"For someone who pretends to have no emotions whatsoever, I'm really sensitive." – madscanon (tumblr)

Chapter Twelve - A Hot Mess

Throughout her entire life, however short it may have been, Ankaa prided herself with the fact that there were very few things in the world that could leave her speechless. Others had often commended her strength. In her short almost thirteen years of life, Ankaa had convinced herself that no single piece of news could ever shake her enough to the point where she would cease to function in a manner less than perfection.

And yet, as she barged into Dumbledore's office after her brother, she told herself just how wrong she had been.

All semblance of propriety had vanished. Neither Ceph nor Ankaa cared that they were being rude and invading the Headmaster's privacy by bursting into his office. But none of it mattered at the moment, really. As soon as Ceph threw open the door, his eyes settled on his mother's form sitting in one of the chairs in front of Dumbledore's desk. His father was standing next to her with a hand on her shoulders, trying his very hardest to console his wife.

"Ah, Mr. and Miss. Rhyther!" Dumbledore exclaimed as he stood up, seemingly unfazed by the siblings' dramatic entrance. "We were expecting you. Please do come in, have a seat."

Ceph and Ankaa did not move. They both stood by the entrance, breathing heavily. Ankaa's hands had formed fists when she noticed her parents in the room. Her mother's eyes were red, and she had a tissue in her hand that had already been soaked by her tears. Her father looked upset, but he stood beside his 'wife' and kept running his hands through her hair in an effort to calm her.

"You—" His voice cracked, and so Ceph paused. He sounded so broken. Ankaa swallowed uncomfortably and pushed his back lightly, egging him on so they could get further into the office. Ceph followed without a fight. Both siblings stood by the bottom of the stairs, standing close to one another as if they needed each other's support.

She understood him now. She understood why he had wanted to return to their time the moment he had realized what was going on. Sometimes ignorance really is bliss.

Ankaa's face was blank, but her mind was more violent than it had ever been before. She watched as her mother stood slowly and took a shuddering breath. Beside her, Ankaa's father was looking between the siblings. There was a slight wrenching of her gut when she realized this man really was not her father.

Dumbledore stood by his desk, seemingly oblivious to the tension. He did keep a careful eye on the siblings, but he hardly seemed as phased by the development. Instead, he clasped his hands together and gave them a serene smile, "I will step out for a moment. I sense this is a rather private family matter."

Ceph and Ankaa did not pay him any attention. After the door closed behind him, no body spoke. There was a moment of crushing silence, but not for one moment did Ankaa wish she had not gone to the past. She needed to know this. She needed to know of how her family had betrayed her.

"I guess you've got questions?" Maya attempted a weak smile.

Ceph gave her an incredulous glare. "Not really."

Maya sighed. "I—I know this must be hard for you to understand—"

Ankaa laughed bitterly. "Not really."

Maya sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "I did what I had to do. You wouldn't understand. You should be grateful for everything I've done for you."

"Of course we are," Ankaa gave her mother a cruel smile, "Incredibly grateful for having a murder for a father."

"He didn't do it!" Maya spoke softly with an overwhelming look of anguish on her face. Tears filled her eyes as she continued despite the fact that her voice cracked, "He was such a great friend, Ankaa, you don't understand. He would never do that to his friends, his family. And he's been suffering for a crime he didn't do for twelve years. He hasn't seen his children or his wife and—"

"Maya," Henry whispered, "Perhaps it's better if we start from the beginning."

Maya paused. She took this moment to gather herself while Henry helped her into the chair.

"I am a Seer," Maya began. "I was transferred to Hogwarts in my fifth year because Salem wasn't safe for me anymore. I had been having visions of Voldemort for quite some time before coming to London, but at that time I had thought nothing of it."

"For protection?" Ankaa narrowed her eyes, "What did you need to be protected from?"

"My parents," Maya gave her daughter a wry smile. "Voldemort's influence was spreading overseas, and my parents had become obsessed with his... agenda. They took it upon themselves to spread his values around Salem. They also found it particularly useful to have a Seer as a daughter, though I wasn't nearly as powerful as my mother was."

"Your memories said they were caught trying to murder—"

Maya laughed bitterly, "Yeah, yeah they—one of my schoolmate's family actually. Slaughtered in the most inhumane way possible."

Ceph frowned, deep in thought. "But if your mother was a Seer, how did she not see the arrest coming?"

"There are limitations to a Seer's power." Henry supplied. He leaned forward in his chair and rested his elbows on the desk. "Sometimes people don't want to know the future, and so Seers choose to block certain visions. It is my theory that Maya's mother was far too preoccupied with the circumstances at hand to bother with that vision."

Ankaa remained as stoic as ever. Her question was short and to the point as if she wanted to avoid talking to her parents as much as possible. "How did the Aurors know to arrest them?"

"They were tipped off," Maya muttered. She laughed shortly, "By Sirius, actually. That's how he knew of my family before I moved to London. Apparently their work had been gaining Voldemort's attention, and of course, the Black family was rather involved in his circle. Sirius had overheard one of the conversations and learned about the planned attack. He alerted the Ministry through an anonymous tip and my parents were arrested."

"Arrested?" Ceph was alarmed, "That means they're still—"

"Alive?" Maya raised a brow, "Sadly, yes. They're in Alcatraz, the American equivalent of Azkaban. I've been assured that they're being held in the highest security prison."

Ceph and Ankaa gave each other a look. It seemed like their entire family had roots in a prison of some sort. Ankaa looked away from her brother with an irritated roll of her eyes.

"Keep going," Ankaa gave a short nod, her voice devoid of any emotion, even more so than usual. It seemed like she was conducting an interrogation.

Maya glanced at her and then at Henry, who gave her a comforting smile and a gentle nod. Squaring her shoulders, Maya continued, "When I arrived at Hogwarts, I was sorted into Slytherin. Since I had nowhere to go, the Black family adopted me."

Ankaa scrunched her nose in distaste and confusion.

"No," Maya held up her hand and rolled her eyes, "It was Narcissa and Bellatrix's side of the family. Anyway, they let me stay with them and inevitably that meant I got involved with Voldemort. He had suspected that I had inherited the talent from my mother, and he knew that if I was properly trained, it would mean a surefire way to success."

"But you said your training was not going well?" Ceph asked, "You didn't become the Seer he wanted."

Maya shook her head, "I was not going to help the darkest wizard of all time with my talent, so I made sure to avoid any visions at all. Of course, there were some that slipped through, but none of them were of great consequence. Anyway, I met Sirius at one of the Black family gatherings actually. We never really talked much, he hated those things, you know? Couldn't wait to get away." Maya gave a short, fond laugh, and her eyes lit up for a moment.

"We're not really interested in your love story, Mother." Ankaa rolled her eyes, "We just want to know why you did what you did."

Ceph glared at his sister. Henry too gave her an admonishing look.

"Let her continue, Ankaa," Henry said.

Ankaa just sighed and sank further into her seat.

"I became friends with Lily and I realized that I just could not let someone like Voldemort win." Maya looked out of the window as if she was remembering the past days. With a slight sigh, she continued, "It took us years, but we became good friends. And of course, all that stuff with Sirius. I don't think I need to go into detail with that."

"What happened when he jinxed you?" Ceph looked worried, "Your memories didn't show anything."

"That's because I didn't see it." Maya shrugged, "I was drifting in and out of consciousness, and I only heard what they were shouting. Regulus had apparently ruffled Sirius' feathers that night before I went into the kitchens. Everything just blew over and Sirius hit me with a curse and well..."

"Broke your skull?" Ankaa provided sarcastically, "What a charming man you chose to procreate with, Mother."

Maya gave her a stern glare. Henry sighed tiredly, "Ankaa I understand this might be hard for you to understand—"

"Do you?" Ankaa glared, "Do you understand? Because you certainly weren't lied to for years on end about your parentage."

"Perhaps not," Henry glared back just as viciously, "But we've been through hell and back to keep you two safe, to make sure you two had a safe life, so don't tell us about what we do and do not understand because we've survived horrors you can only dream of seeing. So for once in your life, listen to your mother and let her finish."

Ankaa blinked a few times. Ceph reached over and gave her hand a squeeze. Ankaa gave a short nod and looked away from her parents and out the window.

"After that accident, Voldemort wanted to make sure nothing would happen to me again." Maya bit her lip, "He made the other kids watch out for me, and they would report back whatever they saw. My meetings with Lily and the Marauders became less and less frequent. But then I talked to Dumbledore, and we decided that I would become a spy for the Order."

"But I thought you didn't join the Order until after you had left Hogwarts?"

Henry nodded, "We both did. I joined before her, being a year older. Dumbledore knew that Voldemort would keep her close at all costs, so it was becoming too dangerous for her to keep relaying information. She got to stay at school, and I was the direct link from the Death Eaters to the Order."

"Hang on," Ankaa interrupted, holding up her hand and shaking her head slowly, "So you two met while working for the Order? And if we're Sirius Black's kids, how does Dad fit into all this?"

Henry gave her a cheeky smile, "I wooed your mum."

Maya laughed and swatted his shoulder. "It was a cover." She smiled, "In my last year at Hogwarts, I got pregnant—"

"Big shock that is," Ankaa shook her head.

"—and we couldn't let anyone know who's kid Ceph was," Maya continued with a light, playful glare in Ankaa's direction. "To keep up appearances, Henry suggested that I marry him."

"My physical appearances were pretty close as a match." Henry shrugged, "No one would suspect our kids having curly hair and light eyes since I have them as well."

"But—" Ankaa paused. She was reminded of her dream a few months ago. If that was significant, she did not want anyone to know. She did not want to get involved in all this, especially if she was a Seer like her mother.

"What?"

"Nothing really," Ankaa shrugged noncommittally, "I was just wondering how you pulled all this off."

Maya pursed her lips, "We had a small ceremony, Sirius and I. I just couldn't change my name. For your protection, we knew it would be best if we weren't publicly involved."

"And all these years," Ceph questioned, "No one found out?"

"Narcissa knows." Maya shrugged, "But she helped me with the entire charade. Remus knows as well, seeing as the resemblance between you and your father is uncanny." Maya gave an irritated roll of her eyes, though she was still smiling. "You've got his hair and eyes. Such a deadly combination."

Ceph did not smile. "That explains why he was so surprised to see us on the train."

Henry chuckled, "Probably your name too. Those Blacks sure liked to name their kids after stars. I remember when you picked Ceph's name," Henry turned to Maya with a fond smile, "Such an odd name at first, but I must say it completely suits you."

The two of them smiled. Ankaa and Ceph just looked at each other and shook their heads. They were amazed at how nonchalant their parents were acting.

"So why did you tell us now?" Ankaa crossed her arms, keeping her eyes trained on their smiling forms.

"It felt right," Maya gave her a hesitant smile.

Ankaa raised a mocking brow, "You felt it best to tell us that the man that escaped from Azkaban is our father now? At this moment when he's broken into the castle and tried to kill Harry Potter? You really didn't think this through."

Henry frowned and mumbled, "Well, when you put it like that—"

"He's innocent," Maya argued.

"I'm sure," Ankaa rolled her eyes, "But we don't have proof. The Ministry thinks he killed Peter Pettigrew."

"He didn't."

"How can you be sure?" Ceph interrupted before his sister could continue the argument. "They didn't find any trace."

"Sirius would never do something so vile." Maya ran a hand over her face, "I know him."

"But why haven't you done anything to help Sirius then? I mean, if you know of his innocence?"

"I don't know where Pettigrew is. His Animagus form was a rat. He could be anywhere in the world and I wouldn't ever know. Without him, there's no proof to Sirius' innocence. I've tried—I've tried so hard to find him but no one is willing to believe me. Sirius had believed Remus was the spy, and I think Remus thought Sirius was the spy. After everything fell apart, neither of us contacted each other."

"But Lupin was there," Ankaa muttered, "He was there when Pettigrew volunteered to become the Secret Keeper."

Henry sighed and shook his head sadly, "Your mother's memories were greatly modified, or edited, shall we say. After Peter volunteered, James and Lily debated it for several days before coming to a conclusion. And when Remus left, Sirius was still the tentative Secret Keeper. For him, Sirius has always been the Secret Keeper, and the friend who betrayed the Potters to Voldemort."

Ankaa sighed and rubbed her temples. "This is a lot of information to take in."

"Agreed." Ceph sighed tiredly and leaned back in his chair.

"It is not over yet, however." The teens turned to see Dumbledore standing by the entrance to his office. "I apologize but there are a few critical points I would like to discuss."

"Of course." Maya stood quickly. Ankaa shot her a look, unnerved by seeing her mother so eager to please the Headmaster.

Dumbledore sat on the edge of his desk. "Before I discuss this issue, I would like to remind you two that you will be serving detention every week for the rest of the school year for breaking not only school rules, but rules of the Ministry of Magic as well."

Ankaa and Ceph gave each other identical frowns. They were really hoping this would be heading in another direction. The both of them already knew they were in great trouble with the Time Turner stunt Ankaa had pulled.

"Miss. Rhyther, you can have the Time Turner to finish with your courses this term, but I hope you understand why we will be taking it away for next year." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled, and he gave her a teasing smile.

Ankaa rolled her eyes, "Of course, Headmaster. It's not trouble than it's worth anyway."

Dumbledore smiled. "Now then. I am sure your mother has discussed the topic of her being a Seer?"

The siblings nodded.

"Professor Trelawney has informed me that you are quite excellent at her classes." Dumbledore turned his gaze to Ankaa. "Perhaps you already knew this, as I am sure you have had some visions—"

"No," Ankaa shook her head, "I haven't had any visions."

"Are you sure?" Maya asked, "They sometimes just feel like regular dreams."

"Visions can sometimes manifest themselves as dreams," Dumbledore added with an unnervingly calm face, "Especially in cases of untrained Seers. I believe that the recent stress you have been put through as caused your Inner Eye to open, and has started flooding your system with visions that your conscious mind has deemed 'dreams' so that you can keep up. I believe you are showing signs of being a Seer, Ankaa."

Ceph turned to his sister with a completely flabbergasted expression.

Ankaa did not react, however. Her narrowed eyes remained on the Headmaster. The way he was speaking to her, she was sure the old man already knew that she had been having visions. She did not want to be manipulated by him. She knew once she admitted to it, somewhere down the road Dumbledore would use her. She wasn't about to let that happen.

"I haven't had any," Ankaa shrugged calmly, appearing sad at the fact. "Perhaps Ceph's the Seer?"

"It only passes to the female descendants of the family," Henry shook his head, "Either you have it or you don't. We were quite certain it would pass to you."

Dumbledore raised a brow and asked, "Are you sure, Ankaa?"

She did not miss a beat. With a seemingly innocent smile, she tilted her head and said, "Of course, Headmaster, why would I ever lie to you?"

There was a moment in which Ankaa was certain the old coot was rifling through her head. He knew she was lying, but he had no proof. There was no way he could speak of her dreams without giving away the fact that he had been in her head.

With a smile that Ankaa identified as being very strained, Dumbledore continued, "I have contacted an old friend of mine, Madame Vablatsky. She is a rather accomplished Seer and is more than willing to teach you. If you like we could have a few lessons to see if the talent manifests itsel—"

"No." Ankaa interrupted. "I don't want to do this."

"Ankaa?" Maya asked, "Are you sure? This could be a great way to—"

"To do what?" Ankaa stood from her chair and turned to her mother with a glare, "To turn into you? You want me to do this because you couldn't. I'm not about to put myself on the line so that you lot can train me to become some spy for your Order. I'm not going to become some sort of supernatural fortune teller so that you can use me."

"That's not—"

"It's quite alright, Maya." Dumbledore held up a hand with a serene smile. "It's her decision. Madame Vablatsky was quite excited to meet another Seer, but I shall let her know that you are not interested at the moment. Of course, should you change your mind, I am more than happy to contact her for you and begin your lessons."

"I won't," Ankaa gave him a sarcastic smile. "Thank you for the offer though."

"Ankaa!" Her mother sounded outraged.

"I'm leaving," Ankaa muttered as she walked past the adults who were all staring at her in bewilderment. "I've got work to do."

"I know you know," Granger said, as she took a seat on the table next to Ankaa in the library once again. Granger had finally started using her Time-Turner to give herself extra time for her work. This meant that she was brought into contact with Ankaa more.

"I know a lot of things," Ankaa raised a brow, keeping her eyes trained on her parchment. "You'll need to be specific."

"About Lupin," Granger mumbled, glancing around the library.

Ankaa turned to her, abandoning her work. Usually, she would be more careful being seen with her in such a leisurely manner but lately, she had begun to lose interest in the social hierarchy of the Slytherin house. If any of the students found out that the Rhyther children were spawns on Sirius Black, they would become the scum of the Slytherin house.

"And I think you've only just figured this out?"

Granger shook her head, "I knew since Snape set the essay. When did you—"

Ankaa shrugged, "Since the boggart. Somewhere around that time, really."

Granger nodded. The two were silent following for a few minutes following the conversation. Ankaa, having been through this thought process already (the one about what to do with the Lupin conundrum), was focused on her work. However, Ankaa could sense Granger was itching to ask her more.

"What is it?" Ankaa sighed. "I haven't got any more Snickers if that's what you want."

Granger snorted and shook her head. The small, amused smile she wore on her face melted away and instead a worried expression took over. Granger looked at the Slytherin girl from the corner of her eyes and asked softly, "What should we do?"

"Why should we do anything at all in the first place?" Came Ankaa's response. As much as she did not want to admit it, she wanted to protect her godfather. "Confronting the problem will only lead to conflict."

"You're saying we should just let him be?" Granger seemed outraged at the idea. "He could hurt people."

"He hasn't yet." Ankaa pointed out, raising a brow at her insensitive remarks. "Besides, who do you think he'll want to hurt anyway?"

Granger opened her mouth to retort but paused. Reconsidering her response, she merely huffed, "It doesn't matter who he wants to hurt. The point is when he turns into a werewolf he doesn't have control over himself. He could hurt anyone."

"Once again," Ankaa rolled her eyes and dipped her quill into the ink once more. "I'd like to point out the flaws in your statement. He's been at this school for months now and hasn't hurt a soul. Just let him be, Granger."

Granger seemed hesitant to drop the topic, but one glare from the Slytherin girl had her turning back to her work. The girls did not talk to one another after that, opting to continue their work in silence. Ankaa was getting used to Granger's presence around her. Although she did not like it much, seeing as for the last thirteen years she had been on her own for most of the time and preferred her own company over others, she had come to appreciate Granger's presence around her.

It was an unsettling thought.

That night Ankaa could not find sleep. With a sigh, she pulled out her copy of the Marauders Map and glanced around the school. When nothing of interest was found, Ankaa pocketed the Map (after wiping it clean, of course) and made her way out of the dorms quietly. On her way out, she grabbed a couple of bars of Snickers and stuffed her pockets.

"Back again, Miss Rhyther?" A voice asked from behind her once in one of the empty hallways. With a start, Ankaa turned to find Dumbledore standing behind her with a serene smile on his face.

"Uh, sorry sir." Ankaa mumbled, "I'll be heading back."

"Oh, there's no need for that." Dumbledore waved his hand, that smile still on his face. He came to stand beside her as she looked at one of the portraits on the wall. It was of a mother holding her sleeping baby. The subjects of the portrait were asleep, and so didn't mind being gawked at. But Ankaa knew she should move, lest they wake up and start yelling.

"I find it quite useful to talk to the portraits in my spare time," The Headmaster mused, "They offer rather interesting advice."

Ankaa only nodded. "I've never tried it before, sir."

Dumbledore's twinkling eyes turned to her. "I can't imagine why, Miss. Rhyther. You'd be surprised at what a third-party perspective can do for one's problems."

"I find that not many can provide useful tips for my problems, Professor." There was a tone of bitterness in her retort. "Third party perspectives can also be dangerous, given the fact that they do not know the entire story."

Dumbledore turned away from the portrait with a smile. He seemed happy about her answer as if she had said something that genuinely amused him or surprised him. Ankaa turned away from the portrait as well, facing the senile Headmaster hesitantly.

"I sense there is something on your mind, Miss Rhyther."

Ankaa hesitated. She could say no and walk away. Things would return back to normal then. She would pretend this conversation did not happen. But she didn't want normalcy. She wanted to change things.

"Your mother has voiced her concerns to me in the past as well," Dumbledore mused as he began walking away slowly. Sensing she was meant to follow, Ankaa hesitantly did so. "You two are quite similar. You cannot hide your emotions all that well, though I must congratulate you on your acting skills. A wonderful mix of both your parents. Sirius was quite the melodramatic student."

Ankaa only nodded. She didn't know whether she should feel amused or depressed.

"Miss Rhyther," Dumbledore spoke, "If you should change your mind about those lessons at any time, please know you are welcome to come and speak with me. Though, if you could please not come so late, I would appreciate that. Contrary to popular belief, I do need my beauty sleep."

Ankaa snorted before nodding and turning away with the intention of heading back to the Slytherin dorms. When the Headmaster called her name again, she turned back with a slight frown.

"I would like to congratulate you on perfecting the replication spell so quickly," Dumbledore said, "But I am afraid I will have to confiscate your copy of the Marauders Map."

With a resigned sigh, Ankaa pushed the parchment roughly into his outstretched hands. Still smiling at her, Dumbledore pulled out his wand and set the parchment on fire. As she watched it burn, Ankaa finally understood what Fred must have been feeling when she set their precious map on fire right before his eyes.

"It's best if it remains out of a student's hands, Miss Rhyther," Dumbledore said as he walked away.

As she was walking back, Ankaa glanced around every hallway carefully. Now that she had lost her copy of the Map, she felt slightly more vulnerable. Not to mention that the events of the day had completely and utterly exhausted her. Her neck and shoulders were hurting as if the weight of the world had actually been placed upon her.

So pathetic, she scolded herself as she walked past the One-Eyed-Witch passageway. She jumped slightly when the passageway was pulled open and the familiar sight of the Weasley Twins greeted her. Ankaa could not help but shoot them an amused look as they carried various products from Honeydukes in their arms.

"Why is it that every time I see you two, you're stealing food from somewhere?"

Fred snorted, "Believe me—"

"We're wondering the exact same thing." George continued.

"Besides, who's to say you're not stalking us?" Fred asked, moving his eyebrows in a suggestive manner.

"Stalking you?" Ankaa frowned, "Why in Merlin's name would I do that?"

"Well, we're good-looking chaps—" Fred began.

"I am at least." George gave her a smile.

"You're identical." Ankaa deadpanned.

"Anyway, as I was saying before I was rudely interrupted," Ankaa let out a scoff when Fred glared at her only. "You've got a copy of the Map too, so you clearly plan these visits."

"I don't have time to waste on these meetings." Ankaa rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.

"The lady doth protest too much, methinks," George smirked.

Ankaa laughed with sheer amusement. "Oh please." She turned to walk away, and said over her shoulder, "Besides, I haven't got the Map anymore."

"Lost it already?"

"What a shame."

"No," Ankaa glared. "Dumbledore confiscated it. He turned it into... ash actually."

Both of them regarded her silently for a minute. The two then glanced at each other and burst into loud laughter. Ankaa glared at them, leaning against one another as they laughed at her expense. Perhaps it was not wise on her part to tell them the part about Dumbledore burning the map before her very eyes. She had a feeling they would never let her live this down.

"I guess you know how I felt then," Fred said as he struggled with his arms full of Honeydukes goodies to wipe tears of mirth from his eyes.

"Revenge is so sweet," George agreed, "And we didn't even have to do anything to you."

Ankaa gave them a humourless smile. Her eyes widened suddenly, and she pulled out two Snickers bars from her pockets. She launched them at the twins, who caught them surprisingly.

"What's this?" George asked, turning the bar in his hands to examine the chocolate.

"Is it poisoned?" Fred asked with narrowed eyes.

Ankaa rolled her eyes with an amused smile. "I'm not trying to poison you. I wouldn't do that to the food. It's a muggle chocolate. Ask Granger, she's tried them before. It's a late Christmas gift from me to you."

"You're giving us—"

"A Christmas gift?"

Ankaa shrugged nonchalantly as she walked away. "It's not that big of a deal. It's just chocolate. If you like it, let me know, there's Gryffinmore. Now, go back to your tower and do your Gryffinchores."

She heard George scoff. She also heard Fred yelling, "That's a horrible joke! You're an embarrassment!"

"But you love me!"

"Eugh, no!" Fred cried, pretending to throw up. "Anyone with a sense of humour that bad doesn't deserve love from Gred and Forge."

"That sucks," Ankaa frowned, "I wonder how your mother deals with you then."

George snorted. The brothers shared a smile before turning the corner and bounding up the stairs to Gryffindor tower.

"Have you written home since... well, you know?" Ceph asked one day as Ankaa settled into the seat beside him during dinner. Ankaa glanced over at the rambunctious Gryffindor table that was overjoyed by their victory over Ravenclaw in the Quidditch match earlier that day.

Ankaa shook her head slightly as she turned her eyes back to the food sitting in front of her. She could sense the topic wouldn't be dropped until Ceph had let out everything. The siblings had finally started talking to one another, and begun bonding.

Ceph sighed. He glanced around the Slytherin table once, surveying the people around them. Malfoy was chatting with his usual crew, Crabbe, Goyle and Parkinson were latched onto his every word. Zabini, who sat beside Parkinson, seemed the least interested in the conversation. However, to be polite he kept nodding every once in a while. Ceph noticed his eyes glance over to where Ankaa was sitting, only to be drawn back.

"What's going on with you and Zabini?"

Ankaa raised a brow, looking over in the boy's direction. She turned back to her brother with a blank look, "Nothing. What makes you think something's going on?"

"He keeps looking at you," Ceph grumbled, shovelling food into his mouth.

Ankaa snorted, "I thought as much. Last time we talked I asked him about how to be friends with people. I think he's worried I might be under the Imperius curse."

Ceph gave her a half smile. He did not approach the subject again, afraid he would spoil her mood even more during dinner.

"You really should write, you know." He mumbled once all the students were walking back to their dorms. "She might think something is wrong."

"Really?" Ankaa gave him a bitter smile, "Tell me, what is right in our life right now?

Ceph sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I thought we agreed on this. She's still your mother."

Ankaa raised a skeptical brow. "That doesn't mean she deserves my unconditional love."

Ceph glared at her, "Ankaa—"

"No, Cepheus." Ankaa growled, "I appreciate that you're trying to keep our family together but you have to understand that respect is earned. She's lied to us about everything! And now, she wants to get in my good graces so she can train me to be the Seer she could never be."

Ceph laughed, "You can't seriously be thinking that. She's your mum, she just wants to make sure you're alright. What is wrong with you?"

"I don't know!" Ankaa exclaimed suddenly. She was glad there was no one in the halls now. The portraits seemed startled at her outburst and scowled at her. Ankaa scowled back before pulling on Ceph's sleeve and dragging him into another hallway, one with fewer portraits preferably.

"A few weeks ago, I was talking to Lupin," Ankaa began softly. One of her hands went up to run through her hair. She scowled when it got caught in a tangle. "He said I was just like her, like our mother. She was unforgiving, and so am I. She was cold and indifferent, and so am I. I don't want to end up like her, Ceph. I—I don't want what she has. I don't want to be like her. Especially now that we now that the absolute shit that her life is, I can't be like her."

"But—"

Ankaa sighed, looking at the ceiling instead of the worried look her brother was casting at her. "I had a 'vision'," She exaggerated the air quotations around the term, "about Pettigrew and Black. That's how I knew he was alive, and that's how I figured out that all of them were Animagi."

"So you're really a Seer then?"

Ankaa nodded solemnly, "But I won't give Dumbledore the satisfaction. He's going to manipulate me into joining him and I would much rather stay away from all this."

"Why?" Ceph glared incredulously at her, "You've got these talents that you could make use of! Imagine all the people you'd help."

"I don't want to help people, Ceph!" Ankaa shouted, "I don't want to be involved! I like being away from all this where I can't get hurt, alright?"

For a moment, Ceph could not believe what she was saying. She had been given a golden opportunity to make a difference, but she was choosing to throw it all away. But then, he blinked, and his perception of her changed.

"Hi baby," He heard his mother's voice, "Meet your little sister, Ankaa."

She was his little sister. She was just thirteen years old. She wasn't the Ice Princess she had made herself out to be. She was his baby sister and she was scared. He understood now. The responsibility of knowing the future was too much for a thirteen-year-old girl like her. If she did not want to be a Seer, Ceph decided that he would unflinchingly support her decision.

Ankaa was brought out of her reverie with a start. Ceph had wound his arms around her shoulders and pulled her in for a hug. Ankaa swallowed; she had only just realized her eyes were watery. She was on the verge of crying. Ceph placed his chin on top of her head. He almost expected her to push him away. But she didn't.

While she did not push him away, she did not return the hug either. She was tense; her posture stiff. Ceph noticed though that she at least let her forehead rest against his shoulder for a moment as if she was tired of holding it up all day long, all life long.

"You're not our Mum," Ceph mumbled, pulling away. He kept both of his hands on her shoulders. She was at arm's length now. Her eyes were trained on the wall behind him. Ceph leaned down so she was forced to look at him.

"You've got your own identity. Just because there are a few similar traits between our mother and yourself doesn't mean you're going to grow up to be like her." Ceph gave her a warm smile, "You're a smart girl, Ankaa. Remember, you always have a choice when your life is concerned."

Ankaa shook her head. She let out an exhausted sigh before asking, "What if I cant? What if I'm not strong enough? I can't do this Ceph, they're going to hate me. Mother was already so mad when I refused those lessons."

Ceph shook his head vehemently, "You're trying, aren't you? That's all that matters. We're all with you, whatever you chose to do. But remember, the choice is yours. You're a great person Ankaa, deep down. Deep, deep, deep, deep—ow! You don't have to hit me that hard, Merlin!" Ceph laughed as he saw a small smile stretch over Ankaa's face. Ruffling her hair, he said, "I won't let you be alone, Ankaa. You've got a family that loves you, and you'll have friends who do as well. There's that adorable little Hufflepuff girl, isn't there?"

"Annabelle?"

Ceph nodded. Wrapping an arm around her shoulder, he started to lead her back to the Slytherin dormitories. "Cedric tells me she's quite taken with you, looks up to you and all."

Ankaa nodded. "She sent me a Christmas gift as well. Those chocolates you liked so much."

Ceph rubbed his stomach "Yeah, those were amazing. I'll be sure to thank her. Did you get her something?"

Ankaa nodded. "She likes writing in journals. I got her one that only opens with her fingers prints. I figured she had enough of the muggle stuff, considering she's a muggleborn."

Ceph nodded at her with a smile. "Awfully kind of you."

"Kind is my middle name."

Walking around the castle after hours without the Map was a real nuisance, Ankaa thought. Her wand was in her hand, and she was carefully checking the halls around the corner for any sign of life. Most of the portraits complained at her light, but she just rolled her eyes and kept going. They had seen some rather disturbing things over their years at Hogwarts, and Ankaa was sure they could have put up with some light.

She was already exhausted by the time she reached the Kitchens. Quickly, she made her way inside and sat at the little counter.

"Oi," She turned to see Fred Weasley tumbling into the Kitchens after her. "You walk so fast."

Ankaa raised a brow, "Got to be careful. Especially now that the Map isn't with me."

Fred snorted and nodded sarcastically, "You understand our struggle then."

Ankaa placed a hand over her heart and gave him a mocking look, "Yes, I now understand the utter despair I put you and your brother through. Will you ever forgive me, oh Great One?"

"M'darling," Weasley waved his hand with a flourish, "Flattery will get you everywhere. You are most certainly forgiven."

Ankaa gave him a feeble smile and turned to thank the House Elf that placed a cup of hot cocoa before her. She had been asking for the same thing for quite a few days now. He probably had her order memorized by now.

"Where's your brother?"

Weasley shrugged, not looking away from the pudding he was devouring. "Back in the common room. I'm the only one that was brave enough to face the cold, dark Hogwarts hallways."

"You're not going back?"

"I was going to," Weasley mumbled distractedly, "But you're still here. It's apparently rude to leave people at the table alone."

Ankaa raised a surprised brow. She nodded slowly and turned back to her cocoa. She could never have guessed that Fred Weasley would be considerate enough to stay with her and keep her company. Though, she would have preferred to be alone at the moment. It's not like he could understand what she had been through.

"Besides," Weasley turned to her, "George says something's been up with you. Apparently, he ran into your brother whose name I—"

"Cepheus."

"—remembered, of course, if you'd just let me finish."

Ankaa held her hands up in defence with a small laugh.

"He looked rather..." Weasley trailed off, "Well, I'm not sure really. George's the more observant one of us two."

"So I've noticed."

"Have you?" Weasley asked, "I'm still surprised you can tell us apart, really."

Ankaa nodded. "I deserve a reward."

Weasley gave her a wide, teasing smile. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small object and placed it in front of her. Gingerly, Ankaa examined it. It was a Mars chocolate bar.

"Muggle chocolate?" Ankaa raised a brow, "Where did you get this from?"

"Harry," Weasley shrugged, running his hand through his hair. "George and I figured we should give you a Christmas gift as well."

"It's May."

Weasley paused and narrowed his eyes. "Birthday gift?"

Ankaa laughed and nodded. "Thank you then, though you're a month early. It's in June."

Ankaa turned the chocolate in her hand. The two of them were silent. It wasn't necessarily comfortable, at least on Weasley's part (from what Ankaa had noticed), but Ankaa was not bothered.

"Thanks, Weasley," Ankaa mumbled, "But you really don't have to stay here."

Weasley looked like he was going to protest, but he thought better of it and gave her a nod. She did not turn away from staring into her mug as he walked to the door. But then, when he called her name (or last name, rather), she turned with a raised brow.

"Look, I don't know what's happened to you," Weasley began, "But it'll get better. What you're feeling right now—Merlin, George would be so much better at this—" Weasley ran a hand through his hair, "I guess, from what I've seen I can tell you that trauma's like this."

"I'm not traumatized." Ankaa shook her head.

Weasley shrugged, flushing pink for a moment. "Alright, whatever. But whatever's happened to you, it's serious, isn't it?"

Ankaa snorted. She wished she could tell him it was entirely Sirius. Instead, she just gave him a slight nod.

"It'll feel like you're over it all, but then it'll sneak up on you." Weasley pursed his lips, "There's never going to be a time that you're really over it. But I think—I think if you talked to someone—anyone, it would help you realize that you don't need to go through this by yourself."

For a moment, her instinctual response was to tell him that she didn't need help. It was ingrained in her system by now; to think that she could do everything by herself. But then she remembered that she was just a thirteen-year-old girl who was trying to shoulder all these burdens by herself.

"I don't think anyone else will understand, Fred." She said hopelessly, giving him a sad smile.

Fred paused by the door. This was the first time he had ever seen her show any emotion. This was the first time she had said his name, in the softest and most hopeless of whispers. He was never as observant as George when it came to emotions. Hell, he couldn't even get his own emotions across as easily as George could. But this girl, this absolutely broken girl, was someone who could tell needed help.

Before he could stop himself, he exhaled in bewilderment, "You're a mess."

The girl laughed jovially as she walked past him. "The hottest mess you've ever seen, Fred Weasley."

Notes:

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