The Importance of Being Different

February drifted through to March far too quickly for Anne’s liking. It hit March and Anne was too busy to see Irwin, he came round every other day to hang out at Grimmauld Place, but Anne had to lock herself in her bedroom so she wasn’t distracted. It wasn’t just Irwin who could distract her though, it was Teddy, Olivia, Jack, sometimes even Harry. The Lupins weren’t moving out of Grimmauld Place until after Anne’s wedding in April.

On the evening before the tenth of March, Anne was sat at the dinner table. Remus had made it a rule that Anne could study as much as she liked as long as she attended all meals and tried to sleep at least six hours a night.

Keeping track on her eating was fine, but Anne just couldn’t sleep, shed try but eventually shed end up reading a textbook under her covers.

Kreacher had made lasagne and garlic bread, because he knew that Anne was nervous about her exams. She tried to eat some but it just turned to dust in her throat.

“You ok Annie?” asked Harry.

“Nope,” said Anne getting up from the table after having tried to eat another mouthful.

She rushed from the kitchen and only just made it to the bathroom in time to throw up.

“Anne?” asked Remus knocking on the door, “you ok sweetheart?”

“I’m going to fail everything,” she sobbed sitting down on the tiled bathroom floor.

Remus tried knocking again but there was no answer, she was sobbing uncontrollably on the floor.

“Right,” said Remus going to go and call back up. Last time Anne had taken big exams two years ago, she had had terrible exam nerves, but then she had been at school and had been able to talk to her teachers. He didn’t think this was a problem for Pomfrey and they had both thought this might just happen.

“Anne?” called a high-pitched voice knocking on the bathroom door fifteen minutes later.

“Professor Flitwick?” asked Anne confused wiping the tears of her face and opening the door.

“Remus said you’ve got a bad case of exam nerves,” said Flitwick sitting down on the bathroom floor next to her.

“Hmmm,” she muttered pulling at the end of her long plait.

“I’m just not ready,” she sighed.

“Anne,” said Flitwick gently, “according to Remus you haven’t taken a break in four months, and on the rare occasion that you have done it’s been for wedding plan.”

“We have got a lot going on,” admitted Anne.

“Anne, you are more than ready for these exams,” said Flitwick, “tomorrow you are going to go in there and show the Department of Education just how brightly the newest member of their department actually shines.”

“No I wont im going to fail everything,” she muttered.

“Anne,” he sighed, “you are one of the brightest pupils I have ever had the pleasure to teach, your only problem is self-confidence, you don’t see what everyone else sees, an exceptionally talented witch who is so prepared for these exams that you could do them in your sleep.”

“Do you really think so?” asked Anne.

“Of course,” said Flitwick beaming, “now if I were you, I’d get to bed, you’ve got a long two weeks coming up, no more studying tonight.”

“Thank you, sir,” said Anne as she got up from the floor and gave him a hug before going to bed.

“Remus, Poppy is going to owl you some anti-nausea potions, when she sat her OWL exams, she couldn’t eat anything for the whole fortnight without being sick unless she’d taken the potion.”

“At least the nightmares have cut back since all the people that scare her are either in prison or dead,” sighed Remus, “thanks for coming round Filius, I’ll call you if she needs you again.”

“Anytime Remus,” beamed Flitwick, “even if the school is not currently open, Anne is still one of students, her welfare is as much my problem as it is yours.”

The next morning Anne took an anti-nausea potion before eating a breakfast of toast and strawberry jam with a glass of pumpkin juice.

Remus was testing her on her potions notes as she ate her breakfast.

“What ingredient is a common antidote to most poisons?”

“Bezoar,” said Anne, “commonly found in the stomach of a goat.”

Remus nodded as Kreacher passed Anne a packed lunch.

“Thanks Kreacher,” beamed Anne giving Remus and Kreacher both a hug before fluing to the Ministry and heading down to the Department of Education on the second floor.

She waited outside the exam room, it was only a quarter to nine, they didn’t start for forty-five minutes but she didn’t want to be late.

She was soon joined by Irwin, Hermione and Blaise Zabini. Hannah, Neville and Susan Bones were all taking their exams that year too but didn’t take potions. There was a second line with about six fifth years who were taking their OWLs.

Professor Marchbanks came out into the corridor at nine thirty exactly.

“NEWT and OWL Potions exam,” she called and they all entered their exam room and settled down to their papers.

The paper took two and half hours and finished at twelve o’clock when they were all given an hour of for lunch which they ate in the corridor.

Anne was pulling out her packed lunch sitting with Hermione and Irwin and she noticed that Blaise was sitting on his own.

“Do you want to come join us?” she asked turning to Blaise who was sitting a few metres away.

Blaise seemed to turn up his nose slightly.

“Look Blaise,” said Irwin, “this is going to be the same every day for a fortnight, either you can sit with us, you can sit with the fifth years, or you can sulk on your own.”

Blaise looked at Irwin for a moment before shrugging and coming to join them.

“Anne, Irwin,” nodded Blaise sitting down, “Gra, erm Hermione.”

“Hi Blaise,” smiled Hermione as she opened up her lunch.

Anne had ham sandwiches and an apple and another anti-nausea potion.

“That’s not a brain stimulant is it?” asked Blaise looking at Anne’s potion bottle.

“Its an anti-nausea potion,” she muttered as she downed it.

“Anne gets terrible exam nerves,” said Irwin, “if she doesn’t drink those, she wouldn’t be able to eat for the next two weeks.”

“Merlin,” muttered Blaise as he ate his sandwich.

In the afternoon after lunch, they all took the practical examination and had to brew their potions at the cauldrons that had been set up.

Then Anne headed home and flopped down at the kitchen table. Remus was waiting for her and Kreacher was bustling about making dinner.

“How’d it go sweetheart,” asked Remus putting an arm around her.

“I’m exhausted,” she muttered as she lent into Remus’ chest.

“How was the paper?”

“I answered everything,” she muttered.

“That’s my girl,” he beamed, “well one down, seven more to go.”

Anne took another anti-nausea potion before dinner and then went straight to bed.

This same routine went on for a fortnight, Anne would wake up take a potion, eat her breakfast, take the theory exam, take a potion, eat her lunch in the corridor, take the practical exam, take a potion, eat her dinner, take a bath, go to bed, start all over again.

On the second Friday she got back from her Transfiguration exam and flopped down at the kitchen table as usual, she had practically fallen asleep at the kitchen table when everyone came charging into the kitchen.

“Congratulations Anne!” called Olivia giving her a hug.

“I’m so proud of you darling,” said Remus.

“Well done Annie,” said Teddy toddling over to give her a hug.

“Well done Sis,” said Harry ruffling her hair.

“I’m sure you’ve knocked their socks off kiddo,” beamed Sirius.

“No more school!” shouted Jack.

“Shes going to work in the Department of Education Jack,” said Tonks rolling her eyes.

“Well done mistress Anne!” called Kreacher and Dobby as they carried a cake between them.

“Strawberry frosting?” asked Anne.

“Of course, Mistress Anne,” nodded Kreacher.

Everyone had a huge piece of celebration cake and then they went to watch The Sound of Music in the sitting room. They hadn’t gotten twenty minutes into the film however when Anne fell asleep leaning into Remus.

He carried her carefully up to her room and tucked her into bed, it had been a long fortnight but it was finally over.