Chapter 9: Gifts and Curses
Well, i'm afraid you'll have to remain in suspence a lil bit longer, unless you can work it out, lol! As for her mother's notes they are there as hints and an insight into her mother, you may meet her later...ish!
As winter settled in, the weather turned cold and bitter, and the days drew to a close early. The atmosphere in the castle turned from the boring hum of everyday school life to excitement and anticipation as Christmas drew ever nearer. The festive mood seemed infectious and everyone it seemed (even Pansy! Who after suffering the public humiliation of being turned down had been determined to remain proud and not allow it to get to her, after a while, it had paid off and shehad seemed to discover that there were other members of the opposite sex other then Draco Malfoy and had taken a distinct infatuation to a certain Theodore Nott, the intelligent loner) was happy and joyous with the exception of Professor Snape and Anna. Indeed Anna's mood had grown steadily worse and resentful over the past weeks; this had not gone unnoticed by her fellow Slytherins who at every available opportunity teased her about it. The weeks passed by spitefully quickly to Anna and before long it was time for her friends to leave.
Anna found herself wandering around aimlessly on the day that her friends left and the holiday began, she had left a panicking, screeching, Pansy and company in the dormitory packing, in favour of solitude and freedom. She was walking up into a tower that she had never been to before and was just taking an interest in the portrait of a fat Lady when; scaring her half to death the portrait swung open and someone burst from it landing almost on top of her.
"Anna!" the boy gasped as he scrambled to get off of her.
Anna who was severely winded looked up into the surprised face of her cousin.
After getting her breath back, collecting herself and brushing herself off she spoke, "What are you doing here?"
"Through there is the Gryffindor common room," he explained, "What are you doing here?"
Anna who was annoyed with having to explain herself said, "I was bored and decided to come for a wander, I didn't know that that was your common room."
"Aren't you packing?" he said puzzled
"Nope, I am staying here."
"Oh right. So…you were sorted into Slytherin, then." he said with an obvious look of loathing as he gazed at her robe front.
"Yes." she said holding her head proudly, he snorted.
"What and you're happy about that are you? Trust you to be put in the worst house."
"You're just jealous! I am ashamed to even know you! in a house with those…people!" her lip curled,
"I'm not listening to this." He said making to leave.
Anna watched him depart "You are more pathetic then I thought you were, you're in denial!" she said gaining a grim satisfaction from the way in which his back stiffened. As he made to turn around Anna walked off briskly in the opposite direction, she wasn't in the mood for a long heated argument.
She laid down on her bed, her head reeling, from the sheer quietness. She lay unmoving for a while waiting for the world to come to her but when it didn't, she gave in to her weariness and slipped in and out of lucidity until finally losing the battle she turned over comfortably and fell asleep…
She ran. Her long black hair flowing behind her, her body was slick with cold sweat, her vision blurred by tears, her pulse quickening with every step as fear snaked its way through her body lazily turning her blood stone cold. Her slight small child's footsteps echoed round the passage as she galloped down the steps, as she reached the bottom she bowled over by her the momentum and fell the last couple of steps. Landing in a heap at the bottom, she stood up quickly, dizzily tottering and then resumed the original pace. Coarse stone enclosed the corridor, torches blazed aggressively in their brackets, she passed large, heavy doors complete with equally large and foreboding iron bolts and keyholes, her surroundings were warped as if from a memory long ago. She neared the end of the passage she saw a vaguely familiar shape.
…Anna sat bolt upright instinctively grabbing her wand and yelling "Stupefy!", the spell ricocheted off the wall and was sent streaming right back at her, she ducked and shook, subconsciously registering that she was awake.
It had been a long time since she'd had one of those 'dreams' before. She shook herself violently; trying to regain her composure and a grip on normality. Her head swam groggily, she felt as if mercury had been poured down her throat, slowly poisoning and stifling her. She got up determined to do something. As cold water, poured over her she almost laughed at herself in the cold light of day it was nothing but an immature nightmare. She would rise to the challenge and try as hard as it was to enjoy this holiday.
----xxxxx----
It was the middle of the Christmas holidays and it was passing in what felt like to Anna was contentment mingled with confusion; Malfoy was better company than Anna could have ever hoped for. She had tried but given up on hanging around with the seventh years who it seemed did nothing more then grunt to each other, moan and bitch non-stop, whilst ignoring everyone and stay in 'their' corner of the common room sulking supposedly.
By the end of the first week, almost despairingly Anna had felt forced into given up on trying to socialise with anyone new or acceptable and ignoring Malfoy (generally at the same time) and resorted to talking to him instead. She found to her utter amazement that they had the same sense of humour (he had made her laugh on many occasions including a rather embarrassing incident at lunchtime which Anna would rather forget; she had been drinking her pumpkin juice at the time!) the same views on things and generally had enjoyed each others company than the alternative. But at the same time she was completely perplexed she wasn't sure what she regarded him as; a friend or an enemy. Her mind swam and was easily frustrated by this inability to decide.
Christmas day had come around and Anna awoke happily with the Dormitory to herself and presents at the foot of her bed. She gazed down at them contentedly and grabbed armfuls of them to place neatly under the tree. After a hasty breakfast, she ran excitedly into Malfoy's dormitory just like she had said she would. She was disappointed to find him snoozing still at 11:00, she laughed softly as she heard Crabbe and Goyle snoring loudly or rather felt it. She poked Draco sharply in the back; he grunted and rolled over so in the end she had to resort to desperate measures; she stole his duvet. He woke up abruptly and stared blearily back at her looking puzzled, she laughed "Come on! Wake up, its Christmas day you can't spend it sleeping!"
"Get out!" he yawned, she rolled her eyes and left him in peace.
After an hour they eventually emerged, strutting into the common room with an air of disinterest. Anna was impatient and keen to start present opening and, to her dismay Draco was determined to go as slowly as possible.
"Come on, hurry up!"
"Aren't we going to eat first? I'm starving."
"I've already eaten, be quick!" She replied readily.
She spent the time arranging and rearranging the presents with excitement coursing through her. She loved Christmas and winter for its mysterious, cold and enchanting nature; it was her favourite time of year. She heard the stone slide, (grinding as it did so) as the three of them entered and stood up quickly, Malfoy smirked "You just can't wait can you?" his cold grey eyes danced with amusement. She didn't answer but as soon as he settled down and pulled a present towards him, she had eagerly dived for her own pile.
She wasn't disappointed; she had received a year's subscription to witch weekly courtesy of Pansy, spell books from her aunt and uncle, and pictures of her and her friends from Durmstrang she giggled as memories of chilly summer days long since past flooded back to her.
The last present was the most fascinating she deduced that is must be from her mother. She pulled the small, rectangular, carefully wrapped parcel towards her and quickly opened it to find a most peculiar necklace it was silvery in colour had a snake pendant with tantalizing blood red rubies for eyes, it was smooth and cold to the touch as she pulled necklace from its small velvet box a note fell out, it read;
Dear Anna,
Merry Christmas. Enjoy your present, someone you aren't familiar with needed you to have it. Don't discard it; it happens to be white gold and a family heirloom. I'm thinking of you and I know that you are thinking of me. Be Careful.
With seasonal greetings,
Mother.
Draco was observing her with an air of interest "Do you want me to help you put it on?" he enquired he seemed to have finished opening his presents and was surrounded by lavish, almost extraordinary presents which littered the floor along with crumpled bits of paper and envelopes. Anna laughed (to her surprise) nervously. She was saved from answering by Crabbe and Goyle, "We're just going to send some cards and stuff."
"Yeah, because we forgot to before." Malfoy rolled his eyes and dismissed them with a wave of his hand as if they only existed to do his bidding,
"Do you want me to help you or not?" he asked sounding irritated.
"Um, sure." She said trying to sound nonchalant.
He walked over to her slowly it seemed like an eternity to Anna. She felt like an angry rabbit caught by a snake, he took the necklace from her gracefully and drew her sleek hair back attentively she reached out to take it and held it as she did so she brushed his hand. He pulled the necklace up and around her neck as he did up the clasp she felt his cool touch upon her skin and almost gasped but managed to control herself. Within in seconds the intimacy was over and she plummeted back to earth with a bang. He stepped back away from her and she turned around to face him.
"erm…thanks." She said fairly shaken up. He shrugged a Cheshire cat grin appeared on his face. What he did next took her by surprise and completely off guard.
She had turned her back to him and started to clear up, expecting him to leave for lunch. Out of nowhere and for no reason it seemed, he grabbed her free wrist and made her turn round to face him. Before she could say a word he had swiftly forced his lips to hers. She didn't pull away or resist, it was clumsy and to Anna's confused mind it felt strange. Before she could allow it to flower or find her self enjoying it, everything shattered and dissolved around her as she pulled back ungracefully and slapped him hard across the face. She was shocked and furious, as he raised his eyebrows and jeered,
"I would say that the turkeys not the only thing that seems to have something shoved up its backside."
He pointed to the mistletoe they were standing and leered, she stepped closer as if to lean into him as he did to her, just as he bent his head as if to kiss her again she slapped him once more, leaving him gaping, angered and staggering in the common room.
