"Sometimes it takes great suffering to pierce the soul and open it up to greatness." – Bill Rodgers
Chapter Twenty Seven – The New Summer Home
Maya watched her daughter over the railing on the second floor, looking down at her sitting in the drawing room. She watched as Ankaa shifted her wand in her hand, making the centre piece of the table float a few feet into the air. With a silent wave of her wand, the centrepiece rushed towards the wall and the glass shattering on impact. Without a blink, Ankaa would wave her wand and repair it.
Then she would repeat the process all over again, for perhaps the thousandth time.
Beside her, Henry sighed. "We need to do something about this," he whispered. "She hasn't been eating, she hasn't been sleeping, and when she does she wakes up screaming."
"Has she been to see him?"
"This is the first time she's left her room." Henry informed her. "I'm worried that she's…"
He trailed off. It was hard for him to see her withdrawing into herself, especially when she had worked so hard to open up. He was devastated by the loss of his son, but at the same time, watching Ankaa slowly destroy herself was equally as devastating.
"Has she written back?"
Henry shook his head no, gesturing to the piles of letters that remained untouched upon the table in front of Ankaa. Ankaa would glance up every time an owl came through, but when she realized it was not Ceph, she would return back to staring at the wall in his room.
"We have to get her out of here," Henry said strongly, "I think it will be a good idea if she spends the summer at Sirius'… at Headquarters."
Maya pursed her lips, unsure of the idea.
"I know her and Sirius don't get along, but this is probably best for her. It'll be nice to be in a place where she doesn't have any memories of Ceph," Henry suggested. "Plus she'll have Lupin and the Weasleys. She's always liked them, hasn't she?"
"I suppose." Maya breathed in deeply, "Alright. When Dumbledore finishes the protective spells, we'll ask him."
Henry gave her an incredulous look. When Maya ignored him, he rolled his eyes.
"You're not going to ask him for permission, Maya." He told her, "He may be your mentor but he's not in charge of your child. We're putting Ankaa in danger by letting her stay here, almost unprotected."
"She's not unprotected."
"Oh? And who's protecting her while you're off with Sirius? Soon enough, I'll have to return to the Ministry, and then to Voldemort. He's going to come looking here, you know that, don't you? He'll come looking for you. And when he does, he'll realize that your daughter is the Seer he's been searching for. He's going to try to kill her."
"It won't come down to that, she's just a child."
"So was Ceph when he was murdered," Henry glared at his 'wife', "Voldemort won't care that she's a child, all he'll care about is how talented she is. She's brilliant at spells and she's got the potential to be a great Seer. He'll want her to join him, and if she refuses, he'll kill her.
Maya, she's going to return to school, and what do you think she'll have to face? Those are the kids of the Death Eaters who were there the night her brother was killed. She has to be able to deal with them, to show them that she's stronger than all this."
"It's too soon—"
"I know it is!" Henry snapped, "But we're at war now. You remember what it was like the last time it happened. We don't have time to get caught up in grief… The more time we give her, the more she's going to think things over. What if she ends up choosing the wrong side?"
"She won't."
"Don't lie to yourself, Maya," Henry growled, taking her elbow in his hand and roughly turning her to face him. "You've seen it, I know you have. She's hurt which makes her vulnerable... Grief makes monsters out of all of us. We've got to get her on the right track, to show her that she has friends and family worth fighting for. If we let her stay here, all alone, she won't be able to see."
The two turned to Ankaa simultaneously, noticing she had finally stopped assaulting the glass centrepiece. Tipsy, their house elf, had placed a plate of food before her. Tipsy bowed lowly, her nose skimming the surface of the marble floor below her.
Ankaa cast a tired look at the elf before she sighed and unfolded her legs from beneath her. With a great exhale, she pushed herself off the couch and stood up. Without another word, she turned away and headed up to the stairs, where she crossed her parents, and into Ceph's room, slamming the door shut behind her.
"Yes," Maya sighed through her nose, "Sirius' place will be good for her, I think."
A few days of summer passed like this, at least from what Ankaa could remember. She sat on Ceph's bed all day, her hands folding under her chin while her elbows rested on her knees. She stared curiously at the book of spells Ceph had given her for her birthday before he…
What use is it to me anymore, Ankaa wondered.
She wondered if it was even worth it anymore, to work so hard in school and perfect all these spells when she would most likely wind up dead anyway. Because that surely was the case for her brother, who spent hours and hours after classes in the Room of Requirement practicing his spells.
He didn't even get to teach her to Apparate like he had promised.
You didn't keep your end of the bargain either, she reminded herself bitterly. If she just used Mopsus' potion like she had intended to, and not listened to stupid Ceph's wishes, he would have still been alive today.
To get her mind off the image of Ceph's body after the Tournament, Ankaa reached for the book quickly and started to flip through it. There were some interesting jinxes and counter-jinxes that she thought would be fun to use. About halfway through the book, she found a few loose pieces of parchment stuffed between the pages.
Apparition Basics was scribbled on the top in Ceph's neat scrawl.
There was a multitude of feelings that battled to the surface, and Ankaa couldn't pinpoint exactly which one she felt the most at a given time. She knew she felt guilty, perhaps for doubting that her brother would ever leave her behind without finishing what he had promised her. She also felt angry, she guessed it was because she wanted him to be the one to teach her, instead of learning it herself. And of course, above all else, she felt sad.
But sadness was an emotion that was always present these days. She couldn't feel any emotion without an underlying tone of sadness.
DO NOT TRY IT ALONE Ceph had written the next line and underlined it several times.
At first, she had been slightly amused, or perhaps it was the nostalgia of it all. She could almost hear Ceph warning her. Under normal circumstances, she would have done it herself anyway. But Ceph had pointed an arrow to the part where he wrote rather lengthy notes on splinching.
Ankaa knew it was a likely side effect if she began practicing on her own. She needed someone who knew how to Apparate, and someone who wouldn't tell her mother and father what she was up to.
Ankaa remembered thinking how peculiar it was that her mother kept vanishing for days on end. She would sometimes venture out of her room and notice that the house was eerily silent. Maybe she had only recently started noticing this because every summer before this she had Ceph running around the place like a hooligan, and her mother yelling at him to slow down.
But neither of them were there this year. Even her father had taken up more shifts at the Ministry, what exactly for she wasn't sure.
The Manor was quiet. And as much as Ankaa craved silence, this time she wished it wasn't so. It was just another reminder about everything that had happened a few weeks ago.
Ankaa jumped when there was knocking on her window. Hedwig gave her an affronted look when she pointed her wand at her. Ankaa opened the window and let her in. Hedwig swooped in gracefully and dropped the letter on her desk and sat there, patiently waiting for Ankaa.
Ankaa raised a brow at the owl.
"What?"
Hedwig looked at her as if she should know what the owl was waiting for. Ankaa shuffled on her feet, uncertain. Was Hedwig hoping Ankaa would catch any spare mice running around the corner for her? Hedwig pointedly glanced down at a small circular box that was placed on the far corner of the table, housing owl treats that Ankaa had kept reserved for Zeus.
Ankaa rolled her eyes and muttered, "Help yourself."
Hedwig bounced around in glee, and Ankaa watched her dig around the treats for a moment. Shaking her head in wonder, she grabbed the letter Harry had written to her. She didn't want to open it, after all, she hadn't opened any of the fourteen letters he had written to her so far. She had a feeling this one would be different though. And so, with a great sigh, she pulled the parchment open.
Ankaa,
Stop ignoring me. Everyone's been busy doing I don't know what during their summer holidays and I feel left out—Ankaa rolled her eyes at this, he was always dramatic—and you haven't written back to me at all. I know I'm probably not the person you want to talk to now, or ever, and I understand that. But if you have any news about what's going on, or anything that you've heard is happening, please let me know.
H.J.P
"At least he's smart enough to write his initials," Ankaa muttered. But a second later, she turned to Hedwig and snorted, "That's even worse though, everyone knows his initials." When Hedwig did not respond, Ankaa sighed to herself, "I'm trying to talk to an owl."
Hedwig turned away from the treats for a moment before giving Ankaa an uninterested stare. Then, without a care in the world, her beak dipped back into the box and she gobbled up treats. As Ankaa sat at her desk and pulled out a piece of parchment, she wondered how Harry could tolerate having an owl with so much attitude.
Her quill hovered over the parchment for quite some time, before she decided she did not know what to write back to him. She read and reread his letter a few times.
"He's lonely," She heard Ceph's voice telling her. She remembered him wanting to look out for Harry, seeing as the poor boy was always left alone in some form or the other.
He was lonely, and he was most likely scared. And so was she. If she had lost her brother, he had also lost a friend and seen his parents' murderer come back to life before him. He was as traumatized as she was, and despite trying to contact his friends and get their help, he was lonely.
Dear Moral Fibre,
First of all, don't get too worked up about people not writing back to you. It's summer, and while the both of us may be recovering from tragic loss, the world isn't. It's quite possible that other people are busy. Of course, they should still write you back, but let's just give them the benefit of the doubt here, however hard it might be to do so.
And next, I don't really know what's going on. Normally I'd suggest reading the Daily Prophet, but they've been off their rocker. Then again, I expect you knew this last year too, that the Daily Prophet isn't such a credible source when they let a hag like Skeeter write articles for the front page.
Lastly, I haven't bothered opening any of the letters you wrote to me. I've been a bit busy with some advanced spells stuff. I'll read them now though if that'll appease your overly sensitive soul.
A.C.R.
P.S. You owe me owl treats. Your temperamental owl finished all of mine.
She gave the letter back to Hedwig, who took her sweet time munching on the last treat before securing the envelope between her beak and flying off. Ankaa stood there, watching her fly off until she was just a black speck against the bright blue sky.
"Mistress," Tipsy's voice sounded from the other end of the room. "You have a visitor."
"Who is it?"
"Professor Dumbledore, Mistress, he says he has some important things to discuss with you. Tipsy has told him to wait in the drawing room, Mistress." Tipsy looked uncomfortable giving the information. Her hands clutched the door, and her big blue eyes were focused wearily on Ankaa.
Ankaa frowned. "Thank you Tipsy, I'll be right down."
Ankaa quickly stuffed Ceph's Apparition notes into the book and snapped it shut. Grabbing her wand, she stuffed it into her back pocket and made her way down the grand staircase hesitantly. She had avoided Dumbledore after the Triwizard Tournament ended, knowing that he would undoubtedly talk about Ceph.
When she reached the drawing room, she saw Dumbledore standing by the window, skimming through a magazine he had pulled out from the rack. Ankaa knew he had probably heard her coming, but she scuffed her feet on the floor to announce her presence.
"Professor," She nodded politely, "I'm afraid my mother and father are away at the moment. I can tell them you dropped by."
"Oh, that's quite alright, Miss. Rhyther," Dumbledore smiled, closing the magazine. "I know exactly where they are, seeing as I'm the one who sent them away."
Ankaa ground her teeth together, aware that a muscle in her jaw jumped slightly as she glared at the older man. His habit of being vague was really starting to rub her the wrong way.
"Well, then, I'm sure you can see yourself out."
"I'm sure I can, but I was hoping to speak to you actually," Dumbledore said, seating himself on the couch calmly. He smoothed over an invisible wrinkle in his robes before looking up at her.
Ankaa took the seat opposite to him. Crossing her legs, she placed her elbow on the arm of the chair, and her chin resting upon her closed fist.
"What did you want to talk about?"
"I'd like to begin by apologizing to you," Dumbledore sighed, "If I had been more observant about Professor Moody's comings and goings, I could have saved your brother. For that, I am sorry."
In the silence that followed, Ankaa carefully weighed her options. She had previously abided by the policy that teachers had to be respected at all times, that people of power had to be respected at all times. But now, looking at Dumbledore, she threw that policy out the door.
"We both know Ceph's death wasn't just because you let a Death Eater live under your nose for an entire year," Ankaa said, giving him a cold stare. "He's dead because you seem to think it's alright to use people like chess pieces."
"Miss. Rhyther, your brother knew what he was getting into when he signed up for the Tournament."
"Really?" Ankaa clenched her teeth. "I don't remember the part in the contract about where he would be transported to a graveyard and have to face Voldemort as his final task, do you? And none of this would have happened if you hadn't allowed Harry to compete in the Tournament."
"There were some unforeseen—"
"Professor, you don't have to talk to me of all people, about unforeseen circumstances," Ankaa said dangerously, giving the man a glare. "If this is all you had come for I suggest you leave."
Dumbledore sighed. He did look sorry. But Ankaa also knew that he probably wasn't sorry about Ceph dying. He was probably saddened by the fact that his arch enemy had come back.
And she felt more than insulted that he had the nerve to come into her own house and apologize for getting her brother killed. Maybe it wasn't even his fault, and Ankaa knew that in the back of her mind, it likely wasn't. He was at much as fault as she was. They had both gambled, and they had both lost. But Ankaa was angry, and Dumbledore was letting her take her anger out on him.
"Miss. Rhyther, are you aware of how rare Seers are?" Dumbledore continued on before she could open her mouth to give him a sarcastic response, "These abilities do not just pass on from mother to child. In every three generations, there is a Seer born into the family. Your case, however, is unique. You see, you are the third direct descendent in your line to become a Seer."
"And this is a problem?"
"Not entirely," Dumbledore gave her a smile. If he had been upset with her before, he had either pushed that feeling to the back of his mind or forgotten about it completely. "We have found your reach as a Seer is far wider than your mother's or grandmother's could ever be. We do not know the complete extent to your abilities, but we do know you're rather powerful."
"Okay…" She trailed off, blinking at him slowly. "What exactly are you suggesting I do about it?"
"Nothing," He gave her a smile, his eyes twinkling with mischief again. "Not at the moment, at least. But it is rather important that, for the time being, you are moved to a more secure location."
"Secure?"
"Yes. You see, if Voldemort was to learn that you are a Seer, then I am afraid you and your loved ones would be in grave danger."
"So you want me to hide?"
The wizard nodded, "Until you are trained enough to be able to be in his presence without giving anything away."
"Trained for what?"
"A multitude of things. Occlumency and Legillimency to begin with." His blue eyes, once again deeply amused, locked on hers as he smiled, "And Apparition. Your teachers are already present where you will be living for the summer. I expect it shan't take you too long to learn. I am sure your father and I can arrange a secret Apparition Test and Licence for you."
"Where am I going?"
Dumbledore only passed her a piece of paper. "Memorize it and then burn it. Someone will be here this evening to collect you, I suggest you have your things packed."
"Tipsy," Ankaa called. In the next second, Tipsy had Apparated into the drawing room and bowed low. Without looking up, Ankaa commanded, "Show Dumbledore out, will you?"
Dumbledore stood, recognizing that he had been dismissed. It was rude of her, she knew that, but she was far too angry to care. She kept the little chit of paper in her hand, watching him leave from the corner of her eye.
"Miss Rhyther," He turned one last time, continuing on even when she did not turn towards him, "I know we do not see eye to eye on many things, but in the hard times that are sure to come, I would greatly appreciate it if we got along."
And then he left. A second later, there was a faint pop and he had Disapparated back to wherever he was these days. With a deep, shuddering breath, Ankaa ran her cold hands over her knees.
Nimbly, she unravelled the chit and read the address that he had scribbled on there.
12 Grimmauld Place.
Being alone and out at night was probably not one of her brightest ideas, but Ankaa found herself restless while she waited for her chaperone to arrive.
Her stomach had twisted itself into knots, and no matter how hard she tried to tell herself that it would be alright, the feeling never vanished. She supposed it was most likely because Dumbledore had just sprung the idea on her, that she would become number one on Voldemort's hit list should he ever find out she was the third direct Seer in her family line.
While it was a small victory, beating Potter in old Voldy's list, it brought no joy.
The fact that she was being moved out of her house because of this reason was even more angering. This was the only place where she had the most memories of Ceph, and now she was being forced it leave it behind, albeit for a short time.
Ankaa shuddered slightly when the wind picked up. It may have been summer, but the nights were still cool. She brought her hands out of her pocket for a moment, tucking away her hair behind her ear, and then continued staring down at the grave before her.
Cepheus Rhyther
1978-1995
To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die
There was a faint pop behind her. Ankaa turned to find Remus had Apparated at the entrance of the cemetery. He did not motion her to leave like she thought he would. Instead, he came forward slowly and stood beside her.
"Perhaps you should read the notes for him?" Remus suggested, glancing around at the various notes that were attached to the flowers and wreaths, placed neatly against the marble stone.
"No, I can't do that," She answered immediately, her nose twitching as if she wanted to sniffle. "It'll make me feel like I'm talking to him. I came here because this is the one place where he's dead for me, where he's always been dead. There are no memories of him here. At home… I keep thinking he'll walk through the doors any second. But not here—he's always been dead here."
Remus regarded her carefully. She didn't look like she was in good shape, but neither did the rest of her family. Remus' eyes then turned to Ceph's grave, and he brought his wand out and conjured up a few flowers, placing them along with the rest to pay his respects.
"Do you think Sirius misses him?"
Remus startled at her voice, despite the fact that she had spoken barely above a whisper. Ankaa was staring down at the stone still, but he could not tell what she was thinking. She had reverted back into herself, keeping the most expressionless face she could.
"Of course." Remus smiled slightly, "He was his son."
"He hardly knew Ceph." Ankaa turned her head to him slightly, looking very interested in his answer. "He was gone for thirteen years. He grew up—We grew up without him. How can Sirius know him enough to miss him?"
Remus was silent for a moment. Then, just as quietly as she had asked the question, he answered, "Our love for our friends and family is not dictated by how long we knew them. It's what we feel inside... The strength of our bonds, the memories we cherish no matter how many in number, let us know how much we love and are loved. Sirius may not have known Ceph for that long, but he loved him with all his heart in the short time that they had together."
Ankaa stared at him for a few seconds. Remus saw something pass behind her grey eyes before one side of her lips curled up slightly. Without saying anything, Ankaa wound her arm through his, and leaned her head against his side.
Remus knew this was her way of showing acceptance. He knew it was hard for her to trust people, to open up to them. After a loss like this, one that had left even him with a hollow heart, he could only imagine how distraught she must be feeling. Remus placed his hand over his goddaughter's, offering her some much-needed comfort.
"We ought to get going," Remus said after a while, rubbing her arm lightly. "I'll go fetch your bag, you can have a moment."
Ankaa watched Remus walk into the house. When she turned back to her brother's grave, she was at a loss for words. She ran her fingers over her brother's name, graved neatly into the marble, looking so right and so wrong at the same time.
"Ready?"
Ankaa turned back to her godfather and exited the cemetery. She stood facing the Manor for a moment and breathed in deeply before letting the air out in a rush. Her shoulders slumped as she said:
"I feel like this is the last time I'll see it like this… So serene and quiet. Everything's going to change now, isn't it?"
"Yes," said Remus, honestly. He felt the same as he had before when Voldemort first rose to power and destroyed those he loved. "But we will all be together. It'll be alright."
She wished people would stop telling her that. That phrase was almost always followed with devastation.
12 Grimmauld Place was not an inviting home, to say the least. Remus led her through the long hallway, motioning for her to keep quiet as he crossed a covered portrait hanging from the wall. Ankaa cast it a dubious look when she heard a female voice muttering something in distaste.
Ankaa followed behind quietly as Remus led her into the room at the end of the hall, where she was met by familiar faces. Sirius was sitting at the head of the table, holding Maya's hand. They were both sitting in silence, smiling at something they had been discussing previously. On the other side of the room were Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, quietly discussing something amongst themselves.
"Ankaa!" Maya rushed forward, hugging her. Mrs. Weasley followed suit just as enthusiastically, giving her a wide and ecstatic smile. Sirius and Arthur lingered back, giving her a nod of acknowledgement.
"Is this where you've been then?" Ankaa asked her mother, "With Sirius? While I was alone at home?"
The Weasleys, sensing that the conversation was a private one, excused themselves. Mrs. Weasley mumbled something about getting the kids for dinner and made her way up the stairs. Remus, who gave Sirius a look, also exited the dining room.
"Have a seat?"
"I'd much rather prefer if you tell me right now."
"You'll want to sit down," Sirius advised seriously. "It's big news."
Begrudgingly, Ankaa took a seat to his left while Maya sat in front of her daughter, across the table. Ankaa looked from Maya to Sirius before folding her hands in her lap and patiently waiting for them to spit it out.
"I'm going to live here now," Maya said, giving her daughter a cautious smile. "Sirius will be all alone here once you all leave for school and I think I've lived too long without him. I just can't do it anymore."
Ankaa's brows shot up in surprise. "What about… Henry? What about Rhyther Manor?"
"It'll still be there," Sirius told her cheekily, but his grin vanished when she glared at him. At Maya's exasperated look, he just shrugged and leaned back in his chair.
"Henry and I have talked it over. We think it's best. I don't want to hide anymore."
"But Voldemort—"
"He'll want to kill us either way," Sirius interrupted, "We might as well enjoy all the time together that we can."
Ankaa saw her mother's hand tighten over Sirus'. The two shared a look before turning to her.
A small part of her wanted to object. She wanted to ask her mother if she was aware of the consequences of her actions. But even Ankaa knew that things were changing. Life was short, and if her mother wanted to spend it with Sirius, Ankaa had no right to object.
When she looked up from the roughed up surface of the table before her, she noticed Sirius and Maya were still staring at her. Her mother looked hopeful as if she was waiting for Ankaa's approval. Sirius, though he would never base his judgement on someone else's approval, seemed equally interested in her answer.
"Stop staring at me," Ankaa leaned back in her chair. "You're the adults, you make your own decisions."
Dinner was beyond awkward, for her at least. No one else seemed to think so, seeing as they were busy talking and laughing with one another.
Remus was sitting to her left, smiling and chuckling along with Maya and Sirius as they told everyone stories of their years at Hogwarts. Mrs. Weasley was eyeing Fred and George, who were trying to see how many peas they could throw at Ron before he realized who was doing it. Ginny, being the devoting younger sister, was doing her best to keep Ron distracted.
Ankaa was the only one who was pushing her food around her plate, unable to force it down.
Arthur, seeming to notice her hesitance to mingle, asked her from the other side of the table about the CD Annabelle had gifted her for her birthday.
"Have you had a chance to use it yet?" He asked her excitedly, momentarily abandoning his chicken to hear her answer.
"No," Ankaa muttered. Ankaa looked up at her mother then, who casually titled her head towards Arthur once more. Ankaa saw the man's shoulder slump slightly. Pursing her lips, Ankaa said, "But Annabelle told me how it worked if you'd like to know?"
Mr. Weasley perked up immediately and nodded. Ankaa told him as much as she could remember from Annabelle's letters. Mr. Weasley seemed fascinated that a thing so small could hold so many songs and that too without an Extension Charm placed on it.
When Mrs. Weasley finally distracted her husband, so he could stop asking the young girl questions enough to let her eat, Ankaa smiled amusedly. From Remus' other side, she saw Fred lean forward and give her a small smile. Ankaa coughed lightly and turned away before she could flush.
"When would you like to start your Apparition lessons?" Remus asked her quietly when everyone was arguing over who had put the peas in Ronald's hair.
"You'll teach me?" Ankaa asked him, somewhat excitedly. "As soon as you can, please."
"You're learning to Apparate?" Fred leaned over again and interrupted their conversation. Ankaa saw George's figure lean his head forward as well, frowning in great concentration.
Remus sighed, "There are no secrets in this household."
Ankaa gave him an amused smile. "It's just Fred and George," She looked to the twins, "If anyone knows how to keep a secret, it's these two."
Fred and George swelled up with pride, their chests puffing out as they gave exaggerated nods to Remus. The man considered them carefully before smiling.
"Maybe they could help you?"
"Oh no—" Ankaa started to protest when George accepted excitedly.
"We'd love to, wouldn't we Freddie?" He elbowed his twin, who nodded just as eagerly. "And we'll keep it quiet."
"It'll be good for you," Remus told her when he noticed her dejected stare. "They can teach you tips and tricks, and shortcuts I'm sure. We'll have a schedule so you don't ever get irritated enough by them that it leads to murder."
Ankaa smiled at her godfather before nodding. She turned back to her food, finally having some appetite.
"What about for my Seer training?" Ankaa asked, "Will Madam Vablatsky be back?"
Immediately, a tense silence settled over the table. Ankaa noticed the kids were just as confused as she was, but the adults were all giving each other looks. Finally, Remus turned to her with a sad look.
"Ankaa, Madam Vablatsky's dead."
She was aware that everyone was watching her reaction. The happy atmosphere that had previously enveloped the room vanished and the tension become suffocating. With a silent exhale, Ankaa put her fork down.
Another person she knew… dead.
Ankaa's hand clenched itself into a fist. It was horrible to think of the woman, who had become her mentor, as dead. She had been killed, just like her brother, because she stood up to Voldemort because she defied his ideas and refused to stand with him.
Ankaa rubbed her eyes. "Alright," She feigned nonchalance, which seemed so sick, "That's alright. I can teach it to myself. I've taught myself things before."
"Ankaa," Mrs. Weasley said softly, looking to the young girl. "You don't have to do this. You don't have to go back and face him. You can stay here, where you'll be far away from it all."
"I'm not hiding!" Ankaa exclaimed loudly before she could help it. When she noticed Mrs. Weasley and her mother jump in surprise, and Ronald casting her a surprised (and slightly afraid look), she took a deep breath.
"I'm sorry but I'm not hiding," She repeated, softly this time, but with the most determination, she had ever felt. She looked to her mother and Sirius, "I've seen what you all went through the last time this happened. I can't hide knowing that the same thing might happen."
"It's dangerous," Sirius said, but not in a way that made it seem like he was against her decision. He was merely informing her.
"It's war." She retorted immediately. Silence enveloped them once more as everyone was reminded of the sombre fact they had all been desperately trying to ignore. Noticing Mrs. Weasley's saddened look, she said, "As much as I don't want to face him again, I will… for Ceph. I know he would do the same if he was in my place. Voldemort took my best friend from me, Mrs. Weasley, and I'm going to make him pay for it."
Ankaa should have felt awkward in the silence that followed. Especially considering that everyone was staring at her with varying degrees of surprise. It ranged from Ronald, who looked the most surprised as his mouth was hanging wide open, to Sirius, who was giving her a lazy smile. He seemed more proud of her than anything, which oddly enough did not irk Ankaa as much as she expected it to. Instead, when he gave her a nod and a smile, she gave him a slight quirk of her lips in response.
"So…" Everyone turned to Ronald. "What's for dessert?"
Notes:
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