The Power of Love
Chapter Nine
Written by Alicia Jennings with Imaginative Me(formerly known as BurrowGurl. You're the best, Steph!)
~
During Annelise and Voldemort's duel:
"I'm scared," Hermione squeaked. "Forget being Head Girl and facing everything we've faced before. I'm scared stiff."
Ron nodded vigorously, his eyes wary of the horizon. "D'you think he'll have the Death Eaters here?" There was no question of whom Ron indicated as "he".
Harry shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. All he's trying to do is kidnap a 17-year-old girl. How hard can it be?"
"A - ah - apparently hard!" Hermione pointed to the western horizon, where a mass of black robes was moving toward the castle. "Th - th - they're coming!"
"Oh -"
"Sh--"
"Wands - out! Minds alert!" Hermione looked white. "And if I die, I'm gonna be mad that I can't use my EXTREMELY HIGH GPA to get into Wizarding College!"
Harry groaned. "Only you would say that, Hermione...."
~
Voldemort gave a cry of fury as Sirius and Annie flew away. "It's not the end, Snape! I'll get you someday! Black, you may get her now, but I will in the end!"
Sirius' jaw hardened, and he flew from the North Tower to the castle entrance, where he'd left Harry, Hermione, and Ron earlier. "Annie, are you okay? Annie?"
Annie groaned. "I'll live, but I'm in some major pain right now. Thanks..." There was no need to elaborate. "Oh, no....."
Below them, people in hooded black robes were throwing curses at four particular people. And Annie recognized the four without head covering were Hermione, Harry, Ron, and Mary DiMaggio.
Sirius landed with a thump. "Harry! Hermione! Ron! Let's GET OUT!"
Despite every muscle screaming against her, Annie scrambled off the broom, running toward Mary. "MARY!"
The woman turned, hearing her name, and a curse struck her. She fell. Annie kept running, and finally reached her. "Mary! Mary!" Mary's eyes were open and blank. "Mary, don't be dead, please...." Annie felt for a pulse. "Mary!"
"Annie, you can't help her! We have to get out!" Sirius tugged on her, pulling her away from Mary's body. Annie fought against him. "Annie, you can't help her now! She's gone! We have to go!"
A sob escaped Annie, and she allowed Sirius to drag her back on the broom. "I killed her, Sirius. I just as good as killed her. If I hadn't come...."
"Annie! None of this is your fault! You can't control a madman's mind! Now we have to get back to Hogwarts!"
~
The long broom ride to Paris to the Portkey didn't serve to help Annie's already aching body. By the time they reached the neighborhood Cecelia lived in, tears were in her eyes from the pain.
Sirius hurriedly ushered them to the Portkey. "We have to get out of here NOW...we're endangering too many people," he said, reading Annie's mind.
Annie nodded in resignation. Of course he was right. This neighborhood was in danger just because the two people Voldemort wanted to capture most - she and Harry - were here.
"On three, touch the Portkey...one...two...three..."
They were whisked away.
~
...And before they knew it, they were landing - hard - in the Great Hall. It was the middle of lunch, and the students all gasped when their fellow students - one dressed in a strange uniform - and their Defense Against the Dark Arts professor landed smack-dab in the middle of the Hall.
Relief passed over the Teacher's faces. "Thank God.... Annie..." McGonagall was in tears, giving the girl a hug. "Oh, I was so worried...."
"Minny...please....I can't breathe....that hurts...." Harry, Ron, and Hermione were embraced as well, leaving them black and blue. "Minny, I need a pain relief charm....please, I don't want to go to the Hospital Wing, I'd have to explain to Madam Pomfrey.....just give me one..."
McGonagall sighed. "Although it goes against every single rule I help run this school by, very well." Discreetly, she did so. "Sorry, I'm not very good at it, you might have to have it done again in a few hours."
"That's okay, it feels good now...." She felt seperate from the crowd of students; almost felt like a different species entirely. A shadow passed over her, with a long beard and wizard hat. Dumbledore.
"I'd like to see you all in my office for a moment, please. Minerva, could you - ah - calm down the rest of the student body?" While Dumbledore led them away, Annie could faintly hear the professor threatening everyone with essays four rolls of parchment long.
McGonagall hadn't done so great on the pain relief charm. Annie's aches were already returning, gradually. She was thankful that the staircase moved, and that she didn't have to climb the flights.
"Right...here we are..." Dumbledore led the five into his office, and shut the door. His shoulders sagged. "Thank God you're all here.....let's not repeat that again....enough to give an old man heart failure...."
"Dumbledore! Don't say that!" scolded Hermione. "You should know better than to talk like that -"
"I know, Miss Granger. I know." Dumbledore shook his head. "So you've told me this many a time before."
"How?" Annie asked numbly. "How'd he get there? And what was he talking about, me marrying Malfoy?" She suddenly realized. "You knew, didn't you? Both of you...Sirius, and you, Professor Dumbledore!"
Sirius looked down. "Annie -"
Dumbledore looked down, too. "We should've owled you..."
Annie stood up, forgetting her pain in all her fury. "Yes. You should have. You should let people know when powerful, evil dark lords are - well - I just got done dueling with the most evil man to ever walk this earth! And you knew that I'd have to!"
"Annie, please listen -" Dumbledore started, but Annie held up a hand.
"No. I don't want to hear it. I just got done with the most terrifying fifteen minutes of my life. I don't want to hear about what might have been done to prevent it. Guess I'll just go start sending out wedding invitations, because it's going to be the same way with me it was with my mother! Engaged against our will!" She turned to Sirius. "You were there before and let it happen. Now you're letting it happen again." Annie ran out of the office.
~
Harry, Hermione, and Ron looked in shock at Dumbledore and Sirius. "You knew," Harry stated simply. "I don't blame her."
Sirius looked at Harry, tears on his cheeks. "You're not helping."
"Dear God, no," Harry snapped. "I know what it feels like. That poor girl will have nightmares the rest of her life. And you two might have prevented it."
Dumbledore spoke again. "It would have blown Severus's cover."
"To hell with Snape's cover!" Harry looked shocked at his own words. "You're sacrificing an innocent girl's life so you can have your little inside spy? I'm leaving." He walked out, and Ron and Hermione followed him.
~
They found Annie in the common room alone, sitting by the fire. Her hair had come down out of it's bun, but her uniform was still strangely unruffled.
"Annelise?" Hermione asked tentatively.
Annie didn't respond, she simply looked into the fire. Then she spoke.
"I hated this uniform.... Mary fitted me with it. She knew I didn't like it much, either. What a fine service I did her... complaining about this just hours before she died. And I pretty much killed her." Annie gave a dry laugh. "I'm as bad as Voldemort."
"No," said Harry vehemently. "No one is that foul, that evil, that hating. He kills for sport, he kills intentionally. You didn't kill Mary. Voldemort did."
"You can't take the blame for something you didn't do," Ron said softly.
The four friends remained in the common room, talking soberly and shedding tears. They'd all seen horrors that no adult should even see. They'd done a bit of growing up that day.
~
"Dumbledore wants to see Paralee." said Colin Creevy, sticking his head in the Transfiguration classroom. Minerva glanced at Annie.
Annie shook her head. "Tell him I'm busy."
"Miss Jensen, you will go see the headmaster," said McGonagall, her voice portraying shock at a student refusing to see the headmaster. "I'm sure it's important."
She slammed down the two rocks she was supposed to be Transfiguring into diamonds. "Fine. I'll go see the man." She rose from her chair and followed Colin to the headmaster's office.
Dumbledore was waiting, not looking like he had gotten much sleep. "Annelise. I'm glad you came."
"You're still not forgiven," she growled.
"That's understandable." Dumbledore turned to her. "I wanted to tell you that Sirius is gone. And yes, I know about you two."
"Gone?" she asked faintly, gripping the sides of the armchair she sat in.
"He seemed to take it upon himself for endangering your safety. He plans to do some spywork for the Society of Aurors, on Voldemort." Dumbledore looked out a window, his blue eyes looking strangely emotional.
"Oh - " The words caught in her throat. "Professor...I'm...terribly sorry.... I've been awful...everyone makes mistakes...."
"Yes, that I did. I made a rather terrible mistake, Annie, and I beg you to forgive me. I don't deserve it, but...all the same, it never hurts to ask."
"You're forgiven, Professor."
Dumbledore drew out a sheet of parchment from under the desk. "Sirius wanted me to give you this letter...why don't you go to your dormitory and read it? It'll do you some good."
"Yes, sir." Annie's trembling hands took the parchment, and she ran to Gryffindor Tower.
~
Dear Annelise,
I'm sorry. You were right. We should have told you.
The Auror Society has been wanting me to go on this mission to spy on Voldemort for a while now, I figured that the time had come that I should take it. If I find information that can get you out of your engagement, then I'll do anything. Even if it means risking my life. You're not going to end up like your mother; history is not going to repeat itself again.
Please forgive me, and send an owl back with a letter even if you don't forgive me. I love you, Annie, really and truly, and want to spend the rest of my life with you. Please...if you're kind enough to forgive me....please marry me.
Sirius
~
Annie looked at the letter, scanned over it a million times, to make sure she wasn't seeing things. Sure enough, the words on the parchment were true. All of the sudden, Harry burst into the common room.
"Annie -" he panted. "I - I mean, the Auror Society - they want me to go to Sirius, now." He started up the staircase to the boy's dorms.
"They do?" she breathed. "That's, well...Harry! Do me a favor, would you?"
"Yeah?" He stopped, and turned.
"Tell Sirius that I'll have an answer for him soon."
Grinning, Harry started back up the stairs.
~
With Sirius gone, Dumbledore had to hire another Defense teacher. But since he couldn't find anyone right away, he enlisted Annie and Hermione to teach DADA classes. "It's only temporary," he reminded Annie. "I'll find this guy soon, but I have to wait a few days before I can contact him...it's his time of month."
Annie looked at him quizzically, and started to ask, but then thought better of it. She trusted Dumbledore now.
Annie and Hermione made a good teaching team - Annie explained the lessons and Hermione seemed best at explaining the homework. But they didn't have to teach long.
"I wonder when the replacement will be here?" mused Annelise, packing away a grindylow they had taught about that day. It was six o' clock, and classes were over. "Not that I don't mind teaching, but I'd like to be taught, too."
"No clue," said Hermione. "We had this really, totally awesome guy for our DADA teacher a while back...you'd like him. His name was Professor -"
"- Lupin," said a voice, "Or at least I hope so." A man with brown and gray hair stepped into the classroom. He wore threadbare robes and carried a quite worn brown suitcase. He was smiling broadly.
"Professor Lupin!" Hermione squealed, running over to hug him. "You're the replacement?"
"Yes indeed," he said, turning to Annelise. "And you must be...Paralee?"
"Yes!" Annie said brightly. Then, in a low whisper, she added, "Yeah, right."
"I know that," said Lupin, chuckling. "Give me a hug, goddaughter." He wrapped her in a warm embrace. "I haven't seen you since you were a little baby. You're still beautiful."
Hermione's mouth was hanging open as she watched this scene. Then she shook her head. "With so much going on this year, I shouldn't be surprised."
"Oh, you poor dear!" Annie exclaimed. "Did you forget that Remus was my godfather?"
"Huh? Oh! Yeeeeah! Now I remember!" She laughed. "The next thing you know, you're going to be telling me that James Potter was my godfather."
"Actually - no, just kidding! ONLY KIDDING!" Lupin held up his hands in an "I'm - totally - innocent" way, Annelise laughing hysterically beside him.
~
With Remus at Hogwarts now, Annie began to feel a little more - comforted. But she knew that she wasn't safe - even in Hogwarts. For there was still the matter of Draco Malfoy.
Annie, Hermione, and Ron were walking to Potions (rather slowly and with heavy hearts, I might add) one day, chatting away. Annie had begun to try to push Draco toward the back of her mind.
"So...Ron, have you heard from Harry?" Hermione, needless to say, was a bit worried. And Annelise couldn't blame her. She was worried about Sirius, too.
Ron rolled his eyes. "Hermione, I should ask you that. You ARE his girlfriend-slash-fiancee-slash-best friend since first year-slash-"
"You've been his best friend longer!" said Hermione, noticeably ruffled. "And technically, we aren't fiancees, we're...just..."
"Going to get married," Annie supplied, with a snort of laughter.
"Just like you, Para...or should I say Anna?"
At the sound of the voice, Annie froze. Hermione and Ron did, too. Slowly, they turned around. Draco Malfoy stood alone, holding something tight in his right fist.
"Malfoy," said Annie. "And…exactly WHOM would I be marrying? Because it certainly won't be you. If I ever had to put my name and your name in the same sentence, I'd die, much rather put you and I in the same household."
Students were drawing closer together around Annelise and Malfoy, their eyes wide.
"Oh, yes, Jensen...oh, I mean SNAPE...we will be put in the same household. Are you sensing a bit of...oh, I don't know, deja vu? Are you remembering what that murderer of a boyfriend told you about your mother? The true Paralee Cordelia Jensen? You have a longer history than I do in the Dark Arts, Snape. Not only on your father's side, but your mother's too." A sneer crossed his face. "Much more than I can say."
Annie struggled for words. "You - you...." Draco seized her left wrist, a strange, twisted smile on his face.
Annie struggled. "No! No! Let go of me!" Crabbe and Goyle stepped forward, grabbing her arms and holding her there. "Don't put that on me! I'll never do it!" Ron and Hermione beat on Crabbe and Goyle, trying to pry them off of Annie.
"Too late," Draco whispered. As if in slow motion, he slipped the ring on her left hand. Then he turned, and walked away from the Potions classroom.
The ring was silver, with a blood-red stone.
Her mother's.
~
Alicia Jennings: First of all, MANY thanks to Imaginative Me(a.k.a. Steph) for helping me out and always getting badgered by me about some chapter I'm about to put up. Thanks!!!
Now, all of YOU READERS...YOU MUST REVIEW!!!! Please. I literally LIVE for reviews, and by now I'm about dead. PLEASE review! It helps authors to get feedback from all of you. And, in the words of Forrest Gump, "That's all I have to say about that."
Alicia-out
P.S. - Have I mentioned that my new boyfriend is a really good kisser? Sorry, a friend dared me to put that on a story when I posted it....which, it IS the truth....hmm, hope my ex doesn't find this...although that'd be funny...he'd have everyone find some way to ruin my reputation, but everything's got a price... The same person who dared me to do that ALSO dared me and new boyfriend to kiss in front of most of the choir...and we did...Ya'll, I think I'm turning into some complete blonde ditz(sp?). Oh well. Having fun so far..... - Sorry about all the P.S., that's what happens after drinking Mtn. Dew at....*looks at watch* Half past midnight....
Steph: Okay, Alicia, you don't want your ex to read this.... but, what happens if my boyfriend reads that review you gave me?? LOL! And your very welcome about helping you... anything you want I'll help you with! (BTW, some of the stuff I've said and done lately... I think I'm turning into a stereotipic (or what ever that big word is) blonde... maybe... =)
And from both Alicia AND Steph -
REVIEW, DANGIT!
Alicia: Remember this - ten and I'll continue. :-)
Chapter Nine
Written by Alicia Jennings with Imaginative Me(formerly known as BurrowGurl. You're the best, Steph!)
~
During Annelise and Voldemort's duel:
"I'm scared," Hermione squeaked. "Forget being Head Girl and facing everything we've faced before. I'm scared stiff."
Ron nodded vigorously, his eyes wary of the horizon. "D'you think he'll have the Death Eaters here?" There was no question of whom Ron indicated as "he".
Harry shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. All he's trying to do is kidnap a 17-year-old girl. How hard can it be?"
"A - ah - apparently hard!" Hermione pointed to the western horizon, where a mass of black robes was moving toward the castle. "Th - th - they're coming!"
"Oh -"
"Sh--"
"Wands - out! Minds alert!" Hermione looked white. "And if I die, I'm gonna be mad that I can't use my EXTREMELY HIGH GPA to get into Wizarding College!"
Harry groaned. "Only you would say that, Hermione...."
~
Voldemort gave a cry of fury as Sirius and Annie flew away. "It's not the end, Snape! I'll get you someday! Black, you may get her now, but I will in the end!"
Sirius' jaw hardened, and he flew from the North Tower to the castle entrance, where he'd left Harry, Hermione, and Ron earlier. "Annie, are you okay? Annie?"
Annie groaned. "I'll live, but I'm in some major pain right now. Thanks..." There was no need to elaborate. "Oh, no....."
Below them, people in hooded black robes were throwing curses at four particular people. And Annie recognized the four without head covering were Hermione, Harry, Ron, and Mary DiMaggio.
Sirius landed with a thump. "Harry! Hermione! Ron! Let's GET OUT!"
Despite every muscle screaming against her, Annie scrambled off the broom, running toward Mary. "MARY!"
The woman turned, hearing her name, and a curse struck her. She fell. Annie kept running, and finally reached her. "Mary! Mary!" Mary's eyes were open and blank. "Mary, don't be dead, please...." Annie felt for a pulse. "Mary!"
"Annie, you can't help her! We have to get out!" Sirius tugged on her, pulling her away from Mary's body. Annie fought against him. "Annie, you can't help her now! She's gone! We have to go!"
A sob escaped Annie, and she allowed Sirius to drag her back on the broom. "I killed her, Sirius. I just as good as killed her. If I hadn't come...."
"Annie! None of this is your fault! You can't control a madman's mind! Now we have to get back to Hogwarts!"
~
The long broom ride to Paris to the Portkey didn't serve to help Annie's already aching body. By the time they reached the neighborhood Cecelia lived in, tears were in her eyes from the pain.
Sirius hurriedly ushered them to the Portkey. "We have to get out of here NOW...we're endangering too many people," he said, reading Annie's mind.
Annie nodded in resignation. Of course he was right. This neighborhood was in danger just because the two people Voldemort wanted to capture most - she and Harry - were here.
"On three, touch the Portkey...one...two...three..."
They were whisked away.
~
...And before they knew it, they were landing - hard - in the Great Hall. It was the middle of lunch, and the students all gasped when their fellow students - one dressed in a strange uniform - and their Defense Against the Dark Arts professor landed smack-dab in the middle of the Hall.
Relief passed over the Teacher's faces. "Thank God.... Annie..." McGonagall was in tears, giving the girl a hug. "Oh, I was so worried...."
"Minny...please....I can't breathe....that hurts...." Harry, Ron, and Hermione were embraced as well, leaving them black and blue. "Minny, I need a pain relief charm....please, I don't want to go to the Hospital Wing, I'd have to explain to Madam Pomfrey.....just give me one..."
McGonagall sighed. "Although it goes against every single rule I help run this school by, very well." Discreetly, she did so. "Sorry, I'm not very good at it, you might have to have it done again in a few hours."
"That's okay, it feels good now...." She felt seperate from the crowd of students; almost felt like a different species entirely. A shadow passed over her, with a long beard and wizard hat. Dumbledore.
"I'd like to see you all in my office for a moment, please. Minerva, could you - ah - calm down the rest of the student body?" While Dumbledore led them away, Annie could faintly hear the professor threatening everyone with essays four rolls of parchment long.
McGonagall hadn't done so great on the pain relief charm. Annie's aches were already returning, gradually. She was thankful that the staircase moved, and that she didn't have to climb the flights.
"Right...here we are..." Dumbledore led the five into his office, and shut the door. His shoulders sagged. "Thank God you're all here.....let's not repeat that again....enough to give an old man heart failure...."
"Dumbledore! Don't say that!" scolded Hermione. "You should know better than to talk like that -"
"I know, Miss Granger. I know." Dumbledore shook his head. "So you've told me this many a time before."
"How?" Annie asked numbly. "How'd he get there? And what was he talking about, me marrying Malfoy?" She suddenly realized. "You knew, didn't you? Both of you...Sirius, and you, Professor Dumbledore!"
Sirius looked down. "Annie -"
Dumbledore looked down, too. "We should've owled you..."
Annie stood up, forgetting her pain in all her fury. "Yes. You should have. You should let people know when powerful, evil dark lords are - well - I just got done dueling with the most evil man to ever walk this earth! And you knew that I'd have to!"
"Annie, please listen -" Dumbledore started, but Annie held up a hand.
"No. I don't want to hear it. I just got done with the most terrifying fifteen minutes of my life. I don't want to hear about what might have been done to prevent it. Guess I'll just go start sending out wedding invitations, because it's going to be the same way with me it was with my mother! Engaged against our will!" She turned to Sirius. "You were there before and let it happen. Now you're letting it happen again." Annie ran out of the office.
~
Harry, Hermione, and Ron looked in shock at Dumbledore and Sirius. "You knew," Harry stated simply. "I don't blame her."
Sirius looked at Harry, tears on his cheeks. "You're not helping."
"Dear God, no," Harry snapped. "I know what it feels like. That poor girl will have nightmares the rest of her life. And you two might have prevented it."
Dumbledore spoke again. "It would have blown Severus's cover."
"To hell with Snape's cover!" Harry looked shocked at his own words. "You're sacrificing an innocent girl's life so you can have your little inside spy? I'm leaving." He walked out, and Ron and Hermione followed him.
~
They found Annie in the common room alone, sitting by the fire. Her hair had come down out of it's bun, but her uniform was still strangely unruffled.
"Annelise?" Hermione asked tentatively.
Annie didn't respond, she simply looked into the fire. Then she spoke.
"I hated this uniform.... Mary fitted me with it. She knew I didn't like it much, either. What a fine service I did her... complaining about this just hours before she died. And I pretty much killed her." Annie gave a dry laugh. "I'm as bad as Voldemort."
"No," said Harry vehemently. "No one is that foul, that evil, that hating. He kills for sport, he kills intentionally. You didn't kill Mary. Voldemort did."
"You can't take the blame for something you didn't do," Ron said softly.
The four friends remained in the common room, talking soberly and shedding tears. They'd all seen horrors that no adult should even see. They'd done a bit of growing up that day.
~
"Dumbledore wants to see Paralee." said Colin Creevy, sticking his head in the Transfiguration classroom. Minerva glanced at Annie.
Annie shook her head. "Tell him I'm busy."
"Miss Jensen, you will go see the headmaster," said McGonagall, her voice portraying shock at a student refusing to see the headmaster. "I'm sure it's important."
She slammed down the two rocks she was supposed to be Transfiguring into diamonds. "Fine. I'll go see the man." She rose from her chair and followed Colin to the headmaster's office.
Dumbledore was waiting, not looking like he had gotten much sleep. "Annelise. I'm glad you came."
"You're still not forgiven," she growled.
"That's understandable." Dumbledore turned to her. "I wanted to tell you that Sirius is gone. And yes, I know about you two."
"Gone?" she asked faintly, gripping the sides of the armchair she sat in.
"He seemed to take it upon himself for endangering your safety. He plans to do some spywork for the Society of Aurors, on Voldemort." Dumbledore looked out a window, his blue eyes looking strangely emotional.
"Oh - " The words caught in her throat. "Professor...I'm...terribly sorry.... I've been awful...everyone makes mistakes...."
"Yes, that I did. I made a rather terrible mistake, Annie, and I beg you to forgive me. I don't deserve it, but...all the same, it never hurts to ask."
"You're forgiven, Professor."
Dumbledore drew out a sheet of parchment from under the desk. "Sirius wanted me to give you this letter...why don't you go to your dormitory and read it? It'll do you some good."
"Yes, sir." Annie's trembling hands took the parchment, and she ran to Gryffindor Tower.
~
Dear Annelise,
I'm sorry. You were right. We should have told you.
The Auror Society has been wanting me to go on this mission to spy on Voldemort for a while now, I figured that the time had come that I should take it. If I find information that can get you out of your engagement, then I'll do anything. Even if it means risking my life. You're not going to end up like your mother; history is not going to repeat itself again.
Please forgive me, and send an owl back with a letter even if you don't forgive me. I love you, Annie, really and truly, and want to spend the rest of my life with you. Please...if you're kind enough to forgive me....please marry me.
Sirius
~
Annie looked at the letter, scanned over it a million times, to make sure she wasn't seeing things. Sure enough, the words on the parchment were true. All of the sudden, Harry burst into the common room.
"Annie -" he panted. "I - I mean, the Auror Society - they want me to go to Sirius, now." He started up the staircase to the boy's dorms.
"They do?" she breathed. "That's, well...Harry! Do me a favor, would you?"
"Yeah?" He stopped, and turned.
"Tell Sirius that I'll have an answer for him soon."
Grinning, Harry started back up the stairs.
~
With Sirius gone, Dumbledore had to hire another Defense teacher. But since he couldn't find anyone right away, he enlisted Annie and Hermione to teach DADA classes. "It's only temporary," he reminded Annie. "I'll find this guy soon, but I have to wait a few days before I can contact him...it's his time of month."
Annie looked at him quizzically, and started to ask, but then thought better of it. She trusted Dumbledore now.
Annie and Hermione made a good teaching team - Annie explained the lessons and Hermione seemed best at explaining the homework. But they didn't have to teach long.
"I wonder when the replacement will be here?" mused Annelise, packing away a grindylow they had taught about that day. It was six o' clock, and classes were over. "Not that I don't mind teaching, but I'd like to be taught, too."
"No clue," said Hermione. "We had this really, totally awesome guy for our DADA teacher a while back...you'd like him. His name was Professor -"
"- Lupin," said a voice, "Or at least I hope so." A man with brown and gray hair stepped into the classroom. He wore threadbare robes and carried a quite worn brown suitcase. He was smiling broadly.
"Professor Lupin!" Hermione squealed, running over to hug him. "You're the replacement?"
"Yes indeed," he said, turning to Annelise. "And you must be...Paralee?"
"Yes!" Annie said brightly. Then, in a low whisper, she added, "Yeah, right."
"I know that," said Lupin, chuckling. "Give me a hug, goddaughter." He wrapped her in a warm embrace. "I haven't seen you since you were a little baby. You're still beautiful."
Hermione's mouth was hanging open as she watched this scene. Then she shook her head. "With so much going on this year, I shouldn't be surprised."
"Oh, you poor dear!" Annie exclaimed. "Did you forget that Remus was my godfather?"
"Huh? Oh! Yeeeeah! Now I remember!" She laughed. "The next thing you know, you're going to be telling me that James Potter was my godfather."
"Actually - no, just kidding! ONLY KIDDING!" Lupin held up his hands in an "I'm - totally - innocent" way, Annelise laughing hysterically beside him.
~
With Remus at Hogwarts now, Annie began to feel a little more - comforted. But she knew that she wasn't safe - even in Hogwarts. For there was still the matter of Draco Malfoy.
Annie, Hermione, and Ron were walking to Potions (rather slowly and with heavy hearts, I might add) one day, chatting away. Annie had begun to try to push Draco toward the back of her mind.
"So...Ron, have you heard from Harry?" Hermione, needless to say, was a bit worried. And Annelise couldn't blame her. She was worried about Sirius, too.
Ron rolled his eyes. "Hermione, I should ask you that. You ARE his girlfriend-slash-fiancee-slash-best friend since first year-slash-"
"You've been his best friend longer!" said Hermione, noticeably ruffled. "And technically, we aren't fiancees, we're...just..."
"Going to get married," Annie supplied, with a snort of laughter.
"Just like you, Para...or should I say Anna?"
At the sound of the voice, Annie froze. Hermione and Ron did, too. Slowly, they turned around. Draco Malfoy stood alone, holding something tight in his right fist.
"Malfoy," said Annie. "And…exactly WHOM would I be marrying? Because it certainly won't be you. If I ever had to put my name and your name in the same sentence, I'd die, much rather put you and I in the same household."
Students were drawing closer together around Annelise and Malfoy, their eyes wide.
"Oh, yes, Jensen...oh, I mean SNAPE...we will be put in the same household. Are you sensing a bit of...oh, I don't know, deja vu? Are you remembering what that murderer of a boyfriend told you about your mother? The true Paralee Cordelia Jensen? You have a longer history than I do in the Dark Arts, Snape. Not only on your father's side, but your mother's too." A sneer crossed his face. "Much more than I can say."
Annie struggled for words. "You - you...." Draco seized her left wrist, a strange, twisted smile on his face.
Annie struggled. "No! No! Let go of me!" Crabbe and Goyle stepped forward, grabbing her arms and holding her there. "Don't put that on me! I'll never do it!" Ron and Hermione beat on Crabbe and Goyle, trying to pry them off of Annie.
"Too late," Draco whispered. As if in slow motion, he slipped the ring on her left hand. Then he turned, and walked away from the Potions classroom.
The ring was silver, with a blood-red stone.
Her mother's.
~
Alicia Jennings: First of all, MANY thanks to Imaginative Me(a.k.a. Steph) for helping me out and always getting badgered by me about some chapter I'm about to put up. Thanks!!!
Now, all of YOU READERS...YOU MUST REVIEW!!!! Please. I literally LIVE for reviews, and by now I'm about dead. PLEASE review! It helps authors to get feedback from all of you. And, in the words of Forrest Gump, "That's all I have to say about that."
Alicia-out
P.S. - Have I mentioned that my new boyfriend is a really good kisser? Sorry, a friend dared me to put that on a story when I posted it....which, it IS the truth....hmm, hope my ex doesn't find this...although that'd be funny...he'd have everyone find some way to ruin my reputation, but everything's got a price... The same person who dared me to do that ALSO dared me and new boyfriend to kiss in front of most of the choir...and we did...Ya'll, I think I'm turning into some complete blonde ditz(sp?). Oh well. Having fun so far..... - Sorry about all the P.S., that's what happens after drinking Mtn. Dew at....*looks at watch* Half past midnight....
Steph: Okay, Alicia, you don't want your ex to read this.... but, what happens if my boyfriend reads that review you gave me?? LOL! And your very welcome about helping you... anything you want I'll help you with! (BTW, some of the stuff I've said and done lately... I think I'm turning into a stereotipic (or what ever that big word is) blonde... maybe... =)
And from both Alicia AND Steph -
REVIEW, DANGIT!
Alicia: Remember this - ten and I'll continue. :-)
