NUMB | D. MALFOY {EDITING}

xxxix. welcome back

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ONE YEAR LATER

"As the game is close to an end, we see Anastasia Rosier from the American National Team getting incredibly close to the hoop, but oh! The other's team Chaser has successfully stolen the Quaffle from her! But, Merlin's beard! Anastasia Rosier has done an amazing movement to get back the Quaffle and yes! 10 points for the American National Quidditch Team!"

Anastasia smiled brightly as she raised her arms in victory and the crowd roared with her. She turned around and spotted the Quaffle once more in the Irish's side of the arena, she smirked and fled quickly to them to take it away from them. She was close, too close, when the crowd roared with excitement and the fireworks began to explode in the sky.

"Ariel Singleton has the Golden Snitch! I repeat! Ariel Singleton has the Golden Snitch!" The announcer yelled through the microphone. "And the American National Quidditch Team has won the Quidditch World Cup!"

Anastasia clapped loudly as she cheered with her other teammates their big win. She couldn't believe it, her biggest dream was coming true right in front of her eyes but she had no one to share it with. No parents, no friends and no Draco. Only her teammates.

A part of her wanted so desperately to go back to England and make up the time they lost because of her absence but it also meant facing Draco, and she wasn't sure she was ready for that. She smiled at the cameras as sports journalists began to ask her a million questions about the match, but her mind was somewhere else.

Ignoring the bothering flashes of the cameras, she made her way down to the dressing rooms as she slowly took off her equipment. She sighed deeply as she stared at the picture hanging in the back of her locker and felt a lump in her throat as she admired it. It was the picture Remus gave her at the Platform, it was a picture of the three of them, as a happy family. Anastasia was admiring Tonks' belly as Remus caressed it with love.

The girl exhaled deeply as she rested her forehead in the door of the locker, and pressed her picture deeper into her chest. She knew it was time to go back, Teddy needed her.

"I'm going back. For Teddy." She whispered for herself.

▲ △ ▲

Going back to England was something Anastasia would never think after forming a life in America, a nice and dark wizards-free life. It had been one year after and she wondered how much everyone has changed, if George could move on from his twin's death, if Ginny and Harry rekindled their romance as well as Ron and Hermione. She had too many questions, and she only had to knock twice to get the answers.

Truth be told, she didn't know what she was expecting when she knocked the door of the Burrow. She exhaled deeply and looked down at her old sneakers she got months before in a muggle store with her muggle-born friends, or as they call themselves in America: "No-Maj".

          "Get the door, dear!" She heard Mrs. Weasley from inside and the nerves began to kick in. She tugged the sleeve of her sweater and pressed her lips together as she watched the door being opened.

          "Annie?" She heard George's voice stuttering and forcing her to look up with a tiny smile. "Bloody hell! You're back! Mum! Annie's back!" The ginger boy exclaimed happily as he hugged the girl tightly and spun in the spot. Anastasia chuckled loudly. "You're really here!"

          "I'm here!" The brunette smiled as she walked inside the cozy house.

          "What's all that noise, Geor—Annie?" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed happily from the kitchen, the brunette waved shyly as the tall ginger swung an arm around her shoulders in a brotherly gesture.

The woman dropped everything she was doing and almost balanced herself over the small witch, who received the motherly hug with open arms and a wide smile in her features. She didn't even care about the small pain she felt because of the minor injuries she got from the match, she was finally home with her loved ones, and that was worth it a thousand bruises and more.

"My dear, you're so grown up! Such a gorgeous young lady you are now!" Mrs. Weasley held the girl's hands gently as she smiled at her.

"What's all that noise, Mum?" Anastasia's smile widened at the sound of Ginny's voice echoing in the massive living room. "Annie?" The youngest of the family said excitedly as she jumped the last two steps of the stairs and hugged the brunette tightly. "You're back!"

"I came back to stay." Anastasia admitted with a deep yet happy sigh. "I missed everyone here, and America it's not good without you."

"Oh, I'm so glad you are back in England!" Ginny attacked the Slytherin with another bone-wrenching hug that made both girls laugh loudly. "You need to tell us everything about America! And that your team won the Quidditch World Cup!"

"I'll answer all your questions when we eat dinner." Anastasia smiled as her emerald eyes traveled around the place in search of her three best friends. "Where's Harry? And Ron? And Hermione?" Mrs. Weasley chuckled lightly.

"I started to wonder why you weren't asking about them." She joked. "They are at the shop, dear. Why don't you let Ginny and Georgie take you there? I'm sure they are going to be really surprised and happy to see you."

▲ △ ▲

"You know, 'Mione, I'm starting to think you brought that book to read it instead of helping us." Harry pointed as he organized the Extendable Ears packages in a shelf. Ron chuckled from the cashier as he finished counting the money. "You graduated from Hogwarts, there's no need to be reading that book again."

"Yes. And you've read it a billion times. I bet you can recite it in your sleep." The ginger commented, making Harry chuckle.

"Harry, Hogwarts: A History is a masterpiece of the magical literature. You should make some time from your busy schedule to read it." The girl said as she flipped a page and furrowed her eyebrows lightly while she fixed the bookmark. "And you," She turned to Ron with a smug smirk. "Stop interrupting private conversations, would you?"

"I can't believe it. Harry Potter, the chosen one, organizing Extendable Ears, Rita Seeker would make an amazing article about this." The trio immediately stopped doing their jobs to turn their heads to the entrance, where Anastasia was standing in with a smug smirk and arms crossed over her chest.

"Annie!" They exclaimed at the same time.

Hermione promptly closed her book and jumped down the counter she was laying in to hug her best friend tightly, Anastasia laughed quietly as she accepted the pure gesture and focused on keeping that memory forever in her head.

"Words can't describe how much I've missed you." Her friend said as she walked away and allowed Harry to hug the brunette tightly. "The Burrow has been a nightmare without you."

"I know, and I'm sorry for leaving." Anastasia smiled as she still hugged her friend.

"Teddy misses you too, you know?" The raven-haired boy pointed while breaking the hug and ruffling the brunette's hair.

"But she's busy winning matches and world cups to remember." Ron pressed his lips together in a smile as he wrapped his arms around her neck in a brotherly way and hugged his sister with strength. "You were bloody amazing there, by the way. We were all rooting for the American Quidditch Team."

"You're a bloody liar, Ron Weasley. He was rooting for the Irish Team!" Hermione argued and the four of them laughed loudly.

Anastasia felt like she finaly had some of her missing pieces.