The Flower and the Badger

Chapter 17

As if what had happened in Charms class hadn't been bad enough, Anna had been paired with Pansy in Potions. Something about multi-house integration that Dumbledore wanted to try.
"You better not mess me up." Pansy sneered, and Anna scoffed. "Believe me, you're perfectly capable of doing that all on your own."
"Oh,please. I'm surprised that you haven't failed already."
Anna chuckled. "Unlike you, I actually attempt to study instead of fawning over little Dracey-poo all of the time."
"Says the girl that's obsessed with Cedric."
"Oh for the love of-" Anna groaned. "For the last time, I'm not in love with Cedric!"
"Miss Potter!" Professor Snape snapped. "Five points from Gryffindor. No one wants to hear about your childish crush with Mr. Diggory."
Anna's face turned red as multiple Slytherins stifled their laughter. If she hadn't hated Snape before, she lost definitely did now. She complained about the whole Cedric thing to Hagrid that afternoon. "It's like people can't accept the fact that Cedric and I are just friends."
"People always need somethin' ter gossip over." Hagrid said as he poured her a cup of tea. "Give it a couple of days, they'll find somethin' else ter talk about."
"I wish they would hurry up about it." Anna stirred some sugar into her tea. "If people aren't talking about me dating Cedric, it's about Harry, and what it's like being the twin sister of the most famous kid in the wizarding world." Anna stared down at her cup. She couldn't help but feel a little bit jealous of Harry and all of the attention that he was receiving. Not only did Harry not get into any trouble with McGonagall after the whole thing with Draco and the Rememberall, she had made him Seeker of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. It was like he had automatic immunity, at least that was how Anna felt.
"I wouldn't worry about it." Hagrid advised her. "It's not like he wants all that attention. Like what I told yer with Cedric, it'll wear off eventually. Just give it some time."
"Okay, thanks Hagrid."

On her way back to the castle, Anna ran into Fred and George. "And just what trouble are you two getting into?" Anna asked, quirking an eyebrow.
"We've been perfect angels." George retorted. "It's Peeves that's the troublemaker." Fred added.
"What's he done now?" Anna was quite familiar with the poltergeist. Although Draco and Pansy were annoying enough, Peeves was right up there with them. He frequently scared people, especially the first years.
"He pushed down a suit of armour as Leslie Summers was walking by." George said. "Scared the living daylights out of her." Leslie Summers was a third year Hufflepuff with dark brown locks and auburn eyes. She was also a timid thing, which made her a favorite target of Peeves. Peeves had tried to pull a prank on Anna once, but after she had cussed him out with language that even a sailor would be impressed by and had threatened to cast multiple hexes on him, he had left her alone for the most part. There was still the occasional prank, but nothing that caused her too much embarrassment. "Poor thing. He always seems to gang up on Leslie, doesn't he?"
"Yeah, Leslie's like the new Myrtle." George said, and Anna looked at him. "Who's Myrtle?" She asked, and Fred and George exchanged grins. "Myrtle's the ghost in the third floor bathroom," Fred explained. "Everyone calls her Moaning Myrtle."
"Why?"
"Why don't you go and find out?" He challenged her.
"Um, uh-"
"Aw, what's wrong?" George cooed. "You scared?"
"I'm not scared of any ghost!" Anna retorted. "If I could handle Peeves, I can most certainly handle this Moaning Myrtle."
"Well come on, then." Each Weasley took one of her arms, practically dragging her to the bathroom on the third floor. "We'll wait outside." The twins said together. It always freaked Anna out when they talked in unison like that. She walked slowly into the bathroom, jumping when the door closed behind her with a clang.
"Hello!" She called out, her voice echoing in the supposedly empty bathroom. Suddenly low moaning could be heard from one of the stalls, making Anna jump again. She looked as a girl of about thirteen or fourteen floated through the stall door. This must be Moaning Myrtle. "Who are you?" Myrtle sniffled. "Someone else coming to make fun of poor, Moaning Myrtle?"
"No, of course I haven't come to make fun of you." Anna quickly reassured her. "My name's Anna. It's nice to meet you Myrtle."
"No one's ever said that it's nice to meet me!" Myrtle wailed, and Anna internally sighed. Obviously Myrtle was very, very sensitive. Anna would have to choose her words extremely carefully. "I'm sorry that no one's been nice to you, Myrtle. But I'll be nice to you."
"You will?" Myrtle stared at her, trying to decide if she could trust her or not. "Do you swear?"
"I do." Anna said with a nod. "I swear it." Myrtle gave her the tiniest of smiles. "It would be nice to have a friend."
"Well I'm happy to be your friend." They chatted for a few more minutes before Anna realized that she had better get back outside to the twins. "Will you visit again?" Myrtle asked hopefully, and Anna nodded. "Yeah, I'll visit you whenever I can."
The twins looked surprised when Anna came out and didn't even look mildly irritated. "Of course you would make friends with Myrtle." George groaned as they walked down the hall. "You make friends with everybody, I swear."
"You should have been sorted into Hufflepuff." Fred teased her and she rolled her eyes. "Don't make me write your mother."
After Molly Weasley had found out that Anna had become friends with the twins, she began to write Anna frequently, making sure that the twins were behaving themselves. Generally Anna told her that yes, they were being good. However, if they particularly pissed her off she would write their mother, and they could expect a Howler the next morning.
"You wouldn't dare!" They gasped, and  Anna laughed. "Watch me."
"No!!"
Anna shrieked as they jumped at her, and she squealed with laughter as they started to tickle her.
"S-stop!" She giggled, out of breath. "I-I won't tell her, I swear!" Laughing, they released her, and Anna clutched at the stitch in her side as she panted for breath. "You two..." She said in between gasping breaths, "are extremely infuriating."
"But you love us anyways."
"Unfortunately."
"Don't make us tickle you again." Fred threatened, and Anna yelped as she took off running, the twins right on her tail.