and told me what happened that night." Charlie explained quietly while Anna ran her thumb over the frame. "I'm sorry about Buckbeak. I figured you'd like something nice to remember him by."
"Is this the same feather I gave you for Christmas my first year?" Anna asked quietly, feeling herself getting choked up as she ran a finger over the soft feather.
"The very same." Charlie admitted. "I took care of it that whole time, but I figured this would be a better use for it."
Anna sniffed, stepping forward and wrapping her arms around his middle tightly. "Thank you. I love it." she whispered into his shoulder.
Charlie hugged her back just as tightly, rocking her slightly in place before kissing the top of her head. "No problem. I understand."
They stayed up there for a few more moments before Anna carefully slipped the photo into her shoulder bag so they could return to the party. They approached Hagrid, who was talking with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Hagrid and Charlie talked about Norbert, Hagrid's Norwegian Ridgeback, who was apparently Norberta now. Then Hagrid told Anna about all the baby unicorns that'd been born at Hogwarts in the last week, and Anna almost wanted to return to Hogwarts to see them.
"I think we'd better start without Arthur." Molly called to everyone in the garden. Arthur was late getting home from work, it seemed. "He must have been held up at-oh!"
A streak of light came shooting across the yard. It landed on the table and formed into a bright weasel, standing up on it's hind legs. Anna met Fred's eyes from across the yard before they both looked back at the patronus when it spoke in Arthur's voice.
"Minister of Magic coming with me."
The weasel patronus dissolved and Anna gaped slightly at the spot it had been.
"We shouldn't be here." Remus said instantly. "Harry-I'm sorry-I'll explain another time-"
He grabbed Dora's wrist and they both hurried away. They climbed over the fence in the backyard and vanished. Anna did her best not to hurry across the yard, stopping between Fred and George. She also noticed Sirius taking Aslan from Harry, holding his son close.
"The Minister-but why-? I don't understand-" Molly stuttered in bewilderment.
But before anyone could discuss or make any kinds of decisions, Arthur popped out of thin air at the gate with Rufus Scrimgeour at his side.
Fred casually nudged Anna into a chair at the lantern-lit table, him and George sitting on either side of her as the two older men crossed the yard.
"At least he isn't using Percy as a ticket into our house this time." George muttered quietly. "That's the last thing we need."
Everyone else sat in silence, watching the two men as they got closer.
"Sorry to intrude." the Minister greeted them as he limped to a stop by the table. Under the lantern light he looked much older than he was the last time Anna had seen him. "Especially as I can see that I am gate-crashing a party."
He scanned the table and his eyes lingered on the large Golden Snitch cake.
"Many happy returns."
"Thanks." Harry told him warily.
"I require a private word with you." he went on to Harry. "Also with Mr. Ronald Weasley and Miss Hermione Granger."
"Us?" Ron asked in shock. Anna and the twins glanced at Ron and Hermione in surprise. "Why us?"
"I shall tell you that when we are somewhere more private. Is there such a place?" he asked Arthur.
"Yes, of course." Arthur answered nervously. "The, er, sitting room, why don't you use that?"
"You can lead the way." the Minister said to Ron. "There will be no need for you to accompany us, Arthur."
Anna noticed that Molly and Arthur exchanged a worried glance, as did Sirius and Wren and a few of the others. But Harry, Ron, and Hermione all stood up and headed back toward the house.
"Don't suppose you've got an Extendable Ear on hand, Gred?" George asked, leaning back to see his twin from around Anna's head. He had a bandage wrapped around his head to cover the wound left by his ear.
"'Fraid not, Forge." Fred admitted in disappointment.
"What do you think the Minister wants with them?" Bill asked the table as a whole, his eyes fixed curiously on the backdoor.
"If it were just Harry, I'd say the answer was somewhat obvious, but with Ron and Hermione…" Arthur trailed off, his eyes fixed worriedly on the backdoor. He seemed hesitant to join most of the guests at the table.
"On a different note." George continued quietly, looking down at Anna. "I told you so."
Anna frowned in confusion. "Told me what?"
"Our dad's patronus is a weasel, just like yours." George teased, pinching her cheek playfully. Anna swatted his hand away, trying to hide the fact that she was blushing.
"Shut up, George." she hissed, but it was too late.
"You can make a patronus?" Charlie leaned forward on his arms, leaning over the table from his seat across from her. "Where'd you learn that?"
Anna exchanged a glance with Fred.
"Harry taught us." Fred answered casually.
"Ah, yes. Dumbledore's Army, right?" Bill questioned, his arm wrapped around Fleur's shoulders.
Anna and the twins nodded silently.
"And your patronus is a weasel?" Charlie repeated with a smug smirk, glancing between Anna and Fred.
"Shut up." Anna groaned, slouching in her seat and covering her face.
"Do you think the Minister knows about Harry, Ron, and Hermione's plan to ditch school?" George asked quietly, glancing back at the door again. He kept his voice quiet because not everyone at the table knew or approved of the Trio's plan.
"Where would he have heard about it?" Anna whispered doubtfully. "Very few people in the Order know about it, and even less would've spoken about it where the Minister would overhear."
"You never know." Fred pointed out.
Everyone at the table talked quietly among themselves for a few more minutes, when they heard raised voices coming from the house. Everyone turned to stare at the house worriedly. Arthur and Molly hurried toward the house. Sirius handed Aslan to Anna as he hurried past and toward the house after them.
They all waited in tense silence for a few moments before the Minister stormed from the backdoor. They all watched as he crossed the yard. When he passed through the gate he disappeared with a loud CRACK.
"He's gone!" Molly called from the doorway, probably speaking to the people in the house.
Everyone returned to the table to announce that Scrimgeour had stopped by to drop off the things Dumbledore had left them in his will. He'd given Ron a Deluminator, which everyone was fascinated with as they passed it around the table. He left Hermione a worn copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard.
"I remember these!" Anna exclaimed, looking over the small book with a warm smile. "You used to read these to me when I was little!" she added to her parents. Even though her dad had been arrested when she was three, she had very vague memories of her dad reading stories to her, and she certainly remembered her mum reading those stories to her.
Dumbledore also left Harry two things; the Sword of Gryffindor and the Snitch Harry caught his first match at Hogwarts. Everyone voiced their outrage over Scrimgeour keeping the Sword from Harry, and no one understood what the significance of the Snitch was.
"Harry, dear," Molly began tentatively, "everyone's awfully hungry, we didn't like to start without you…Shall I serve dinner now?"
Dinner was a rather hurried affair, as was their rendition of 'Happy Birthday' and eating the cake. Most people were staying at the Burrow for the wedding the following day, but Anna and her family were going home, seeing as the Burrow was already filled to capacity, and Hagrid was setting up a tent in a neighboring field.
Anna eyed the two small slices of cake left on the table.
"Molly?" she called as the motherly witch sent most of the dishes to the kitchen with a wave of her wand.
"Yes, dear?"
"Could I take those pieces of cake? Remus and Dora didn't get any. I was thinking I could stop over at their place on the way home and give it to them."
"Oh, that's a wonderful idea, dear." Molly exclaimed happily, instantly setting the cake on a plate and covering it. "I know dear Tonks was talking about how much she was looking forward to the cake."
"Sounds like her." Anna laughed.
"Now, remember to get here before three tomorrow, dear. Are you sure you don't want to stay the night?" Molly checked, passing her the covered plate.
"I would, but you're already packed, Molly. You have enough to worry about without me here to add to it."
"Oh, don't be ridiculous. You'd be more than welcome." Molly insisted.
Anna politely declined. She said quick goodnights to everyone before finding her parents. Her dad was busy somewhere, so she found her mum. Wren was watching Aslan, who appeared to be chasing after a gnome that had managed to stay despite Molly wanting all gnomes off the property.
"He's running off his sugar high." Wren told her in amusement. "Perhaps letting him have a slice of cake was a bad idea."
"If you didn't, he would've been upset." Anna pointed out with a smile. Aslan was squealing with laughter as he chased the little gnome on his chubby legs.
"Yes. Now he won't go to sleep until midnight." Wren joked.
"Let Dad deal with him." Anna suggested, making them both laugh. "Anyway, I'll meet you all at home. I'm going to stop in to see Dora and Remus."
"Okay. I'll see you at home." Wren hugged her daughter and kissed her cheek.
"See you."
With that, Anna walked out of the back garden and Apparated. She arrived in a hallway in front of an apartment door. She knocked on the door and waited a few seconds in silence.
"Who is it?" Remus called through the door in a tense voice. Anna could just imagine him holding his wand tightly in his hand by the door.
"It's Annabelle Esme Black, daughter of Padfoot. I come from Harry's birthday party bearing cake for Nymphadora Lupin and Moony."
There was a second of silence before the door opened, revealing a tired looking Remus. He gave her a small smile, but it was obviously fake.
"Come on in." he told her, gesturing her into the small apartment. "How was the rest of the party?"
"It was alright. Although it was lacking two of Aslan's favorite people." Anna joked, giving Remus a pointed look. He smiled again, this time a little less fake. "Then again, he got a huge sugar rush from the cake and started chasing gnomes around the garden."
Remus chuckled tiredly. "Sounds like his father. So, what did the Minister want?"
"Forget that!" Dora exclaimed, hurrying into the room from around the corner. "I heard someone mention cake!" Then, she started sniffing the air, walking right up behind Anna and sniffing over her shoulder. "And I smell cake!"
Anna tried very hard not to laugh, looking over her shoulder at her cousin. "Um,…yeah I brought the last two slices of Molly's cake. I figured you'd both want them since you had to leave early."
"You're the best!" Dora squealed, hugging Anna from behind before plucking the plate from her hands. "I might share some with you, love." she added to Remus teasingly.
Remus smiled again, but it was once again fake. "Anyway, what'd the Minister want?"
Anna told them what'd happened after they left, and they both voiced their disgust at the Minister's actions. They also explained that they'd left because the Ministry was being very anti-werewolf and they didn't want to cause any extra problems for Harry.
After Dora finished her cake, she snuggled on the couch next to Remus, rubbing her belly with a tired, content smile. Remus glanced down at her, his eyes traveling down to where she was rubbing her belly. Anna barely caught a pained grimace before he steeled his expression and carefully stood up.
"I'm going to go take a shower." he mumbled to them before leaving the room.
"What's up with him?" Anna asked quietly once she heard the bathroom door click shut.
Tonks sighed. "It's complicated." she whispered.
"Are you guys having problems?" Anna asked worriedly. "You seemed happy since you got married."
"It's not that." Tonks assured her quietly as Anna moved to sit next to her on the couch. "It's, well,…I'm happy." she swore. "Don't tell anyone yet, but…I'm pregnant." she admitted quietly with a smile.
Anna's mouth fell open before squealing quietly and throwing her arms around her cousin. Tonks laughed, returning the hug easily.
"Oh my gosh, really?!" Anna whisper shouted, pulling back and looking at her cousin. Tonks was glowing, a warm and truly happy smile on her face. She wasn't lying when she said she was happy. "So, what's the problem, then?" Anna asked, confused.
Tonks sighed and glanced toward the bathroom door. They could barely hear the shower running. "Remus isn't happy about it." she admitted.
"What do you mean?" Anna asked worriedly.
"Well, he hasn't said it out loud." Tonks assured her. "He…pretends he's happy. He acts like he's happy, to me. But I can tell. He's really obvious in faking his happiness. Especially when I talk about the baby, or he looks at my stomach. I can tell he's in pain over it."
Anna frowned worriedly. "Do you want me to talk to him?"
"No, it's fine. We're working on it." Tonks assured her, though it wasn't too convincing. "Thank you, though. It's nice having someone else know who's happy about it."
Anna smiled sadly, wrapping an arm around her cousin's shoulder in a hug.
XXX
The warm, summer sun shone down on a large, white marquee in the orchard behind the Burrow. Although Anna's dark hair absorbed the sun's heat into her scalp, the breeze felt nice in the light, simple dress she was wearing.
Leaving her parents and Aslan to talk to Arthur and Charlie, Anna approached the four redheaded young men standing just outside the marquee.
"When I get married," one of them said, tugging on the collar of his dress robes, "I won't be bothering with any of this nonsense. You can all wear what you like, and I'll put a full Body-Bind Curse on Mum until it's all over."
Anna stopped a few feet behind him and crossed her arms with a slight smirk. The other three redheads glanced at her, also smirking.
"I'm all for putting your mum in a Body-Bind Curse, but shouldn't you be discussing these things with me before making any actual decisions?" Anna asked jokingly.
Fred spun around to look at her, his eyes wide. George, Ron, and the other redhead burst out laughing.
"Um, well," Fred paused, looked her over, and grinned charmingly at her. "You look beautiful, love."
Anna was dressed in a simple, sleeveless dress. It was light blue, went down to her knees, and there was a strap going around her neck to keep it up. Her dark brown hair was long and in loose curls, the pieces around her face pulled back into a mini ponytail at the back of her head.
"Suck up." Anna laughed while Fred pulled her into a hug, kissing the side of her head. She waved at Ron and the other redhead, who Anna knew was Harry in disguise. Arthur had mentioned when she arrived that Harry was Polyjuiced to look like a redheaded Muggle boy from Ottery St. Catchpole, and they'd be calling him their cousin Barny Weasley. His red hair was curly, and he was a bit pudgier than Harry typically was, making his dress robes a bit tight.
"And don't act like it's not tempting." Fred continued, pulling back even though he kept an arm around her waist. "This wedding's been driving Mum mental."
"She wasn't too bad this morning, considering." George pointed out. "Cried a bit about Percy not being here, but who wants him? Oh blimey, brace yourselves-here they come, look."
Sure enough, several people were appearing just outside the protective barriers, approaching the large marquee.
"I can show you to your seat now, if you want." Fred offered. "Or you can wait a bit. You're sitting up front with us."
"Really? Why? I thought that would be for family." Anna asked curiously.
Fred and George looked at her like she was crazy. "You do know what this means, right?" Fred checked, lifting up her left hand to show her the engagement ring on her finger.
Anna rolled her eyes. "Oh, shush. I'll wait here for a little bit, if that's okay."
"That's fine." Fred assured her, kissing her cheek.
Fred escorted the first group, a cluster of middle-aged witches, into the marquee. George was more than happy to escort some of Fleur's veela cousins, being his usual charming self and playing up his lack of ear when they asked about the bandage wrapped around his head. Ron helped one of Arthur's colleagues, Perkins, to his seat while Harry helped a slightly deaf couple.
Anna greeted Hagrid, who was next in line, and they talked for a moment before Fred came and escorted the half-giant to his seat. George and Ron escorted a couple more groups before Harry returned to find Remus and Dora in front of the line.
While Tonks explained why they'd left the party to Harry, Anna was starting to wonder if she should've taken Fred up on his offer to find her seat. Either that, or maybe she could find Hermione, just to have someone to talk to. She was feelings slightly awkward and in the way.
While Harry lead Tonks and Remus to their seat, Hagrid was causing a slight ruckus after misunderstanding Fred's instructions. Instead of sitting in the large, magically reinforced chair in the back row made specifically for him, he'd sat in and crushed five other chairs.
Arthur fixed the damage while poor Hagrid shouted apologies for everyone to hear. Anna finally decided she was bored and feeling awkward enough, so she wandered back toward the house to see if she could find Hermione or someone else to talk to.
She passed the line of waiting guests, which included a group of warlocks, Luna Lovegood and who Anna guessed was her father, and Anna's own family.
As she wandered into the Burrow, she heard someone ambling down the creaky stairs.
"And make sure my tiara is straight!" a screech-like voice called as an elderly woman reached the bottom of the stairs. She was wearing a feathery, pink hat and her nose was very beak-like, reminding Anna of a flamingo. "It will complete the look perfectly. Who are you?" The woman asked abruptly, looking at Anna. "Another bridesmaid?"
"Um," Anna stumbled over her words for a moment. She hadn't expected the abrupt conversation. "I'm Annabelle. Anna. Anna Black." she stuttered, feeling slightly intimidated under the woman's judgmental, red-rimmed eyes.
The woman sniffed, lifting her nose snobbishly in a way that reminded Anna of Percy. "A Black? And why would a Black be at a Weasley's wedding? I suppose you're related to that murderer, Sirius Black. Why my niece invited such company, I'll never know."
Anna's temper fought with her awkwardness, and she was about to snap that her father wasn't a murderer when Molly appeared at the top of the stairs.
"Muriel, we've been over this." Molly nearly snapped. It was clear preparing for the wedding was fraying her nerves a bit. "Sirius didn't murder anyone. He was framed. Him and his family are close family friends. Now, I'm sure Ron or one of the twins can escort you to your seat outside."
With that, Molly turned and hurried back up the stairs.
The woman, who Anna realized was Fred's Great Aunt Muriel, sniffed, glowered at Anna, and then waddled her way out the door.
Anna sighed, her shoulders slouching slightly.
"I see you've met Muriel."
Anna looked up and saw Hermione coming down the stairs. They smiled at each other.
"Unfortunately." Anna chuckled.
"Same here." Hermione admitted. "I like your dress."
"Thanks. Yours is pretty, too."
Hermione was dressed in a floaty, lilac dress, her hair sleek.
"Well, should we head out there?" Hermione suggested. Anna agreed and the two girls headed back out the door and headed back toward the marquee. As they hurried over, Ron and Harry were the only two standing outside the entrance.
"Wow." Ron stared at Hermione as they approached. "You look great!"
Anna and Harry exchanged smirks.
"Always the tone of surprise." Hermione joked, smiling at Ron. "Your Great-Aunt Muriel doesn't agree, I just met her upstairs while she was giving Fleur the tiara. She said, 'Oh dear, is this the Muggle-born?' and then, 'Bad posture and skinny ankles.'"
"Don't take it personally, she's rude to everyone." Ron assured her.
"Talking about Muriel?" George guessed as he and Fred emerged from the marquee. "Yeah, she's just told me my ears are lopsided. Old bat. I wish Uncle Bilius was still with us, though; he was a right laugh at weddings."
"Wasn't he the one who saw a Grim and died twenty-four hours later?" Hermione asked.
"Well, yeah, he went a bit odd toward the end." George admitted.
"But before he went loopy he was the life and soul of the party." Fred continued. "He used to down an entire bottle of firewhiskey, then run onto the dance floor, hoist up his robes, and start pulling bunches of flowers out of his-"
"Yes, he sounds like a real charmer." Hermione agreed sarcastically while Anna and Harry burst out laughing.
"Sounds like something you two would pull off." Anna told the twins, then her smile dropped. "Don't even think about it." she added sternly. The twins smirked at her.
"Tempting." George told her. "But Mum would kill us."
"Anyway, would you now like me to escort you to your seat?" Fred asked, offering her his elbow.
"Why, thank you." she giggled, slipping her hand through the crook of his elbow and allowing him to lead her into the marquee.
Inside the marquee, rows upon rows of the fragile golden chairs were almost completely full of people turned and talking among themselves. As Fred lead her down the purple carpet, Anna couldn't help imagining what it would feel like to be walked down the aisle at her own wedding. She blushed, suddenly thinking she wasn't sure she wanted this many people. With her luck, she'd trip over air.
The supporting poles of the marquee were entwined with white and gold flowers. There was a bunch of golden balloons floating over Bill where he was standing up front awaiting his bride. Charlie was standing next to him. Both men were dressed in dress robes with white roses in their buttonholes.
As Fred and Anna reached the front row, Anna met Charlie's eyes. He winked at her and mouthed what looked like 'You're next.' Anna blushed and stuck her tongue out at him.
Fred helped her sit near the far side of the front row on the right side of the aisle. Once she was sitting, he sat in the chair next to her, putting his arm over the back of her chair.
"Shouldn't you still be helping your brothers?" she asked him quietly.
"Nah. There shouldn't be many more guests coming this late. Plus, I wanna know why you're blushing so much." he teased, turning to look down at her.
Anna looked down at her lap, trying to hide her still-blushing cheeks. "No reason. Charlie's just being a git."
"Well, that's normal." Fred chuckled. "You sure it has nothing to do with you imagining walking down the aisle yourself in the future?"
Anna's head snapped up and she stared at him with wide eyes. He smiled knowingly at her and she smiled sheepishly in return.
"Maybe a bit." she admitted quietly.
Fred leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "Same here." he whispered. Anna smiled and refrained from snuggling into his side. After all, they were sitting in the front row of his brother's wedding. They didn't need to go overboard on the PDA.
Everyone started whispering excitedly and turning in their seats when Harry lead Viktor Krum into the marquee. Just as he was taking his seat, George, Ron, and Hermione hurried up the aisle and to their seats. George sat in the front row next to Fred while Harry, Ron, and Hermione took a few seats in the second row right behind the twins.
There was excited murmuring among all the guests. Then, Molly and Arthur came walking up the aisle, waving at relatives and friends. They took their seats next to George in the front row by the middle.
The chattering only fell silent when music started playing from the balloons. Everyone seemed to turn at the same moment, looking back toward the entrance to the tent.
Monsieur Delacour entered leading Fleur on his arm. Anna was slightly surprised Fleur picked a very simple, white dress. She seemed like the type to have fancy, expensive taste; of course Anna didn't know her that well. And even wearing a simple dress, Fleur seemed to glow with radiance.
Just behind the pair, Ginny and Fleur's sister Gabrielle entered wearing golden dresses.
Bill didn't take his eyes off Fleur the moment she entered the marquee, and Anna smiled at the complete adoration in his expression.
Fred leaned in and breathed almost silently into Anna's ear, "You'll look more beautiful when it's our turn."
Anna blushed and didn't comment, just bumped her elbow against his ribs. He was obviously mental.
"Ladies and gentlemen," a tufty-haired wizard had appeared in front of the bride and groom. "We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of two faithful souls…"
"Yes, my tiara sets off the whole thing nicely." Muriel whispered a bit loudly from a couple rows back. "But I must say, Ginevra's dress is far too low cut."
Anna covered her mouth to stop herself from laughing. Ginny glanced back and grinned, winking at someone in the second row, who Anna guessed was Harry, before facing forward again.
"She's not wrong." Fred grumbled quietly. Anna laughed silently, her shoulders shaking with amusement.
The ceremony was short and sweet, and Molly and Madam Delacour were both crying shortly into the ceremony. Anna leaned her head on Fred's shoulder, trying to hide that her own eyes were tearing up as she watched. Bill and Fleur's eyes didn't stray once through the whole ceremony.
"…then I declare you bonded for life."
The wizard waved his wand over Bill and Fleur's heads, showering silver stars over them as they kissed.
Fred pulled his arm from around Anna's shoulders so he and George could lead the loud applause. The golden balloons floating over the bride and groom burst, releasing birds of paradise and tiny golden bells around the newly-wed couple.
XXX
Anna laughed with Fred. They were watching George flirt with some veela cousins, and Fred was making entertaining commentary.
"I'm surprised you don't want to join him." Anna teased lightly, leaning into his side. His arm was over the back of her chair, and they were sitting at one of the round tables with a couple other guests that were in their own conversations.
"I don't need to flirt with anyone other than my own future bride." Fred told her charmingly. He then picked up her left hand and kissed her knuckles right by her engagement ring.
"Well, aren't you charming." Anna teased, blushing lightly.
"That's the point." Fred told her, leaning in for a kiss.
"So, that's why my Great niece was so defensive." a familiar voice spoke from nearby. Anna and Fred pulled away and looked over at the table next to theirs. Muriel was sitting there watching them, drinking from a goblet of champagne. "I suppose I'll have to attend another wedding in the future. Joy." she stated dully.
"Don't worry. We don't have to invite you." Fred informed her sharply.
"Watch your tone, young man. I've always said Molly was too lenient with you and that twin of yours. Should've put you over her knee a few times." Muriel stated disdainfully.
"Come on, Auntie Muriel." a familiar voice chided lightly as Charlie approached them, resting his hand on Fred's shoulder. "This is a wedding. We're supposed to be having a good time. Can't you let loose once in a while? On that note, I'm stealing your fiancé for a round on the dance floor." he informed Fred. When Anna took Charlie's hand and stood up, Charlie leaned down and whispered, "Behave." in his brother's ear before leading her onto the gleaming, gold dance floor.
The canvas walls of the marquee had vanished after the ceremony, leaving just a canopy on golden poles and a beautiful view of the orchard and the sun touching the tops of the trees.
"Sorry about her." Charlie told Anna as they faced each other. One of Anna's hands rested on his shoulder while he held the other and his free hand rested on her waist. "Most of our relatives aren't as grumpy. She's more of the black sheep of the Prewett side."
Anna chuckled. "Good to know. Although, I'm kinda nervous about inviting her to mine and Fred's wedding. She kinda scares me." she admitted, only partially joking.
"Yeah, she's a crotchety old bat. Keeps lecturing me about moving back to Britain and settling down with a nice witch instead of 'wrestling those giant lizards'." he said, mimicking Muriel's voice on the last few words.
Anna chuckled. "That actually sounds a bit like your mum."
"Now you know where she gets it." Charlie joked.
They danced quietly for a moment.
"So,…I noticed that Fleur had two bridesmaids but Bill only had you up there with him." she stated quietly.
Charlie smiled sadly. "Yeah. He wrote to Percy a couple times asking him to stand with him. But Percy never wrote back, and obviously he didn't come. And Bill didn't want to have to choose between one of the twins, so it was just me."
Anna nodded in understanding.
She was distracted by Luna and Ginny dancing nearby. Luna was waving her arms around her head as if trying to wave off flies or something. Ginny was doing something similar, but she appeared to be doing it for fun. Anna wasn't sure why Luna was dancing like that.
Charlie chuckled, watching his sister and her classmate. "Do I even want to know what they're doing?"
"Probably not." Fred answered, suddenly popping up next to them. "You don't know Luna like we do. She's brilliant, though. Lots of fun. Now, may I have my fiancé back? I swear I got rid of Muriel without being rude, drawing my wand, or breaking the law."
Anna and Charlie laughed at him, though Charlie stepped back easily, releasing Anna from his grasp.
"Go ahead, little brother. Don't wear her out too much, though."
"I make no promises." Fred grinned, winking at Anna before sweeping her up into another dance.
As he spun her around under his arm, Anna caught a glimpse of Ron dancing nearby with Hermione, and Ginny was now dancing with Lee Jordan.
"When'd Lee get here?" Anna asked curiously as Fred pulled her close again, his arms wrapping around her waist.
"Before the wedding while you were wandering around trying to find some friends." Fred teased.
Anna moved forward out of step to stomp on his toes, making him yelp. Anna laughed at him while he glared playfully at her.
They danced to one more song before they stopped to watch Bill and Fleur cut their wedding cake, which caused the two model phoenixes on the cake to take flight.
Aslan had a sugar crash later in the evening, though how he could sleep through the increasingly-rowdy party, Anna had no clue. She was currently sitting at a table, her brother asleep on her lap with his head on her chest. She'd offered to take him for a bit so her parents could dance and talk with friends without having to worry about him. She was trying not to laugh at some of the guests, worried her shaking chest would be the final straw to waking Aslan. But it was near-impossible, especially when Hagrid, Charlie, and a stubby wizard wearing a purple porkpie hat were singing 'Odo the Hero'. They'd clearly been enjoying a bit too much of the champagne, which was floating around the crowd in bottles.
Continuing to scan the crowd, Anna saw her parents dancing close together, her dad whispering things into her mum's ear that she was positive would scar her if she ever heard them. Nearby, Fred and Ginny were dancing like crazy, causing several people to laugh. Molly was talking with Tonks a few feet from them.
"I can take him if you want."
Anna looked up just as Remus sat down next to her. He looked worn out but he held his hands out in offering of taking the sleeping toddler from her.
"Are you sure?" Anna checked. Remus loved his godson, that much was obvious from the moment Aslan was born, practically. She didn't understand why he could love Aslan, but not be happy about his own child.
"Of course. I'm sure you'd rather hang out with your friends or Fred. I'm pretty tired, so I'm fine with watching Aslan."
"If you're sure." Anna waited a moment for Remus to back out, but he just stretched his hands a bit closer, so Anna carefully passed her sleeping brother into his arms. "Thanks, Remus."
"No problem. Have some fun before the night's over." Remus told her with a small smile.
Anna stood and slowly wandered around the edges of the crowds, looking around for someone to talk to or dance with.
Her search was interrupted by an arm hooking around her waist. She gasped before sighing with relief and leaning into the familiar chest she'd been pulled into.
"Looking for me?" a familiar voice teased near her ear.
"Nope. I was looking for George." Anna answered with a straight face, looking up at Fred. He rolled his eyes at her.
"Well, you're too late. He's already wandered off with one of Fleur's cousins." Fred stated with a smirk.
"Weren't him and Katie dating?" Anna asked suddenly.
"Off and on. They aren't necessarily dating."
"Okay. Anyway, Remus relieved me from babysitting duty. What do you want to do?"
Fred grinned mischievously. Then, he grabbed her hand in his and started leading her out of the marquee and into the orchard.
"Fred." Anna giggled as her fiancé lead her around a tree. Then, he sat down against the trunk and tugged on her hand, silently telling her to join him. Tucking her dress close to her bum, she carefully sat on the grass next to him, leaning into his side as he put an arm around her shoulders.
They could still hear the music and voices from the party, Hagrid's singing booming loudest over everything else.
"Do you want this?" Fred asked suddenly. Anna shifted her head against his shoulder, looking up at him curiously. "Would you want a wedding like this?" he rephrased.
Anna chewed her lip thoughtfully, looking ahead into the dark forest. "Um,…" She hesitated in voicing what she wanted. After all, Fred had stated earlier that day to his brothers and Harry what he wanted in a wedding.
"What?" Fred asked, running his hand up and down her arm. "You can tell me, love. We promised to be honest with each other."
"I like some of what Bill and Fleur did." she admitted. "Their wedding was both simple and elaborate. But I'd want ours to be…simpler?"
"Simpler how?" Fred asked with a grin. "I need details, Anna."
She sighed, slouching more into him as she looked into the dark orchard. "Like…I don't know. What do you want?"
"I asked first. Quit changing the subject."
"You said you wouldn't let me become a bridezilla."
"You telling me what you want in our wedding does not make you a bridezilla. We'll talk it out and come to an agreement on things. Now, come on. Talk."
Anna sighed before deciding to start with the easy stuff. "Well, obviously our parents and siblings have to be there."
"Obviously."
"I don't know how many of your relatives you'd want to invite…" Anna started hesitantly. "I mean,…you have a really big family…"
"And I'm not that close with a lot of them." Fred told her gently. "We don't have to invite my whole family, Anna. And you know, we could invite people to the reception instead of the wedding if you feel bad about that, but you really don't have to. It's our choice."
"I know. We'll work that out another time. What about bridesmaids and groomsmen? George will be your best man, I'm guessing." she stated knowingly.
"You know me so well." Fred grinned playfully, kissing her on the cheek. "What about your…what's it called? Maid something."
"Maid of honor. I'm not sure. Either Ginny or Hermione. Maybe Tonks. Probably Ginny, since she's both my friend and your sister. If you want all your brothers to be groomsmen, I could ask a few other girls to be bridesmaids, like Katie, Alicia, Angelina, and maybe Fleur, so the numbers would match."
"Well, I'm assuming you'll want Charlie to be in it." Fred guessed with a grin. "Maybe Harry?"
"That would be nice." Anna admitted with a soft smile.
"What about Aslan?"
Anna frowned thoughtfully, looking upward for a moment. "I don't know if he'd cooperate being a groomsmen. Maybe if Harry held him or something. But…maybe he could help my dad walk me down the isle?"
"That's a good idea." Fred agreed with a smile. "What about flowers or colors? Isn't that a wedding thing?"
Anna laughed quietly, her head still leaning on his shoulder. "I guess so. I don't know, I'm not good with colors. But for flowers…maybe oriental lilies and tulips?" she suggested sweetly.
Fred chuckled. "That would probably be perfect. What about color?"
Anna hummed thoughtfully, looking up at him. "Well, we'd probably have to pick a color that won't clash horribly with your hair." she stated in a mock-serious voice. She added more teasingly, "And despite what you think, magenta does not go well with ginger."
Fred scrunched his nose up playfully at her before ticking her ribs. She squealed, trying to wiggle away from him, but his arm around her waist held her in place. He even stuck his face in her neck and blew into her skin, his breath tickling and making her giggle more.
"Stop, stop!" she shrieked, trying not to get too loud.
Fred laughed, taking pity on her even though he tightened his hold, keeping her close as he leaned back against the trunk.
"Okay, so no magenta. Any other suggestions?"
Anna was still trying to catch her breath. "How about…blue?"
"That's a good one. We'll keep that one in mind." Fred agreed. "Now, what about-"
He cut off as something silver glowed in the sky above the canopy of trees. Anna and Fred scrambled to their feet, pulling their wands out with their eyes fixed on the light as it flew through the sky. They had to turn and look around the trunk of the tree they'd previously been sitting against to watch the light go right through the cloth canopy of the marquee. The voices and music almost instantly fell silent and Fred and Anna barely heard Kingsley's familiar, deep voice.
"The Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming."
Fred and Anna exchanged a horrified glance before they began to hurry toward the marquee, weaving through trees until they were running toward the crowd still under the tent.
The silence in the orchard was broken by a single scream. This terror spread through the crowd until everyone was panicking. As Fred and Anna slowed to a stop just under the lantern-lit marquee, people were running in all directions, the air riddled with loud pops as people Disapparated.
"The protective enchantments are broken." Anna spoke just loud enough for Fred to hear her over the chaos, but neither really paid attention to it. They were both frantically searching the crowd, their wands in their hands, trying to locate their loved ones.
Before she found a familiar face, however, Anna saw cloaked, masked figures appearing among the crowd.
Death Eaters.
Anna's eyes searched frantically for a second, before she raised her wand.
"Stupefy!" she yelled, her spell firing toward one of the Death Eaters. Fred was soon firing spells, as well.
Anna noticed Remus and Dora firing spells, and several people were still Disapparating. She barely caught a glimpse of Harry, Hermione, and Ron before the trio disappeared. They were safe.
"George!" Fred called. Anna glanced around and saw George standing at Ginny's side, both dueling with another Death Eater. Then, just past them, Anna saw them. Her parents. And Aslan.
Wren and Sirius were standing together, alternating between being back-to-back and at each other's side as they dueled any Death Eater that dared attack them. Sirius was holding Aslan with one arm, dueling with the other. When Anna caught a look at her brother's face when her father turned, she saw the fear in his expression, his mouth open in a cry that she couldn't hear over the surrounding chaos.
Anna hurried into the crowd without another thought, ignoring Fred calling her name. She dodged people, both guests and Death Eaters, firing spells at any cloaked figure that dared stop her. Then, she reached her parents' side, turning to fight alongside them.
"Get out of here!" Sirius yelled, glancing over at his wife and daughter. "Take Aslan and go home. I'll come after this is over."
"I'm not leaving you and the Weasleys here to deal with this alone!" Wren snapped.
"Wren!" Remus called, hurrying up to them. "Sirius is right. You need to get Aslan somewhere safe. This is too dangerous for him."
Wren looked at war with herself, glancing around the marquee, which was becoming less and less crowded as guests continued to Disapparate. Then, her eyes landed on Aslan, who was looking at her from over his father's shoulder as Sirius continued to fire protective spells. Tear tracks stained Aslan's cheeks as he stared in terror around him.
Wren deflated before taking her son from Sirius. "Fine, I'll go. But you better come home soon!" she told Sirius.
"I'll come home in a little bit, love. I promise." Sirius assured her before going back into the fight.
Wren's expression was one of pure agony before she disappeared with a CRACK.
"Anna!" Fred hurried through the crowd, stunning a Death Eater as he passed. "Get out of here. Go home."
"What? You can't expect me to-"
"Just go. I'll send word later to let you know what happened." Fred assured her. "I promise. Please. They probably only want Harry. If you're still here, someone might know your connection to him. Just go."
Anna looked into Fred's eyes for a second before nodding. Taking a deep breath, she turned on the spot and reappeared in the woods behind her house.
After the chaos that was the wedding party, the dark woods behind her home were eerily silent, the only sounds were the wind rustling through the leaves and an owl hooting in the distance.
Now, all she had to do was wait at home with her mum and brother, hoping to hear some good news.