Chapter 22 –Love Doesn't Start With Family

At first Harry had been wary about leaving Anna by herself at Hogwarts but then he found out Lupin and Remus would be staying with her, and although he didn't like this situation any better it was better than nothing. Harry had spent a few days with Ron and Hermione and it was like they were back in school. Ginny came by everyday and Ron was rather startled at the news that she and Harry had been dating for the past 2 months and he hadn't noticed. After the initial,

"What the hell do you mean you have been dating for 2 months?" but then later that evening Ron took Harry aside and said, "Look Harry I know you're my best friend and almost like a brother, but not because then you going out with Ginny would be really weird, but if you hurt her I will have to hurt you." To which Harry replied, "Ron if I hurt her I will hurt myself."

"Well that's good to know," Ron said.

Harry, Ron and Hermione had stayed up late into the night talking most nights. The night that stuck out most in Harry mind was the night he spent telling them everything about Katie his late wife. They saw the passion at which he spoke of her and the sadness in his eyes. Hermione had asked him if she was still alive and they had come back if he would have still gone for Ginny, Harry had he didn't know. "I loved her, she will always be my first love. But I was meant to be with Ginny as well. Loving Katie makes me appreciate Ginny more. But I moved on Katie is my past Ginny is my future." Harry didn't realize but Ginny had been standing behind him the whole time. They had talked after that alone and sorted a few things out. Ginny realized his wife had a place in Harry's heart that she couldn't replace. She wasn't angry about this but understood.

Anna woke up on Christmas day and looked at the pile of presents at the end of her bed. It was the largest pile she had ever had. She took the first one from her pile it was from her father. She ripped open the wrapping and found a new broom rolled out.

"Wow," she gasped it was the newest model a Lighting Strike 300. The broom hovered a few feet above the floor. She didn't know much about brooms but she could tell this one was amazing. After looking at it from all angles she turned to the other presents.

When she finished opening them she went to the common room, and found no one was there. So she casually went to the boy's dormitory. She went in and found the two boys asleep. She couldn't believe they were still asleep. She went over to them and opened their hangings and then pulled both covers off of them. Which caused both boys to jump up and glare at her.

"What do you think your doing?" Remus said his black hair sticking out at all angles.

"Relax Remus, presents," Lupin said running a hand through his hair and sitting back on his bed. Anna watched his hair fall back in front of his blue eyes sparkling. No, she thought, can't think of him like that. He can have anyone he wanted he wouldn't want me.

"Oh yeah, forgot, cool," he said grinning, at Anna and sitting on his bed, Anna felt her heart skip a beat. Stop it, she thought.

"What did you get?" Lupin asked Anna.

"A Lighting Strike 300," she said sitting at the foot of Lupin's bed.

"WHAT!" was the reply from both boys. Anna laughed and nodded.

"Well what are you doing here, go get it we want to see," Remus said pushing Anna out of the room. She went to her room and brought it back to show them. When she got back they had finished opening their presents, they sat admiring the broom.

"Who got it for you?" Remus asked.

"My dad," she replied.

Later at Christmas Dinner there was hardly any students left at Hogwarts so everyone was eating at the same table. Anna was halfway through her turkey when she looked to look at Professor Snape who was staring at her. She looked away and then looked back him he was still looking at her. She looked away again and went back to talking to Lupin feeling uneasy at Professor Snape's stare. She tried to ignore it all evening. As the evening went on Remus came up with the idea that the next day they would take Anna's new broom out to see what it was like.

So the next day Anna found herself out on the snow covered Quidditch pitch with Remus and Lupin holding her new broom.

"I'm so cold," Anna complained.

"So let me have a go and you go inside," Remus said.

"Hell, no, I may be cold but I am going first," Anna said grinning and getting on and kicking off from the ground. The Lighting Strike moved with her every touch she felt like it knew where she wanted to go. She felt like she was flying on nothing. The cold wind sweeping through her hair, nipping at her nose. She was so content on flying she was oblivious to the conversation Lupin was having with Remus on the ground.

"So what do you think of Anna?" Remus asked.

"What do you mean? I think she's a nice girl," Lupin said not looking directly at Remus and watching Anna.

"You know what I mean, I see the way you act around her," Remus said grinning at his friend who could be very stupid sometimes.

"I don't know what your talking about, I act that way around everyone," Lupin said defensively.

"No, you only act like you know everything and an arrogant prat around girls you like, and throwing them the 'Lupin Smile,' as the fan club puts it," Remus said now watching Lupin carefully.

"The smile part is true but I don't act like a prat… do you think she thinks I'm a prat?" he said suddenly worried.

"I don't know what she thinks," Remus replied. "But if you do like her here's some advice, Anna is not like other girls you date, and she's not in the fan club! Anna has something to hide, that she's not telling us, she's different."

"I know she different, that's what worries me. Its so much easier with the other ones," Lupin said now looking at Remus with a scared look.

"Just be your real self, not the one you put on to the other girls. Anything else I don't really want to know about," Remus said.

"You know you give great advice for someone who has never had a girlfriend."

"Just because I haven't had a girlfriend doesn't mean I don't know anything, I observe and learn from you, James and Sirius."

"Yeah but if you are never going to have a girlfriend why would you want to observe us?"

"Who said I was never going to have a girlfriend?" Remus said like they were discussing the weather.

At that moment Anna came down leaving Lupin open mouthed staring at Remus. Anna looked between them and said, "What's with him?" indicating Lupin who was motionless. At that moment Anna came down leaving Lupin open mouthed staring at Remus. Anna looked between them and said, "What's with him?" indicating Lupin who was motionless.

"He just realized you think he's a prat," Remus said. "Is it my go yet?"

"I don't think he's a prat," Anna said looking from Remus to Lupin.

"You don't? Why not?" Lupin asked coming out of his reverie.

"Do you want me to think you are?"

"No I—"

"Can I have a go?" Remus asked holding out his hand for the broom Anna handed it to him and he flew up to the air grinning madly to himself knowing he just set so much in motion.

"Why would I think you're a prat?" Anna asked when Remus had taken off.

"Remus said I act like a prat around girls I li—" he broke off. Anna who had been grinning throughout the conversation dropped her grin like a bad habit.

"Girls you what?"

"No—nothing," There was an awkward pause where Anna and Lupin stared each other out.

"Oh ok, then. As long as it's nothing," Anna said looking down. She had never had so many conflicting feelings her heart was telling her to say something to him, her head was telling her to it would never happen. Her head won. They stood in an uncomfortable silence for a while. Anna glanced over at Lupin who looked at her.

"What?"

"Nothing," she replied. They both went back to the silence. They stood watching Remus fly around until Anna heard Lupin take a deep breath and say,

"Ok, look I do like you. But you are different to anyone else I have ever gone out with. You're the most beautiful girl I have ever set eyes on and it scares me that when you find someone better than me…" he broke off at the look on her face. She looked like she was going to cry. He was worried, what did he say? He wasn't mean to her was he? "What?" He asked her.

"You think I'm beautiful?" she said quietly. But before Lupin could answer Remus landed in front of them. Lupin and Anna stood staring at each other. It was while Remus was telling them how amazing the broom was that Anna came to her senses. What was she thinking? She was letting her heart take over. She couldn't do that not when no one knew that she was Harry Potter's daughter. She couldn't do that him.