Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
The train ride back to King's Cross was largely uneventful. She had chosen not to sit in the two Prefect compartments, and had instead selected one at the rear of the train. Bill had joined her there, though he spent most of his time elsewhere. Charlie had also started off in the same compartment and left.
By the time the train pulled into Platform nine and three quarters Anahid was sure an entire swarm of butterflies had somehow found their way into her stomach. Only by remembering that she had visited Madam Pomfrey the day before, and taken her potion then, did Anahid realise her shaking hands were also due to nerves, it was an oddly comforting thought.
Bill and Charlie rejoined her as the train approached the station, and Anahid put her book away. The butterflies suddenly seemed to want nothing else but to escape her body by the quickest means possible.
The train came to a halt in a hiss of steam. Everyone disembarked in a rush to find parents and begin their holiday. Bill took Anahid's bag before she could get it herself, and led her through the throng, Charlie close behind.
Mrs Weasley was easy to spot in the crowd, as she also possessed the red hair that was typical of the Weasley family. Charlie spotted her first and pointed her out to his brother. Anahid struggled to keep up with their longer legs, and soon gave up completely. Bill's height and hair colour meant she would be able to spot him in the crowd if they were separated.
Bill's height and faster pace meant he was able to pass through the crowd with greater speed than the more diminutive Anahid. Because of this, he had greeted his mother, noticed Anahid was missing, and begun searching the crowd for her, by the time she caught up with them. With a grin, and what sounded suspiciously like a relieved sigh, Bill turned and introduced Anahid to his mother.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs Weasley." Anahid said politely.
"Call me Molly, dear. It's nice to finally meet you, Bill's mentioned you in his letters, but with so few specifics, I hardly knew what to expect." Mrs Weasley greeted her with a warm smile. "Now, we'd better get moving. We're flooing from the Leaky Cauldron, and I've left your father with the little ones."
"He was afraid you'd changed your mind and done a runner." Charlie whispered in her ear as they walked. "And he'd only lost sight of you for a few minutes. How'd you manage to turn him into a nervous wreck in a couple of months, when I've been trying for sixteen years, and failed?"
Anahid was only sure he was joking after she saw his grin. Clearly, this family was going to take some getting used to.
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The Burrow was a flurry of activity when she stepped out of the fireplace. Dusting the soot off her coat, everywhere Anahid looked there seemed to be another red haired body.
"You get used to it pretty quick." Bill said from where he was standing next to her. "Come one, I'll show you where you're staying, then introduce you to the hordes."
Stomach still a little queasy from nerves and the floo trip, Anahid could only smile weakly.
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Once she was sat down with a cup of tea (lemon, no milk or sugar) and had been introduced in a manner of speaking to ten year old Percy, the eight year old twins Fred and George, six year old Ron, and five year old Ginny; Anahid began to feel a little more comfortable. Mr Weasley, Arthur he insisted she call him, was nice enough. And when he found out that her father was a muggle pressed her for information as well as offering to show her his collection of muggle artefacts.
It was Charlie noticing Anahid's bemused, and somewhat overwhelmed, expression that opened up the can of worms she had hoped to keep closed until the first day of her visit was over at least. He had commented, after Molly had ordered Arthur to stop badgering her, that this was somewhat different to her own home.
"Yes," she agreed. "The manor is nothing like this."
"Manor?" Molly asked politely.
"Yes, Orion Manor. Anahid's mother was Persephone Orion." Bill answered for her.
"This really is different then." Charlie commented dryly.
"I guess," Anahid responded, "but in a good way. This is warm and inviting. Sirius said the manor was different before Mum died, but I've always known it to be empty and cold."
Around her four Weasleys choked on their tea. Anahid's eyes widened as she realised what she had done. Without another word she took off, through the door and up the stairs before anyone else could move.
A hurried discussion took place in the room after she had left, she didn't hear any of it as she snatched up her bag and raced back down the stairs. She was already out the front door when she heard her name being called. She wouldn't have stopped if she hadn't recognised the voice as being Bill's.
"Where are you going?" he asked, catching up to her.
"Don't worry, I'll catch a bus back to London, and from there a train back to school." She told him, rubbing her hands together in the chill air. "I'll be fine."
"But, why?"
She looked at him incredulously. "Because…look…I know you invited me for the whole holidays, but I won't hold you to a promise you don't want to keep."
"I want you to stay."
"But they won't," she said gesturing at the house.
"What do you know about what they want?" he was getting angry now.
"Because no one wants Sirius Black's sister around." Her tone was matter of fact, defeated.
"Back to that again?" he stormed, "Why don't you just get over it?"
"Because no one else will." She replied, tears brimming, she always cried more around him for some reason. "I hope I didn't ruin your holiday, or your Christmas."
She turned to go; Bill grabbed her shoulder. "The only thing that would ruin my Christmas is if you leave." He whispered fiercely in her ear.
Blinking furiously Anahid lifted his hand off her shoulder and walked away.
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Bill closed the door behind him. He had watched Anahid walk away until she had disappeared around a corner. He walked back to where his parents and Charlie were sitting, trying to look like they had been drinking tea and chatting idly, rather than waiting anxiously for his return.
"Well?" Charlie asked.
"She's going to catch a bus back to London, then a train to school." Bill's voice was quiet.
"Why? Didn't you tell her she could stay, that we wanted her to stay?" Charlie again.
"Yes, bloody hell, I tried to convince her, she wouldn't listen. She just kept going on about no one wanting Sirius Black's sister around, and that she hoped she hadn't ruined Christmas." He sank in to a chair.
Charlie was up in a flash, with a quick "Dad, I'm borrowing the car," he was gone, the back door slamming behind him.
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Anahid was freezing by the time she got to the bus stop, and regretting leaving in such a hurry she forgot her coat. She checked the board, and was relieved to find she could catch a bus to London in forty-five minutes, now if only she could avoid turning into an ice block in the mean time. Minutes after she had sat down however, she was joined by Charlie.
"Come to abuse me have you?" she asked. "Couldn't you wait until school was back?"
"No," he replied. "I've come to find out how anyone as stupid as you got into Ravenclaw."
"What?" Anahid spluttered.
"Well, the way I see it is this. My brother likes you, for reasons unknown, although you seem nice enough. Anyway, you're the first girl he's ever brought home for Christmas, and you want to split."
"Because your family can't possibly-"
"Don't tell me about my family." He cut her off. "Now granted, Sirius Black is known for doing some pretty despicable things, but that's no reason for us to treat you any differently. That'd be like people blaming Gin for something I'd done."
"You and Bill are pretty close, aren't you?" Anahid asked.
"Yeah, I guess so," Charlie replied, not sure where that had come from, "why?"
"Because you're both equally as stupid." Charlie stared at her. "You think I just made this up to be difficult? People have judged me for the last five years because of what he did. Now you want me to believe that your family is just going to forget that, is going to act unlike practically every wizard I've ever met."
"Yes." Anahid's eyes widened with surprise. "Because we don't care that he's your brother, all we care about is that Bill likes you. Come home, give us a chance."
"Why?"
"Because you don't have anything to lose, if you want, tomorrow you can floo back to-"
"No." She cut him off. "Why are you all being so nice to me?"
"Because you seem nice enough, Bill likes you, and everyone deserves a chance." He stood up and beckoned her with a hand. "Come home, for Bill if nothing else."
"Alright," she smiled weakly. "Thanks for…"
"Don't mention it. Let's get back where it's warm."
"Sounds good to me."
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Bill jumped up off his seat when he heard the car pull into the driveway. He ran to the back door, almost tripping over a twin in the process. His smile split his face when he saw Anahid get out of the car.
"Here," Charlie said as he handed him Anahid's bag.
"Thanks." Bill replied, unable to take his eyes off the darkhaired girl, for fear she would disappear again.
"Just add it to the list." His brother told him, patting his back as he passed.
"I'm sorry." Anahid apologised as she reached him, "I guess I overreacted."
"No, you reacted just like you could have been expected to, under the circumstances."
Bill took her bag up to her room, she was sharing with Ginny, while Anahid went to find Arthur and Molly and apologise to them.
"Don't worry about it dear." Molly told her when she tracked her down to the kitchen.
Anahid nodded. "Can I help?" she asked nervously.
"Of course, that book there, the one with the green cover. There's a chocolate cake, page two hundred and something." Molly gestured at a shelf lined with books on the wall behind Anahid. "If you could make that, it'd be a big help."
Half an hour later dinner was ready. Anahid, seated between Bill and Percy, was about to encounter another stage in the Weasley experience. Her trip and Sirius weren't mentioned for the rest of her stay.
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Later that night, as she held a drowsy Ginny for Molly, who was busy putting Ron to bed, Anahid turned to Bill who was sitting on a chair near her own, reading the Daily Prophet, and asked him, "Why do you like me?"
Bill just looked at her for a moment before he replied, "Because I find you intriguing."
"Intriguing? Meaning what?"
"Meaning to arouse the curiosity or interest of." He answered, studying the paper.
"Bill." She arched one black eyebrow at him.
"Alright, because you're different. Because you have brains, and you use them. Because you stand up for yourself, and can make even Filch back down. Because you're stubborn, pig-headed, high-strung, and overly emotional." Anahid opened her mouth to protest. "Careful, don't wake up Ginny." He stood, and seizing the opportunity of an Anahid with both hands full and no wand in sight, reached over and ruffled her hair. "G'night kid." He said with a wink and disappeared through the door.
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Bill fully expected to wake up the next morning missing several appendages after his 'kid' comment, or at least to have lost the use of a couple. So, when he got out of bed in perfect working order, he was suspicious. Anahid acting perfectly normally only added to his distrust.
After breakfast Charlie suggested building snowmen with the younger ones, which Bill and Anahid agreed to, and which Molly appeared grateful for.
An hour later, four impressive snowmen had been made, fingers were cold, noses red, and Charlie had taken the kids inside for some Hot Chocolate. There had still been no retaliation form Anahid, and Bill had decided she was going to let the taunt slide. That's when the snowball hit him in the back of his head. He spun around, but there was no sign of Anahid. Another snowball hit him, again in the back of the head, this time form the opposite direction, and again, with no sign of Anahid. Then four hit him, one on each side of his head, and he heard giggling coming from behind the line of snowmen. Crouched in the snow, wand in hand, a pile of ready to fire snowballs beside her, Anahid had collapsed in a fit of giggles.
"I suppose you think this is funny?" he asked, in the most dignified voice he could muster while melting snow trickled down his face. "There's snow down my neck now!"
"Sorry…sorry." She managed to get herself under control. "But I guess that's what you'd expect from a kid." She stood up and walked past him to the house, "And Bill, don't even think about it." He crushed the snowball he had picked up between his hands.
Running, he caught up with her as she hung up her scarf and coat. "You don't laugh enough." He said quietly.
"Sorry, I didn't realise there was a quota." She replied, pushing past him into the kitchen.
"You know what I meant," he said, following her.
"Maybe I don't have as much to laugh about as you do." She replied, pouring a cup of tea from the kettle on the stove. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have study to do."
Only Anahid, he thought, could go from giggling to chastising in less than a minute.
```*```*```*```
Anahid spent the rest of the morning sitting on her bed reading. Charlie brought her a sandwich at lunchtime, and sat himself at the foot of the bed.
"Was there something you wanted?" she asked over the top of her book, A Detailed History of Summoning Charms.
"I was just wondering something."
"Wondering what?" she marked her place with her finger, this could still turn out to be a short discussion.
"Well, I sort of know why Bill likes you, but what does a smart girl like yourself like about him?" he was looking straight at her, and Anahid suddenly realised that life would be very difficult in this house if he didn't like you.
"What's not to like?" she responded, trying to be flippant.
"Plenty, so how about telling me what you do like."
"Fine." She sighed finding her bookmark. The rest of chapter seventeen would have to wait. "Why do I like Bill? Well, he's smart; he's nice, he doesn't try to charm people. He doesn't judge, oh, and his eyes. I like his eyes. They're warm and friendly, I've lost count of the number of times I've woken up to those eyes."
Charlie choked. "What?"
"Well, you see, I have this nasty habit of falling asleep in the library late at night, I have a pass that lets me stay in there longer than usual. Anyway, I have this habit of falling asleep, and your brother often comes out late at night, to make sure I haven't fallen asleep in there or wake me up if I have. That's how we first met actually, I'd dosed off and he woke me up." She looked across at Charlie's face, and with feigned innocence asked, "Why, what did you think I meant?" she smiled and he laughed.
Leaving, he paused at the door. "You're not half bad, Ana, not half."
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The remaining days until Christmas passed in a blur of cooking, snow, smiles, and laughter for Anahid. She finished chapter seventeen, but chapters eighteen through forty-seven had to wait longer than expected.
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Christmas Eve arrived, and Bill and Charlie proved how ageless the season was by getting right into the spirit of things. The twins seemed to have discovered everywhere Mistletoe had been hung, and waited there for Anahid to pass. She just smiled, kissed the cheek of the particular twin, and ruffled his hair. The tree had been bought and decorated, and everywhere symbols of the season abounded.
It was late afternoon when Bill tracked Anahid down to the kitchen; she was helping Molly finish preparations for dinner the next day. Bill, already wearing his, handed her her coat, scarf and gloves.
"Are we going somewhere?" she asked.
"Yes, and before you raise that eyebrow at me, let me explain." Anahid crossed her arms, but didn't interrupt. "We're going to Diagon Alley to see the window decorations."
"What's so great about Diagon Alley's windows?"
"The decorations, they're beautiful." Molly explained. "You two go and have fun."
"Come on." Bill helped her into her coat, and practically dragged her to the fireplace. "Ladies first." He said, holding out the floo powder.
Anahid eyed him suspiciously, but took the proffered powder, tossed a pinch into the fire, called "Diagon Alley," and stepped into the flames.
```*```*```*```
At the other end of the short, but nauseating, journey Anahid dusted the soot from her clothes and waited for Bill to appear.
"See, that wasn't so bad, was it?" he said with a grin.
"Are you on drugs?"
"No. Now shall we have a drink now, or look at the displays first?"
"The displays," Anahid answered quickly. "Before it gets too cold." Bill just smiled.
```*```*```*```
They walked up one side of the Alley, then down the other, marvelling at the different scenes and decorations in the windows; even Gringotts had got in the spirit.
"Oh, you know what," Bill said suddenly, "I need to get more wrapping paper. I'll just be a minute." He headed off in the direction of the Wizarding Stationery shop.
"Don't mind me," Anahid called after him. "I'll be in Flourish and Blotts." Bill turned and gave a thumbs-up sign, With a sigh and a shake of her head; Anahid headed for the bookstore.
```*```*```*```
She had flicked through several different books when Bill caught up with her again, a bag obviously holding several rolls of wrapping paper over his arm.
"All set?" he asked, walking over to her, no easy task in the throng of last minute shoppers.
"Uh huh." She replied. They both turned to go, and were walking towards the door, when a call caused Anahid to turn around. Looking for the source, she spotted the shop's manager coming towards her.
"Miss Anahid." He exclaimed. "I didn't expect to see you here until next summer."
"Hello," Anahid returned his greeting with a smile. "You look busy tonight."
"It's our busiest season, except for the autumn return to school of course."
"Of course."
"The reason I said hello was that the books you ordered have arrived. I was going to send them to you care of Hogwarts, like I usually do, but you can have them now if you like."
"If you're sure that it's not too much trouble, that would be wonderful."
"Just let me find them for you, follow me." He led them to the rear of the store. Rummaging sounds were heard from the storeroom at the back, then came a triumphant "aha." He rejoined them, a large package in his arms. "Here you go," he said, handing it to Anahid. "Charmed feather light of course. I'll put it on your tab shall I?"
"Please," Anahid replied. "Thankyou, and Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas," he called after them, as he was lost in the crowd.
"You have a tab at the bookstore?" Bill asked as they walked down the slightly less crowded Alley.
"Of course, it's what we bookworms do." She replied smoothly. "Now I believe someone said something about a drink earlier, I'm freezing."
With a laugh Bill led the way back to the Leaky Cauldron.
```*```*```*```
Only Charlie was still up when they got back to the Burrow, after having dinner and a walk through muggle London.
"Have fun?" he asked from the table where he was doing some last minute present wrapping.
"Yes." Anahid answered, "Bit cold though."
"Here," Bill tossed a roll of wrapping paper to his brother, who was trying to stretch the last of his to cover the rest of his presents.
"Thanks." He smothered a yawn, "What time is it anyway?"
"Half past ten." Bill answered with a glance at his watch.
"That late?" Anahid asked surprised. "I'm going to bed, night boys."
"Night." They called after her.
"Worth while trip was it?" Charlie asked, trying to get a book perfectly positioned in the centre of the paper.
"Just what do you mean by that?" Bill demanded.
"Well, you know, did you have fun?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact we did, but not the kind you're getting at. We're friends Charlie, nothing more. G'night."
"Night." Charlie reached for the Spellotape, and murmured to himself, "There's no need to sound so disappointed about it."
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Christmas morning dawned bright and clear, with a fresh dusting of snow on the ground. Anahid woke early, as most do on Christmas morning, and was up and dressed in time to add her order to the tea that Bill was making for him and Charlie. They managed to resist the temptation to search the mound of presents for tags with their names on for the half-hour before the rest of the family was up. Bill and Charlie spent it playing Wizard's Chess, Anahid simply watched; she freely admitted Chess was a game she was total rubbish at.
With everyone present, the unwrapping could commence, and while the twins had to be restrained from simply diving in and tearing paper, regardless of the name on the tag, opening presents is always an enjoyable way of spending a morning. Anahid had brought presents for everyone, but was surprised to find numerous gifts were her name on. Including the expected one from Bill, there was also a parcel from Charlie, a couple from Molly and Arthur, and somehow Remus's had found it's way into the pile beneath the tree.
That afternoon, after dinner, the twins, Ron, Ginny, and Percy were playing with their new toys. Anahid had helped Molly clean up the piles of discarded paper from around the tree, and was now curled up on the couch next to Bill, reading her Summoning Charms book. She hadn't received a single book for Christmas, which surprised her a little; her father hadn't sent her a present, which didn't surprise her at all.
Instead of books she had gotten, from Charlie a box of sugar quills (her favourite), from Molly, Arthur and the rest of the family, a Jumper (dark blue, which Charlie told her meant she was practically part of the family), and a box of homemade chocolate. Remus had sent her a rather long letter and some new ink. Bill though had given her her most treasured gift of them all; a thin, plain, band of silver that fitted perfectly around the third finger of her right hand.
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AN: Please R&R, any comments are appreciated. The next Chapter will be up soon, where in they return to Hogwarts, and more secrets are revealed.