*Anne's Prov*
I wake up from another nightmare filled dream. They are getting more frequently and more real. Events from the past appear almost every now and then and I can't escape them.
Events that I almost have forgotten about.
I wipe my wet hair out of my face and push the blanket aside. Today Ginny and Ron will come back from Hogwarts, so I decide it's best if I change her sheets and clean up a bit.
Then I go and take a shower and change into fresh clothes. As I am walking downstairs I can hear Molly and Arthur arguing again. They argued this past week every day. It's strange to hear them angry at each other.
"What are they bantering about this time?," George stops beside me on the stairs.
"About how they will pick up your siblings. Your Dad is all for the ministry cars, but your Mum doesn't trust the ministry any longer. Now they are arguing about if your Dad should still be working there."
The boy sighs tiredly and puts his arms around me from behind, cuddling into the spot between my neck and shoulder.
"Why is all of this so darn complicated?," he murmurs, the vibration of his voice tingling my neck and giving me Goosebumps.
"At least the wedding will still be going on. Something normal," I whisper.
"Not to ruin anything, but some people actually want to walk down the stairs to get breakfast," Fred clears his throat behind us.
"Even more moody than before? Didn't think that was possible," I say looking back at him: "Or is it the absence of your girls?"
"I had at least some action going on," he winks and moves past us downstairs.
"Good morning to the people who decided to produce me," is what we hear from the kitchen.
"Morning dear," Molly tries to sound cheery.
We walk after him inside and are instantly greeted with fresh food.
"Who is going to pick up Ron and Ginny?," George asks:" Because Fred and I could be doing it?"
Their parents look at each other.
"I'm not sure if that's really a good idea," Mrs. Weasley says wringing her hands.
"Ma, we never were able to pick them up since we only left school last year. I want to be able to tease them about still doing their studies!," George quickly defends.
"Come on Mum. Nothing will happen and if something might happen isn't it better if we are there too, to provide more safety for all these kids?," Fred says, already having a mouthful of bacon.
Slowly the woman nods:" I reckon you are right on this one. We'll go together."
"That's settled then," Arthur exhales.
"I better should start cooking now, so it's finished when we come back."
"Mrs. Weasley?," I place my tea down.
"Yes dear?"
"I'll cook when you go and pick them up," I offer: "So you won't have that much stress."
"That's nice of you," she smiles at me surprised.
"I wouldn't be glad about that," Fred says.
"Shut up, you haven't died yet."
"Yet. There you go. There is still a chance I might die and this sounded strangely like a death threat. Everybody did you hear this?"
"Not even death would want you."
"Yes, because I'll be declared a saint once I put a toe over the line."
"Saint my ass. You wouldn't even know what really makes a saint."
"Stop. Both of you," Mrs. Weasley shuts us up:" Anne will cook and I'll go with you and that's final."
Fred and I both lean back annoyed.
---
I flick my wand and the potatoes start to peal itself. I never cooked for so many people. I hope I made enough.
My wand taps the pans and meat is preheated and then I bring the plates to the table. Just in time. Into the room stumble many redheads, chatting and laughing. Ginny being very happy that her brothers will stay here and Ron looking more concerned than happy anyways.
"Hello," Ginny smiles at me: "Good to see you again."
"Ginny! How are you doing?"
"A bit tired after everything, but nothing I can't manage," she smiles, but it doesn't reach her eyes.
"Good thing you can rest now. Well I hope it doesn't bother you that I am with you in your room for some time?"
"Of course not. Better than the phlegm for sure. Apropos Phlegm, will they come over Ma?"
"That will still take some time. Bill is still in St. Mungos to heal properly. After that they'll visit her family and then all of them will come here," Molly says, going into the kitchen to eye what I've been doing.
Am I imagining things or does she sound a lot calmer while talking about her?
"Anne what exactly are you cooking?," Ron asks looking at the food.
"How many people do you expect to come over in addition to us?," Fred asks raising an eyebrow.
---
It's in the evening and into Ginny's room was pushed a new bed for me to lie on.
As I walk into the room to make myself comfortable onto the bed, Ginny already waits for me.
"Where you crying?;" I ask her.
She looks away but nods.
"What is wrong?," I sit down on my bed and pull my legs up.
"Harry."
"Oh."
"Oh indeed. He really thinks about doing something reckless and then expects me to not tell a soul."
"What do you mean?"
"Anne promise me something. You are not allowed to tell anybody," Ginny pleads.
"Of course. You can tell me."
"He doesn't come back to Hogwarts next year. He thinks about fulfilling something Dumbledore started. I'm just worried for him," she blinks again.
"Is he just going to do that alone?"
"No. I'm sure Ron and Hermione will be part of it," suddenly her cheeks take the shade of pink: "Of course I am also worried for them."
"Sure," I tease:" Just worried about all of them. What is the real reason now? Spill."
She groans: "Harry and I got a thing. The whole Dean relationship was even wrong to begin with. He held me back and I didn't do him good. It took me long enough to realize that. With Harry it's different. However, he decided to break that up and I do get why. It makes perfectly sense. I just wish he doesn't have to do what he has to do."
"Sometimes you have to let things go, because if they belong to you they'll come back in the end," I reassure her.
"Maybe you're right. It will just be hard to let him go. This past half of a year showed me what we could really be and I wouldn't want to miss out on that."
"Then the only you can do is support him and fight for what seems right to you," I shrug.
"Thanks Anne. I just hope this all will turn alright," she pulls her sheets up.
"It will, don't worry," although I don't believe myself one bit.
Luckily I fall asleep soon after.
---
*George's Prov*
Why even bother to lie down when all I do is just stare into the darkness without any sense of sleep washing over me. It doesn't matter how tired I am.
"Fred?"
Nothing.
"Fred."
Nothing.
"Fred!"
"For Merlin's sake, what?," he groans.
"I can't sleep," I whine.
"And how should I be able to change that?," he mumbles turning onto his side:" I just managed to fall asleep. You will be the reason I'll start to look as ugly as you."
"You aren't helpful."
"I didn't even try to help," he defends: "I love you brother, but just shut up and let me sleep."
Alright. I sigh and drum with my palms on the blanket.
I'm wide awake now.
Jup.
That's nice.
I don't need sleep at all.
Perfectly fine.
Good Godric, why can't I get some proper sleep?
I groan.
The things we could do instead.
We don't need sleep in times like these.
"Okay I have enough," Fred sits up: "What is the matter, you are driving me nuts?!"
"I don't even know. I just can't sleep. Do you want to plan something out? We could work on-"
"I'm not staying awake to work anything out. If you have no idea what's keeping you up, then at least have some decency and be annoying outside the hall. Go annoy Ron, but please let me sleep peacefully."
"Sorry," I say and stand up.
Fred lays back down and mumbles when I open the door: "If you ever find out what's bothering you, tell me."
I close the door behind me. As I walk into the kitchen, I get an idea. Maybe that might help.
I silently make my way upstairs towards Ginny's room and open it carefully. Stepping inside I stay put for some time. My sister sleeps weirdly in her bed, one hand dangling from the edge, her legs are tangled, it's a strange look and I wonder how she can wake up well rested.
Before I can even make a step further, Anne sits up abruptly and points her wand at me. She exhales and throws a pillow after me.
I dodge it and grin charmingly at her.
"Is something wrong?," she whispers, already getting up.
"Come with me," I smile down at her when she reaches me.
The girl furrows her brows irritated: "Where?"
"Just come with me. Please," I take her hands in mine.
"Where do you want to kidnap me?"
"That's not kidnapping," I keep my voice low when Ginny starts to move a bit: "Don't you trust me?"
"Well-"
"Come on," I beg: "You are not going to regret it, I promise."
She sighs and runs a hand through her open hair: "Fine. Do I need anything?"
"Maybe grab a coat," I grin and press a kiss on her cheek before going out of the room down into the kitchen.
After some time, Anne stumbles into the kitchen, she looks at me confused: "You could have at least told me that you are down here. I just went upstairs and almost had an encounter with your wonderful Ghoul."
"But you are here now, aren't you," I say cheerily.
It's stupid, but this is making me excited, making me do something to keep my mind of things.
"So what are we going to do now?," she leans her hip against the counter.
"I'm gonna show you something, put your shoes on."
Actually it's nothing important I want to show her, but better now than never. We never know what will happen.
"What about your parents? Aren't they going to be furious if they find out we both left the house in the evening?"
"Mum can be furious about anything," I shrug: "So I wouldn't worry about that too much."
"What about sleep? You look like you haven't slept in days. Don't tell me you avoid sleeping?," Anne straightens her posture and raises an eyebrow.
"I'm not avoiding sleep," I don't directly look at her, more at a spot on her cheek.
Never realized her skin is that flawless until now. It looks so soft that I want to touch it.
"What are you doing?," she asks irritated and I catch myself brushing her cheek with my thumb.
"Nothing," I quickly let my hand fall to my side.
"You need sleep George, not another adventure," she puts her hand on my arm: "Tell me, what's going on?"
I sigh and sit down onto a chair and run my hands over my face.
The girl sits down onto my lap and brushes my hair out of my face. Caringly caressing a side of my head.
"Whatever you might have wanted to show me, you can still show it to me another day alright?," her voice sounds soft: "It will still be there tomorrow."
"But what if it isn't?," I look at her eyes, those eyes I fell in love with all those months ago.
"We can't change the outcome. We need to accept our limits. Wasn't that something you told me? Time to hold onto your own advice love," she smiles softly.
I stare at her, neither of us saying a thing. I feel myself getting lost in her presence again. I feel myself give in.
With a groan I place my head on her shoulder, she gently rubs my back holding me. I never said out loud what I need, but she knows exactly.
"You can allow yourself to rest now," she says softly: "You can't control all of it."
Before I can do anything about it, I feel tears dripping down my face. I quickly sit up and try to wipe them away, but Anne is faster. She looks at me so caringly and here I am being miserable and not even able to look at her properly.
"It's okay," she says.
I just shake my head. I'm no man. I should be the strong one here.
"George," she wipes away another tear, placing her hands on either side of my cheek while forcing me to look at her again: "This here is perfectly fine. You need to let go your emotions too. Sometimes all can get too much. Crying never made anyone weak. Crying isn't a sign of not being strong. Crying is a sign of being a human, of having feelings, of trying to find a way to cope. It's okay to cry. It's okay to let your emotions out. Believe me you'll feel better afterwards. Come here."
The girl presses a soft kiss against my forehead and pulls me close while I bawl my eyes out. I still feel a bit ashamed that I am the one crying, though as the minutes pass by, I can feel myself getting calmer. The knot in my chest that built itself disappears slowly.
"I know what you were trying to do. You tried to save everything you can before it maybe will fall apart, but the harsh truth is, not even a wonderful man like you can save everything. To plan your day full of activities doesn't bring you happiness. It's the peace you will create within yourself that does," she whispers in my ear.
I lean back and let her brush away the remaining tears. My eyes are red and bloodshot from finally crying so much.
"I just don't want anyone of you to get hurt because I haven't watched out," I admit.
"If we do get hurt, it's not your fault, because you were sleeping or too slow to react. I appreciate your concern for all of us, but you can only prevent yourself from hurting. Everyone in the end needs to watch out for themselves even if that is the hardest thing to accept."
"But what if it hurts me seeing you hurt?," I look at her.
She softly smiles, it makes my heart flutter: "Then it shows what a wonderful person you are George. Still you can only help as much as others let you help. Don't push your limits. It will all get easier to deal with."
I rest my forehead against hers and close my eyes and pull her close. It feels relaxing, so natural to be beside her. I missed such moments. I hate how close we are, but far apart at the same time. Her hands brush through my hair soothingly.
"Anne?"
"Mhm?"
I kiss her softly on the lips: "About that job in the muggle world. I know it is important to you, but I-"
"I already declined."
"I- you what?"
"I declined. I told Mister Odin that there is a family emergency and that I would like to come back to his offer if the job is still available then when I am ready to take it. He didn't seem all too pleased about the sudden change, though he agreed. This upcoming war chances a lot and it's simply too risky to be permanently in the muggle world. My dream of becoming Astronomer will still be there in a few months or years. This war is just here temporarily. I can always chase what I want to do."
"You only need to have enough nerve to do it," we both say, smiling.
"I'm glad you decided that way," I press another kiss onto her lips.
"I'm glad too," she mumbles and kisses back.
I lost track of time. I have no idea how long we sat there close to each other and making out. I can't even recall when we moved to the couch. But what I for sure know is, that these past few days I never slept as good as I slept on the couch with her cuddled into me.
I got my rest and I have to thank Anne for that.
---
"Well well well, would you look at that," Bill stands next to the couch, looking down at the both of us, grinning: "Looks like someone got really cosy down here."
"Fuck off," I mumble into some hair, pressing my eyes close.
"Such a fool language, we wouldn't want mum to find out about it, do we?," he tries to snatch away the blanket, but my hands reach faster to it and hold it back.
"Leave us alone scarhead," I mutter, slowly opening one eye.
"On't zay that!," Fleur appears, scolding me: "Bill iz looking 'ery good!"
"Also scarhead isn't very original, that's already Harry," Anne mumbles into my chest, yawning a bit and turning onto her back.
My arm is underneath her head and feels numb from the way we laid that night.
"Ah now I know why I found a liking in you," Bill points at Anne.
"I thought it was just my natural glamour," she retards earning a chuckle from Fleur.
"Oh Anne, I can't wait to zell you about ze plans for ze weeding!," she says smiling warmly.
I open both of my eyes sleepily. This was a really good night's sleep that I wished went on way longer. Sometimes having a big family sucks.
Anne sits up and stretches herself: "Can't wait too. Just let me have breakfast first."
I admire her strength to sit through Fleur's whole plans after breakfast. Anne isn't even interested in such stuff, you can see it in her eyes and the way she sometimes looks lost at me, though she tries her best to uplift Fleur. I never got the bond those to women had.
---
Me and Fred currently sit in our old room and work on some products. This is a part in us that will never stop. As long as we live we probably will have ideas and the urge to fulfil those.
Also we may or may not hide from the wrath called our mother and Fleur. If I hear Fleur one more time talking about table decoration, I'll go crazy. Bill is no help at all, he sits there, smiling and admiring his fiancé and does as if all of this is completely normal.
We are in the middle of an upcoming war and they plan a wedding. Fleur should be lucky to get what she's getting instead she still demands more and more. Doesn't that drive my older brother at least a bit crazy? Just a bit maybe?
The door flies open and I already make myself ready for a scolding by mum, but it's just Ginny who closes the door behind her with an overall annoyed expression and let's herself fall onto our mattress, groaning into the sheets.
"Every time a pleasure to see you," Fred chuckles and ruffles her hair a bit.
"Can you believe, can you believe that this monster will be staying with me?," Ginny groans.
"Anne isn't easy I know. I can help you throw her out of your room when she's sleeping. I reckon the swamp is an ideal place to bring her to," Fred says.
"Not the swamp," I feel myself get unwell.
"I'm not talking about Anne either," Ginny turns onto her back and stares at the ceiling: "Anne is alright. But both of them in my room? Do you see the way Fleur is bringing Anne onto her side with napkins?"
"I don't get why there need to be different kinds on a plate," Fred states.
"Me neither," I agree.
"Go and ask Fleur, she'll gladly give you a lesson for manners. I can't deal with this any longer. Can I hide here?," our sister asks.
"Sure Gin," Fred smiles down at her and gets our papers out from underneath her, she decided to land directly on them.
"Thanks," she mumbles, not even bothering that Fred is using her belly as a table for our sheets.
Only when he starts to draw on them she giggles a bit and tries to swat his hand away.
"Someone seems ticklish," I laugh.
"No! NO! DON'T YOU DARE!," she tries to get away but the both of us are faster and soon she squeals and tries to kick us.
It doesn't stop there. All of this turns into a huge pillow fight and we throw with everything we can find inside our room. The door gets opened and Ron comes in, curious as to where the noise comes and I hit him with a pillow into the face and wipe his cookie out of his hand. So he joins the party.
We didn't stop until Mum decided to stop our little party. She points at the mess in our room, tells Ginny to bring Fleur's bed upstairs and Ron has to clean Percy's old room for Bill.
---
*Anne's Prov*
"If I am ever going to marry, you'll be for sure my maid of honour. I wouldn't want anyone else!," the boy says grinning from side to side, running a hand through his fluffy hair.
"Well who else do you have as an option? Either your father or that idiot you call a friend, so you really are sticking with me here on this matter," I shrug, leaning back against the wall.
"You are limiting my options, you never know who I am going to meet in my future," Caleb sighs.
"So I am for now your maid of honour until someone better showed up, got it," I say starring ahead.
"No," he groans: "That's really not what I was saying. What I am saying is that no matter who might come you'll always be the only option for me. I wouldn't want anybody else taking that position. Do you get that?"
I nod, not really being there at the moment. I know he is saying something meaningful, but all my mind can focus on is how he means that there are better people than me, more fitting and still he is stuck with me.
The boy stands up and walks over to my closet and gets out his and my coat. He throws it towards me.
"Come on, put it on. Let's go for a walk, you have been in this house forever. You need a change of colour," he puts his coat on and places a beanie on his head.
I'm not really feeling like a walk at the moment. Honestly I just want to lie down and do nothing at all. I worked all day in the pub downstairs, being irrelevant as usual and dodging my dad that I am now completely out of energy to even do the simplest things.
Still Caleb demands from me to get up and follow him. I have no other choice than follow. When I put my boots on, I know I have no chance on backing out. We go outside into the cold and dark night. Our boots leave imprints in the high snow and we can hear laughter and chatter from the Three Broomsticks.
I stop. I look at the carefree people. At least in this moment they look so. How does it feel to be that kind of happy? How does it feel to just not worry for one moment? Something inside me is raging and it surprises me a bit. It is strange to feel something other than emptiness and coldness.
A hand slips in mine and tugs me further, reassuringly Caleb looks towards me, checking up on me from time to time. He probably things I am a burden. With everyone else he could have easily enjoyed a nice evening walk in the snow. But I am not everyone else. I am not easy.
With me he has to look out for me as if I couldn't deal with my life. At some point he is probably right.
"You'll like where I bring you," he chatters on, not really demanding an answer from me.
He fills the silence I create because I am being too tired to talk.
"I thought there is only one place that might cheer you up a bit after a long day," he lets go of my hand and stuffs his into his coat pockets: "I know these past days weren't easy for you, so maybe that will make up for it."
We stop our walk when we reach a lake that is a bit away from Hogsmeade. I recognize it immediately. It's the lake we used to ice skate when we were kids. It should do anything with me. That memory should make my heart warm and my lips smile.
Still the only emotion I can bring up is envy. Envy for that girl I used to be. Envy for what he and I had.
"Come on, you'll feel better once you stepped on it," he says and carefully steps onto the thick ice: "Come on! Come down here, this will be fun!"
I let go a breath and place a foot into the ice. It's slippery and I almost fell if it wasn't for Caleb. He laughs while he pretends to skate. The boy makes a fool out of himself. He tries. All of that for me and all I do is stand there and watch him.
I start to shiver, I want to go back home and sleep. That seems reasonable enough.
"I want to go," I say to Caleb, making him stop with my words.
His face falls and his shoulder slump.
"Alright," he sounds defeated.
He helps me up the hill again and together we walk in silence this time. Caleb just proofed to me again how incapable I am on having real fun. He deserves more than this.
"Thank you," I say.
I need him to know that even though he has no idea what all of this is like, I still appreciate his effort.
He pulls me close and wraps his arm around my shoulder, his warmth decreases my shivering a bit.
"I won't give you up. We'll find a way. I need my maid of honour," he murmurs.
"You'd need someone who is willing to marry you first," I state.
He laughs and it reaches my heart. I managed to make him smile. That's at least worth something.
---
"There I want Ginny and my sister Isabelle," Fleur points at the chart in front of us while pushing Molly's delicious bowl of soup aside.
Fleur earlier said something among the lines how her food is never healthy nor all too good. The woman is after all very picky and French.
"And who will be your maid of honour?," Ron asks: "Yourself?"
"No 'On! I already 'ave some'one different in mind. I am not going to zell you!," she looks at him coldly.
"How was it in St. Mungos?," Ginny asks Bill: "Does your face still hurt?"
Bill starts to talk, but I'm not really able to keep track. I look at the soup and stir in it, mindlessly eating here and there, zooning out. Soon I'm lost in my little world again. My thoughts still raising about the pictures and letters Caleb took with him.
---
I wake up from a very deep sleep. No idea how long I have been sleeping. I only know it was very deep and resting enough for me to feel sleepy again.
I have no memory of this place I am in. Did I forget what I did again? Have I been at a party? Where the fuck am I?
This is a small white and clean room. There is only one bed, neat and the covers smell fresh. There is a small table and two chairs.
Seriously, where am I?
I should stand up. I should look around and make sure where I am, though I simply can't do it.
When I wake up later or maybe even on the next day, someone is sitting beside my bed, one leg launched over the armrest, a beanie carelessly on his tousled hair, baggy clothes and tired eyes that are focused on the book in his hands. He looks as if he hasn't slept for days.
Caleb should try this bed, it is really comfortable.
My eyes drift shut again. I can't do anything against it. I just can't bring myself to stay awake longer.
The next time I wake up, it is not because my body naturally decided to do so, it's because someone holds onto my hand and arm. Gripping it very tightly, putting their head onto the mattress. The soft material of his beanie is resting against my cold skin.
I slowly start to recognize my surroundings. I am in St. Mungos. I was here before. Those are the rooms in St. Mungo.
Caleb is by my side, beside my body who lies in a hospital bed. He wears the same thing he did the last time I woke up. Something bad happened.
I stare at my hand that is held by his. It all comes back to me and hits me with full force.
I almost killed myself.
I didn't manage it.
I thought I died.
All went black.
The fear.
I wish I could have done better.
I am alive.
Merlin, I am alive.
I can do better.
It is as if a weight was lifted off my chest and it clocks out whatever held back my feelings.
Tears are now freely running down my face. I haven't cried in a long time and the necessity of it, the relief, I can't even express it.
A silent sob escapes my throat and makes the boy look up. His eyes grow wide and he lets go of my hand and arm.
Caleb stands up immediately. He rushes towards me and pulls me into a hug. I cry and I cry.
I hold onto him, taking in his familiar scent. The way his skin feels, how cosy is sweater is. It is familiar and so reassuring to know that something hasn't changed.
"Thank Merlin. Thank you," Caleb whispers pressing me close: "I thought I have lost you."
His words hurt. The way his voice sounds with pain hurts. This situation hurts. All hurts.
The good thing it just can get better from now on.
"I love you," he whispers repeatedly.
I stop crying when my throat feels dry and the last seemingly tear has left my body. Taking deep breaths I phase myself to look at him.
Caleb is still looking tired, but his eyes have hope. An attribute that I hope to catch too. Hope is something that went missing.
I place my shaking hands on either side of his face, blinking a few times. He takes my hands from his face and presses them firmly. His hands are warm compared to mine.
"H-how long have I been out?," my voice sounds hoarse and unused.
"Three days. I was scared you wouldn't wake up at all. How much can you remember?," he lets go of my hands.
I stare at my wrists. There isn't a bandage. There isn't a wound. There isn't even a bloody scar. The wonder of magic. Did they even care for my other scars? My arms look way too good.
I don't deserve good. There should be a warning sign on my skin. There should be the lines. There should be marks on it. Everybody should be able to see how fucked up my life was.
Still it is fine. All is fine. As if nothing of the previous events had ever happened.
"I remember blood," I say, sounding like a robot:" and the numbness. A fight. I wanted it to stop. I wanted relief, it just didn't come."
Caleb pulls his legs up and hugs them while starring at me.
"I was so scared Caleb. I'm so sorry," I still stare at my wrists a bit disgusted.
The surprising truth is, that I have this sudden urge to never repeat this night. It was horrible. This feeling-
"Please, please, never scare us like that again. I doubt I'll be able to forget how you looked like. I really thought I'd lost you. Alex went nuts. Dad and I really had to hex him unconscious. It was wild."
My Dad going crazy because of me?
"He really blamed himself for not doing something earlier," Caleb continues.
I can suddenly feel anger rise inside of me. I bawl my hands towards fists.
"He decided to come clean after what happened. Closes the Pub."
"That won't change anything," I mutter: "He will still be the same useless asshole."
"I never said he wasn't one," Caleb's eyes grow a bit cold: "But Dad is forcing him through it. He will get clean I promise you that."
The door opens and a nurse comes in, surprised to see me awake. She smiles at me warmly and Caleb stands up and leaves my side for her to come closer.
"I'll wait outside for you if you need me," the boy excuses himself.
"Miss Storm how are you doing?," the nurse asks me and flicks her wand, charts appear in front of my bed for her to look at.
Like shit.
How am I supposed to be doing after something like that? Like being the happiest human on earth, taking my second chance and let's go and run around in fields?
"I don't know," I answer instead.
"You must be majorly confused after your accident. I can't blame you, you really cut yourself deeply with all those glass splinters lying around as you fell. Your brother explained to us what had happened once you came into here."
"Brother?," I look at her confused: "Accident?"
"Does your head hurt from your fall?," she asks concerned, coming closer and touching my forehead, checking my temperature: "Your brother told us how severe you have been falling, but we didn't think that you might have memory loss from it."
So, Caleb gave himself as my brother and told them a lie about what happened. Nice to know.
"Right. The fall," I join in in the lie, because the real reason seems to be shameful for them:" it is coming back to me now."
"Both hands were cut open as you tried to catch yourself with your arms to not hit your head. One splinter got stuck in your arm, very deeply. You almost didn't make it. It is good to have you healthy back Miss Storm," she runs some checks and writes down on her notes: "I reckon you'll stay a few days, until your body regained himself from the shock and we are good to go."
She smiles at me. She does as if nothing just happened. But something did just happen.
Why were they lying?
When the nurse leaves Caleb comes back in with food in his hands and something to drink for him and me. He places it down beside my bed and settles himself on the chair.
"Before you say something, it was the only way for them to not turn suspicious," he defends as if he would know my thoughts: "It was the easiest way. Imagine where they would have brought you if they found out what actually happened. We wanted for you to decide yourself what you want to do from now on."
I look at him. At first I am at loss for words, I really thought they did it because they were ashamed of what happened.
"What? Why are you staring at me like I am a weirdo?"
"Because you are one?," I raise my eyebrow and get a massive smile from him.
He shoves me a bit: "That was sassy, I like it."
I look down onto my lab and manage a slight smile. It might be the first real long since a long time too.
"It doesn't make sense why you told them you are my brother?," I say, instead of asking the other question.
"Aren't I your brother?," he sits up: "I mean they don't really need to know all the details, but you are like a sister to me."
I grab his hand. It's true. He is family.
"Anne, I know what happened was a desperate cry for help and I'll stay here and won't go back to school if that is necessary to help you. I promise you that from now on, I'll always look after you. Nothing bad should be in your way."
He is sincere and stern about it. He does make me feel safe in a situation where everything was just ripped out of my hands.
"You really do be taking your big brother duties seriously," I try to joke.
"You are important to me. I'm not letting anything hurt you again."
---
*George's Prov*
"That does sound very tiring," I agree with Bill as he explained the procedure he had to go through when they wanted to run tests if he might be a werewolf.
"You have no idea, but it all is fine. Fortunately," he grins and eats the last of his soup.
"He does 'ave a big lust for red meat tho," Fleur throws in, patting Bill's hand.
"Yes I can't argue about that," he laughs.
"Good thing that nothing more serious has happened and that you are all healthy now," Mum says.
"When will your family show up?," Ron asks Fleur, eager to get to know maybe more Veela's.
Then I realize something. Anne is really quiet and absent. To be precise she's been distant the whole evening. I look at her and the way she just stares at the table, her eyes glistening a bit, I can tell she isn't even here.
I nudge her with my elbow and she blinks a few times before looking at me.
"Hu?"
"Are you okay?," I lean towards her and whisper.
"yeah, all is good," she gives me a small smile and lays her head on my shoulder and closes her eyes.
I take this as a good sign and just grab her hand on the table and squeeze it. Ginny opposite of us, just smiles and gives me a thumbs up. I have to laugh.
"Are you still up for that nightly adventure?," Anne whispers.
"Anytime if it is with you," I whisper back.
"Great."