Anthony tried to think of all the places Taylor would go to, to run away from him. He first thought her house, but then he figured that it would do him no good if he ran into her mother. The Leaky Cauldron? He tried, but Tom the bartender said that he hadn't seen a young blonde in there for a few days. Hogsmeade? The red head searched every ally, but found nothing but some old Weasley's Wizard Wheezes wrappers.
It was then that it started to rain. He stood in the ally staring down at the red and gold wrapper, wondering where on Earth she could be. He didn't exactly care that he wasn't wearing the proper rain attire; a quick charm would dry his clothes easily. Anthony just wanted to find her, and to let her know that he loved her with everything he had, that he was truly sorry for what he said.
But, he knew it was getting late, and it wasn't safe to Apparate when tired. Closing his eyes, he pictured the front steps to his house, and when he opened them, there he was.
By the looks of the house, his family was home, but maybe not Jacob. Anthony and Taylor had discussed looking for a flat that weekend, because they were supposed to have announced their engagement already, so this would have been one of his last nights here. Anthony sighed deeply, his heart aching.
He pointed his wand towards the doorknob and muttered the correct password. His mother had set charms all over the house so that no one could Apparate in or out. That fact would be quite frustrating if the twins had to live there for much longer.
The door swung open slowly, and Anthony noticed that his cat, Marauder, was sitting on the bottom step, eyeing him carefully.
"Hey there." Anthony said softly, coming in and bending down in front of it. Marauder purred as his owner rubbed his back, and looked up at him with his crystal eyes. Taylor often said that he and Marauder had the same color eyes. Anthony felt that familiar tugging of his heart.
His entrance caught the attention of Emily Weasley, who was sitting in the living room writing a letter on the floor.
"Don't just stand there with those wet clothes, go upstairs and change!" She exclaimed. She looked up at him oddly, noticing his depressed expression. "You look like crap."
Anthony rolled his eyes and started up the stairs.
"Thanks, you really know how to cheer a person up." He heard papers shuffle and then Emily was following him up the stairs.
"What's wrong, what happened?" She asked quickly, trying to race up ahead of him. Anthony blocked her way. He sighed and looked down at his sister, knowing she was going to tell his parents that something was wrong with him.
"You're really annoying me right now." He muttered, continuing up the stairs. Emily stayed behind for a few steps, eyeing her brother carefully.
"Wait…you're not Jacob, are you? Because Anthony wouldn't talk to me like that."
The comment made Anthony stop, and he released a sigh of misery, sliding down the side of the stairwell to sit. Emily smiled knowingly and came to rest a step below him.
"Now, tell me, what's wrong?" She asked nicely. Anthony stared at her for a few seconds, but her blue eyes never wavered, and he groaned.
"Taylor and I…we had a fight." He explained, looking away. "And she left the party and I couldn't find her afterwards."
Emily nodded slightly, biting the inside of her cheek.
"And you checked everywhere?" She asked. Anthony shrugged.
"I went everywhere I thought she might be, but I'm so tired…I didn't want to get splinched or anything." He lolled his head back against the wall. "If I don't find her…I'm going to lose it, I swear." He blushed slightly as he let his emotions go to his sister. Anthony wasn't very open with his family about Taylor, though he believed that they knew how much he cared for her.
"She'll show up. I mean; it's not like you cursed her mother or anything." Emily said innocently. Anthony's eyes shot open, and his blush deepened. He watched as his sister's mouth dropped. "Anthony!" She exclaimed, covering her mouth. "You didn't!"
He cringed and nodded sheepishly. Emily groaned and covered her eyes.
"It was by accident!" He explained. "I was so furious because her mother told her she wouldn't support our marriage--" Anthony covered his mouth too late. He had to learn how to stop his rants. Emily's eyes widened behind her hands, and she threw them down to see her brother's face.
"Marriage?" She squealed, her shoulders tight. Again, Anthony blushed and nodded. Emily released a shriek and threw her arms around his neck, laughing happily. Anthony couldn't help but smile and hugged her back, though he was reminded of the object in his pocket.
"It might be over though," He said, pulling away from her. Emily frowned and shook her head, but Anthony nodded. "She left the ring before she Apparated. It might mean it's off."
"Bull shit!" Emily said dismissively, standing up with her hands on her hips. "She's just upset, there's no way she just stopped loving you!"
"I just don't know where she could be!" He exclaimed, exasperated. "And don't curse, Mum will have your neck."
Emily rolled her eyes and stared down at her brother with a look that said 'Do you think I care?'
"Please. Anyway, you have to find her as soon as possible, because a girl like Taylor will not stay single for long!" She said knowingly.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Anthony growled, standing up to look down at his sister. Emily didn't seem phased at the least.
"It means that guys are going to be asking her out as soon as they know that she's single, so you better make amends because I want a sister-in-law!" She poked her finger into his chest a couple of times to make her point. All Anthony did was sigh.
"Alright, I'll go looking for her again tomorrow, but right now, I need some sleep and some dry clothes."
"I would help you," Emily said, a tinge of annoyance in her voice. "But I'm not allowed to use magic, like some people around here." She sighed impatiently and made her way back down stairs. Anthony just ignored her as he headed up the rest of the stairs and to his room…that he noticed was open.
Peering in, Anthony tensed up again. In the dark room, his mother sat on his bed, bouncing his baby sister in her arms. Hermione Granger-Weasley looked up and frowned at her son, as Delaney squirmed.
"You're soaked." She noted, and with the quickness and accuracy only Hermione could have, she pointed her wand at him and dried his clothes without missing a bounce of Delaney. Anthony sighed softly, grateful, though his hair was still sopping on his head.
"Sorry." He muttered in a tone he didn't normally use with his mother. Anthony winced, knowing that she was going to pick up on it right away.
"Bad party?" Hermione asked, looking down at her youngest. The little girl was still a bit of a fuss when it was time to go to bed.
"You can say that." Anthony mumbled, searching through his dresser for a pair of pajamas. "Why are you in here, anyway?" He turned to her, a pair of dark green pants in his hands.
Hermione sighed and rocked Delaney a little harder.
"She's been fussing all night, we had to leave the Lupin's place really early because of her. Then your father tried putting her down in her room, but she exhausted him and he fell asleep on her bed, though I don't know how he pulled that off—wait, I do know, it's your father, he can fall asleep anywhere." She giggled slightly, and then continued. "She ran into here and every time I try to get up and leave she starts screaming. Once she falls asleep, I'll be out of here."
Anthony just grunted in response as he sat on his desk, his pants pulled tightly to his chest; he was not changing in front of his mother. He watched as Delaney sat up in their mother's arms, and she reached for him, her big brown eyes pleading. She had bushy brown hair like her mother, and a temper like her father. Hermione looked down at her daughter, curiously.
"She seems to want you, come on." Hermione held her out towards Anthony, keeping the blanket wrapped around the baby. Anthony moaned and slid off his desk, and reached out for his sister. Delaney giggled happily and snuggled her self into his arms. He couldn't help but smile as Hermione helped him wrap her up in the purple blanket.
"Will you look at that…?" Hermione whispered, watching as her daughter's eyes fluttered closed. Anthony smiled proudly and sat on the bed, rocking her softly in a steady beat.
"I've never put a baby to sleep." He said softly, staring down at the slumbering child. Though a bit scared that he was going to wake her up, he brushed a few curls out of her face. Delaney didn't stir; she just turned her head into his chest.
"You're good at it." She complimented. "Is she completely out?"
Anthony peered down at the baby, and he nodded, noticing how she didn't flinch. Hermione gently took her out of her son's arms, and she smiled down at her children.
"Well, good night, sweet heart." She whispered, leaning over to kiss his forehead. Anthony smiled softly and watched as she slowly crept out of the room, but before she shut the door, Anthony cringed,
"Mum?" The word slipped out of his mouth before he could stop it. Hermione peered back in, indicating she had heard him. Anthony squirmed a bit, looking down at the ground. Hermione entered the room again, looking clearly concerned.
"What's wrong, Anthony?" She asked, her voice tense. He couldn't catch her gaze as his breathing rate increased. What was he going to tell her? That the love of his life had just disappeared without a word? That he had absolutely no idea what he was going to do with himself if he didn't find her? "Did something happen with Taylor?"
His head snapped up and he realized that his mother must have quickly put Delaney down in her room while Anthony was thinking (the little girl's room was right next door). Anthony let out a choked breath and nodded, feeling the tears that had been trying to escape since the party spring to his eyes.
Hermione was sitting next to him within milliseconds, her hand moving up and down his back in a soothing manner. His breathing was ragged, but with his mother's gestures, he knew that he was about to spill everything.
"I proposed to her!" He exclaimed, looking at her with his blurry eyes. Anthony took his glasses off and began wiping them on his sleeves. "Last week, we were going to tell you tonight, I promise, we were going to tell you." Hermione just nodded, though he couldn't miss her shocked expression. He continued at amazing speed, "And then tonight, she told me that her mother hated the idea, that she was going to disown her if she did. She—her mother—said some horrible things about you and Dad, and I-I blew up! I yelled and said something horrendously mean and Taylor was so upset! She took off the ring and left! I have no idea where she is and I'm afraid that I'm never going to find her!"
His shoulders shook as he cried, and Hermione immediately pulled his head into her shoulder. She ran her hand through his hair and shushed him just like she had with Delaney. They just sat like that for a long time, Hermione rocking him and letting him run out of tears. It was an ironic twist; that she had immense trouble with the baby of the family but was able to put her seventeen-year-old son to sleep.
The next morning, Ron was making breakfast while Hermione sat at the table nervously, tapping her fork against her plate.
Ron, who had been dealing with the rattling of the plate for a few minutes now, slammed down his hand (which had been levitating the frying pan over the oven).
"Hermione." He growled. "Would you please stop doing that?" Ron forced a smile at his wife, who bit her lip. He immediately noticed the anxiousness in her face, and let the pan drop to join her at the table. "What's wrong?"
Hermione shrugged uncomfortably, but her instinct let her down,
"Anthony thinks it's over between him and Taylor." She blurted, then peering into the hallway to make sure that none of the children where around. Delaney sat obliviously in the chair across from Hermione.
Ron's eyes widened a bit, but he seemed more interested than concerned.
"Oh really? What did my idiot son do? Because it's always the guy's fault." He asked, slightly amused. Hermione's mouth dropped open at her husband's reaction.
"This is serious Ron, he's heartbroken!" She pouted, crossing her arms. Ron rolled his eyes and came around the table to put his arm around her.
"Look, if they had a fight, they'll get over it. I've seen them together, they remind me of you and me when we were young." He smiled and gave her another squeeze. "Don't get all motherly, you know how they hate that."
Hermione couldn't help but smile as she leaned her head on his shoulder.
"But I am his mother." She complained, but the giggle couldn't be compressed. "I guess you're right, there's no point butting in."
"You, butting in? That's absolutely ludicrous." Ron yelled, getting out of her grasp before she could hit him. Delaney threw some cereal flakes at him, giggling madly,
"Poppa stop poppin'!" She yelled at the top of her lungs. Ron stared at his youngest oddly, then turning to Hermione; she just shrugged. The red head rolled his eyes and went back to cooking, when it seemed like a bowling alley had formed in their stairwell. Delaney covered her ears, and Hermione got up to check what was going on.
Jacob and Emily had rushed down the stairs, both still in their pajamas, red hair all over their faces. Jacob had her around the waist, keeping her from reaching the kitchen.
"Let me go Jake!" Emily screamed, swatting her arms at her brother. Jacob just smirked and picked her up, placing her behind him. These two were very competitive.
Jacob ran into the kitchen and slid into the seat next to Delaney, looking absolutely triumphant. His curly hair was standing up at every end, and he simply wore a white undershirt with his Chudley Cannons pants. He turned to his baby sister with a huge grin on his face, and the baby just threw cereal at him.
"That's what you get for causing such a ruckus!" Hermione reprimanded, completely astounded that her son could have graduated from Hogwarts and at the same time act like a five year old.
Emily stormed into the kitchen, her curls in an unruly bun. She wore a light green plaid pajama set as she stood behind Jacob's chair, boring a hole into the back of his head. Without warning, she gave him a quick slap to the back of his head.
"HEY!" Hermione and Ron screamed, causing Delaney to hide under the table. Jacob grabbed the back of his head and turned to glare at his sister. He started to get up and Emily backed away, but Ron put a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't you dare." Ron commanded, his voice low. The room grew quiet at the sound of his voice. The children and Hermione knew that when he talked like that, he wasn't to be fooled around with. Emily cowered under her father's gaze and she blushed furiously with embarrassment. "Go to your room, you don't get breakfast until we've all finished, and then you get to do the dishes."
Emily opened her mouth to retort, but her father sent her a look as if he was challenging her to say something. She pursed her lips, knowing she was defeated.
"Well…I'm never going to be able to come down, since Anthony isn't going to leave his room anytime soon!" She winced slightly, knowing that she shouldn't have said what she did. Jacob looked as he was going to strangle her for telling, but Ron and Hermione just stared at her concerned.
"Why, what did he tell you?" Hermione asked, already heading for the stairs. Ron grabbed her arm before she left the kitchen. Emily wrung her hands together and stared at the floor.
"Oh, er. I knocked on his door to tell him breakfast was ready, and he just yelled at me to go away. Then Jake tried to open the door, but there must've been some charms on it, because it wouldn't budge." The family could tell she felt awful about telling them this.
Hermione bit her tongue and shared a worried glance with Ron. He released a sigh, then his wife.
"He's a bit depressed. He'll come down in a few minutes." Ron said knowingly, patting Hermione of the shoulder. He nodded towards Emily, as if indicating for her to leave, and went back to the stove. Hermione watched as her oldest daughter and Jacob shared a very worried look, and she couldn't help but ask,
"What else do you two know?" She asked in her 'better tell me' voice. Jacob and Emily's head shot towards their mother and smiled weakly. Hermione immediately knew that something else was wrong.
"Er…" Jacob began. He squirmed a bit as Ron turned around to look at the scene as well. "Anthony…he got a…a Howler this morning…from her mum." His face grew red with anger and he looked down at the eggs and pancakes his father had placed in front of him. Emily leaned back against the refrigerator and nodded at her parents.
Hermione looked up from her children and saw that Ron's face was scarlet. He caught her eyes and immediately rushed out of the kitchen, storming up the stairs.
She wanted to go with him; she wanted to help her baby. But, Hermione knew that Anthony would have enough trouble talking to his father, let alone having both of them there.
So, she looked at the rest of her children and forced a weak smile. She noticed that Delaney wasn't anywhere to be seen, so she bent down and looked under the table. The little girl giggled at being found, and rushed into her mother's arms. Hermione was glad that at least one of her children was innocent enough not to have to deal with this sort of pain.
Ron stopped in front of Anthony's door, pausing to think of how he should begin. He stared at the beige door with his hand centimeters away from it. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door.
"Go away." Anthony's voice immediately called. Ron could tell by the muffled tone that he was still in bed.
"Since when do you talk to your father like that?" He retorted, crossing his arms. There was a shuffle in the room, and now Anthony's voice was much clearer,
"I really don't want to talk to anyone right now." He said, and Ron heard a closet door swing open.
"How'd you keep the Howler quiet?" Ron called, smirking at the stubbornness of his son. It sounded as if Anthony ran into something, and he cursed, very unlike himself.
"Bloody Emily with her big mouth." He mumbled, and Ron pounded on the door angrily,
"Watch your mouth!"
"She has a worse mouth than me!" Anthony retorted; slamming what might have been his closet shut. "And I put a silencing charm on my room, but Jacob and Emily caught the first bit of it."
"What did she say? I bet she's just as bitchy as I remember." Ron had to hold back a snicker. Suddenly, the door swung open, and Anthony's enraged eyes bore into Ron's.
"Don't talk about her like that!" He yelled, gripping the frame of the door tightly. Ron could tell that his son had not gotten much sleep; Anthony had huge bags under his eyes and his hair was very frizzy and up at all angles. He was dressed though, in a plain blue t-shirt with khaki pants. Ron thought for a brief second that Anthony possessed more maturity than all of his other children combined.
"And don't raise your voice to me." Ron said calmly, crossing his arms. Anthony's eyes narrowed, but like the rest Ron's family, he knew not to get his father angry. Ron stood only a few centimeters taller than him, but he was much more muscular.
"You talking like that is the reason I'm in this mess." Anthony explained, in a calmer tone. "I repeated something I heard you say about her, and I'm so sorry for it." He left the doorway and went back into his room, towards his bed. Ron followed him in, though he didn't take offense to his remark because he didn't deny saying some nasty things about Pansy. He then noticed that the bedroom seemed to have been torn apart.
Anthony's entire desk was clean, though all of the things that used to sit upon it were now in a heap on the ground. His bed sheets, blankets, and pillow were also in odd places around the room. A pile of clothes sat in front of the closet, and the posters that were once posted on his walls were crumpled in the garbage can. The only thing in the room that seemingly hadn't been touched was a shelf with his camera, picture frames, and flipbooks.
"Have a rough night?" Ron commented, not bothering to avoid the obvious. Anthony tilted his head in response, and shoved a bunch of papers off his desk, letting them flitter to the floor.
"You can say that." Anthony mumbled, kicking the papers out of his way. He then put his hand into his bookshelf and pushed all the books off.
"What the hell are you doing?" Ron exclaimed; flicking his wrist and sending the books back onto the shelves. He was exceptionally powerful in magic without his wand (which annoyed Hermione to no ends).
Anthony threw his arms up and turned around to face his father, his eyes wild.
"Exactly what I've been doing since I got that bloody Howler! Tearing up my damn room, cause if I use my wand to release my frustration I might hurt someone! So, I'm breaking everything in my room just so I don't destroy our family!" He screamed, grabbing his hair. "If you excuse me, I'm going to go scream into my pillow now, since the silencing charm doesn't seem to be as affective as I'd like." He breathed heavily, now finished with his hysterical rant.
Ron just stared at his son, amazed with his 'speech,' though it was a far cry from the calm and collected piece he had recited at his graduation.
With another flick of his wrist, Anthony's eyes immediately rolled back into his head, and he fell straight back onto his bed. Ron rolled his eyes and went over to his son and helped him onto the bed.
Hermione was now at the door, holding Delaney on her hip. She gasped at the sight of the room, and at her sleeping son.
"What happened? I heard some thumps and I ran up here!"
Ron shook his head and joined his wife at the door.
"He was a bit hysterical, probably couldn't believe the fact that he received a Howler. Was ripping up his room because he had to release the anger."
Hermione stared sadly at her son, then she pouted towards Ron.
"Can I be a mother now?" She pleaded. Ron sighed and shook his head.
"You're never going to get respect from your students in September if you're always so kind and loving!"
Hermione glared at her husband, and Ron sent her a weak smile. Delaney eyed the two carefully, and she noticed her mother's hand slipping out her wand. Ron did not.
"OW! Hermione!"
Anthony lied on his back on his bed, staring up at his enchanted ceiling. The stars twinkled and shone brightly, and Anthony was able to make out some constellations. Not that he cared.
It had been five days since the fight, five very long and tiring days. Every one of those days, except the first, had been spent scouring every single place Anthony had ever been with her, hoping for just a glimpse of the blonde. He was getting desperate now, because he knew that she must've gone somewhere. Maybe she had learned to perform Invisocorpus, and every time Anthony had appeared, she just…disappeared. She would never have to let him look at her again. And oh, did he want to.
He groaned, covering his eyes with his hands. The red head knew he couldn't go on like this forever. He actually felt a bit pitiful, not doing anything but devoting his time to finding her and flipping through his photo album. The thought of actually moving on crept into his mind at random moments, but…how could he move on without actually ending it? Had she really just blown everything they ever had away? Did it all mean nothing? And if she had, why had it all been decided by her?
Her. Anthony thought back to the past few days, and he couldn't even remember saying her name. She. Her. The blonde. It frustrated him to no end that he couldn't mutter a two-syllable name without wanting to tear out his heart. He often wondered if she was thinking about him and he wondered if her heart ached as much as his when he thought about her.
The former Head Boy didn't budge at the annoying rapping on his door. It was probably his mother trying to get him up and about. A little white lie would make her go away, he had learned. So, he pretended to be asleep, closing his eyes and turning onto his side.
The infuriating rapping did not stop. It continued for a few minutes as if someone was hammering a very long nail into his door. Anthony tried to knock out the sound, using it as sort of a relaxing tool…follow the beat of the rap…but it didn't work. It was just plain annoying, and he decided to stop it.
"COME IN!" He screamed, rubbing his temples, trying to rid the echo of the rapping. The doorknob turned, and Jacob popped his head in, smiling brightly.
"H'lo there, little brother." He said happily, entering the room and shutting the door behind him. Anthony groaned and pushed his fingers tighter against his temples.
"You're only older by five minutes, you dolt." He muttered, watching as Jacob grabbed at his heart in mock sadness.
"Ouch, you would think you'd pay some respect to your elders. Anyway, I've come to make sure that you are still alive, and by the looks of it, you are. What shall I do now?" He plopped himself down on a chair backwards, his arms and head leaning on the back. "Maybe I'll just sit here and stare at you. I've never seen an actual person vegetate before."
"Fuck off." Anthony mumbled, grabbing his pillow and throwing it at Jacob. The former Gryffindor Keeper caught it with great ease.
"Nah uh, don't get violent with me, because you know I'll kill you." He smirked proudly, throwing the pillow to the ground.
Anthony held in a scream and fell like dead weight back onto his bed, burying
his head into his sheets. Jacob rolled his eyes and pulled out his wand,
sending some sparks towards his twin.
"Aw…ickle Toniekins can't be bothered?" Jacob mocked, using a very old and very hated nickname of Anthony's. He watched as his twin peered up at him through his sheets, a vicious glare shooting out of his eyes.
"Fuck. Off." He repeated. Jacob just stared at him with a bored expression.
"Get up, we're going out." He stood up and pushed the chair away from him, reaching over to pull his brother out of the bed. Anthony quickly swatted at his brother's arm, hoping to hurt him. Jacob wasn't going down that easily. He grabbed the sleeve of Anthony's shirt and pulled him into a sitting position, and then he heaved him up in one strong tug.
"Get off!" Anthony yelled, trying to thrash himself out of Jacob's grasp. He stood up, though his brother's hand still had a tight grip on his shirt. "I don't want to go anywhere!"
Jacob just smirked and began to lead him towards the door, now getting a firm hold on Anthony's shoulder.
"I've already packed some stuff, you don't mind, do you?" He said calmly, as if he was talking to his mother. Anthony pulled back, aching from Jacob's fingers digging into his shoulder.
"I don't care! Get the fuck off of me!" He screamed. Anthony tried to pull away one more time, and he saw the snarl on Jacob's face a second before his twin grabbed his other shoulder, spun him in front of him, and slammed his back against the wall between the door and the closet. A large thud was resonated through the room, and Anthony squinted his eyes from the sudden impact.
A silence fell upon them, Jacob's heavy breathing the only thing that broke it. Anthony finally decided to look up at his brother, he was angry, but he wasn't sure why anymore.
Jacob glared daggers into Anthony's eyes, held a tight grip on his shoulders, and spoke through gritted teeth,
"I told you not to get violent with me." He said softly, the calm before the storm. "Now, you're going to come with me, or I will beat your fucking ass to a bloody pulp." Jacob banged Anthony against the wall again as if to seal the deal. "Alright?"
Anthony stared an equally cold glare at his twin, but Jacob was relentless, and he looked away, defeated.
"Fine. Fine. Where are we going?"
Jacob's glare faded away and in a split second was replaced with a silly grin,
"Andrew Jordan's set up some connections for us, it's very handy to have a famous radio personality as your father." He opened the door and dragged Anthony out, going behind him and pushing him down the end of the hallway. "Now, go take a shower or something and get dressed for some fun in the sun!"