A/N: Ah! Majorly sorry for the extended wait, my beta reader (the lovely MissBubbles) is really busy with school at the moment and her computer crashed... I currently have a thing about not updating until it's beta read. Hopefully it's not such a long wait for the next chapter. Please review! Let me know you're still reading.
Summary: Lost and sick in the middle of nowhere, Sirius falls into the hands of a woman whose secrets will tie inextricably into the fate of his godson. What will happen when he finds himself attracted to this strange witch?
The Complexities of the Heart
By katemary77
Chapter Eleven
Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved.
- William Jennings Bryan
"Something's wrong."
Sirius turned to Anna; "What do you mean?"
"I haven't seen Albus this worried in a long time," she confided, looking around the kitchen. Dumbledore had called an emergency Order meeting and was now conversing quietly with Minerva McGonagall while they waited for more to arrive. A few people would be absent for this meeting, however, as a team had just left to retrieve Harry from Privet Drive.
"What if it's Severus?" Anna suddenly burst out. "What if Voldemort's found out about him?" The sudden horror that seemed to hold Anna in its grasp shocked Sirius for a moment.
"Don't you think Dumbledore would've told you?" Sirius reasoned, taking her hand and trying to calm her. "It must be something else."
"You're right," she conceded, but still let out a great gasp of relief when Snape entered the room. The severe man approached her and seemed somewhat shocked when Anna threw her arms around him in a tight embrace.
"What's wrong?" Snape asked, somewhat hesitantly returning her hug, aware he was being watched.
Anna stepped back and looked him over.
"Albus was worried. I thought for a second…"
"Ah," Snape said in understanding. "Don't worry, Anna, I'm fine."
"Do you know why he called the meeting?"
Snape gave a short nod. Sirius noted that even the implacable Potions Master looked unnerved.
"You know much of it already, Anna," he told her and her brow furrowed even more. Snape sighed. "Sit down, Anna, I'm sure the Headmaster will make everything clear."
Snape looked to Sirius and gave a nod in greeting.
"Black."
Sirius, who had resigned to be at least a little civil to Snape – if only for Anna's sake and sanity – returned the greeting. The surly professor turned and joined Dumbledore and McGonagall.
It seemed Snape had been the last to arrive, for as soon as he joined his fellow Professors at the front of the room, Dumbledore shut the door and sealed the room with Silencing Charms – strong ones, Sirius realised. He didn't want anyone listening it.
Dumbledore stood. He looked aged and grim. With a deep-seated sigh, he addressed the group; "I've called you all here today on such short notice because a very serious issue as been brought to my attention. Only this morning, our spy within Lord Voldemort's ranks," – a shudder moved through the room, some heads turning in Snape's direction, – "was told of Voldemort's current desire; something we cannot allow him to achieve. This is a matter of grave importance and this information cannot be allowed to leave this room."
Dumbledore looked to Anna for a moment here and it seemed to Sirius that she gave a small nod.
"Sixteen years ago, a prophecy was made to me," Dumbledore continued, and Sirius felt his heart leap into his mouth. "This prophecy spoke of 'one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord .' This prophecy spoke of Harry Potter."
A gasp slid through the room and Dumbledore nodded gravely.
"That is why Lily and James Potter were killed fifteen years ago. One of Lord Voldemort's servants heard the prophecy and on the basis of the eavesdropper's information, Voldemort attacked Harry. But, Voldemort only knew the first half. Now that he has risen, he is seeking to obtain a full recording of the prophecy; he is seeking to find the knowledge of how to destroy Harry Potter. We cannot allow this to happen."
"But aren't prophecy's protected?" Kingsley Shacklebolt asked. "I thought they were in the Department of Mysteries."
Dumbledore nodded.
"They are. Prophecies can only be lifted from the Hall of Prophecy by those they refer to."
"So only Harry or You-Know-Who," Arthur confirmed.
Dumbledore nodded again.
"This is why we need to begin guarding the Department. It is imperative that we do not let Lord Voldemort have this prophecy, for in having the prophecy he would have the knowledge of how to destroy Harry Potter, and then, all hope would be lost."
In the grave silence that followed Dumbledore's announcement, a group of witches and wizards led by Remus Lupin trudged wearily into the room.
"He's here," Moody declared. "We didn't have any problems."
Sirius let out a great sigh of relief and moved towards Remus as the werewolf sat beside him.
"Well?" he asked urgently in an undertone, no longer needing to pay attention to Dumbledore, as the old mage was discussing guarding the Hall of Prophecy. "How is he? Is he okay?"
"He's fine, Sirius," Remus told him tiredly.
"He's angry," Anna corrected. "Really angry… wow."
It was true. Sirius could hear shouts and yells drifting down the old, rickety stairs and into the kitchen.
"Merlin," Anna said, "Did his Dad have a temper?"
Remus shook his head.
"Only when you really provoked him. It was Lily you had to watch out for."
"Well, she must've passed the good genes on."
Sirius winced; "I almost feel sorry for Ron and Hermione."
"Just be glad it isn't you he's taking his frustration out on," Remus supplied.
"Fair enough, though," Anna sighed and elaborated when Remus and Sirius motioned her to. "Harry's just witnessed something terrible, Voldemort coming back and a classmate being killed, and then we go and lock him up in a place he hates… I'd be angry too."
Belatedly, Sirius realised that the Order meeting was being wrapped up.
"That should be all for this evening," Dumbledore was saying. "Thank you again for coming on such short notice." The Headmaster walked over to the small group of Grimmauld Place residents. "There's something more that I wanted to say to you," he began. "Harry, no doubt, is going to want to know about what is going on here, about what Voldemort is doing and what we are doing to stop him. I must stress the importance of not telling Harry any more than what he needs to know. It is in his best interests – "
"Are you sure, Albus?" Anna interrupted and Sirius stared at her. It was unlike the young witch to challenge Dumbledore. "He's been stuck at a place he hates for the last month with no proper connection with the Wizarding World. Wouldn't keeping him in the dark just make him angry? Drive him away? If we don't tell him anything now, he's not going to tell us anything when it really counts."
"We will only tell Harry what he needs to know," Dumbledore said firmly.
Anna frowned.
"Are you going to speak to him?"
The Headmaster shook his head; "No, there is something else I have to take care of this evening."
Anna didn't say anything else, but it was obvious she didn't approve. She turned to Sirius as Dumbledore moved away. She looked at him intently and began speaking; "I don't trust Albus' judgement on this, not at all. He's forgotten what it's like to be young. Sirius, Harry needs to know that we're not all against him. He's going to be lonely and confused and he's not going to understand."
Sirius nodded.
"He needs a friend," he concluded.
"No, he needs a godfather."
--------------------
"Shut up, you horrible old hag, shut UP!"
Harry turned with a start. A tall, lean man with shoulder-length black hair was running past him, towards the shrieking portrait. Harry watched as his godfather and Remus hauled the curtains closed with what seemed considerable effort.
"Hello, Harry. I see you've met my mother."
"You're – "
"My dear old mum, yeah," he confirmed. "We've been trying to get her down for a month but we think she put a Permanent Sticking Charm on the back of the canvas."
Harry felt Sirius' eyes study him. He knew his was skinnier, more drawn than the last time he had seen the Animagus and hoped Sirius wasn't about to start coddling him like Mrs. Weasley always did. Instead, Sirius said a gruff, "C'mere," and pulled Harry into a one-armed hug.
"But why is there a portrait of your mum here?" Harry asked, returning the gesture with a warm grin.
Sirius stepped back from him and ruffled his already messy hair. "Didn't Ron and Hermione tell you? This was my parent's old place, and as I'm the last Black I offered it to Dumbledore and the Order. It's about the only useful thing I've been able to do," he finished in a mutter. "In here."
Harry followed his godfather into a dark, gloomy kitchen. After Mr. Weasley had said a vigorous hello, Harry was guided by Sirius to a chair at the table.
"Sit down, Harry. You've met Mundungus, haven't you?"
Harry nodded, greeting the grubby thief.
"And this is Anna."
Harry's eyes were drawn to the woman standing beside Sirius' chair.
"Hello, Harry," she said, smiling.
"Nice to meet you," the boy replied. She was pretty, he decided, in the same way that Hermione was pretty; on first glance she seemed quite plain but every time he looked back she got prettier and prettier.
"She's living here as well," Sirius informed. "But be careful around her, Harry," he continued in a stage whisper, "She grew up with Snape."
Harry felt his brow raise as Anna rolled her eyes.
"Yes, and she's been the source of you two finally growing up and stopping with your bloody bickering," Remus remarked wryly. "I think we all owe Anna congratulations. Never thought I'd see the day…"
"You're being nice to Snape?" Harry asked incredulously.
"Not nice," Sirius huffed. "Just civil. Makes things… easier," he finished, sharing a significant look with Anna. Harry watched the witch smile and place a hand on Sirius' shoulder to steady herself as she sat down beside him. He noted the casual touch and stored it for further examination later.
Before he knew it, dinner was over and Sirius was gazing at him with a shrewd, unblinking stare.
"You know, I'm surprised at you," Sirius began. "I thought the first thing you'd do when you got here would be to start asking questions about Voldemort."
"I did!" said Harry, a little bit indignant; of course he had wanted to know! "I asked Ron and Hermione but they said we're not allowed in the Order so – "
"And they're quite right. You're too young!" Mrs. Weasley interrupted.
And then a fight was breaking out between Mrs. Weasley and Sirius. Harry's head swung back and forth between the two as if he was watching a tennis match.
"He's not a member of the Order!" Mrs. Weasley was saying. "He's only fifteen and – "
"And he's dealt with as much as most of the Order and more than some!" Sirius defended.
Mrs. Weasley took a great breath to continue her tirade but was stopped by a soft voice to Sirius' right.
"Which means he has a right to know, Molly," Anna said. "We're not attacking you and we all know that you have Harry's best interests at heart." Anna's gaze turned to Harry and he started at how it seemed she was looking right through him. "But I think it's in Harry's best interest to be told what's going on. Albus will trust my judgement. I know what he said before, but he was wrong."
But what was most surprising to Harry was Mrs. Weasley's reaction to this speech. Instead of arguing as Harry had expected, her mouth tightened with knowledge of defeat and she sat.
"Very well. But you can answer to Dumbledore, Anna, when he hears about this."
The younger woman nodded.
"I intend to."
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Harry trudged up the stairs with Ron and Hermione, his brain still filled with what Sirius and the others had told him.
"Wow," Ron breathed. Harry agreed, but he was still aching to know about the 'weapon' that Mrs. Weasley had prevented them knowing more about. "I wonder why Dumbledore doesn't want you to know anything?"
"So do I," Harry answered. At least, he thought, I'm not the only one angry at Dumbledore. Sirius and Anna don't seem to like him too much at the moment. "I wonder why Anna is so angry at Dumbledore," he voiced aloud. "I mean, I know why Sirius is – because he's stuck here – but what about her?"
"She's stuck here too," Hermione answered. "Anna didn't tell me why but I gather she's in some sort of danger if she leaves."
"Maybe Voldemort is looking for her," Harry pondered, ignoring Ron's flinch.
"It was pretty cool how Mum just listened to her like that," Ron said. "I've never seen her back down in a fight like that before."
"Why did she?" Harry asked. He'd been wondering this all night.
"Anna's an Empath," Hermione answered promptly.
"An Empath? What's that?"
Harry shared a small grin with Ron as Hermione got herself into Professor Mode.
"Well, there are many different types of wizards and witches, right? Like Metamorphmagi, Animagi, Occlumens, Legilimens… people who are particularly apt in a particular area of magic. Empaths are like Metamorphmagi; born, not made." As they reached Ron and Harry's room, Ron pushed open the door and allowed Hermione to enter first. "Oh, er, thanks," she said, and continued a little hazily with her lecture. "Empaths can feel people's emotions, Harry. That's probably the most succinct explanation. All the time, they feel what everyone else is feeling. There are even Empaths in the Muggle world, Anna told me, psychologists."
"Really?" Harry asked, surprised.
Hermione nodded, settling herself on Ron's bed beside the ginger-haired boy.
"Empaths are actually more common than one would think. There are different levels, you see. The highest Empaths can even affect people like a Dementor can."
Harry shuddered.
"Can Anna do that?"
Hermione paused thoughtfully for a moment.
"I'm not too sure. Her mother died before she was fully trained, so I doubt it."
"Don't you remember though?" Ron interrupted. "That night when Snape came to dinner and he and Anna had a fight? That whole week after this place was terrible!"
It looked as if a light had just gone on in Hermione's head.
"Oh yeah!" she said to Ron. "I hadn't realised that. But that probably wasn't intentional. Well, I should go to bed," she finished. "Don't stay up too late talking!"
With a final goodbye, Hermione turned and left the room. Harry looked at Ron.
"Well."
--------------------
Sirius and Anna were having a similar conversation in Sirius' room, sprawled across his bed.
"So that's Harry Potter," she breathed. "You know, I'm quite impressed."
"How's that?"
"Well." She looked thoughtful for a moment, resting her chin in her palm. "After having so much happen to him I didn't expect him to be so… well, normal, to be honest. But then he's not normal is he?" she asked. "I mean, there's just something…"
"Yeah," Sirius agreed. "He's pretty amazing, hey."
"Yeah," Anna agreed, then giggled. "We sound like love struck teenagers. 'There's just something about Harry! Oh, he's so intense!'"
"Anna!" Sirius playfully pushed and she pushed back. Growling, he climbed atop her, using one hand to pin her wrists above her head and the other to tickle her mercilessly.
"Ah! Get off me you great oaf!" she cried between gasps for breath and laughs. She was beautiful like this, Sirius thought. With a smile in her eyes and warmth in her cheeks she changed from pretty to simply stunning. Sirius' grip on her slacked and he bent down, catching her up in a kiss. The kiss, starting sweet and soft, soon turned hot and breathless, as if there was fire passing from lips to tongue. Without separating their lips, Sirius managed to manoeuvre them until Sirius was kneeling on the bed, Anna wrapped around him, his arms holding her tight against him. After deftly removing her top, Sirius moved his lips from her hot mouth to her neck and trailed kisses down her collarbone, revelling in her whispers and moans.
"Sirius," she said, eventually, as if it took great willpower, "Sirius, you know I can't sleep with you."
"Not ever?"
She smiled against him. "No 'not ever'. Just not tonight."
Sirius pulled back a bit and examined her. She wasn't teasing, he knew, he was just moving faster than she was used to. When he was younger – before Azkaban – Sirius had moved from a slow smile to a soft touch to a kiss and a shag in the blink of an eye, but it had never meant anything; he had never wanted it to mean anything. But now, with this soft woman in front of him, Sirius found himself surprised. It couldn't not mean anything anymore; it had to mean something, because he wanted it to. He wanted this to go somewhere. Sirius wanted lust and mutual attraction to merge and move into something he hadn't experienced before, into uncharted territory.
He wanted to love this woman.
He didn't yet, but Sirius knew he could. It was only a matter of time. And when the time was right, she would come to him.
A/N: Please review!