The Importance of Being Different

“You ready to go visit Uncle Remus?” asked Anne as she helped Olivia get dressed.

Olivia was wearing a blue dress with a white apron over the top, Anne had just finished doing her hair. Today Olivia had decided to dress up as Belle.

They were all going round to visit Remus, Tonks, Teddy and Hope. It was a Saturday so Tonks didn’t have work, but as the Lupins had two small children it was easier for her to visit them than for them to visit Carreg Lywd.

They had been living in their new house for a few days now, and today they were going to the Lupins. Anne was looking forward to seeing little Hope, she was getting bigger every single time she saw her.

“You ladies ready?” asked Irwin poking his head around the door.

“Can I take my new necklace to show aunty Dora?”

“Well it does match your dress,” said Anne as she did up the sapphire necklace around Olivia’s neck, “but don’t lose it.”

Olivia nodded and they headed out of the house. They had given Kreacher the day off as they were going to Remus’.

“Hold on tight princess,” said Irwin as he prepared to apparate.

Olivia gripped firmly onto Irwin’s hand and Irwin side apparated to Elm Grove, followed by Anne.

“Aunty Annie!” yelled Teddy who was playing in the garden. Teddy’s hair was electric blue today.

“Hi Teddy,” said Anne crouching down to give him a hug.

“Do I not get a welcome?” asked Irwin in a mock outraged voice.

“Uncle Irwin!” said Teddy running over to hug Irwin.

“Now that’s more like it,” said Irwin as he gave Teddy a hug.

“Hi Anne,” said Tonks as she came out of the house, “Remus has been looking forward to seeing you all week.”

“I’ve missed him,” Anne sighed.

“He’s missed you too Anne,” Tonks pointed out.

“Now who’s this young lady in the beautiful dress, I don’t think I’ve met her before.”

“It’s me Aunty Dora,” giggled Olivia.

Tonks looked Olivia up and down properly.

“So it is,” she smiled giving Olivia a hug.

Anne headed into the house to try and find Remus. There were so many memories in this house, they washed over her as she walked into the house.

At that kitchen table, she had talked to Remus and Sirius about her first ever prophetic dream.

In that sitting room Sirius had first introduced them both to Monty Python.

Fred and George had one time managed to stuff Percy up that chimney in the sitting room, and another time at Christmas when Anne has been five, Sirius had come flying down that chimney, dressed up as Father Christmas and carrying a huge sack of presents.

She walked up the stairs and even more memories started to wash over her, the first time when she had had a terrible nightmare when she was eleven and Remus had had to calm her down out in the corridor.

It was at this point when she started hearing voices like ghosts from the past.

“It’s ok sweetheart it’s all over now.”

“He killed Harry!” she had sobbed.

“Who killed Harry poppet?”

“Quirell,” she had stuttered.

“It was only a dream sweetheart, just a bad nightmare.”

“Harry is fast asleep in his bedroom; I can show you if you want.”

Then she started hearing the voices of Harry and Ron as she walked past her brothers old room.

“So what house do you want to be in?”

“Gryffindor like Dad and Sirius.”

“Yeah, but they can’t all be that cool, Percy just got let in.”

“That’s true, but then again Bill and Charlie are cool.”

Then she passed Remus’ room and a different memory came back to her.

“Anne sit down sweetheart.”

“Have I done something wrong?”

“No kiddo, you haven’t done anything wrong,” assured Sirius.

“We’ve noticed that you’re a bit different.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well you don’t like playing with the other children like Harry and the Weasleys,” Sirius had tried to explain.

“I play with Luna.”

“Anne sweetheart, do you know what autism is?” asked Remus.

Anne shook her head.

“It’s an antisocial disorder, its means that you’re not comfortable in large groups, and you sometimes get upset by things.”

“Is there something wrong with me then?” she had asked nearly in tears.

“No sweetheart,” Remus had said pulling her in for a hug, “theres nothing wrong with you you’re just different.”

“And the world would be very boring if everyone was exactly the same,” said Sirius.

Anne walked further down the corridor and passed Sirius’ room and finally her own old bedroom. It was still painted pink.

As she held out her hand to open the door several more memories came flooding back, they had first met Dobby in this room. She had used to spend hours sitting at the window seat watching Harry and the Weasleys playing Quidditch. Anne and Luna when they were little had made blanket forts and stayed up half the night reading by torchlight.

Anne thought back and remembered a conversation she had in that room with Harry on a day like this nearly seven years ago.

“Harry, you think I’m different, I mean like weird different?”

“Well no, well I mean yes you’re different but what’s the harm in that. But I mean you’ve always been different, besides what’s the fun in being normal!”

“But you’re still worried about something?”

“I’m worried that we won’t be sorted into the same house when we get to Hogwarts. You and Ron are probably going to go into Gryffindor, but I know I won’t.”

“Oh I see, I’ve been thinking about that a bit recently too, I mean come on sis you learnt to read when you were three! Typical Ravenclaw if ever I saw one”

“But what if I don’t have any friends, what if everybody thinks I’m weird.”

“They won’t don’t worry! Besides if you don’t make any in your first year, Luna will join you the year after and she’s a typical Ravenclaw too, you’ll be fine sis!”

Even when they were not quite eleven seven years, Harry and Anne had always been different from each other.

She opened the door and found Remus sat in an armchair feeding Hope.

Not much had changed in her old room apart there was a crib in the corner of the room.

“Sweetheart!” exclaimed getting up from the armchair and putting Hope down in her crib.

“You ok?” he asked gently as they sat down on the bed together.

“A lot of old memories just came flooding back,” sighed Anne.

“Good ones?”

“Some of them,” Anne muttered, “they were important ones.”

“Like what,” asked Remus putting an arm around her.

“The first time I had a nightmare about Quirrell and you tried calming me down in the corridor, and the time you and Sirius had to explain to me about my autism.”

“Are you alright though sweetheart?”

“Yeah, I just haven’t been back to this house in nearly four years.”

“I know,” he sighed.

“You don’t mind that we’re using your room for Hope, do you?”

“Of course, I don’t mind, she’s my goddaughter,” said Anne looking over to the sleeping Hope, “and it’s not my room anymore.”

“How was Greece?”

“The most beautiful place in the world,” Anne beamed as they started to head their way back down to the kitchen.

When Irwin, Tonks, Olivia and Teddy came in for lunch an hour later they found Anne and Remus preparing a salad together at the kitchen table listening to The Seekers.

“You two had a good catch up?” asked Tonks as she nicked a cherry tomato.

“Yes thank you,” said Remus as he sliced some lettuce.

“You have got to come see the house at some point,” said Anne, “its got a revolving bookcase!”

“My room changes colours!” exclaimed Olivia.

“Really,” said Tonks, “well that does sound fascinating.”

“Can we go around to the Weasleys?” asked Olivia after lunch.

“I don’t see why not,” said Irwin.

“I’ll stay with Hope,” said Anne getting up from the table, “you lot go enjoy yourselves.”

Remus and Tonks shrugged slightly but headed off to the Weasleys with Teddy, Irwin and Olivia.

Anne went back upstairs into her old room.

Hope had just woken up from her nap and was looking at her intently.

“Hi there little Hope,” said Anne as she sat cradling Hope in her arms, “do you like your room?”

“I spent many years in here, I’ve got lots of memories of this place, some good some bad, but I was always happy.”