Disclaimer: I don't own anything; JK owns it all, of course. Except for Anna.

Chapter Thirty-Four: Veiled

And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.

-Abraham Lincoln

A few days before Harry and the others were due to return to Hogwarts, Sirius found himself sitting in the gloomy basement kitchen during an Order meeting, pondering over Anna's odd behaviour.

They had been in the meeting for a good hour, mulling over the recent Ministry decree that had forced Dumbledore to hire the ghastly Dolores Umbridge and Voldemort's lack of endeavours to obtain the Prophecy. Although Sirius knew the meeting was rather boring, there was something decidedly off about Anna's current temperament.

She sat opposite him beside Snape, who Sirius noted was also examining the girl with a worried eye. Her body was tense, her eyes narrowed and her brow knitted in something akin to confusion, or perhaps worry. Every now and again she would raise a hand to her temples and scrunch her eyes together in concentration. Her hand would become vertically flat and would discretely roam, palm facing outwards, around her. Then, after a minute or two she would open her eyes, close her palm into a fist and irritably crack her fingers, grumbling something inaudibly under her breath. Most peculiar, Sirius thought to himself grimly.

Grimacing, Sirius turned his attention back to the Headmaster who was now glossing over the roster for guarding the Department of Mysteries. Apparently, he had decided that only one Order member needed to guard the door and they were presently deciding whom, out of Sturgis Podmore and Hestia Jones, would take the duty tonight.

Out of the corner of Sirius' eye he saw Snape duck his head down to mutter something into Anna's ear. Her face took on a resigned expression before she shook her head fervently. Noticing Sirius, she sent him a reassuring smile. He nodded and turned his attention back to Dumbledore as the old wizard declared that Sturgis would guard the Prophecy that night.

Eventually, the meeting ended and Sirius turned to Anna to see her watching Podmore shoot out of the room with a dubious eye. He approached Anna and she turned towards him with the same worried expression.

"What's wrong?" Sirius asked as they began clearing the kitchen table of the many papers that littered it.

"Oh," she mumbled absently. "Nothing. At least I think it's nothing. I just... had a weird feeling."

"Well that explains everything," Sirius remarked dryly.

Anna looked up at him apologetically. "Sorry, Sirius. I'm just a bit distracted."

He sauntered over to her, encircling her hips with steady hands. "Well, I think I have just the thing to bring you back to reality," he whispered suggestively in her ear.

There was a disgruntled snort from across the room. Sirius turned, with Anna still in his arms, to see Molly, Remus and Bill staring at them, barely being able to conceal their mirth.

"Please, Sirius, contain yourself!"

...&&&...

It was around twelve-o-clock that night that Anna sat up suddenly in bed and cried out "SHIT!" into the darkness.

Fumbling in the dark for his wand, Sirius managed a "Whatsamatta?"

"Shit!" she repeated, before jumping out of the bed. She quickly turned the lights on and grabbed her wand. "Quick! Come with me!"

Seeing the look of pure terror on Anna's face, Sirius deduced that it would be better to ask questions later, when she was not so animated. So he followed her meekly.

"We have to get Remus," she muttered as she hurried towards the werewolf's bedroom. She banged loudly on the door for a brief moment before she barged into the room. Surprisingly, Remus was not asleep, but rather laying on his bed in his nightclothes and reading a book. Not for the first time, Sirius thanked the Gods that Remus didn't sleep naked.

Reading the look on Anna's face, the other man jumped from the bed, instantly alert. "What? What is it?"

"Remus," Anna exclaimed breathlessly, "I need you to cast the Imperious Curse on Sirius."

When she saw that the other two men were standing gaping at her, and definitely not jumping into action, she bit back an irritated cry.

"Just do it! There's no time to explain! Please!" she pleaded urgently.

Remus acquiesced. "Imperio!" he cried, pointing his wand at Sirius. Sirius immediately felt as though he was floating... dreaming... it was bliss.

Vaguely, he heard Remus speak. "What do you want me to make him do?"

"Anything," came the dim reply. "Just don't remove it until I say. And don't fight it, Sirius."

Suddenly, there was a tiny voice speaking in his head. Turn around... face the door...

He complied and turned towards the door where he saw Anna, her hands moving thickly through the air as if it was jelly. Walk to your left... Now to your right...

Sirius was abruptly ripped from his dreamlike state and brought crashing back to reality. Remus was standing to his right, confusion apparent on his features while Anna was standing, her hand still raised weakly in the air, her face ashen and pale.

"What is it?" he asked gruffly.

"We have to get Professor Dumbledore. Now. Sturgis Podmore is under the Imperious Curse. And he's on Ministry duty tonight."

...&&&...

There was a stunned silence, followed by a swift flurry of activity. Remus rushed out of the room just as Anna stumbled in exhaustion. Sirius quickly stepped forward to catch her and set her upright.

"You need to go downstairs. You'll have to explain this to Dumbledore." He winced at how accusatory his remark sounded.

Anna blinked and looked up at him, her eyes glistening. "I can't believe I was so stupid! I knew something was wrong, I knew it, but I didn't say anything! How could I have been so stupid, Sirius!? And now Harry might die and it will be all my fault!"

Sirius took Anna by the shoulders and gave her a sound shake. "Don't be ridiculous. It wasn't your fault and Harry won't die. Now come with me."

He all but dragged her down to the kitchen where they found Albus Dumbledore stepping regally out of the fireplace, followed speedily by Snape. In four quick strides the old wizard was standing before Anna, a grave expression on his face. She seemed to calm in his presence.

"What happened?" he asked urgently.

"Sturgis Podmore," Anna explained. "All night he was feeling weird... clouded... veiled. I didn't recognise it for what it was. I was so stupid," she muttered tiredly. "He's under the Imperious, Albus. It's Malfoy controlling him. I can sense the bastards aura." She spat out the name violently.

Dumbledore stepped into action immediately. "We cannot risk going in there ourselves. We'll have to inform the Ministry somehow, but they'll never trust anything I have to say. Remus, could you Floo Tonks?"

"Of course, Professor." Remus took a pinch of Floo Powder and was soon kneeling on the hearth with his head in the fireplace. In no time at all, the disgruntled Auror was stepping out of the flames, her short, cotton boxers and tank top clearly seen through the bright purple dressing gown she wore. He suppressed a smirk when he saw Remus' reaction to his scantily clad cousin.

"What do you want me to do, Professor?"

"Tonks, I want you to assume the looks of someone who works in the Ministry, doesn't matter who, just someone with a low job who no one would think to be suspicious about. You need to sneak past the watchwizard and then double back from the elevators, claiming that you fell asleep working late at your desk and heard strange noises coming the Department of Mysteries. Urge him to go and look. Try to look a bit disconcerted, if you could. We need the Ministry to capture Sturgis before he gets inside the Department."

Tonks nodded silently before screwing up her face. Suddenly, a young, timid looking witch stood before them with plain, stringy blonde hair and baby blue eyes. "Remus, if you would be so kind?" she asked, holding her hands out at her sides.

"Of course," the older man mumbled, before brandishing his wand and Transfiguring Tonks' clothes into simple work wear.

"I'll be off then," she said grimly as she stepped into the fire. "Ministry of Magic, Atrium!" she cried, disappearing into the emerald flames that licked at her skin.

Sirius sat down heavily in a chair beside Anna, who was conversing silently with Snape. From the forlorn expression on her face and the way that Snape's hand was busy rubbing soothing circles on her back, he knew she was blaming herself.

"So what now?" Remus asked quietly.

"Now," came Dumbledore's grave answer, "we wait."

A/N: Dum da da dum dum dum dum!! Review!!!