The next two weeks seemed a blur to Harry. Annette's spell helped
tremendously and he no longer woke up in the middle of the night, so his
days weren't as troubled with thoughts and fears of his dreams. Annette was
also very helpful with he and Ron's homework. Hermione didn't like helping
them with the essays, but Annette seemed to know everything, and loved
telling it to whoever asked. He still felt odd though, and he often found a
way to gain some time to himself everyday. Today he found himself sitting
in the drawing room on the first floor, just staring at the wall.
It wasn't that he was still grieving Sirius' death, it was that he just felt empty. Harry glanced at the tapestry hanging on the wall. Just like the hole where Sirius' name was, there was a hole in Harry.
"I doubt he would want you to be sulking around, Harry," came a voice behind him.
Harry jumped and turned around. "Annette?" Harry asked. "What do you mean?"
Annette stepped through the door the rest of the way and smiled softly. "I know he was your godfather. I grew up on stories about the Order. I also know you miss him, that's obvious." She sat down on the couch and looked at Harry. "But don't let it consume you, I doubt Sirius would want you to stop having fun just because he's gone. Just remember him, and think kindly on him. It's all anyone could ask for," she said with a sad smile.
Harry shifted slightly. Why was she lecturing him on how to mourn someone? It's not like she knew what it was like to lose so many people she was close to.
Before he could respond Ron walked through the door. "There you are Harry! Dinner's ready," Ron said, then turned around and left.
Annette stood up. "I hope you'll take my advice Harry," she said as she walked out the door.
"I'll remember it," Harry replied as he followed her into the kitchen.
"That's all I can ask for," Annette said with a smile.
"Harry! How you doing?" George asked.
"George! When did you get here?" Harry asked back.
"Oh, just dropped in for a visit with everyone before the rush comes in at the store. You'll be doing your shopping this week along with everyone else I suppose?" George inquired, and the noticed Annette. "Who do we have here?"
"My name's Annette, and yours is...." she said questioningly.
"George," he said simply. "I'm Ron's brother. Will you be joining us for dinner?"
"I'm afraid I'm not that hungry," Annette declined.
"Well then I hope I will see you again," George said with a smile.
"You might," Annette then turned and ran into Fred, who was just entering the kitchen. "Oh my goodness! There are two of you?" she asked and then dodged around Fred, blushing, before he could answer and headed for the stairs.
Fred looked after her confused and then turned to George who shrugged. Fred shrugged back, "Whatever," he said casually and then caught sight of Harry. "Harry, old boy!" he said putting his arm around Harry's shoulder and shaking him. "Life been treating you well?"
Harry grinned. "Yeah, I've been fine." With that everyone bustled into the kitchen and began chattering.
Soon, after everyone was full, Tonks had tried out everyone's hairstyle on herself, and Harry found himself dozing off at the table, Mrs. Weasley ushered everyone out of the kitchen.
"Come on now, off to bed with the lot of you," she said as she pushed all the kids out the door.
"Later Harry!" Fred called out as Harry exited the kitchen.
Harry waved back, trying not to make any noise as he went up the stairs. He was already half asleep as walked through the door and began to ready himself for bed.
As Harry lay under the covers, he let the darkness take him, knowing he was safe from his dreams.
Harry sat up and looked around the dark room. A feeling of unease was hanging over him and he cast his mind about for the reason. There was only one thing that made him feel like this; the dreams, but they were gone. Or were they? Annette hadn't said how long the spell would last, but he was fooling himself if he thought it would last forever. He decided he would talk to her about it at breakfast.
Harry stared at the ceiling in thought as the sun rose and slowly filled the room with light. Mrs. Weasley was probably up Harry thought, and since he was up, he might as well go down to help with breakfast.
Harry walked into the kitchen to find Mrs. Weasley cooking away. However, when he offered to help she refused.
"Oh no dear, that's alright. You just sit down, I'm almost done," she said waving at the table where Lupin was already sitting.
So Harry joined Lupin, who was reading the Daily Prophet and drinking some tea, at the table.
"Good morning Harry," Lupin said pleasantly as he turned the pages of the newspaper.
"Good morning," Harry replied as he studied the front page. "'Fudge Creates New Department To Fight You-Know-Who?'" he read out loud, intrigued.
Lupin looked up at Harry, and then looked at the front page. "Oh yeah," he said rolling his eyes. "Fudge realized he should 'help' Dumbledore so he went and created the Department for the Investigation of Dark Arts Activities."
"The what?" Harry asked. Fudge had always done odd things in the past, but this just confused Harry.
"It's sort of like the Muggle detectives. Let's say I thought you were working for Voldemort." Harry raised his eyebrows. "Hypothetically you're working for him. Anyway, I think you're doing something that would associate you with him. I would contact the new department, who would then, in turn, investigate you."
Harry looked at Lupin in silence for a few seconds. "But how does that help?" he asked finally. "I doubt his followers would let themselves be seen, and if asked, they're not going to just confess."
"Exactly," Lupin said shaking his head at the picture of Fudge standing outside the new department's office. "I don't know what he thinks it will do."
"Now Remus," Mrs. Weasley said as she set down a large pot of porridge. "At least he's doing something. It's not like last year when he was fighting Dumbledore."
"I know Molly, but I wish the something he was doing was helpful."
At that point Ron and Hermione walked in arguing.
"I'm not gong to let you read my essay Ron!" Hermione said firmly as she sat down at the table.
"Ronald!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed as she set down a plate of toast and some honey. "You aren't cheating are you?"
Ron's ears reddened. "No," he muttered and quickly began eating.
Ginny came down to eat, and was followed later by Tonks, whose hair was now a nice shade of blue.
After everyone had eaten, and Hermione had started reading Lupin's newspaper, Harry noticed Annette hadn't come down yet.
"Where's Annette?" he asked no one in particular.
"Yeah," Ron added. "I need help on that essay Snape gave us. 'Explain the uses and benefits of dragon's blood in potions'. I can't believe he wants two rolls of parchment," he added grumbling.
Lupin looked up from his bowl. "She left," he said looking at Harry and Ron.
"Left? No!" Ron said in horror. "How am I going to get that essay done?"
Hermione looked up from the article she was reading. "By writing it yourself," she said and then went back to reading. Ron glared at the paper that was hiding Hermione in response.
"Why did she leave?" Harry asked Lupin.
"She moved into the house her parents bought," Lupin answered. "What do you think they were doing? They did move here from California after all."
"I don't know," Harry replied. "I thought they would be doing stuff for the Order."
Lupin smiled. "Well that too of course, but don't you think they should have a place to live?"
"Yeah, okay. I guess that's more important," Harry admitted, but he was upset that Annette had left. She didn't say good-bye, and now he couldn't ask her about the spell. Would the dreams start again?
It wasn't that he was still grieving Sirius' death, it was that he just felt empty. Harry glanced at the tapestry hanging on the wall. Just like the hole where Sirius' name was, there was a hole in Harry.
"I doubt he would want you to be sulking around, Harry," came a voice behind him.
Harry jumped and turned around. "Annette?" Harry asked. "What do you mean?"
Annette stepped through the door the rest of the way and smiled softly. "I know he was your godfather. I grew up on stories about the Order. I also know you miss him, that's obvious." She sat down on the couch and looked at Harry. "But don't let it consume you, I doubt Sirius would want you to stop having fun just because he's gone. Just remember him, and think kindly on him. It's all anyone could ask for," she said with a sad smile.
Harry shifted slightly. Why was she lecturing him on how to mourn someone? It's not like she knew what it was like to lose so many people she was close to.
Before he could respond Ron walked through the door. "There you are Harry! Dinner's ready," Ron said, then turned around and left.
Annette stood up. "I hope you'll take my advice Harry," she said as she walked out the door.
"I'll remember it," Harry replied as he followed her into the kitchen.
"That's all I can ask for," Annette said with a smile.
"Harry! How you doing?" George asked.
"George! When did you get here?" Harry asked back.
"Oh, just dropped in for a visit with everyone before the rush comes in at the store. You'll be doing your shopping this week along with everyone else I suppose?" George inquired, and the noticed Annette. "Who do we have here?"
"My name's Annette, and yours is...." she said questioningly.
"George," he said simply. "I'm Ron's brother. Will you be joining us for dinner?"
"I'm afraid I'm not that hungry," Annette declined.
"Well then I hope I will see you again," George said with a smile.
"You might," Annette then turned and ran into Fred, who was just entering the kitchen. "Oh my goodness! There are two of you?" she asked and then dodged around Fred, blushing, before he could answer and headed for the stairs.
Fred looked after her confused and then turned to George who shrugged. Fred shrugged back, "Whatever," he said casually and then caught sight of Harry. "Harry, old boy!" he said putting his arm around Harry's shoulder and shaking him. "Life been treating you well?"
Harry grinned. "Yeah, I've been fine." With that everyone bustled into the kitchen and began chattering.
Soon, after everyone was full, Tonks had tried out everyone's hairstyle on herself, and Harry found himself dozing off at the table, Mrs. Weasley ushered everyone out of the kitchen.
"Come on now, off to bed with the lot of you," she said as she pushed all the kids out the door.
"Later Harry!" Fred called out as Harry exited the kitchen.
Harry waved back, trying not to make any noise as he went up the stairs. He was already half asleep as walked through the door and began to ready himself for bed.
As Harry lay under the covers, he let the darkness take him, knowing he was safe from his dreams.
Harry sat up and looked around the dark room. A feeling of unease was hanging over him and he cast his mind about for the reason. There was only one thing that made him feel like this; the dreams, but they were gone. Or were they? Annette hadn't said how long the spell would last, but he was fooling himself if he thought it would last forever. He decided he would talk to her about it at breakfast.
Harry stared at the ceiling in thought as the sun rose and slowly filled the room with light. Mrs. Weasley was probably up Harry thought, and since he was up, he might as well go down to help with breakfast.
Harry walked into the kitchen to find Mrs. Weasley cooking away. However, when he offered to help she refused.
"Oh no dear, that's alright. You just sit down, I'm almost done," she said waving at the table where Lupin was already sitting.
So Harry joined Lupin, who was reading the Daily Prophet and drinking some tea, at the table.
"Good morning Harry," Lupin said pleasantly as he turned the pages of the newspaper.
"Good morning," Harry replied as he studied the front page. "'Fudge Creates New Department To Fight You-Know-Who?'" he read out loud, intrigued.
Lupin looked up at Harry, and then looked at the front page. "Oh yeah," he said rolling his eyes. "Fudge realized he should 'help' Dumbledore so he went and created the Department for the Investigation of Dark Arts Activities."
"The what?" Harry asked. Fudge had always done odd things in the past, but this just confused Harry.
"It's sort of like the Muggle detectives. Let's say I thought you were working for Voldemort." Harry raised his eyebrows. "Hypothetically you're working for him. Anyway, I think you're doing something that would associate you with him. I would contact the new department, who would then, in turn, investigate you."
Harry looked at Lupin in silence for a few seconds. "But how does that help?" he asked finally. "I doubt his followers would let themselves be seen, and if asked, they're not going to just confess."
"Exactly," Lupin said shaking his head at the picture of Fudge standing outside the new department's office. "I don't know what he thinks it will do."
"Now Remus," Mrs. Weasley said as she set down a large pot of porridge. "At least he's doing something. It's not like last year when he was fighting Dumbledore."
"I know Molly, but I wish the something he was doing was helpful."
At that point Ron and Hermione walked in arguing.
"I'm not gong to let you read my essay Ron!" Hermione said firmly as she sat down at the table.
"Ronald!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed as she set down a plate of toast and some honey. "You aren't cheating are you?"
Ron's ears reddened. "No," he muttered and quickly began eating.
Ginny came down to eat, and was followed later by Tonks, whose hair was now a nice shade of blue.
After everyone had eaten, and Hermione had started reading Lupin's newspaper, Harry noticed Annette hadn't come down yet.
"Where's Annette?" he asked no one in particular.
"Yeah," Ron added. "I need help on that essay Snape gave us. 'Explain the uses and benefits of dragon's blood in potions'. I can't believe he wants two rolls of parchment," he added grumbling.
Lupin looked up from his bowl. "She left," he said looking at Harry and Ron.
"Left? No!" Ron said in horror. "How am I going to get that essay done?"
Hermione looked up from the article she was reading. "By writing it yourself," she said and then went back to reading. Ron glared at the paper that was hiding Hermione in response.
"Why did she leave?" Harry asked Lupin.
"She moved into the house her parents bought," Lupin answered. "What do you think they were doing? They did move here from California after all."
"I don't know," Harry replied. "I thought they would be doing stuff for the Order."
Lupin smiled. "Well that too of course, but don't you think they should have a place to live?"
"Yeah, okay. I guess that's more important," Harry admitted, but he was upset that Annette had left. She didn't say good-bye, and now he couldn't ask her about the spell. Would the dreams start again?
