The Flower and the Badger

Chapter 2

The weeks passed much too quickly for Anna's liking. Before they knew it, it was time to go back to school. Harry found her on the train. "So, um....I may or may not have blown up Aunt Marge."
Anna's eyes widened. "You blew up Aunt Marge?!" Aunt Marge was Uncle Vernon's sister, and a total jerk, although if Anna had it her way she would call the woman something a hell of a lot worse.
"I couldn't help it!" Harry insisted. "She was calling Mum and Dad all sorts of things, you should have heard her! Not to mention what she said about you."
Anna's eyes narrowed. "What exactly did she say about me?"
"Um..." Harry bit his lip. "She called you a runt and said that it's a miracle you haven't managed to die."
"Oh she did did she?" Anna let out a growl of frustration as she gripped her wand tightly. "Oh she's damn lucky I'm not there right now-"
The compartment door slid open and Seamus Finnegan popped his head in. "Sorry, I was looking for Dean." He turned to close the door when he looked back at Anna, a light blush on his face. "You, um, you look nice."
Anna raised an eyebrow as the door slid shut. "That, um...that was interesting."
Harry chuckled softly. "I think that someone has a crush on you."
"Oh come on. Seamus does not have a crush on me."
Ron walked in then. "Why does Seamus look like he's walking on air?" He looked at Anna. "You look different."
It was true that she did look a bit different. Her hair was no longer the unruly mess that it normally was. She had managed to tame it down, and now it was in a nice little braid. She wore a bit of makeup too. Not a whole lot, just some lip gloss and a bit of foundation.
"You're gonna have all of the boys chasing after you." Harry laughed, and Anna lightly shoved him. "You're horrid." She said with a pout.
"Oh come on. You know that you love me."
"Unfortunately." She grumbled, and Harry gasped. "That hurts." He said, placing a hand on his heart, and Anna rolled her eyes. "Somehow I think that you'll survive."
"Did you hear about Sirius Black escaping Azkaban?" Ron asked, and Anna nodded. "Yeah, I remember Cedric's mum saying something about that."
Suddenly the train stopped. Odd....Anna frowned. They couldn't be there yet, at the most they were only halfway there. Ice began to cover the windows, and she began to get this weird feeling in her chest, like all happy thoughts were being drained from her.
"Harry..." She whispered, her voice laced with fear, and Harry gripped her hand tightly. The door began to slide open, and Anna found herself face to face with a Dementor. Dementors looked like the Muggle representation of the Grim Reaper.
"Anna..." Harry whispered just before he fainted.
"Harry!" Anna kneeled next to him as the Dementor drew nearer. Anna pointed her wand at it. "I won't let you hurt my brother!"
But she found herself getting weaker and weaker, and she collapsed next to her brother.

Anna was in a house. Strange....she thought that since she had saved Adriana, she wouldn't be having any more of these dreams. She gasped as her mother stood before her. "Mum...."
Lily Potter smiled. "Hello, my dear Anna."
"What...Mum, how are you here?"
"You possess a rare gift my dear. A gift that Adriana bestowed upon you. You have the gift to converse with those that have moved on to the afterlife."
"Wait...is Dad here too?"
"I was wondering when you would ask about me." James smiled as he went to his wife's side, wrapping an arm around her waist, gently pecking her on the lips.
"Eww!" Anna groaned. "There is a child present, you know."
Lily giggled before swatting her husband on the arm. They didn't look like ghosts, they seemed fully formed.
Anna asked them about this.
"That's because we moved on to the afterlife." James explained. "Only those that haven't look ghostly. That is of course unless you use the Resurrection Stone..
"The what?"
"Nothing." Lily glared at her husband. "It's nothing that you need to learn about yet dear."
"Wait..." Anna thought for a minute. "Does this mean that I can talk to you anytime that I want?"
"Not yet." Lily answered. "Not until you learn how to control it."
Anna nodded.
"But you need to be careful." James said. "Now other ghosts will have you try and help them to move on, and not all of them deserve to."
"Use your discretion." Lily added. "You got lucky with Adriana, but you may not be so lucky the next time."
"Yes mum." Anna wasn't really looking forward to having to deal with more ghosts though.
"Not many people have the gift that you have." James said. "Use it wisely."
"Why do I have the feeling that Mum knows more about being wise than you do?" Anna retorted, to which her mother laughed. "You already have your father pegged."
"I haven't the faintest idea of what you're talking about." James said innocently, and Anna rolled her eyes. "Now I know where Harry gets it from."
"You both have some of me in you." James said proudly, which caused Lily to roll her eyes. "They have me in them too, thankfully. We don't need them being as bad as you were in school."
"I was the perfect gentleman in school." James retorted, and Anna started to laugh. "Even I know that's a lie." She suddenly thought of something. "Dad...why does Snape seem to hate us so much?"
James sighed softly. "Because you two remind him of me. We had...well, a rivalry, I guess you could call it, when we were in school. He takes it out on you two  because you remind him of me. Harry with his looks, and you with your personality being a lot like mine, especially with the pranking and such that you've pulled."
"I'd be nicer if Parkinson and Malfoy wouldn't be such pricks all of the time."
"Malfoy....is that Lucius' kid?"
"Yeah, and he's absolutely horrid."
James snorted. "Like father, like son. What completely ridiculous name did he come up with for him?"
"Draco."
James burst out laughing. "What is it with them and all of those Latin names?"
Anna shrugged. "Beats me. But Draco is a selfish little brat."
"Sounds like you your first few years." Lily teased James. "You were quite a spoiled brat yourself. Your parents did spoil you after all though, so I suppose that it wasn't entirely your fault."
"I remember that I tried old McGonagall's patience numerous times." James recalled. "Me and Sirius both did."
"Sirius?" Anna's ears perked up. "As in Sirius Black?"
James nodded. "He and I were best mates in school."
"Dad...I don't really know exactly how to tell you this...but he was in Azkaban. He just escaped."
James frowned. "Whatever it is that they said he did, I can assure you that it's not true. Don't listen to what any of the papers say."
Anna nodded. "Okay."
"It's time for us to go..." Lily said wistfully. "Take care Anna, and look after Harry."
"Will I see you again?" Anna asked, and James nodded. "You can count on it." He pressed a gentle kiss to Anna's forehead, and they disappeared, leaving Anna in total darkness.