A/N: I do not own anything Harry Potter. I'm going to update this story whenever I get the chance. Graduation is almost here and I'm really buckling down on my schoolwork. Thank you to everyone who has added this story and me to their Favorites. I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Happy reading! XO

Chapter 62

Annie sat with her head resting in her arms and her eyes closed in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place. They had arrived at the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix two days prior and she had not slept since. She was tired and grumpy and in a few minutes they were to leave on the Knight Bus to go back to Hogwarts. Annie was just about asleep when she felt someone shaking her awake. She lifted her head up and saw Remus standing above her.

"What's going on Moon-Man?" Annie asked with a laugh at her own joke.

Remus shook his head in amusement. "We're leaving, pup. Are you going to be okay?"

Annie yawned and stood up. "I just want to get back to school and sleep. I hate it here." She looked around the kitchen and noticed she was the only one left of her friends. "Where is everyone?"

"Waiting for you up here," he replied. Remus put his arm around her shoulders and led her upstairs. "They looked around and realized you didn't follow them up so I came down to get you."

"Hey, Annie's here," Harry said, noticing her appearance. "Glad to see you're alive."

"Thanks for waking me, Potter," Annie yawned again. She walked over to her trunk and knelt beside it as she opened the lid.

"Hey, I tried. You slapped my hand away," Harry replied defensively as he bent down to grab the handle of his trunk.

Annie rummaged through her trunk until she came out with her new jacket which she swung around her shoulders as she closed the lid with her foot.

"Annie," Sirius called, beckoning her over with a nod of his head, "come here for second."

Annie arched and eyebrow in curiosity and walked over to her dad who was leaning against the doorframe. Sirius reached into his pocket and pulled out a brown package and handed it over to Annie.

"Open this when you get back to school," he instructed quietly as she turned it over in her hands. "Use it whenever you need me. Try not to use the fireplace at school with Umbridge sniffing around."

"What is it?" Annie asked, picking at the package's wrappings.

"Put it in your pocket," he said, smacking her hand gently and Annie did as she was told. "It's a way of communicating so we don't have to write in code all the time in our letters. If Lily sees this she'll go mental," he added with a chuckle. "She thought James and I got rid of these years ago after Hogwarts."

"Is everyone ready to go?" Tonks asked the group of teenagers as they all grumbled their assent. Today she was disguised as a middle-aged woman with greying hair and Annie had to laugh at how convincing she looked. Annie turned back to Sirius who ruffled her hair and gave her a push towards the door. Annie picked up her trunk and followed Remus and Tonks out of Grimmauld Place and into the square of the muggle town. Outside, Remus stuck out his wand arm and summoned the Knight Bus which came crashing down the street and stopped outside the houses with a screech.

"Skip the intro," Tonks said sharply as Stan Shunpike opened his mouth to speak. "We don't have time for it." Stan and Remus helped Annie heave her trunk onto the bus as she looked around and saw how packed it was.

"Where shall we sit?" Hermione asked, coming onto the bus behind her.

"I'll take Harry, Ron, Fred and George upstairs," Remus suggested as he too looked around. "Tonks, why don't you and the girls stay down here?"

"Yeah, alright," Tonks agreed as the boys walked past her. She led Annie, Hermione, and Ginny down the aisle of mismatched chairs that were strewn on the floor. Tonks and Annie found two chairs in the back while Ginny and Hermione took the two directly in front of them.

"Annie, have you ever been on the Knight Bus before?" Tonks asked, looking over at her with a look that said "I-know-what's-going-to-happen."

"No. Why?" Annie questioned timidly. The bus roared into life again and gave a tremendous jolt that had Annie flying backwards in her seat and crashing to the ground. Tonks, who had remained in her seat, looked down at Annie who was rubbing the back of her head and gave a laugh.

"Sorry, Annie," Tonks said, helping her back into the chair, "but it's always funny watching people fly out of their chairs on the Knight Bus.

"I can definitely see why," Annie replied, hanging onto her seat with both hands as the bus took a sharp turn and watching a woman careen into the window. Tonks and Annie muffled their laughter behind their hands as Stan came around to collect their fare.

"Here," Tonks said, shoving a galleon into Stan's hand along with the eleven sickles owed, "extra if you move us up the queue. We're in a hurry."

"Will do, ma'am," Stan said, tipping his hat to her.

"Wotcher, Annie," Tonks said, turning back to Annie and grabbing a hold of her chair so it would not fall over. "Happy to be going back?"

Annie shrugged. "Kind of. I liked being at home, but I want to go back. I just really don't want to sit through classes."

"I hear ya," Tonks agreed with a smirk. They sat for a moment, watching another passenger get knocked to the ground before Annie spoke up.

"So Tonks," Annie said, turning to her cousin with a shit-eating grin, "tell me about you and Remus."

Tonks' face turned bright red. "What about me and Remus?"

Annie laughed. "Oh, come on, Tonks! I see the way you look at him! You fancy him."

"I do not," Tonks grumbled, turning a deeper shade of scarlet.

"It's true," Ginny added, turning around in her seat. "We've all noticed. Haven't we, Hermione?"

"Of course," Hermione said, beaming. Tonks hid her face in her hands and the girls started giggling.

"Annie, if you tell him I'll kill you," she finally said, addressing Annie who had fallen out of her chair again.

"Damn," Annie swore as she sat back in her seat. "I had a plan and everything that involved fireworks and a brief visit to St. Mungo's."

"You're the next stop ma'am," Stan said when he came around to the group. "Should be there in about two minutes."

"Thank you," Tonks replied and Stan went off to tell the boys.

Minutes later the Knight Bus had pulled up to the gates of Hogwarts and Tonks, Remus, and the group of teenagers had trooped off. Annie hauled her trunk off the bus and dropped it at her feet.

"Stay out of trouble, pup," Remus said, giving her a hug. "Don't do anything stupid."

"You're asking the impossible, Moon-Man," Annie joked.

"Why, all of a sudden, are you calling me Moon-Man, huh?" he said, pulling her down in a headlock and ruffling her hair playfully.

"I liked the name," she said laughing and trying to break free. "It has a nice ring to it. And stop messing up my hair! It took me forever to get it just right!"

"Your dad used to call me Moon-Man in school," Remus commented, letting her go free. "And I don't know why you're so concerned with your hair. You look like a mop no matter how you do it."

Annie brought a hand to her chest. "You wound me, Rem."

"Yeah, sure. Why don't you take your big ego and go back up to school?"

"Maybe I will. Goodbye!" she said, taking out her wand. She muttered a spell and her trunk floated in front of her as she started to follow the others back to the castle. As she walked, she turned around and shouted back to Remus, "Remember our talk, Remus! Don't think dad won't write about it!"

Annie laughed as she watched Remus flip her off before Disapparating away with Tonks. She turned back around and Harry clapped her on the shoulder.

"What was that about?" he asked, shifting his wand so his trunk wasn't banging into hers.

"Remus likes Tonks," she replied, with a bark of laughter. "Poor bloke's too afraid to tell her."

"Remus likes Tonks?" Ginny repeated excitedly. "This is so great! Tonks likes Remus! Annie, why didn't you say anything to them?"

Annie shrugged. "I promised not to say anything."

"But Remus and Tonks belong together," Hermione argued. "You could have gotten them together if you had said something."

"I keep my promises, Hermione," Annie defended as they walked up the castle steps "Anyway, dad's on it. He'll make sure Moony gets the girl."

"Sirius is going to set them up?" Harry said with a laugh. "I'd love to see that play out. From what dad had told us, Padfoot wasn't every subtle when helping him with mum."

"Maybe that's why he's the best man for the job," Annie suggested. "Remus needs a good kick in the ass if you ask me."

"Annie, you have such a way with words," Ron said giving a snort.

The group of teenagers trooped into Hogwarts and made their way up to Gryffindor tower. Before heading up to the girls' dormitory, Annie stood on tiptoe and gave George a kiss goodnight. Up in the room, she found Hermione unpacking her trunk. Annie rifled around her own trunk and pulled out the first pair of sweatpants she could find. She pulled them on and jumped onto her bed, landing spread-eagle on the mattress. She wrapped herself up in her blankets and fell into a peaceful sleep.

"How do you have detention already?" Ron asked, as Annie and Harry made to leave the common room. "We've only been back a day."

"Umbridge found out I was the one who set off dungbombs before break," she answered, hitching her bag over her shoulder. "I was so careful that time. How the hell could she have known it was me?"

"I think she knows your style, mate," Harry answered, tapping his wand against his hand.

"Didn't you tell her about your lessons with Professor McGonagall?" Hermione asked.

"I couldn't," Annie shrugged. "What if Umbridge had come around to McGonagall's office and saw that I was learning how to be an animagus?"

"Hmmm. I think that's the last thing you need," Hermione sympathized. "You two ought to be going. I don't think Professor Snape and Professor Umbridge would appreciate either one of you being late."

"I could really care less about what the old toad appreciates, Hermione," Annie said with a laugh. "I just want to get this over with."

Annie and Harry left the common room and started to make their way down the stairs. They wished each other luck as they parted ways at the third floor. Annie made her way to Professor Umbridge's office and knocked three times on her door.

"Ah, Ms. Black," Professor Umbridge trilled when she opened the door and let Annie into her office. "I was wondering when you would be arriving. Your tardiness will not be tolerated."

"Yes, Professor," she answered, rolling her eyes.

Professor Umbridge either did not notice or pretended not to notice the action and gestured to a small table and chair. "You will sit here," she began as Annie dropped into the chair, "and you will do some lines for me this evening." Professor Umbridge walked over to her desk to retrieve a piece of parchment and her infamous quill and set them down in front of Annie.

Annie eyed the quill with suspicion. "What do I have to write?"

"I would like you to write 'I must behave in school.' Write it as many times as possible, dear," Professor Umbridge answered with an over-the-top sweet smile. She turned back to her desk and sat down to begin her work. Annie looked at the blank piece of parchment in front of her and pushed her hair back out of her eyes. She sighed as placed the quill over the parchment and began to write, wincing as the first word was beginning to carve into her hand.

After a few hours of the torturous writing, Annie was free to leave. Without a word to the toad-like woman, she left the office and went straight back to Gryffindor tower. When she crawled through the portrait hole, however, her friends were nowhere to be found. She sat down on the couch and looked down at her reddened hand as someone behind her slipped a hat onto her head.

"George!" she said, pulling the Headless Hat off and handing it back to him. "I'm not in the mood!"

George vaulted over the back of the couch and placed his arm around her shoulders, tossing the hat to the side. "What's wrong, babe?" he asked, as she buried her head into his chest. Annie sighed held up her hand for George to read the inscription. "'I must behave in school.' Ouch." He gave her hand a kiss and held it in his own. "She made you do that with her stupid quill?" Annie nodded and George ran a hand through her hair. "Do you want some essence of murtlap for this? It'll sooth the stinging." Annie shook her head. "What do you want me to do then?" Annie shrugged and George sighed. "Annie, I can't help you if you won't speak. Talk to me, babe."

Annie looked up at George with big pleading eyes. "Can you do the rest of my homework? I don't feel like doing it."

George laughed. "I don't even do my own homework! What made you think I would do yours?"

Annie smiled and shrugged. "Worth a shot, I guess." Annie lifted her head off of George's chest and looked back at Fred and Lee who were still putting on a display of the Headless Hats. "You should get back there. Freddie's dying without you."

George looked back too and picked up his hat. "Do you want to help us out with the display? I daresay you look lovely in a Headless Hat."

"Are you calling me ugly?" Annie asked with a wicked grin.

George stood up and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Never in a million years. I'll be over there if you need me," he assured her. "And stop being so quiet. It's weird."

Annie laughed and watched him walk back to the crowd. She laid down on the couch and stared up at the ceiling, unwilling to finish any of her homework. As she felt herself doze off, someone had come over and started shaking her shoulder.

"Go away, George, I'm sleeping," she groaned, slapping the hand away.

"It's just us," Ron said as he threw himself on the couch next to her head. Annie opened her eyes and saw Harry and Hermione taking the chairs by the fire. "You didn't come find us in the library," he commented when she sat up.

"I'm still banned from before break, remember? Madame Pince won't let me step foot near the door so I came back here," she answered, looking over at Harry. "How was it tonight? You look like shit by the way."

"It was awful. And thank you. I feel like shit," he said, closing his eyes and rubbing at his temples. "Anyway, I have something to tell you before I go to bed."

"Oh yeah?" Annie asked, her interested peaked.

"Remember that door I keep dreaming about?" Harry said and Annie nodded. "It leads to the Department of Mysteries. Whatever Voldemort wants is in there."

Annie's jaw dropped in shock. "How do you figure that?"

"I remembered tonight when Snape was trying to probe my memories. I saw it just before my trail this summer," Harry replied.

"So that's what guard duty means in the Order," Annie realized as Harry nodded. "Interesting. Oh yeah, look," she held up her hand and showed her detention scars to Harry, "we're twins!"

Hermione leaned forward and read her hand and Harry laughed.

"That's a form of torture, if you ask me," she said, shaking her head. "She shouldn't be allowed to do this."

"We know, but she'll probably keep doing it no matter what," Ron commented.

Hermione sighed and nodded in agreement. As they all took out their homework, Harry made his excuse to go to bed and Ron went with him. Annie and Hermione had stayed up a bit longer and worked in a comfortable silence. After Annie finally yawned and pushed her Potions essay aside, she packed up her backpack and she and Hermione made for the stairs leading to their dormitory.

"Annie, is everything okay?" Hermione asked as she climbed into her bed. "You look preoccupied."

"Just thinking about what Harry said," Annie replied, pulling a t-shirt she was sure belonged to George over her head. "And my hand still stings a bit."

"Try to get some sleep," Hermione advised. "I'm not letting you fall asleep in class tomorrow."

Annie laughed as she pulled her blankets over her head. "Yeah, wouldn't want that to happen."