Disclaimer: I own nothing belonging to J.K. Rowling.

Chapter Fourteen: Homecoming

I stopped and looked at Benjamin for several minutes before looking back at the open library doors," What should we do? We can't just leave her."

Benjamin sighed and crossed his arms," If only we'd know, I could have gotten permission before from mum and dad. I'm sure she could have stayed with us."

"Or with us…" I trailed off, looking at the doors and wishing there was more that could be done for the lonely girl.

"I don't think we have much of an option," Benjamin said, as we both saw out of the corner of our eyes, Professor McGonagall standing and watching, as if waiting for us to react. She knew where the both of them were supposed to be and, quite frankly, they were not where they were supposed to be.

I saw her lips open ever-so-slightly and before she could utter a word, the two of us were walking briskly toward her, appearing as though we were walking toward the train, but what she did not know was that the same question lingered in both of our minds. At the time, we may not have been aware of the other's thoughts, but as soon as we stopped in front of the emerald-robed lady, we knew our thought was shared.

"Professor," We said at nearly the same time. Slightly embarrassed, I glanced at Benjamin and nodded for him to continue.

Her eyes nearly bore holes into us as he spoke tentatively," Professor, we…well, we were just thinking-"

"Yes, Benjamin?" She asked, pursing her lips ever-so-slightly.

"Our friend, Anna, well, you see she's stuck her alone over Christmas break and we were just wondering if-" He asked, but lacking the confidence needed.

Immediately, I could tell the answer was written all over the older woman's face as she folded her arms over one another. She finished his sentence for him with a frown and shake of her head," I'm sorry to inform you, but Miss Anna will be staying here over break due to a specific request by her parents. Even if this was not in place, she would need both a letter from her parents and your parents allowing her to come with you. Now, I suggest that you hurry along to catch the train. You've not much time left."

I opened my mouth to argue with her, but she simply shook her head," Happy Christmas to the both of you."

Before I could argue further, I heard Charlie Weasley's voice coming from behind the two of us, calling joyfully for us to head on to the train along with many other Gryffindor members. I couldn't help but think of Anna, who, even though she may have acted cold toward me, did not deserve to be alone and unhappy. Hogwarts would have been a wonderful place to stay with companions, but being isolated was not my ideal vacation.

In the back of my mind was the sound of Anna's tears, but conversation with Benjamin and Holly kept the silence from eating away at me. We chatted about our families and plans that we all had for Christmas holiday. Holly was going to have a nice family celebration with her parents and, in all honesty, it sounded as though we were all going to be doing about the same thing, only in different places.

More than likely, Benjamin and me's paths would cross once or twice over break, but when the train pulled into King's Cross and the doors opened to the families waiting below, I said farewell to Holly in addition to all of the other new friends I had made during the first term. I stayed with Benjamin for a little while longer as we searched for our luggage together. Finding luggage in itself was a nightmare, but after both trunks were located, the search for our parents began.

All around, reunions were taking place and after stepping on several toes and pushing gently through several reunions, Mrs. Flockton appeared in the crowd, her tall and slender figure appearing head and shoulder over the others. As soon as her eyes laid on Benjamin, her face lit up as he quickened his pace and went to embrace his mother.

I watched, smiling as the two hugged and she kissed him right on the cheek, much to his displeasure. Moments after, she looked straight at me before waving me over. I found this to be strange, but continued on anyways, assuming that she simply wanted to say hello.

"Lana! How wonderful to see you too!" She exclaimed, pulling me into a quick hug before grabbing my trunk from my hand. "Your mother asked for me to bring you home. She said that your father and her had something…rather unexpected come up, but for you not to worry because they would be home in time for a welcome home dinner."

I stared into her eyes for a long moment before nodding, slowly processing her words. Of course, I acted as naturally as I could in response to this, but deep down I couldn't help but be tortured with the idea of what this "unexpected business" could be. Nevertheless, I assisted Benjamin in telling his mother all of our stories from first term and how exciting it was to finally be at Hogwarts. To the both of us, it was still so surreal.

The trip home seemed to fly by with our conversation going at the rate it was. All of our stories barely fit into the short trek from the station to Diagon Alley and then from Diagon Alley to the Floo Network. Before any of us realized it, we were standing in the Flockton residence.

"Lana, would you like any tea or scones before we go on over to your house?" His mother asked me, standing up straight from the fireplace as she grabbed the luggage and smoothed out her dress.

I shook my head and thanked her for the offer, but explained that I wished to go on home. She understood, of course, before walking through the kitchen and setting down Benjamin's trunks.

Just as she reentered into their living space, Benjamin looked at me once last time," Well, I suppose this is goodbye."

"For now," I grinned cordially before hugging him and then grabbing his mother's hand.

She looked down at me and I waved bye to my friend one last time before she confirmed that I was ready. One word sent us flying through the air, seemingly and as the confusion and contortion came to a stop, we were once again standing on my own home's front porch. My trunk in my hand, I dropped it down as I looked into the dark windows of my home. Strange that no one appeared to be home, but I did remember that they had "unexpected business." .

Mrs. Flockton looked equally baffled as I before jiggling the doorknob. Slowly and with a slight creak, the front door popped open. I looked up to her," Will you come in with me? Only for a moment-"

"Of course, darling," She answered, smiling at me reassuringly.

The house that I was walking into was most certainly not feeling like my home. It was dark and the furniture appeared to be scattered about, as if someone had been moving it about in a rush, or furry rather. I dropped my trunk on the ground as I heard a floorboard creak on the opposite side of the house, echoing to our ears.

"Lana, come back here," Mrs. Flockton whispered, grabbing my wrist and pulling me sharply behind her.

I stayed silent and obeyed as Mrs. Flockton crept forward, staying silent on her toes. In the silence, we heard a door crack open," Mary? Richard?" She called into the eerie silence.

We waited for several moments, waiting for an answer. However, little did we know that the answer we were to receive was not going to be one of the verbal sort, but of the charm sort rather.

As we came close to the corner, a man with scraggly hair and tattered clothing appeared from the hallway, pointing his wand directly at us. As if anticipating this, Mrs. Flockton pulled out her own wand at precisely the same moment and kept me pinned behind her back.

"Why are you here?" She demanded, a whole new tone of severity that I had never heard in her voice before.

The man leaned against the frame of the entryway, as if humored, before narrowing his eyes at her," Well…believe it or not, I was invited."

Mrs. Flockton's tone was doubtful," Where is Richard? He would not approve of this."

My mind was buzzing with all sorts of ideas and curiosities.

The man reared back and laughed heartily before saying," Dear Richard is away at work. And you are quite correct in saying that he would not approve of this, now aren't you? I do believe that you have failed to introduce his child to me."

I swallowed hard, realizing this was a direct reference to me. How would he know who I am? He doesn't even know me. I had never met this man before in my life. My heart was beating nearly out of my chest as I awaited Mrs. Flockton's response. Surely, she knew what she was doing.

"You haven't the honour of meeting her," She snarled back at him, keeping a tight clutch on my arm.

"Haven't the honour?" He asked in response, his tone very sharp. I peeked around her waist to see him take a step forward, still holding his wand high, but it was dropped slightly from where it had been before. As he came forward, his guard was down even more, but this was only for show as he reared up to shoot a spell at Mrs. Flockton. To my amazement, she pushed me to the ground as she answered this spell with one far above my knowledge of witchery. The scraggly man twitched once or twice before falling to the ground with a crash.

I looked in awe at Mrs. Flockton. Never again would I view her in the same pair of eyes that I had before. Quickly, she sprinted over to the window, as if oblivious to anything else and set her eyes directly on the cottage property directly across the street. I slowly pulled myself from the ground before asking her what the issue was.

"Mrs. Flockton?" I asked tentatively, but she merely shrugged me off as she pushed by me, in a state of fury as she pulled open the front door. Peering around the corner, I could see that a woman stood at the white fence that marked the end of our property.

Mrs. Flockton looked to be anything but happy to see this woman.

"Your daughter has just returned from school and this is the greeting you've got for her?" She screamed, storming out of the house to the front porch before continuing on the face this woman, whom I later recognized as a very disgruntled version of my mother. "What if I had allowed her to walk in there alone?"

I tried to stay as calm as I could as I approached the screen door, looking out to an infuriated Mrs. Flockton and a pale, gaunt mother, looking at her with rather dead eyes and frazzled hair. Her skin appeared as though it was sagging, strange for my mother who may not have been the most attractive woman in England, but she most certainly never looked as horribly as she did standing at the edge of our property.

"I do believe you are taking this out of proportion," My mother answered, her voice soft and a little dazed. "He would not have harmed her."

"He just now attempted to injure me, what would stop him from taking her down too?" Mrs. Flockton growled in a voice that I had never heard her use before.

Mother simply ignored her fury and looked past her to me, standing in the doorway at the confused scene behind a screen door. Appearing drugged of some sort, she waved and said lazily, "'Ello Darling!"

Tenderly, I raised my hand and waved back to her.

Mrs. Flockton literally grabbed my mother's chin and pushed her gaze directly into her own eyes, though I only saw the back of her, I could tell by her tone that she was just as angry as she had been before," Listen to me, Mary, if you involve that little girl with what you are doing-"

Mother jerked herself out of her grasp," With what I am doing? Please, if I had a choice, then do you not know that I would take it and leave forever? My foolish mother made a commitment to this plan. She made a commitment to him and I haven't a choice but to follow and finish what she couldn't finish because of her debility."

A silence hung in the air for a moment as Mrs. Flockton took a step back and my mother spoke once more and spat at her longtime friend," The Dark Lord is not a man with whom I wish to be in debt with."

It was the first time in a long time that I had heard him mentioned. Was he not dead? Was he not vanquished a long time ago?

Mrs. Flockton shook her head," He's dead, Mary. Why can't you-"

"Dead?" Mother yelled, for nearly all of the country to hear. "Are you suggesting that the voices that haunt me are just a figment of my imagination? Are you suggesting that, that snake is simply coincidence?"

She lowered her voice and looked at her with a crazed look, "He's found me and he won't leave until he's done what my mother promised."

Mrs. Flockton ran her hands through her hair before looking back at my eleven-year-old figure standing in the doorway. She shook her head, as if apologizing that I had to hear all of this. At that time, I hadn't the slightest of what was being mentioned, well I may have had some idea, but processing the idea that my mother was somehow linked to the Dark Lord was a thought that I refused to think.

It was not long before mother was storming by Mrs. Flockton's figure en route to me, as she walked past Mrs. Flockton she spat at her," Stay away from us. I want you to have nothing to do with my daughter."

Mrs. Flockton shook her head, hardly believing what she was hearing before yelling," Your daughter is in danger."

My heart nearly stopped beating as mother looked to me before stopping on the porch and looking back at Mrs. Flockton," From who?"

"You," She nearly whispered, tears coming to her eyes.

And with that, I had taken far too much for one setting. My mother may have been coming to the door, but I had turned, grabbed my trunk, and stormed to my bedroom, careful to step over the limp body laying on the floor.

A/N: So, maybe after this chapter you have a little bit of an idea as to what's going on with Lana's mother. Give me your thoughts! And predictions…that would be awesome. Thanks guys! I can honestly say from this point in the story, things get much more interesting.

Much love,

TennisQueen12