The Importance of Being Different

Anne was sat at the kitchen table in mid February trying to study for her Herbology exam, when she was ambushed by Frank, Alice, Remus, Sirius, Harry, Irwin and for some reason Kreacher.

Anne looked up from her essay on Mandrakes, hoping that whatever this lot wanted it wouldn’t take too long.

“Can I help you lot?” asked Anne, “these exams start in twenty-five days.”

“We are well aware Anne, there’s a massive calendar on the wall,” said Sirius pointing at Anne’s revision chart.

“Well the first we’ve been thinking is now there are three houses,” said Remus, “we’ve talked to Harry and he wants to stay here with Sirius and Jack, as you know Julian’s moved back in with his mother and siblings. Dora and I are going to be moving back into Elm Grove.”

Anne nodded, there was no point in having an empty house.

“This is where Kreacher comes in,” said Sirius.

“Kreacher would like to serve Mistress Anne and her family,” said Kreacher.

“Don’t you have to serve the house of Black?”

“I’ve freed him,” said Sirius, “because he wants to work for you, the same conditions as Dobby, two galleons a week and one day off a week.”

“Um are you ok with this Irwin?” asked Anne.

“Yeah, Kreachers great,” said Irwin patting Kreacher on the back.

“Kreacher likes Mistress Anne and Master Irwin,” nodded Kreacher.

“Well if you really want to move to Wales with us we’d love to have you,” beamed Anne. Kreacher had always had a soft spot for Anne ever since they moved in four years ago.

“But aren’t you awfully old Kreacher?” asked Anne, “are you sure you want to take over such a large house?”

“Kreacher is two hundred,” nodded Kreacher, “but house elves live to six hundred and sixty-six exactly.”

“Ok,” muttered Anne, “so that’s why you lot are here, but why are you here Frank and Alice?”

“We have a lot to thank you for Anne,” said Alice.

“You figured out a way for us to get our lives back,” nodded Frank.

“We know that your house needs decorating, and we know that you’ll want to move in after the wedding,” said Alice.

“And to be honest we’re a little bit bored with nothing to do, so we were wondering if you wanted Alice and me to decorate it for you,” said Frank.

“Furniture, paintings, the lot,” nodded Alice.

“Its cross between a thank you and a wedding present,” finished Frank.

“But that’s so much…”

“Now before you say it’s too much money,” said Irwin, “we’ve come to an agreement, the money is coming out of our vault, Frank and Alice are giving us their time not their money.”

“Oh well,” Anne muttered, “ok then.”

“Dad’s insisting on doing everything for the two tower rooms though,” said Irwin, “grandpa’s helping him with carving all the furniture.”

“I can’t wait,” said Anne.

The others all left the table and left Anne, Irwin, Frank and Alice to start on the house using the floor plan.

“Those two rooms dad and grandpa are doing,” said Irwin crossing them off the chart.

“That’s the conservatory,” said Anne pointing to it on the chart, “it could make a great green house for plants magical and non-magical.”

“I like it,” muttered Frank writing that down.

“Olivia needs a room,” said Irwin, “how about that room?” he asked pointing to a bedroom on the second floor with a window seat which was close to Anne and Irwin’s bedroom.

“How old is she?” asked Alice.

“Six,” said Anne.

“What does she like?”

“Um books and Disney princesses,” said Anne.

“Does she have a favourite?”

“Belle,” Anne nodded, “she’s from Beauty and the Beast.

“She also likes Sleeping Beauty,” added Irwin.

Frank and Alice had slightly confused looks on their faces.

“We’ve got the films on video tape,” said Irwin chuckling.

“We might get some ideas if we watch them,” said Frank writing that down.

“Any ideas on the others?” asked Alice.

“Well there’s seven bedrooms,” said Irwin, “I’d say we need a library, but it might actually be nice to just have the books spread out throughout the house.”

“Yeah,” nodded Anne.

“What about Kreacher?” asked Irwin.

“He probably wants to be near the kitchen, so the bedroom on the first floor?”

“Got it,” said Frank jotting that down.

“Do you know what would be kind of cool,” said Anne, “house themed bedrooms.”

“Yeah,” nodded Irwin, “our relatives our in loads of different houses, we’re Ravenclaws ourselves, but your family is all Gryffindors, and half of mine our Hufflepuffs.”

“But no Slytherin room,” said Frank firmly.

“Fine,” said Anne giving in to the fact that everyone she knew was prejudice against Slytherins particularly the Gryffindors.

“If we’re doing the house themes though I wouldn’t want to go over the top though,” said Anne, “no banners or anything.”

“More just colour schemes?” asked Alice

“Yeah,” nodded Anne and Irwin.

“That still leaves one bedroom,” said Alice.

“Oh,” said Anne turning to Irwin, “could we have a pink room?”

Irwin turned his nose up slightly.

“Now I don’t mean Fuchsia or like Umbridge, more just light pink sheets and floral curtains, just a really girly room.”

“Fine but if there are lace doilies or kitten plates I am never entering,” said Irwin, “and that room will eventually be the nursery.”

“Deal,” chuckled Anne.

“Ok,” said Frank, “bedrooms done, anything else in particular you’d like?”

“Books books and more books,” said Irwin.

“Got it,” chuckled Frank.

“Oh, we also want a piano in the sitting room,” said Irwin.

“We should put up some photos in there too,” said Anne, “but that’s just obvious.”

“No idea is obvious Annie,” said Irwin.

“So is that everything for now?” asked Alice.

“Yeah we’ll contact you if we have any ideas,” nodded Irwin.

“Now what’s this about princess movies?” asked Frank as they left the kitchen leaving Anne to get back on with her studying at the kitchen table.

Anne shook her head slightly as she tried to find her place in the herbology book she had been trying to work her way through.

“Annie?” asked Olivia sititing down opposite her.

“Hmmm?”

“When are we moving?”

“After Irwin and I go on honeymoon, so the 12th of April.”

“Whens that?”

“In just under two months,” said Anne, “Alice and Frank are watching princess films with Irwin if you want to join them.”

“Can you come?” asked Olivia.

“No sweetheart, I have to study.”

“Ok,” shrugged Olivia leaving the table.

Olivia gave her a huge hug before leaving the kitchen.

“I love you Annie!”

“I love you too Livi,” said Anne returning the hug, before Olivia skipped off to go watch Sleeping Beauty.