~ ~ ~ ~ ~ May ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
We stood on the Hogwarts platform, watching our friends climb on the Express for the last time. We would be taking a Muggle train from the nearest city to Edinburgh later in the afternoon; we only came to the platform to say goodbye.
I didn't bother to control my tears that day. Seamus and Neville, Parvati, Lavendar, all the people I had come to know. I shocked Slytherins and Gryffindors alike by shaking hands with Draco Malfoy; although I knew we'd see each other again- families like ours never really got away from each other- there was something curiously sad about that day that made me want to hang on to even him.
Leaving the school had been terribly hard. McGonagall shook our hands and wished us well, her voice cracking. Professor Snape had pulled me aside at the last minute to talk with me about Edinburgh; a colleague of his was a professor there and Snape had spoken to him about me. Dumbledore looked so frail as we walked out of the Great Hall; I wanted to drop my bags and run back inside as the massive doors closed behind us.
Hagrid had come partway to the station with us, weeping. He left us at the lake, unable to stand watching us leave. So we stood alone, eventually, the three of us left to Apparate our own way to Glasgow.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ On the Train ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Tell me again. If we could Apparate to Glasgow, why can't we just go the rest of the way to Edinburgh instead of taking the train?" Ron was wary of Muggle transportation in the way that only pureblood wizards really can be. Harry turned from his seat by the window.
"Because, Ron. It's fun. It's an adventure. You wouldn't get to see all this-" he gestured at the sweeping Highlands outside the window, "if we just Apparated there."
"Besides," I broke in. "My Gram's one of those old-school witches. You try to keep fairly quiet around Muggles, blend in, all that stuff. She's always been adamant about us kids learning to function in the Muggle world. And we can't Apparate into the house- it's Guarded."
Hermione was endlessly fascinated by my family. "Why is your house Guarded so heavily? I mean, I know your dad's high up in the Canadian Ministry, but why's your Gram so protected?"
"Just one of the side effects of being in a Great Family. Gram's the Llewellyn matriarch. She's the head of my mom's family right now. That means she's pretty high profile in the wizarding world, and with the Dark on the move, we can't be too careful." I grinned at them all. "I'm sure the security's been beefed up too, what with the visit from the Boy Who Lived."
Harry made a noise in his throat. "Your Gram's not going to be all weird around me, is she?" I knew he hated being fussed over like some kind of celebrity everywhere he went.
"No. She's not like that. You'll like her- she'll treat you like her own grandchild. But she also isn't going to be responsible for you getting killed or something." I touched his arm reassuringly.
The train ride sped by in a blur of conversation both serious and teasing. As we pulled into Edinburgh, the other three grew increasingly more excited. I tried to look at the familiar city through their eyes; the rolling hills, the great castle at the top and the city flowing down toward the water gentle stone waves.
"Ann." Harry tapped me on the shoulder. "What's that?" He pointed to a steep, grassy hill that looked dented in at the top as if it had been sat upon by a giant.
"That's Arthur's Seat. It's a part of Holyrood Park- according to the legend, King Arthur sat there and left that saddle-shaped hollow at the top. If you can believe it, the kings used to hunt deer there."
Harry whistled. It was hard to imagine the ancient kings chasing deer up those slopes on foot, much less on horseback. I made a mental note. "We'll go up there one day. The view of the city is spectacular. If we're lucky, the Midsummer Festival will be there this year."
As the train eased into the station, I scanned the crowd, hunting for my grandmother's slight figure. We scrambled off the train, dragging our bags behind us, and paused on the platform. Ron looked a little panicky, probably from the rush of unfamiliar noises that swirled around the platform. I caught sight of Gram across the station. "There she is, over there under the clock.'
We picked up our bags and hurried over to her. She flung her slim arms out to grab me in a ferocious hug, her comfortable brogue flowing over me like warm honey.
"Oh, Ann, my dear. I was just beginning to worry about you. How was your trip? Oh, don't answer that now. You're all tired; let's get you home first, then we'll talk." She beamed at my friends. "Hello, everyone! Get your things. The car's outside. We'll be home in a few minutes."
The others craned their necks in every direction as we left the station. We packed the car quickly and drove along the waterside. Hermione hd her nose buried in a guidebook her parents had sent her. "Ann, where in the city do you live?"
Gram smiled at me across the front seat. I struggled around to face the backseat. "We don't really live in the city. At least, we don't technically live in the city. We live in Dean, which used to be a village outside the city limits. It's been absorbed into the city over the centuries though." I leaned over the seat to point it out on the map. "See, here's the castle. High Street runs south to Holyroodhouse-- that's the Queen's residence. There's the Seat." I traced the directions with my finger, allowing myself a bit of magic to make the route glow a pale blue. "If you look backwards back behind Edinburgh castle, across the Water of Leith- that's the river- we live there, in Dean Village." I shook my head at Hermione, who was busily taking notes in the margins of her book.
We didn't talk much the rest of the way to the house, except for occasional questions about something we passed. I felt heavy, exhausted by the trip and the strain of our last few days. Gram's staff helped us unload and showed us to our rooms. Hermione and I curled up on the comfortable chairs in my old bedroom.
Hermione looked around my room, at the pale blue walls and white furniture, soft linens, warm sunlight filtering in through a bank of windows. She picked up one of my old teddy bears from one of the beds and sat with it in her lap.
"I hope you don't mind sharing the room, 'Mione. If we get sick of each other, there are lots of other rooms, or if you just want to be by yourself." She shook her head.
"I think it'll be fun. It'll be like being back at school." She squeezed my bear tightly. "Is Betsy coming this summer?"
My little sister. Her photo waved and winked from my dresser. "No. She's going home for a while. She'll be here later in the summer, though. As soon as Dad gets on her about something, or she just gets sick of being home."
Hermione narrowed her eyes at me. "It doesn't really seem fair, does it Ann? You haven't been home since before you came to Hogwarts. And your parents didn't come to graduation, did they?"
They hadn't. Mother had sent a note, explaining that Dad was needed at home, the Dark was getting active, they couldn't possibly get away, maybe she'd come over the summer. She'd sent an obscenely expensive dress that hung in my closet at Gram's. I hated it on sight.
"They're busy. Mom sent a gift. Hey, let's not sit around all day- let's go see what Gram's got to eat."