Trouble Awaits| R. Lupin

Chapter twenty-two: Boggart

The family plus Remus all sat and enjoyed the delicious breakfast. Their conversations drifted from topic to topic, never ceasing to be entertaining.

Remus had only been there for a day but he already felt more at home than he did with his own family. Ever since he was a boy, his parents treated him like a beast all because of his lycanthropy. Granted, not everyone at the table knew but that just gave him a peace of mind.

To them, he was Remus. Just Remus.

" Fancy a game of Quidditch?" asked Gideon, his mouth full of eggs.

" What have I told you about doing that?!" shrieked Molly

" Not to do it..." mumbled Gideon

" Exactly. And no, you will not be playing Quidditch in this weather. You'll die from the cold! The ground is covered in snow" said Molly with a shake of her head

The group let out groans after the woman's statement.

" Maybe we could decorate the tree today" spoke up Annabeth

" Yea dearie, that's precisely what we will do" beamed Molly

Breakfast went by smoothly as the group continued their conversations and slowly started to empty the table.

" So, fancy doing the tree with me?" asked Annabeth

" I thought that was a given" said Remus with a smirk.

The pair made their way to large, bare Christmas tree in the living room. The tree took up a whole corner of the room and the decorations were packed away in a box in the attic.

" I'll go get the decorations,be right back" said Annabeth

Annabeth made her way up to the attic and rummaged her way through the endless boxes that filled it. She was midway through a box when she heard a sound behind her.

" Hello?" asked Annabeth, spinning around

Behind her, she saw the dead bodies of Gideon and Fabian.

Annabeth's mouth went dry and it felt as though all the air in her lungs had disappeared. They couldn't be dead, they were just eating with her. Her only brothers couldn't be dead.

" Bubba?" cried Annabeth.

A sob escaped her lips as she ran over to the bodies, only for them to change into her big sister.

" Mols?" screamed Annabeth, her voice cracking and pain soaring through her body.

Seeing her siblings dead physically pained her. She felt as though her heart wasn't beating, she wasn't in her own body.

Annabeth began to shake as screams and sobs escaped her lips. Her nails were digging so hard into her hand that she drew blood but she couldn't feel that. She couldn't feel anything over the emotional pain she was feeling.

Molly quickly turned into Charlie and Bill, their eyes staring up at nothing. Her boys, dead. Her sweet, innocent nephews had no smile on their faces, only pain.

" No... this isn't real. This isn't real!" screamed Annabeth, trying anything to convince herself.

Her body fell to the ground as she couldn't take her eyes off the lifeless bodies. They disappeared, leaving Annabeth to think it was over. Only for her to be met with Sam.

" I hate you! You mean nothing to me" he shouted at the girl

Annabeth's breathe caught in her throat as she looked her best friend in the eye, seeing so much hatred.

" It should have been you instead of Daniel. You are worthless garbage" spat Sam

Annabeth couldn't contain the tears that drenched her face as she stood in shock. The only person she ever trusted hated her. She made herself look away, only to see Sam's father approach them.

In one swift motion, Sam's father killed him in cold blood.

" SAM!" screamed Annabeth, her throat burning.

Just as Sam was transforming into the dead bodies of the Marauders, Remus ran into the attic.

Remus was shocked at the scene in front of him. Annabeth was on the ground shaking and screaming as their best friends bodies lay in front of her.

Remus's dead body in front of her.

" Annabeth" yelled Remus, trying to make his way over to her

His yells were unheard as her deafening screams filled the house, gaining the attention of her family. The Prewett- Weasley family came running into the attic, hearts breaking at the scene.

" Riddikulus!" shouted Arthur, making it all disappear.

Gideon and Fabian ran over to their baby sister and wrapped her into a hug.

" Shhh, it's okay. You're okay. We're all okay. It was just a boggart. We're safe" whispered Fabian, tears leaving his eyes.

Remus slowly made his way over and joined them, kissing Annabeth's head.

" You're alright, love. Nothing can hurt us" he cooed

Broken sobs left Annabeth's lips as she looked up at the boys, the boys she loved more than life.

" Where are Bill and Charlie" choked out the girl.

As if on cue, her nephews came running over. Annabeth grabbed them and pulled them
into a bone-crushing hug, loud cries coming from her.

" I love you" she cried into the boys

" We love you, Bethy" said Bill.

The family plus Remus led the girl back to the living room, completely discarding the decorations. Annabeth and Remus laid on the couch, he rubbed her back as she caught her breathe.

" I thought you were dead." whispered Annabeth

" I'll never leave you, Annabeth." replied Remus

If only that were true.