A/N: Wow sorry for the long wait between updates. I've had uni exams and alll sorts of things going on. I've also been having a bit of trouble with some upcoming chapters but I think that's all taken care of now, thanks to my brilliant beta MissBubbles. So, enjoy the chapter, I promise you'll get more soon. Don't forget to review and tell me you're still reading/what you thought.
Summary: A continuation of Complexities of the Heart,
Things Between People
By katemary77
Chapter One:
Home is a feeling I buried in you.
I'm alright, I'm alright,
It only hurts when I breathe
-Breathe, Melissa Ethridge
Anna Fair lay against the pillows on her bed, anxiously gnawing at her lips as she fought against the nausea she could feel rising in her stomach. It'd been like this for a few days now – since before Sirius died, her traitorous brain reminded her – and Anna wasn't sure what was wrong. Well, that was a lie. Anna had a pretty fair idea what was wrong. She knew she should go to Hogwarts, go to Poppy Pomfrey for confirmation, but Anna was absolutely terrified and she knew that Madame Pomfrey saying those words to her would make it all too real.
With a sudden twisting in her stomach, Anna gave it up and rushed to the bathroom with her hand over her mouth. Once there, she collapsed by the toilet basin into which she heaved brokenly, amazed there was still enough food in her stomach to account for this. Her chestnut hair hung lankly around her face and stuck to her sweaty skin and with long pale fingers she feebly pushed it back.
In a moment though, she felt a soft tug at her scalp and her hair was gently swept away from her face, a cool cloth pressed to her forehead.
"Are you okay?" came the gentle voice of Remus Lupin.
Anna fought back tears and nodded.
"You've been sick for a while now, Ann," he continued, rubbing his hand across her back in soothing circles. "And you're not eating properly. Don't think I haven't noticed."
Without looking, she knew his brown eyes would be tired and worried. She felt terrible. Here was a man who had lost his last childhood friend, his best friend, his brother, and he was busy worrying about her.
With bitter acceptance, Anna uttered the words she had been avoiding since the day after Sirius had died; "Remus, would you… I need you to take me to Hogwarts. I have to see Madame Pomfrey."
-------------------------
Poppy Pomfrey was bustling around the Hogwarts Hospital Wing when Remus and Anna entered, having Flooed into the Headmasters Office. Anna was leaning tiredly against the unprotesting werewolf and when Madame Pomfrey saw them, she frowned at the dark circles under both Remus and Anna's eyes.
"Well, I've got you two down for a good dosage of Pepper-Up Potion and at least a few Sleeping Draughts, just at the look of you!"
"Actually, Poppy," Remus began as he guided Anna to a bed, "Anna's been throwing up recently and the bug doesn't seem to be going away."
Anna shook her head and looked at Madame Pomfrey.
"Actually… I don't think it's a bug," she said, casting a glance in Remus' direction. "Um… Poppy, I need you to perform the Conceptionus Spell."
Remus' eyes widened just as Madame Pomfrey hastened to close the privacy curtains around the bed upon which Anna was seated.
"Go for a walk, Remus dear!" she called through the curtains before turning to Anna with a very serious expression. "Well?"
"I should've had my period a week ago," Anna began, "But I haven't been eating properly… I thought it might've been stress, you know?" She pushed a shaking hand over her face. "We were careful, we always cast the charm, but I guess it only takes one wrong hand movement." She sighed, finally burying her face in her hands.
Poppy took Anna's hands and squeezed them in her own.
"Let us test first, dear, to be sure." Lifting her wand up, the matron muttered, "Exigere Conceptionus!"
A white light shot out of the wand and coalesced over Anna's abdomen. There was a moment in which it hovered unsteadily before forming a firm, warm blue light.
"Positive." Poppy looked at Anna, a strange mix of happiness and sorrow on her face. "He's healthy," Poppy told her, reading from the data that was spewing out of her wand, "Although you really do need to start eating properly, dear."
"When?" Anna asked, hardly believing this was real.
"January 22nd," Poppy replied.
There was a quiet cough from behind the curtains and Madame Pomfrey opened them to reveal Remus, who had returned and was standing hesitantly by the door.
It didn't seem like he could say anything. Anna couldn't either and so she settled for nodding weakly.
Remus rushed forward.
"You – you are?" he asked urgently. "You're pregnant."
"Yes," Anna murmured, "Yes. I'm going to have a son."
-------------------------
Poppy had been kind, giving Anna all kinds of information; pamphlets to help her figure out her options, spells and potions to keep her in comfort in the coming months and other handy magical tricks. Towards the end, though, Poppy was speaking more to Remus; Anna was mostly unresponsive, still trying to wrap her head around the idea of being pregnant.
"Come on Anna, let's go home."
Looking up at Remus, she realised she hadn't been paying attention.
"Sorry, Remus. We're going now?"
He nodded and she stood, following him back to Albus' empty office, sure that the Headmaster was still tied up at the Ministry.
"Grimmauld Place!" Remus yelled. The flames roared emerald and he motioned her in. "You first."
She nodded and stepped through into the silent, empty house, Remus following behind her.
"I – I guess we should cook dinner."
"I can get takeaway, Anna, or you can go up to bed if you're tired, though you should really eat something; Madam Pomfrey said you should be eating three solid meals a day – "
Anna put a hand on Remus' shoulder to stop his matronly spiel.
"I'm fine." I'm numb. "Will you cut up some chicken? I'll make a pasta sauce."
He looked at her uncertainly, as if searching for fault lines; cracks in her façade.
"Okay," he conceded. "How much chicken do you want?"
-------------------------
Later, after they'd eaten dinner, Anna sat curled on the couch, her chin on her knees and her hand wedged between her legs and her stomach, desperately trying to the imagine life inside. The numbness that had come with the shock of Poppy's confirmation had gone now and feeling was seeping slowly back into her body.
Anna had always wanted children. She had thought that after this war, if she emerged alive, she would find somebody to love and they would find themselves a home and start a family. Lately, in this vision of hers, Somebody had been Sirius. That was impossible now, she knew, and Anna had thought she was beginning to accept it. But now… now when she was having Sirius' child, it was like losing him all over again.
Anna's breath caught in her throat and a harsh sob tore from her. Her body was shaking with grief; her hands buried deep in her hair as she cried. And then Remus was there and he was pulling her legs across his lap so he could hold her better and her fingers were grasping onto his robes, grasping onto him as if he was her only lifeline. He was murmuring to her, telling her everything was going to be okay, but all she could think about was Sirius and how he wasn't there.
"I j-just can't imagine having Sirius' child without S-Sirius," she finally managed between hiccuping sobs, "H-how am I going to do this?"
"It's alright," Remus returned, "It's going to be alright, Ann. We're all going to take care of you, you're not going to be alone in this."
"I know," she said, finally calming some, "But he's not going to be here, is he?"
Remus shook his head.
"No, he's not," he breathed, "But you will be and your baby will be. And that has to be enough."
Anna leant against her friend – her eyes screwed shut against the harsh light of reality – and sobbed herself to sleep.
-------------------------
"Now that the Ministry has admitted that Voldemort has returned, we will be able to work much closer with them, rather than against them, and our members who work within the Ministry will no longer have to worry about being discovered."
Albus Dumbledore gazed around the room. The basement kitchen of Grimmauld Place was full but many faces were sombre, still mourning the loss of Sirius, who had been taken from them just a week ago.
"I have been reinstated in the Wizengamot and we have agreed that a new Minister is needed. A vote of no confidence will take place tomorrow and after that I hope a new minister can be elected. I am sure, however, that Voldemort will do his best to keep this from happening; an unstable community with a weak leader or no leader at all is just what he needs to wage war against us and win." A moment of tense silence followed. "I think that is all for today, does anybody have anything to add?"
There was silence for a moment before a clear voice called out: "What about Harry?"
Dumbledore looked at Anna for a long moment. She had almost not come down from her room today, but the memory of Harry's hesitant smile at platform 9 and ¾ had reaffirmed her resolve to get him to Grimmauld Place as soon as possible. Professor Dumbledore, studying her intently, seemed to see the stiffness of her shoulders; the fierceness in her eyes. He knew that arguing with her would be futile. Harry would be coming to Grimmauld Place, and soon too.
"I had thought previously that he would remain with his family but I realise now that probably is not a good idea. What do you think, Anna?"
"Remus and I will get him," she said. "We'll Apparate there and back."
"When?"
"Sunday morning," she replied, "He's been there a week too long already."
To her surprise – and the surprise of many Order members – Dumbledore conceded.
"That gives us three days to prepare. But I want you to take a guard with you," he insisted, "To survey the perimeter at least."
"Okay," she nodded. Professor Dumbledore nodded back. A stalemate had been reached.
-------------------------
"Anna!"
She was halfway up the stairs when her name was called. She crumpled slightly. Talking herself into going to the meeting had been hard enough, but memory of the promise she had made Harry had forced her downstairs into a seat. Once the meeting was over, however, and she had extracted the promise she needed from Dumbledore, all she wanted to do was curl up on her bed and forget everything.
She turned around. Severus Snape was at the foot of the stairs, making his way up to her. Without a word, she made her way up the rest of the stairs and into the living room. When Severus closed the door behind them, she turned to face him. There was no scowl or sneer on his face today.
"Oh, Anna," he said, moving towards and pulling her into his arms. "I'm so sorry."
She nodded against his chest but didn't cry. She had spent all her tears and was now in what seemed to be a constant state of numbness.
"I know – I know about the baby."
She stepped back, "How?"
"Madam Pomfrey asked me to prepare some nutrient potions for pregnant witches. None of the staff are of age or circumstance… it didn't take long to figure it out."
"Oh…" she had no idea what to say, what to think.
"I made this for you. Please consider your options, Anna." Severus slipped a vial of potion so dark it was almost black out of his pocket.
"A Terminating Tonic… Severus, I can't…" She made to hand back the potion but Severus gently pushed it back to her.
"Just think about it. Please. You know they're only good for twelve hours; it'll go off at midnight."
Anna nodded and put the potion into her pocket. She had a lot to think about.
-------------------------
There were eighteen minutes left until the clock struck twelve.
Anna was curled on her side, gazing at the black potion that rested innocently on her bedside table. She had no idea what to do. Could she really bring a child up? In a war? Alone in a society that looked down upon illegitimate children and single mothers? Could she really do this? Oh, she knew she had support. Remus, Severus, Bill, Hermione… But she was living in a war, a war that she might not even survive. The Prophecy that named Anna meant she would play a major part in the battle against Voldemort, for better or for worse. Should she bring a child into a life like that?
There were seven minutes left.
Anna picked up the potion from her nightstand and unstoppered it. Just as she brought it to her lips to drink, however, Sirius' face flashed through her mind and she wondered if her son would have his unfathomable grey eyes. The vial slipped from her fingers and smashed on the floor.
She didn't mind.
-------------------------
Harry Potter was in the kitchen, idly scrubbing the plates that his Aunt Petunia had given him to wash. They'd had a dinner party last night (with Harry tucked safely away in his bedroom, locks on the door and all) and Petunia had drunk a little too much wine to be concerned with cleaning up before bedding down for the night. Thus, Harry had a merry day of cleaning ahead of him, and it was only mid-morning. Well, at least the chores would keep him from dwelling on – don't think about that! Harry reminded himself sharply. You can't think about that.
His morose musings were interrupted, howeverr, by the sound of two sharpcracks out on Privet Drive. Alarmed, he slipped his wand from his pocket and crept to the window. There was no one there, but Harry wasn't fooled. While the sharp sounds of Apparition could've belonged to Order members doing their patrols, they were usually a little more stealthy about it, perhaps wanting to give Harry the illusion that hewasn't being watched every second of the day.
There were footsteps, now, and the front gate was swinging open by itself.
Harry cursed. Where were the Order members? Didn't they see that Death Eaters were about to attack the house! Who else would be hiding under and Invisibility Cloak or Disillusionment Charms? Harry jumped when the doorbell buzzed, surprised that Death Eaters has the manners to ring before breaking down the door.
"Coming, coming!" Vernon Dursley grumbled as he waddled down the hall. Harry edged out of the kitchen, wand at the ready, and plastered himself to the wall, out of view from the front door. He heard the sounds of the door being opened and then a familiar voice spoke.
"Hello. Is Harry in? We're here to take him away."
"Boy!" Vernon bellowed. "What have I told you about giving out our address to those freakish friends of yours? Well, come here!"
Harry ventured into the hallway and looked toward the door. His heart skipped a beat. There on the threshold were Remus and Anna, looking a little worse for wear but greeting him with hesitant smiles.
"Hello, Harry," Anna said softly.
He raised his wand.
"How do I know it's really you?"
"BOY! Put that thing away!" Vernon screamed, advancing towards Harry with an angry glint in his eye, his face slowly turning puce.
"Impedimenta!" Anna shouted, having whipped out her wand and pointed it at the beast. "How dare you speak to your nephew that way!" she said tightly, glaring daggers at the immobile man. Unless he was much mistaken, Uncle Vernon actually looked guilty. "Apologise, now."
He did. Harry gaped as Vernon muttered, "Sorry, Potter," and sounded like he actually meant it. He decided that on top of her spell, Anna must be using her empathic magic.
"Good," the woman said, "Now go into the living room with your family and don't disturb us again."
At this, Dursley looked like he wanted to protest but Anna gave her wand a very pointed wiggle and he shuffled off.
"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned," Remus said to him, a little bemusedly.
Anna turned and faced them again.
"Hello, Harry," she said again.
"I still don't know it's really you," the young Gryffindor pressed.
"Your Patronus is a stag."
Harry looked evenly at Remus and said, "Lot's of people know that, now. I cast the Patronus Charm for my OWLs."
"Hermione calls me Lizzy in letters," Anna answered, "I call her Darcy. And we watched the BBC miniseries of Pride and Prejudice. You'd seen it, too, and while you tried to pass it off as being forced to watch it by your aunt, you were secretly jumping for joy when they got together at the end."
Harry's mouth quirked upward. He doubted, or rather hoped, that no Death Eaters knew that.
"Remus?" Anna asked.
The weary looking werewolf only had to say one thing; "Pronglet."
Harry swallowed and nodded.
"Um, I need to pack; I didn't realise you were coming."
"Sure," Remus said, "I'll have to speak to the Dursleys."
"I'll come up with you then, Harry?" questioned Anna.
The boy nodded and they headed up to his room.
"Well, this is – er…"
He grinned a little.
"Sorry about the mess."
She smiled and took out her wand. With a wave, his clothes had soared out of the bureau and folded themselves neatly into his trunk. Harry tore open the floorboard under his bed and emptied it before whistling out the window for Hedwig. She came quickly but before he could settle her into her cage Anna raised a hand.
"It might be better for her to fly to Headquarters," she said, "We're Apparating and that's not very good for pets."
"Okay." He whispered to the snowy owl, stroked her beak and watched her fly out the window.
"Well, that's it then." He turned and faced Anna and she reached out slowly and placed her hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently before letting go.
"It's good to see you, Harry."
He nodded, eyes downcast.
"You too, Anna."
She waved her wand and Levitated his things downstairs, where Remus was waiting, grim faced after his encounter with the Dursleys.
"Ready to go?"
They nodded.
"We'll Apparate from in here," Remus said. "I don't fancy trying to get the three of us under Moody's Cloak. Harry, just take my arm, hold on tight and don't let go. Have you ever Side-Along Apparated before?"
He shook his head.
"Alright, well, it'll feel a little weird but it only lasts for a moment. Just don't let go, okay?"
Harry nodded and grasped Remus' forearm, holding Hedwig's cage in his other hand. Anna took hold of his trunk, waved her wand and with a pop, she was gone.
"Ready?"
"Yep."
Remus seemed to turn away but he held on tight and it felt as if the air was pushing against him; there was nothing left to breathe, it was tight, tight, tight. He felt bile rising in his throat and then he was outside Grimmauld Place, blinking in the sun.
"Are you alright? Apparition can be nasty the first couple of tries."
"No kidding," Harry joked, taking in deep breaths of air.
"Come on, we should get off the street."
He followed Anna and Remus up the front steps and into Grimmauld Place. It was as dank and dreary as he remembered; perhaps even more so. Standing in the front hall, Harry awaited the onslaught of memories that accompanied this place. It came, and it hurt, but with Remus and Anna standing either side of him, he felt he could weather the pain.
It wasn't home, (where was home, for him?), but he was with people who cared for him and that, Harry reflected, was enough.
Review!