She wants her Mummy. Her real Mummy, not the woman downstairs who keeps saying she's her Mummy. Andrew wants his Mummy too. Annica doesn't understand why this woman is so convinced that she and Andrew are her children. This woman is not her Mummy. This woman is not the person who has taken care of her and her brother for as long as either of them can remember. This woman is not the person who's taken care of scraped knees and given them soup when they were sick. No, this person is not their mother. Not in all senses of the word, anyway.
Because Annie knows the truth. Her daddy told her before she went to Hogwarts. Hermione is not her mother. There is another woman, a woman who forced her Daddy into marrying her, who tricked him into getting her pregnant. Annie knows things that Andy doesn't know, and won't know for another couple of years. Or at least, hopefully he won't.
"Annica, darling, would you like a sandwich?"
"Yes Mum."
Andrew stares at her now, confused. Annie looks away, thinking about the story that her Daddy had told her. The woman is coming up the stairs now, and she's bringing soup and sandwiches with her. It's all that they've had since they got here three days ago. Annie's tried to contact her parents, but Lavender won't allow it. Lavender always catches her. It's not something that Annica likes.
"Do you remember me now?"
Annie looks away. The thing is, if she thinks back, if she strains her mind, she can remember a mother who isn't Hermione. She can remember Lavender. A very different Lavender. A pretty woman with a sparkle in her eye who smelled of roses and held her close. But the memory is weak, faded, and blurry. She looks over at Lavender.
"Yes, but you're not my mother."
The slap is not unexpected, but Annica does not cry out. She is stronger than that, and this woman… this woman needs help. After her Daddy told her about what happened to Lavender, she did some research on memory spells. She learned that improperly formed memory spells can wear off and weaken after a certain amount of time. Annica is sure that this is what happened to Lavender.
"I am too. I am. Your Daddy took you away from me. He took you and Andy and went back to her."
Annica shakes her head. She refuses to believe that her Daddy, her Mummy, and her grandparents would all lie to her about it. No, she knows the truth. Annica has a theory. She thinks that when the spell wore off, some things were blocked, her memory was changed. Or maybe Lavender changed them herself so she could justify what she was doing. Annica's cheek is still stinging when she looks at the woman.
"No. You tricked him into being with you, and when he finally told you the truth, that he could never love you, you left. You left him, you left Andrew and I. You modified your memory. He has the letter. I've seen it."
She looks over at Andrew, who is staring at her in shock, confused. And when Lavender slaps her again, Annie is caught off guard, and she does cry out, and she does fall back onto the bed. Andrew moves forward, abandoning his food so that he can see if his sister is okay. Annie looks at Lavender. This woman is not the woman that she can remember, even if the memory is vague. This woman shows clear signs of madness. She's filthy, she smells, her hair is a mess, and her eyes… Her eyes are wild. No, this woman, whatever she might be, is not her mother. Not even biologically. Annie can accept that she has two mothers, but this woman is not one of them.
"Lies! He's poisoned your mind, he's turned you against me! He lies!"
The woman is in hysterics. She is tearing her hair out, screaming profanities about her father, and about her mother. And Andrew is scared, and he starts to cry, and Lavender's head snaps toward him. He tries to stifle his crying, but it's too late. Lavender has already heard him call for his Mummy, and for his Daddy. Annica watches as the woman advances toward her brother, trying to think of a way they can escape.
"I AM YOUR MOTHER!"
The force of the blow sends her brother flying away from Lavender, and Annica is frightened. Andrew is still, but she can see him breathing. Lavender turns toward her, but her face has fallen. She's muttering under her breath.
"My baby. I hit my baby. And he's still. My baby my baby. But it's his fault. He told them lies, poisoned their minds. My baby my baby. He never cared about them. He never did. He only cares about his new wife, and that new child of his. The little one. Rose, or something. Yes, I know how to get to him now. My baby my baby. I hit my baby."
Lavender is still muttering when she leaves the room, and Annica gets up and moves to her brother's side. There's nothing she can do but wait for him to wake up. And in the meantime, she will worry about Rosie. Hopefully Rosie will be safe.