Part II – Punishment

After his run in with Dumbledore, Nick was actually both commended by McGonagall and given detention. The detentions however, were obviously made for appearances rather than actual punishment. For his detentions he was to spend the afternoons with McGonagall, "grading papers", "cleaning the room" and other assorted activities that actually turned into fun chats with butterbeers and all the popular candies. Not only was Nick learning some new transfiguration tricks during the month long detention, but he also found time to escape into the castle grounds to talk with his beloved Anna.

"It certainly seems like the time has flown by hasn't it?"

"Oh yes Professor." He said, after a sip of butterbeer.

"Well today concludes your detentions, what are you going to do with your extra spare time?"

"I could come and visit you any way, but I have someone else in mind."

"Ah yes, please do visit her, but stop by from time to time we'll work on those transfigurations."

"Yes Professor."

Nick left, and went to the dinning hall, his eye specifically searching the Hufflepuff table. She was there, just sitting and watching him with her big hazel eyes, his Anna. Only he knew that unblinking stare, and what she meant by it.

- ♦ - ♦ -

Just from the look he had given her in response to the stare was more than enough to let her know that he knew what she wanted, and what she was saying by it. The inevitable link of a person with another after being friends for so long and then being sweethearts, time inevitably obliges these things to come to pass. Mental telepathy is not as specific as this psychic one on one un-decodable link between two individuals. Anna watched him walk, and sit down in his regular spot on the opposite side of the table so that he could face her. Straight across and facing each other, was the next best thing to actually sitting at the same table with no one around.

"Thank you all for such a wonderful time this year. Many of the events that have come and gone, will last in our memories as the best ones of our lives. Some may be the memories of the worst…" Dumbledore turned and half glanced at McGonagall, and then to Snape who was looking rather perplexed, "whichever it may be, let us not forget them. Now, pig out!" At the last declaration all the tables filled with food and drinks, everything the students loved and enjoyed. But there were at least two in the entire fray who paid no attention to anyone other than each other.

"Anna. Anna!" Bethany walked up behind her sister, even though they were in different houses (Bethany was a Slytherin and Anna a Hufflepuff) they were rather close. Bethany brought a new and twisted meaning to the word evil. Her idea pets would be a heard of psychotic penguins, which she would keep in her magic ice living room, once she figures out how to keep it refrigerated and warm at the same time. (Not to mention finding the psychotic penguins…)

"What?"

"I have an awesome idea, I just came up with it."

"Heaven help us, what is it?"

"Just so I can know nothing is going on that isn't supposed to I'll make Nick an Eunuch!" She grinned with the most tranquil evil expression that could possibly be expressed by any person on the planet, while contemplating her brilliant idea.

"Umm… Eunuch? As in snippity-do-da?" Half amused, and half disliking the very thought, Anna raised an eyebrow.

"Well no… I'd not… snip anything…" she snickered, "rather… rendered it useless with magic… it could always be reinstated in-due-time…" she trailed off into the carrying destination of her thought, thoroughly enjoying every moment. Though she liked Nick, she liked her sister's safety more.

"Okay well thanks for the thought but I'd rather you didn't alter him in any way." Bethany looked like Christmas and her Birthday had both been canceled, but nodded and went to her house table and ate quietly, scheming to come up with another evil plan. Just about like the time Bethany had turned her table into a rupturing volcano with actual lava erupting and gurgling down into the class room, thankfully McGonagall had a quick reversal or the class would have been fossilized. Anna had been there, half buried in her book trying to not accept the reality that they were related during that one moment. Ah the subtleties of siblinghood, Anna both loved and hated them.

"Prefects are to meet with me in one hour, to the rest of you Goodnight." Dumbledore turned and left the hall. That was Anna's cue to also leave, but head for the edge of the forest, just a little ways away from Hagrid's cabin. Hagrid was away, in France with the only other person his size, Madame Maxime. By the marked tree, she waited, her dark black cloak and hood hiding her in the darkness. Soon, however a hand gently pressed on her shoulder, and she whirled around and gave him a great big hug.

"When you gave me the look I didn't know you needed me that bad." He was positively enjoying it, the wide spread ear-to-ear grin displayed it openly.

"Lumos." She lit her wand to be able to see even more clearly the eyes she loved, and the warming smile. He leaned forward and kissed her cheek.

"We need to get back."

"I know, but I almost don't want to."

"Such a lovely night, with the moon and stars."

She looked over at his sparkling eyes, looking at her rather than the sky.

"You're shameless."

He only smiled.

"Wouldn't you be?"

All the time neither one noticed the dark shadow in the trees just silently watching them. The silent breathing, and the gentle, small glow from its green eyes unnoticed and unheard.

Those eyes watched them walk back up to the castle, the same eyes watched them go in through the main doors, and the same eyes watched them part to their different dormitories, and they still went unnoticed. Silhouetted against the wall almost blending in with the shadows of the night, the shadowy figure vanished into the night. Its eyes would be ever watching…