- Eternal Curse -

0.2 Chapter Twenty Two

Twenty Two

She felt woozy. That was the best way to describe it. It had been around an hour since she was thrown in there just about and no one had decided they needed a broom enough to open the door. She could scream, that would likely get someone's attention but her body was drained, only just being able to wiggle her fingers and toes. Why had they decided to attack her so harshly out of nowhere? Did they plan it?

Maybe they saw her exit the hall alone and took their chances that she'd wonder back the long route. Of course they'd done things like this before but never so unprovoked. The question was, did she go to Dumbledore?

It would be the right thing but with all the repercussions it might not be the best. If she told a teacher it would likely anger the three even more for Annie being a nark. And if she told on them she'd have to tell Sirius and she didn't want him to get into fights for her. If she left it alone, they could still continue to do things like this, and round and round the cycle goes.

Annie wasn't the best decision maker when it came to looking at things logically. She led with her heart and usually everything turned out okay. That's why her and Remus were the best problem solving team. He thought things through and didn't let feelings get in the way of what had to be done when it came down to it. Remus. Remus would be the best person to go to. She swore she wouldn't disturb his library time but Annie felt this was rather important.

Eventually the feeling returned in her legs and she could move her arms. She pulled the bucket off her head. Struggling to her feet, she straightened her clothes and smoothed her hair, stepping outside the closet to see the hallway had filled up with people again. A few gave her odd glances as she suspiciously exited the room, a clatter of mops sounded behind her. She slammed the door shut, giving a passer by a nervous thumbs up before heading to the library, very wobbly on her feet. Annie hated the feeling of the after affects of whatever it was she had been struck with.

One time at home when she was seven, she'd witnessed her drunken father in a rampage fire a cruciatus curse at Lucas and Henry which only narrowly avoided them, she certainly didn't miss that.

She arrived at the library and silently slipped inside. Weaving her way through the shelves to get to Remus' spot. There he was just further up, relaxing on the padded window seat, face buried in an old leather bound book. She approached the seat, trying to put her best brave face on.

"Hey Remus." She spoke softly.

"Hey Annie, did you just get back from lunch?" He looked up from the decaying pages and into Annie's face. Tears formed in the corner of her eyes and she was looking out the window, body slightly doubled over, wincing. He knew straight away something wasn't right.

"What happened?" Remus pulled her down onto the window seat next to him. Annie began to blubber and she pulled herself into his chest, tears soaking into his scratchy jumper.

"Bellatrix, Lucius and Rodolphus were born, that's what happened." She mumbled, letting out a few sobs. He shushed her, stroking her hair that fell like a wavy curtain down her back, he kept this up for ten minutes while she explained that they had done to her.

"And I don't know what to do so I came to you because I knew you'd listen to me and not just decide to fight them." Annie sniffed. They sat in silence for a moment, Remus pondering on the best course of action.

"Well, before we get to that, how bad did they hit you, how bad does it hurt?" He lifted her face from his arm crook, tilting her chin to look at him.

"Not as bad anymore, just a dull ache."

"Well in my opinion, telling a teacher will do more harm than good, especially regarding those three siding with you know who and the fact they say he grows stronger by the day. I think it's best we make sure you're patched up and if we want some sweet revenge later, I'm sure rest of the gang would happily help us even out the playing field here, okay?" She nodded, comfortable under his warm embrace, the smell of peppermint lingering on his breath.

"I wont let them hurt you like that again Annie, I promise." She reached up to wrap her arm around his shoulder but felt a hard object on a chain around his neck. She sat up straighter, pulling it out from underneath his shirt. It was a hand carved wooded spoon, she ran her thumbs over the smooth edges and asked,

"Whats this?"He looked embarrassed and gave a small smile.

"When I was a kid, I would stay by the shore with my Magmu on the weekends. Years and years ago she got me this, it's a love spoon. When you find your soulmate, you give it to them. It's a Welsh thing." Annie watched him talk about it and smiled and his excited face, seeing him so happy always made her heart warm.

"Whats a um, Magmu?" Remus chuckled and tucked the wooden spoon back under his clothes.

"My grandma." Annie grinned and once again buried her face in chest.

"That's the sweetest thing I've ever heard." He looked down at her and shuffled lightly back to where he sat earlier against the brick wall, this time with a very exhausted Annie laying on his chest. A trickle of rain went down the window and the two sat in silence, Remus' nose back into the book and Annie very much asleep.