A/N: Thanks so much to everyone who's been reviewing, it means alot to know that you enjoy my fic. I hope you enjoyed Ootp and the seventh book! It may be over in JK's world, but not in the world of fan-fictioners everywhere! This was beta-ed by MissBubbles as usual and a tremendous thanks to her for it.
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. Sirius/OC.
The Complexities of the Heart
By katemary77
Chapter Seventeen
If tomorrow never comes,
I would want just one wish;
To kiss your quiet mouth,
Trace the steps with my fingertips.
And it's you,
The light changes when you're in the room
Oh, it's you.
- It's You, Michelle Branch
Anna awoke to a sharp pain in her chest. Across from her, Sirius' side of the bed was empty. Jumping up, she threw on some clothes and raced downstairs to the kitchen where she found a room full of Weasleys, Harry and Sirius.
"What happened?"
Six heads turned in her direction.
"Arthur was attacked on duty; he was bitten by a snake. Harry saw it in a dream," Sirius said. "He's at St. Mungo's now."
Harry saw it in a dream. Anna, remembering what Hermione had told her weeks ago in a letter, heard warning bells go off in her head.
"We've got to go," Ginny said urgently, "Sirius, can you lend us cloaks or something?"
"Hang on, you can't go tearing off to St. Mungo's!" Sirius said, Anna nodding beside him.
"I know you want to go and see him; he's your father," Anna said, cutting off Fred, who had opened his mouth to speak, "But we can't risk anybody finding out about Harry's dreams. Please," she beseeched, splaying her hands plaintively, "Please wait until we hear from your mother."
Anna's words seemed to have some effect for while Fred and George still looked mutinous, Ginny sunk wearily into the nearest chair and dropped her head on the table. The others followed suit.
"I'll get some Butterbeer," Sirius said, taking out his wand.
"No, don't," Anna interrupted, shooting Sirius a significant look. "I'll make some tea."
Anna moved to the kitchen bench, brushing a hand over Ginny's hair as she passed. The girl looked up and smiled weakly.
"Harry, will you help me," Anna asked softly and the boy, after a moment's hesitation, nodded and got up from the table.
"What do you want me to do?" he said in an equally quiet voice.
"Boil the water," she answered, reaching into the cupboard for her pot of herbs and a jar of honey. "Harry," she began quietly, "You don't have to tell me, but how did you see the dream?"
"What do you mean?" came the response.
"From what perspective, what point of view?" Anna said, unknowingly repeating the question Albus Dumbledore had asked not an hour ago.
Harry looked over his shoulder at the Weasleys before answering: "I suppose I was going to tell Sirius anyway; I saw it from the snake's point of view. I – I was the snake."
"You're sure?" Anna asked sharply.
Harry nodded.
Anna, hands shaking, infused the tea with a sense of calm before serving it up.
"Thank you, Harry," she said quietly as she passed him.
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Anna sighed as she lay her head down on Sirius' lap. It was around midday and she and Sirius had just seen the kids off to St. Mungo's to visit Mr. Weasley.
"Headache?" Sirius asked and Anna made a sound of confirmation. Her headache seemed to dissipate after a while though as Sirius ran his hands through her hair, massaging her temples and neck alternately.
"Thank you, that's wonderful," she murmured, feeling that this would be the perfect place for a nap. Sirius' next words woke her up abruptly, though.
"Harry told me this morning that he thinks he's going mad – when he looked at Dumbledore his scar burned and he felt that snake inside him, he wanted to attack the Headmaster!"
Anna sat upright, wincing as her head protested against the sudden movement.
"Are you sure that's what he said?"
Sirius nodded and Anna rubbed her hand across her forehead, saying, "I didn't realise things were this bad."
"What do you mean?"
"Do you remember what Hermione told me?"
Sirius nodded; "Yeah, all that cryptic stuff about Harry's scar making him feel emotions like an Empath does – Voldemort's emotions. You think that's what happened?"
"Sirius, Dumbledore is always saying that Harry and Voldemort share a link. That link has only grown stronger now that Voldemort has a body again. Do you know what Legilimancy is, Sirius?"
"What, like reading minds?" he asked.
Anna shook her head, a tad impatiently.
"The mind isn't a book to be opened and read at will, Sirius," she said. "It's a little more complex than that."
"But you think Voldemort is using this on Harry?"
Anna frowned; "I don't understand how. Time and space and eye contact are all fundamental to Legilimancy, I don't see how he's doing it. It must be the link between them."
"So what can we do?"
"Tell Dumbledore. Now."
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"…And so when the Slytherins trudge into breakfast the next morning with red and gold striped hair, Lily stands up – in front of everyone, mind you – points at James and shouts, 'I knew you were up to something, James Potter! Thinking of dying your hair blonde, my foot!' and we had detention for the next week!"
Anna smirked as the twins, Ginny and Ron erupted into laughter. Sirius had been regaling them with stories of his youth since the beginning of dinner, trying to keep their minds of their father. Surprisingly, Molly hadn't told him to stop giving the twins ideas; she must've recognised that Sirius was only trying to help.
"Here."
Anna jumped back to reality. Harry was in front of her, holding out a pile of dessert dishes he had collected from the table.
"Oh, thanks."
Anna took them from him and plunged the dirty plates into the hot soapy water.
"Why do you do it the Muggle way?" he asked, nodding his head towards the kitchen sink where Anna was washing up.
She shrugged.
"I don't know, really." She gave him a sheepish smile. "Guess it helps me relax."
"Do you want a hand?"
"You don't want to listen to Sirius' tales of Marauding?"
Harry smiled a bit; "Nah, I've heard all these ones before. Sirius made sure of that."
Anna beat down the rush of love she felt for the man.
"Sure, I'd love a hand."
They continued in silence for a while, both half-heartedly listening to Sirius tell some ridiculous story about turning the Hogwart's Staff Room pink and flowery for Valentine's Day, with Remus interjecting to correct him every couple of minutes.
"Here you go, last one," Anna said eventually, handing Harry a pot to dry. As the blackened pot changed hands, Anna caught a glimpse of faint scarring on the back of his hand.
"What's this?" she said, grasping his hand and letting the pot drop back into the basin.
I must not tell lies.
Anna's eyes widened.
"Is that what she's making you do?" Anna hissed, sounding angrier than she had intended. "Write lines with a Blood Quill?"
Harry snatched his hand back.
"Forget about it."
"Harry, why haven't you told Dumbledore about this?"
"What would he care?" Harry snapped. "He doesn't even look me in the eye anymore."
He turned and stormed back to the table, stony expression in place. Anna looked at him helplessly for a moment before Sirius caught her eye, silently questioning what had happened.
She waved him off. She would tell him later.
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Later that night, after Sirius had been sapped of all the stories he could think of and the kids had gone upstairs, Sirius sat beside Anna in the kitchen with Professor Dumbledore and, much to Sirius' displeasure, Severus Snape.
Anna had just concluded what Hermione had told her about Harry's scar.
"And of course the boy didn't think to tell anyone about this?" Snape said with a sneer.
"No, he didn't," Anna replied. "And personally, I don't blame him. We aren't giving him much reason to trust us." Sirius was surprised at the level of hostility in Anna's voice and it seemed Snape was as well.
"Anna," the dour Potions Master began, "You shouldn't speak to the Headmaster that way – "
"No, I should," Anna interrupted firmly. "It's not going to be you or me or Professor Dumbledore who gets rid of Voldemort. It's going to be that boy. And keeping him in the dark for his 'safety' isn't going to keep him safe at all; it's going to drive him further away."
"Anna, we have already spoken on this matter and you know my opinion of it," the Headmaster said.
"Yes, you will continue to treat him like a child," Anna replied resignedly, "And it will be on your conscious when it all goes wrong."
Dumbledore sighed.
"Nevertheless, that is not what we are here to discuss. When Voldemort discovers the link between Harry and himself – as I'm sure he did the other night – the only way for Harry to keep Voldemort from is mind will be Occlumancy. Severus, you will have to teach him."
"What? Why can't somebody else?" Sirius demanded, holding out a hand when Anna leant forward, probably to rebuke him. "I know Snape and I are supposed to be civil and all that, but you can't be serious," he said to Dumbledore. "Snape hates Harry! How in Merlin's name could that go over well? Why can't you teach him?"
"Because," Anna spoke quietly, "if Voldemort really is in Harry's mind, then Albus being in any close proximity to Harry could make the connection even more pronounced. That last thing we want is to give Voldemort a reason to possess Harry." Anna bit her lip. "Albus... I could do it. I could teach Harry."
Sirius, if it were possible, sat up even straighter in his chair; "You're an Occlumens?"
Anna nodded; "It's a lot easier for Empaths to learn things like Occlumency and Legilimancy. I can already sense what's going on with the people around me and it's just one step further to look into their minds. But I could teach him."
Dumbledore sighed.
"I won't deny that the thought had entered my mind, but it is too dangerous for you to tutor Harry, just as it is for I to do it. Besides, you would have to visit the school and your presence would raise questions from Dolores Umbridge that I do not believe I could quench at this time." He sighed again and suddenly looked older than Sirius had ever seen him. "It will not be long, I believe, until Fudge moves to take over Hogwarts."
The old wizard gazed tiredly around the room.
"So, I'm afraid, Severus teaching Harry is our only option."
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Even later on that night, Anna lay sprawled boneless across Sirius chest. It was cold and the bed coverings were only pulled up to her hips but the heat of Sirius' skin and the fire he ignited with the fingers that were idly trailing up and down her side kept her warm.
"So what'd you get me for Christmas?" he murmured.
Anna rolled her eyes though she knew he couldn't see them.
"You're supposed to wait until Christmas day, Sirius," she replied with the tone of someone explaining something very complicated to a very young child. With a chuckle he rolled her over onto her back and buried his face in her neck, gently nuzzling her skin with his teeth before settling down with his head on her breast. His arms went round her stomach and her hands went to his hair, playing with the dark locks.
"Give me a clue?"
Anna laughed.
"It's round. What about mine?"
"Hey, I never said I'd give you a clue."
He grunted when she tugged on his hair.
"Alright, alright. It's…" he traced his hand over her skin, "…soft." She felt him grin into her skin when she squirmed. "I want another clue!"
Anna snorted; "No, you have to wait until Christmas."
Sirius smiled and nodded, relaxing into Anna's arms. Soon, he was asleep. She watched him for a while, her fingers still moving through his thick hair, before she too joined him in slumber.
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Anna woke late the next morning to a rich baritone floating through the house. Confused – Grimmauld Place wasn't usually the setting of a musical – she gathered her robe around her and ventured into the hallway from which point she followed the handsome voice into the third floor sitting room.
Anna burst out laughing.
Remus and the Weasleys were busy cleaning and putting up Christmas decorations. It wasn't this that made her laugh, though; it was Sirius who, in the Christmas spirit, had donned a red Christmas hat and a long, scraggly white beard.
He looked ridiculous.
"A glimpse into the future," Remus said from where he had snuck up beside her. He gestured to the white beard. "This is what he'll look like in fifty years. Run, Anna." He gave a conspiratorial wink. "Run as fast as you can."
"Oi!" Sirius cried, "I heard that!" He hurried over at once and greeted Anna with a big, sloppy kiss, scratching her with his new beard.
"Ugh, you're all itchy!"
Sirius grinned, said, "I know," and came after her again but Anna shrieked and jumped away, wagging her finger.
"Oh no you don't!" She stood behind a smirking Remus and used him as if he were a shield.
"Moony, old buddy," Sirius said seriously, though Anna had a hard time not laughing when his beard moved with his words, "Mate, if you know what's good for you…"
Remus raised his hands in the universal symbol of surrender.
"I'm not getting in the middle of you two."
"Traitor!" Anna hissed, keeping her eyes firmly on Sirius as he advanced forward. Suddenly he lunged, but Anna was too quick for him and all that was left of her was her dressing gown whipping out the door and her laughter echoing down the hall.
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Anna stared idly into her coffee mug. She was in the basement kitchen, half-heartedly listening to Sirius, who was now upstairs singing 'Perry the Pink-Nosed Puffskein.' Molly would be getting dinner ready soon and the Weasley kids were all upstairs, discussing various ways to get Harry out of hiding.
The Gryffindor hadn't spoken to anyone all day and had only retreated further upstairs when Molly had gently called him down to lunch. Most of the Weasleys had looked to her for an explanation and Anna had simply shrugged.
"Maybe he just needs sometime alone."
In truth, she knew that what Harry needed was a good talking to but she and the Weasleys were not the people for the job and Sirius was in too good a mood at having guests for Christmas for her to spoil him with new worries. Anna sighed and gave her coffee a lazy stir.
At that moment, like an answer to her unspoken prayers, the doorbell rung.
Leaving her rapidly cooling coffee on the table, Anna bounded up the stairs and shoved the blinds hanging on either side of Mrs. Black's portrait closed, cutting off the horrible woman mid-wail. Once that was done, she turned and opened the door revealing a young girl, hair curling madly under a winter cap and cheeks tinted pink from the cold.
"Hermione!" Anna exclaimed, grasping the girl by the shoulder to pull her inside. "Come in, come in, it's freezing out there!"
"Hi, Anna," Hermione said, pulling her cap off and causing more hair to burst out wildly. "Professor Dumbledore told me what happened; is Mr. Weasley alright?"
Anna smiled; "Arthur is going to be fine but he'll be in St. Mungo's for a while. But what are you doing here, Hermione? I thought you were going to Switzerland with your parents."
Hermione shrugged.
"I don't really like skiing anyway and when I heard about what happened I wanted to be here for – " Hermione blushed.
"For Ron?" Anna finished with a sly grin.
Hermione scowled, "And for Harry too."
Anna chuckled lightly and said, "Well, thank Merlin you are here, Hermione. Harry's secluded himself upstairs; he hasn't been down all day. I think you need to go and talk some sense into him."
Hermione gave a firm nod.
"I'll go and drop my things off, say hi to the Weasleys and get right on it."
She'd reached the stairs before she turned and walked back to Anna, engulfing the older woman in a hug.
"It's good to see you, Anna."
Anna grinned and ruffled Hermione's already-ruffled hair.
"You too, Hermione, now get going! We can't have Christmas without Harry!"
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A couple of minutes later, Hermione had kicked some sense into Harry and they were walking down from the attic to his room. As they passed the empty sitting room, Harry peeked around and dragged Hermione in, shutting the door behind them.
"You're not going to ask me out again, are you Harry?" Hermione inquired slyly.
Remembering the last time he had quietly taken Hermione aside at Grimmauld Place, Harry smirked and answered with an emphatic, "No!"
Hermione pouted and traced a pretend tear down her cheek with her finger, "That hurts, Harry." Harry mock-glared and she grinned. "Okay, okay, what's the problem?"
Now that he had her here to ask the question that had been bothering him for a while, Harry wasn't sure he wanted to go through with it.
"Um…"
"Yes, Harry?" Hermione prodded, a trifle impatiently.
"Do you ever think that there might be something weird about Anna?" he asked finally, in a rush.
Instead of righteously berating him, as Harry had expected, Hermione frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"Something's… not right about her."
"You don't think she's a Death Eater, do you?" Hermione said sharply, simultaneously alarmed and incredulous.
"No… my scar doesn't hurt when I'm around her but I feel… hyper-aware of it or something. Does that make sense?" Hermione nodded. "And why is she here, anyway? I mean, I know she's part of the Order but why does she live here instead of her own house? And why can't she leave?"
"I don't know, Harry," Hermione answered and the spark of longing for new knowledge entered her eyes, "But I'll find out."
A/N: Don't forget to review!