OK, thanks for the support so far. I have posted 20 chapters of the story
already, I estimate I have about 20 more to go! I actually had this whole
thing so far posted on the official Harry Potter website, but some of the
content was a little too mature, and so I have decided to repost here!
Thanks for reading, hope you're enjoying it so far. For all the readers who
followed it on the HP website, I'll post a big notice when I'm up to typing
out new stuff!
Belle
Later while everyone was sitting around in a nearby wizard pub, Harry remembered to finally ask why she didn't use veritiseum at first.
"Well, there is a number of things guarding the use of veritiseum in court cases. Firstly, it can only be used in criminal cases, and only those cases where a guilty verdict may result in time in Azkaban. Also, the Ministry guards its use very closely. You need special permission to use it. On top of these rules, it actually cost thousands of galleons to be able to use it," Anya explained.
"But that's not fair, somebody could be innocent, but it can't be proven because they're not rich!" Hermione protested.
"I know, but think of it this way. You have more of a choice of getting off if you have the best lawyer right? Well the best lawyer's cost a lot of money. Think of veritiseum as the best lawyer," Anya reasoned. Hermione still looked quite put out, but didn't say anything. Ron put his arm cautiously around her shoulders, and she didn't object, so he left them there.
"Well, how could Sirius afford the veritiseum?" Ron asked.
"My parents were very wealthy, they left a lot of money to me," Anya explained.
"I used it to pay for the veritiseum,"
"You know I'm going to pay you back, don't you?" Sirius told her.
She waved her hand, in a whatever gesture. Harry noticed that Sirius and Prof. Williamson were on good speaking terms now, the trial seemed to have pulled them together. They were in such a good mood, that when the announcer spoke up about dancing, Sirius was the first to pull Anya onto the dance floor.
"Testing...1....2..." the announcer pointed to his voice box with his wand, magnifying his voice.
"Tonight, as we do every Thursday night, we will listen to Muggle music for a few hours!" and with that the fast-paced Latin number started. "I love this one!" Anya exclaimed. Sirius looked at her, then pulled her onto the dance floor, ignoring her protests. They were dancing up a storm when Remus came to cut in. Sirius looked a bit offended but bowed out gracefully. On his way to sit down, he saw Ron and Hermione dancing, quite well.
He sat down at a table with Harry.
"Did you know that Ron was such a good dancer?" he asked Harry.
"You should have seen him at the Halloween Ball. It's quite strange really!" Harry said laughingly. Remus laughed as well.
A few hours later, Harry, Remus, Hermione and Ron all sat around a table, drinking Butterbeers. Sirius and Anya were back on the dance-floor, when suddenly a slow song came on.
Anya looked worried for a split-second, but Sirius just pulled her close, and they began to sway in time to the music.
Ron stood up from their table.
"May I have this dance?" he extended his hand toward Hermione, who blushed lightly and took his hand. Remus nodded toward Sirius and Anya.
"Just like they were at your parents wedding," he said laughingly. Harry
cocked his head to the side.
"They were together at Mum and Dad's wedding?" he was puzzled.
"Yes, why?" Remus was also quizzical.
"Well, Sirius told me that their relationship wasn't serious, but if they managed to keep it together since they left Hogwarts....." Harry trailed off, noticing Remus's expression. "Harry, Anya and Sirius were.....actually they can tell you. It's not my place to," Remus was very puzzled as to why Sirius and Anya hadn't told Harry their story. Harry made up his mind to ask the couple as soon as they sat down. However, they continued dancing for a while. Finally, Anya was forced to take a break when the heel of her shoe snapped.
Laughing she sat down at the table again.
"This is a really weird, my shoe did the same thing at Lily and James's wedding. And I was dancing with Sirius at the time as well!" Anya giggled. She pulled out her wand, and pointed it at the shoe.
"Healus Repairo!" she said. The heel reattached itself to the shoe.
"Right, does anyone want a drink?" She asked, standing on one leg, testing the shoe's heel. Harry shook his head.
"No, but I do want to ask you and Sirius a question!" he yelled over the music. Anya felt a faint sense of dread. She went and pulled Sirius away from the wizard he was talking to.
"Sirius, I think Harry wants to ask questions about his past again," she whispered. Sirius got a look of alarm in his eye.
"Well he has a right to know!" he said, trying to convince himself. Anya wasn't quite so confident. If the past started coming out, who knew what other truths would emerge. Sirius and Anya sat down at the table with Harry. Harry wondered how to put his questions about them into a conversational context, but Anya beat him to talking. "Harry, I know you must be a bit confused about your past," she said softly, giving him a small smile.
"We want to help out wherever we can, but I really don't think this is the time or place. How about we meet at my place on Friday, for tea?" Anya asked, looking at Sirius for confirmation. He nodded.
"OK, " Harry said, relieved he didn't have to ask the uncomfortable questions just yet. Sirius was just about to ask who wanted another round of Butterbeers when he noticed how raggered and tired everyone looked. Hermione had her head down on the table, and Ron's eyes were bleary. Remus just looked tired and Harry was yawning non-stop. Anya was still tired from all her running around in the past week.
"Looks like we should call it a night then!" Sirius said jolly. He went up to pay the bill, and couldn't remember ever being so happy about having to foot a bar-tab. The table just over to his right contained all his favourite people, and he could now see them whenever he wanted. AS he watched, an exhausted Ron got up to help the sleepy Hermione stand up straight. He supported her with his arm around her shoulders. Sirius saw the look of love and affection at Ron's gesture in Hermione's eyes. A sharp pain shot through his chest. He could remember feeling like that whenever he was around Anya.
Many years earlier.....
The last song at Lily and James wedding was being played. Lily and James, and Sirius and Anya were the only two couples left, swaying gently on the dance floor. Anya's head nestled closely in on Sirius's shoulder, she was a perfect fit. James was whispering in Lily's ear, pulling his head away, Sirius could see James's cheeky grin, and also the playful punch that Lily gave him.
When the music ended, the two couples sat down at a table.
"Well, I guess we'd better leave soon huh?" James said, almost wistfully. This was the happiest day of his life, he didn't want it to end.
"I guess so," Lily sounded just like James. Sirius stood up.
"I guess I'll get your presents together," he said, lazily pointing his wand around the room, levitating presents in the air. He plopped the down in a pile. Muttering a seemingly nonsense word at the pile, it disappeared.
"Don't worry, I sent them to the house!" he assured a worried looking James. James smirked. He turned to his new bride and noticing the tired look on her face, he swept her up into his arms. She laughed playfully and threw her arms around his neck.
"My hero!" she said in a falsetto voice, causing James to laugh, and almost drop her. He carried out to where the horse-drawn carriage was waiting. Anya looked over at Sirius, expectantly.
"You want me to carry you too?" he asked, pretending to be incredulous.
She gave him a look, and he hurried over to pick her up. But he didn't sweep her up, like James had done to Lily. He grabbed her like a sack of potatoes and threw her over his shoulder. She screamed and laughed, pounding senselessly against his back. Sirius staggered a few steps forward before putting her down again.
"Ha ha, very funny!" Anya said. Sirius stepped forward, and picked her up again, this time like James had picked up Lily. She turned her head to his, her eyes full of admiration, affection and love.
"I love you," she whispered in his ear, before kissing his forehead lightly.
Later while everyone was sitting around in a nearby wizard pub, Harry remembered to finally ask why she didn't use veritiseum at first.
"Well, there is a number of things guarding the use of veritiseum in court cases. Firstly, it can only be used in criminal cases, and only those cases where a guilty verdict may result in time in Azkaban. Also, the Ministry guards its use very closely. You need special permission to use it. On top of these rules, it actually cost thousands of galleons to be able to use it," Anya explained.
"But that's not fair, somebody could be innocent, but it can't be proven because they're not rich!" Hermione protested.
"I know, but think of it this way. You have more of a choice of getting off if you have the best lawyer right? Well the best lawyer's cost a lot of money. Think of veritiseum as the best lawyer," Anya reasoned. Hermione still looked quite put out, but didn't say anything. Ron put his arm cautiously around her shoulders, and she didn't object, so he left them there.
"Well, how could Sirius afford the veritiseum?" Ron asked.
"My parents were very wealthy, they left a lot of money to me," Anya explained.
"I used it to pay for the veritiseum,"
"You know I'm going to pay you back, don't you?" Sirius told her.
She waved her hand, in a whatever gesture. Harry noticed that Sirius and Prof. Williamson were on good speaking terms now, the trial seemed to have pulled them together. They were in such a good mood, that when the announcer spoke up about dancing, Sirius was the first to pull Anya onto the dance floor.
"Testing...1....2..." the announcer pointed to his voice box with his wand, magnifying his voice.
"Tonight, as we do every Thursday night, we will listen to Muggle music for a few hours!" and with that the fast-paced Latin number started. "I love this one!" Anya exclaimed. Sirius looked at her, then pulled her onto the dance floor, ignoring her protests. They were dancing up a storm when Remus came to cut in. Sirius looked a bit offended but bowed out gracefully. On his way to sit down, he saw Ron and Hermione dancing, quite well.
He sat down at a table with Harry.
"Did you know that Ron was such a good dancer?" he asked Harry.
"You should have seen him at the Halloween Ball. It's quite strange really!" Harry said laughingly. Remus laughed as well.
A few hours later, Harry, Remus, Hermione and Ron all sat around a table, drinking Butterbeers. Sirius and Anya were back on the dance-floor, when suddenly a slow song came on.
Anya looked worried for a split-second, but Sirius just pulled her close, and they began to sway in time to the music.
Ron stood up from their table.
"May I have this dance?" he extended his hand toward Hermione, who blushed lightly and took his hand. Remus nodded toward Sirius and Anya.
"Just like they were at your parents wedding," he said laughingly. Harry
cocked his head to the side.
"They were together at Mum and Dad's wedding?" he was puzzled.
"Yes, why?" Remus was also quizzical.
"Well, Sirius told me that their relationship wasn't serious, but if they managed to keep it together since they left Hogwarts....." Harry trailed off, noticing Remus's expression. "Harry, Anya and Sirius were.....actually they can tell you. It's not my place to," Remus was very puzzled as to why Sirius and Anya hadn't told Harry their story. Harry made up his mind to ask the couple as soon as they sat down. However, they continued dancing for a while. Finally, Anya was forced to take a break when the heel of her shoe snapped.
Laughing she sat down at the table again.
"This is a really weird, my shoe did the same thing at Lily and James's wedding. And I was dancing with Sirius at the time as well!" Anya giggled. She pulled out her wand, and pointed it at the shoe.
"Healus Repairo!" she said. The heel reattached itself to the shoe.
"Right, does anyone want a drink?" She asked, standing on one leg, testing the shoe's heel. Harry shook his head.
"No, but I do want to ask you and Sirius a question!" he yelled over the music. Anya felt a faint sense of dread. She went and pulled Sirius away from the wizard he was talking to.
"Sirius, I think Harry wants to ask questions about his past again," she whispered. Sirius got a look of alarm in his eye.
"Well he has a right to know!" he said, trying to convince himself. Anya wasn't quite so confident. If the past started coming out, who knew what other truths would emerge. Sirius and Anya sat down at the table with Harry. Harry wondered how to put his questions about them into a conversational context, but Anya beat him to talking. "Harry, I know you must be a bit confused about your past," she said softly, giving him a small smile.
"We want to help out wherever we can, but I really don't think this is the time or place. How about we meet at my place on Friday, for tea?" Anya asked, looking at Sirius for confirmation. He nodded.
"OK, " Harry said, relieved he didn't have to ask the uncomfortable questions just yet. Sirius was just about to ask who wanted another round of Butterbeers when he noticed how raggered and tired everyone looked. Hermione had her head down on the table, and Ron's eyes were bleary. Remus just looked tired and Harry was yawning non-stop. Anya was still tired from all her running around in the past week.
"Looks like we should call it a night then!" Sirius said jolly. He went up to pay the bill, and couldn't remember ever being so happy about having to foot a bar-tab. The table just over to his right contained all his favourite people, and he could now see them whenever he wanted. AS he watched, an exhausted Ron got up to help the sleepy Hermione stand up straight. He supported her with his arm around her shoulders. Sirius saw the look of love and affection at Ron's gesture in Hermione's eyes. A sharp pain shot through his chest. He could remember feeling like that whenever he was around Anya.
Many years earlier.....
The last song at Lily and James wedding was being played. Lily and James, and Sirius and Anya were the only two couples left, swaying gently on the dance floor. Anya's head nestled closely in on Sirius's shoulder, she was a perfect fit. James was whispering in Lily's ear, pulling his head away, Sirius could see James's cheeky grin, and also the playful punch that Lily gave him.
When the music ended, the two couples sat down at a table.
"Well, I guess we'd better leave soon huh?" James said, almost wistfully. This was the happiest day of his life, he didn't want it to end.
"I guess so," Lily sounded just like James. Sirius stood up.
"I guess I'll get your presents together," he said, lazily pointing his wand around the room, levitating presents in the air. He plopped the down in a pile. Muttering a seemingly nonsense word at the pile, it disappeared.
"Don't worry, I sent them to the house!" he assured a worried looking James. James smirked. He turned to his new bride and noticing the tired look on her face, he swept her up into his arms. She laughed playfully and threw her arms around his neck.
"My hero!" she said in a falsetto voice, causing James to laugh, and almost drop her. He carried out to where the horse-drawn carriage was waiting. Anya looked over at Sirius, expectantly.
"You want me to carry you too?" he asked, pretending to be incredulous.
She gave him a look, and he hurried over to pick her up. But he didn't sweep her up, like James had done to Lily. He grabbed her like a sack of potatoes and threw her over his shoulder. She screamed and laughed, pounding senselessly against his back. Sirius staggered a few steps forward before putting her down again.
"Ha ha, very funny!" Anya said. Sirius stepped forward, and picked her up again, this time like James had picked up Lily. She turned her head to his, her eyes full of admiration, affection and love.
"I love you," she whispered in his ear, before kissing his forehead lightly.