Chapter 59 – Quidditch Causes Problems

The next few days Anna spent the time going though Snape's notes and not much else. She got a letter from Lupin a few days later saying how sorry he was that Snape was gone. She replied saying she understood but didn't go to see him for a few days.

Soon it was time to go back to Hogwarts. Anna was packing up her things again, she was just about to put her notes on the potion in her bag when a letter caught her eye. It was the one that had fallen out of the robes that were her mothers. She sat on the floor and opened it.

Dear Anna,

I don't want to be writing this because if you read it, it can only mean one thing. I am not there to see you grow up. I guess that was the only bad points about marrying your father. I want you to know I love you now and will love you for always. Your father will do a wonderful job raising you. You will become a beautiful woman and even if no one says you are they are fools for not seeing it. You have a future ahead of you. You are meant to bring peace to the world. You can do it, I have complete faith in you, even if you think you can't I know you can and that is enough. I can see it when you look up at me out of those beautiful green eyes. You are meant to help your father and bring peace into the world after. Don't be afraid to ask for help for things that seem too difficult but believe in yourself, try and never give up.

I love you now and for always.

Love your mum.

Anna finished the letter tears, now so frequent theses days, forming in her eyes and falling unchecked down her face. Her mother had written this before she died. It felt as though her mother was back with her again. She had to finish this potion now even without Snape's help.

When school started a few days later they found there was a new Potions teacher. Anna did not know how to finish the potion now. She also kept having the dream where she was drowning in her own blood and woke up each morning with her old wound oozing. This only happened twice a week or so. Anna wasn't as worried about herself as Lupin was. He was found in the library looking up things for her when he wasn't at Quidditch practice or doing homework. After their first potions lesson Anna found that their teacher, Professor Valor, really didn't like students. She knew she would never be able to ask the Professor for help let alone access to the store cupboard. Anna took her mother advice and did not give up. She kept thinking up the rest of the potion hoping it would work and she would be able to find some way soon to test it. She was beginning to think she would never be able to finish it.

By the time February came around Anna had found out the potion was in a cupboard of Snape's possessions. She made Lupin help her retrieve it. Now it was sitting in the corner of her dormitory with the invisibility cloak over it and a number of repellent charms around it as to keep her roommates away. Anna still hadn't figured out a way to finish it and she didn't have any time she could try with her roommates around.

By February 11th she had started to forget about the potion. Remus had been taking up all her and the Quidditch team's free time by making them practice every chance they got. They had their game against Slytherin on the 11th which was why she was up dressed and in the Great Hall not eating Breakfast at 6am that morning. She decided she wasn't going to be able to eat anything and ended up going down to the Quidditch pitch before everyone else.

"Morning, Anna," Chris said sitting down next to her. She hadn't seen him much since they had said good bye at the station.

"Hi," she replied. "How was your Christmas?"

"Tense," he answered. "I was so paranoid my dad was going to figure out I sold him out to you, I could hardly sleep at night."

"Oh no, I'm sorry for putting you through this," Anna said feeling guilty.

"Don't worry. I'll do it if it will stop him."

"I'm still sorry. No one should have to feel like that especially when it's from members of their own family."

At that moment the rest of the team came in. Lupin shot Anna an odd look and sat down next to her. Remus stood up and gave his pre-game talk. As usual, it consisted of playing hard and fair… except when the umpire wasn't looking. They mounted their brooms and were soon flying around the Quidditch pitch warming up. It was a cloudy day and looked as though it was going to rain. After flying around the pitch a few times both teams landed back on the ground. Remus and the Slytherin captain Peter Rockwood shook hands. Oliver Wood, then, blew his whistle and the teams took off. Bert Burton was Seeker for the Slytherin team. After a few minutes of play Anna realized he wasn't going to look for the snitch himself he was going to block her.

"Gryffindor score! 10 – 0 to Gryffindor," the commentator shouted. Anna spotted the snitch at the other end of the pitch and urged her broom that way. Burton was right behind her. Her broom was slowing down but she didn't know why. She turned around and saw Burton holding on to the tail. She reached to hit his hands away, but he let go and she went shooting forward and almost toppled off. She quickly saved herself and saw thankfully that the snitch was gone again.

It started to rain and the wind which hadn't been noticeable before was now cold and irritating. Gryffindor were soon 70 points up and Burton was still keeping just out of arms reach of Anna. Every time she would see the snitch he would either block her if he wasn't going to get there before her, or he would try to slow her down by fouling her. By him fouling her Gryffindor would get free shots on goal.

"80 – 0 to Gryffindor."

It was getting cold and starting to rain faster, and it even started to sleet a little bit. When the score was 100 – 10 to Gryffindor, it had started to snow. Anna saw a flash of gold against the now swirling snow and sped after it. Before she knew it Burton was coming at her from the side. She swerved upwards and he went underneath her, not hitting her. She could still see the snitch and was gaining on it. She stretched out her hand and felt herself slowing down. Without looking behind her, knowing it was Burton again, she threw herself forward on her broom. She grabbed the snitch and fell forward; she was falling and couldn't stop. She flung her arm up to try to grab onto her broom but missed and fell helplessly through the thick snow. She felt strong arms grab her around the stomach. She looked up and saw Chris holding on to her. They landed and Anna was surrounded by people patting her on the back and hugging her. She held the snitch up in the air and grinned.

"Over here. Come over here," Madam Pomfrey was bustling over making the teams follow her. She wanted to give them the Pepperup potion.

"Honestly playing Quidditch in the rain, wind and snow without any coats!" she muttered to herself as she eventually organized the two teams to follow her to the hospital wing.

They followed her into the castle. Lupin walked next to Anna looking straight ahead. She took his hand but he still didn't look at her. They walked all the way to the hospital wing without talking.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"Nothing," he said shortly. Anna rolled her eyes; he was so bad at hiding his feelings.

"Yeah right. What's up?"

"I said nothing."

"Lupin!" She warned.

"Alright," he said angrily and pulled her off to one side away from the crowd. "I am just annoyed Jones saved you and I wasn't there."

"Lupin, you were on the other side of the pitch there was no way you could have gotten there in time."

"That's the whole point I should have been. Chris was there," Lupin said.

"You can't be there all the time," Anna said.

"I should be," Lupin said his eyes pleading.

"Why? Don't you think by now I can protect myself?"

"Of course you can but I just…" he obviously couldn't think of a response.

"Exactly. I am perfectly capable of looking after myself. I didn't need anyone to help me escape this summer. I have always looked after my self in other schools. I had little or no friends in my other school and I got through them just fine. I don't need you." She said but regretted it the moment she said it.

"Then why are you with me?" he asked stony faced.

"Because I love you," she said.

"But not enough to let me protect you," he said and turned away as it was his turn to get the Pepperup potion.

Anna stood staring at the back of his curly blond head. Did he really think that? She turned and walked down the corridor not knowing where she was going. She ended up at the Gryffindor Common Room. She decided she didn't want to stay there so she went to her room and got her cloak, gloves and scarf. She went outside into the snow which still coming down thick. She didn't go far, but far enough to be away from the castle so she couldn't see it anymore. Her mind wasn't on where she was going it was still spinning with the conversation she just had with Lupin. She couldn't believe he thought that. He meant everything and more to her. She had never felt that way about anyone before. Even though she had never really been with anyone else, he made her feel like the only girl in the world. She just couldn't live without him.

The snow was coming down hard now, swirling around her head landing on her eyelashes, numbing her nose. She started to go back to the castle as her toes were starting to freeze. The castle was nowhere to be seen but she figured it had to be in the direction she had been walking. She continued in the general direction of the castle as he snow got thicker and heavier. After a while she was starting to get worried, where was the castle? Hogwarts finally entered her field of vision after what seemed like an eternity. By now, however, the snow that had melted on her warm skin was freezing back up again. When she finally got inside the castle, she was frozen to the bone. She walked up to Gryffindor tower and went through the portrait hole. The noise inside the common room was deafening. No one noticed her enter. She quietly made her way to her bed, changed out of her wet clothes, snuggled under the warm covers and quickly fell asleep thinking about when she would have to face Lupin again.