A/N: I do not own anything Harry Potter. I'm very sorry for the hiatus on this story. This semester of school was absolutely insane. This chapter has been in the works since September and it's the longest one so far. I actually think it's a good thing that I'm posting it now since it takes place at Christmastime and it is Christmastime. Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed and has added this story to their Favorites/Follows! I wish everyone Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year! I really hope you enjoy this chapter! Happy reading! XO
Chapter 61
"GOD REST YE MERRY HIPPOGRIFFS, LET NOTHING YOU DISMAY!" Sirius shouted, opening the door to Annie's bedroom. Annie sat bolt upright in her bed and Bandit gave a yelp of fright. Sirius ran forward and jumped on her bed. "HAPPY CHRISTMAS!"
Annie laughed and wrapped her arms around Sirius's legs making him crash heavily onto the mattress. "What time is it?" she asked, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.
"Seven," Sirius answered. Annie's jaw dropped. "Don't look at me like that. I let you sleep in."
"But it's Christmas. You don't sleep in on Christmas," Annie countered.
"Of course not. What was I thinking?"
"Clearly you weren't."
"Are you as hungry as I am?" Sirius asked.
"Starving. Did Santa come last night?"
Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Santa? Really? How old are you again?"
Annie laughed. "I'm only joking."
Sirius reached over and ruffled her hair. "Why are we still sitting here?" he asked.
"No clue."
Sirius grinned and bounded off the bed with Annie following behind him. Annie caught up to and elbowed him in the ribs as she took the lead down the stairs. They landed in the living room and Annie cheered.
"Beat you, old man!" she said, throwing herself on the floor in front of the Christmas tree that took up half the room.
"Old man?" Sirius scoffed, bringing a hand to his heart. "I'm not that old. And for that, you aren't getting your Christmas gift." He reached under the tree and snatched her present and held it above his head.
"Not cool," Annie said, standing up and jumping up and down as she tried to smack it out of his hand.
"Shame too. It was a really good one."
"Fine." Annie stopped jumping and grabbed her gift to Sirius and held it tightly in her arms. "You don't get yours either." The two had an intense staring contest as they both held their gifts hostage.
"Count of three," Sirius suggested, lowering the present while keeping his eye on Annie.
"Alright," she agreed. She held her present out and Sirius did the same.
"One," Sirius counted.
"Two," Annie said.
"Three!" they yelled together. They each grabbed their gifts from the other and sat down on the floor, Sirius leaning against the couch and Annie in front of the Christmas tree while Bandit rested his head in her lap.
"You go first," Sirius said, stretching his legs out in front of him. "I'm pretty proud of this gift. I picked it out myself."
"Wrapped it yourself too, didn't you?" she said, holding up the shoddily wrapped box and laughing.
"Just open it."
"Okay, okay." Annie tore into the wrapping paper and threw it aside. She opened the box and pulled out a black leather jacket. "I love it!"
"You do?" Sirius asked with a big grin as Annie pulled it on. "I thought you could use a new jacket. Your other one was looking a bit dingy."
"I do love it and thank you!" she said flipping her hair out of the collar. "Now you go. I'm pretty proud of my gift too."
Sirius picked up the box that was sitting next to him and unwrapped the gift. "Hey, a new helmet!" he exclaimed turning it around in his hands. The helmet was black with two silver stripes down the center. "Where did you get this?"
"While you were at work the other day, Remus and I went to the bike shop in town," Annie explained. She reached under the tree and pulled out another box which she placed in front of Bandit. "Here, boy! Go for it!" Annie and Sirius watched as their dog tore through the wrapping paper. He flipped the box lid open, stuck his head in, and emerged holding a large bone in his mouth.
"Bandit!" Annie called and the dog looked up from where he was chewing on his new bone. Annie reached in the box and pulled out a stuffed griffin. "Here, pal!" She threw the toy up and Bandit leapt into the air and caught it in his mouth.
"I guess he likes it," Sirius remarked as he watched the dog chew on the toy's head.
"So, what's going on today?" Annie asked, scratching Bandit behind the ears.
"Breakfast, I think. And then we'll go and visit Arthur for a bit," Sirius answered, setting his helmet back in its box. "Afterwards, everyone is coming here for dinner."
"When is Lydia coming?"
"She's with her parents this morning but she's coming over later."
"Great! Can we make breakfast now? I'm starving?"
"You read my mind."
After a breakfast of French toast, eggs, and bacon Sirius and Annie got ready to leave their home to visit Mr. Weasley in St. Mungo's. Once they reached a safe distance away from their house, Annie grabbed Sirius's arm and he Apparated to an alleyway in London. Sirius stood for a moment in the middle of a crowded sidewalk and looked both ways down the street.
"C'mon," he said, cocking his head to the left. "It's this way."
They walked in the direction Sirius indicated until they reached a rundown department store with dusty mannequins in the windows. After speaking discretely to the mannequin receptionist, they were allowed to enter the hospital. Upon walking into the waiting room, Annie pulled on Sirius's shirtsleeve and he turned around.
"I can't do this," she whispered as she looked around the room at the different conditions the people were in. "I don't want to be here. This place freaks me out."
"Hey, I hate this place as much as you do, believe me," he whispered back as they reached the front of the line at reception, "but we're here to see Arthur. I won't make you stay long. We still have to go home and cook dinner."
"Okay," Annie conceded.
The pair received directions to go to the Creature Induced Injuries Ward on the first floor where Annie knew Lily worked. They walked into the ward and found Mr. Weasley surrounded by his red-headed family, the Potters, and Hermione.
"How are you, Arthur?" Sirius greeted, walking up to the man in the bed and shaking his hand.
"I'm doing well, thank you," Mr. Weasley replied with a warm smile. He looked over at Annie who had just situated herself between Ron and Harry. "How are you, Annie?"
"I'm doing alright. I'm glad you're feeling better, Mr. Weasley," she returned.
"Thank you," he said giving her a nod. "So how has everyone's holiday been so far?"
"It would be better if you were celebrating with us," Lily said sweetly. "But you're in good hands so we're too worried."
"You're only saying that because you work in this ward," Annie said with a devilish smile.
"Oh quiet, you," Lily chastised as everyone laughed.
"Oh, Lily, you haven't seen Healer Smethwyck have you?" Arthur asked, a bit of worry in his voice.
"No, I haven't yet," she answered with concern. "Is it the stitches?"
"Stiches?" Molly asked, her brow furrowing in confusion. "What do you mean by stiches?"
Mr. Weasley gave a nervous laugh. "It's a muggle technique that they have been experimenting with," he explained to a now furious looking Molly. "They're meant to close the wound."
"Are you telling me," Mrs. Weasley started with her hands on her hips, "that they are attempting to sew your skin together?"
"And I'm out of here," Annie muttered to Harry and Ron as she backed away towards the door. "I'll be in the tearoom if I you need me."
"Wait up, Annie!" George called after her with Fred and Bill at his heels. "We'll go with you."
"You'll have to forgive Annie," Sirius said after they left the ward. "She's not very fond of hospitals."
Out in the corridor, Annie had started racing up the stairs to get as far away from the ward as possible. Around her Healers were carrying vials of various liquids and going in and out of doors.
"Hey!" George called from below. "Are you gonna stop running and let us catch up?" Annie stopped and waited on the stairs for the boys.
"Where's the fire, kid?" Bill asked with a laugh when they reached her. "You ran away from there pretty fast."
"I don't like being here," Annie admitted. "I hate being around this many sick people. It freaks me out. Can we get out of here?"
"Out of the hallway or out of the building?" Fred asked.
"I don't know. Both, I guess," Annie said, running a hand through her hair.
"There's a muggle coffee shop down the street," Bill offered. "I'll tell Sirius that's where we're going. Why don't you three meet me outside?"
Annie smiled. "Yeah, okay. Tell him I'm sorry I ran out."
"Will do."
George walked down a few stairs and let Annie jump on his back. She Fred and George continued walking down while Bill stopped back at the ward. Outside the hospital they waited for the oldest Weasley brother before walking down the street to the coffee shop. Once inside Bill ordered them all drinks while Fred, George, and Annie sat at a table.
"Thanks, Bill," she said, accepting a cup of tea and taking a sip.
"No problem. Sirius said he'd meet us here when he's done visiting dad," he added, taking a sip of his own drink and setting it down on the table.
"Sorry I made you guys leave," Annie said, looking around at them all.
"Nah, that's okay," George said, waving off her apology. "We were there all morning. I'm glad we finally had a chance to escape."
They all laughed and continued their conversation with Bill asking about school and trying to be as discreet as possible in case some of the muggles were listening in. Not long after Sirius had come in and had sat down at their table.
"Is dad alright?" Fred asked when the older man had joined them.
"Arthur's fine," Sirius answered with a smile. "He got chewed out by Molly though."
"That's dad. Always liked to experiment," Bill added as everyone laughed.
"Anyway, kiddo, are ready to head home?" Sirius asked his daughter. Annie nodded and stood up. "Don't be too long," he addressed the boys. "Molly will want you to say goodbye to Arthur before you leave."
"We were just about to leave anyway," Bill said, shaking Sirius's hand.
Annie walked around the table and gave George a kiss on the cheek. "See you later," she said with a wink. She and Sirius left the coffee shop and continued down the street they had taken earlier that day.
"You're such wimp," Sirius joked, pulling his daughter into a headlock and ruffling her hair as they walked. "You couldn't even handle five minutes in there without running out."
"Hey!" Annie smacked his hands away and laughed. "They started talking about gross things and I didn't want to hear it. I told you I didn't want to be there. How long after me did you leave?"
"A few minutes. Like I said Molly and Arthur were having a row over the stitches and we all just fanned out and let them have at it," he explained, leading her down an alleyway and looking over his shoulder. "Here's good I think." Sirius took Annie by the hand and Disapperated back home.
Annie kept herself busy that afternoon while Sirius cooked dinner by cleaning the downstairs rooms. Not long after she finished cleaning, the doorbell rang and Annie and Bandit bounded to the door to let the guests in.
"Merry Christmas!" Annie greeted the Potters and Hermione as they walked into the living room. Harry came in last, dragging Hermione's suitcase behind him.
"Merry Christmas!" Hermione said back, giving her best friend a hug. "Are you sure it's okay with Sirius that I stay with you for the rest of break?"
"Of course it is," Annie answered enthusiastically when they broke the hug. She looked over her shoulder and nodded toward the suitcase. "We can bring your stuff upstairs in a minute."
"Okay!" Hermione said with a bright smile.
"Where's Padfoot?" James asked as he looked around the living room while Lily placed gifts beneath the tree.
"Shit!" Sirius's voice carried from the kitchen answering his question.
"Found him," James made for the kitchen calling out, "Padfoot, you better not have burned dinner! I'm starving!"
"Annie, the house looks wonderful!" Lily praised, looking around the decorated and clean room. "Did you and Sirius clean it yourselves?"
"No, just me," Annie said proudly while Harry rolled his eyes and laughed.
"Did you clean your room this well too?" Lily questioned.
"Why would I clean my room?" Annie countered, raising an eyebrow. "It's not like we're having Christmas dinner up there."
Lily sighed and shook her head while James walked back into the room.
"Hey, Lils. We need some medical assistance out in the kitchen," he said, jerking his head toward the kitchen. "Sirius sliced his hand open with a knife."
"Aw gross!" Annie complained while Hermione gasped and Harry laughed. She grabbed the handle of Hermione's suitcase and started dragging it towards the stairs. "I'm gonna take this upstairs. I'll be right back."
When she was halfway down the stairs, the doorbell rang again and Bandit barked.
"Go on, Bandit! Answer the door!" she called down to her dog who was jumping around Harry's feet as he opened the front door. "Harry, Bandit was supposed to open it," she said as Remus and Tonks came inside.
"Annie, he's a dog," Harry said, kneeling down and scratching the dog behind the ears.
"Oh, that's right," she said, snapping her fingers in realization, "he doesn't have opposable thumbs. We'll get there, boy." Annie gave the dog a pat on the head and he licked her whole hand in return. Annie looked up and saw Remus hanging his and Tonks's coats by the door. "Oi, Moony! You come in here and don't even greet your favorite person in the world?"
"Oh, I'm terribly sorry," he said, extending his hand to Harry. "How are you?"
"Ass," Annie said, sticking out her tongue as Tonks pulled her in for a hug. "Everyone's in the kitchen. Dad's making dinner."
Lydia, the Weasley family, and a few other Order members came along a few minutes later. Soon the party was in full swing and everyone was having a good time. As the adults talked downstairs in the living room, Annie took her friends to her room and nicked a bottle of wine on her way up.
"Love what you've done to the place," Fred said, looking around Annie's messy room. He took out his wand and turned to Annie. "Do you mind if I clean it up a little just so we have somewhere to sit?"
"Sure, go right ahead," Annie shrugged, sitting down on her bed as her possessions flew into their rightful places. Annie uncorked the bottle of wine and took a swig before handing it out to Hermione.
"Annie, I don't think we should be drinking that," she warned, looking towards the door worriedly. "What if someone catches us?"
"Oh, come on, Hermione," Annie said with an impish grin and waving the bottle, "do something bad for once in your life."
"But we're not of age," Hermione argued back.
"Since when has that ever stopped Annie?" Ginny countered, taking the proffered bottle and passing it off to Harry after taking a sip herself. They continued to pass it along in a circle until it reached Hermione again. Hermione took the bottle and everyone watched in awe as she took a sloppy sip, spilling some of the liquid down her chin. Hermione giggled and wiped her chin as she passed the bottle on.
"I never thought I would see that," Fred commented with a laugh.
"I know, right?" Annie remarked, still in shock. "Anyway, what happened after we left the hospital? What did you guys do?"
"We saw Gilderoy Lockhart in the closed ward," Harry said. "We were on our way to the tearoom and we saw him in the window. He has no idea who he is anymore."
Annie, Fred, and George laughed and let the others continue their story.
"We also saw Neville and his grandmother," Ginny said and the group got quiet.
"Yeah, he was there visiting his parents," Ron added, kicking his feet out in front of him and leaning back on his elbows on the floor.
"How did they end up there?" George asked, looking to Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny for an explanation, but it was Annie who answered.
"They were tortured by Bellatrix Lestrange until they were driven out of their minds," she said, picking a piece of fuzz off of her blanket. "It's such a shame what happened to them."
"Mrs. Longbottom was saying that Neville should be proud that his parents fought against Voldemort," Hermione said, ignoring the shudders from the Weasley family.
The group fell silent and the bottle of wine was passed from hand to hand. Eventually, they had taken out a pack of Exploding Snap cards and played several rounds before getting bored. Annie suggested they go back downstairs and join the rest of the party.
"Annie, I don't know if you've noticed, but we're all a bit tipsy," Harry pointed out as they each stood up.
"Oh, we can help with that," Fred, said, pulling a package of gum out of his pocket and distributing pieces of it to the others.
"What are these?" Ron asked, chewing on his piece.
"They're called Sober-Ups," George explained, leading them out of the room. "They give you fresh breath and sober you up a bit so you don't seem so guilty."
"These are brilliant," Ginny admired. "I just hope they work against mum."
Once they reached the living room, they mingled with the other guests. Annie made her way around the room talking to as many people as she could before she found herself tired and wanting to go to bed. Eventually everyone had seemed to trickle out the door, thanking Sirius and Annie as they left. Before his family left, Annie grabbed George by the hand and led him to the pantry in the kitchen. There she gave him a long goodbye kiss until Fred burst through the door and said that Mrs. Weasley was getting impatient. Annie walked George out to the living room and received a kiss on the cheek before he left. At long last Annie and Hermione were laying across the couch with Bandit, completely exhausted and waiting for Sirius to come back in the house after saying goodbye.
"Good Christmas, I think," he said, coming in and shutting the door behind him. He collapsed into an armchair and threw his feet up on the ottoman. "There was only one thing missing though."
"What's that?" Annie asked, scratching Bandit behind the ears.
"A bottle of wine," Sirius revealed with a grin as Hermione groaned. Annie's face went red as she continued to play with her dog. "Didn't think I would notice did you, kiddo?"
"No idea what you're talking about, dad," Annie said innocently as Sirius got up and walked over to her.
"Stop taking the stash or I'll put a locking charm on it," he said, kissing her on the top of the head and walking over to the stairs. "I'm going to bed. Don't stay up too late. Goodnight!"
"Thank you for letting me stay here, Sirius," Hermione called back.
"No problem at all," he yelled back with a yawn.
Annie and Hermione stayed up for a half-hour more talking about the day. They soon became too tired and decided to go up to bed themselves. Annie gave Hermione a hug before she went off to the guest room. After she shut the door to her own room, she flopped down on her bed with Bandit curled next to her and fell asleep.
Annie was stood in front of her mirror brushing out her hair when Sirius knocked on her door. "Come in!" she yelled.
"Please tell me you're not wearing that," he begged, noticing her Led Zeppelin t-shirt as he leaned against the door frame. "Come on, Annie. This night is really important to me."
"Relax," Annie said, rolling her eyes and placing her brush down on dresser. "I'm wearing the sweater that the Weasley's gave me for Christmas." She walked over to her bed and grabbed her brand new sweater. This one was purple and had a large letter "A" on the front. Annie had always thought it was funny how Mrs. Weasley had made hers to match the twins'. She pulled the sweater on over her shirt and smiled at Sirius. "See, now they'll never know that your daughter has great taste in music."
"Great," Sirius said, turning out her light and leading the way down the hall. "Now let's go. I told Lydia we'd be there five minutes ago."
"Then you go first. I have to find my shoes," Annie said, when they arrived in the living room. She bent down to search under the couch but came up empty-handed. "Have you seen my combat boots?"
"Is that them over by the door?" Sirius asked, nodding in the direction of the door. As Annie pulled her shoes on, he took the Floo Powder off the mantle and threw some in the fire. "Lydia Trigg!" he called, stepping into the fire.
Annie watched as the green flames died down before throwing in some Floo Powder for herself. She repeated Sirius's direction and a minute later she was standing in the living room of Lydia's Hogsmeade home.
"Hey, sweetie," Lydia said, coming over to give her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "You look nice. Are you ready to go?"
"Yeah, let's go."
Lydia led them out the door and took Sirius's hand as they walked down the cobblestoned street. When they came to the post office, they turned down the small alley way and came to a door in the back of the building. Lydia knocked on the door and stood back as they waited for an answer.
"S'cold out here," Annie said, hugging her arms and shivering.
"What happened to that jacket I gave you for Christmas?" Sirius asked, pulling her close and rubbing her arm for warmth.
"I didn't think I would need it tonight," she answered through chattering teeth.
"It's winter, kid. How could you think you didn't need a jacket?"
"I thought my sweater would be enough."
"Clearly it wasn't."
"Well, you were the one rushing me."
"I wouldn't have been rushing you if you weren't spending so much time on your bloody hair."
"I had to get it tousled just right. Too much tousle looks like I just woke up. Not enough looks like I didn't try at all."
"That doesn't even make sense."
"Will you two stop bickering?" Lydia said, cutting off Annie before she could speak. "I hear someone coming."
Annie and Sirius stuck their tongues out at each other just as the door swung open to reveal a woman who looked like an older version of Lydia.
"Ah, there you are. We were starting to get worried," the woman said, ushering them inside and up the stairs to the home above the post office. She led them into the living room where Lydia's father was having a conversation with her brother.
"Sirius, how are you?" Lydia's mother greeted, giving him a kiss on the cheek before turning to her daughter.
"I'm good, Marjory, how are you?" he asked, politely.
"Oh, same as always," she said, with a wave of her hand. She turned to Annie with a big smile on her face and took her hand in both of her own. "You must be the famous Annie we've been hearing so much about."
"It's nice to meet you," Annie said, giving her most charming smile. "Thank you for having me."
"Sirius, you never told us she was so polite," Marjory said, shaking Annie's hand.
"I had no idea myself," Sirius joked, ruffling Annie's hair.
"Annie, this is my mum," Lydia said, introducing the woman.
"You can call me Marjory," she said, letting go of her hand.
"And this is my dad, Greg," said Lydia, as her father came over to shake her hand as well.
"Nice to meet you, Annie," he said with a smile. "You look very familiar. Do you usually wreak havoc around Hogsmeade with three boys in tow?"
Annie laughed. "Yeah, I do."
"I thought so," he said laughing as well. "A couple weeks ago I saw you four having a snowball fight in the middle of the street and then get told off by Professor McGonagall."
"Yeah, we kind of accidently hit Professor Flitwick in the back of the head with a snowball," Annie admitted sheepishly scratching the back of her neck.
"Well, accidents happen," he said kindly.
"Annie," Lydia said, catching the girl's attention. "This is my brother, Greg. Greg, this is Annie."
"Hey, Annie," he said, holding out his hand for her to shake. "How are you?"
"I'm doing alright," she answered.
"So I'm assuming the 'A' on your sweater is so you don't forget your name," he joked, with a devilish smile on his face.
Annie grinned. "Yeah, well my boyfriend's mum must think that we're not all there in the head. But I'm not stupid. I know my name is Abby Normal. Or at least that's what they tell me anyway."
Sirius put his head in his hand as he laughed and Lydia muffled her giggle in her hand. Greg chuckled and gave her a high five while Mr. Trigg gave a polite smile.
"Why don't we all sit down," Marjory suggested, trying to ignore the joke. "Dinner is not quite ready yet."
Annie sat down between Lydia and Sirius on the couch as Greg took an armchair and Lydia's parents took seats on the loveseat.
"So, Annie," Greg Sr. said, turning to her as he spoke. "What year are you in at Hogwarts?"
"I'm in the fifth year," she answered, suddenly aware that all eyes were on her.
"I wouldn't want to be in your shoes right now," Greg Jr. commented. "O.W.L. year was the worst. Has anyone cried yet?"
"Yeah, a Hufflepuff girl in Herbology freaked out when she couldn't remember the definition of a Mandrake," Annie replied, laughing at the memory.
"I always loved when that happened," Greg said, laughing as well. "The sheer panic on their faces when they forget the simplest things."
"My boyfriend, George, told me that five people from his year broke out in hives," Annie added.
"Wasn't George was one of those people?" Sirius asked.
"No, George only broke out in hives because I put itching powder in his robes," Annie said simply.
"Ah, right," Sirius said nodding as Annie laughed.
"And why did you put itching powder in your boyfriend's robes, dear?" Marjory asked, looking a bit shocked.
"I thought they were his brother, Fred's," Annie shrugged.
"So what did Fred do to you?" Greg Sr. asked a bit amused at the anecdote.
Annie shrugged again. "I don't even remember. He could have taken my last Cockroach Cluster for all I know."
Greg Jr. laughed at Annie's confession. "So what year are Fred and George in then?" he asked, trying to steer the conversation away from Annie's pranks for his mother's sake.
"Seventh," she answered.
"Ah, N.E.W.T. year," Greg Sr. commented, with a nod of his head. "They must be just as nervous as you are with the O.W.L.S."
"Um, well, sir," she started, looking over at Sirius who smiled in encouragement, "neither of us are really that concerned for the O.W.L.S. or the N.E.W.T.S.. We're all pretty decent students so passing them shouldn't really be a problem for us."
Mr. and Mrs. Trigg looked at Annie like she had three heads. Greg Jr., however, smiled and looked as if he admired her for her bold confession.
"Confident. I like that. You raised her right, Sirius," he said, shaking Sirius's hand.
"Thanks, Greg," Sirius said proudly. He leaned over to Annie and whispered in her ear, "Way to scare the piss out of 'em."
Annie smiled a big fake grin and whispered back, "I didn't mean to."
"Annie is actually one of the top students in her year," Lydia said, trying to break the tension. "She's really proficient in Transfiguration. Isn't that right, Annie?"
"Um, yeah," Annie said, scratching the back of her neck. "It's my favorite subject."
"She even had an essay about Switching Spells published in Transfiguration Today last year," Sirius added.
"Did you?" Marjory said, sounding impressed. "That takes a lot of talent."
"Thank you," Annie said, going a bit pink in the cheeks.
"Mrs. Trigg, dinner is ready to be served," a squeaky voice sounded from the dining room doorway. Annie looked over and was quite surprised to see Abbot, a house-elf from the kitchens at Hogwarts.
"Annie," Greg Sr. addressed as he stood up and gestured to the house-elf, "this is-"
"Abbot," Annie finished for him. "Yeah, I know." She got up and crouched down in front of the house-elf. She held out her hand for the house-elf and he shook it with it glee. "How are you, mate?"
"Abbot is quite well, Ms. Annie, quite well," he said, twisting a tea towel in his hands. "How are you, Ms. Annie?"
"I'm doing alright. What are you doing here?" she asked. She was very much aware of everyone staring at them, which caused Abbot to be a bit nervous, but she ignored them and kept her focus on the house-elf in front of her.
"Professor Dumbledore allows Abbot to come to Mr. and Mrs. Trigg's home to help with chores and cooking," he answered proudly. "Dumbledore is most kind."
"I see Annie has a friend," Greg Jr. commented, folding his arms over his chest. "How do you two know each other?"
Annie turned around and looked up at everyone. "Abbot was the first house-elf I ever met at Hogwarts." She turned back to the house-elf and gave him a smile. "Abbot, tell everyone what I tell you all the time."
Abbot puffed out his chest with pride. "Ms. Annie tells Abbot that Abbot makes the best brownies she has ever tasted."
"And I mean it. Hands-down best."
"Well, we'll have to try them some time," Marjory said sweetly, causing the house-elf to clap his hands in excitement. "Why don't we all sit down for dinner?"
"It was nice seeing you, mate," Annie said, shaking Abbot's hand once more. "The gang and I will be sure to stop down at the kitchens once term starts up again."
"That would be wonderful, Ms. Annie. It was lovely to see you as well," he squeaked before running back into the kitchen.
Annie stood up straight, her knees cracking in the process. "I've always liked Abbot. He always laughed at my jokes. Even my lame ones."
"Annie, all of your jokes are lame," Sirius commented, as he led her to the table and sat down.
"Hey," she whined. "I learned all of my jokes from Uncle James."
"Exactly my point," Sirius said as he placed a pork chop on her plate and passed the dish to Lydia.
Once the food had been dished out and drinks had been poured, a momentary silence had fallen over the group as they started in on their food.
"So, Annie," Greg said, swallowing a bite of his food. "What classes are you taking?"
"Oh, um," Annie started, placing her knife down on the edge of her plate and tapped her fork on her pork chop lightly as she thought. "You know the basics: Transfiguration, Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, History of Magic, Astronomy. But I'm also taking Muggle Studies and Care of Magical Creatures."
"Is Professor Kettleburn still there? That man was awesome," Greg said, smiling hopefully.
"No, he retired a few years ago, actually," Annie informed him, much to his disappointment. "According to Dumbledore he wanted to 'spend time with his remaining limbs' or something like that. Hagrid is the professor now."
"Oh, Hagrid is such a lovely man," Marjory said. "He always stops in to the post office to say hello whenever he is in town."
Annie beamed. To her, anyone who loved Hagrid as much as she and her friends did was alright in her book. "Yeah, Hagrid is pretty great," she said.
"So, what are you learning about in Muggle Studies?" Greg Sr. asked from the head of the table.
Annie opened her mouth to answer but was interrupted when Abbot had come into the room, holding a small scroll. Everyone watched as he walked up to Mr. Trigg and handed over the note before running back into the kitchen.
"Sirius, it's for you," he said, handing over the scroll.
Sirius took the scroll with a murmured "thanks" and opened it up. He read its contents and sighed, his brows creasing in the center in frustration.
"Apparently I'm needed for the Order," he said, standing up from the table. "I'm really sorry but this is urgent."
Marjory gave him a sympathetic smile and standing up as well to walk him to the door. "We understand, dear. You do what you need to do."
"Dad," Annie complained.
"Sorry, kiddo," he said, bending down and kissing her on the top of her head. "James should already be on his way. Lydia will take you back to her place afterwards. If I'm not back by midnight, you are to stay there, got it?"
Annie frowned. "Not back by midnight? What is that supposed to mean?"
"It means that if this goes longer than I expect it to, you stay with Lydia until I come get you," he explained, ruffling her hair. "Understand?"
Annie sighed dejectedly. "Yeah, whatever," she mumbled, picking at her food with her fork.
Sirius opened his mouth to say something back but changed his mind and followed Mrs. Trigg to the door. When she came back to the table, she sat down to finish her meal. The dinner continued and Annie tried to be as cordial as she possibly could. She could tell that only Lydia and Greg Jr. were the only ones that noticed that she was still mad at Sirius for leaving. To Annie's relief, the night had finally finished an hour later and Lydia, Annie, and Greg were all standing by the door saying their goodbyes.
"Annie, it was so lovely to finally meet you," Marjory said, giving the girl a kiss on the cheek and a quick hug.
"It was nice meeting you too," Annie replied when she released her. She stuck out her hand to Greg Sr. and he shook it with pleasure. "And you as well, sir."
"Likewise," he answered with a grin. "Make sure you stop by the post office and say hello the next time you're in Hogsmeade."
"Will do," Annie said, giving a nod.
Lydia and Greg said goodbye to their parents and led Annie out the door and down the stairs to the streets of Hogsmeade. Annie shivered as soon as she stepped outside, remembering that she had not brought a jacket.
"Are you coming over for a drink?" Lydia asked, turning to Greg as they walked down the street.
Greg shrugged. "Yeah, why not? It gives me some more time to torture Annie," he said, elbowing Annie lightly in the arm.
Annie smiled. "I've been through worse."
"Mum and dad seemed to have liked you, Annie," Lydia commented, wrapping her arm around her shoulders because she looked absolutely freezing. "Didn't even notice that you were mad after Sirius left."
"Still am," Annie mumbled with a shiver.
"Yeah, I know you are," Lydia answered as they arrived at her house. She took out her key and inserted it into the lock and ushered everyone inside. "Would it make you feel better if I let you get Bandit from your house?"
Annie grinned. "Yes!" she said, running over to the fireplace and taking the Floo Powder down.
Just before Annie threw the Powder in, Lydia called, "Bring some clothes back just in case Sirius is late."
"Yeah, okay!" she called back.
Lydia watched Annie Floo over to her house. She walked into the kitchen and Greg followed behind her and sat down at the table.
"Annie's a nice kid," he commented, accepting a Firewhiskey from his sister.
"Yeah, she is," she said, sitting across the table from him. "She's a real sweetheart."
"So, you think you and Sirius will get married?" he teased.
Lydia laughed and smacked him on the arm. She was going to answer back but was interrupted by a loud bark. Bandit bound into the room and went straight for Greg.
"Oh, come on, Bandit!" Annie called, coming into the room dressed in a pair of sweatpants and the t-shirt that she had worn underneath her sweater. She ran over and pulled the dog off Greg. "No fair. You cheated. You didn't even wait until I said go."
"You challenged your dog to a race?" Greg asked, letting Bandit lick his fingers. "A creature with four legs?"
"His name is Bandit and yes I did challenge him," she said, sitting on the floor of the kitchen next to her dog. "But he cheated. Isn't that right? Isn't that right, boy? Bandit's a cheater but I love him anyway," Annie cooed, as Bandit happily licked her face.
Lydia got up and handed Annie a Butterbeer and sat back down at the table. Annie twisted the cap off the bottle with her t-shirt, took a swig, and then tilted the bottle into Bandit's mouth for him to drink.
"Annie, that's vile," Lydia said, her face scrunched up in disgust as Annie took another swig.
"What?" Annie said, looking up at her innocently. "He's thirsty."
"Sirius does the exact same thing" Lydia added to Greg who nodded in understanding.
"That's because we made a paw pact. Furry friends for life. What's mine is his, and what's his is mine. Right, Bandit?" Annie explained, as she let Bandit have more of her drink. She gave him a scratch behind the ears and stood up to sit at the table. Lydia handed her another bottle which she took gratefully.
"So, Annie," Greg said, clinking his bottle against hers. "Be honest. How were our parents?"
Annie looked to Lydia who smiled. "Just say it," she urged. "You know you want to."
"Um, well," Annie started, looking between two eager faces. "Your dad's great. Your mum's a bit uptight."
Lydia and Greg shared a look before bursting out in laughter. Annie joined in nervously.
"I'm sorry, but mum can be a bit judgmental," Lydia apologized. "I should have warned you earlier."
"Nah, it's cool," Annie waved off.
"They take academics very seriously," Greg explained further. Annie nodded and started to peel the label off of her bottle. "So what are you planning on doing after Hogwarts?" he asked.
Annie looked at Lydia who smiled, already knowing the answer. "I'm gonna play professional quidditch after Hogwarts," she answered confidently, "and I'm gonna play for the Harpies."
Greg grinned. "The Harpies, huh? Are you any good?"
"Really good," Lydia answered for her. "She definitely has a shot at the pros."
Annie smiled.
"Sounds like you've got it all figured out then," Greg said, draining the last of his drink and setting the bottle on the table. He looked at his watch and stood up. "I've got to get going. I told Gem I'd be back ten minutes ago."
"Gem is his girlfriend," Lydia explained when she noticed Annie's confused face. "I'll walk you out."
"Annie, it was a pleasure meeting you," said Greg, extending his hand to Annie. "I'll see you around."
Annie took his hand and gave it a firm shake. "It was nice meeting you too. Have a nice rest of your night."
"Thanks. You too."
Annie watched Lydia and Greg leave the room and turned back to Bandit who was nudging her leg with his nose. She held her bottle down low and poured the remaining sips of her Butterbeer into the dog's mouth.
"Are you finished with that?" Lydia asked, indicating the empty bottle on the table when she came back in the room. Annie nodded and yawned, stretching her arms above her head. Lydia cleared the table and threw the empty bottles in a trash bag and the bottle caps in a jar next to the sink. "Why don't you go lay down on the couch. You look exhausted."
"What if dad comes back while I'm asleep?" Annie asked, standing up and patting her leg for Bandit to follow her.
"We'll wake you up, don't worry."
"Okay."
Lydia gave Annie a kiss on the forehead before she shuffled slowly out into the living room. She walked over to her backpack and brought out her blanket. She flopped down on the couch with Bandit curled up next to her and covered herself and the dog up, falling asleep as soon as her head hit the couch cushion. A few hours later, someone was shaking her awake and calling her name. She sat bolt upright, panting with sweat pouring down her face, to find Sirius sitting on the edge of the couch.
"Are you alright, pup?" Sirius asked, reaching over and ruffling her hair. "You were kicking around quite a bit."
Annie shook her head and pulled her knees up to her chest.
"Was it a nightmare?" he asked and Annie nodded. Sirius ran a hand through his hair and sighed. He looked over at Annie who had a few tears rolling down her cheeks. He moved over on the couch and wrapped an arm around his daughter's shoulders. "Alright, kiddo, calm down. It was just a dream. Not real, okay?"
Annie wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "Still freaky though," she mumbled, leaning into his shoulder. "What happened tonight? Where did you go?"
Sirius weighed her questions in his mind before deciding to tell her. She did have a right to know what was going on. "We almost caught Pettigrew tonight," he said, leaning back against the couch and pulling Annie with him. "James and I got a tip-off and we followed it."
Annie nodded and pulled her blanket over her legs. "That would explain the nightmare then."
Sirius kissed the side of her head and they fell into a comfortable silence, Annie still thinking about her dream and Sirius still thinking about his night. A few minutes later, Lydia came into the room and leaned against the doorway.
"Hey, Annie, are you okay?" she asked, concern etched on her face.
Annie smiled. "Yeah, I'm alright."
"Good," Lydia said, smiling as well.
Sirius stood up and walked over to Lydia and wrapped his arms around her waist.
"Thank you for taking Annie in tonight," he said before giving her a kiss. "And I'm really sorry about running out on dinner tonight."
Lydia waved off his apology. "It's okay. My parents understood. They loved Annie by the way."
"Really?" Sirius questioned, looking over at Annie who was picking fuzz off of her sock. "I find that hard to believe."
"What did I do?" Annie said, looking between the two in confusion. Sirius and Lydia laughed and Annie looked even more confused.
"Nothing," Sirius replied, shaking his head. "Come on, kid. Get your stuff. We're going home."
Annie kicked herself out of her blanket and bunched it up. She walked over to her backpack and shoved it in before swinging the bag over her shoulder. She looked over at Sirius who was giving Lydia a goodbye kiss and cleared her throat.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming," Sirius said when he and Lydia broke apart. He walked over to the fireplace and took down the bowl of Floo Powder. "I'll meet you back at the house. Make sure you thank Lydia for tonight."
"I was going to," Annie said, rolling her eyes.
"Good." Sirius grabbed Bandit by the collar and threw the Powder in, speaking the name of his destination. Once he disappeared into the flames, Annie turned to Lydia to give her a hug goodbye.
"Thank you for letting me sleep here for a bit and for taking me to your parents tonight," Annie said, appreciatively. "I had a great time."
"I'm glad," Lydia said, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "And I'm glad my parents finally got to meet you. They really loved you, Annie." Annie smiled and took a pinch of the Floo Powder from the mantle. "Please promise me you'll try to get some more sleep when you get back," Lydia pleaded, holding her at arm's length.
"I'll try," Annie said, giving a tired smile. "Thanks again, Lydia. Good night." Annie threw the Powder into the fireplace and stepped in. She closed her eyes for a minute while the fireplace spun her around before spewing her out on the carpet of her living room.
"I don't know about you but I'm exhausted," Sirius said, leading Annie upstairs. They stopped outside of Annie's room and Sirius pulled Annie into a hug. "Please don't stay up all night. Get some sleep. Wake me up if you need me, alright?"
Annie nodded and he let her go, pushing her slightly into her room. Bandit jumped on the bed while Annie pulled her Animagus book out of her backpack. After setting her bag down on the floor, she crawled into bed and made herself comfortable under the blankets. Annie sat up reading into the early hours of the morning, unwilling to go back to sleep after her nightmare. Eventually, sleep did overtake her and Sirius found her in the morning with her book lying open on the floor where it had fallen in the night and Annie clutching her stuffed dog tightly in her arm.