Here it is! On time, as promised! Hope you like it! Please review!
The only sound that broke the utter silence was that of a wooden dummy being destroyed and remade. Colourful curses lit up the dark Chamber as they flew one after the other a the human-like figure; sickly green, freezing blue, bloody red and other more nauseating colours bathed everything. The piercing cold of the Chamber of Secrets -apparently the warming spells had died out as soon as the snake did- didn't affect her as she kept her body moving swiftly, gracefully, dangerously close to lethal. Anna's breath erupted in harsh puffs and she no longer noticed the disgusting smell of rotting basilisk flesh.
She stepped to the left and twisted her wrist in a screwing motion towards herself and with her hand a large chunk of wood left the dummy's abdomen, representing flesh. A grimace formed itself on her face.
"Reducto" she snapped and then ducked away from the flying slivers of wood.
Less than a second later it was whole again and staring at her from the shadows.
While she admitted that it was useful, the fact that no matter what she did to it, it became whole again was incredibly frustrating. This wasn't what she needed. She needed something to keep her occupied, something to keep her mind from wandering to the stadium. Something to make her forget the First Task that was taking place.
Anna let her knees buckle and she fell to the wet floor. The cold water seeped through the layers of fabric and reached her skin, making goosebumps appear. However, she didn't notice the cold, not even when the temperature was so low she could see her breath rising in thick clouds. There was a bitter taste in her mouth, and if it was caused by guilt then no-one needed to know.
Absentmindedly she clenched and unclenched her hands, the muscles complaining desperately after hours of use. She'd been down here since dawn, and she'd skipped breakfast, but that wasn't important right now. Anything to get away. Maybe she was hiding, so what? So, she had been irresponsible. Magic depletion was rare, but it always got you when you least needed it and made your body give out. She felt it coming; she felt her core clenching and unclenching, trying to keep up with the large demand of her curses and her stomach rumbled and echoed in the empty Chamber.
She needed food. She needed rest. It was late afternoon by now and everyone would be back. Theoretically speaking, there was nothing holding her back from going up. Yet when she stood up both her body and mind screamed in protest.
But she swallowed and headed out. She'd gotten out of here two years ago with a horcrux forcing its way into her body, she'd be damned if she'd let own guilt trap her down here. Never. She had more pride than that.
The second she stepped into the common room, she was assaulted by a barrage of delicious smells, obviously coming from the pile of food in the center of the room. A few of the Slytherins had won the bets and decided to up their images in the house, apparently.
Without saying a word she walked over and grabbed a pastry, then she turned and looked around. Her friends were sitting in their usual corner, talking animatedly. They hadn't noticed her yet. Good. If they saw her they would draw her to them, insisting that she sit with them and talk to them and hear how the Task went. She wanted to be alone for a while. She didn't want to hear anything about the Tournament.
Anna took a bite of the pastry, finally giving in to the fierce roaring of her stomach, and grabbed another one. She hurriedly walked to her room, avoiding the eyes of anyone who would try to strike up a conversation.
Once there, she lay down on the bed and finished her food quickly. Clearly, she had underestimated the size of her appetite, but she didn't feel like going back out. Anna clenched her teeth and ignored the hunger, kicking off her shoes and sitting up.
With as few movements as possible she stripped until she was left in her underwear and took off all the make up on her face. Then she grabbed an old shirt she had kept from her time in the orphanage. It had belonged to a boy that lived there and he'd left it behind when he'd left when he turned 18. It was still too large for her and she'd never worn it. She had no idea why she kept it, but now she put it on instead of the pristine white sleeping gown that lay on her pillow.
It smelled like the orphanage, like mothballs and dust and cooking and the sweat of many different children. It smelled unclean and worn but somehow it relaxed her. Anna didn't want to dwell on the implications of that.
Neither did she wan't to think about why exactly she grabbed the pillow and blankets from her bed and dragged them to a corner, but she was way too tired to keep her eyes open as she let herself fall to the floor. She was asleep before her head hit the pillow.
After having craftily avoided her friends' questions the next morning, Anna refilled her painfully empty stomach at the breakfast table. She was only dimly aware of the conversation going on (she had insisted that they not talk about the Tournament, to which they had confusedly agreed), as it was about the following classes.
To her right, Theo kept making disgruntled sounds at whatever they were talking about, and to her left, Draco was complaining about something or another. To no one's surprise.
Anna swallowed the third piece of toast and started smearing jam on another, while stirring her second cup of tea. She was still hungry, but her core had somehow settled, not that she felt much of it, having drank a dose of potion not ten minutes ago. It had gotten to a point in which the dose had to be thrice as potent as in her first year. Still, she wasn't particularly bothered as she busied herself with chewing and eating and shoveling more food into her mouth.
Ever once in a while one of her friends would cast her worried glances, but she kept her head lowered. That is, until Pansy let out an outraged yell.
"Stunningly pretty? Her?!" Her voice sounded and she displayed the Daily Prophet's front page.
In a corner was a heart-shaped picture in which Potter and Granger were hugging. Beside that was another photograph of Krum looking disgruntled.
Anna raised an eyebrow and kept chewing, observing the proceedings.
"What does it say?" Daphne asked from her seat by Theo.
"It says everything I told her to say, of course," Pansy snapped. "But I told her specifically to say Granger was plain. It makes the story all that much likely! That damned woman is journalist, for Merlin's sakes, she should know what moves the audience more!"
She let a fuming breath and folded the newspaper.
"Wait, a love-triangle?" Blaise questioned, looking over Pansy's shoulder.
"Yes. You used Skeeter against Hagrid, I'm using her against Granger." The girl sniffed. "What about it?"
Blaise shrugged. "No one here at Hogwarts will believe it. She's far too awkward when it comes to the opposite gender. Besides, they all think Anna's the one playing with boy's hearts."
Anna scowled but kept eating.
"And who's fault is that, Blaise?" Theo asked, raising his eyebrows pointedly at his friend.
Blaise grinned impishly. "I'm merely using my power over the masses to keep them listening to me. Anna shouldn't make it so damn easy."
At this, Anna swallowed and glared at Blaise. "Victim blamer."
A snicker rose up from Draco. "As if anyone would believe I'm in a relationship with someone that eats like you."
"I'm sorry. Would you rather I starve to death?"
"I'd rather you eat when you have to eat instead of skipping meals and gorging yourself afterwards." Draco hissed.
"Well, excuse me." Anna huffed. "I had to get out of here." And with that, she took another bite of what seemed to be a doughnut filled with jelly.
"You're pushing yourself too hard, Anna." Daphne whispered, reaching across Theo to grab her hand. "We can help you."
"Exactly." Blaise insisted. He reached into his pocket and a grabbed a folded parchment. "Here's what we have until now about the underwater thing. Only charms and transfiguration for now, but we'll keep looking."
"We're not useless, Annie." Draco chastised her. "You have our support, so use it."
Anna rolled her eyes. "I know you're not useless. Merlin. I'm trying to give you plausible deniability and keep you as uninvolved from this as possible, alright." She looked them each in the eye. "You'll find out what it is, but you don't want anything to do with it. And I'll be damned if I let you get involved before it's absolutely necessary."
"But Anna-"
"No." She cut them off. "That's enough. Trust me, you don't want to know."
They looked unsure before going back to their own conversations, casting her sullen looks every once in a while.
She didn't mind. It was worth their anger to keep them safe. At least Theo kept holding her hand under the table.
Loud blasts and cries sounded from outside Hagrid's cabin, where Anna and the rest of the Slytherins were crammed together. She sat on his bed, hands folded neatly on her lap as she watched the red leaves that were accumulated in his garden through the window to her side. Daphne, who was sitting next to her, was carefully filing her nails and chattering to Pansy, Tracey and Millicent about an article about famous witches and their subsequent murder by muggles that she had recently read. Blaise was watching her intently, one could even say he was captivated or entranced.
"You know." Draco muttered. "I'm sure Skeeter could knock Potter down a few pegs."
Anna's eyes zeroed in on him immediately. He was watching her reaction intently and the surrounding students stilled to watch. They'd all heard about her intervention on Potter's behalf, something like this hadn't happened since second year with Longbottom.
"Draco-"
"Anna." His voice was hard. "It won't actually hurt him, you know."
"I do know, but-"
"But? But? What's the big deal?"
"His life is difficult enough-"
"He entered-"
"He didn't enter himself, Draco." She bit.
"How do you know?"
She ignored the question and turned away.
Draco's sigh echoed through the cabin. It was so quiet someone would be able to hear a pin drop.
"Worry about your own happiness, Anna." Daphne muttered.
"I am." Anna grumbled. "That's what's so bad."
When asked what she meant by that, she pretended she hadn't heard the question.
"Potter! Weasley! Will you pay attention?" McGonagall yelled, shaking almost all of the students out of their end-of-the-week daze.
Anna dragged her eyes away from the window, where she'd been watching snowflakes pile up after having transfigured her guinea fowl into a guinea pig. Beside her, Pansy was complaining about not having been able to do it and the essay on cross-species transfiguration they had to hand in next class.
"How do you even understand it?" Pansy hissed, as McGonagall started lecturing the two Gryffindor boys.
"It's not hard." Anna shrugged. "You need to understand how each animal differs and make the appropriate change to the spell, taking all changes into account. Mainly skeletal and coat changes, so you have to understand how to modify the shapes and composure of each of those things."
Pansy groaned. "But that's hard. You should totally study Magical Theory when we grow up; you could be an Unspeakable. It's really hard and rare but you're so smart you could totally breeze through it."
Anna blushed and hushed her, turning to McGonagall.
"The Yule Ball is approaching - a traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament and an opportunity for us to socialize with our foreign guests. Now, the ball will be open only to fourth years and above - although you may invite a younger student if you wish -"
The teacher was interrupted by Brown and Patil's furious giggling as they looked at Potter. Anna couldn't help but roll her eyes.
"Dress robes will be worn," Professor McGonagall continued, "and the ball will start at eight o'clock on Christmas Day, finishing at midnight in the Great Hall. The Yule Ball is of course a chance for us all to - er - let our hair down," she said, in a disapproving voice.
Snickers resounded among most students as they eyed the strict professor's tight bun. It was more than clear that they didn't envision her as the type to ever let her hair down even a millimeter.
"But that does NOT mean," Professor McGonagall went on, "that we will be relaxing the standards of behavior we expect from Hogwarts students. I will be most seriously displeased if a Gryffindor student embarrasses the school in any way."
Suddenly the bell signaling the end of class sounded and the students stood. Anna packed her bags carefully, listening half heartedly as Pansy and Daphne gushed about finally getting to wear the dresses they'd bought during the summer. They seemed more preoccupied with what they were going to wear than who they'd go with, though this wasn't actually the place to discuss their crushes -no matter how obvious they were.
Soon they were headed to the Slytherin Dungeon with the boys on their tail. Anna couldn't hear what they were talking about, not only because they were behind them, but because they were whispering.
"Dittany." Pansy told the wall and stepped through once it opened.
Anna made to follow but Theo grabbed her wrist from behind her.
"Wait a second." He implored.
Anna nodded and lingered as Daphne, Blaise, and lastly Draco walked into the common room. Her cousin cast them a suspicious glance but kept his mouth shut.
"What is it?" Anna questioned, turning to her boyfriend with a bemused expression on her face.
Theo kept silent for a second, watching her from below long lashes. A small smirk tugged at his lips, giving him and even cockier look as he combed his hair back with his free hand. His other hand still held her wrist but his grip had slackened somewhat.
He stepped closer, lightly grazing her face with the tips of his fingers. "How about it?"
"How about what?" She pressed.
"The ball." He sounded amused. "Would you like to go with me? Or rather, would you like to go to the Yule Ball with me instead of to the Malfoy Ball with me?"
"Oh? I was not aware that I was going to go with you either way." She quipped.
His lower lip poked out slightly in a small pout. "You wound me."
"No, I don't." She laughed and reached up to kiss him. His lips were warm and soft against hers as they pressed back. She felt his hands wrap around her waist and she pulled back, keeping her lips mere centimeters away from his.
"The Yule Ball sounds like more fun." She whispered. "No aunts and uncles, no parents, no pure-blood expectations. More freedom."
His breath tickled her lips as he laughed silently. "Alright then."
"But do me a favour right now."
He raised an eyebrow in question.
"Take Pansy and Daphne away with you for a while. I need to talk to Draco and Blaise about some urgent business."
Theo's eyes shone in amusement. "Are you going to do what I think you're going to do?"
"Maybe?"
"Nosy." He nipped at her lips and pulled back. "Alright then."
Anna smiled and turned to the wall "Dittany."
The wall slid open once more and they stepped through, making a direct beeline towards their friends. There, Theo proceeded to clear his throat to pull their attention.
"Pansy, Daphne, would you please accompany me?" He asked, taking care to make his voice sound pitiful.
"Why?" Daphne asked, raising her eyebrows.
"I need a favour- advise- and it's rather... private...so-"
"We're coming!" Pansy stood immediately, eyes glinting in curiosity as she pulled Daphne with her.
They each grabbed one of his arms and pulled him away, barely giving him time to look back at Anna with a begging look.
Anna winced and turned to the boys, who were staring at their friends' retreating back with befuddled looks on their faced.
"Now that they're gone," Anna started, taking a seat facing both of them. "We can discuss the Yule Ball."
"What?" Draco asked, turning to his cousin.
"You're taking Daphne and Pansy to the Ball." She clarified.
"Excuse me?" Blaise cut her off. "What?"
Anna rolled her eyes. "Oh, stop it, Blaise. You are -quite frankly- infatuated with Daphne and you're not fooling anyone. Ask her to the damn Ball, she'll definitely say yes."
For a second Blaise spluttered incomprehensibly before glaring at her. "I can ask whoever I want, that you very much."
"Yes, and you're asking Daphne." Anna insisted. "That's who you want to ask and don't lie to yourself. All that's keeping you back is the fact that you think she's interested in Darius Berrow, but she's actually only talking to him because his mother works in Witch Weekly's editorial staff."
Blaise's eyes widened at the new bit of information. "That sneaky little snake." He whispered sounding more impressed than anything else. The his eyes narrowed at Anna. "So if I-"
"She'll say yes."
Blaise crossed his arms and looked away stubbornly. "I'll think about it."
Anna refrained from rolling her eyes and turned to Draco.
"No." He said before she could open her mouth.
"Draco-"
"No."
"Fine. Who're you going to take then? Marietta Edgecombe?"
"She's pretty." Draco bristled.
Anna smirked. "Yes, but thanks to Blaise most of the girls in the school are under the impression that you have a huge crush on me. Only the Slytherin girls know any better and all of them other than Millicent and Tracey are older than you so they will almost definitely refuse."
"Then I'll ask Tracey."
"I doubt aunt Narcissa will be too happy about that. And the Parkinsons will never let you live it down, much like the rest of the pure-blood community." Anna smiled smugly. "Think about it. The Malfoy heir asking a half-blood rather than the pure-blood first daughter of the respected Parkinson family. What a scandal."
"Now you're being ridiculous." Draco scowled.
"Am I?" Anna laughed. "Maybe. Can you risk it, though? Knowing that there are so many pure-blood housewives thirsty for gossip?"
Draco groaned and let himself fall backwards. Blaise snickered.
"She got you good."
"It's been a month, Barty."
"He's got time."
"No, he doesn't. He's not as smart as you think he is. It'll take him ages to find a solution, if he finds it at all."
"... Fine. If he hasn't figured out the egg by the Ball I'll have Diggory help him out. You just make sure you give him a solution. Find any yet?"
"Not any that he'd be able to pull off. Transfiguration and Charms aren't his strong points."
"Just find a herb and steal it from Snape. Get me more ingredients while you're at it."
"Alright."
Anna took careful quick steps through the snow. With her heels, it'd be easy to slip and break her neck. Not that pure-bloods cared much as they expected their daughters to wear these damn ridiculous annoying painful and utterly unnecessary shoes. She huffed and pulled her scarf further over her face, her gloved hands clumsy and awkward. Anna hated gloves with a passion an if it weren't for the fact that people would look at her weird she would just cast a heating charm over her hands and be done with it. Statue of Secrecy be damned.
Some ways ahead of her she finally spotted her friends heading towards Hogsmead. She had actually decided to stay at school to find a solution for the second task, but she unexpectedly found it so she'd been able to leave quickly.
"Theo!" She called, making the Slytherin group turn towards her.
For a second they stood still before hurrying back to meet her. Theo walked ahead and extended a hand to her as soon as he got close. She held out her hand and laced their gloved fingers together.
He leaned forwards and pecked her on the cheek, his warm lips making a strong contrast with the cold wind that was tousling her hair.
"I though you were going to stay in the library?"
"I was. But I found it! It's perfect, actually." She smiled excitedly.
"What was it?" Draco asked as they kept walking.
"Gillyweed."
Soon they got to the pretty little town which had been almost buried in a thick blanket of snow. Columns of smoke rose from the chimneys and mingled with the low hanging clouds. The cobbled streets had been wiped clean of snow, but there was a thin, almost invisible layer of fresh ice which made walking dangerous and reflected the people walking.
Every now and then someone would exit a building and let some heat out, but most people seemed to be staying inside as much as possible. Even the students, who had rushed to the village as soon as they could, seemed to prefer loitering in the shops needlessly to walking around.
"Three broomsticks?" Pansy asked, her voice quivering slightly.
"Sure-" Anna trailed off as she saw Potter, Weasley and Granger walk into town following a black dog. Could that be-?
"Snuffles!" Anna called out, letting go of Theo's hand and walking towards the dog. She extended a hand at it. "Here boy! Remember me?"
She ignored the shocked looks of, well, everyone as the dog bounded over to her happily and licked her gloved hand.
"Hey!" She laughed and kneeled, scratching behind its ears and the sides of its jaw.
The dog barked happily and wagged its tail, bounding up and down in her arms. It was skinny, though not as skinny as before, and his coat was slightly less dirty.
"Have you been living here all this time?" She asked, twisting her voice like people do when they talk to small children or puppies. "Poor boy, you must be starving and freezing!"
"Anna!" Draco snapped. "Stop touching that animal; it's filthy!"
"Oh, hush." She called back to him. "Don't listen to him, Snuffles. He's just jealous. Isn't he?" She laughed as it turned in the snow so she could rub his belly. Her hands rand up and down the fur enthusiastically.
"Anna," Theo mumbled softly, putting a hand on her shoulder. "You'll get all dirty."
She looked up at her boyfriend with wide eyes. "But he wants love, Theo."
She could literally see him melt. He tried to hide a smile.
"I'll go buy him some food, alright?"
Her smile was blinding.
"Anna?"
She turned to Harry.
"Yes?"
"You know Snuffles?"
"Oh, you call him Snuffles too?" She asked distractedly as she kept her attention on the dog. "I met him in the forest last year and called him that."
Suddenly she froze.
"How did you know his name was Snuffles?" Her eyes trailed up to them but quickly went back down when the dog started whining.
"Eh, no, we just called him that because you called him that!" Granger hastily clarified.
Anna hummed noncommittally and kept stroking Snuffles until Theo came back with his hands full of what seemed to be mince-pies.
"Alright, but if we give this to the dog we're going inside." He reasoned. "I'm sure Potter and his friends will help him further."
Snuffles suddenly sat up and barked loudly, eyes fixed on the pies in Theo's hands.
Anna laughed. "Sure, just give him the food."
Theo shook his head exhasperatedly and put the pies down on the floor, taking a few steps back as the dog nearly knocked him over trying to get to the food.
"Oh, you must have been starving! Poor Snuffles." Anna cooed.
"Great. Can we leave now?" Draco huffed, already walking towards the tavern.
Anna hurriedly took off her dirty gloves and stuffed them into her pockets before grabbing Theo's face and kissing him. She could feel his smile as he wrapped his arms around her.
"If that's how you get over a stray dog maybe I should buy you a puppy." He laughed in her ear.
She playfully nipped at his ear in return and turned to Snuffles who had already finished his food and was sitting patiently waiting for them.
"Bye, Snuffles! I hope to see you around. Don't be a stranger, alright?"
The dog barked happily, as if he understood her.
Then she turned to Harry. "Already know who you're taking to the Ball, Harry?"
Harry blushed and shook his head. "I asked Cho but she-"
"She's going with Diggory." Anna nodded. "You should try one of the Patil twins. Personally I think Padma's better looking but Parvati's in Gryffindor so maybe that's easier for you. I know for a fact that she wants to go with you. Both of them, actually."
Harry nodded. "Thanks, I'll keep that in mind."
Anna smiled and pulled Theo -who had been waiting patiently- to the Three Broomsticks. Behind them she could swear Weasly was questioning Harry about her, but at this moment she couldn't care less.