Disclaimer: Rowlings are Rowlings, mine are mine- any questions?
An: ch.23 p.502 line 20 American copy of OOTP "Told her Percy's nothing more than a humongous pile of rat droppings". Just so you know the line isn't mine.
Anne woke to the sounds of Hermione and Ginny opening presents. "Happy Christmas! It's about time you woke up." Ginny said.
Anne grinned and sat up, "Happy Christmas to you two too. You know, I think this one really will be. Why don't you two finish unwrapping your gifts so we can go downstairs and get some breakfast?"
"Don't you want to unwrap your gifts?" Hermione asked puzzled.
"I don't-"
"Yes you do look." Ginny said pointing at the bottom of Anne's bed.
Anne looked and sure enough there were two brightly wrapped presents at the foot of her bed. "But, who- I just showed up last night how could-?"
"Open them and see, I bet they're from Sirius though." Hermione said.
Anne opened the first package and out fell a bundle of quills and an inkpot with color changing ink. Huh, that's useful, but there's no note… Shrugging mentally she opened the second package. In it was a diary, when she picked it up to examine it a slip of parchment fell out from between the pages.
Dear Anne,
I'm sorry I haven't been in your life until now. I will understand if you don't immediately want to trust and confide in me. All I ask is that you give me a chance. I'd like to talk with you later today if that's all right.
Love,
Dad
"Erm, I'm going to go on down you guys, there's something I have to do." Anne said and left the room. She made her way quietly downstairs clutching the diary tightly to her. Everything she had seen last night had led her to expect a scene of domestic bliss when she entered the kitchen this morning. She was quickly disabused of that notion the second she reached the doorway.
"Don't worry, Mum, Percy's not worth bothering about." she heard one of the twins say.
"Right, Percy's nothing more than a humongous pile of rat droppings any way-", the other one started to say.
"Fred!" Mrs. Weasley looked appalled.
Anne was forced to flatten herself against the wall as the twins beat a hasty retreat. With wide eyes she edged her way around the table to her father as Remus tried to comfort Mrs. Weasley. She plunked herself down between Bill Weasley and her father. "Who's Percy?" she whispered.
"My second younger brother." Bill said with no little venom.
"Oh." I don't think I want to know what he did. "Thanks for the diary, and quills." She said to Sirius quietly so as not to disturb Mrs. Weasley.
He smiled, "Your welcome, although it was Remus who picked them out. I gave him carte blanche."
"I'll have to thank him too then." she said, "I'd like to talk to you later too, if we can do so in private. There's a lot we need to catch up on."
"There is at that. I think I can manage to find some time alone for us." he added with an odd look in his eyes.
"Sirius could you get the turkey out of the pantry while I start breakfast?" Mrs. Weasley was much calmer now.
"Sure Molly." Sirius rose and went into the pantry.
"Mr. Lupin?" Anne called. When he looked her way she continued, "Thanks." She held up the diary.
He smiled, "I'm glad you like it, it wasn't my first choice but the stationary store was the only shop still open last night."
Oh, so that's where he went last night. "It's perfect." She said and meant it. Anne put the diary down and went to help Mrs. Weasley make a light breakfast.
"We're all going to St. Mungo's to see my Arthur would you like to come too Anne?" Mrs. Weasley asked as they ate.
"No thank you Ma'am. It's not that I don't want to meet your husband it's just that- well- I- I was hoping for some time to gather my thoughts." She finished lamely.
"I understand, dear you need time to think things through." Mrs. Weasley said kindly. "We hardly gave you any time to breathe last night, let alone sort things out for yourself."
"Thank you Ma'am, don't worry about the dishes, I'll take care of them." Anne said on impulse. Well why not? I may as well help out if I'm to be a part of this.
"That's not necessary, dear I'll just charm them on the way out." Came the prompt reply.
"Oh."
After everybody but Anne and Sirius had left she turned to him and said, " Part of gathering my thoughts includes that talk you promised me. I just got the bare bones of what's been going on last night. So could you please explain everything to me? There's a lot I don't understand."
"How far back do you want me to go?" he asked warily.
"Your being framed. All I got from Hermione and Ginny was that you were set up by Peter Pettigrew and your being an animagus had something to do with it. Beyond that… well they were both tired and couldn't get over the fact that I was your daughter." She answered with a little laugh, "Not only that, but my head was spinning from it all too."
"I can imagine. All right then…" he told her the entire tale of his escape up to that day.
"Wow. I guess it's my turn then huh?" She said after a pause.
"Actually I'd rather not hear about your life after the orphanage, my mind can supply the images well enough." He answered.
"I suppose you can. I would like to become a part of your family now.", she said hesitantly. "It's just that I've never really felt like I could trust anybody before. I guess that's going to change now." She reached toward him tentively and he embraced her awkwardly. "Now, I really need some alone time!", She said smiling to take any sting out of her words.
"Right, and I need to feed Buckbeack if I don't want him to start chewing the furniture.", he laughed, "Not that it wouldn't be an improvement."
That cracked her up, "Oh, come on it can't be that bad!"
"Believe me it is, or rather, was between time and Buckbeack the room's in pretty bad shape."
They went up the stairs together and went their separate ways. Anne sat down on her bed and opened her diary.
12-25
I have a home. A home and a family. I've been trying to convince myself that I'm dreaming and I'll wake up soon and find myself covered with snow. I don't think I am though, and even if I am I don't want to wake up. Yes this whole thing may have it's own problems, but at least I'm not alone anymore. For the first time in years I'm well fed and dry. For the first time ever I've received a REAL Christmas present. One that some-one chose with me in mind and not some charity give away. Maybe I'm not asleep, but dead and this is heaven. But then, do you need to eat and sleep in heaven? For that matter do you eat and sleep in your dreams? Maybe I should stop looking for trouble where there isn't any. I don't think I will, I think I'll just enjoy it while I can. Utopia cannot last forever; something will go wrong I'm sure. Until then I'll be glad to just have a home.