Post by Jestana on Aug 1, 2004 19:52:54 GMT -5
Previous chapters can be read here.
12. Unexpected Conflict
A/N: Anna's first Christmas as a Hogwarts student arrives, with an unexpected conflict.
By the time the Hogwarts Express left to take the students home for the winter holidays, Anna was on her way to her mother's office. Upon reaching it, she knocked and the door opened. Slipping inside, she noticed that her parents were standing by the fireplace, obviously waiting for something or someone. Approaching cautiously, Anna peeked around her mother in time to see the flames burn green and a familiar figure tumbled out. "Tiberius?"
"Hi, Anna!" the little boy exclaimed, bounding to his feet. His mother caught him and brushed off the soot that had collected on his clothes. "Mu-um! Lemme go!"
Minerva held the squirming little boy for a moment, a soft smile curving her lips. "Not until you greet your father and I."
"Hi, Mum," Tiberius complied with a huge sigh. "Hi, Dad."
Albus reached over and ruffled the nine-year-old boy's hair. "Hello, Tiber."
"Dad!" Tiberius pulled away from his father's hand.
Minerva's grip on the boy didn't loosen. "Tiberius, apologize."
"No!" Tiberius folded his arms across his chest, stubborn and defiant.
Minerva looked helplessly at Albus. "Tiberius, look at me." Reluctantly, Tiberius' dark green eyes, so like his mother's, rose to meet his father's. "What is wrong?"
"No one loves me," Tiberius practically growled, glaring first at Albus, and then Minerva. "Aunt Bella and Uncle Kevin hardly pay attention to me and you and Mum are always here. You never visit anymore."
The last was said in a plaintive voice and the boy's anger dissolved into grief. "I don't even have Anna anymore."
"Oh, Tiberius." Anna tugged on her brother's foot to let him know she was there. "Of course you still have me. I just have school now and you don't."
Minerva held Tiberius close, in spite of his struggles and, after a few moments, he subsided, cuddling against her. "I'm sorry, Little One. I'm afraid your father and I have been a little distracted lately."
"It's because Danny got married, isn't it?" Tiberius asked quietly, without accusation.
Albus nodded, stepping close to lay his hand on Tiberius' shoulder. "Yes, Tiber, and I'm sorry we have been neglecting you of late."
"We'll have all winter holidays to make up for it," Anna chimed in, surprised by her brother's behavior. "I'm sorry, Tiber."
Though he made a face at the nickname, he didn't object when Minerva set him on his feet. "Wish I'd said something sooner."
"We've all made that wish at least once in our life, Laddie," Minerva told him, glancing up at her husband, whose eyes twinkled merrily behind his half-moon spectacles. "What do you say to making some Christmas biscuits?"
Tiberius' eyes lit up, reminding Minerva of the boy's father. "Yeah!"
"I'd love to, Mum," Anna added, smiling her mother's small smile.
Smiling, Albus put in his two Knuts' worth. "You know I can't say no to anything sweet, my dear, particularly yourself."
"Ew, Dad!" Tiberius exclaimed, smiling in spite of himself. "You and Mum can snog later!"
Laughing, the family made their way to Albus and Minerva's rooms, which had been outfitted with a kitchenette for just these sorts of occasions. As she walked beside her husband while Anna and Tiberius raced each other along the corridors, Minerva wondered if Tiberius had truly forgiven her and Albus for their supposed neglect of him. Sighing, she put such thoughts from her mind. Only time could answer that question.
12. Unexpected Conflict
A/N: Anna's first Christmas as a Hogwarts student arrives, with an unexpected conflict.
By the time the Hogwarts Express left to take the students home for the winter holidays, Anna was on her way to her mother's office. Upon reaching it, she knocked and the door opened. Slipping inside, she noticed that her parents were standing by the fireplace, obviously waiting for something or someone. Approaching cautiously, Anna peeked around her mother in time to see the flames burn green and a familiar figure tumbled out. "Tiberius?"
"Hi, Anna!" the little boy exclaimed, bounding to his feet. His mother caught him and brushed off the soot that had collected on his clothes. "Mu-um! Lemme go!"
Minerva held the squirming little boy for a moment, a soft smile curving her lips. "Not until you greet your father and I."
"Hi, Mum," Tiberius complied with a huge sigh. "Hi, Dad."
Albus reached over and ruffled the nine-year-old boy's hair. "Hello, Tiber."
"Dad!" Tiberius pulled away from his father's hand.
Minerva's grip on the boy didn't loosen. "Tiberius, apologize."
"No!" Tiberius folded his arms across his chest, stubborn and defiant.
Minerva looked helplessly at Albus. "Tiberius, look at me." Reluctantly, Tiberius' dark green eyes, so like his mother's, rose to meet his father's. "What is wrong?"
"No one loves me," Tiberius practically growled, glaring first at Albus, and then Minerva. "Aunt Bella and Uncle Kevin hardly pay attention to me and you and Mum are always here. You never visit anymore."
The last was said in a plaintive voice and the boy's anger dissolved into grief. "I don't even have Anna anymore."
"Oh, Tiberius." Anna tugged on her brother's foot to let him know she was there. "Of course you still have me. I just have school now and you don't."
Minerva held Tiberius close, in spite of his struggles and, after a few moments, he subsided, cuddling against her. "I'm sorry, Little One. I'm afraid your father and I have been a little distracted lately."
"It's because Danny got married, isn't it?" Tiberius asked quietly, without accusation.
Albus nodded, stepping close to lay his hand on Tiberius' shoulder. "Yes, Tiber, and I'm sorry we have been neglecting you of late."
"We'll have all winter holidays to make up for it," Anna chimed in, surprised by her brother's behavior. "I'm sorry, Tiber."
Though he made a face at the nickname, he didn't object when Minerva set him on his feet. "Wish I'd said something sooner."
"We've all made that wish at least once in our life, Laddie," Minerva told him, glancing up at her husband, whose eyes twinkled merrily behind his half-moon spectacles. "What do you say to making some Christmas biscuits?"
Tiberius' eyes lit up, reminding Minerva of the boy's father. "Yeah!"
"I'd love to, Mum," Anna added, smiling her mother's small smile.
Smiling, Albus put in his two Knuts' worth. "You know I can't say no to anything sweet, my dear, particularly yourself."
"Ew, Dad!" Tiberius exclaimed, smiling in spite of himself. "You and Mum can snog later!"
Laughing, the family made their way to Albus and Minerva's rooms, which had been outfitted with a kitchenette for just these sorts of occasions. As she walked beside her husband while Anna and Tiberius raced each other along the corridors, Minerva wondered if Tiberius had truly forgiven her and Albus for their supposed neglect of him. Sighing, she put such thoughts from her mind. Only time could answer that question.
.
