The Flower and the Badger

Chapter 24

True to his word, Mr. Granger woke up Hermione and Anna around six thirty the next morning. After a quick breakfast of toast and sausage, they clambered into the car. Mrs. Granger was staying behind because she would be spending the day visiting with her sister.
They drove and drove, and the hustle and bustle of the city turned into endless fields, pastures of cows, and large, red barns as far as the eye could see. Anna had never gone out to the country before; Dudley would have complained too much about missing his television programs.
About twenty minutes later they stopped in front of a business that advertised live Christmas trees. They had row after row of trees, and it was crowded with people, who, like Anna and the Grangers, had waited until the last minute to buy their Christmas trees. They walked up and down the rows, looking for just the perfect tree.
"What about that one?" Anna asked, and Mr. Granger frowned slightly. "It's sort of scrawny, isn't it?"
"Well all of the good trees are gone." Hermione replied. "This is probably as good as we're going to get."
"I suppose you're right dear."
After purchasing the tree, two employees helped Mr. Granger strap the tree down to the roof of the car. Mrs. Granger had left by the time that they returned, leaving Mr. Granger to fix lunch for them all. Lunch turned out to be bologna sandwiches and left over cole slaw from the night before. After they had eaten the three of them hauled the tree into the house, almost knocking over a vase in the process.
"Good thing we didn't break that." Mr. Granger sighed in relief. "My wife's mother's. She would have killed me."
They finished setting up the tree just as Mrs. Granger returned. "Looks like you lot have kept yourselves busy." She commented as she hung up her coat. "At least you managed to not break anything."
Mr. Granger chuckled nervously. "Love, why don't you and the girls get the ornaments and we'll decorate the tree?"
After getting the ornaments from the attic, Mrs. Granger set the girls to work making strands of popcorn garland. Although it was probably safe to say that more popcorn wound up in the girls mouths than it did on the garland strand. Hermione's grandparents came over for dinner that evening, and not only did they bring presents for Hermione and her parents, but they brought some for Anna as well.
"You really didn't have to." Anna said, but Hermione's grandmother shook her head. "Nonsense. We've been told a little of what you've been through; how you lost your parents. You're part of our family now, which means that you're to call me Gran."
Anna nearly started to tear up, but she managed to hold them back. She felt so thankful.
"What are you waiting for?" Gran asked. "Go ahead and open them."
Anna and Hermione sat down, tearing off the wrapping paper. Anna got a book titled Alice in Wonderland, a set of coloring pencils and drawing paper, and a woolen jacket. She decided that she would read the book on the train ride back to Hogwarts.
That night for dinner, Mrs. Granger made a beef pot roast, mashed potatoes with gravy, glazed carrots, and warm, buttery rolls. For dessert Gran had brought a rich, chocolate cake.
"It's Christmas Eve, I suppose that we can allow sweets." Mr. Granger joked, and Anna giggled. "We'll make sure to brush our teeth extra well tonight."
Gran and Grandpa had to leave right after dinner, they had a long drive back home.
"Now, we have a sort of tradition." Mr. Granger said as they all gathered in the living room. "Every year on Christmas Eve, right before we go to bed, I read the story Twas the Night Before Christmas."
He began to read, and Anna found herself nestling against Mrs. Granger, who wrapped her arm around the sleepy girl. Was this what a real family did? Take outings and read stories on Christmas Eve? Anna didn't want it to end, and she struggled to stay awake, but her eyes began to droop. She felt someone, probably Mr. Granger, pick her up and carry her upstairs to the bedroom. He laid her on her bed, and she snuggled into her blankets as she drifted away.

Anna awoke the next morning to Hermione shaking her. "Mione..." Anna groaned as she pulled the blanket over her head.
"Get up!" Hermione said. "It's Christmas!" Anna groaned playfully as she allowed Hermione to tug her down the stairs.
Presents laid all around the tree, and not just from the Grangers either. Anna had gotten a hand knitted sweater from Mrs. Weasley. It was a dark purple and had a yellow 'A' in the middle. Fred and George had gotten her stink bombs and a load of candy, presumably from Honeyduke's. From Cedric she had gotten the book Quidditch Through the Ages. All in all, it had been a terrific Christmas.

Three days later, they boarded the Hogwarts Express once more. Anna and Hermione were chattering happily as they searched for a carriage to sit in when Lucy Quinn forcefully bumped into Anna. "Watch it, Potter!" Lucy snapped and Anna glared at the older girl. "Watch it yourself, Quinn."
"I'd lose that tone if I were you." Lucy sneered nastily. "Wouldn't want people to find out that you staged an attack on Granger next."
Anna gasped softly. "It wasn't Draco that started that rumour, it was you."
Lucy smirked. "Took you long enough. But then, you've never been very bright, have you?"
"Why?" Anna stared at Lucy in disbelief. "I've never done anything to you!"
"You're taking Cedric away from me!" Lucy screeched, making people come out of their carriages to watch the fight.
"Take him away? Oh for crying out loud!" Anna was positively fed up with Lucy's insecurities. "Cedric and I are friends! He's like an older brother to me!"
"Shut up!" Lucy growled. "He's mine, do you hear me?!" In a flash she whipped her wand out. "Crucio!"
Anna didn't have time to deflect the spell, and she screamed as pain filled her entire body, and she fell to the floor as Hermione shrieked. Then Cedric was in front of her. "Stupefy!" He shouted, and Lucy screamed before going silent. Cedric then knelt in front of Anna. "Come on..." He gently lifted her into his arms, and Anna whimpered in pain. "You and Granger are going to stay in my cabin until we reach the castle."
Hermione trailed behind Cedric as they made their way through the crowd.
"Nothing to see here." Cedric said, and the prefects began herding everyone back into their carriages. Cedric carefully sat Anna down in a seat, brushing some of her hair out of her face. "I'm so sorry." He murmured.
"Not...your fault." Anna grimaced as she spoke. "You couldn't have known that she was a complete psychopath."
"What I want to know is, how did Lucy know the Cruciatus Curse?" Hermione asked and Cedric shook his head. "Her parents were Death Eaters. I thought that she was different."
"She well may have been if it wasn't for her insane jealousy." Anna said. She was feeling a little bit better so she slowly sat up. "She thought that she would lose you to me despite being constantly told otherwise. I'm sorry that it didn't work out for you Cedric."
Cedric shook his head. "If she can't accept my friends than she isn't the one for me." He looked down at Anna. "You should rest, we still have a little bit until we reach Hogwarts and when we do, you're taking a trip down to Madame Pomfrey."
Anna tried to protest but both Cedric and Hermione cut her off. "She needs to make sure that you're alright."
"But I feel fine now!" Anna objected, and Hermione scowled at her. "I'm not arguing about this with you."
Anna rolled her eyes. Honestly. Hermione worried so much. She was fine. Probably.