Being Different Year 6
A Night Away

“Harry you do realise that just because Ginny told you hair looks cool when its windswept, that does not give you any excuse to not wear a helmet on that motorbike.”

“You’re just jealous,” chortled Harry as he pulled on his leather jacket for his motorbike lesson that day.

“You got everything sweetheart?” asked Remus.

Anne was going to be staying the night at the Scamander’s after helping Julian with Arts and Crafts day.

“Yep,” Anne nodded indicating her satchel with a pair of pyjamas, a toothbrush, a change of clothes and couple of books.

“You sure you don’t want some dreamless sleep?”

“I don’t think Anne and Irwin will be sleeping much Remus,” chuckled Tonks.

“And what do you mean by that?” asked Sirius whipping his head around.

“Nothing,” muttered Remus and Tonks smirking.

“Just don’t forget to use the protection spells in that book I gave you,” said Tonks in a stage whisper.

Anne blushed as she pulled at one of her plaits.

“Just ignore them, have a nice time darling see you tomorrow.”

“Don’t forget to feed Diana,” Anne said as she headed over to the flu.

“Kreacher has put it on his list,” said Kreacher.

“Thank you Kreacher, see you all tomorrow then.”

Anne and Julian walked over the fire in the kitchen and flued over to Scamander Hollow.

“Anne!” yelled Averett running over to greet her.

“Woah,” said Anne giving him a hug, “before you know it you’ll be taller than me!”

“That’s a surprise to no one,” muttered Rolf who was writing up a report for the ministry.

“Why is that not a surprise?” she asked glaring at Rolf.

“Well for a start, the Scamander family in general are taller than average, and secondly you’re a short arse.”

“Watch it Rolf,” said Irwin turning his wand on his brother, “that’s your girlfriend you’re calling short.”

“Aww now come on little bro, you’ve got to realise your girlfriends short, she has to stand on her tiptoes just to kiss you!”

“Calm down boys!” said Landon standing between his two sons.

“There’s enough fighting going on at the moment without turning on each other!”

“Look I’ve got to get to work,” chuckled Rolf putting his wand away, “see you tonight little bro!”

“Ok gang, who wants to do some arts and crafts?” asked Julian.

They went through to the kitchen where there were large amounts of strips of coloured card paper which had slits cut into them.

“Right, today we are going to learn paper weaving.”

Averett turned up his nose slightly.

“Averett yesterday did we or did we not spend the afternoon playing with your Grandpa’s creatures?”

“Yes.”

“Well you like animals which is why we did that but your sister like art which is why ever Friday we do arts and crafts.”

“Fine,” grumbled Averett.

Even though Averett was reluctant he actually ended up enjoying it, by the end of the afternoon they had mastered paper weaving.

“Julian?” asked Aislynn as she weaved some pink and purple strips of card together.

“Yeah?”

“Can we do origami next week?”

“Of course but why origami?”

“Well Averett like animals, maybe he could learn how to make some of those out of card.”

“That’s a great idea Aislynn!” said Anne.

“Yep, you get to do your art and Averett won’t moan,” said Irwin.

“I should get home,” said Julian grabbing his cloak, “there’s an Order meeting tonight.”

“See you guys on Monday!” he called before fluing back to Grimmauld Place.

Rolf came home from the work not long after that with a huge stack of paperwork.

“That’s a lot of paperwork you’ve got there Rolf,” said Irwin as he helped his brother put it on the kitchen cabinet.

“Yeah well I have to catch up on my case files over the weekend,” Rolf groaned.

“This is why,” chuckled Newt, “I eventually left the Ministry and went freelance.”

“Too much paperwork?” asked Rolf.

“I thought it was because you didn’t like the Ministry?” asked Irwin.

“Ehh a bit of both,” shrugged Newt as he sat down for dinner.

The family all sat down for dinner, unfortunately Irwin’s grandmother Tina had died eight months ago so there was one less person than there had been before at the dinner table.

Gwendoline had made a chicken, leek and bacon pasta bake which she served with peas. This was followed by a large dish of hot apple crumble served with vanilla ice cream.

“Anne,” said Aislynn after dinner, “do you want to see my room?”

“Anne saw your room last Summer,” pointed out Irwin.

“That was my old room, I have a grown-up room now,” Aislynn beamed.

“Aislynn sweetheart,” said Gwendoline gently, “don’t you think that Anne wants to spend some time with Irwin?”

“Irwin gets to see Anne all year, I hardly ever get to see her!” Aislynn sulked.

“Tell you what Aislynn, how about I come see your new room and then I came spend some time with Irwin later?”

“And this is why you should have been a Hufflepuff,” muttered Rolf, as Anne and Aislynn left the table, “you’re just too nice to say no.”

Aislynn pulled Anne up to her new room by the wrist.

Averett and Aislynn had recently redecorated their bedrooms. They passed Averett’s room on the way past, the walls in Averett’s room were full of animal enclosures and tanks. He had all kinds of animals, magical and muggle, he had a baby owl which had been orphaned and had made a nest at the top of his wardrobe, a grindylow in a tank and a snake. Most of the really impressive animals were kept in basement where instead of a regular basement there was a full of magical menagerie.

Aislynn’s room was very different. The ceiling was enchanted to look like the sky outside so she could count the stars at night and have natural light during the day. There where long strips of different shades of pink floaty material over the doorway, which made a kind of curtain. There was a small double bed with light pink sheets on one side of the room, and a desk and chair by the window looking out the window so she could do her art. The wall over her bed and desk had a double row of bookshelves for all of Aislynn’s books. One of the other walls was also covered in strips of light pink floaty material which reached down to the floor, when you pulled aside the material there was a built-in wardrobe which took up the whole wall. The other two walls were covered in Aislynn’s paintings and drawings, the picture in pride of place was one that Aislynn had drawn a few weeks before Tina had died of Aislynn and her grandmother.

“I’ve got to admit Aislynn,” said Anne looking around, “this is a great room!”

“Thanks,” beamed Aislynn, “Mum did the ceiling and Dad built the wardrobe and put up the shelves but other than that I did this on my own.”

“It’s gorgeous,” said Anne looking at one of the strips of pink material hanging over the door.

“So you still want to be a Ravenclaw?” said Anne as she brushed out Aislynn’s hair.

“Of course,” said Aislynn, “as you can I’m all sorted for the creativity side.”

“What about Averett?”

“He can’t decide being a Gryfreplaceor and a Hufflepuff.”

“He’s still got two years to think it over.”

Anne braided the roots of Aislynn’s jet black hair into two bunchies.

“Anne, you want to do some homework?” asked Irwin after a while.

“You can do homework anytime Irwin, I want to spend some time with Anne, I haven’t seen her in ages,” she moaned.

“Aish Anne’s been in here for other an hour, she’s done your hair and heard all about your new room,” Irwin pointed out.

Aislynn was still pouting.

“Aislynn,” said Irwin, “you want to be a Ravenclaw right?”

“Yeah,” Aislynn nodded.

“And Ravenclaws……”

“Don’t leave their homework to the last minute,” Aislynn finished frowning slightly.

“Correct my little flower fairy,” he said kissing her on the top of the head.

“You should go do your homework, it’s important,” said Aislynn, after Anne had tucked her into bed.

“Irwin,” whispered Anne once they were in the corridor, “we don’t have any homework this Summer.”

“I’m not going to tell those two that,” chuckled Irwin as they reached his room, “homework’s the best excuse I’ve got when I want to be alone.”

“Like right now,” he said admiring his beautiful girlfriend once they had shut the door.

“Irwin,” muttered Anne as Irwin stroked her hair, “your parents will hear us.”

“Muffliato!” cast Irwin at his door, “not anymore!”

Anne and Irwin both sat down on Irwin’s double bed and started to make out, eventually they both took off their shirts and lay down on the bed as they continued to kiss. After a while Irwin began to fiddle with the clasp on Anne’s bra and managed to undo it. They usually didn’t get this far as they had to share a dormitory with their friends at school, so they had to be careful.

“Annie,” muttered Irwin, “do you want to….”

Anne shook her head. She knew that Anthony and Persephone had had sex on Valentine’s day, and Harry had borrowed her book from Tonks to figure out the protection charms for when he was ready to have it with Ginny.

“You know that I love you Irwin but….”

“You want to wait until marriage?” Irwin finished.

“Yeah,” she muttered. Her and Irwin had been going out for nearly three years and she loved him so much, but she still wanted to wait until she got married.

“I get that,” said Irwin, “and that’s fine.”

They kissed for a while longer, Anne then checked her watch.

“Irwin, it’s nearly eleven o’clock!” she stuttered, “what are your parents going to think?”

“That you’re staying in here with me,” shrugged Irwin.

“I mean I don’t mind but.”

“Firstly, your bags already in here, I brought in earlier, secondly my parents know you’re in here that was the whole plan.”

“Then why is there a bed made up in my old room?” asked Anne confused.

“It’s a rouse for Averett and Aislynn,” he smirked, “to make them think we’ve been sleeping in separate beds.”

Anne raised her eyebrows at him.

“Don’t look at me like that, it was Rolfs idea,” he said raising his hands in the air.

“We should get some sleep,” she chuckled as she got out her pyjamas.

They both got changed and then got into bed.

Anne and Irwin fell asleep almost instantly as it was nearly midnight.

“Ah Miss Potter,” trilled Umbridge pulling out her wand, “back to learn another lesson?”

“I don’t understand….” Anne stuttered.

“I’m going to try and take the freak out of you,” she said smiling.

“But I’m not a freak!” she stuttered.

“Ahh, but that’s where you’re wrong ittle Annie!” said Bellatrix coming into the room.

“What, what are you doing here?”

“To remind you that you’re a freak who doesn’t deserve to be loved,” said Bellatrix pulling out her wand.

Both Umbridge and Bellatrix pointed their wands directly at Anne.

“Crucio!!” they called in unison.

Her body was shot with pain and she screamed in agony

“Annie!”

“Crucio!!” they called again.

“Annie wake up!”

“What?” asked Anne looking around confused.

She wasn’t in Umbridge’s office, she was in Irwin’s bedroom in her pyjamas.

“You ok Annie?” he asked brushing her stray hair off of her sweaty face.

“I think so,” she muttered.

“What was it this time? Quirrell, Greyback, Tom, Umbridge or Bellatrix?”

“Umbridge and Bellatrix, they were both torturing me,” said Anne.

“Yikes,” flinched Irwin, “even one of those would be enough for anyone.”

“You want to try and get some more sleep?” asked Irwin pulling her in close.

“Hmm,” she muttered feeling much safer in Irwin’s arms.

Irwin lit a candle on his bedside table so that Anne wouldn’t be scared and pulled her in close. Within a few minutes they were both fast asleep and Anne didn’t have another nightmare that night.