Chapter 16: Sleeping Memories, Waking Dreams.
Yeah I know two chapters one day, please don't shoot me!
Lol, Katzie I kinda agree but have to say he is the voice of reason! (much to Anna's disapproval!)
And Taeniaea glad you like it, heres a new chapter for you!
Anyways in response to questions asked by Paprika90: yes henry did talk to ron, who talked to harry and hermionie about anna and now they are continuing their own investigation and henry is sure it isn't the dada teacher and yessheisnot allowed to go to Pansy's because her mother believes something will happen to her. but it is definitely not the climax of the story yet... that doesn't happen in hogwarts (oops o well). Anyways heres a new chappie for you to ponder on...
"No, Draco! Do you understand the meaning of the word no?" he stood in front of her, arms crossed, lip curled with his trunk at his side. Since the night after the quidditch match, she'd tried to explain to him time and time again that she couldn't and wouldn't stay at Pansy's for easter (according to Pansy "They were all simply dying to go round to visit them." She'd theatrically stated when Anna had asked why was she handing out pink strawberry perfumed pieces of parchment stamped with her address) and now the time had come for him to leave, he was still in denial.
She felt weary and faded, school had been a long, hard slog drawing on all her survival instincts just to stay awake. But now it was time for the holidays she wasn't sure that she was really eagerly anticipating them, rather the opposite.
He seemed to think people some kind of possession to be picked up and discarded just as easily, although Anna was a hypocrite in pointing this out, she still felt put out. Without warning he pushed passed her, sending her flying into the wall of the Entrance hall. Right on cue, Crabbe and Goyle laughed trollishly.
She got up and flew as fast as she could past them into the grounds, anger boiled away at the tips of her reason. Smirking, Malfoy turned coming up to her ready to receive her hand to help her up into the carriage, without thought she stepped forward and slapped him, hard. Coldly satisfied with the way his pale skin reddened from the mark and being publicly humiliated,
"On second thoughts you can stay here, the beasts, mudbloods and half breeds have better manners than you!" he spat before swirling round, gesturing for Crabbe and Goyle to load his trunk, before theatrically getting into the what seemed to be carriages invisibly pulled and slamming the door like a stubborn child.
"THE FEELING'S MUTUAL!" She shouted irately at the retreating carriage, not meaning a word of it.
Sighing heavily she trudged wearily back up to the castle, past the happy students eager to return home for the Easter holiday which only intensified the feeling that she had no 'home' whilst carefully trying to avoid anyone she knew. Anna crawled onto her bed, without a trace of thought she rolled over, curled up into a protective ball and fell asleep almost instantaneously…
She giggled euphorically giddy with sheer happiness and the thrill of devious naughtiness. The miniature, child-sized broom levitated perhaps half a metre from the ground and meandered lazily and slowly around the room. But in her 5-year old mind she was soaring above mountains, whizzing aloft through clouds and free from the shackles of an unimaginative mind. Her heart stopped momentarily. Footsteps, loud and clear, the patient, quiet footsteps of someone or something familiar stalked towards the door.
Beginning to panic she fell from the broom, thumping the ground lightly. She spun round hitting herself with her long hair. A Paris summer sun beamed its way into the light, richly decorated in regal colours of blue, gold, silver and green and prestigiously furnished room with a cavernous ceiling, that to a child seemed endless. The room was covered with discarded wrapping paper, artfully ripped in the anxious act of secretly opening an early birthday present.
"Gribble! Ranger mes affaires! Ou est tu! Venir!" the cold, enchanted voice of her mother came from her study loud and clear, she had no time for house-elves who she treated disrespectfully and inferiorly, indeed she treated everyone that way. But deep down, Anna was sure, she was good at heart. The footsteps stopped, then silence. Except Anna was sure everyone could hear the sound of her heart hammering its way out of her chest.
With a light pop the shadow behind the door vanished and relief consumed Anna. Quickly she 'tidied' it up or shoved it under the loose floorboard, Anna's treasure trove. And placed the broom carefully back underneath the invisibility cloak. She ran back, sitting dutifully back in the uncomfortable wooden chair facing the corner of the wall.
With a crack that meant her mother was downstairs, she shot up, carefully altering her posture. Her mother stepped proudly towards the door, "Allohamora." The door opened to reveal a stately lady in her mid thirties, proud and aloof, with frosty blue of the bluest kind eyes and buttery locks elaborately coiled, nothing like her daughters raven, straight hair dressed (as always) in shades of mournful black, her lips pursed she crossed the threshold.
"I do hope that you have learned your lesson, wands are not to be played with, especially not mine! Now you may have lunch and return to your studies, there may some use for you yet. I will not be present for a day or so, I have an important matter to attend to." Anna nodded subserviently making sure she looked very remorseful, it was a trick she'd learned early on. Her mother would never raise a hand to her but she ruled the house with an iron grip. Strict and demanding she expected the best and only the best, and above all no displays of emotive behaviour.
Before Anna could look up or reply her mother swept out of the room, unaware of a large tawny owl furiously tapping at the window. Anna now off the hook, cheerfully went over to investigate. Standing on tiptoe she just about managed to unlatch the window to allow the enormous bird to swoop in, gratefully and hastily drop the letter and be on it's way. She dropped onto her hands and knees to innocently pick up the letter.
As soon as she did so, the point at which her finger touched became red and rippled out until the whole of the envelope was red, and on the front, scripted handwriting appeared to slowly reveal the word, cleared emblazoned upon the front and beneath that a word that began with A which Anna couldn't identify.
Innocently she ripped open the letter, on the whole it was boring, at the top it gave a name, which yet again she didn't understand and then something that she joyfully realised she did understand, mentally skipping the bits she didn't.
Prisoner: ……
…for: Life.
So far …: 4 years
Letter …send to Celeste Safire … unharmful ………
……: She's Mine!
She tossed it aside and resumed playing.
…Anna awoke in a cold sweat shivering from the realness of the dream or…or memory her subconscious supplied sinisterly. Shaking off the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach, she got up and ready for lunch and mentally trying to prepare herself for the rest of what she thought would be the most tedious Easter holiday ever.
