Disclaimer: I own nothing here, except the plot. Harry Potter characters, names and related indicia are trademarks of others. © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Harry Potter publishing Rights © JKR.
A/N:
Well, here we are. I'm sorry it took me so long, months, to update this. I got a very serious health problem, had to stayed on hospital for months with liquid pumped into my veins, did some surgeries, blah blah blah. Just released last December, spent January in rehab, and finally moved to new school (with bald head). Yeah, it doesn't change anything. You people still have every right to be mad at me, throw flames, yell, or anything else.
As for the story... well, I just can say... hope you like it! Please leave reviews, critics, even trolls messages, if you don't mind. Thank you.
Chapter 3
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It was like any usual day for them. Sat together under their tree, with books and parchments scattered around them. Finished everything already, they settled their backs comfortably on the trunk and did another very productive thing that they could do.
"Want more?" Harry asked.
"Yeah, thanks," Anna answered, smiling and took another chocolate bar from Harry's bag. She ate them, all the while grinning widely.
"What?" Harry asked, amused by his friend's grin.
Anna shook her head. "No. Nothing," she chuckled.
"No 'nothing' ever came out from you. Come on, what is it?" Harry, fully grinning now, poked Anna's side.
Couldn't take any tickle from him, Anna laughed and took an inches away from him. She looked at Harry and said, "No, it's just... It's very genius of you to bring snacks like this... I really like the chocolate," she smiled, took another bite, and crunched it happily. "I guess you just make me found a new favorite food, here."
"Say that to Chang. She's the one I asked to bought this for us," Harry said, took a chocolate bar from his bag too, and started opening its wrapper. "Really nice pick."
"Next year, if we can go to Hogsmeade, we should buy more of this! I mean - this is even better than Aero chocolate!"
"Well, I never had a chance to eat any chocolate from Muggle world, so I can't really compare them, least with... what is it that you said? Aero," Harry said.
"You'd never eat any chocolate in Muggle world?" Anna asked, looked very shocked. "Jesus, and here I think St Marie is the worst orphanage in the whole Britain! Yours are worse!"
"Not really. It's not their fault they couldn't give the children any chocolate," Harry said. He stared to the lake, and sighed. "They didn't have enough money."
"Kind of," Anna said, swallowed the last piece of her chocolate. She stared at the lake too, watching the giant squid's tentacles did some weird dance in far away. Then she sighed, "Still... That's really sucks..."
"Yeah..." Harry nodded. His childhood life couldn't be said as a good one... None of children that grow up in the orphanage did. Of course, those children still could do many things like normal child do: laughing, playing, joking together... But it still missing the biggest part of the childhood itself.
A warm family...
He sighed heavily, and looked at his side. The ancient castle stood above the ground, carved beautifully in the land surrounded by skyscraper mountains. Clear blue sky as the background, and a silent lake as the mirror to reflects those beauties. Hundreds of students inside, with teachers and ghosts, offering the best home, best place that he could ever get. And, on top of it all, a best friend that he'd ever had in his side...
But now those heaven had broken. Only a little, yeah, but it's already broken, crumbling the 'best home' that he'd imagined little by little. He knew everything would never be the same again, after what happened in last June... He knew everything would started to change.
And, bada boom, his thoughts had already proven. Right after Halloween Party.
"Do you think it's okay we sit here? With... you know..." Anna trailed off.
Harry nodded. "Yes, it's okay. The teachers warned us to not wander alone, right? Well, I'm with you, you're with me, we're together. None of us are alone now."
"I know that, silly," Anna said, smiled a little. Finally. He liked it better if she smiles.
"'Silly' again? Why you -"
"That's the truth. And I'll keep that for this semester, next, and -"
"Not if I can surpass you! And I think I can, after those charms class when you -"
"Oh, come on! Don't talk about that again, alright? That was embarrassing!" Anna said exasperatedly. Harry just grinning at her, and Anna, watched those grin, couldn't help but giving smile in turn.
"No, seriously. With... those attacks that happened inside the castle, do you think it's safe for us to wander here... just two of us?" Anna asked.
"Honestly?"
Anna nodded.
Harry sighed. "I honestly think it's safe for us to be here. Not that I underestimate the danger of something that could even petrify a ghost, but... I think it'll be safer here. That thing, whatever or whoever it is, seems to lurking only inside the castle. Attacking in empty and closed places. I think it wouldn't want to risk itself by attacking in the open air like this. So yes, I think it's safe for us to wander here, just two of us."
And also because Harry didn't want to lost his times with Anna, just two of them, here under their tree... Studying and talking together... But of course he didn't say that aloud.
Harry glanced at her, and found that she was smiling and looked more relaxed now. He smiled too, leaned more against the tree.
He yawned, felt some drowsiness attacking him. Maybe it had to do with the weather, this late autumn afternoon felt so comfortable.
Anna suddenly leaned her head on his shoulder, startled him a little. Glanced at her again, he was met by her eyes that staring up to him. She was still smiling.
"I really hoped you'll say that," she whispered.
Why? "Why?"
"Because I don't want to lose times like this..." she exhaled softly, closed her eyes slowly. "Just two of us, under this tree, in a sunny and breeze afternoon..."
She trailed off, then fell into silence. It's very quiet between the two of them, until, finally, she laughed a little.
"I'm sorry, that's just some weird thoughts from me -"
"No," Harry said, cut her off in the middle of sentences. "No, Anna. It's not just you, I... I've been thinking the same way, too. I don't want to lose them."
Harry chuckled a little. "It's always become the best times that I'd ever had in a day, you know. Being with... you.. like this."
Smiling, he moved his head a little to met Anna's eyes with his. They stared at each other, found the truth and the same light there.
"Really?" Anna whispered.
"Yes," Harry answered.
Still staring, and, that's it. The awkwardness started to engulfing them. Harry felt his face heated a little, and, couldn't take it more, he broke their eye contact. Realization coming to him, of what he'd just said, of how he just talked to Anna, and it made him felt rather embarrassed.
Then he heard a soft chuckle from her. He looked toward Anna again, confused.
"Isn't it funny? We just had the same thoughts! Again! More and more similarity between us! Don't you think it is strange? It's just..." Anna smiled, her eyes twinkled. "Just... wow. How could that happen so often to us?"
"Er... I don't know?" Harry said. He raked his unruly hair again, and continued, "Maybe... Er... Maybe, what we and many people guess about us is actually right? That us being... Twins?"
Anna grinned widely. "I really would love that! You could become a wonderful brother!"
"Yeah," Harry said slowly. Then, realizing it, he added, "Yea, and you could become a wonderful sister! Though, you're sometimes really annoying..."
They laughed again, started their usual friendly chippers. But, although he wouldn't acknowledge it, and even with his childish brains, Harry could feel the disappointment laughing inside him.
.
He stood inside a room, facing a tall, elegant window. Morning hadn't came yet, the sky outside was still dark. He wore his Hogwarts robes, his school bag lied beside him.
He didn't remember how he got there in the first place.
"Where am I?" he murmured.
"We're at home," a whisper came from behind him. Afamiliar whisper.
"Anna?" he asked, turned around so he came face to face with his sister.
"Harry," she said, answering him. He blinked, and stared at her. Something felt different about Anna, really different.
"We're at home, Harry. Only two of us," she whispered again, walking toward him. Her smile widened a little. "Only us."
Then he knew instantly what's weird. Those smile, the one that Anna wore, wasn't the usual carefree, innocent, and wistful smile she usually showed to him. This one was different, filled with something that felt very alien in her, but recognizable by Harry.
Lust
"What are we doing here, Anna?" Harry asked, trying to get his voice on its right tone.
"You're playing innocent!" Anna's exclaimed loudly, her smile widened. Now she stood right in front of him, making their identical emerald eyes bore into each other.
Anna placed her hand on his cheek. Harry stiffened by those warm contact, and got the urge feelings to closed his eyes and surrendered to her soft skin, to those warm hand...
She seemed to realized this, because she started caressing his face. Those simple act sent tingles to Harry's whole body, he shivered a little. Anna, with one hand on Harry's cheek, closed their distance and leaned in, whispering into his ear huskily.
"We're alone, in our home, morning hadn't came yet," she smiled, licking her lips. "Surely you know what we are going to do, eh, my little brother?"
The way Anna said her use of possessiveness, with the words little brother nonetheless, really turned him on. Haze and fog started engulfing his brain, conscience leaving him. How come years of trained self-control crumbling just because of a sentence from her, he didn't know, and maybe didn't really want to know.
Because, right then and there, Anna pulled her head a little, and, with playing smile on her lips, kissing him gently.
And, just like the kiss that they share for the first time years ago, Harry closed his eyes and let himself swallowed by the sensation. Anna's lips felt so... soft, so nice, so perfect, so right on his own lips.
Minutes passed, and they broke apart, oxygen came in need. They gazed into each other's eyes, staring deep inside, looking at the same fire that blazing in those emerald green eyes, so beautiful and seductive. Harry saw Anna's face was covered in a very deep red color, and, judging by the heat that he felt from his own face, maybe his also not so different.
Again, Anna's soft lips touched him again, but this one felt more... intense. Her hand started raking over his body, and he found his own hands doing the same, they ripped each other robes wildly, pullet their shirt and jeans off, shrugged their shoes and undergarment aside -
Then he was over her, sprawled on the floor. He smirked to her, which replied by a very seductive smile, encouraged him to do what he was about to do.
He did it, and she screamed his name -
.
Harry opened his eyes and sat abruptly. His heart racing and pounding almost hurtfully inside his chest. He looked to his side, almost expected to see Anna laying naked beside him. Yes, she was there. But no, she was fully-clothed, not anything near naked. He released a very heavy sigh. Relief immersed over him, he tried to get his breath and steadied his heart's beating. Which is very hard, knowing what he just had dreamed of, the dream that felt so real.
Every detail of what he'd done inside his subconsciousness played inside his brain. Trying to remember a dream was supposed to be like trying to hold water inside a fist, but this one, unlike others, didn't pour out. It root inside, refused to go, tortured him and teased him with the images of her laying naked, sweat glistening on her body, his hands were all over him -
Immediately, Harry got up from bed and walked toward the bathroom.
Pouring water over his face, he decided that sleeping with Anna was one of the worst things he'd done in their journey. Really bad, for his mental health definitely, and his physical health eventually. He checked his jeans, and was very relieved when he found that it was still dry. He leaned over the counter, took breath slowly, steadying his heartbeat. He felt so wrong, so bad, so dirty, because of what he'd dreamed of, and felt even worse for hoping that it could be happened for real.
It took umpteen minutes, but finally he got his breath right. His heart had calmed down, cold sweat stopped pouring on his back. He inhaled deeply, and stood straight, facing his own reflection in the mirror.
Staring back at him was a teenage boy with dull emerald eyes. But, looked at it again, it wasn't a teenager anymore. It was a man, an adult man with tired eyes that had been traveling over the country for weeks... And months. A man who brought his sister here, dare he said, a girl he loved dearly here, to protect her from the war that was raging in the outside. Looking for covers, spending days and nights with a simple hope to see the sunrise tomorrow morning together. How exactly the life that he'd been hoping since he stepped his foot on this new world crumbling into this, he didn't know. This world was supposed to be a fantasy land. A place where magic, castle, dragons, and other fantastical beings exist. A place where he finally could gain friends, best friend, a family, love, and life. But...
"You never get what you want when you were child," he whispered to the man in the mirror. "So why now should be any different?"
His other self heaved a sigh, and shook his head a little. Composed himself, he walked back to the bedroom.
And stopped abruptly at the sight of Anna sitting on bed, staring at him.
"What happened?" she asked, voice full of worry.
His brain hadn't functioned normally, making him stammered a little. "I... woke up? Went to the bathroom?"
A joke attempt. Usually it was able to crack a smile on her face.
Maybe not this morning, though.
"You stood over the counter, staring at the mirror for almost an hour, and talking to yourself Harry," Anna said, stood up slowly. She started walking toward him. "You're also... very pale. What happened?"
The distance between them became less for each step she took. Harry's heart beat started to increasing.
I can't do this now, oh God... he cleared his throat. "Nothing, really. Just... Don't worry. Get back to sleep-"
"No 'nothing' ever came out from you," she said, frowned. Harry winced inwardly. She always knew him, ever the best friend, ever the nice and wonderful big sister...
"Is it a bad dream?" she asked.
Harry took this. "Yeah, that's right. A bad dream... Just a nightmare. Yeah."
She stopped walking. Stared at him with her bright eyes, she still frowning, bit her lips in ever, oblivious, cute way. As usual, she couldn't be convinced easily in times like this. She must be still worried.
And he couldn't take it. Really couldn't. "Look, why don't you take a bath first. I'm going to go downstairs, find out where we are now. We hadn't knew that yet. And maybe I could... get some map. Then we can leave this place, continue our walk to Dover. As soon as possible. What do you think?"
Anna looked at him for seconds, until finally a soft smile formed on her face. She nodded. "Okay... be careful, though."
"Yeah, you, too," Harry replied automatically, without thinking, making her giggled.
"Why, Harry, I just going to the bathroom!" she said, grinning.
Realizing what he just said, he scratched his head, blushing a little. "Er... yeah, I know. Just... So many dangers inside the bathroom! Spiders, dirts, and -"
Anna laughed. She pushed him playfully, and he soon joined her, laughing too.
Then she sighed. Smile still in her lips, she said again, "Okay. Again, be careful, Harry."
"I will," Harry said. Bit her lip, she gave a weak smile, before went into the bathroom. Harry heard the door was locked, and shook his head a little. This morning was very confusing... for them, for him, especially.
He took his wand, cast a silent scourgify to clean his clothes and face. After put his jacket on, he stepped outside, locked their room with a wave of his wand.
.
There are only a few people in the ground floor. Two grown-up men who looked like farmers, beer in front of them; a girl who was cleaning the bar, put the chairs down and arrange them for each table there. She looked young, with blonde hair and petite frame - maybe the same age as him; and the old man in receptionist who was writing something on a book, his face was one full of concentration. Harry remembered that those man was the same person that he talked to last night when he did a check-in with Anna. The same receptionist.
He walked to those old man, and took a breath. A strange nervousness came over him, but he shrugged it off easily.
He had faced many things worse, so why should he be afraid of this old man?
"Good morning, sir," Harry greeted politely.
The old man stopped his writing, and looked up slowly at Harry. He narrowed his eyes, clearly trying to focused it at the young man in front of him. He push his eyeglass a little with his finger, and answered him.
"Good morning, young man," he smiled. Harry felt relief a little. Smile usually means good. "What can I help you this morning?"
"Yes. Sir, I just want to ask you... something..." Harry glanced around for a second. No one's near them. Good. It will be sound strange for people if they hear what he's going to ask. "What is the name of this village? Where exactly it's located in UK?"
"Ah, lost travelers?" the old man chuckled kindly, and Harry played an act like being embarrassed. The old man pull out a paper from under the table, and Harry poked his head to see it clearly: a map, worn and covered in dust, but still a map. He put it on the table, showing the map of United Kingdom.
"Here, my boy. This is Alpenvine village. It was located here, right near the Thorpe. We're right in England, Yorkshire to be exact," he said.
Harry frowned. Damn, he thought. Still very far toward Dover. Thorpe located right in the middle of the island, while Dover still far on the south. Weeks of walking in the woods, and there were still more miles ahead...
But, thinking it back, it makes sense. They walked completely on the woods, always avoiding villages, cities, and big roads. They walked mostly not in straight line, because there were so many mountains and valley that simply they couldn't pass. So many walking around without clear directions... and too many rest.
"Can I have this map, sir? Or maybe... buy it?" Harry asked.
"Oh, please, just take it," the old man chuckled. "It's been a long time since a traveler came to visit this town. A couple, nonetheless! Take it free as souvenir, please."
Harry winced. "'A couple'?"
The old man blinked. "Why, isn't that your girlfriend upstairs with you? The one you checked in with?"
"Er... no, sir, no. Actually..." Harry wanted to say that she's not his girlfriend, that she's actually his sister, but something inside his brain, part of which still remembered his dream last night, hold him.
"...Actually, no. She's not my girlfriend. Just... a best friend of mine."
"Oh, pardon me, then, my boy. Just some curiosity of an old man, pardon me..."
"You're not the first to think that we're couple, sir. Don't worry," Harry said, smiled politely.
Exactly that time, the blonde girl that was cleaning the bar before approaching the receptionist, and put down a mop on the table. She looked at Harry, and, out of the corner of his eyes, Harry saw her eyes widened a little.
Suddenly he got a weird feeling. Very weird.
"Bar is clean. I will go upstairs now," she said toward the old man.
"Of course, Tracey. Please check the balcony, though... John said that it was cracked two nights ago. After those party..."
"I will, Mr Jones. Excuse me," she said politely.
The old man, Mr Jones, smiled and nodded. Without taking another glance at Harry, that girl started walking toward the stairs. Harry frowned at her back, thinking that something was off here. He felt like he'd seen that girl before... He felt like he knew her... in some other place, maybe, not too long ago...
And his feelings usually never wrong in times like this.
"Sir, who is she?" Harry asked.
Mr Jones blinked. He looked at Harry for a second, then chuckled.
"She's Tracey Davis. She moved here about... three months ago," Mr Jones answered, smiling sadly to him. "Poor girl. She said she just graduated from high school, and, without family, she had to looking for new place to live. She came here one night, asked for a job and a room. Fortunately for her, and for me too, the old maid that had been worked here for years just passed away a day before. So I hired her, and she'd been living here since then. She said she was happy, and me too."
Tracey Davis...? Three months ago? "Sir, did she tell you which high school she went into?" Harry asked.
"She didn't tell the name. Although... She said that it was located in Scotland, if I'm not mistaken."
That's it. Merlin... "Thank you for the information and the map, sir. Excuse me," Harry said quickly. Without waiting for answer, he walked fast to the stairs, and started running.
How come I didn't realize it before? Harry increased his speed, finally reaching the upper floor. He just stepped into the hallway when a big ball of light rushing towards his face.
.
Reflexes came out fast, he pulled out his wand and cast a silent Protego. A white transparent dome conjured in front of him, taking the blow completely. The curse was deflected toward the wall, hit it with a big power. A car crash-like sound emanated loudly, shook the entire hallway.
Another balls of light came, and Harry didn't bother to deflect them. He cast his own curses, balls of light hit each other in the air.
More and more damage occurred, walls broken and doors blasted off. Harry knew that he's in the advantage, but his opponent stood too close to his room, where Anna was still inside. He had to end this fast.
Concentrating, he waved his wand in a straight line, and decided to use a more powerful spell.
"Deprimo!" he roared.
Thunderous sound was heard, shook the whole floor. A blue ball of light casted out of Harry's wand, striking the air straight toward his opponent, who quickly conjured a white protego shield. But it wasn't strong enough to hold those strong rock-fracturing spell. A sound like broken window was heard, and the next thing Harry saw was his opponent was blasted backward.
Running fast, Harry reached her even before she could took a breath after the fall. He kicked her wand aside, out of her reach, and looked at her furiously.
Tracey Davis, a half-blood Slytherin that he and Anna used to know in Hogwarts, looked back at him with eyes full of fear. Her breath ragged, wounds on her body, her blonde hair and her face was bleeding. Harry pointed his wand toward her face, trying to catch his own breath.
"Why?" he finally said.
She coughed. "He wants you, you know... the two of you."
Harry held his breath. 'He' wants them? 'Wants him and Anna? But... Who... Who the hell...
Then a dreadful realization came toward him. He ran to his room, leaving Tracey to bleed in the middle of hallway. She coughed again, more blood came out, but she was smiling. And Harry knew what would happened even before she said his name.
"Voldemort."
.
A/N:
I've said in the summary that this is a story about Harry and Anna Potter's last days. Took settings in 1997 Canon book. Then, I will not make this become just a cheesy-smutty incest fic. Seriously, I won't. And... finally... what do you think? Hit the 'Review this Chapter' below, and leave a feedback, if you don't mind. That will help me a lot ^^ Thanks!