Domino One

Chapter Thirteen

"Side-Blind"

"Slowly, slowly flows the tide,

Flowing until times subside.

But watching, we cannot start

To see the whole; just the part

On the bayside, deep and wide.

Unable to look side to side."

Albus Dumbledore leaned back in his desk chair and pondered over his life, as he, and most people his age, tended to do in increase, especially (or perhaps not so) in the days of the reign of a dark lord. His office, like his life, was something to behold, though he reasoned that they were very much the same thing. Awards for his prominent career, certificates of accomplishment, and a wall full of ever-mobile pictures reminded him of the things he had and still had, but more so, of the things he had lost. For he had learned that nothing is free, even the good things, and that in even the slightest accomplishment, much had been left behind.

His great blue eyes traveled across his room in the wonder if all the he had done was real. He could still remember with vivid sharpness the excitement of his youth, and the times he had spent on the other side of the desk at which he sat. He remembered the love of his younger days, and the friends which had not been so fortunate as to remain with him to see him past his one hundred and twentieth birthday...or his one hundredth, for that matter.

Reaching out, he took the quill from the ink jar that sat before him, and viewed it as he had done so many times before. It was old, preserved only by the charm his own mother had put on it before his first day of his very first year at Hogwarts. He remembered what it was like to step before a crowd of students and wonder which house he would be placed into, and how he would be placed there. He smiled at the memory as the bittersweet smell of age crept up on his nose from the quill, for at the time the rumor was that to be sorted, he would have to swim to the bottom of the great lake at the front of the school and bring back a scale from the great squid that lived near the sands. He had spent the whole summer training for it, practicing holding his breath and swimming as often as possible, though it never occurred to him then, and alas, for many years after his graduation, that squids did not have scales. But it was like most memories of youth: the wonderful inexperience and naiveté that only became cherished once they were lost.

He was not at all surprised when he heard a knocking on his portrait.

"Come in," he replied, loud enough tobe heard at the entranceway across the spacious room. A child in her own right, Kezia Doppelle, stepped through the portrait, wearing a smile that seemed all too familiar in the present days. "Thank you for coming," he greeted her, setting his old, old quill in the holder, right out front- still a treasure among the gifts of peacock and phoenix quills.

"Thank you for having me," she replied courteously. "I would have been summoning to meet with you in the next few days, had you not beaten me to it."

He smiled a small smile behind his masking white beard. "It takes much to beat a True Seer."

Having reached her seat across the large desk, she sat in a fluid, sinking motion. Her hands folded across her crossed legs as she positioned herself, sitting straight, her back parallel to but not within reach of the back of her chair. Her purple eyes danced with excitement behind her painstakingly professional pose. "I must be loosing my touch," she decided with a small and short laugh. "But what is it you wanted to speak to me about?"

"Ana," he said directly. "I'm afraid I'm growing a bit concerned with her progress."

Kezia frowned in concern. "But everything is in order with the ministry? She has received her disapparition license."

He nodded, sighing slightly that the seemingly simple task had finally been completed. Kezia had requested that year that Ana be allowed to receive her disapparation license early, making the case that it would be a benefit to her personal safety, as well as it being the only means for her to reach LeBab Tower. Dumbledore, as his office did show, was a very influential wizard among the Magical World, but even that turned out to be a task. It took him two months of owling and conferences before he could get Ana a license, using all the favors he was owed, and becoming an indebted man himself. But in the end, it was done, and Ana could capably disapparate, had she access to an area free of apparition blockers.

"Everything is in order, there," he reassured her, "but that is not what is worrying me. I have noticed, as I'm sure you have as well, that Ana appears to have gone through quite a change over the passed few months."

"How so?" asked Kezia, the casualness of her request and eyes all too noticeable. He knew, of course, that she had seen quite clearly what he would say during their meeting long before she arrived, and that she probably knew better than he the entire situation regarding Ana. Yet, he had dealt with seers before- seers of all levels - and conversations nearly always delved in to the realm of normality in that the seers almost always remained clueless on the outside. He humored her, none the less.

"She is not happy." And he knew in his heart that she wasn't. The entire summer had past, and the fall term was about to begin. In the months that she was alone, she rarely at meals with him and the rest that resided in the castle. She spent many hours buried in books or gazing at the sky. And very rarely did she receive visits from her friends. When she did, they were short, her always having some excuse ready to shoo them away.

"Oh, but she is," insisted Kezia with a reassuring chuckle. Her eyes beamed. "You should see how she has come along. Her powers are increasing so rapidly, I don't even know where to begin! She-"

"-She is not happy, Kezia," Dumbledore interrupted impatiently. Kezia, somewhat startled, stared at him intently. "She's becoming more distant. I would almost guess that she is becoming shut in. Depressed maybe. Perhaps she's-"

"-growing up?" suggested Kezia with a small smile. Despite Dumbledore's sternly disagree glance, she continued. "Albus, honestly, she is dealing with things that you couldn't even begin to understand."

His bright blue eyes flared. "Young lady, remember who you are talking to."

Stumbling slightly with her words, Kezia continued more cautiously. "Okay, fair enough. But Ana is moving beyond your responsibility these days." Her voice softened. "She's quite the young woman," she smiled.

Dumbledore's eyes lowered into his spectacles. "That she is. And all I want is what is best for her. But she is not happy, and you know it."

The young woman paused, before continuing, neither claiming victory nor defeat. "She will be," promised Kezia with wide-eyed assurance. "She will visit LeBab in the coming weeks, and she will see what awaits her. But you are going to have to trust me. Trust the Circle."

He looked up at her sternly. "And the stars."

"Of course," nodded Kezia quickly. "And the stars."

* * * * * *

It seemed to Remus that it had been only a few days since he was on Hogwarts Express, returning home for a much-needed summer holiday. But sure enough, an entire summer had passed, and hundreds of students were being herded back onto Platform 9 ¾ by frantic, stresed, mournful and blissful parents, all of whom turned to greet one another with a nod or a handshake while their children found their beloved classmates. Remus concluded that half the parents came and stayed as long as they did if only for their own personal class reunion.

It was obvious, too, which parents belonged to which house. Even without knowing how the parents matched to his classmates, he could pick out the Ravenclaws - they were the quiet ones, who smiled and shook hands at seeing their old friends. Even some of the women, who laughed and hugged their friends did so in such a reserved and not-too-loud manner that it was obvious that the eagle still perched proudly on their hearts. The Slytherins were the easiest of all. Either they were exceptionally dressed, as if sending their children off to school were a black-tie affair, or they wore dark, graceful robes that played nicely off their pale skin. Each held up their head proudly and smiled politician smiles as they greeted each other with sickening respect, whether with pats on the shoulder or multiple fake kisses. The Gryffindors weren't too far off, though they were more reserved in their pride, and seemed more genuine next to their more practical choice of clothing. And the Hufflepuffs? They were the ones who moved to get their children securely on the train and make sure that they were safe and settled. It was only then that they waved across the crowds to their former classmates and generally looked lost and frazzled in the crowd.

Of course, Remus did not know if any of his generalizations were accurate, for they were generalizations after all. For all he knew, the suspected Ravenclaws could have been Slytherins who themselves could have been Gryffindors. The Hufflepuffs he was pretty certain about, in any case. They were, after all, the butt of jokes across the wizarding world; they were the world's Polish, blondes, and Americans all wrapped into one. And Remus was a pretty good judge of character. It comes naturally when ones life is based on lies.

He lifted one of his legs from the richly carpeted compartment floor to curl up in front of him on the train seat. He hugged it as he rested his head on the curtains of the window and gazed out at the students and parents socializing on the platform below him. Of course, his parents were long gone, as he was, as always, the first one to arrive and the last one to leave. Special precautions were taken to make sure that rumors didn't get out about a werewolf being at Hogwarts, including generally keeping Remus out of the general public eye of those who might know of the Lupin family. Arriving early meant that he would already be on the train when his father's Auror friends arrived with their gossipy wives. Except for a select number, most had no evidence of what Remus was, besides the condemnation of rumors. And those who did know were either subject to respect for the family or for Dumbledore, both of which kept him safe. But most of the time, as was intended, most parents never gave Remus half a thought if they didn't see him, which suited Remus just fine.

He was in the last compartment, as was reserved for the Mauradering crew every year since their first, and Remus felt a sad twist in his stomach as he realized that this would be the last ride he would take to Hogwarts as a student, aside from returning from Christmas holiday. He could still remember Peter peaking his head in the compartment as a brand new first year, looking very shy and nervous indeed. Of course, at that time, Remus was shier, and much, much, more nervous than the young Pettigrew. Peter, surprisingly, was the first one to speak of the two of them.

"Mmm-mind if I sit with you?"

James and Sirius had been a different story. They could be heard arguing from behind the closed doorway.

"You're off your rocker. There's no bloody way that the Shetland Chitlins are going to make it to the final rounds."

"I'll have you know they're the best team this side of the Arctic Circle." It was the first thing that Remus ever learned about Sirius Black, even before his name: he liked the worst - the absolute worst - team in Quidditch.

James had poked his head into the door and looked first at Peter, and then at Remus. Recognizing him, he gave him a smile. "Remus J. Lupin! You made it into Hogwarts!."

"It was a surprise to me too," Remus had laughed. As he sat, staring out the window, Remus remembered how too true that statement really was.

"You won't mind if we sit then?" James had asked, not waiting for an answer. He and Sirius piled in, as Sirius continued their debate. He turned suddenly on Remus, giving him a tap across the shoulder.

"Remus? That's your name, is it? You tell me. Who's going to get the Quidditch Cup this year?"

Remus had been most stunned by the sudden attention he was receiving. But he thought for a moment. "Well... I think that due to the most unfortunate record that the team has faced in the past...oh... decade...and with their financial crisis, I highly doubt that your team will go anywhere this year."

Sirius had just looked at him blankly before turning to James, who was smirking at him, his arms folded in front of his chest in relaxed triumph. "Translation?"

"NOT the Shetland Chitlins," James had grinned.

Sirius had then proceeded to shoot a glare at everyone in the cabin as he set his feet up on the bench between Peter and James, who were seated across from himself and Remus and mutter rebuttals to himself.

And Remus grinned at the memory. How little, and how much had changed. At that moment, Sirius made a grand entrance into the compartment, bowing low. "Sir Lupin!" he greeted him in a humorously low voice.

"Lord S.O.B.," countered Remus, standing as they embraced each other a quick hug. Peter was the next in the door, tripping soundly over Sirius's book bag, which had been well-placed in front of the entranceway. He hit the floor with a crashing 'thud'.

"All right, Peter?" asked Remus, very much amused. Peter rolled over, gathering a little momentum from previous struggling tries.

"Been better. You? How was your holiday?"

Remus and his family had spent most of their holiday in France with his grandmother. While it was quite a journey and a good opportunity to both see the world and brush up on his French, he had missed out on seeing the group, and most tragically, Ana. Oddly enough, she had been so busy, that she hardly had time to owl him, and when she did, the letters were quite brief. But he would owl her often, and he knew she appreciated it. And she did.

"Wonderful. How about yours?"

"Bloody brilliant," muttered Peter dully. No one had to ask about his sarcasm. He did, after all, live with his grandmother, the likes of whom were similar to one giant mothball.

At that moment, James stumbled in, giving Lily a piggy back ride as he, too, stumbled over Sirius's book bag. Lily gave a small yelp as James (and consequently, she) fell to the floor. The room (the lovebirds excepting) broke into snickers. James rolled over, sending Lily toppling over him, giving Sirius a dead-ice glare over his disheveled glasses. Setting them firmly on his nose, he stood up, and brushed himself off, then extending a hand to Lily, who took it, stood, and whacked Sirius soundly over the head, much to the amusement of everyone. She smoothed her uniform, which she already wore to proudly display her Head Girl badge. James wore his, too.

"Leave it to those two to wear matching clothes," commented Remus rather loudly to Sirius, giving James a taunting glance.

"You should see their matching dress robes. You'd be surprised at how smashing James looks in a miniskirt and a pair of red pumps."

"You two ought to be careful," said James with formality, trying to be serious as he suppressed his own laughter. "I would hate to take points away from Gryffindor."

"You realize," laughed Sirius over his newly earned Prefect pin, disregarding the last statement, "that we're going to make your lives a living hell this year?"

Lily grimaced. "You four aren't going to cause me trouble, are you?"

"I thought it was quite expected," commented James sincerely, much to her amazement.

"But you're the Head Boy" she gasped in horror.

James rubbed the badge lovingly. "That I am! Quick! Somebody honor me!"

At that Sirius dropped to the floor, bowing low before him. "My liege! I pledge my honor to you!"

"Swear it!" laughed James, standing tall.

"I solemnly swear," Sirius exclaimed, "that I am up to no good!"

Lily groaned and sat next to Peter, who was chuckling to himself. She glanced at him. "Oh, not you too," she sighed.

"Do you see a badge on me?" asked Peter pointedly. He had not been named a Prefect. "I don't have to follow the rules."

Lily looked hopefully to Remus. "And you?"

He thought for a moment. "Yes."

She frowned. "Yes, what?"

He shrugged with pointed vagueness. "Yes," he repeated, with a small confirming nod and an amused smirk.

"All of you are impossible," muttered Lily folding her arms across her chest defiantly.

The boys glanced from one another for a moment before all of them smiled angelically and answered in unison. "Yes."

"Wait until Ana hears about this," she grumbled. At that, she frowned further at reminding herself. "Has anyone heard from her at all this summer?"

"I got a few owls from her," shrugged James vaguely.

"I hardly got two," answered Lily. "What did she say to you, James?"

He shifted. "Not much."

Remus watched him for a moment. He had the greatest suspicion that something had happened between him and Ana towards the end of the year, but what that was, he could only guess it had to do with his parents. "She wrote me," he commented, changing the subject for James. "She's been very busy."

"Too busy to write me, eh?" muttered Sirius. "Here all these owls come for James right in front of me and hardly a peep to me." James had tried to live with his Grandfather over the break, but left after the first week to live with Sirius and his family.

"I suppose she has a lot of Guardian business to work on," commented Lily, not trying to hide the disappointment in her voice.

"It'll all be back to normal when we're back at Hogwarts," added Peter optimistically.

"You think so?" asked James, seriously questioning his remark.

"Why wouldn't it be?" asked Remus, frowning slightly.

"Remus, I hate to break this to you," said James, a shadow of smile flitting across his narrow face, "but Ana's a Guardian."

Remus chuckled as others in the room, Peter excepting, smiled to themselves. "Is she really? Well, bloody hell! I had a suspicion something wasn't quite right about her."

James nodded with good humor, but his face melted into seriousness. "She's on a whole different level, you know, now more than ever."

"But she's still Ana," added Sirius.

James frowned in thought as he paused, and opened his mouth to speak. But he closed it. "Yes, I suppose," he conceded after another pause, though he hardly looked or sounded agreeing. Regardless he dropped the conversation.

As conversation turned to less important manners, Remus reached into the back pocket of his khakis and pulled out a folded letter. It was from Ana that very morning.

Moony-

I hope you have a wonderful trip. I will see you in a few hours!

Stars be kind and love be kinder,

Ana

P.S. Take the underground to King's Cross. Traffic will be wicked.

It was a brief letter, but if anything, mighty useful. Traffic was, in fact, hellishly awful due to the poor driving of uncertified wizards as they tried to get their children to King's Cross, causing problems at a series of extremely important intersections that put London into the worst traffic lock it had seen in nearly twenty five years. Once Remus and his parents reached London, they simply transferred to the underground, and rode the rest of the way. He was amazed that most of the students seemed to arrive on time.

But as Remus read and reread the letter, in the far corners of his mind, behind the recognition that most of Ana's letters were similar to this one at the present, was the sudden suspicion that perhaps Ana had changed.

But the rational parts of his mind saw the all too familiar elements. She had called him "Moony." She used their common farewell. He shrugged.

'She's still Ana,' he decided to himself, mentally agreeing with Sirius, as he put his doubts out of his mind.

* * * * * *

The trip went slowly for Remus, as he thought about Ana and the summer he had gone without seeing her. It he hadn't been seated between Sirius and Peter in the carriage from Hogsmeade, he would have jumped out and used his unnatural speed to his advantage, regardless of its repercussions. He watched the world pass by slowly, for a moment imagining his grandmother moving faster than the 2-horse coaches. But finally, he and the rest arrived at Hogwarts, both excited and sentimental at starting their last year.

James was out first, helping his Head Girl down with a gentile hand. But Remus was close behind, darting out of the carriage, his eyes shooting for the front steps. Dumbledore stood, watching with his sparkling blue eyes that reminded Remus so much of the girl he loved. Professor McGonagall was there too, as was Sir Nicholas, but as his eyes dashed around, he could not find Ana.

Thinking that she awaited him in the Great Hall, Remus hardly waited for the rest as he ascended the stairs as fast as he could without running (which, of course, was prohibited). Once inside, he climbed the main staircase and swiftly stepped through the grand entranceway.

But again, Ana was not there. Frowning in confusion, he stopped to think of all the places she could be. Immediately, the dormitory entered his mind, as she could have been continuing to move her stuff from her summer room. But surely the house elves would have done that. Then her tower came to mind. Agreeing that this was probably the best place to find her, he moved back towards the entrance way, only to be bombarded by students flooding into the Great Hall. He bumped into James on the way.

"Ana's not here. I'm going to go check her divinations tower."

James shook his head. "There's no time, the 1^st years have already arrived and are going to be sorted. You have to be here," he reminded him, tapping his Prefect pin. Remus grumbled to himself as he rolled his eyes, letting himself wander over to his seat at the Gryffindor table.

The ceremony positively dragged on, and Remus took no joy in the first year tripping over his own shoelaces, or the first-year Hufflepuff who accidentally went to sit at the Slytherin table (causing a serious of rather horribly humorous events). Not even the great feast was all that impressive to him. A perky red-head fourth year sat where Ana would have sat, making manners considerably worse. He was very much relieved when the students were excused.

Thinking it would be nice to bring Ana some dinner when he found her, he transfigured a dinner plate into a picnic basket (much to the wonder of first year onlookers) and packed it with some of the feast.

"And what do you think you're doing?" asked James, sticking his head into Remus's view of the leftovers that stretched down the oak table.

"Packing food for Ana," he muttered, reaching for a few dinner rolls.

"I suppose you were going to leave right now, then?" asked James, with a knowing smirk.

He frowned. "Yes. What's your deal?"

"Prefects have to lead the first years to the dormitories," James reminded him, laughter lacing his dark eyes.

Remus scoffed. "There's bloody five of them for Gryffindor alone, not including me! And you're the Head Boy! You lead them! They're kids, not pixies! It isn't that hard!"

James laughed, very much amused as he smacked Remus on shoulder and followed the herd of students out into the hallway. Taking his picnic basket he headed up for Ana's tower. It was on a rather secluded side of the castle that he didn't get to see very often. Portraits and odd sculptures passed him as he walked, illuminated by the torches that sprang to life when he came within a certain proximity. Finally, he reached Ana's portrait, at the top, but no the very top of a widely curved staircase that surrounded her room. He glanced at the portrait. It was an angel, reaching down from its heavenly sphere toward a distressed man, surrounded by wide and choppy waves that reached passed his neck as he reached towards the supernatural being. But this portrait did not move. Remus wondered if it did, if angel would reach far enough.

Clearing his throat, he spoke aloud. "Credyn."

But the portrait did not open.

Sighing in exhaustion, he did it again. "Credyn," he said a little louder, waiting for some sort of reaction. Yet, nothing happened. Wearily, he rested his head on the portrait as he wondered where Ana was, and why the portrait wouldn't open and about twenty tired thoughts at once. But at that moment, he heard murmured voices. He couldn't tell who they were, but he could definitely hear voices coming from within the tower.

Frowning, he took his already clenched fist and knocked on the portrait soundly. It took a few moments before it flew open and Ana stood before him, looking as beautiful as she always did in his eyes, blue eyes and all.

"Moony..." she said, a smile crossing her face, but she never got to say more.

"Where have you been?" groaned Remus as he set down the picnic basket and took her into his arms, squeezing her tightly. She laughed softly.

"Here, Moony. I've been here the whole time."

"-you weren't here to greet me, and then you weren't in the Great Hall, and then-"

"I know," she laughed, pushing herself out of his hug. She looked at him lovingly, but a look that definitely told him that he was being silly. "But something more important came up."

His eyes drifted over to the fireplace to see Professor Pyrre sitting in an easy chair, squinting into her teacup, looking very pale indeed.

"It's a grimm, I tell you!" she rasped across he room.

Ana gave Remus a look as she smile. "It's not a grimm, Professor Pyrre. It's a cat."

"Still a sign of bad luck, I'd say," the elderly professor huffed crankily.

"Then I think you'll be pleasantly surprised when you find good luck waiting for you in the very near future," said Ana, trying her very hardest to smile and sound pleasant. Remus could tell she had been at this for a while. "Now, if you will excuse me, I have another visitor."

The professor tore her eyes from the cup to gaze upon Remus Lupin with disgust. "Ah, yes, the Lupin boy. Yes, yes, Ana dear. He needs all the help he can get. You'll see why," she said, not trying to lower her voice. At that, she shimmied off the chair and exited the room slowly, with the aid of a limp and her crystal cane.

As soon as the portrait shut, Remus couldn't help but take Ana into his arms and kiss deeply. He broke off only briefly to whisper in her ear, "I missed you."

"Apparently," giggled Ana as she backed off slightly. Her eyes widened at the sight of the picnic basket on the floor. "Ooo, is that food?" she gasped, falling to the floor, and out of Remus arms.

Startled at the apparent end to their reacquaintance, he nodded. "Yes, from the meal you missed," he teased in a scolding manner. He viewed her sitting on the floor, sifting through the basket and bringing out a bowl of blueberries he had swiped. She picked at them hungrily.

She looked up at him, noticing him watching her. "What?" she asked, popping a few more blueberries into her mouth.

He smiled. "You're even more beautiful than I remember." And it was true. Her hair waved very nicely today, and she wore jeans and white top instead of her Hogwarts uniform. She always was more comfortable that way.

She gave him a shy smile, dropping her eyes away from him. "Oh stop. I'm not even wearing any make-up."

He sat down next to her and stole some blueberries out of her protective hands. His eyes sparkled as he sent her a sideways glance. "You don't need it."

He loved the result. It was always the result he got when he complimented her in just the right way. Her eyes shifted from his like a nervous first-year and her face tightened into a controlled, but still sparkling smile. "Eight weeks," she said, grinning.

"Eight weeks since I saw you last," nodded Remus. "At least I thought it was a long time," he added wistfully.

Ana's smile broadened as she set down the last of her blueberries and turned to him. Her eyes blazed of shimmering sapphires in the firelight as slowly leaned into him, kissing him so softly that it seemed deeper than any kiss she had given him. His hand slid up her arm, to her shoulder, neck, to rest softly on her jawbone as they spoke of eight weeks of misery through their kiss.

When the kiss ended, though perhaps a little reluctantly on both of their hearts, Ana looked him directly in the eye, but all at once she looked away. A look of confusion washed over her that made Remus frown and reach out to gently lift her chin to induce eye contact. But she refused, opting to throw herself into her arms. Burying her face in his shoulder, she held him tightly. "No more of this 'being apart' stuff, okay?"

Remus's frown continued as he gently wrapped his arms around her. She seemed tense, shaking slightly. It was Ana, the same Ana he had always known. But as he studied the face he had feared to forget, he couldn't help but feel that something was different. Something had changed. But at her proximity, and the scent of fire, blueberries and Ana invading his sensitive nostrils, all he could manage to say was, "No. Never again."

* * * * * *

Responsibility attacked the Seventh Years soundly, leaving the students, who had expected harder work and more intense class time, wondering when so much had been demanded of them. Seventh Year was, after all, the year of testings and decisions and leadership. Students were encouraged to explore career opportunities and prepare themselves for entering the work force. A chosen few students were allowed to teach lessons in classrooms. Others were visited by prospective employers. The Aurors came and talked to the eager students about serving their people. Most students had already decided on jobs in the Department of Magical Security (and its subsidiaries) anyway, which was no surprise as history will tell those who pay attention. Aurors picked up the most recruits during the reigns of the dark lords.

And time was neither kind to those who had not made their decision, nor to those whose choices couldn't be clearer. James, for example, was a born Auror. Lily would follow his lead. Sirius would probably join them as well. Peter would never make it, and would probably opt to pick up any available apprenticeship he could get his hands on.

Of course, all this was never discussed, at least with Ana, for Ana discussed nothing with them. In fact, she avoided them whenever possible. For even not she could not look at James without see Elisabeth Potter, frowning in shame. Those she considered closest to her seemed so very far away as she fell into her stars. Because she could not look at James, she could not look at Lily or Sirius or Peter. And Remus? He hurt her most of all, if only because she loved him so terribly much. Yet, he was not at fault for anything. No, not with him, or any of the others. Because Ana knew that all fault lay within her own decisions. She had lied. And she had lied since. And she would lie in the future. She lied every time she smiled, laughed, or acted even remotely confident. She lied every time she kissed Remus. She lied every time she smiled at Professor Dumbledore. And she lied every time she told herself that she was blessed. This lie she was more aware of than any the others. The lies consumed her.

But she tried very hard to avoid thinking about much of anything in her last year at Hogwarts. Anything beside the promise of something better. The promise that Kezia had given her- of having the feelings of ill pass, and for her career to begin as a Guardian. For that was the only thing that kept her going. It seemed that not even Remus could provide that for her at the moment. But she also thought of a time when she would be able to look at Remus without acidic guilt washing through her.

"TELL ME, Ana," boomed Charles Crouch's voice over the large conference room, snapping Ana out of her daydream. "Where would you like to live after graduation?"

Ana shifted uncomfortably in her high-backed, leather chair that seemed largely out of place in the ancient castle meeting room. But then, so did the team of well-dressed business associates of the Caucus Resistance that Crouch had brought with him. The meeting had just started, and Ana was already tired and overwhelmed, and considering her experiences in the past few years, that was saying something.

"Well, Mr. Crouch," Ana started nervously, "I really think I should tell you, and," she nodded to his table of Caucus Resistance team, "your associates, that I want it to be absolutely clear that no decision has been made about me joining the Circle or anything otherwise. So don't go counting on anything I say here today, simply because I think you should also know that I'm leaning towards joining the Circle of Sight."

Many of the business witches and wizards frowned and sent each other knowing glances. But Crouch smiled his salesman smile. "Of course, Ana, of course. Let us simply then explore you options, shall we? So, go on, then. Where would you like to live?"

Ana ignored the curiously humoring tone of his voice and thought. Remus lived on the West Coast, and James, Lily and Peter not far from London. Sirius lived quite a distance to the north. While the magical world was behind in terms of technology, they definitely still had the ups on transportation. Between the Floo and disapparition, she could be considered central wherever she went. But she still preferred to be as close to Moony as she could be, regardless of the fact that she was openly avoiding the others. Her heart dropped as she thought of Remus; summer had passed and she hardly ever had time to see him these days.

"I guess living near Whitby would be nice," shrugged Ana. "It's-"

"Ah yes," nodded Crouch, a small smile playing on his face. Ana tried to look into it, but reading Crouch was very much a problem, as he so did not believe in divinations that he was damn near unreadable. "Whitby. It's near the home of young Mr. Lupin? Am I correct?" The smiles of elders hearing of young love were exchanged among the associates.

Ana nodded, not needing to ask how he knew. Files were strewn across the table, all on her and her life, undoubtedly. For a "blind" resistance, they saw awfully well. She saw small smiles on the faces of the Resistance Associates as they listened intently. One spoke up.

"Beautiful area, York is. Even more beautiful as you get to the Moors."

"And," grinned Crouch, "it has large areas of rural land! Why Ana, that would be the very best environment in which to keep you safe!"

Ana could tell even without the use of her psyche that he had been counting on her choosing such an area. "You knew I would want to live up there."

Crouch said nothing, but suggested, "perhaps on the ocean? With a grand little cottage perfect for raising a family?" For the first time in a long while, Ana smiled slightly, though genuinely, at the thought that seemed so very much like a dream. But Crouch brought his briefcase to the table and opened it. Bringing out a manila file, he passed it across his associates to set before Ana. She opened it curiously.

They were pictures of a property much like Crouch had spoke of. She could hear the sounds of the waves rolling in the pictures of the bay and the little yellow-brick cottage on the luscious green pasture. It was widely open, without very many trees as it rolled along the sloping earth to short brick wall border with a tall black iron hinged gate. She could imagine trellises with white roses in the summer, and softly falling snow in the winter, and most importantly, she could see her and Remus, and three children. Two boys and a girl. All with their daddy's hazel eyes...

"It's beautiful," she breathed, as she flipped from picture, not noticing the pleased smiles of the Caucus Resistance. And it was. And for a moment, Ana let herself believe that maybe it could be in her stars. "But would I be safe?"

"Most assuredly," answered an elderly woman who was seated at her left. "The entire property is nearly two thousand square meters! If any breach in the property were to occur, we would be at your assistance before the culprit even got halfway to your doorstep. Besides that, we will have anti-disappirition charms placed within a larger radius, and, if you would like, a personal set of ministry body guards."

Ana frowned. "No need for body guards.... But what about my friends?" Again, her heart cramped at the word. Friends. She refused to let herself think about James, let alone the others. She avoided the word in the future. "How will anyone visit me without you taking their heads off for stepping onto my property?"

"Direct Floo Connections, much like what Headmaster Dumbledore had set up for you during your summers. You will have connections only between your fireplace and those of your friends and other people of importance." The associates exchanged a knowing glance.

But Ana's eyes fell to the picture again. It was so beautiful, that it seemed to call to Ana from beyond the stars. But as she looked at the beauty of the cottage, she could not help but see the emptiness. The endless sky... the brick walls... the feeling of not another soul for miles. "-But," she pointed out quietly, "it seems a bit too much like a prison."

"How so?" asked Crouch, not at all offended.

"All this talk of body guards? Direct Floo Connections? How would I leave?" Ana paused, thinking of a more important question. "Would I be allowed to leave?"

"Of course, of course," laughed Crouch from the other end of the table. "Your floo connection will allow you to leave your house, just restrict who enters it, and from where. If you wanted to return, from say, Hogsmeade, you may have to floo to the Caucus Resistance Headquarters, and then get to a direct floo line to your house. In addition, we've looked into some universities you may want to attend, and started looking at candidates for polyjuice potion."

"I'd have to be disguised?" asked Ana, somewhat horrified.

"Sometimes, yes," nodded Crouch sincerely. "There may be times when you will wish to go unnoticed."

"More often than not," figured Ana, looking him dead in the eye, not leaving room for secrets.

He did not look away. "Probably," he conceded. "But you will be protected."

"You're joking if you think you can hide this from the Circle of Sight," Ana brought up pointedly.

"It's not the Circle of Sight that concerns us," shrugged Crouch. "We're trying to protect you from Voldemort more than anything else. If the Circle of Sight finds you, it is up to you to turn them down. We will only step in when they start violating your rights. Then you will have the Caucus Resistance Attorneys on hand to assist you in any way possible."

Ana looked at the life being offered to her on a silver platter with unease. "And what is in it for you? What do you want out of the deal?"

"You safe and away from the Circle of Sight is all we want," Crouch replied firmly and honestly. "On that, I can give you my most sincere word."

Ana wondered just how much that was worth. "And you will buy me a house and -"

"Oh, no no," laughed Crouch, as well as some of the associates. "We will buy nothing. You will pay for the house and your groceries and your life and such. We will simply protect you."

Ana laughed as well, but more out of relief at finally seeing the realness of the situation. "Mr. Crouch, if you think I can afford that house and property, you have another thing coming."

"The entire estate cost is only about 100,000 galleons," mentioned one of the associates casually as he checked one of his files.

"And where am I going to get that?" laughed Ana, thinking this was very much some sort of joke.

The room erupted in laughter, all except for Ana, who had stopped in surprise.

"She is amusing, Charles," mentioned one of the associates to him.

"Delightful," answered another.

But Ana frowned. "No, no... I'm quite serious. I don't have any money."

The laughter died down at once.

"Are you joking?" asked one of the associates that sat nearer to Crouch.

"Are you?" Ana demanded in return, not ready to be so easily put in a corner.

The room exchanged glances before her, and she could feel the confusion in the air. Finally, the eldest of the associates, a whispy, gray-haired man spoke to Crouch.

"Good heavens, Charles. I don't think she knows!"

"What don't I know?" asked the peeved Guardian.

Crouch gave her an examining look as he cleared his throat. "Ana, do you know how much money you have in your Gringott's vault?"

Ana blinked. "I have a vault at Gringott's?" She certainly hadn't heard anything of it previously, and had seen no money or statements, besides the small sack of coins that Dumbledore said her mother had given him before she died. That money had paid for her books and supplies thus far, and if well-budgeted, would keep her until the end of school.

Jaws dropped around the table and a few quiet snickers echoed in the high-ceiling, stone room.

"Ana," Crouch continued, though fumbling for words as he tried to keep a straight face, "Your father left you a ... considerable amount of money when he passed...."

Ana stared. She had heard absolutely nothing of this before. "Considerable?" she asked, wondering if she really wanted to know.

"Considerable," nodded Crouch firmly. He scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably. "I don't know if I'm the one to tell you, for apparently this information has been kept from you for some time, but Ana..." he trailed off. He thought for a moment before looking at the woman at Ana's left. "Give her the statement."

The woman smiled and shuffled through her files until she found one marked "Assets." She handed it to Ana, who nervously opened it and found a bank statement paper clipped to the front cover in the amount of '(G)1,185,000, (S)12, (K)8.'

Ana blinked, confused. "What are G, S, and K?"

"Galleons, Sickles, and-"

"Knuts. Right," remembered Ana. "So it's one million, one hundred eighty-five thousand galleons..." she read, but then drifted off.

"Twelve Sickles," continued Crouch.

"...one million, one hundred eighty-five thousand galleons, twelve sickles..." babbled Ana, dazed.

"And eight knuts," finished the woman at her left, smiling in the belief that she was very much helping.

But Ana was still stuck on the larger denomination. "One million, one hundred eighty-five thousand galleons ..." She shook her whirling head. She knew it was a lot. But even having lived in the wizarding world for two complete years, she had never had much of an opportunity to study magical money in depth. "How much is that?" she asked the group.

"Around five million pounds," the woman next to her informed her in a whisper.

"No, no..." Ana shook her head. "American money." Pounds were not her friend either.

A man at the table reached into his briefcase and pulled out a calculator. After punching in a few digits, he looked up. "Somewhere in the vicinity of 10,000,000 U.S. dollars." *

Ana was very glad she was sitting down. "So, you're telling me that I have ten million dollars in my bank account."

Crouch couldn't help but smile. "That's what we're telling you, and that's not including whatever family valuables are kept in your safe that the good chaps at Gringott's refused to reveal to us, even with our good standing."

"Ten million dollars?" Ana demanded, giving them as suspicious a look as she could manage as she ignored the fact that there could be more. They nodded. "How did my father get so much money?"

The eyes of the room darkened. "It is how the Circle works, Ana. They are paid very well for what they deem 'divinitive knowledge.' All the so-called 'guardians' are phenomenally rich, and there have been many 'guardians' in your family that passed their money and assets to their children, their children's children, and eventually to your father. And now it belongs to you."

The grandfather clock cleared its raspy throat from its corner in the room. "Miss Anblick," it said, "the time is nearly one o'clock in the afternoon. You had best be off to your class."

Ana nodded, not caring that a clock was giving her orders. She stood sedately.

"Do you have any more questions?" Crouch asked.

Ana thought as she gazed at her files. "Can I take these?" she asked.

"Of course," nodded Crouch. "We have copies."

Not surprised, she picked up the files and walked towards the door. But she stopped and turned to ask them one more question. "Can you give me your assurance that if I do not join the Circle, that you will keep me safe?"

"You have our word," replied Mr. Crouch, "that every precaution will be taken to ensure your safety."

* * * * * *

"My dearest Remus," Sirius read from a scented, mint green parchment as he stood upon a coffee table in the Shrieking Shack, "my life is agony without you, my love."

James let out a catcall while Remus shook his head and bit his tongue (while blushing mercilessly) at Sirius's performance. How he had gotten a hold of the letter, he would never guess, nor would he even want to begin trying. Lily smirked at him and gave him an apologetic pat on the shoulder.

"Each day," continued Sirius, placing the back of his palm over his forehead in well-mimicked woe, "is like a needle in my side, piercing this heart that only moves to love you more with every passing beat..."

Even Lily cracked up. Peter already had tears of uncontrollable laughter rolling down his face. Remus just leaned back with a silent sigh, still shaking his head as he let the inevitable happen.

Sirius continued. "...But do not worry, my love. I will neither forget you, nor you me..."

"Apparently not," laughed James, very much enjoying the show.

"...but there will be a time when we are together, as we were meant to be. Until then, put my weary heart at ease with your soft words of love. With all the love I can give, forever, and ever... and ever and ever... (and ever)... Berenice."

James and Peter were on their feet in thunderous applause as Sirius bowed. James even transfigured a few scraps of wood that had been swept to the side into long-stem roses, which he threw at the honored performer.

Lily just shook her head and laughed. "She just doesn't give up, does she? How many letters has she written you?"

"Since when?" Remus shrugged. "Graduation or the beginning of the school year?"

"Graduation."

"Eighteen," he sighed. The one that Sirius used quite freely for a script and seventeen others, just as mercilessly swooning and nauseatingly love-sick; All came within the five months that had passed since he had seen her last.

Sirius laughed. "And how many have you answered?"

"Have you gone nutters?" laughed Remus, very much astonished. "None, of course!"

They all groaned. "C'mon Remus!" laughed James, "Write her back! It'll be fun!"

"No," he shook his head. "She just has to learn that I'm not interested in her."

"Well, can I write her back?" asked Peter hopefully.

"Only if you don't mention me," approved Remus as freely as one offering to pass off death.

"What does Ana think of all this?" asked Lily.

Remus shifted. "Ana doesn't know. But-" he added quickly, ignoring the smirks of James and Sirius that would only be shared by men at that response, "-she wouldn't mind. She would find it just as amusing as the rest of you."

"Well, where is she, then?" asked Sirius, excitedly. "I could have a repeat performance!"

Remus's eyes dropped. "I don't know... I haven't seen her all day."

An uncomfortable silence passed through the room. "Not again," sighed Lily. For this had been the case for all of them, not just Remus, since the beginning of the year. She rarely at meals with them anymore, and her evenings were almost exclusively spent within her tower. Today had been some important meeting with the Caucus Resistance. He pitied her greatly, but he missed her more.

"It's all right," Remus said, forcing a smile. "I see her enough, and we all know she's very busy."

Sirius and Peter nodded in acknowledgment while James and Lily exchanged a covert glance. Lily changed the subject. "We should probably head back. It's getting pretty late."

The group nodded sedately as they stood, some of them stopping to stretch before taking the long, low tunnel back. Sirius and Peter didn't have as much of a problem, as they could transfigure into their respective animal forms, but for people of normal size, the tunnel was long. Very long.

But after a seemingly endless half-crawl, they arrived, safe and sound as they always were, at the feet of the Whomping Willow. Peter and Sirius awaited them, a short distance away.

"I win," replied Sirius with a smile on his face.

"Win what and for what?" grumbled Remus as he shook dirt and sod off his school robes.

"Undying praise for finding your girlfriend," he grinned in response. Remus looked up in attention to see his friend point towards two silhouettes standing in the bright moonlight. He walked closer to get a better view. It was Ana, of course, standing straight and tall, her head gracefully inclined as she viewed the star-studded sky with complete, wide-eyed attention. Kezia stood not too far off in the same, silent manner. Even though the field was open and some ways from the castle, and though he did not attempt to move silently, neither seemed to take notice of his exposed approach. He was only meters away when he stopped walking, wondering if he should disturb them. But as he viewed Ana, bathed in the light of the dark heavens, he felt his breath taken away. Not for the first time, Remus was filled with the wonder of the girl- the woman - the Guardian - he loved. There was something stately and surreal about her gaze and her pose that made him feel very small, though they were not intended for him. As he lifted his eyes to the same sky she did, his eyes were attracted only to the moon, which was only a couple of days from fullness. And that was all he needed to see. And he knew, as he looked at her observing her world in attentive silence, that she would be here for many hours that night, and many other nights that week, month, and year, including the nights of the full moon.

And while the heavens cursed him, Remus mused, they blessed Ana. He thought for some time about this revelation, not caring that his friends had given up on waiting and returned to the castle, and wondered just why this was. He was, after all, simply a quiet, but promising young boy when he had received his bite. And just as he had on every night of the full moon, he lost himself in the thought of what he had done to deserve his fate. He knew Ana's answer of course. "There's a higher power at work, Moony, whether you believe in it or not. And everything is in control, if you can fathom it. No one wants bad things to happen, but they do. Humans are humans, after all, just like every other creature is what it is. And while most people think that the biggest events of their lives are the ones that stand out - the death of their parents, the betrayal of friends, or for some, the bite of a dark creature - the fact remains that the greatest facts of life are the dominos that fall immediately thereafter."

It hurt Remus to think of it, and Remus knew emotional pain when he felt it. It was clearly distinct from physical pain, but just as noticeable. Both he had grown up with, and both were who he was. But to have Ana tell him that the bite- the one moment in time that changed his life forever- was not the most significant "domino" in his "life chain," burned him, though he had, of course, listened and tried to accept it at the time. He shook his head as he thought quietly to himself about how much had occurred just from that one event, and how different his life would be if it had never happened. He probably would still be at his first home - the one he loved the most - outside of New Hampton. And as memories flew back to him, a deep rift filled him, and he shoved the memory aside.

It was then, that he realized that he was being watched. Kezia had turned, and was viewing him intently. She neither looked at Ana, nor spoke aloud, but Remus could sense their communication as Ana, too, turned to meet his gaze. He could see Kezia's hand slowly moving towards the wand in her pocket, but Ana gave her a fierce look as she moved silently passed her and approached him swiftly.

"What is it?" she asked. It was not demanding, or rude, but tired. Regardless, Remus was taken back.

"Just thought I'd say hello," he said quietly. "I saw you when I was returning from the Shrieking Shack."

But Ana seemed to hardly be listening. Her eyes still drifted to the sky, even then. When she sensed that Remus had stopped talking, she gave him an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, Remus, but I'm in the middle of something...."

Remus's eyes traveled back to Kezia, who had turned back to the sky. He looked down to see Ana doing the same. "All right, then," he said, trying and failing to mask the disappointment in his voice.

Ana smiled as she thanked him. "Love you," she said, sending him a quick kiss on the cheek as she spun around and moved swiftly back to Kezia.

Remus watched her go and he watched her work for a few moments. 'Bye,' he thought after her, though something in him knew she didn't hear. He turned and started to wander back to the castle, seeing James leaning against the castle doors, watching him with a look that told him that he had observed the previous events. He looked away, not wanting to deal with whatever advice he wanted to give him. Instead, he watched the ground intently, not wanting to look at anything, but especially the sky. For the sky, it seemed, had found more than one way of torturing him that night.

* * * * * *

Ana returned to the night sky with reluctant eagerness. For the sky told her many things of dire importance, but it seemed that in the present days, nothing was good news. She shuddered as she pulled the hood of her grey outdoor robes over her head, and returned her gaze to the world. And she remained as such for nearly two hours: listening, observing, and comprehending how the world would be, could be, and in the back of her mind, should be. For all three were completely different cognitions, though in the world of the Guardian, the latter was deemed irrelevant. "The ways of the heavens are supreme, Ana," Kezia had told her, "from this Earth to the end of the universe, and there is nothing that we can say about it. It all works out in the end. This much we know, though we cannot see it."

And not for the first time in the past hours, Ana's mind wondered over her new-found fortune. Lowering her eyes, she cast them towards Kezia, who was gazing distantly. In the moonlight, she could see Kezia's lilac robes peaking out from underneath her silver cloak. They gleamed with the essence of silk as they stretched towards her boots, which were undoubtedly Italian leather. Two rings dazzled her fair hands, both on her left hand- one was a diamond surrounded by amethyst on her ring finger, the other a woven silver band around her thumb. Her nails were beautifully done, obviously professionally, and around her wrist sat a beautiful silver and pearl bracelet that shone with the light of the moon. Ana couldn't help but smile.

"I have a lot of money in my Gringott's account," Ana said aloud, breaking Kezia from her concentration. She looked over at Ana with a small smirk.

"I would imagine so," she replied.

Ana returned her gaze to the sky. "You never told me Guardians were paid."

"You never asked."

"You never told me," insisted Ana, refusing to take the blame. "So how much is it, then?"

"Depends on your field work, really," replied Kezia casually. "The wealth of the world pays well to protect itself."

"And the poor?" asked Ana.

"They have our assistance if the stars deem it worthy."

Ana frowned, but nodded. Guardians were not, after all, completely on their own agenda. But her mind swirled with questions, questions of their clientele, logistics, means of seeing, their business.... And she couldn't help but realize, as strong as she was becoming in her powers, that she knew so very little about the organization that promised her so much. She had seen nothing but goodness coming from them. And that frightened her.

"Kezia, when will I see Lebab Tower?"

"Soon," muttered Kezia vaguely. Her gaze had returned to the stars.

'How soon,' asked Ana telepathically, letting her eyes become enchanted by the heavens.

'A few weeks,' was the reply, and Ana didn't expect to get anything more out of her that evening.

* * * * * *

James had just drifted to sleep in his Head Boy bed in his Head Boy room at the top of Gryffindor Tower. As his eyelids drooped open and the dark room loomed around him, he cursed his position and his title, but threw the covers off his bed lazily. Relying on his feet to find his slippers in the darkness, he pried himself from his bed, just as a second set of loud, clamoring knocks sounded on the door. Stubbing his toe on his wardrobe, he reached the door, and opened it. After his eyes adjusted to the bright torchlight, he could see through his blurred vision that Sirius stood before him. Squinting, James could make out the worry in his eyes.

"What's wrong?"

"It's Remus," whispered Sirius. He walked into James' black room with ease and returned with his best friend's glasses. James put them on as he followed Sirius down the stairwell.

"What's wrong?" James hissed again as they descended. But Sirius didn't say anything. Reaching the dormitory he shared with Peter and Remus, he pushed open the door. Peter was standing at the side of Remus's bed. Everything seemed normal to him, but no sooner had Sirius closed the door behind him, than heard a load groan.

"Nooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE! STAY!!!!!!!"

James swore under his breath as he approached Remus's bed. Standing next to Peter, he could see Remus tossing in his bed, covered in a sweat, tears freely escaping dreaming eyes. He cried out and muttered something incoherently as he hugged himself, shaking at some unseen terror.

"When did he start having his dreams again?" demanded James. James hadn't witnessed one since before his sixth year.

"This is the first I've seen of them," replied Sirius, his eyes wide as he viewed his broken friend sobbing in his sleep. "And I don't remember them being this bad."

"They never were," James said simply, the shadows under his eyes further darkening his complexion.

"Should I get Ana?" asked Peter, wanting to help.

James frowned further and didn't answer.

Peter asked again. "James? Should I get Ana?"

James set his jaw and shook his head.

Sirius examined him in horrified confusion for several moments before voicing his revelation. "You think Ana has something to do with his dreams!"

James nodded. "Something's going on with her. She never spends time with Remus and even less time with us. You should have seen how plain she was towards him earlier this evening when we were returning from the Shrieking Shack. It was almost as if she didn't want to talk to him."

"I'm sure she had a good reason," Peter promised.

"She's everything to him. We've noticed her absence. Think of how Remus must see it."

"So should we get her?" asked Peter. Sirius looked at James eagerly.

"I wouldn't," he shrugged.

"Why the hell not?" gasped Sirius. "She's the only one who can help him."

"Are you blind?" growled James at the bottom of his breath, absently glaring him in the eye. "She's a guardian. How much longer do you really think she is going to be hanging around Remus?"

Remus cried out, gripping the bed sheets with white knuckles as streams of tears ran from behind sealed eyes.

"James..." breathed Peter in disappointment, "you haven't gone traitor on Ana, have you?"

"I will never betray Ana, Peter," said James quietly, watching his friend with nothing but helplessness. "And she'll never go traitor on us, that's for sure. But let's be real. It will never work for her and Remus. She's being consumed by what she is, and that leaves too little room for people like us... people like Remus."

All three turned to look at their friend, shuddering and crying out in his sleep.

"He will have to deal with it sooner or later...." James said simply.

"Yes, but he needs her now!" pointed out Sirius.

"And he'll need her every day for the rest of his life. But do you think - do you really think - that Ana will always be there?"

Sirius looked at James with horrified eyes. Even Peter seemed struck by his words. Silence consumed the three of them as they exchanged glances.

"So that's it, then?" asked Sirius. "We're just going to stop talking to Ana?"

"No," James said wearily. "We're just going to wait and accept it when Ana stops talking to us. The way she's going, that'll be sooner rather than later."

There was silence in the room once more as Remus drifted off into a more peaceful sleep. After a brief moment of relief, the seriousness was surprisingly aroused by Peter, who despite his head hardly reaching the height of his friends' chins, met the two Marauder's expressions with a firm, hard and set look as none had ever seen from him before.

"You're wrong about her. And you'll see. I just hope you all don't make royal arses of yourselves before you realize it."

* * * * * *

The night was a long one. But all nights were, it seemed to Ana. The greatest star of all rose in the east every twenty-four hours, despite her wishes, escorting in a new day with new problems. She lived to see and to study, and if she was fortunate, to sleep. Kezia had given her a supply of an energy potion that was known within the Circle for its non-addictive properties. Ana took it, but there was only so much that energy potions could do for one who hardly slept a couple of hours a night, if she was lucky. She was promised that it would be different when she joined the Circle and her job was worked primarily at night. Ana pointed out that Kezia worked during the day as well. Kezia returned that daylight at Hogwarts was not necessarily daylight at Lebab.

Her schedule was amazing. She was usually up at seven, breakfast at eight, class eight thirty until ten, class from ten thirty until noon, lunch hour from noon to one, class from one until two thirty, and homework from two thirty until five. Five o'clock was dinner and divinations took place for the rest of the evening. But perhaps it was more accurate to say that divinitive studies took place every moment of her life, but was more concentrated at the evening.

That morning, Ana awoke, running late as usual. If it weren't for Lily's shock charm, Ana would never make it in time for breakfast, though breakfast was never essential for her anyway. But it was the only time she got to see Remus. The problem was, she always had to face James at the same time.

But she refused to think about that.

It was luck that they always were almost finished with breakfast by the time she reached the Great Hall. They would almost always go and get their books only moments after Ana sat down, saving her from unwanted agony. And that was just fine by her. But that particular morning, Ana arrived just a few moments after they. And if at all possible, they looked more tired than she felt.

James's black hair was impossibly messy, and Sirius lacked all his characteristic energy. Peter looked more solemn than tired, and Remus, more distracted. As Ana sat, she looked between them curiously. Sirius gave her a scrutinizing glance and looked away. A shiver ran down her spine as she viewed them. They were as cold as stone.

"Remus," she whispered, leaning towards his ear, "what is going on?"

He turned his head slowly to view her. His eyes looked more shadowed than normal, and it was almost as if it was the day after a transfiguration. But that wouldn't happen for a few days more. Opening his mouth to speak, he looked away. The words never did come.

"Tell me!" she insisted, almost ready to just find out telepathically (but not really).

He turned to her again, this time with more attention than before, and he opened his mouth to speak again as James and the rest looked on silently.

But at that moment, Kezia broke through the Great Hall doors, grabbing Ana's attention immediately.

"Ana, come quickly," insisted Kezia telepathically, with no more than a glance.

Ana, forgetting all else by the look on Kezia's face stood, and approached her. She was led out of the hall, with the doors closed behind her.

* * * * * *

James looked from the closed doors to Remus, who had returned to his trance-like state. He looked at Peter, who was pale with disbelief and then to Sirius, who was shaking his head as he stared into his pumpkin juice. Lily didn't seem at all surprised, but then, she had yet to learn of the conversation from the night before.

It was then that James realized just how amazed he was with Ana. She had seemed so concerned with Remus's well being - all of their well being. But all Kezia Doppelle had to do was walk in the room without saying a single word, and Ana was gone. For the first few years of his career at Hogwarts, from the first moment he had learned that Remus was what he was, he had assumed the responsibility of taking him under his wing, distracting him with whatever he could find. When Ana arrived, he gladly passed the imaginary office to her. But now, it seemed that he was back to the beginning again.

Sighing, he kicked Remus under the table. He snapped to attention.

"When's that Transfiguration paper due?"

Remus frowned. "The one on animagus?"

James nodded.

"Yesterday."

James glared. "You're joking."

And Remus smiled. -A small, very hidden smile, but a smile none the less.

* * * * * *

"Kezia! Stop! What is going on?" demanded Ana as she was dragged to her divinations tower.

Kezia did not stop. "Ana, this is important," she said shortly.

Ana could feel the tension exuding from her being. Silently, she obeyed as she followed her mentor through the corridors, up the tower steps, and through the portrait.

Once the portrait was closed, Kezia whirled around and looked at her demandingly. "Ana, have you received any visions or any feelings that you might be harmed today?"

Ana laughed at the shocking randomness of the question. "No! Of course not! Kezia, what is going on?"

"One of the members of the Circle had a vision that indicated that a Seer would be harmed here at Hogwarts."

A pit grew in Ana's stomach as she reminded herself of where her wand was, should she need it. Any laughter that remained in her left instantly. "You sure?"

"Dead sure, and it's not fate. It's a warning."

Ana thought for a moment as Kezia waved her wand toward the tea bar at the bottom of the balcony stairway. Instantly, tea started brewing and was poured and awaiting her by the time she walked across the room. She picked up a tea cup, and shoved it into Ana's hands.

"Drink," she ordered.

Ana looked at the teacup. "But I thought I wasn't supposed to look at my stars."

"Drink," ordered Kezia, regardless.

So she did. She drank it as quickly as she could, stopping only to swirl the tea leaves at the end. Undaunted, she looked in.

Her eyes widened as she gazed into the tea cup.

"What is it?" gasped Kezia, very frazzled, lowering herself weakly to the easy chair behind her.

Ana grimaced as she set down the cup forcefully. She shook as she pinched the sides of her nose in physical emotion. With almost a whimper, she choked out a few words.

"It... hot. Really... really hot..."

"What is?" frowned Kezia in confusion.

"The tea!" cried Ana as she grimaced and fought back a few pained tears.

Kezia groaned as she stood and grabbed the teacup from the desk. Glancing inside, she frowned.

"A ladder," she observed as she put down the teacup slowly. She thought for a few moments as Ana nursed her tongue with a glass of ice water from the tea bar. "That doesn't fit... ladders are a symbol of growth."

Ana clenched her jaw as she swallowed. "Maybe it wasn't me that the vision was talking about... though that tea nearly killed me."

Kezia fought a smile at the seriousness of the situation. "But who else? There are no other student seers here, are there?"

"No," Ana shook her head. It was a lonely business.

Kezia sank to the chair again. She closed her eyes, and Ana could tell she was talking to someone in her mind. It was rude to interrupt, but even more so for a Guardian. Ana focused her attention on other things, things other than Kezia and her own scorched mouth. Having a moment, she realized that she had never gotten the truth out of Remus. A pang of guilt struck through her as she realized her fault, the pain being more than that of the boiling tea. But as quickly as she thought of Remus, she thought of James, and of what she was.

What made it so much worse is that he always loved her, and she loved him. But accepting his love was becoming more and more difficult with each lie and discourtesy she exhibited. Yet at the same time, it was so difficult not to love him. He was so... Remus! He wrote her continuously from France. He waited for her to walk to class with her, even on the days she was running late. He brought her food from the beginning of the year banquet...

Ana smiled. She could almost see just as he was that night, so worried about her absence that he didn't even see Professor Pyrre sitting next to the fire...

Ana's eyes widened as the smile faded. "Oh, no..."

Kezia, distracted, opened her eyes and looked at her anxiously. "What?"

Ana stood. "Professor Pyrre!" With a surge of power, she thought her way up to the main divinations tower. She could hardly sense the elderly professor's spirit. She was the only other Seer on the campus.

Ana proved to be much quicker than Kezia, whose runespoor boots were not made for frivolous running. Knocking people out of their way as they ran, Ana contacted Professor Dumbledore with her mind as Kezia contacted Madam Pomphrey. The walk was a long one from Ana's tower to the main, but the run seemed even longer. The two of them raced as fast as their lungs would let them, jumping three to five of the tiny medieval stairs at a time with as much ease as they could. Ultimately, it was Ana who reached the tower first, followed by Kezia, both of whom were so winded, they could hardly concentrate.

It was Kezia who saw her first. A tray of broken dishes scattered around an over-turned stepping stool. Professor Pyrre's body lay among the rubble, her feet still mingling around the stool's base.

As Ana and Kezia rushed to her side, more injuries became apparent. Her leg was twisted at an odd angle, and there were several bruises on her left arm. A healthy cut on her forehead was haloed with dry blood, leaving the only supposition that she had been there for some time. By the grayness of her complexion, that was most certainly obvious.

"Professor," said Kezia, her voice hardly more than a whisper as she rested her hand on her head. She did not stir. Ana felt for a pulse, and one was present, but it was very weak indeed.

"She's talking to me," Kezia said, closing her eyes tightly as she read the voice of the thoughts of the divination professor's mind. "She saying something about the stool..."

Ana left their sides and went to the stool. A close inspection showed that one of the legs had cracked off. Ana picked it up, and showed it to Kezia, who had turned to look. At that moment, Madam Pomphrey and Professor Dumbledore entered the room, perhaps more winded than Kezia and Ana had been. The medi-witch made a small noise in her throat as she conjured a stretcher and shooed the two guardians away. Dumbledore held it steady as he watched his companion of so many years being skillfully frozen in place and levitated to the device that he held. There was a great deal of sorrow in his eyes. Even after Madam Pomphrey had left the room with her patient and Kezia at her side, he remained.

Ana watched him closely, wondering if she should say anything at all. "There was nothing you could have done," she offered quietly.

A small nod accompanied a small twinkle of appreciation in his doubting eyes. "I was supposed to have a shipment of tea brought up to her earlier this morning... it completely slipped my mind."

Ana considered this, with a pit in her stomach. Finding her sooner would have helped their cause. The fact that Dumbledore hadn't probably triggered the warning vision that had spread through the Circle of Sight. She didn't want to lie, but as she viewed the headmaster before her, she could only hear what Kezia would say.

She smiled her well-practiced smile, being sure to throw in some sympathy. "Professor, it was in her stars that this should happen, and the fact that you didn't send the tea shipment up only helped the situation."

He sent her a glance that almost broke her show. It was the glance she could see her own father giving her if he knew how she was acting. But she shook her head and shrugged, letting the smile fall from her face.

"All things happen for a reason."

"Indeed," he replied softly, still giving her the same, scrutinizing look.

'Ease pain and suffering... ease pain and suffering...' Ana thought to herself fiercely as she returned his gaze with shaky confidence. But visions of Elisabeth Potter filled her mind. She could see them both glaring at her with supreme disappointment, and she was stretched as far as she could go.

Swiftly she turned and headed for the door. "We should probably check on Professor Pyrre," she said, leaving as quickly as her legs could carry her.