I'm alive? That's shocking. Let's not waste our time with an authors note - That'll be at the end. Enjoy!

"There are two things a person should never be angry at, what they can help, and what they cannot." - Plato

Chapter Fifty-One - Outcast

The whole ordeal at the Ministry had lasted longer than Ankaa had realized. Perhaps it was the numbness that had quickly seeped through her that made her lose track of time. But when she finally resurfaced, Ankaa realized that a new day was dawning and the unwelcome sunlight was pouring in through the windows at Grimmauld Place.

Sirius had refused to leave the sanctuary of his room for the last few hours, decidedly ignoring everyone who came by to check in on him (namely Remus). Ankaa had kept Remus company, but she did not bother to hold a polite conversation with him. Remus, of course, understood completely. He had the nous to delicately change the topic.

"Are you going to be staying here?"

"No," Ankaa cast a subtle glance towards the staircase. "Neither of us wants any company right now, much less each other's."

"Grimmauld place is big enough to avoid people in. But if you want to go back, I won't stop you. Just think about what you'd have to face there."

"It's much better than staying here and seeing Potter."

Remus gave her a guarded look. "Ankaa…"

"I know you're going to defend him, and I know Sirius nor Maya hold any ill will towards him. But he's the reason my mother is gone, no matter what anyone tells me. If Harry had just…" Her throat tightened at the memory of her mother's body vanishing into a wisp of smoke, floating far, far, away from her. "I don't want to see him."

"You can't avoid him forever, Ankaa. I don't think it would do either of you any good to be pitted against one another like that."

That did very little to sway her opinion on the matter. Ankaa's resolve to return to Hogwarts was only strengthened as she left Grimmauld Place that morning. Soon, summer would begin and Ankaa would be surrounded by the people she had been cursing all night. If she was not careful, she would end up causing great bodily harm to them without remorse. The absolute loss and grief that she had felt upon losing her brother had resurfaced once more, now heightened by the haunting sight of her mother's death. Unlike last time, Ankaa could not find refuge in an entire new home, devoid of any memories. She had nowhere else to go, and tackling Grimmauld Place alone was not on her list of things to do.

Ankaa told herself that another reason for her return to Hogwarts lay secured in her pocket. Having Annabelle's Time-Turner in her possession would do Ankaa no good; temptation could win at any moment, but Ankaa knew that if she ventured to the past her mother would not be happy with her. Staying in the past, having such a viable connection to it, would do Ankaa no good.

She had wondered, very briefly, if her mother would truly mind if Ankaa kept the Time-Turner. Would it really be so bad if Ankaa could speak with her mother once in a while? Or travel back to speak with Ceph? What if something bad happened in the future, and she needed the Time-Turner to help deal with any adverse consequences?

Her hands clutched the Time-Turner securely. A gentle breeze floated around her, rustling the lively green leaves.

You can't do that.

She knew she couldn't, but how hard would it be to lie to Annabelle that she had lost the Time-Turner? That she had simply lost it while she Apparated? Or that Sirius had opted to keep it with him in order to spend more time with his wife?

Before she could make her decision, she spotted the girl in question sitting on the bottom steps of the Grand Staircase with Zara Holloway. They were not the only people present, but everyone else was too immersed in their copy of the Daily Prophet to notice Ankaa stepping in. Zara was the first to spot her.

"Hey," she gave her the same piteous smile people had been giving her for the past few hours. "How are you feeling?"

"What's going on?" Ankaa deflected, giving a pointed glance at the paper that was clutched securely between Annabelle's hands. The younger girl passed it to Ankaa quickly.

Ankaa glanced at the headline. "'Dumbledore, Potter Vindicated'…" She paused, "So, they finally believe he's back, huh?"

"It's not just that." Annabelle exchanged an uneasy glance with Zara. "They've published the news about Sirius… about how he was framed for the murder of Pettigrew and whatnot."

"Well, that and," Zara flipped to a specific page and pointed to yet another major headline, "the fact that he's your father."

There was an ugly pause. Annabelle and Zara could only stare at Ankaa as she read over the article.

Sirius Black, recently acquitted from his previously falsified criminal charges for the murder of Peter Pettigrew and twelve Muggles, has also been the centre of another controversy. Several sources have come forward to state that Black was in fact married before he was sent to Azkaban to none other than Maya Rhyther (née Archer) in 1978. Sources also speculate that the changing political climate, as well as Archer's familial ties to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, had been the reason for the cover-up.

Following a brief investigation, the Daily Prophet has been unable to find a marriage certificate validating the marriage between Henry and Maya Rhyther. However, a document provided by Albus Dumbledore himself, concerning the marriage between Sirius Black and Maya Rhyther (now, Black) has proved otherwise. The Rhyther descendants, Cepheus and Ankaa Rhyther, the former of whom tragically passed away during the Triwizard Tournament last year, are also speculated as being Sirius Black's children. The Daily Prophet has attempted to reach Henry Rhyther who serves as the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, but he has neglected to give a quote on the matter. Sirius Black, who has been out of the public eye since losing his wife in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, has also neglected to give a quote.

Ankaa Rhyther, a fifth-year student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and the last possible heir to the House of Black, has not spoken on the matter either. Although the Daily Prophet attempted to reach out to the student, Headmaster Dumbledore has denied any contact and forbid press entry onto school grounds. Though private sources, as well as the authenticated marriage certificate between Black and Archer, confirms the news, the Daily Prophet will continue to attempt to initiate contact with the parties involved.

"Dumbledore told the Prophet about this?"

"I think it came up during the time when he talked to the Minister about Sirius' innocence," Annabelle said. "He needed to provide evidence, and I think he brought it up as a character reference."

"Why—"

"He did it so that you wouldn't have to testify," Zara told her softly, taking the paper from Ankaa's hands. "The Minister wanted more proof, and he wanted to know how long you had known… well long story short, you would have had to testify and reveal yourself as a Seer. That would mean you'd be documented and put into the Ministry records, and Dumbledore doesn't want that."

"Of course not," Ankaa scoffed. "Because he knows best, obviously. He's known for years that Sirius was innocent, and he's only doing this now? He just happened to have the certificate handy now, all of a sudden?"

"He seemed genuine," Annabelle shot Zara an uncertain look.

"You saw him?"

She nodded and reached into the pocket of her robes. "He called me up there to give you this," she held out the vial from the night before. "He wants you to have it. Said he changed some things so that I wouldn't get in trouble."

Ankaa took the vial in her hands, clutching the glass tightly between her hands.

"Well, whatever the case, he obviously thought now was the right time." Zara pointed to another headline, and said, "The Minister is resigning, which means he doesn't have anything to lose. I can see why Dumbledore didn't bring it up sooner, to be quite honest."

"You think it's cause the Minister is resigning?" asked Annabelle.

"Of course," answered Zara. "The Minister couldn't very well pardon a supposed mass murderer while rumours about You-Know-Who were on the rise, could he? But now, he's got no other choice. He's resigning, so he might as well do one good and proper deed before all but being kicked out of office."

In the reflective silence that followed, Ankaa had become aware of the fact that a hush had fallen over the people around her. They were all shooting her furtive glances, some angry, some weary, and some sorry. But worst of all were the ones that looked at her with contempt, passing all their years of hidden judgement onto her after reading one badly written article. The Slytherin girl gave them an irritated glare, and a few of the younger students at least had the shame to disperse, but a few continued to stare back. It wasn't until Zara took Ankaa by the elbow and pulled her away did they break eye contact.

"Don't pay them any mind," she told Ankaa. "The news will wear off soon, we've all got other things to worry about." She paused, uncertain. "I was wondering if I could talk to you… in private?"

Annabelle and Ankaa exchanged a look before the younger girl smiled with a nod. She reached over and gave Ankaa's elbow a reassuring squeeze. A look of understanding passed behind Annabelle's eyes before she smiled at Zara politely and left them alone.

"Uh, so… Draco's pretty upset with you."

"That's understandable," Ankaa sighed. "I would be surprised if he wasn't. I've really been pushing it with him lately, vanishing without a trace and hoping to pick up where we left off."

"Were you planning on talking to him about all this?"

She had planned on it, eventually. But all this time, Ankaa had refused to think that this eventuality would come to pass. She pursed her lips, considering the circumstances. "What do I say to him?"

"That's none of my business. I just know you need to fix it. You both do." She swallowed roughly, and something indistinguishable passed behind her eyes. "I just don't want him to get hurt in all of this," Zara whispered. "I'm afraid he's going to get caught in the wrong side. Maybe you can make him understand."

"If you think I can change Draco Malfoy's mind, you don't know him as well as I thought you did." The statement sounded more bitter than Ankaa had intended, but she did not have the heart to apologize to Zara when she saw her saddened expression.

"Just…" Zara trailed off uncertainly. "I think he needs his friends right now. Especially now."

"Did you talk to him?"

The Ravenclaw girl shook her head immediately. "I haven't seen him since yesterday. He didn't even come down for breakfast. I think if he's going to get news about the night, it should be from you. Rather than what the Prophet has been saying."

"What else has the Prophet said?"

"That his father was involved—he's been arrested and is awaiting trial."

Ankaa sighed heavily. It was almost like taking two steps forward and four steps back. The world finally knew of Sirius' innocence, but it came at the cost of losing her mother. And now, Lucius Malfoy's fall from grace would leave Draco susceptible to a world of horrors.

"He needs us now more than ever," Zara reminded her gently. "He hasn't got anyone else."

The Slytherin girl nodded absentmindedly. The vial of memories of the Battle of the Department of Mysteries tightened in her hand, and she knew what she had to do. Ankaa gave Zara a simple nod, telling her that she would sort things out with Draco and that she did not have to worry.

Ankaa did not remember walking down to the Common Room or making her way past all the people who were crowding around the desks by the window and pouring over copies of the Daily Prophet. She did not acknowledge Pansy when the girl called out for her, asking where she had been the entire time. Instead, Ankaa walked right up to Blaise, who only regarded her silently before folding up his copy of the Prophet and placing it on his lap.

"Can you go get Draco for me?"

"He's not going to come down."

"Go get him."

There must have been something in her expression that spurred him into action. Blaise simply slid the copy of the Prophet over to Daphne Greengrass before standing and heading up the stairs of the boys' dormitory.

"Where have you been?" Greengrass questioned. "And what's this nonsense about your mother and Sirius Black in the papers? Is it true? Is your mother really dead?"

I love you.

Ankaa could feel her mother's lips ghosting over her forehead as if she was physically standing with her again. Greengrass's absolute lack of tact at handling the question made Ankaa want to pull out her wand and throw several curses, maybe even an unforgivable one, towards her. But at the sight of Draco descending the steps, Ankaa forced herself to remain calm.

At the sight of him, a hush fell over the occupants of the Common Room. Draco looked dreadful; his hair was unkempt, he had dark circles under his eyes, and his eyes were bloodshot. He looked like he had not slept all night. It was hard to believe that only a day had passed since Ankaa had last seen him. Ankaa gripped his wrist, pulling him along and out of the Common Room.

He resisted. "Let me go!" He wrenched his wrist from her grip the moment the door to the Common Room closed behind them. "What makes you think I want to go anywhere with you?"

"I want to talk to you."

"I'm sure you do," he spat venomously. "You sure didn't want to talk when you and Potter were off gallivanting to the Ministry of Magic. Or when you found out that Sirius Black was your true father. You only want to talk when it's convenient for you."

"Draco," Ankaa's tone was pleading. "I know you're upset—"

"Upset?!" He laughed bitterly. "I was upset when I didn't get a new broom for Christmas. I was upset when Blaise spilled juice all over my sweater. Ankaa, I'm so beyond upset when it comes to you. I don't even want to be your friend anymore, whatever that means."

"I understand how you're feeling, Draco, believe me, I do." Ankaa shifted on her feet. "I know I haven't been there for you lately—"

"Lately?" He scoffed. "Don't fool yourself into thinking that you just slipped up now. You've never been there for me. When you had your whole thing with Blaise, who was there for you? Me. When you lost your brother? Me. I've always been there for you, and I've asked for nothing in return. But now—" He paused abruptly as if struck by a realization. "You're not my friend. You never were. You always wanted to protect yourself, and when you got that from your new father or your new friends, you left all of us behind. Me, Blaise… All of us."

Draco stood there, glaring at her with such hatred that Ankaa had never had directed at her. But she knew she deserved it, if not more. In the end, she knew he was right. She had not been a true friend to him.

"You're right," she told him. "I wasn't there for you, not when you needed me. I don't want to say that it's because I had things going on myself—I should've been there for you regardless. And you're right, I've always kept you at a distance. Truth is… I couldn't trust any of you, not you or Blaise or Parkinson, with the truth."

"That—"

"It's true. And it's the same reason you haven't told me exactly what's going on with you and Holloway. That's just the kind of people we are Draco. We measure and we calculate, and sometimes these calculations fall short and we make mistakes. I didn't tell you what I was going through because there was too much at stake, but it's far too dangerous to ignore the truth now."

Draco stood there, regarding her with a stoic stare she had never seen on him before. His eyes were raging, and he was still beyond angry with her. Ankaa thought it was worse that he had stopped lashing out at her; she almost wished he would so that she could talk to him and help him sort this out. But Draco Malfoy was completely and utterly done with her.

"Leave me alone."

He turned to head back into the Common Room, but Ankaa gripped his elbow quickly.

"Not yet." When he attempted to wrench his arm away, Ankaa only tightened her grip on him. "I deserve a chance to explain myself."

Draco stopped fidgeting.

Slowly, Ankaa released his arm. "If you want to stop speaking with me, that's fine. If you don't want to be my friend anymore, that's fine too—I deserve it all. I want you to come with me so that you can see what actually happened," she held out the vial, "last night. I'm ready to tell you everything, so Draco Malfoy you're going to shut up and listen to me. You owe me that much."

If he had his wand, he would have cursed her by now. However, Draco only stood still for a moment, staring at her. He did not nod, but he did not pull away from her either. Ankaa gave him a tight smile before turning and leading the way to the Room of Requirement. They did not talk on the way there, and neither did they walk side by side. Draco trailed behind her, scuffing his feet against the floor every so often so that she would know he was still following her. He waited until she poured the contents of the vial into the Pensive before speaking.

"After this, we're never going to speak again."

Ankaa sighed at his dramatics before motioning for him to go ahead. The girl settled down on one of the comfier chairs, finally glad to be off her feet. The sadness and exhaustion had begun to creep over her, and she wanted nothing more than to curl up in her blanket and never get up.

Draco resurfaced a few minutes later, gripping the edges of the Pensive as he stared down at the bowl.

"Why weren't you there?"

"I was supposed to be, originally," Ankaa replied honestly. "It was supposed to be me who died." She then proceeded to tell him everything that she had been keeping secret from him. Everything from the moment it had begun in her third year to everything that had come to pass since yesterday. The only thing she omitted was the truth about the Time-Turner, having guessed that Dumbledore had modified that bit of Annabelle's memory himself.

"I didn't tell you all this because I didn't want you involved," Ankaa told Draco honestly.

"So why tell me now?"

"Because that's not a choice I get to make." Ankaa glanced at the Pensive, taking note of the dark fibre-like swirls in the otherwise clear water. "Whether we like it or not, we're going to be at war soon. And the way it seems right now, you and I are going to be on opposite sides. I don't want you to think that the only choice you have is in following your father's footsteps."

"I don't need a lesson on morality from you, Rhyther—or should I say, Black?"

"Don't you understand, Draco? Voldemort doesn't care who gets caught in the middle. Whether it's you or your father, it makes no difference to him. He's going to try and use—"

"You want me to just abandon my family to join you and your gang of Gryffindors to try and save the world? What's happened to you? I thought you had more sense than that!"

"I'm not asking you to help save the world—Merlin, I don't want to do that myself either! All I'm saying is that you want to stay and help because of your family, but that's just going to be used against you. I know you Draco—"

"Clearly not, if you couldn't even trust me. You chose to trust Potter over me."

"Is that what this is all about?" Ankaa was getting just as heated as him now. "You think I chose Harry Potter of all people, over you? I had no choice with him—he only found out cause he's my mother's godson. All of those people know cause they knew my mother was a Seer too."

"So everyone knew except me? Typical. I told you about Zara last Christmas, I thought we were close."

"Stop it, you're being dramatic. If you're mad at me about not telling you about Sirius, or what I had been up to, I understand that, but this makes absolutely no sense. Can't you see that the reason I couldn't tell you was because of your family's ties to Voldemort? I was just trying to keep you off his radar."

"As opposed to now, when it's supposedly okay for me to be on his radar as long as it's on your terms?"

"It's not on my terms!" Ankaa took a deep breath, trying to compose herself. "If it was on my terms you wouldn't even be involved. None of you would," she said, referring to the rest of her friends in Slytherin. "Draco, people like you and me… we've got a lot more invested in this war than everyone else. Its our families on one side and our friends on the other. Admittedly, the choice for me has been made a lot easier now that my family as half gone and I want revenge. But my friends are still on the other side."

"I'm not your friend."

"You're saying that now cause you're angry."

"No, I'm no—"

"You are," she interrupted him with great resolve. "I know you, as much as you don't like to admit it. Yes, I may have been absent—and I take full responsibility for that—but when I was there, I was there one hundred percent. I know you, Draco, you're my oldest friend. I know your strengths and weaknesses, maybe even better than you do. That's why I'm telling you now… You're not alone in this. It's still early, you don't have to go back and just follow Lucius for the sake of it."

Draco was silent. He had a faraway look in his eyes as he stared into the Pensive. "It's not just me… What about my mother?"

"Your mother will be fine."

"Not without my father. I can't leave her alone." He let out a hollow laugh. "This is what you meant, didn't you? Your friends on one side, and your family on the other? What will you do if that's what it comes down to? If you and I have to—"

"It won't come to that." Ankaa did not sound sure when she said it. She could only hope that it wouldn't. "At the end of the day, you're not my enemy, Draco."

He looked at her, really looked at her. It was the same way he would look at her when she needed his help, when she had been hurt or betrayed, and his look felt as if he was looking deeper within her expression.

"You're not my enemy," she repeated, almost to herself. "If you want to stay for the sake of your family, you can. I just wanted to let you know that I'm here, even until the last possible second, if you decide otherwise. And if you don't… you're still my friend. I'll be there for you like you've been there for me. Whenever you want."

It was a strange realization, handing such power off to someone else. They had grown up. They were no longer little children, playing around and avoiding responsibilities. They had come to face the harsh truths and had been forced to accept less than ideal circumstances. That's what growing up meant, didn't it? Learning to live with the cards that you had been dealt, trying your best to survive the storms life throws your way.

Draco came to sit beside her. "Did Holloway put you up to this?" There was a gentleness in the way he talked about her that prompted Ankaa to raise a brow in curiosity. Draco grinned lightly. "She had a conversation with me like this yesterday. Her DA coin told her to come and meet the rest of them, and I didn't think it was such a good idea."

Ankaa hummed lowly. "What's going on between the two of you?"

"Nothing," he answered candidly. "We're just friends. She… She understands me, and I think she wants to help."

There was something else he was not telling her, but Ankaa did not push him. Instead, she asked, "How did your conversation with her last night go?"

Draco shook his head immediately. "Sort of like this one. She thinks it's easy for me to leave my family behind and join the path of righteousness."

"Can't blame her," Ankaa said. When Draco turned to her with a serious expression, she only held up her hands in defence. "Those people haven't really got others on the Dark side. For people like us… it's choosing between a rock and a hard place. For them, it's choosing between good or evil. Can't exactly match the two up fairly."

He regarded her for a moment before speaking. "Do you really think, if it came down to it, that you'd be able to fight against your friends? Or their parents? If Blaise's family was fighting against you, would you be able to? Or mine?"

"… Yes," Ankaa looked at him. "Draco… That man, if I can even call him that, killed my brother without even blinking. My mother… almost everyone I love is gone. I'm not going to let anyone stand in my way."

He nodded as if he understood, but Ankaa was sure that he could not grasp it entirely. But she did not want to push it.

"So… are we actually still not friends?" Ankaa gave him a sidelong glance. "Because I'm kind of not talking to Potter and the gang—not that I was ever truly fond of them—and I've only got Blaise, Annabelle, and Zara left otherwise."

"Have you got a problem with that roster?"

"No," she shrugged, "But I would've liked to add your name to the list. As two of the biggest social outcasts in the school now, I thought we should stick together."

"Ah, so it's about that then." Draco grinned. "If that's the case, then sure, I don't mind. But if you slip up one more time, then you're out. I've got other people itching to be my friends too, you know?"

"I'm sure."

They sat in companionable silence for a moment longer. The Pensive still floated in front of them, but neither of them paid it much mind. The two of them were caught up in their own thoughts, reflecting on all that had passed and all that would change for them, until Draco spoke.

"I'm really sorry about your mother, Ankaa. She didn't deserve that."

He reached for her hand, gripping it tightly to convey how sorry he truly felt. She did not reply to him, but a light squeeze of his hand let him know that she was sorry too.

The duo headed back to the Common Room soon after that, and Ankaa was careful to securely stash away the vial of the horrid memory. The walk to the Common Room was silent, but it was not the same as before; there was a mutual understanding, albeit, with a terse and reluctant acceptance of each other's unique positions, that settled between the two. Ankaa was not naive enough to think that everything between them had been sorted. She knew this was just the tip of the iceberg and that the true trials were the ones that awaited them in the near future, but she did not have the heart nor the strength to speak of it anymore. She wanted to go back to the sanctuary of her dorm room, where she could curl up under her sheets and just sleep, and not think about anything or anyone.

And that's exactly what she did. Ankaa was not sure if it was the expression on her face or the fact that she had now become one of the biggest social pariahs in the school, but somehow people did not bother her for the remainder of the term.

"Potter's staring at you," Blaise remarked while they sat down for breakfast on their last day.

Draco, who happened to be sitting in front of her with his back towards Potter, turned to shoot the man a vicious glare that was accompanied by a not so friendly gesture.

"Careful," warned Zara, tugging on his arm when she noticed McGonagall glance over the interaction. "You don't want to get in trouble."

Draco pulled his arm free of her grip, only giving her a scowl in return. His mood had taken a severe turn in the last few days, but seeing as Ankaa had wanted to just about the same thing (if not worse) to Potter, she couldn't exactly blame him.

"Aren't you going to get in trouble with your friends?" Blaise asked Zara as he buttered some toast. "This is the last breakfast and you're sitting here with a bunch of Slytherins."

"Well, to be fair, I haven't really been getting along with them much," the girl returned idly. "They've not exactly been supportive of my friendship with Draco, so I don't see why I need to take their opinion into account when considering my friendship with the rest of you."

Ankaa raised a brow. "Surprising," she commented. "I would've never thought Cho Chang and her friends to be worried about that, especially when it was Edgecomb who sold you lot to Umbridge."

Zara shrugged. "There's a lot that goes on behind the scenes."

Blaise took a bite of his toast before muttering, "I'll never understand it."

"What won't you ever understand?"

"How you lot find it all so easy to do this," he gestured vaguely with his hands. "Ankaa and Draco are basically outcasts, and Holloway's one now too, I suppose, by association. Not to mention her," Blaise nodded to Annabelle, who had just joined them at the table with a merry smile, "nothing phases her, does it?"

"What're we talking about?" Annabelle asked. Zara filled her in, and Annabelle's confusion was replaced by a serene smile. "Well," she said, "You support your friends, don't you? Through thick and thin. That's why it's so easy because you know they'd do the same for you."

_Draco glanced over at her. Ankaa had a feeling he wanted to retort with something cynical and witty before Zara glanced at him and gave him a stern, but quiet, "No." The boy only glared at her before returning to massacre the scrambled eggs on his plate.

"I suppose we all ought to choose our friends more carefully these days," Blaise gazed at the students at the other tables. His eyes narrowed in a heated stare at one particular person at the Gryffindor table. "Lest they get you and your families killed."

Harry Potter was staring at them unabashedly. On a different day, and in a different time, Ankaa might have been slightly moved by the hollow look he was giving her. But Harry Potter was on her list of do-gooders who had done absolutely no good and was thus absolutely useless to her in the grand scheme of things. He was neither friend nor foe, a nobody at best who had somehow cost her half of her family.

Annabelle glanced at Potter as well, but she seemed to feel different. Glancing at her, Ankaa piped up.

"You don't agree with that?"

"Of course she doesn't, she's a Hufflepuff. She sees the good in everybody."

Ankaa could tell Annabelle was offended by Blaise's statements, but she made no move to deny it. It was crystal clear to all of them that Annabelle was, perhaps, the best of them all when it came to that; the purest and kindest of the students, the one who wanted to do no harm but also refused to take any shit.

"I only think he made a mistake," Annabelle said finally. "It's not like we all haven't. It's just awful for him—and for Ankaa, too—that their mistakes are worth much more than ours. To hold him to that standards… to hold yourself to that standard would be cruel and inhuman, don't you agree?"

A pregnant pause reigned over the group before finally, Blaise smirked. "Little Annabelle… Finally found your voice, have you?"

Annabelle smiled widely. "Never lost it."

And with that, the end of term was upon them. The next day, they had all wished each other their farewells (Zara and Annabelle decided to spend the ride back to Kings Cross with their respective group of friends) before boarding the Hogwarts Express. While usually, the ride back was filled with much fun and laughter, the compartment housing Draco, Blaise, and Ankaa was uncharacteristically silent.

As the train pulled into Platform Nine and Three Quarters, Ankaa gathered her things. The three of them stood together for a moment, staring at one another silently.

"So," it was Blaise who spoke first. "I guess I won't be seeing either of you this summer, not if my mum has her way."

Draco agreed. "I'm not even sure I'll be able to write."

"Maybe once a week we could Floor down to the Leaky Cauldron… keep in touch?"

Ankaa snorted at Blaise's idea. "We didn't even write to each other once a week when we had the chance, what makes you think we're going to Floo to Diagon Alley? We're lazy, remember?"

Blaise grinned down at her. "I thought for the sake of friendship even you tossers would be on board."

"We'll see," said Draco, clutching his briefcase securely in his hand. "I've got to get going. Mum… she'll be waiting."

With his usual handshake to Blaise and a quick hug for Ankaa, Draco was off and bustling along with the rest of the students to meet Narcissa on the platform.

"Shouldn't you get going as well?"

Blaise titled his head, watching her with amusement. "Same to you, unless you want a ride back to Hogwarts?"

"I just thought your Mum wouldn't be too happy to see you hanging around with me anymore, not with my apparent fall from grace."

Blaise pursed his lips. "I don't think so either," he conceded. "But she's not on the train, is she? I've got a few minutes with you still."

Ankaa shook her head with a grin. "At least your sense of humour hasn't been lost."

"My sense of humour and my sense of flirting are two very different things," he told her, offering her a subtle wink. "It's a shame you never figured out which is which."

"Get lost," Ankaa pushed him away with a laugh. "Your Mum will skin me alive if she finds out that I'm the one keeping you."

Blaise's smile vanished, and his demeanour changed entirely to a more serious look.

"Are you sure you'll be alright?" He asked, stepping forward and clutching her elbows at her side.

"I'll be—"

"—Don't lie to me."

"…I'll figure something out." Ankaa gave him a half-smile, "I always have."

His gaze roved over her intensely, taking in her features before he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, drawing her in for a hug. She felt him press a light kiss onto her temple before he drew back, and while normally she would have commented on the inappropriateness of it, she simply let it slide. It had felt comforting, and Ankaa knew that he needed this just as much as she did.

"Be safe," Blaise told her seriously. "I'll see you soon, hopefully. And if not, then I'll see you in September."

Ankaa gave him a few minutes head start before heading for the exit. She had not known what to expect when she got off the train. Usually, Maya would be on the platform, waiting for her with a little package of homemade chocolate chip cookies that she had baked especially for the siblings. But there was no more Maya.

I love you, her mother's voice ghosted over her frame. Ankaa suppressed a shudder and stepped off the train with a deep breath. To her surprise, someone had come to receive her after all.

Sirius Black stood on the platform, looking thoroughly out of place amongst the smiling families with the glower on his face. In the brief moment Ankaa had to examine his form, she noticed that he looked every bit as awful as she felt. Sirius no longer looked like the handsome and charismatic man she had come to think of him as, but rather the raggedy looking Azkaban escapee. His cheeks were hollowing and the bags under his eyes were dark, only worsening the bloodshot eyes.

He had been too busy glowering at some of the people around him to notice Ankaa come up to him. Only when she passed him some of her luggage did Sirius snap his gaze away from the inquisitive wizard across from him.

"What took you so long?" He asked as he took a firm grasp on Zeus' cage. "Almost everyone's gone already."

"I was saying goodbye to my friends," Ankaa glanced past him to where Blaise and his mother were in deep conversation. Mrs. Zabini did not look at all pleased at having been made to wait, and she had surmised exactly what had kept her son. With one withering glare in Ankaa's direction, she turned and marched off towards the exit, not once turning back to see if her son was following.

Sirius, who had seen the exchange, frowned. "No wonder she kept glaring at me," he muttered. "Not a pleasant woman." Then, he looked down at her, and an unknown expression flickered behind his eyes as he asked, "How was it?"

"About as good as you'd expect them to be," Ankaa shrugged as casually as she could bring herself to. "Fewer people want to talk to me, which is great I guess. Been wanting that all my life. Didn't think this is how I'd get it."

"I shouldn't have let you go back there."

"It wasn't your decision to make."

"If I can't protect you from things like that—"

"No one can protect me from things like this, Sirius. That's kind of the point of it all. Death must have Death and the unlucky ones must continue." The duo stood in a brief awkward silence, glancing at one another and then away before finally, Ankaa spoke. "Why are you here?"

"To take you home," he said as if it was painfully obvious.

"No, I meant—last I saw you, you were ignoring everyone and had elected to lock yourself into your room."

"Until an hour ago, I was still doing that," he admitted. "Remus came around and we exchanged some choice words."

Ankaa waited for him to elaborate, but he simply gave her a tight smile before taking charge of her trolley and walking ahead of her. Every muscle in her body urger her not to follow, to turn back and board the Hogwarts express and beg Dumbledore to let her hole herself up in her dorms over the summer just so she would not have to go back to the place where her mother's memories ran rampant. But she did not have the strength to fight herself anymore. The warmth of her bed lulled her to follow after her father, and she told herself that all she had to do was take it one day at a time to survive. That's all any of us can do.

Ankaa had taken to living with Sirius at Grimmauld Place during the summer. At first, she had been reluctant to call it home. Her first instinct had been to return to Rhyther Manor but unfortunately, with Henry's current whereabouts remaining unknown, and her grandmother and grandfather still on the loose, it was extremely dangerous.

"I can come with you," Sirius offered, "if you want to go back and get a few things."

The Order had been hesitant, but Sirius had not backed down. In the meeting a few days after summer had officially begun, he had been quite adamant in his proclamation.

"I want her to feel at home here, and if going back to get a few things will help her do that, then so be it. You can either help me or get out of my way," he had said, rather heatedly. It was only when Remus had put a hand on his shoulder did he relax back into his chair, his glare never leaving that of Alastor Moody.

Ankaa had not expected the Order to agree. Perhaps it was the fact that they felt piteous; either for the fact that she had lost her mother, or that Henry was now missing.

"We have not yet had any contact with him," Mr. Weasley said that same night. "He's supposed to report in every few weeks, but we haven't heard anything."

"Alice must know then," Ankaa had muttered, glaring at the ceiling. "She must've put two and two together after reading the article in the Quibbler earlier."

"Perhaps Severus can investigate for us?"

Professor Snape, who had been quietly and intently been listening in, remained as indifferent as ever. However, he cast a sideways glance to where Ankaa was sitting, and then one to where Sirius sat at the head of the table. If Snape was amused by Sirius' pouty demeanour, he did not let it show.

"I shall try," he stated. "Although, if it was Alice who had something to do with it, then I am not sure I will be able to get close."

Ankaa felt her heart sink. Under the table, her hands were clutching her knees in a vice like grip. By her side, Remus placed a comforting hand over her own but the warmth did not reach her.

"In my vision, Alice had said that he was dead." Ankaa looked to Sirius, "She mentioned a father, but I'm not sure if she meant you or him. She said that she'd make me suffer a death worse than my fathers."

"I don't think she would kill him, Ankaa," Remus tried to assure her. "I think she knows how precious he is to you—she'd want to use him to get to you. It might give us just enough time to try and track him down."

Ankaa looked to Professor Snape. "If you can," she told him. "And if he's dead… I'd like to know about it."

"Ankaa—"

"I have a right to know, Sirius. If she kills Henry, I'd like to know. Because one day she's going to pay for all of that."

Sadly, a week had passed since then, and they had yet to hear anything. Ankaa knew that Professor Snape was being as diligent in his work as possible and that he could not be blatant in his inquires and risk exposing himself, but a part of her had hoped that they would have some sort of news by now whether it's good or bad. To make matters worse, the Order meetings had largely been closed off to her. Sirius had attended a few, but even he was not willing to speak about what had passed. Ankaa had been able to surmise that something was happening between Dumbledore and Snape, but the exact nature of their talks was a mystery to her.

To top it all off, Grimmauld Place had been closed to visitors since. It was now just her and Sirius who resided in the house. Harry had been living with his aunt and uncle, and Ankaa strongly suspected that sometime soon Sirius would try and breach the topic of letting Harry come live at Grimmauld but Sirius had been swinging between good and bad moods ever since Ankaa had returned for the summer. There were days when he tried his best to speak to her, and days where he simply neglected coming down for food and locked himself in his room. Ankaa had not mentioned to him that she could hear some sniffling and shuffling in his room in the late hours of the night seeing as Ankaa did not think she could stomach talking about her mother.

Once or twice, Remus had caught her in the middle of such an episode. Ankaa had not realized that she had been staring out of the window of her room, watching the kids play in the street below without at care in the world, for far too long. There were no thoughts in her mind—a blessed emptiness had begun to take over, and she could not help but be thankful for it. She often found most of her days had begun to pass like this, where the nights and days blended into one another and she lost track of it all. It was only when Remus pointed out that it had been three days since she had moved did Ankaa shuffle out of her spot and lock herself in her bathroom, all without so much as a word or glance his way. Whatever he had seen in her had been enough to prompt Remus into action.

He had marched down to Sirius' bedroom and with a simple wave of his wand he had undone whatever spell Sirius had used to keep her out, shutting the door behind him as he went.

Sirius had turned away from the door, on his bed. At the sound of the door opening and closing swiftly, he had poked his head out from under the pile of blankets. Upon noting Remus' disapproving form, Sirius frowned deeply.

"What are you doing here?"

"I came to check on you before I had to go underground." Remus glared down at him. "What's the matter with you? How long have you been here?"

"A few days."

"And have you not even bothered to check in on your daughter, Sirius? You've been holed up in here ever since you lost Maya, and believe me I understand completely what you're feeling—"

"No you don't," Sirius growled. "Don't you dare."

"Sirius," his friend's tone was sympathetic, "Maya wouldn't want this."

Sirius let out a bitter sigh before pulling the blankets over his head again. Remus sighed at the childish display, having expected it entirely of Sirius before he had even entered the room. The man sat down in one of the armchairs by the fireplace, taking note of the disarray in the bedroom. He reached for one of the notebooks lying on the floor and flipped through it quickly, noting that it was one of Maya's diaries from their last year Hogwarts. She had filled it with various pictures and little snippets of memories.

Remus placed the book on the side table and stood. He cast one more glance towards the lump under the blankets before turning to head to the door.

"Just remember Sirius," he said as he reached for the handle, "Maya gave her life so that you and Ankaa could live yours. As much as it hurts to go on, it's what she wanted. She wouldn't want to see you like this, and she wouldn't want to see Ankaa suffering either. Just remember what she died for."

There was no movement from under the blankets. With a disappointed look that went entirely unnoticed, Remus left and closed the door behind him. He then made his way to the dining room, where he could hear Ankaa shuffling around. The girl, at least, looked happy to see him.

"Tea?"

Remus nodded and sat as she poured him a cup. "How have you been?"

Ankaa sat across from him with a cup of her own. She nursed it in her hands for a few seconds before replying, "Same old, same old."

The thinly veiled dejection in her tone had not slipped past him. Remus reached for her hand and held it in his own for a few seconds, trying to convey without words his unwavering support. He did not know if he could even string together the sentence that would convey just how sorry he felt.

"How's Sirius?"

Remus breathed a sigh of exhaustion. "He's coping in his own way, I suppose. I don't think you should even expect him to venture out of his room for a few weeks at the very least." He hesitated slightly, but with a quick glance at the quiet corridor, he told Ankaa the story of when Sirius had lost someone he loved before. "He was like that when he heard about James and Lily… He probably wouldn't have left his house for months if not for the fact that he wanted to get revenge on Peter. I hope you can forgive him for being absent for now, while he comes to terms with losing Maya."

"I understand." She didn't. "Besides, even if he was here I have absolutely no idea what I could even say to him. I'm in no mood to talk myself."

Remus understood, and like the sympathetic man he was, he asked, "Got a lot on your mind? Something I can help with?"

How could she tell him that there had been absolutely nothing on her mind? That every time any thought had dared to surface, Ankaa had crushed and suppressed it almost immediately, electing to burrow herself deeper and deeper into her books and blankets every time. It seemed like it had been so long since she had even thought about these things that it took her a good five minutes off silence to find her thoughts.

"Just everything going wrong at once, I suppose," she said, finally. "I've lost my brother, my mom, my dad is missing, my other dad is despondent, the world knows about my parentage, my Seer abilities are absolute garbage, and I can't protect the people I love, especially now."

Remus looked at her incredulously. "What makes you think the fate of your friends rests entirely in your hands, Ankaa?"

"I—" she paused. "I'm the one with Seer abilities, Remus. If I can't look out for them, what's the point? I've got the chance to get ahead of the curve and see but—I can't do that, and it's getting people killed." Her hands twitched on the table itching to find the latest of Seer related books she had been delving into, hoping that all that knowledge would pay off sooner rather than later.

"Voldemort is getting people killed, Ankaa. None of this is your fault."

"Of course it is, Remus!" Her voice was barely above a whisper as if speaking her truth loudly would be far too shameful for her. "Alice can use her abilities… she's two steps ahead of me every single time."

"Your grandmother has had years of practice. Your mother had that too. You're only sixteen, Ankaa. When I was sixteen, I was up to no good—playing pranks, drinking with my friends, doing other questionable things. Point is; you're already remarkable for your age. It's just the times you're in are different. You feel like you've got to compare yourself to all these people who have years and years of experience to get them to where they are."

"Remus, I appreciate what you're trying to do—" Not really, a part of her said. No kind words would help her, "—but none of that matters now. I'm useless. It should have been me who died at the Ministry. I wish I had."

Her words hung between them, an ugly reminder of the truth Ankaa had tried to suppress in the last few days. The sentiment had slipped out of her mouth so easily, as uneasy truths almost always do. You try and try to hide from them, but they force their way out of you regardless. The silence reigned between them until the tea between her hands had long cooled. The cool touch of the teacup seeped through her, slowly taking over every inch of her until she was cocooned in an icy layer of unfeeling.

Remus stood from his chair with an expression on his face that Ankaa had never seen before. "You know," he spoke softly, "Your mother loved you and Ceph very much, more than I can begin to comprehend. Sirius does too, in his own way. They both did their best to raise you two not to be great fighters, but good people, to your very core—because they knew that greatness follows goodness. But I'm glad your mother isn't here to hear you today, Ankaa. She'd be heartbroken to learn that she failed as a mother, that you have no regard for what's been so preciously granted to you. You would have broken her heart."

I love you.

The words rang in her head long after Remus had disapparated from Grimmauld Place. His disappointment in her lingered behind long after the warmth of his presence had faded from the home. And though the sun had long set after his departure, and the room was cast into darkness, Ankaa could not bring herself to get up and go to her room. Her head was heavy, swimming with accusations of failing her mother—some from Remus, but most from herself. She did not remember rising from the table or venturing up the stairs, but she did remember falling face down into her bed and burrowing into her blankets, hoping that sleep would come to her easily that night, devoid of her usual nightmares.

Ankaa was jolted out of her sleep suddenly. It had something to do with her dream, something about following Draco up the Astronomy Tower, trying to clutch at his sleeve and pull him back. The sight of him walking away with purpose had filled her with such dread. She did not know why, but she had to keep him away. Away from there, and get him towards safety. But why? The more she tried to recall the details, the faster they slipped away from her, like trying to tighten your hold on a handful of sand.

"Mistress has finally awoken."

Kreacher was standing in the doorway, holding a box of antiques he had vacated from the attic. As usual, he was none too pleased to see her. Perhaps he even dreaded the fact that she had woken up at all. He waited until she sat up in bed before telling her that she had visitors.

"Who is it?"

"The bloodtraitor Weasleys have come to see Mistress."

With a huff, Ankaa fell back into her bed and pulled the covers over her. "Tell them I'm dead."

Kreacher closed the door behind him as he left. Idly, Ankaa wondered if Kreacher indulged himself with the little gossip around Grimmauld—especially that of Fred and Ankaa's current relationship status. It must not have been easy for him all these years, to stay locked up at Grimmauld with no proper source of entertainment. Even Rhyther Manor had more than one house-elf to keep each other company.

Ankaa was just drifting off when a thundering of steps gave her another start. She barely had time to register the sound when the door to her room was thrown open, and her covers were ripped from her by a distressed-looking Sirius. At the sight of her, his posture slumped visibly and he fell back onto the chair in her room with a heavy sigh. Ankaa sat up and gave him a questioning look.

"Kreacher told me you were dead," his voice trembled. "I—I thought…" he shook his head as if even thinking it was awful.

"Uh, yeah—I told him to say that. I forgot how literal he is, sometimes."

The words were lost on Sirius, who was busy staring at her. Ankaa met his gaze fleetingly, but he was staring at her so intently that it seemed to her he was staring into her soul. Finally, he withdrew his gaze to the floor, but several expressions flickered over his visage, none of which Ankaa could place.

"Fred and George are here to see you."

"I don't want to see him."

"You can't ignore him forever, you know."

There it was, the fateful question designed to spur her into reconsidering her cold shoulder response. But Ankaa was also prepared. "Actually, I can." She said as she burrowed deeper into the safety of her blankets. "He's not going to be at school anymore, and he isn't allowed at Grimmauld. So, you see, ignoring him is actually quite easy."

"Who says he isn't allowed here?"

"I do."

"But I'm the owner."

"Well, as the owner and as my father, I urge you to reconsider. Besides, I thought you weren't fond of him."

"I am not," Sirius confirmed. "Of course, I respect Fred and George's ability to create mayhem and disaster—they're quite accomplished at that—I don't like Fred because of two things. One, he's dating my daughter. Two, he's dating my daughter."

"Not dating anymore."

"Oh?"

"You want me to date someone like that? Someone who forcefully kept me away at a time where I needed to be there for my family?" She pulled the blanket back enough to poke her head through so that she could see his expression.

Sirius looked away from her, staring intensely at the doorway. "I don't see it that way, and I doubt he does too. He was keeping you safe, and that's something that I agree with. If you had been at the Ministry that day, chances are you would have been the one dead instead of your mother."

The sombre mood settled over the two of them once more. They had been decidedly ignoring any mention of Maya in the past two weeks. It had been fairly easy for Ankaa, as the first week had passed during the end of the semester at Hogwarts, but the second week at Grimmauld had been particularly difficult. Memories of her mother were everywhere in these halls. It did not surprise Ankaa one bit that Sirius had taken to sleeping in one of the guest bedrooms in the attic rather than in the bedroom he had shared with his wife.

"Whatever the case," Ankaa muttered finally, "it wasn't his call to make. Maybe that would have been me and maybe it wouldn't. He can't protect me from everything and he shouldn't try."

"I agree that he can't protect you from everything, but I don't think that'll stop him from trying." Sirius stood. "Trust me, Ankaa, I've been in his place. Your mother and I were in the same position. Prongs would always say that Maya was a magnet for trouble, and I agree." There was a faraway look in his eyes as he recalled a specific memory. "She was almost always picking fights, or getting in trouble for some of her pranks against us—they weren't too great if I'm being honest, but I appreciated the effort nonetheless. But as we grew up and the war grew closer, it all became more dangerous. She was picking fights with Death Eaters, spying on Voldemort and putting her life on the line… All I wanted was to protect her… Because I love her… loved her." He shook his head quickly, trying to keep the onslaught of her memory at bay. "If there was a way that I could have kept her locked up to keep her safe, I would have. I think Fred was doing the same because he feels that way for you."

"If he loved me, he would have understood that that was the last thing he should have done."

A conflicted look passed over Sirius. "I've never been very good with advice," he rubbed the back of his neck anxiously, "but I think what I mean to say is that you should think of it from his perspective too. If the situations were reversed and he was the one that was about to die, would you try to lock him away to keep him from harm or let him barrel straight towards it?"

Three days had passed since, and Ankaa was no closer to forgiving Fred for what he had done. Her conversation with Sirius had been the last the duo had spoken of it, seeing as neither Sirius nor Ankaa was quite predisposed to conversations of the heart as easily as Ceph and Maya had been. Sirius had dutifully handed her every letter that Fred had written for her, and while he had glanced meaningfully at her, he had been blissfully silent through it all. Ankaa supposed it was also because they had been rather preoccupied with trying to figure out how to remove Walburga Black's portrait from the wall.

Ankaa blinked the sleep from her eyes when Sirius tossed yet another book on the table in front of her. Marvin Gulto's Guide to Household Spells was discarded just as quickly as it had been picked up from Flourish and Blotts.

"We've exhausted just about every book of spells on the market," muttered Sirius as he settled down in the armchair across from her. "I think it's safe to say that she didn't use just any permanent sticking charm."

Ankaa sat up and yawned. "That leaves us with Borgin and Burke's as a last resort. I don't know where else Walburga might have got a permanent sticky charm from if not that sketchy old shop."

Sirius agreed. "Neither of us can exactly waltz in there and inquire about it. Got any other ideas?"

"Other than using polyjuice potion, no." Ankaa reflected on it some more and changed her mind. "Borgin knows everyone who comes by, it'd be too risky. I suppose we can ask Kreacher?"

Sirius snorted a sarcastic laugh. "He'd sooner cut off his legs than let us know exactly what my mother used to get her portrait on there."

"Well, whatever the case, he's our most likely lead right now." Ankaa glanced towards the doorway, where Kreacher had previously ambled through and deposited a tray with tea and biscuits. "I bet he helped her with it. If he doesn't know, or won't tell us, I suppose we'll have to ask some of the other portraits."

"Many of them don't speak." Sirius gave a pointed glance towards the silent portrait of the haughty looking man with the handlebar moustache. "Mother made sure that only the ones she liked remained behind, and they're not going to be much help if that's the case."

"Well, I suppose that leaves us with Kreacher or more research."

"I don't like either of those options." There was a lull in their conversation. In her effort to straighten the stacks of books by her side, Ankaa missed the furtive glance Sirius shot her way. "Erm," he began hesitantly, "I've been meaning to talk to you about something."

"That can't be good."

"Dumbledore was wondering—"

Ankaa could feel her eye twitching in irritation before Sirius had even gotten to the heart of the matter. Her jaw tightened and her grey-eyed gaze was fixed on him with heated intensity.

"—if Harry could stay here for the rest of the holidays?"

Over my dead body.

"His aunt and uncle are a right menace," Sirius continued, undeterred, "They've been just about torturing him. I did promise him that once this was all over, he could come live with me. Things aren't so good right now—with Voldemort being out and about—and Dumbledore and I thought that it would be best for him if he spent time at Grimmauld."

"He's the reason your wife is dead."

"It wasn't Harry's fault."

"No? If he hadn't waltzed off to the Ministry to save someone who didn't need saving, would you all have even shown up? Mum would've stayed at Grimmauld and everyone else would have been safe. She would be alive today if it weren't for him."

"Your mother knew what she was doing—"

"She had no other choice! She had to go to the Ministry to save her idiot godson who doesn't listen after people have repeatedly told him to stay away, or to stop!" Ankaa clenched the armrest of the antique chair so hard that her knuckles turned white. "I don't want him here. I don't want to see his face, I don't want to hear his voice—I want nothing to do with him and his friends."

"You can't avoid them forever!" Sirius argued. "You're going to see them once summer ends. Besides, Ankaa, do you really think this is what your mother would have wanted—"

"I don't know Sirius, why don't we ask her? Oh, that's right. We can't because she's dead."

Sirius bit back his harsh reply. Ankaa could tell he was on the verge of saying something heated when he visibly held himself back and took a deep calming breath.

"Save it," she told him as she stood up. "I'm not in the mood to have people defend him to me. If Dumbledore wants to help Potter, then he can send him to the Weaselys'."

"Ankaa, he doesn't have anyone else. We're his family."

"He's killed my family." Ankaa turned and marched towards the door before another thought made her pause. At the doorway, she turned to Sirius once more. "It's your choice Sirius, but just know this; if Harry Potter steps foot in this house, I will leave."

It irked her that Sirius did not immediately answer. A small part of her could understand his hesitance. Harry Potter was, after all, the child of his best friend. But Harry Potter had cost Ankaa far too much. Ceph and Maya had always been the more compassionate ones in their family, but they were dead and gone now. Ankaa would be damned if she forgave Harry Potter for the second time, for taking away another person she loved.

For the next few days, things between her and Sirius were tense. Ankaa remained annoyed at his attempts to talk about bringing Potter into Grimmauld. He spoke of it casually, always something along the lines of, 'It's so quiet here, it'd be nice to have someone else around, isn't it?', or 'I bet we could get the house cleaned out even faster if we had another set of hands helping us out, eh?' That trick might have worked on Maya, but Ankaa was steadfast in her decision. At the slightest mention of Potter, Ankaa would cast a withering look towards Sirius until he changed the topic. And if that didn't work, the old 'pack-up-your-things-and-leave-in-the-middle-of-the-conversation' trick really worked wonders.

On the other hand, all this free time she had gathered while avoiding Sirius had given her ample time to speculate about all the other problems in her life. The stacks of letters that Fred and George had been writing to her remained in a neat pile by her bedside, unopened. They had tried various other methods, such as paying the owl delivering their letters to annoy her until she replied or writing directly to Sirius even, but neither of them had gotten through to Ankaa. The only people Ankaa had kept in touch with were Zara Holloway and Annabelle Roker. Writing to the two of them really helped to put things into perspective for her.

Dear Ankaa,

I'm sorry I haven't had the chance to reply to your last letter. Things have been rather rough at home recently. I know you're well aware of the dangers posed to us in the Wizarding World, and it seems that my parents are catching onto it all as well. They haven't seen the Prophet yet—God knows reading about all the suspicious murders and violent break-ins would only traumatize them even more. I've been trying to cover it up as best as I can, but they're not dumb. I'm just glad they haven't got anyone else's parents to keep in touch with. For now, it seems, that things have settled. For a while, my mom was throwing a fit. She didn't think it would be smart for someone like me to go back to Hogwarts (being muggleborn and strong-headed, she said).

I've been thinking about it too, actually. I thought about not returning this year, but I don't think that would be fair to any of us. I can understand my mother—she just wants to protect the only kid she's got left. After we lost Jasmine… well, things are different. If I didn't have you and Draco to look out for (not that you need looking out, particularly, but I think everyone should have friends to look out for them), I don't think I would return this year. It's not about me. I just don't want to put my parents through another loss.

This brings me to my main concern. I was wondering—and you're completely within your rights to say no—if I could come live with you for the rest of the summer? I think my parents would feel at ease knowing I'm with a magical family that has adults to protect me. They're being a little overbearing but I just want to help ease their worries. I can understand that it would be intrusive to you and Sirius, and so please know that there's absolutely no pressure. I understand completely if you say no, and that you need space.

I'll be waiting for your reply.

Your friend,

Zara

Ankaa had tucked the letter away this morning, intending to ask Sirius about letting Zara stay over. She doubted Sirius would have a problem with it as he was always up for some socialization, even though for the last few days he had been quietly moping and in a rather bad mood. Regardless of his disposition, Ankaa swiftly penned a reply.

Dear Zara,

Of course, you can come and spend the summer with me. It'll be nice to have someone else around for a change. Sirius is fine, but he's been getting on my nerves recently. He's adamant about letting Potter stay with us for the summer, and I'm sure that by the end of the week he'll end up having his way (he's got this habit of getting into his head and going against everything people tell him). You'd be welcome here anytime.

Let me know what time works for you. I can Apparate to come and get you.

A

It was short and sweet, much like all of her previous letters to her friends and family. As Ankaa watched Zeus fly off into the night sky, she wondered if Sirius took her seriously in her threat to leave the house should he bring Potter along. Normally, her backup plan would have been to stay with Draco but seeing as that was definitely off the table, Ankaa had nowhere to go. Perhaps she could have stayed with the twins if things between her and Fred were alright, but even then Ankaa knew she could not put up with the two of them for that long.

Despite it all, Ankaa had gone readily to get Zara the next day. The Holloways lived in the heart of London in a rather extravagant apartment. Ankaa Apparated into an alley close to their house and was right on time when she knocked at their door. The wrought iron door swung open to reveal a dark-haired, middle-aged woman with kind green eyes.

"Ah, you must be Ankaa." The woman ushered her in. "I'm Cassidy, Zara's mom."

Ankaa muttered the customary 'Pleased to meet you, ma'am,' before casting a quick look around their foyer. Ankaa had not suspected Zara to be from an affluent home. Ankaa often found that Muggle families had it much harder when it came to accumulating wealth. What wizard families took for granted, Muggle families had to work for. But it seemed the Holloways were rather well off, even by Muggle standards.

"Will and I really appreciate you hosting Zara for the rest of the Summer," said Cassidy. "Please, come on in. Let me make you a cup of tea." Cassidy led the way into the house. Ankaa found it rather pleasant, especially compared to Grimmauld Place. It was no wonder Sirius was hellbent on renovating the place, stripping it to the bare bones and making it more welcoming. The Holloway's house was cozy and warm, despite the spacious interiors. There were pictures of the family lining the wall, blankets on the couch, and certificates and artwork placed upon the steel fridge.

"Zara!" Cassidy paused briefly to call up the stairs. "Ankaa's here! Finish up and get down here, darling!"

"I'll be right there!" Came Zara's disembodied voice in return.

Cassidy turned back to Ankaa and shrugged as if to say 'teenagers' before leading her towards the line of barstools.

"I had just put the kettle on," Cassidy explained as she poured a cup and placed it on a coaster before Ankaa. "Will wanted to be here to thank you and your family personally, but unfortunately he's been called away for some business. We both stay rather busy and… well, I'm sure you know about the political climate."

Ankaa watched the cup in her hands, noting the colour of the tea as it continued too steep. The steam carried with it hints of peach and ginger, and Ankaa wrapped her fingers around the cup securely, relishing the warmth.

"I understand," she answered eventually. "I'm just glad to be of help."

Cassidy gave her a sympathetic smile. She glanced towards the stairs before looking back to Ankaa. "Zara told me about your loss. Your brother and your mother... I'm truly sorry for that. I can't imagine what you've been through, this war must be taking its toll on you. More than us it seems."

War does not take its pick of casualties, Mopsus had said.

Ankaa tore her eyes from the tea and found herself sitting beside Cassidy in companionable silence. Much like Zara, her mother had a way of making silence comfortable. Ankaa took the time to examine the kitchen and, more specifically, the small pictures and awards. There were a few magical photos, where the three members of the Holloway family were amongst the mountains and waving at the camera. However, there were far more muggle photographs, and each of them had four people in them.

"That's my older daughter," Cassidy pointed easily to one of the photographs. Slowly, she reached for it and pulled it loose from the magnet. "This is Jasmine."

Jasmine Holloway stood next to her dad, smiling brightly at the camera. She looked very much like her mother, dark hair peeking through her winter hat and bright green eyes staring back. In the same picture, Zara stood nestled at her side and smiling in a way that Ankaa had not seen the girl do previously. It was an old photograph, and Ankaa wondered why they had not taken new ones.

"She's gone," Cassidy's soft voice drew Ankaa's gaze. The woman was watching the photograph with sad eyes, tracing the outlines of her daughter's face. "She died a few years ago, right before Zara began her second year at Hogwarts."

"I'm so sorry," Ankaa said immediately, handing the photograph back to the woman. "I didn't know."

Cassidy waved a hand in dismissal. With a gentle smile, she said, "It's alright. I don't think Zara talks about it much. They were very close, and she hasn't been the same since. Neither of us has, really. Will took it the hardest though. We all threw ourselves into our work or school to avoid thinking about it, trying to figure out where we went wrong."

"It must have been hard… losing a child like that."

"It is," Cassidy nodded. "I wouldn't wish it upon my worst enemy. Jazzy slipped through my fingers and there was nothing I could do about it. I didn't even know anything was wrong until it was too late. One day she was a happy and bubbly fifteen-year-old girl, and then two years later she was dead."

There was a flurry of movement from upstairs and then a thundering of footsteps as Zara ran down the steps with her trunk. Cassidy and Ankaa stood, meeting her at the base of the staircase as the girl came to a stop.

"Got everything?"

"Yes," Zara answered automatically. "Besides, if I forgot something I can always come back to get it."

Ankaa took Zara's trunk despite Cassidy's protests to help and gave the two of them time to say their goodbyes while she moved the trunk to the foyer and out onto the porch landing. For the sake of Zara's mother, Ankaa had to pretend that she was still unable to do magic outside of school. They would have to carry the trunk down the street and into the alley where they would 'portkey' to Grimmauld Place.

"Ready?"

Ankaa glanced back at Zara, who was stepping out of the doorway. Behind her, Cassidy was waving elegantly at the two of them. Ankaa nodded and walked along with Zara as she pulled her trunk along.

"You really should put an Undetectable Extension Charm on that," Ankaa commented, giving the other girl a pointed look as she struggled to lift the trunk over the curb.

"Not all of us are magical geniuses," Zara grunted and huffed when she finally got the wheels over the curb. "Can't you lift this with magic?"

"I would, but your mother is still watching." Nonetheless, Ankaa helped Zara carry the weight until they were out of sight of Mrs. Holloway. "Here," Ankaa handed Zara a little slip of paper. "That's the address. Don't ask—" she shook her head when Zara gave her a questioning look, "—it's a long and complicated thing. Just know that you can't tell anyone the address or Dumbledore will know and it won't be pretty."

Zara looked impressed. "This is high level of security then. You purebloods have a lot to hide then, eh?"

Ankaa snorted. "You have no idea." She took Zara by the elbow, and only when the girl nodded that she was ready did Ankaa turn and Disapparate with a slight pop. When they apparated into the Gardens across from Grimmauld Place, Ankaa felt slightly comforted at the sight of the house. The feeling was gone just as quickly when she spotted a familiar redhead stepping out. Quickly, Ankaa gripped Zara by the elbow and pulled her backwards to duck behind a bench as Fred Weasley exited the house and walked down the street. In the doorway, Sirius stood watching the boy leave with an indistinguishable look before turning to look at the park. His eyes went to the bench immediately and he could not hide his half-amused smile as Ankaa and Zara stood from their low crouch and made their way over once Fred had turned and disappeared.

"He's just going to come back, you know."

"He's welcome to." Ankaa stepped aside as Sirius hauled the trunk into the house with a simple wave of his wand. "I just won't be here to entertain him."

Sirius glanced at Zara, who was looking between the two of them in politely disguised confusion before giving Sirius a charming smile.

"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Black." She held out her hand for him to shake. "I can't thank you enough for allowing me to spend the rest of the summer here at your home."

Sirius raised a brow and gave a pointed look towards his daughter. "I wasn't aware that I had allowed that," he grinned, "but I always say, the more the merrier. Isn't that right, Ankaa?"

Ankaa nearly rolled her eyes at the self-satisfied smile on her father's face. She would have argued with him, but she knew it was a matter of time before Sirius decided to invite Potter anyway. In fact, Ankaa was surprised she had held him off as long as she had. She might have argued with him still, but a small part of her told her there was nothing more she could do about the matter. Sirius was right; it was his house, his life. He still had an obligation towards Potter, but Ankaa was in no such position.

So if Sirius wanted to invite Potter over for the summer, he could. Ankaa was already ignoring Fred, she had no trouble adding another person onto the list.

Notes:

Happy birthday to Fred and George! In their honour, I bring you an update!

We get to find out a bit more about Zara in this chapter. We'll be seeing a lot more of her and Annabelle from now on. Poor Fred doesn't really appear in this chapter, which sucks cause it's his birthday. But stick around - there will be some interaction with him and George. We're strong believers in communicating our dissent in this household LOL.

My apologies with the heinously late update. Things have been a mess in my personal life so I've been taking some time away and off. On a more uplifting note: I've got a puppy now! Most of my days are spent chasing after him and cleaning up his pee and poop, but I don't mind cause he's cute AF. I'm also working on my own novel, but that's a mess at the time being.

As always I want to thank all those who have reviewed/favourited/followed. Your support means the world to me and it really keeps me going. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'd like to hear what you have to say about it.

Grim - LOLOL I'm dead. I knew people would be glad that I spared Sirius. He was never meant to die there, IMO. It doesn't rule him out entirely... but still. As for Maya's journey, she was never really supposed to get this far honestly. I had intended to write Maya/Sirius in their own story, so she was supposed to be her own fleshed-out character there. That's why sometimes I feel like I wasn't able to do her character justice, but I wanted people to see that she was a mother who loved her family very much, but she had lost far too much. Hopefully, we've redeemed her character a bit, if at all. I want people to be able to see the balance and stability she brought to Sirius since he's a bit of a wild one.

Originally, I had written the entire scene with Ankaa in it, but it just wasn't flowing right for some reason. And I also had to consider how her mother would have known for so long that this was going to happen, and what she would have done. Not everything can go according to Ankaa's plans.

As for the prophecy - yeah, I'm quite excited to see it unfold. I'd be really surprised (and downright elated) if someone could guess where I'm going with it. I've been sprinkling clues here and there for the longest time, but there's still a while to go. I don't think we'll get to it until the end of HBP. So everyone's got loads of time to speculate.

DUMBLEDORE IS A BOOMER CONFIRMED.

Dille - I'm so glad that you think that! I was honestly very nervous about what people might think of the whole ordeal with Maya, but you're definitely right. Children tend to view their parents on a pedestal, but they are very human at the end of the day. Maya had no idea how to be a mother, but she definitely tried her best. And in the end I think she gave Ankaa the most wonderful gift of all-life. Thanks for your review! I hope to hear from you again!

RainbowPotter - I'm so sorry for making you cry! This chapter isn't much better to be honest, but I'm glad you're sticking around. I'd love to hear from you again!

NicCraft18 - I AM SO HAPPY TO HEAR FROM YOU AGAIN! Yeah, Sirius isn't done yet. I think he's got a lot of learning left to do so for the time being, he has been spared. To be honest, I think the shifting dynamic between Sirius and Ankaa will make for a very interesting read. They're very similar in some ways but they don't realize it. It'll be nice to have them reach common ground and understanding that. I'm curious though - if you couldn't see Maya dying, who did you think it was going to be? After all, death must have death.

As for Fred and Ankaa - those two have had their share of ups and downs. It sucks that just as they're starting to find a rhythm everything goes to hell LOL. I really hope they get their shit together - things are about to hit the FAN.

Hopefully you like this chapter too! I'd love to hear from you again!

19irene96: PLOTTWIST INDEED! I can't wait for Ankaa to tear into Fred and Harry, honestly. WHAT A MOOOOOOOOOD

BudddyBuddyy: LOOOOL IM SORRY BUT ALSO HAPPY

Arlosh Blake: Keep a tissue box handy, buddy. There's gonna be so many more. I'm sorry.

Guest: Married huh? That'd be real nice wouldn't it? Thank you for your review!

Marnie Quiera: This will definitely place a rift in their relationship. I think Ankaa feels betrayed about what Fred did, so she's got to come to terms with it before she can even try to patch things up with him.

As far as Harry's concerned - I don't think Ankaa will ever truly be able to forgive him. Not for a very very long time, you're right. Especially not with the way she's viewing things right now.

As for Sirius - he's been exonerated, but I dont think he really cares about that anymore.

askoussen44: Thank you so much! You have no idea how much your words mean to me. I'm so glad you're enjoying it. Hopefully you like this chapter as well!

taylor115: Ummmmm... I hope you're alright. It's been a while since your review and I'm guessing you've read past chapter one. Are you doing alright? Are you caught up yet? What did you think? How many boxes of tissues did you end up crying through, if at all? Sorry in advance by the way!

x3sYellowie: Thank you so much! I'm glad you're enjoying it! I was thinking about Harry's crush on Ankaa as well - I do wish I had developed it a bit more, but I always felt that the two of them were a little too similar to be anything. I think it'd be nice for them to develop some sort of stable camaraderie for the time being, given that they hate each other's guts now (Or, at least that's the case for Ankaa). Thank you for your review!

Thank you to chester258, josieposie456, nadia4245, Spuffadiddles, NatalieCatherine, marvellouis-ish, sunlitstars8523, Joey8, macarenaa22, DontTalkToMeImreading, DR4K0V, GalanthaDreams, WarriorofMyth, TrumanGal, Chittsu, Kiss-Me-Cryptic, kagomelaunch, JolieNoir96, Princess171, Jessica St Godard, sswankhuizen, RosalYuvan, Anonymi Scriptoris, askousen44, AlliTheWriter, pato-azul, Idontknoworcarenaymore, Artemis Amos, Marsofflashes27, shwrmy, DaniKato, Goldregen, owlzilla, z3sYellowie, Gladiolus97, Mystery005, ELD666, DM17, Debella, notans5580, KyuubiKr8, Southern Cooken, PrincessJV, loup-13, MischeviousAngel0923, 4plywhenicry, anotheruntoldstory, Christine Florence, shortstackpenguinfan, nadia4245, Nazgul099, cuterchic419, Shirley Oliveira, LilyRoseBlack24, NesMira, klokloWHAT, EruditeTheAlmightyRavenclaw, Frozen Winter Flower, grievousrommel, miich, Gabby-Hunter, Mimi1010, Deidrasbabygurl, and Vilots for adding this to your favourites/follow list!