A Very Harsh Reunion

Chapter 45

                February came and went and it was the end of March when Anna received a message from Neville saying that it was urgent that she meet him that night at around 8:00p.m by the Black lake. She thought it was strange, but she didn’t question it. Anna tightened her coat around her, her dark robes flapping in the wind as she made her way down there. Anna had told Draco that she had classwork to work on that night so he wouldn’t be suspicious to why she wasn’t meeting him as usual.

                When she got down there she didn’t see Neville anywhere in sight. Anna waited a few more minutes and was about to head back up to the school when suddenly someone appeared from behind the trees. It was Rafe.

                “Hello, Annabelle,” he said softly, looking her over intently.

                “Rafe,” Anna cried out in delight, she ran over to him, throwing her arms around him in a huge hug, “What are you doing here and how did you get in?”

                “That is a secret,” he said, looking at her deeply with those wide green eyes, “I might ask you the same thing. Do you know how worried I was about you the night we rescued that family in the woods and you never showed up at our meeting place,” he grabbed her face gently, “I was terrified. I just knew you had been captured. And then I find out a few days later that you had returned to Hogwarts. Why would you do that?”

                Anna shrugged, looking away from Rafe. At first she had been glad to see him, it had been so long, but now as the realization of what she’d become hit her, she wanted Rafe as far away as possible for his own safety, “I don’t know. I just changed my mind,” Anna walked a little away from him.

                "Anna, you are not making any sense,” he grabbed her arm gently and made her turn to him. He surprised her when he put his hand to her rounded stomach, “You are telling me that you decided to return to Hogwarts knowing you are pregnant and that the school is now controlled by the dark lord and the death eaters. Do you know how crazy that is?” he looked at her expectantly, waiting on an answer, but Anna just looked at him, “Do you know what you are putting Tonks and Lupin through? They are terrified that something is going to happen to you,” Rafe looked at her with concern, “Now tell me the real reason you are here at Hogwarts,” he demanded.

                “Rafe, you wouldn’t understand. For your own safety and for Tonks and my father, I cannot return home. That’s all you need to know,” Anna started to walk away from Rafe, “You need to go before someone finds you here.”

                “Not so fast,” he caught up to her, “I’m not leaving until you tell me why,” he insisted.

                “Please don’t ask me about it. You are not going to like it and it will only cause everyone pain,” Anna pleaded, her eyes on his desperately.

                “I am not leaving without the truth,” Rafe said firmly.

                “Very well,” Anna sighed heavily as if a great weight were pressing down on her.

                Rafe watched as Anna removed her jacket and started pulling up the left sleeve of her robe and sweater she wore beneath it. And there it was, the dark mark, shining black against her pale skin, visible beneath the stars and half-moon.

                Rafe grabbed her arm and started rubbing on the mark, “Is this some kind of joke, Anna?” Rafe looked up at Anna closely.

                “I wish it were a joke,” Anna said sadly, pulling her arm away from Rafe’s hard grip.

                “How could you do that?” Rafe said roughly, looking at her as if she’d grown horns or carried the plaque, a look of disgust on his face. That was what hurt Anna the most and she could feel the tears building in her eyes.

                “Honestly, I had no choice,” Anna couldn’t stop the tears from rolling down her cheeks, “It wasn’t as if I chose to become a death eater.”

                Rafe stepped toward her at first as if he wanted to comfort her, but then stopped himself, remembering what she now was.

                “Rafe, please just go. I don’t want you or anyone else hurt because of me,” she cried, “just please tell my father and Tonks that I love them and I’m sorry.” She couldn’t stop the sobs that escaped as she thought of her father and how disappointed he and Tonks were going to be when they found out she had become a death eater.

                Rafe didn’t care anymore, he went to Anna and pulled her into his arms, hugging her, letting her cry it out, “You did it because of Malfoy, didn’t you?” Rafe asked in a harsh whisper.

                Anna sniffed back the tears, “Yes. I was captured that night in the woods. The dark lord read my mind and found out about me and Draco. He threatened to kill him if I didn’t take the mark. I had no choice, plus I had to think about the baby too. If it wasn’t for them I would have rather died than take his mark,” Anna’s eyes started to water again. Lately she had been unable to stop the emotional feelings that hit her constantly.

                “Anna, I’m sorry. I know you would never willingly join the death eaters and I shouldn’t have judged you so quickly, but it was a shock,” Rafe smoothed back Anna’s long, dark hair, her head lying against his chest as he held her, “Come with me,” he insisted, “we can hide you from the dark lord.”

                “That would never work and I would only put you in danger. And I will not let the dark lord punish or kill Draco because of me.”

                “Why do you do this, Anna?” Rafe looked at her in frustration, “Again and again you let him cause you pain and yet you still go back to him.”

                “I’m sorry you don’t understand, but I love him, Rafe. I would never harm Draco willingly,” Anna tried to make him comprehend.

                “I guess you heard her, Montgomery,” a sneering voice said from the darkness, “so now will you kindly remove your hands from Anna,” Draco stepped into view, holding his wand pointed at Rafe.

                Rafe jerked out his wand, putting Anna behind him, “She is going back with me,” Rafe said roughly, “Anna has no business here; she needs to be with her family.”

                “Do you think I want her here,” Draco sneered, “I would rather she were safe somewhere else, but you can blame yourself and that stupid Order for not keeping her safe.”

                “What about you?” Rafe said angrily, “If you had just stayed out of her life she wouldn’t have to worry about being in danger.”

                “Stop it, both of you,” Anna shouted out in a high, loud voice. She stepped from behind Rafe and stood between them, “Rafe, you need to go before they discover you here.”

                “I can’t just leave you here, Annabelle,” Rafe said in desperation.

                “You have to,” Anna said strongly, “Don’t worry about me, I’ll be alright. Just keep Lupin and Tonks safe and don’t let them worry about me.”

                Suddenly alarms sounded from Hogwarts; notifying the school that there was an intruder.

                “Go,” Anna said to Rafe, pushing him hard. Rafe gave her one last look of apprehension and then quickly apperated, Anna watching him sadly as he vanished.

                Draco came up behind her, his arms going around her, “You could have went with him you know. I wouldn’t have stopped you.”

                Anna turned into Draco’s arms, holding him tightly. She brought her arms up around his neck and brought his face close to her own, “You know I wouldn’t do that and put you in danger with the dark lord. I want to be where you are.”

                “My beautiful, loving girl. You are always thinking o others,” Draco whispered against her lips with his own, kissing Anna deeply. Draco could feel her hands running through his hair softly. Thoughts of asking Anna to marry ran through his head, but he wanted everything to be perfect, but right now things were far from perfect. He had no ring to give her right now. He would just have to wait and hope everything in their lives got better.