Annabel Lee

Severus's Point of View

Annabelle spent much of the summer with me in my home. I gave her permanent rein over the top drawer in my dresser, a place for her few her things. This only came after convincing my father to allow her into his home, which only happened because he was too drunk and too tired to care if she was there.

In exchange I would help out with some of the chores with Mother, help she needed since she was still too frail to work by hand. Because of Father, she was too terrified to ever use magic, even when he wasn’t around to catch her.

“Watch out Annabelle, the pot is still hot,” she warned. Annabelle put a cloth under the handle and gently filled the four cups on the table. Today Narcissa and Lucius came over for a visit, having not had contact for about a month.

“Sorry Regulus couldn’t make it,” Narcissa said as she blew on her steaming cocoa.

“It’s alright, we know he’s busy,” I replied, sitting in the chair next to the spot reserved for Annabelle. She walked towards my mother, who was wiping down the counter.

“Go rest, Ma’am, I can take over,” Annabelle whispered to her gently taking the cloth from her hand. She blushed lightly and scuttled to the living room; where she lay down to rest her aching arms and back.

“Hey Annabelle, why don’t you sit down,” Narcissa pleaded as she barely was able to lift the kettle up to the stove. The concern was dripping from her voice. Annabelle smiled her way, took a deep breath, and nodded.

“You’re looking healthier,” Lucius commented as he noticed her hands didn’t shake when she drank her cocoa. She gave a small smile.

“I’ve been trying. Plus-” Annabelle began twiddling her thumbs “-Severus had been helping me,” she answered. Proud, I lifted my head and put down my drink.

“Every meal I give her more food than the last,” I added. When I found out that Annabelle wasn’t anorexic I quickly told the others the news.

Everyone seemed to smile and the air our small brick home became lighter.

“You know what? Let’s go out to celebrate!” Narcissa said gleefully. “Severus, do you have any places around here where we can get a treat?”

I think it was the first time she had ever called me by my first name.

“There’s a ice cream and candy parlor down by the market,” I answered, giving Annabelle the same hint of a smile hidden in a smirk that Lucius was. “Is that alright?” Annabelle smiled and hid her face behind her hair, causing all of us to laugh in amusement at her shy ways.

This time, Lucius and Narcissa didn’t flinch as much as we walked down the street. Annabelle, who had stayed inside with my mother most of her time, kept her head down as we walked past the usual corners of her old skag friends. I hadn’t asked her why she didn’t live with them anymore, but I was sure I’d find out soon enough.

At the shop, Narcissa walked straight up to the boy vendor and gave me her order.

“We’ll have: a chocolate frog and one licorice wand. Oh wait make that two. For ice cream we’ll…” Lucius stepped in and quickly put an arm around her shoulder. After a few whispers, an embarrassed scowl came over her face. I stepped forward with Annabelle attached to my back.

“We’ll have two chocolate, one vanilla, one strawberry ice cream, a batch of licorice, and a chocolate bar.” Annabelle tugged at my sleeve and whispered with the face of a child:

“Some gummy bears?” she whispered in silent, broken sentence.

“And some gummy bears, please,” I added. A giggle escaped her lips and the blonde pressed her face against my back. A few snickers from behind us cause my face to hear up. The vendor hid a quick smirk and smiled politely as he could.

“Alright, here you go,” he cheered and handed us our sweets. We chose a sear near the counter and dished out the treats: Annabelle got the strawberry ice cream and the gummy bears, Narcissa ate her chocolate bar with a chocolate ice cream, and Lucius took the other chocolate cone with some licorice. I wasn’t a big fan of sweets, but licorice and vanilla was an exception.

“Gosh this makes me feel little again,” Narcissa giggled. Lucius rolled his eyes and I scoffed. “Oh come on, you boys can’t honestly say this kind of day, with all the sweets, doesn’t remind you of your childhood.” Lucius kissed her forehead and sighed.

“I suppose my favorite dessert back then would have been chocolate,” he mused, looking amused. For me, my childhood was plain like my frozen treat, which made Lucius and Narcissa’s dark and rich choice seem appetizing.

“You really love strawberries, don’t you Annabelle?” Narcissa grinned, watching Annabelle take bite after bite of her strawberry dessert. A small, pink wave washed over her face, but all of us became aware that Annabelle went into a daze.

“My family and I used to eat them in the summer. My mother grew them just perfect. She used to dip them in sugar…” Annabelle trailed off, her eyes unblinking and half-open.

Instead of striking like a viper, the way he usually did when searching for information, Lucius eased into the question. He slithered.

“Where is she now?”

"Huh?" She snapped out of it. Her eyes were back to their wide and perplex way. No one wanted to answer her, but we knew she didn't understand.

"Why aren't you with your family now?" Narcissa added softly, afraid to ask. There was a hush for a moment, and then she opened her mouth.

"My mother died when I was quite young," she said. Her voice was so sad. "She was very sick."

I had only heard that voice once before. She had found me at the bottom of the stairs with a bloody nose, my father at the top. She shook uncontrollably, staring at my father and me. When he left she collapsed and threw her small, twig-sized arms around me.

I'm sorry I wasn't there to help. That was what she said to me. A sad voice, seeded with regret and shame.

"That's terrible," Narcissa said putting down her ice cream.

"What about your father?" I asked. She smiled so brightly, and this time, I knew she wasn't covering up sorrow.

"Well, my… He isn't around anymore." Annabelle's smile was beautiful.

"I didn't know slime balls ate sweets." Our heads all shot to a pair we didn't think we'd ever see outside of Hogwarts.

"What do you want?" Narcissa said, scrunching up her nose like she smelled something disgusting. I didn't blame her. Potter slung his shoulder onto Black's.

"We're here to pick up some candy for my Lily. We're going to pay her a visit," he said knowingly. I glared at him, but to my dismay Annabelle caught the disappointment in my face.

Her smile changed to a blank stare at the Marauders.

"Taking time off from the Dark Arts to get a snack I see?" Sirius mocked, and then began speaking in a whisper. "Then again, I guess you can use it Annie." Annabelle didn't look away afraid this time.

Surprisingly, she took a spoonful of ice cream and shoved it in her mouth. She gave a smirk you'd expect from Narcissa. I felt a twinge with pride and gave a full hearty laugh, causing the parlor filled with people to take notice of us.

"Why don't you blood traitors just run off to your filth and have fun with her?" Lucius whispered with an intent Annabelle wouldn't understand. Though Potter looked furious, Sirius took it all in stride and leaned down towards Annabelle.

"I think I'd rather stay here and have some fun with Annie," he smiled with a wink. Annabelle, in her innocence, swallowed her ice cream and tilted her head in a cat like fashion. Sirius's smile became a smirk and he ran a hand over her shoulder and down her arm.

Her eyes became wide with terror, her face a ghostly white. Her head fell down her to her lap and snapped her arm away from him, face began turning red. I growled and gripped the wand in my pocket. Narcissa flew into a rage.

"Don't. Ever. Touch. Her!" she hissed as she pushed him away. Potter rolled his eyes and grabbed his mate's shoulder.

"Come on, Padfoot. We don't need to spend any more time with these prats," he insulted and walked Black out. The commotion we created caused the salesmen glare at us. In the silence, Annabelle covered her hands with her face and Narcissa decided it would be best for them to go to the bathroom.

"So," Lucius started when they were out of ear shot, "Have you made a move on her yet?"

"Don't be crude," I hissed. Everything became a quick paced banter.

"So that's a yes?"

"… I held her hand."

"Snape, that's almost nothing!"

"It's something."

"If you keep hanging on to Evans—"

"I am not hung up on her anymore!"

Sigh.

"It's a start."

Annabelle's Point of View

"How are things with Snape?" Narcissa asked me as she looked in the mirror.

"Nice. He's getting better," I mentioned, meaning that he didn't talk about Lily as much. "But that's probably cause its summer."

However, I couldn't help but feel the pink in my face and the hope in my chest.