Frozen 1. Chapter 1

The thing about funerals is that sometimes God forgets that rain masks tears better than sunshine. Putting two bodies in the ground on a glorious day at the beginning of August had left the rather sizable group of mourners in a predicament. It was either forfeit all their water to tears or perspiration, as the humidity so common to even the mountains of North Carolina made a most tragic family burial all the more unsettling.

A tender thread of breeze interrupted the event as the despondent family and friends endured the pastor delivering his promises of final peace and enduring life. Several of the members of the congregation breathed deeply, glancing up to the perfectly azure sky and smiling weakly, silently thanking whatever power they believed in for the cooling comfort afforded to them.

The majority of the audience subtly nodded their heads in thanks to Mr. Kai McKay. He paid their gratitude no heed as he resolutely stared at his son and daughter-in-law's Blackthorn caskets as he slowly slipped his wand back into the sleeve of his dark grey cloak.

Mr. McKay had come to the understanding during his family trips to the southern region of the States that the stifling humid air is almost always more bearable when it is moving about. He had always been out of doors whenever he got up enough time and energy to visit his remaining family that had moved there twenty years prior, and due to his recent retirement, he had anticipated more time spent with Connor and his two wonderful girls.

But the McKay's had never had too much of the fabled Irish luck.

_Mr. McKay had just finished up a charm on the hose to keep the rose bush watered that the late Mrs. McKay had planted several years before her passing. Sibh had been a witch of average talent, with her excellence in Herbology and her deep auburn hair earning her the pet name Rosie during her years at Hogwarts. (She only went along with it because she grew tired of everyone mucking up trying to pronounce her name. Kai had always thought, it suited her splendidly.)_

_Sibh had written the small time best seller "Charming Bouquets: Aye, It's A Pun", which had a nice run amongst the middle aged witches. Adrian had even "procured" herself a copy of her mother-in-law's book and sent her a blasted email ( __**"Merlin's Beard, how do I open the fucking eh-mail attachment Kai? I will never understahnd why you tot bringing home a muggle contraption into this house was gas."**__) with a moving picture of her laughing as she ran down the street of the small North Carolinian magical shopping center with the book master hot on her heels, visibly blasting poorly aimed disarming spells at her back. _

_Despite her knowledge on all things blooming, Sibh had always watered her rose bush by hand. She would mumble something about the American plant being weaker than the average Irish rose bush when asked by visitors. But Kai knew the true reason why the full and hearty plant received the personal non-magical care, and had continued to water the bush by hand since her passing. _

_As he walked inside to gather his old leather bound trunk before aparating to North Carolina, a harrowing chime and a set of clunks rang from the upstairs clock. _

_Kai's hands had been shaking as he ascended the stairs as fast as his arthritis would let him. Connor and Adrian's clock hands were still unceremoniously rocking back and forth on the floor from their short fall from the face of the McKay Family clock. When he finally tore his dampening brown eyes from the fallen hands that so callously announced the death of Connor and Adrian McKay, he could barely make out the faces on the remaining two hands of the clock. _

_One picture was his own. The other held a waving photo of a jubilant freckled face. _

She was currently seated beside Kai now at her parent's funeral, any trace of her normally constant grin completely erased from her countenance.

Anna McKay, on any other sunny August day, would have been found on the west side of the foothill by her home inventing rather gymnastic Quidditch moves that she alone could replicate for the upcoming season.

She would have been found running through town in the dead of the afternoon, beaming and waving , even as she panted tiredly, at every familiar face she passed, both muggle and magical alike.

She would have been found seated in her faded green Adirondack chair, painstakingly trying to review her potions book that was required reading for her 6th year at New Amsterdam's Wizardry School while her father flicked her braids as he brought her out a sweet iced tea.

Instead, Anna McKay was silently letting tears fall and drop onto her black dress as she looked on at her parent's Celtic decorated caskets. She had been adamant that the middle aged wizard who happened to be the coffin maker did the designs by hand, without the use of his wand. He had been somewhat taken aback and proclaimed that a coffin with the fittings done by hand like a muggle was not suitable for a wizard and witch of the McKay's stature.

She had then set about asking a muggle woodworker in town if he was up to the job. He had agreed whole heartedly, and the artwork was so delicately and lovingly crafted into the woodwork she thought it ironic that it should only be seen once and then put in the ground forever.

Anna had wished for rain today.

Turned out God or whatever power controlled the strings of fate had decided that rain was out of the question, much like it had decided it was out of the question for Adrian and Connor McKay to live past the Friday after their only daughters 16th birthday.

The pastor allowed Anna to take the stand under the makeshift pavilion on the west side of the cemetery. Rambling, long winded Anna McKay struggled to choke out her unprepared speech.

Her famous grin would briefly appear right before the moments she had to stop speaking due to her tears. Anna's award winning smile would always be an unconscious small gesture of comfort to the magical and muggle audience at hand.

Every member of the congregation had known the boisterous, kind hearted McKay's, and they cried and reminisced with Anna as she relayed stories of her mother's laugh actually getting the police called on their house due to a noise complaint; of her father always willing and miraculously fixing his neighbor's wi-fi signals at the drop of the hat. She grinned once more as she began to finish up her eulogy, but then her trembling voice finally cracked and her light blue eyes clamped shut, unable to keep herself from sobbing as she tried to tell a story about a rose bush.

Eventually the bodies of Connor and Adrian McKay were lowered into the ground. Kai and Anna grasped onto each other's hands, never letting go as every member of the audience came to offer condolences. A few fell into Anna's embrace as she offered the particularly despondent guests one armed hugs. The embraces served to ease their tears, even as hers continued to stream down her face.

Goodness, she really had wanted it to rain today.

Kai had solemnly accepted the condolences offered by the members of his son's community but didn't bother to memorize their names. It didn't matter anyway. Anna would be returning with him to his home across the Atlantic. He doubted he would ever see these people again.

After a few hours, Anna and Kai stood over the grey headstones. The sunset managed to reflect off the granite stones, transforming them into fiery and glittering gems. Anna would have commented on their beauty, but all she could think about was that she hadn't gotten to finish her eulogy properly.

She cleared her throat. Anna briefly wondered how long it would be before her sorrow dried up enough to allow her to ramble as she usually did. She resolved to make this a priority: no one in the McKay family should ever be silent. Their voices always boomed so loud they could fill a room with laughter with one guffaw.

"Magic is a wonderful tool, but it can often make things too easy. So if you're going to do something for love, make sure it comes from your own hand not your wand, s'always the truest way to show exactly how you feel."

Mr. McKay nodded his head once and pulled two roses out of his cloak."Sibh always did have a way with her words, didn't she?"

"Yeah. These from her?"

"Course. You know she never put any magic into these roses."

"I know. They were my favorites because of that."

"Hers too."

Anna looked him in the eye and nodded. She took the roses from his hand and placed them on top of each stone.

Mr. McKay finally flicked away the breeze charm and the heat of the August evening settled back into the air. They walked back towards the now vacant McKay home, everything prepped beforehand to aparate themselves back to the original McKay stead in the homeland.

Anna would be attending a new school called Hogwarts in the upcoming year, her transfer having gone through due to her grandparent's good standing as alumni.

She had heard it was rainy and cold in the Scotland highlands. She was glad. Misery always seemed a bit more manageable when the sky was crying along with you.


	2. Chapter 2

The countryside blurred into a green line through the window as Anna sighed and flopped her head into her hand propped up on the sill.

_I cannot believe I am taking a train to go to school right now. This is so __**English**__ , I bet someone is going to come round with an entire tea tray and make me sing God Save The Queen. _

Anna herself had no resentment towards the British folk, but her last name had caused her some stress. She wasn't exactly sure if the muggle tensions between the Irish and English were universal to the wizarding community, but so far no one had even mentioned anything to her as they helped her load her bags and she found an empty compartment not full of screeching twelve year olds.

Her focusing in and out of the remarkably gorgeous landscape in the window had made her a bit dizzy, so she closed her eyes and released a breath out her nose. Kai had said it would be a lovely ride over, not so much as beautiful as the broom rides her mother and she had taken over the Irish peninsulas when she was younger, but still lovely all the same.

Anna had to admit that the highlands were quite a sight, but the memories of her mother's freckled face twisted up in glee as Anna flew upside down on her MeeMaws old Tinderblast was what truly made her smile.

Shaking her head and taking a calming breath, she slowly opened her eyes, replaying her goodbye to Kai merely a few hours before.

"_So ya heard about the houses right? They'll sort ya into one and such. Christ I hope you don't have to go up there with the first years, that'd be a sight, wouldn't it?"_

"_Well I am short enough; they may just mistake me for one anyway. Let's just hope my boobs manage to single me out as a non-prepubescent and save the day ya?" Anna returned with a weak smirk that didn't manage to brighten her pale face. _

_Kai chuckled once and returned to looking at the rest of the families rushing about the train station. Young parents came through the wall on the platform laughing at the wincing expressions of their children who hadn't had complete faith when their parents told them to run at a solid pillar of bricks. _

_Her grandpa took a deep breath and his jaw tightened. Anna's gaze was focused on a father who was rather excitedly securing some sort of pin to his daughter's robe before wrapping her up in a bear hug. _

_Two soft fingers wrapped gently around Kai's own index and forefinger. He glanced at reddened aqua eyes briefly before casting his view down and his face flushing. _

"_Right, just memories you know."_

"_Course."_

_They stood in silence for a bit, making small talk about the houses, the coursework and all the idiots with rats squealing in cages. ( "Why on earth would ya keep an animal as boring as that as a pet?__**" **__"__**EXACTLY! THANK YOU! We are literally magical beings and someone thought, yes, I must have this rat, forget about the flaming gecko over there, this rat is my spirit animal.**__" )_

_Eventually the train horn interrupted another bout of silence between the two. _

"_Right then, I suppose you're off, my girl." Kai's mouth formed a hard smile, his eyes quite visibly trying to not loose anymore tears. "Erhm…I'm sure they'd…. well…right." _

_Anna took a deep breath and kept her eyes on her grandfather's face as she placed a hand up on his shoulder. To Kai's surprise, she had steeled her expression into the one that she wore when she was about to walk out onto the pitch before a Quidditch match._

"_We have been dancing around each other for weeks grandpa. It's gotta end. I don't need anymore space or time to work through anything, I just need a hand to hold and my family to keep on laughing with me. Understood?" _

"_We've only got each other, is that what you're going on about then?"_

"_Just you and me, Grandpabby McKay"_

_Kai hadn't thought that he'd be able to smile fully ever again without his face crumbling, but leave it to little Anna to bring it back. _

"_Oh for fuck's sake, I thought we all agreed that Grandpabby made me sound like a hillbilly."_

"_Oh honey child, you most certainly are," Ann drawled out, affecting a far more deep southern accent than her normal timbre. _

_They both grinned and Kai snatched up Anna into his arms and twirled her once, before complaining that his knees were about to give out and that she must have been putting on weight eating all the sympathy dishes that had been feeding them for the last month. _

_Smacking his arm playfully, Anna flipped him the bird and quickly hugged him again. _

" _I love you darling. Your parents would be so proud right now. I certainly am."_

_Anna's eyes prickled but she simply squeezed him tighter and whispered her love and promises to write as soon as she was settled. _

"_Don't be sending me your love letters about all the girls or boys you fancy now, I don't wanna read that shite." _

"_Hush your mouth gramps, or you're getting descriptions that'd make Miley Cyrus blush!" Anna returned as she began backing away quickly to the doorway, rucksack and broom in tow. _

_Slapping her dark jean's back pocket for her wand, she threw a final wave and smiled her biggest grin. Kai couldn't help but laugh: his teenaged granddaughter, practically a woman, was boarding the first year compartment with her hair done in pigtails and shouting sexual innuendos at her grandpa for the entire platform to hear. _

A loud bang against her door brought Anna snapping out of her memory. The door slid open with force, and slammed back shut after a dizzying amount of cool air accompanied by a flurry of dark green and silver rushed in, panting heavily.

"Holy shit, you okay?" Anna exclaimed to the feminine figure.

The girl whipped around so quickly that her braid nearly caught Anna in the face. Miss whirlwind had her knees bent slightly, and left arm raised, looking for all the world like she was anticipating a fist to the face.

_In a defensive stance and she didn't even draw her wand. Odd. _

"Easy there honey buns, let's not go all Kung Fu master on me." Anna said with a worried laugh, slowly extending her hands to show she too wasn't armed.

"Kung Fu? What the bloody hell are you on about?" the girl breathed out, tilting her head to the side as she stood her full height, light blonde bangs slowly floating back down in her face.

And what a lovely face it was, if Anna was being honest.

The girl was around Anna's age, but a whirlwind was truly an apt description: her wild light locks looked as though someone had blasted them with a Ventis jinx, even in the confines of her braid.

_Girl probably never wore white, _Anna thought_, too close to her skin and hair color. Honestly, she'd look like a snow cone. _

Finally Anna met her intruder's sky blue eyes and grinned,.

"Right, not American, my B. Well, you're welcome to stay in here as long as you like, as long as no troll or pixies are chasing you. I ain't fixin to deal with that shit today."

Betraying her momentary shock, the girl's jaw dropped for a mere moment but then snapped back up.

"Goodness, you're the American transfer?"

Anna nodded and held out her left hand, hoping she had assumed blondie here was a leftie correctly. "That's me! Anna McKay, really nice to meet you whirlwind."

A soft laugh graced Anna's ears as the girl took Anna's left hand and shook it.

"Christ, the rest of the prefects are in for a bit of a shock then. It's a pleasure Anna. My name's Elsa."


	3. Chapter 3

Anna had never anticipated showing someone she had just met her mother and her's special charm but here she was, making the plethora of freckles on her face dance around into sporadic shapes and figures.

Elsa was nearly curled into a ball trying not to laugh so loud, with a hand over her mouth and eyes all scrunched up, shoulders shaking as a muffled guffaw escaped between her fingers.

"Well goodness me, darling, don't go having a conniption. Lawd." Anna drawled out with a massive grin on her face, that was now displaying an impressive rendition of the American flag. This just made Elsa giggle harder for a bit before she slowly sat up and gained her composure.

"I love it, that is classic." Elsa spoke in a voice still filled with it's previous joy, even as her face returned to her (what Anna had gathered from the last couple hours) elegant and neutral expression.

Anna chuckled and sat back, touching her face to remove the charm that was causing her freckles to revert back to their normal position scattered across the bridge of her nose and cheeks. She shivered a bit when the charm was set and removed, skin charms always having a bit of a physical effect to activate and remove.

Nothing painful though, nothing like when Billy and his mom did her very elaborate Charlotte Thunderbird's tattoo in the middle of her back last summer. Billy had actually had to lock her arms in a partial jinx to keep her from flailing as Carol was adding in the Progredi spell that would allow the Cherokee tribal lines to transition into her favorite Quidditch team's mascot symbol.

Her dad had thought it looked amazing, but her mom had been a bit miffed for a few weeks, and she had been grounded. That suited her fine, since her back was still sore and her mother made her take Advil instead of Grandma Rosie's herbal pain relievers.

"Are you okay Anna? You're not nervous about the sorting thing again are you? I told you, I'll make sure you get to ride with the rest of the 6th years up to the castle so we can get you in the hall and sorted before there are hardly any people in there."

Anna lightly shook her head to rid herself of images of her mother finally patting the tattoo on her back in approval and grinned back at Elsa, hoping it wasn't as weak as she felt it to be.

"I still think it is so freaking weird how you have the whole school broken up into houses, wouldn't that be a little counterproductive to school spirit and ya know, unity and all that? But no, I'm not worried, I'll just have to trust you not to put me in the spotlight. Not that I wouldn't rock it like Beyonce, but it is my first day and all."

"Hey I was the new girl once too, I get it. My….family decided to send me to school here from a bit north of Oslo when I was, what, twelve?" Elsa revealed in her quite demeanor.

"I'm fairly certain you'll do much better than me with being new, you've got that wonderful American enthusiasm for everything, it's pretty ador- I mean, it suits making friends perfectly."

Anna's smile was nearly blinding, " Well, I've already tricked you into being my friend using my southern charm, so everyone else should be easy right? 

Elsa looked a little stunned for a but a moment, eyes narrowing slightly and nostril's flaring once beforethey widened in realization and she looked down and smiled with such gratitude, it caused Anna's chest to tighten a bit. So she was right earlier about the girl having issues with trusting.

"_So, what's the big rush Elsa? Mad rush to the bathroom?" Anna asked teasingly as Elsa sat down on the faded blue seat across from the red-head. _

"_Sorry? Oh! Um.. well.." Elsa's face fell from attentiveness to neutral so fast that Anna almost got whiplash. She looked at the door handle briefly before shifting about a bit and then returning her gaze to Anna. Voice betraying no emotion, she relayed a detailed story about trying to run after a 3__rd__ year who had been jinxing a girl's skirt to fly up every few seconds. She had thought he came into this compartment but was wrong obviously. _

"_Mmmm. I see. So you're like on the class board or something? I mean that's what we had at New Amsterdam, the students who were in charge of politics and just general keeping the rest of their class in order." _

_Elsa relaxed back into her seat, and explained her position as a prefect of Slytherin house. _

"_Sounds boring and kinda like an aristocracy."_

"_Not at all, I enjoy helping out the people who are somewhat lost, like the younger students. And new ones. We've only had a few transfers since I became prefect and they've all been twelve year olds. That's why, we.. um… we just- " Elsa sat on her hands a bit and looked up at Anna somewhat apologetically. _

"_We just assumed the American transfer would be a little kid. Not a teenager, so please forgive us if the material we had been preparing for your tour is a bit….tame." _

_Those blue eyes of hers looked so sad to have possibly offended Anna, so unsure, that Anna did the only thing she could think of. _

"_Well I am actually five and a half years old, so make sure the material is really Dora the Explorer appropriate please." _

_Elsa's eyes widened and she snorted a very ungracefully, before covering up her mouth and trying to transition it into a cough. _

"_Would you believe I actually understood that reference?"_

_It was Anna's turn to be surprised, leaning forward as Elsa explained in her smooth voice the time a few muggleborn Hufflepuff's had managed to smuggle in a laptop with Netflix on it, but one of them decided to prank their friend during finals and used it to project the famous American kids show for 3 hours in the library. _

_Anna's laugh boomed around the compartment, causing Elsa to giggle out that the librarian had eventually blown up the laptop to shut it off. _

"_Jesus, please tell me more. This shit is hilarious."_

"_Probably better to give you the explanation of the school this way. Far less boring and lengthy than what dear old Professor Wesselton made the Slytherins memorize for you."_

_Elsa had started out her stories and explanations quietly, always as if she was unsure that Anna was going to listen to them. When she had seen Anna's interest and encouraging nods, she had become a bit more comfortable and Anna found out she had tendency to talk with her hands, especially during her explanation of the secret rooms and the never-ending spells the castle had managed to gather as part of it's very walls. Anna had even chuckled at how Elsa had to keep pushing her bangs back from her face as she relayed how she had been drawing up schematics for a new hall design. _

_Elsa then apologized for her "rambling", and sat on her hands. "Ha, sorry, need to remember to stop myself before I drone on endlessly about things you probably do NOT care about." Elsa laughed weakly, shooting a pained smile out the window. _

Anna saw Elsa's grateful smile and exhaled in relief. If Elsa's suspicious look that Anna had managed to catch at her teasing offer of friendship was any indicator, Elsa it seemed had experience with being made a fool one too many times.

Anna made her second resolution since her parent's funeral: to make sure she was always sincere with Elsa, she had to keep this girl as a friend. Elsa deserved that, and honestly, so did Anna.

That's why the next words out of Elsa's mouth, made Anna burst into a huge smile.

"Hardly, as soon as everyone finds out about your hatred of the Hollyhead Harpies, you're done for." Elsa teased, blue eyes full of mirth and clear cheerfulness.

Anna just stuck out her tongue and narrowed her eyes at her.

"I only told you that because your blind support of them is sickening. Who only likes a team because they had a famous architect on the team years ago?"

"Oy! Serah Shefield was a decent player from what I understand, not just the inventor of the Gabriel Staircase design!"

The pair continued on sharing and teasing each other mercilessly. Anna was so wrapped up in having found a new friend that Elsa had to remind her to change in to her uniform robes as they were only about 20 minutes out.

"Wait, what?...WE HAVE TO WEAR UNIFORMS?"


	4. Chapter 4

"Please don't make Petrificus Totalis you, we haven't even gotten off the train and you are already making a fool of yourself."

Anna ignored Elsa's teasing comment and continued to wriggle her back up and down along the side railing of the compartment like a bear scratching itself on a tree.

"It's so itchy. I swear I am going to literally scratch off my tattoo." Anna whined pathetically. "Who the hell wears wool in the summer?! This undershirt isn't thick enough, god do you have any-"

"Wait. You have a tattoo?" Elsa asked in a high voice.

Anna interrupted her graceful scratching and peered at the blonde, a smirk forming on her thin lips. Elsa's sculpted eyebrows ( _really, I should ask her if she waxes or just charms them that way, Anna thought_) were pulled tightly together and her left hand clenched tighter around the handle of her small deep blue trunk she was trying to dislodge from the upper storage rack of the prefect compartment.

"Oh yeah! Wanna see it?" Anna exclaimed as she wrenched off Elsa's grey wool vest along with her borrowed black collar shirt in one smooth motion. 

"_Here borrow one of mine, you can't go in to see the headmaster looking like you rolled up from a indie concert, honestly." _

"_Ahh thanks! You da best. Ooo I love the green! I hope I get in Slytherin so I can wear green all the time, it's my favorite color really, besides yellow." _

_A sad chuckle. "Ehh, I don't really believe you're all that cunning, my friend, and obviously you lack the preservation skills if you came to a English boarding school without thinking we had a uniform." _

_Anna chose to ignore Elsa's disappointed little smile, and instead focused on the fact that she had called her a friend. _

"_Easy there, I may be more sly than you realize! They didn't call me the Fox on the pitch for nothing you know."_

"_You don't have a dishonest bone in your body, Miss McKay. I can tell." Elsa's face melted into a charming grin, her blue eyes boring into Anna's, as if trying to relay some vital information that the red head wasn't able to understand quite yet. _

"_Plus, pretty sure they only called you the Fox because you're a ginger of epic proportions."_

"_HEY!"_

Anna pulled her shoulder blades in and then struck the Usain Bolt victory pose with her flexed back facing a bewildered Elsa as the Thunderbird tattoo slinked smoothly across her back, the dark black and red lines swirling and fitting together intricately to form a single Cherokee Thunderbird symbol.

"Pretty cool huh? My friends mom did it , original hand drawn with spelled ink too! No wand trace or spells til the end." Anna looked over her shoulder and nearly choked on her spit when she saw how absolutely red Elsa's face had gone as she dumbly stared at Anna's freckled back, eyes in a faraway place.

"Earth to Elsa. Come in Norway!"

Elsa's eyes snapped to focus again and she coughed a bit, bringing a shaking hand up to her face to cover her mouth.

"Ah sorry. It's lovely. Hand drawn in Progredi ink you said? That's a talented witch to be able to do that nowadays."

Elsa coughed again, and gave her trunk a stunningly hard tug and freed it from the shelf, catching it with a strength that Anna hadn't believed the girls slight frame possessed.

Anna chuckled awkwardly and pulled the shirt vest combo back over her head.

"Oh, definitely, Billy's mom is the best. Their tribe had been doing spelled tattoos since before America was even America. They even told me that certain patterns gave the wizard certain advantages in battle, like a extra bit of natural protection, or magic, or -"

"Cherokee, right? So you're from Oklahoma, or …Georgia? Sorry I'm not familiar with the United States Native tribal locations really." Elsa questioned calmly, returning to the door of the emptied compartment (they were honestly probably going to be one of the last ones off the train at this rate) and motioning for Anna to follow with her right index finger.

Anna skipped up to her and out the door, rambling to cover up the silence as they walked side by side down a path following the group of other students in their grey uniforms chattering away.

"Your Norwegian accent really comes out when you're embarrassed huh? And nope, North Carolina, near the westernmost border with Tennessee. It's gorgeous there honestly, we lived in a muggle community with a nice witch population….lots of herbal stuff mostly… my parents did electronics work and such…..my dad mostly…..mom really just kinda caused havoc and kept the town kept up in pharmaceutical remedies…."

Anna spoke loudly and cheerfully, reminiscing and grinning past her pain. Elsa listened, silent but nodding and focusing her attentions Anna's words while also navigating them through the throng of younger students to the carriages.

Elsa had to back track when she realized that Anna was no longer beside her. Elsa hesitated,

"Do you….see them as well?"

Anna swallowed thickly and wiped a hand across her eyes quickly. She forced a grin at Elsa, worry evident on the blonde's face and in her flexing right hand, almost as if she was deciding to take Anna's hand but had stopped herself.

"It's just... I've never really seen a Thestral. Just a little shocking, ya know?"

"We see 'em too. It was a more than shocking my 5th year the first time as well." A deep male voice came from behind Elsa. They both turned to find a tall blonde boy, built much like the football or Halder players in Anna's hometown. His shaggy dark blonde hair almost fell in front of his brown eyes, a sympathetic smile revealing slightly crooked teeth.

"Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt, but I saw Elsa over here and thought she could use some help comforting the first timers again."

"Thanks Kristoff. This is Anna McKay, the transfer from New Amsterdam's." Elsa said politely, smile soft, but her eyes still filled with worry, trained on Anna's pale face.

Anna stuck out her right hand and the boy took it in is own. "Nice to meet you, so you're the famous American? You're all anyone is talking about, but I have to say, Elsa was a bit off on your age. Looks like you owe Franklin a schematic for his wireless network plan, eh?" Kristoff turned to Elsa grinning, effectively distracting Anna from staring at the skeletal horse like creatures that were harnessed to the carriages.

Elsa handed Kristoff her trunk as well as Anna's bag and broomcase with a huff.

"Oy. I know I lost, don't rub it in you insufferable lug. How your rag tag team of Badger's managed to draw up a feasible wi-fi system without having a building plan is beyond me."

Kristoff and Anna chuckled at the flustered blonde and began to follow her to the carriages. Anna noticed several of the other students looking at her and then turning to their friends conspiratorially. Oh boy here we go.

"No what is really astounding is the fact that they managed to get electronics on board for a week before the incident. If Olaf had just kept it the fucking laptop in the room, Professor Alvard wouldn't have been able to make a new counter spell for disabling electronics again. The dumb cunt, I love him, but he ruined series two of Suits for me. "

Anna laughed, "So wait, y'all don't have any electronics in this place? No student rebellion has occurred over inaccurate Wiazardpeida entries?"

Elsa helped her aboard a carriage, followed by Kristoff after he placed their luggage at his feet. He sadly shook his head. "We almost had it a few months ago, but Elsa's the only student here it seems who is good enough at architecture, and she refuses to help. Until now, caught ya!" he exclaimed, pointing at her victoriously.

Elsa sat up straight and crossed her legs demurely, rolling her eyes. "If you really want some help, ask Miss Mckay over here. Sounds like her father has some pretty genius electronics spells you band of genius's could try."

Anna couldn't help but grin. " Oh honey, I am way ahead of you. I re-charmed my iPod 5 minutes into the train ride after I realized it wasn't playing."

Kristoff and another boy named Sven whom the big blond had called over questioned Anna mercilessly about electronics charming for the duration of the ride. Elsa smiled and shrugged at Anna every time she looked her way. The red head was so wrapped up in relaying her father's work on charm interference patterns that she barely had time to think of why she could see the thestrals pulling them towards the castle. Or, why Elsa could as well for that matter.


	5. Chapter 5

_Okay. Just breathe Anna, deep breaths. God I feel like a mermaid stranded in the Sahara._

To be fair, she probably would have looked similar to one if the rain from earlier had actually gotten to soak her hair.

* * *

_As predicted, Scotland was quite rainy and a sudden light rain had begun to come down as the 6th years had made their way into the castle. Elsa had whipped out a nifty repellent charm as quick as possible while trying to adjust her trunk on her hip, but they had still gotten a bit wet in the short struggle. _

_To make matters worse, Kristoff, Sven, and a boy dressed in red and gold lined robes shook their wet hair onto Anna and Elsa as they had made it inside. _

"_Franklin! I'm already giving you the schematics, no need to torture me." Elsa huffed out, repelling the water off both her and Anna. _

"_But it's always so fun to see Miss Ice Queen all worked up!" the boy laughed, as he repelled the remaining water out of his hair, slowly returning it to it's fluffy afro glory. _

_Anna giggled but stopped as she saw a flash of something heated in Elsa's blue eyes. It was momentary and was then replaced by a noncommittal stare and shrug. _

"_Hey now, Elsa has been a saving grace to our Irish American over here today, complete opposite of an Ice Queen if you're asking me." Sven interjected, shooting a gappy smile Elsa's way. _

_Franklin turned to Anna finally, the boy's large brown eyes betraying such mischief and genuine joviality that she couldn't help but crack a grin as he shook her hand. _

"_Ahh finally I get to meet my prized champion! Remind me to sendyour parents a thank you for having you 4 years earlier than our resident Slytherin prefect Kaldrskra over here predicted." _

_She had kept her grin in place in true McKay fashion, but Anna had honestly felt like she had taken a bludger to the chest. _

_Franklin had kept up talking and introduced her to two other girls that she never even saw. Her mind was too busy whirling and sputtering. _

_**Get a grip**__ you can't just keep thinking about them every time someone mentions the word parents. Don't cry, come on now. God why can't I just unsee Mom's eyes before-__**STOP**__. Oh god please, I feel like my legs are gonna…._

_Something cold and soft brushed her hand. Anna looked down, closed her eyes, and focused as hard as she could on the calming sensation as she tried to regain control of her mind._

* * *

She hadn't realized she was walking until she was pulled to a stop at the end of the staircase she was currently on.

A soft sigh echoed in the empty stairwell, as the cacophony of footsteps, laughter, and joy had become muted to a near silence.

Anna finally looked up. Elsa's eyes were trying to bore a hole in the door ahead of her it seemed. Her grip flexed around Anna's right hand before dropping it quickly as Anna moved to look at the pair of them entwined.

Anna forced a laugh out as she blushed and tucked her head down to look at the stone steps. "I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me back there with Franklin, probably just gassy ya know? Didn't wanna rip one in front of all the cool kids."

_God, first day here and I have to be lead around the castle like a fucking lost child at the mall because I can't keep it together for two seconds_.

"Anna."

Anna closed her eyes and took a steadying breath before meeting Elsa's gaze.

"I'm sor- I just – They didn't notice anything amiss, honest. I told Franklin and the lot back there that I had to get you to the headmaster for sorting as soon as I could. I understand if you don't want to talk about it. But…just know it'll be between you and me if you ever feel like you need to."

So vehement was Elsa's tone and so compassionate were her eyes, that Anna had a hard time ever believing someone had nicknamed her Ice Queen.

The stunned redhead opened her mouth to speak but promptly closed it.

Flashbacks whirled through her head: of catching Sammi Wilson making out with another girl after she had told Anna that she was completely 100% into the relationship, of teaching her new steal move to Greg Hargett while he debuted and claimed it as his own before she had a chance to in their opening Quidditch match of 4th year, of her 5th year crush Thomas VanHolen begging her to the winter formal only to leave her two dances in to get back with his jealous ex-girlfriend.

Instead, she just nodded a thanks, unsure how it was possible that she was already willing to spill her pathetic sob story to someone she had just met that day.

_Trusting too easily. Don't just lay everything bare the first time, it'll get you in a mess. _

"It's not really something I want to talk about right now ….But maybe sometime later?"

Elsa shot Anna her small smile and turned towards the door in front of them.

"Of course. Unless you end up being a Gryffindor, then we cannot associate whatsoever. It is law." Elsa teased lightly, turning her nose up in a haughty manner but elbowing Anna gently before knocking loudly.

Anna's good mood returned with her excitement of getting sorted, and she flicked Elsa's arm, "Well if you keep teasing me, I think I'd like to be in the house that gets me furthest from you, stinker!"

Elsa's snort was covered up by a loud "COME IN!" as Elsa opened the door and Anna followed her into the headmaster's office.

"Ahh Miss Kaldrskra. Lovely to see you, but I cannot help but associate your presence with bad news on the first night of term. No one has managed to capsize half the fleet of first years again have they?"

An extremely short balding man with a ridiculous toupee flounced from behind his oversized desk, approaching the two girls in front of him.

"Of course not Professor. I only came to introduce our American transfer, Miss Anna Mckay." Elsa said stiffly, gesturing to Anna at her left.

Anna stepped forward and shook the somewhat bewildered looking Headmaster's hand.

"Yes. Right. Pleasure, of course. Well, New Amsterdam certainly didn't inform us properly of your age, Miss McKay. But then again, filling out forms is so cumbersome. Especially for a school based in a city as large as New York…."

The man continued rambling on and on, flourishing his free arm in wild motions while looking about at the portraits on the wall that either seemed to nod in agreement or just plain exhaustion from the man's enthusiasm.

Anna heard a soft snort and cough from Elsa and in return shot her a smirk as Wesselton continued to try and remove her arm out of it's socket with his vigorous shaking.

"Well then! I had assumed you'd be in my old house, Slytherin, being Irish and all. Always the tricky ones right? _Ahh there it is, racism_. So I DO hope Miss Kaldrskra has given you the proper introductory speech the Slytherin's prepared for you especially?"

"Yes she did a wonderful job, even dumbed it down with American terms to make me feel right at home." Anna deadpanned. Wesselton finally released her cramping hand and clasped his together in delight.

"Splendid! Now, we should head downstairs for the sorting ceremony, my dear. The boats will be arriving soon, wouldn't want to miss getting inaugurated with the rest of your class!"

Anna blanched a bit, ceasing her efforts to return feeling to her hand. "Wait, what?"

"Actually, Headmaster Wesselton, I had discussed it with Professor Alvard before coming up here and she agreed that sorting separately would be in the best interests of everyone."

The short man squinted his spectacled eyes at the blonde in what Anna was sure was meant to be a menacing glare, but really made him somewhat like a confused chicken.

"Is that so? Why did Alvard make a decision without consulting me beforehand?"

"She knew how you strive to make the students as happy as possible here, and so, she came to the decision that allowing Anna to be sorted in the Headmaster's office would be exactly what you would have done."

Elsa spoke so diplomatically and with such a calm manner that Anna almost believed her tale that she must have woven on the spot.

_Wow, she could probably convince Shakira that her hips DO lie. _

"It would be such a kindness to Anna, Headmaster. She already is so excited about the private sorting ceremony, right Anna?"

Anna enthusiastically nodded her head in a state of awe. "Right!"

_Good, keep it to one word answers, let the talented liars work here._

"Hmmm well….certainly my dear. It seems it must be done." With a snap of his fingers, an old dark hat flew off one of the crowded shelves and into his hand.

He lead the way over to the spare chair at his desk and motioned for Anna to have a seat.

An encouraging look from Elsa was all she needed before nodding and bowing her head, allowing the short man to place the hat atop it.

Anna jumped and clasped onto the arm rests when the hat began to talk.

_Ahh woken up early I see. Not a first year for certain, you've got quite the memories in here, young lady._

_Lord, talking clothes always gave me the heebeejeebees._

_Don't worry, they can't hear me, just us two here in your head. Oh, don't be so worried, I'll make this quick then. _

_Good, you're a bit creepy_

_Careful girl. _

_Sorry_

_Definitely not Ravenclaw, you don't follow logic or reason for your actions. And you most certainly do not possess the drive or cunning it takes for Slytherin. _

_Back to the point here floppy. _

_Hmm…very headstrong, almost to the point of recklessness like a Gryffindor. But also loyal and consistently kind, certainly trusting to a fault like the Hufflepuffs. Funny, you were just thinking of this earlier in the hallway. _

_Well it seems to me a rather good fit either way. _

_Ah, but you get to make a choice. Do you have what it takes to face your fears again? After what happened? _

A deep inhale. Calm down. _Of course. I know I can. Just need time._

_You don't need me to reassure you of courage it seems. So, to the red or yellow then?_

_Eh, I dunno floppy. Red would kind of clash with my hair. _

_Ha, knew it. _

HUFFLEPUFF!


	6. Chapter 6

"BUT IF YOU CLOSE YOUR EYES. DOES IT ALMOST FEEL LIKE. NOTHING CHANGED AT ALL."

"Ow! Shit!"

Anna rubbed her now bruised shin as she waved her wand and shut off the song blaring from her iPod as an alarm.

_Ugg dammit, running is gonna be that much more of a pain this morning. Stupid wooden bed post._

Anna glared at the offending panel of chestnut wood while rubbing her eyes and running a hand through her hair.

_Scratch that. My hornet's nest. Bedhead looking sexy and freeee._

As she leaned to stretch her back, she glanced around. Everyone else was sound asleep, thanks to her mother's variation of the Muffliato spell she had wound into her iPods back wiring with her father's help. It was one of her parents most successful designs and the one she used often for her workouts, as she had no need for ear buds and instead could play songs that only she or people that were standing remarkably close to her head could hear.

Her mom and Anna had actually worked together on perfecting the charm, with an 11 year old Anna singing her father's favorite drinking song as loud as possible and her mother trying to shrink the charm's radius to around just her head.

* * *

" _ALL THE SWEETHEARTS THAT ERE I'VE HAD! ARE SORRY! FOR! MY GOING AWAAAAY!"_

"_Sweet troll balls! I can't get the circumference of this to the size of your little head. Do me a favor and swell up like a balloon please?" Adrian grumbled, constantly flicking crushed up herb powder from Grandpa Kai into the air so she could see the outline of the spell she was casting. _

_Anna was inverted on the floor in a perfect handstand, belting out the tune until her face turned the shade of her hair. _

_The outline of the spell was weaving in airy lines around the inverted now-retired gymnast. Much to Adrian's disappointment though, one side reached to the island in the middle of their kitchen where various cauldrons stewed more herbs for VisionCast powder, gold for Connor's wiring that he was to do later, and a lovely tomato meat sauce Anna had started for dinner with her mother's help. _

_With a disgruntled sigh, Adrian flicked her wrist and the lines disappeared from around Anna. With that, Anna tucked herself into a neat somersault and upon righting herself, struck her old landing pose, arms triumphant over her head. _

"_Thank you, Thank you. Good to know I've still got it in these old bones of mine."_

"_Darlin, you stopped classes two months ago after you accidentally charmed the trampoline to double bounce you into the foam pit from across the gym. I would hope after 5 years of it you would remember how to roll forward." Adrian chuckled and rubbed her temple, while shaking her head at her now pouting daughter._

"_Details. The official statement from me is that I am making a shift to focus more on my quidditch career. So what's the sitch with the spell this time? Could you hear me at all?" Anna asked as she skidded across the kitchen floor in her golden snitch woolen socks to nearly crash into her mother. _

_Adrian reached out an arm with practiced skill and snatched her daughter into her lap before she could crack her pretty little head open on the floor, all while keeping her focus on her notebook in front of her. _

"_No I couldn't hear you, but anyone within a 4 foot radius of you would probably be deaf by now." Adrian teased, tugging gently on Anna's braid as she continued to write down numbers and symbols, crossing through others. Her brow furrowed and she closed her light green eyes with a frustrated sigh, dropping her pen and rubbing at her temple once more. _

"_I think you mean crying tears of joy. Don't be sad mamma, we'll get it before dad comes home I bet."_

_Adrian just shrugged her shoulders and hummed, lightly tapping her fingers over the bridge of her heavily freckled nose._

"_Here's hoping. I dunno what we're going to do if we don't get the prototype design in to the office by Fri-"_

"_OOO! Look mom that symbol looks like a snowman! It even has a hat!" Anna exclaimed, reaching down to tap lightly on one of the central symbols that Adrian had drawn and crossed out in red ink. _

"_It does doesn't it? Huh, sure is an ugly snowman at that, it's all lopsided." Adrian said tiredly, but with amusement ever present in her voice. _

" _Aww be nice, he just needs a nose…..and maybe some coal buttons…." Anna mumbled as she began to make additions to the figure on the paper. _

_Adrian just shook her head and snorted. "You're too kind, thank you for fixing my egregious snowman. I wouldn't be able….to finish…anythingwithoutyou, HOLD ON WAIT!" Adrian exclaimed hurriedly, snatching the notebook up closer to her face and tracing a finger over the little snowman figure Anna had created. _

_Anna just looked at her mother, curious eyes wide from her outburst. "I-I-I didn't ruin it did I? I just wanted to help. I'm really sorry ma-"_

_Suddenly she was being lifted into the air and spun wildly about in circles. _

"_IT'S PERFECT! AHHH MY DAUGHTER IS BLOODY BRILLIANT!" Adrian yelled joyfully, and planted a huge kiss on Anna's cheek before setting her down and drawing rapidly into the notebook an entire new set of symbols, with slight alterations added to the circular loops that featured prominently in the middle of the design. _

_Anna sighed in relief and resumed her hand stand with a smile. _

"_Okay, are you ready?" Adrian asked, her eyes absolutely shining from excitement, as she twirled her wand in one hand and flung powder into the air about Anna with the other. _

_With a grin and a nod, Anna inhaled deeply and began her chorus again._

_Adrian drew out symbols into the air, weaving them with a grace that Anna had always found so calming. Smoky lines wove through the air once more, but this time, they curved tightly in on one another and formed a structure very closely resembling an astronaut helmet around Anna's head. _

_Anna watched as Adrian began to jump around the kitchen, cheering and dancing before snatching the redhead up by the legs and helping her right herself. The helmet moved with her, remaining weightless on the young girl's shoulders. _

"_YOU DID IT! MOM YOU'RE SMARTER THAN MERLIN!"_

_Adrian flicked her wrist and dissipated the spell._

" _Sorry? What was that? I couldn't hear you over the sound of you being a genius and helping me fix an entire charm sequence." _

_Anna had just giggled, blushed and hugged her mom. The older woman continued to laugh and cheer so loudly, that Officer Brenton came over 10 minutes later due to the Johnson's next door citing a noise complaint about "that mad lady laughing next door about SoundClouds."_

* * *

Anna laughed softly and swiped at her eyes again. It was 4 am, too early in the morning for mourning.

She had recovered last night from her brief episode spectacularly. Kristoff had been ecstatic to find out she was a Hufflepuff and she ended up sitting amongst him, his short dark-haired friend Olaf with a rather large nose, and several of her other new housemates at long tables in the great hall.

Everything went smoothly after introductions were made and the first years were sorted. Anna sighed in relief that she didn't have to stand up there in front of everyone to put ole floppy on her head. After vigorously cheering for each new Hufflepuff, she tore into the feast, but not after everyone seated near her had been doubled over in laughter over her imitation of the headmaster's handshake. Kristoff was looking at her with a lopsided smile, and she returned it warmly, until the deserts arrived.

* * *

"_Holy hell, you can really put down some chocolate can't you?"_

"_Ermff durrr, dish schtuff issh ahhmaafffin Krifffoff."_

"_How do you not weigh 300 kilos?"_

"_I work out, big guy. First chaser on Amsterdam's Quidditch team. Been playing since little league." _

"_Hold on a moment. RACHEL! GET OVER HERE! I THINK I FOUND ANOTHER CHASER RECRUIT!"_

_The feast began to wind down and Anna began to crane her head around to try and find Elsa at the Slytherin table. She spotted the girl's light blonde hair and watched as Elsa made conversation with a pretty brunette. _

_The blonde's eyes were attentive as the brunette and her friend across from her spoke animatedly to Elsa and whipped out their wands to show her an extremely well aimed Reducio spell that hit a nearby boys turkey leg as he was in the process of shoving it into his mouth. He glared over at the trio, dropping the now miniscule leg to pick up another from his laughing friend across from him. _

_The trio had chuckled and Elsa beamed at the pair of girls, nodding her head and saying something which earned her a brief hug from the brunette. _

_Surprised blue eyes had met Anna's soon after. The redhead grinned from ear to ear and waved goofily at the blonde. She saw Elsa cover up a laugh and return the wave with a laugh and shake of her head. The brunette turned to look at Anna briefly and waved before engaging Elsa's attention once more. _

"_So much for the stereotype that Gramps told me about Slytherin's. They seem pretty normal and non-threatening to me." Anna had remarked to Olaf, the boy wiping off pudding from his vest that his brother (One of them has to be adopted, REALLY, that kid is a beast.) Marshall had flung over from the Gryffindor table. _

"_Oh of course, not all of them are half bad. Very driven lot though, so they tend to come off as a bit stuck up when they talk about their lives. Tons for Purebloods too, but only a few of them are really pretentious beyond remedy."_

"_Right, like Kaldrskra" remarked a gorgeous girl seated across from Olaf that had introduced herself as Aurora with a snort and quirk of her eyebrow. _

_Anna frowned and opened her mouth, but Olaf stepped splendidly in before she could even think to defend her new friend._

"_Oh come off it Aurora. Elsa's like the nicest person ever. You're just put out because she rejected you 4__th__ year. She was so polite about it, but you being a gobby arse made a scene of it, called her a fucking __**bloodchaser**__ and slapped the wand out of her hand" Olaf finished with a smirk. _

_Aurora rolled her eyes, and sneered as she got up and walked away. _

_Anna chuckled and clapped Olaf on the back gently. "Way to slay that one. I agree, Elsa is probably the biggest sweetheart I've met in years." Anna grinned._

_Olaf stared at her for a second in wonder and then beamed a smile revealing his buck teeth. _

"_Wow, you're the first person here I've ever heard call Elsa a sweetheart. Not that she isn't! She is if you spend any amount of time with her, like beyond classes. But I mean, she doesn't really do that much unless people ask her or she's tutoring them. Mostly she's just really polite to everybody. Honestly, it's like decorum has gone downhill so far that being polite now makes you a bitch." _

_Olaf had been waving his hands animatedly and finally sucked in a deep breath. " But yes, Ice Queen she is not" he ended with a nod. _

_Anna wanted to discuss Elsa more but she shoved the train of thought aside as Kristoff's friend Rachel had arrived and they began to drill her about going out for the Quidditch team tryouts next week._

* * *

That was the reason Anna was shoving her blue Nike's on at 4 am and putting on one of her muggle ex-boyfriend's cut up football shirts to head up out of the still darkened semi-underground common room to go on a run.

Since Kristoff had been too stuffed and tired to give her a decent tour of the castle, he had showed her how to get from the great hall to the kitchens and into the dormitory and merely explained to her how to get out onto the castle grounds through one of passageways to the side of the kitchen.

Thank god I left early, Anna mused as she hurriedly snuck past the front door of the kitchen, teeming with house elves already preparing breakfast. It was 4:30 by the time she found the exit, since she had taken a right instead of left and ended up de-arming a suit of armor that had snatched it's arm back from her hand and pointed the opposite direction when she asked how to get back outside.

Finally, Anna clambered out into the early morning air. It felt amazingly chilly coming from the suppressive summer of North Carolina, so Anna took off with a grin after casting Lumos and tucking her wand into her sports bra to light her way.

She remained close to the side of the castle wall she was on, and kept it in sight as the sky just began to light up around 5:15 and she sprinted back to the door she had left out of.

_Damn, still got it, made it back before 6. Aww kill em. _

Anna paced back into the common room, and began to tear her sweaty tank top off as she made her way to the stairs of her dorm.

"Merlin's Beard, what the hell have you been doing?!"

Anna turned around and made eye contact with a girl who was seated in one of the plush chairs, tea on the table forgotten as she shot Anna a dumbfounded stare.

"Oh! Hey! Didn't even see ya there, I'm Anna McKay, by the way. Sorry I was just on a run, kinda sweaty, need to shower."

The girl furrowed her eyebrows and made a face similar to one Anna had watched her father make when he ate a toejam flavored jelly bean.

"A…jog? Why… what the bloody hell for?"

"Gotta stay in shape, Quidditch."

The girl sat back in the chair but continued to look utterly gobsmacked.

" I have never seen anyone but the Muggles back home go on a jog. Like Ever."

Anna rolled her eyes and sighed. "Come on, I'm sure some students here workout. You'd all be the size of whales if you just ate the great hall food all the time and didn't do anything."

The girl furrowed her brow for a second and looked up thoughtfully, before shaking her head,

"No I'm pretty sure no one but the Quidditch teams do much exercise. And they don't even do that much outside of practices. Must be an American witch thing, running around like a muggle sporty at the crack of dawn."

"Unbelievable." Anna mumbled as she tossed her shirt over her shoulder and continued on her way to the dorm and up to the showers.

_Getting called a muggle __**once again**__ by the wizarding community. I can't wait til all these guys realize that the liposuction spell isn't gonna be ready til the time they're already middle aged. _

Anna grabbed her towel and soap from her rucksack and made her way to the showers in the back hall of the dormitory in nothing but her sports bra and panties. As she hopped in the shower, she missed two or three whispered "Gulping. Gargoyles." "Christ, she's got a tat" and one "God Bless America" from the girls who had been getting ready in the dorm room.

_Okay McKay. You got this. You're gonna rock today. It's gonna be awesome. Just charm the bloomers of em. Ha bloomers. British panties. Shit, not Elsa in panties. NO! BAD! SHE IS FRIEND! Cool it. Probably will be so busy today you won't even cross paths. _

Boy was she wrong.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Well, better late then never to introduce myself down here. Just wanted to let you guys know that I am so very much NOT A WRITER IF YOU COULDN'T TELL. I just really wanted a Harry Potter AU of these two, so I decided to do it. So forgive any huge inconsistencies in the wizarding universe, it's been a bit since I read the books and I can't remember it all perfectly. Anywho, thanks for following and hope y'all enjoy. **


	7. Chapter 7

"Rachel, I'm being serious, if I have to climb one more fucking flight of stairs I am going to skip out on the rest of my classes for today."

"Come on ginger, I have had to put up with them for seven bloody years. I think you can make it up one more flight. If not, how in Merlin's name do you figure you'll make it onto the squad?" Anna's companion chuckled out.

Groaning out like an ogre with a toothache, the frustrated and sore red-head drug her feet up what she estimated was her millionth step of the day.

"Up we come you poor pixie, this is the last one. " Rachel called over her shoulder, avoiding a few very haggard-looking first years with practiced ease. Noticing the altogether terrified looks from the poor eleven year olds trying to navigate the floating and sifting staircase system, it was hard for Anna to be anything but grateful to the quidditch captain.

* * *

_Kristoff had been waiting to accompany her to breakfast that morning after booming out a laugh that seemed to shake the common room when Anna told him of her morning run. _

"_I'm going to cry. The pure dedication. Outstanding McKay, truly." _

"_If you dare and say anything about running like a muggle, I will personally hex you the largest pimple possible on that big ole nose of yours."_

"_Oh play nice now. Honestly, I wish I had the gall to wake up that early, sneak out the castle and go for a jog on grounds in plain sight. You're lucky you even made it out the castle without someone dragging your arse back to bed" Kristoff teased as he ducked through the barrel-shaped doorway to exit the common room into the hallway past the kitchens, with Anna following close behind. _

"_Wait, are we not allowed to leave the dorms that early?"_

_Kristoff scratched his chin in thought as they strolled into the great hall, smells of freshly cooked meats and pastries hitting Anna's nose and causing her mouth to water._

_There was a general hubub in the hall as students anticipated their classes with the enthusiasm that only a brand new school year brings about. Several returning classmates were up and about, embracing and chatting animatedly with their friends from other houses whom they hadn't had a chance to catch up with the night before. _

"_Well maybe not at 4 am, but I think 5 should be fine. As long as the sun is up I should think you'd be right as rain." He affirmed, plopping down onto a bench and began to shovel large amounts of what Anna assumed was some type of sausage and eggs onto his plate from the steaming dishes in the center of the tables. _

_Anna teased the big blonde about his barbarian eating habits, and earned herself a playful shove and a smile full of food from her new friend. Anna wrinkled her nose at him in faux disgust as she began to load her plate up with pastries. _

_After she decimated her sugary mountain of very little nutritional value, she glanced over at Kristoff, who was currently engaged in conversation with Sven and another Gryffindor girl who had come to sit across from them. Watching the burly boy offer the pair of Gryffindors some of his glazed steamed carrots (which Sven scarfed down gratefully while the girl looked on in something akin to horror) Anna mused at how well she was getting along with him. _

_Maybe the whole sorting into houses thing __**does**__ have something to it, like making a little family of kindred spirits. I feel like I finally found my long lost brother or something. Plus that Amy girl was kind enough to lend me her extra uniform this morning…Though why she was humming America the Beautiful I can't figure out…. I __**need**__ to remember to send out that owl to Kai about sending me my own ones, these are a bit full in the boobage area…._

_Sven and the girl, who introduced herself as Gabby, broke Anna out of her thoughts as they laughed incredulously about her running in the morning. Anna playfully glared at them, and animatedly began to vouch for the benefits of exercising in the morning, even whipping out her iPod from inside her bra (which earned her a blush from Kristoff and Sven) to show them how the system worked for running without ear buds. _

_After hurriedly stuffing the "illegal muggle toy" back into her shirt as a professor with long emerald robes passed, Gabby asked what her schedule was. After pondering over it for a few minutes, with everyone remarking and commenting on professor's names who Anna knew she wouldn't remember anyway, they decided that Gabby would walk her to her morning Divination class since she had a class near the tower and then hopefully she'd find someone to help her find her way to Potions with while there. Regardless, Sven had drawn her a crude map of how to get down to the lower level rooms, just in case. _

_Anna skipped out of the great hall, belly full and rambling away jovially with Gabby as they made their way through the maze of floating staircases. As Gabby doubled over at Anna wrinkling her freckled nose up in a "spot-on" facial impression of the girl she had shocked this morning in the common room, the red-head couldn't help but feel her nerves ease, any stress about being the odd new girl chased from her mind by laughter._

* * *

After a mediocre Divination class that was filled with either overly enthusiastic fourth years or grumbling half asleep older students, Rachel, who had miraculously had the same 3 morning periods with Anna, offered to walk her to her classes.

Without the dirty blonde leading her around, Anna was almost positive she would have ended up looking similar to the sweating first years as they hustled about to find their classes, shyly asking directions from smirking older students.

Thanking her lucky stars, Anna made it up the final steps with a huff and followed Rachel to the door of a very spacious classroom with tons of windows letting in the afternoon sun. She made eye contact and smiled politely at several other students who watched her with blatant curiosity and then turned to talk about "that new red-head from America", the novelty of seeing a new face in the school apparently being enough to fuel the need for gossip for the entire day.

"And she's alive, round of applause" Rachel snickered sarcastically to Anna as she stopped outside the open doorway. Anna flipped her the bird, which only earned her a light flick on the forehead.

"Yeah, yeah, go enjoy your free period. Abandon me in my time of need" Anna panted out, adjusting the strap of her satchel of books on her shoulder, turning to face Rachel.

"Sorry mate, but I gotta go see my boyfriend for a bit of how's-your-father since I haven't seen him in three weeks" she said, with a suggestive wiggle of her eyebrows.

"Wait, what? Does that mean something sexual?" Anna questioned, eyebrow raising in a confused expression.

Rachel barked out a laugh as she backed away to make her way down the stairs. "I love muggle phrases, they confuse the shit out of everyone. Don't forget to meet down at the pitch after dinner, we can toss the quaffle a bit and you can let me know if anybody else asks you if you use a bald eagle to send out letters."

With an exasperated eye roll and a wave to send the older girl off, Anna turned without looking to enter the classroom and slammed rather hard into someone, sending the pair ricocheting like deflected bludgers onto the stone floor.

"Son of a biscuit-eating, troll-hair munching-"

"Well, guess it's my turn to say 'Holy Shit, you okay?'" a familiar voiced chuckled out, affecting a poor imitation of a southern accent.

Anna opened her eyes quickly, hand freezing as she rubbed the hip that had collided with the floor, and met eyes so perfectly blue that they could only belong to one person.

"Elsa! Shit, I am **so** sorry. I'm seriously a wrecking ball over here. I really need to watch where I'm going or I'm gonna flatten half the student body by the end of the week." Anna apologized hurriedly, stumbling once more in her rush to get to her feet to help the blonde up off the floor.

Ignoring the chuckles and amused whispers floating from inside the classroom about the ruckus from the doorway, Elsa grabbed onto her hand as Anna hauled her up in one smooth motion.

Elsa grinned with a long-suffering eye roll as she righted herself and gestured for Anna to enter the classroom ahead of her.

"Oh, don't worry yourself about it. Everyone will just assume you slipped on my icy demeanor or something of the sort."

Anna frowned at the blatant self-depreciation, but as she found an empty seat near the back row of the class, she fought to suppress a huge smile as Elsa very gracefully set herself down in the vacant chair next to her.

"Hey, don't talk about yourself like that. Gives me frowny face." Anna quietly uttered to Elsa with a pout. The blonde scoffed, but Anna caught the small upturn at the edge of the blonde's mouth.

Shaking her head slightly to break up her staring at the pair of rosy, plump lips, Anna went on to explain her conversation with Olaf from the night before.

"Of course Olaf would jump in. That boy's too nice for his own good. Now Aurora is probably going to make his first week a living hell because of me," Elsa sighed out, moving her hand as if to run it through her hair but dropping it quickly to drag down under her chin, as she appeared to remember that she was sporting a tight, intricate bun instead of the windswept locks Anna had seen yesterday.

"Again, don't be so hard on yourself; it is in no way your fault that she's bitchy. I'll keep an eye on him if you'd like though." Anna said, gently nudging Elsa's shoulder with her own.

"Thank you." Elsa said, releasing a grateful smile Anna's way.

Anna was thankful that a loud voice at the front of the room announced the beginning of the Defense Against the Dark Art's Class and turned Elsa's attention away from her.

_God, I need to stop staring at her like a crazy person. Yes her dimples are adorable, and her hair looks sexy in an up-do AND pushed back, and her face is flawless, but you need to get it together. That's going beyond friendly appreciation. I mean you barreled into her in the doorway, like knocked her ass to the ground. Shit. Stop thinking about her ass. _

"I assume you are Miss McKay, correct?"

"PRESENT!." Anna accidentally shouted, before covering up her mouth in embarrassment.

"I mean yes, that's me. Sorry" she squeaked out.

The middle aged witch at the front of the room just smiled with good-humor, then silenced the chuckles coming from a few Ravenclaws at the front of the room with a glare.

"I appreciate the enthusiasm, welcome to Hogwarts Miss McKay. Right then, Matthewson?"

As the professor calmly continued down the roll sheet, the Gryffindor boy seated in front of her tilted back his chair onto it's rear legs and turned to face her with a wicked smirk on his face.

"So the American is a screamer, eh? Good to know." His friend's shoulder's shook with laughter and the dark haired boy just bit his bottom lip in her direction.

Anna smiled genially, but under the table began to flick her wand up to her hand to crack a jinx under the asshole's seat. Before she could even begin to twist her wrist, both of the boy's chairs back two legs jerked up into the air, effectively slamming both of their heads onto the desk with a crack.

"Oww. **Fuck** Kaldrskra" the friend hissed, rubbing his forehead. "We were just having a bit of fun, don't get a ice cube stuck up your arse, Queeny."

Elsa's face was steeled in her unforgiving neutral expression, but soon her eyes widened in shock as the two boys jumped in their seats, hands flying to their crotches.

In her periphery, Anna noted her friend's head turn look under the table as she slipped her wand back up her sleeve, but she kept her teal eyes narrowed at the pair of grimacing boys trying to curl in on themselves in front of her.

"That's **your** **majesty** to you then, you piece of shit. Have some respect." Anna whispered loudly so that they could hear over their muffled groans.

Anna caught the professor's eyes as they flicked over to the scene rapidly, and then to Anna's surprise, the dark-haired woman just shrugged and continued on with the last few names on the roll.

With a self-satisfied smirk, Anna turned to Elsa, who was currently staring at her with her mouth slightly agar and upturned into a smile.

"You okay?" Anna said quietly, watching with amusement as Elsa stared at her for a few seconds longer than what could be considered polite. Then in a gesture similar to her own a few minutes prior, Elsa shook her head slightly with her eyes blinking closed for a second as she began flipping through her book too fast to be reading any of the words or numbers on the pages.

"Yes. Quite alright. Sorry. Thanks. Again."

For the second time that afternoon, Anna was indebted to the professor's loud voice cutting through her thoughts as class actually began. Anna needed any distraction from the fact that there was a faint, splotchy blush spreading over the blonde's full cheeks, somehow making her all the more impossibly attractive.

Anna focused on keeping her stupid freckled self attentive throughout class, even going so far as to take notes in the margins of her textbook.

Anything to keep herself from getting her hopes up that Elsa was blushing because of her.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author Note:**

**Hey everyone. Sorry this chapter got away from me, so it's a bit long. But hopefully I'll be pacing this story a bit quicker and moving into the main plot points soon. Again, enjoy!**

* * *

Anna had been so busy the first week of classes in attempts to not be late for any more periods (especially not Advanced Charms with Hendrix again, yikes) and meeting new people that she hadn't really had time to dwell on anything pertaining to family.

It was Tuesday night of her second week of school when Anna finally remembered to write a letter to Kai detailing her first week. After sealing the envelope, she began to write a letter to her mother, but then stopped abruptly and ripped it up quickly as she remembered that she wouldn't receive a reply.

She had been so tired from crying herself to sleep that night that Elsa had to continuously nudge her awake in their one class together. Anna had been irritable all morning and had been a bit short with Rachel on their walk to potions, but as soon as she saw Elsa waiting for her outside the class room with the smile she always greeted her with, she cheered a bit.

* * *

_Anna and Elsa had fallen into a routine quickly after the first day:_

_Meet up for class. Glare at Johnson and Roddick as they took their seats. Attempt to pay attention as Anna doodled on Elsa's parchment. Flick Anna's braids when she messed up the neatly written notes. Professor Alvard sighing and telling them to pay attention and partner up for sparring. Anna trying her best to make Elsa laugh out loud as they aimed spells at each other. Grab a quick lunch from the kitchen from the after class. Eat for a bit in the hall. Listen to Anna's wild retellings of stories with rapt attention. Softly chuckling as Anna worried aloud about rambling and assuring her it was not the case. Wave at Anna as Elsa had to rush to her next class since she always stayed 5 minutes too late. Watch Elsa's lithe form leave and blush about staring at her thick blonde braid swishing as she strided away quickly. _

_Over the week, Anna had learned that Kaldrskra was a very gifted witch whose favorite subject was history, that she hated Defense class because she didn't like the fighting, and that she loved chocolate almost as much as Anna. _

_She had also learned that outside from the people that Elsa tutored, the girl didn't have many friends. It seemed the only people who came up to talk to the blonde as they roamed the halls between class and lunch were there to ask her to help her with studying for O.W.L.S or to fix a certain charm that they couldn't seem to get right. _

_A polite smile would always grace Elsa's face as she nodded her head and agreed every single time. Despite Anna voicing her frustration that the people just seemed to use her friend, Elsa assured her that although most of the people she helped just thanked her and went about their lives, a few had actually become close friends. _

"_That's how I met Kristoff and Olaf actually. They needed help with their Goblin/Wizard Disputes paper in 3__rd__ year and eventually they just sort of stuck around." _

"_That's really nice, but it makes me kinda pissed that all the other people you helped didn't stick around for you." _

_Elsa softly smirked at the red-head and shrugged. "We can't all be as loveable as you dear. And besides, even if they aren't my friends, at least I know they aren't afraid of me." _

_Elsa rubbed and worried at her left hand absentmindedly and as her face fell, she focused her attention once again to making their way to the kitchens. Anna had nearly grabbed that hand and kissed her knuckles to make her stop, but the fleeting thought was chased away as Elsa exclaimed that they had chocolate truffles on the carts for lunch._

* * *

"What's up, Els?"

"Hello. Ready for an enthralling explanation of advanced disarming techni- are you alright?"

Anna turned to look at the girl fully in the face for a moment, noting her furrowed brow and searching eyes.

Anna opened her mouth to tell her she was fine, but then closed it, sighed out deeply as she took her seat, and mumbled out "Not really. Didn't get much sleep last night."

Elsa looked as if she was going to say more but Professor Alvard had started class. Anna had tried to look presentable so that Elsa wouldn't worry anymore, but as the blonde kept having to nudge her awake, Anna noted that the deep azure eyes were growing more distressed each time.

Alvard luckily dismissed class early and as everyone began to shuffle about to pack up, Anna turned to Elsa and laid a hand on her arm.

"I'm fine. Honestly. I just wrote some letters to my family and had a rough time dealing with it."

Her friend's face softened a bit, but her eyes remained honed in on Anna's.

"It's okay to miss them. Whenever I'm feeling a bit alone, I just focus on the happy memories and let those make me feel better, instead of the reality of… my situation I suppose."

Anna had just scratched the back of her neck and thought about the advice over in her head as the pair walked in comfortable silence down the staircases. Anna knew her friend was far from home, and that would be reason enough for her homesickness, but there was just something clawing at the back of her mind that there was something more to Elsa's "situation" as she had put it.

As they reached the main landing, Elsa abruptly stopped short and released a disgruntled hiss. Anna raised an eyebrow at her as the blonde flushed and began to wring her hands in front of her.

"Damnit. Anna I completely forgot, I have to go meet Wren in the library to help her with something. I can't get lunch with you today. I am so sorry, I know you're having a rough day and I don't want to just abandon you." Elsa continued to ramble on nervously, looking so guilty that Anna had to laugh at her to shut her up.

"For the love of God, you look like you snapped my wand in half and fed it to a troll. It's totally fine, you don't even need to apologize, I'll catch you after practice then and we can sneak some butterbeer from the kitchen if you like."

"That sounds wonderful, I'll probably be in the library so just find me in there when you're done. Try to cheer up, tryouts are tomorrow and I know you're excited, just think about that the rest of the day and don't fall asleep in Charms!" Elsa said with a shake of her finger as she backed away to dart off to the library, accidentally knocking into a rotund boy and proceeding to apologize profusely as she finally turned to watch were she was going.

Anna grinned and waved, her sadness leaving her as thoughts of butterbeer and a shy, sweet blonde filled her head.

* * *

Kristoff spat out and sputtered as yet more flecks of mud hit him in the face from the spinning quaffle being tossed by his head.

"Sorry buddy!" Anna exclaimed as she caught the pass from Rachel and flew in a large round-about circle to the captain's side to hand her back the red leather ball.

Rachel laughed in amusement as Kristoff dramatically cleaned off his face and grabbed his bat to fly upwards to where Marshall was waiting with Frank, the other beater for the Hufflepuffs, muttering something about letting her get hit by bludger their first match.

Anna watched them all begin to smack around a weighted practice ball. Despite being the smallest of the beaters, Frank's aim was far better than Kristoff or Marshall's, as his hits nearly always looked as if they would hit the others square in the chest every time before they deflected them with deft speed.

Kristoff was grinning and booming out laughter as they continued to play on, and Anna smiled up at the sound, it having become an integral part of her days during the first week and a half of classes.

Every day since their first meet up on the pitch after dinner, Rachel and Anna had drug the grumbling blonde out to come toss the quaffle and practice with them. He had groaned about wasting his free time before the season officially started but he came nonetheless, and by the end of the first week they had attracted several other players from various houses who were eager to practice a bit before tryouts the next week.

"So tryout's are tomorrow, think you're ready there?" Rachel asked as she finished cleaning off the mud from the quaffle and wiping her brow as the light rain continued to fall on them. The rain had sent most of the other players back inside, but Marshall had been eager to practice in the rain, and no one wanted to disagree with the gentle giant.

Anna swung her legs carelessly to and fro as she shot the girl a grin. "Oh, am I ready? I was born ready!"

"Good! I mean it really is almost a formality at this point. Don't go getting a big balloon head, but you're probably one of the best flyers I've seen at this school over the years."

Anna just snorted and shook off the compliment, "Nah, I just try really hard. My mom had me in gymnastics for a while so I just look like I know what I'm doing."

Rachel pursed her lips in thought for a moment, and asked what gymnastics was exactly. They began to toss the quaffle back and forth, with Anna standing up on her broomstick with perfect balance as she explained the muggle sport to her friend.

The memories of her flipping around on trampolines and across the floor with her father and mother cheering loudly at her from the bleachers of the old training center flitted through her mind and she could feel a small prick at the back of her eyes.

She finished her explanation with a grin regardless, and took a deep breath, centering her focus on the happiness of the moments instead of the "reality of her situation."

It didn't take the sting of the nostalgia away completely, but there was a certain relief that flowed through her, much like putting Murtlap essence on a skinned knee.

"Holy shit…." Rachel breathed out, and Anna followed her gaze down to the right entrance to the pitch. It was hard to see through the light drizzle, but even from far away she could make out light blonde tresses strolling onto the pitch.

"Elsa? I didn't know she flew." Anna remarked to Rachel, who was slowly shaking her head, her face betraying something akin to worry.

"Not Kaldrskra. Wren, she's back out on the pitch. With a broom nonetheless."

Anna had been so focused on making out Elsa's face that she failed to notice that the girl was in what appeared to be deep conversation. Her companion was tying up her hair into a high ponytail, facing away from Anna and nodding along to what Elsa was seriously explaining to her.

Handing the blonde a pouch and trading it for something that she placed to her face, the girl tiltled her head to the right a bit as Elsa whipped out her wand. Anna saw her shoulders tense up as she flinched when Elsa apparently spelled something to the girl's head.

"Anna come on, you're friends with frosty and I need to know what the hell is going on." Rachel said with authority as she began to fly down to the pair on the ground.

As they approached, Elsa looked up and waved to Anna in greeting. Anna dismounted smoothly alongside Rachel and as they approached, the girl adjusting her arm guards turned to face them, flipping her broom about in her hand nervously.

Anna mentally congratulated herself on not gawking at her face, which was quite a feat considering the girl sported a large metal eyepatch over her left eye that didn't completely cover up a large white scar running down from the edge of the patch to her left ear.

"What's going on down here you two? Are you about to fly Wren?" Rachel asked lightly, finger's taping out a rhythm on her broom handle.

"Looks like it. Been working on it all summer and it was going great. Up until this morning when fucking Landry spilled the beans about me trying out again and claimed I had an unfair "sight" advantage to Weasel-town" Wren said, her agitation showing as she tapped her patch lightly.

"He said I couldn't compete because of it, but I told him I could fly without my eye, no problem. He looked pretty angry but agreed. Too bad I haven't flown half blind, like, ever" she explained, pulling on the front of her long sleeved shirt to try and unstick it from her chest as the rain began to pick up a bit more.

"That's why she's going to give it a test run, I'm sure you'll do fine." Elsa chimed in, drawing the attention of the three to her. Elsa's arms were crossed tightly across her front as she gave Wren a nod.

"Do you want me to fly up with you?" Rachel questioned, moving along side Wren as she mounted her broom with a neat hop.

Wren's right eye narrowed, before sighing out an affirmative as she began to climb up in the air gracefully. "Try and keep up though."

Elsa and Anna watched the two make their ascent as they began to circle the pitch above them at a moderate pace.

"So that's who you were helping during lunch?"

The blonde turned to her with a smile and chuckled. "Yes, that's Wren Diaz. She's really something else. In a good way!" she said with clear affection.

Anna felt her stomach drop a bit, and then chided herself. Elsa was gorgeous, of course she would be with someone. It didn't change anything at all, at least she was happy. And not alone.

"Y'all are cute together." Anna remarked to her, nudging her with an elbow.

The blonde turned to her eyes wide, and then shook her head with a scowl.

"Herregud! No no no. Wren is just my good friend. She's wonderful to be sure, but not my type at all."

Anna was certain her skin looked something akin to a splotchy cherry as she laughed awkwardly alongside Elsa. She didn't think she could get any more awkward until her mouth blurted out more nonsense.

"Oh you have a type?"

Elsa rolled her eyes as Anna smacked herself in the face and gazed up at the pair of girls now flying in figure eights above their heads.

"Well, technically my type is not girls who are in love with men. Or just in love with other people for that matter." Elsa said somewhat harshly, keeping her focus up ahead.

Anna mumbled out an apology. "I really didn't mean to pry, God, I just assumed you were…ya know.. just because of the Aurora thing. Wow I am so sorry. Please hex me in the face."

"It's fine Anna, really. What are friends for but to push your buttons hmm?" Elsa said with a huff, finally meeting her eyes. "I'm not trying to be cross with you at all, I'm just worried about Wren really. She's been through quite a bit and this rule change is vexing, to say the least. "

Anna nodded watched the pair fly silently. She wanted to ask so many more questions, but she kept her rambling in check this time, lest she accuse any more people of being in lesbians with their actual best friend.

"What do you think? You're much better at this sports stuff than I, how is she looking?" Elsa asked, nodding her head up to Wren who was adjusting her seat as Rachel flew back down to the pair on the ground.

"Well she looks stable enough in the seat. Her balance to the left is off since she has to play with her right hand and she's clutching the broom handle too hard with her left. I hope she knows how to adjust her balance to her hips correctly." Anna criticized gently.

Rachel plopped down just as Anna had finished her explanation. She smirked and clapped the girl on her back.

"Oh my wee pixie, you haven't seen anything yet. Elsa, Wren said the patch is sound enough and she's gonna give us a show. Anna, you should fly up with her, fairly certain you're the only one out of us that can keep up with that maniac."

Elsa smirked at Anna and gestured to her friend above. "By all means, let's see what you were bragging about on the train."

Anna's grin was ecstatic as she mounted her broom in reverse, winked at the pair on the ground and then stood up and spun the correct way to fly up to Wren, who was watching her and clapping her hands lightly.

"Nice ups, you're Anna McKay then? Elsa's been talking about you non-stop. She felt really bad about lunch by the way, I almost let her cancel but then she'd be apologizing for hours." Wren smiled lopsidedly, her left side pulling up a bit more than her right and crinkling her face a bit under the patch.

"True, she is gonna worry herself into an early grave at this rate. So, are you ready to go?" Anna couldn't help but wiggle around in anticipation.

"You don't play around, I like it. Schneck said you were the best flyer she's got this year, wanna give em a show?" Wren asked excitedly, flipping the quaffle about in her left hand quickly.

"Let's kill it." Anna shouted as she flipped her broom in a backwards somersault and dove down a bit, listening for Wren to follow her.

She heard the sound of a spinning ball to her right and snatched the quaffle out of the air with ease and began to glance around her looking for Wren to complete a pass to.

She saw a quick flash move to her left and rocketed the red leather ball in front of the girl racing by. Wren rotated her broom in a corkscrew motion to catch the low pass and righting herself smoothly. They continued on this way, weaving in and out of each other's blind spots moving the quaffle with pace.

Anna hadn't felt this happy in such a long time. Rain had plastered her bangs to her face and she smirked at Wren's shocked face when Anna dove gracefully through the open air to kick back the pass, barely managing to catch her broom handle and swing herself like a monkey back onto the seat.

"Dios, it's like watching myself in a mirror." Wren laughed back, hoping up to the very edge of her broom and zipping by Anna before she vaulted the ball overhead and bicycled a kick right at Anna's head.

Wren slipped a bit trying to fumble herself back onto her seat after a shaky landing, leaning to the left a bit more, and her broom tilting down a bit. She looked a bit stunned, and closed her eye as she slapped the handle lightly a few times.

Anna flew over to her, both of them breathing a bit heavily. Anna clapped a hand to her back and shook her shoulder gently.

"I gotta say, you're flying style is superb. You make what I do look like childsplay, don't get down on yourself."

Wren looked at her gratefully. She leaned back and hummed quietly catching her breath.

"Not at all. I'm really proud of myself, but it still smarts a bit not being able to move like I know I could. I may even be able to give you a run for your money if I could see out this side. Maybe. I mean you are part monkey by the looks of it" she teased, as she started to head back down to the ground, with Anna rolling her eyes and following her.

Rachel and Elsa were applauding loudly, joined by Kristoff and the other boys who had grounded themselves to watch the two chasers.

"I swear, when Hufflepuff has to play Gryffindor, no one is going to be able to focus on anything but you two goons flying about making everyone else look like useless oafs." Kristoff remarked, earning him a slap on the arm from Rachel.

"We are not useless oafs, the rest of us simply remember that it is not sane to be throwing ourselves into the air like madmen to score points."

Anna fielded off the praise but kept an eye on Elsa, making her way over to Wren who had stopped a bit short of the group, rubbing at her patch and keeping her eye trained on the ground.

"God, she hasn't lost much pace at all. Can't believe Wesselton isn't letting her play with her freaking gold one. It's cruel." Frank muttered quietly to Marshall who nodded. The group turned their attention away from the pair in front of them as Elsa handed Wren a pouch. Rachel tapped Anna's arm to draw her curious gaze away from the two, and resumed the quiet conversation with the beaters.

"Landry's a prick, he was so worried that Slytherin would lose to fucking Gryffindor with her on the team that he had Hans go convince Wesselton that she has an unfair advantage with her eye. Elsa said she overheard them in the common room the other day talking about it" Rachel growled out.

"That's fucking low, even for Westerguard. I swear the only Slytherin I can put up with is Kaldrskra. How she even got sorted into the same house as them is a mystery." Kristoff returned, spitting on the ground.

Rachel turned to Anna with a small smile. "You were right about her by the way gingy. She is really nice when you actually talk to her. She even told me that she thinks Hufflepuff stands the best chance to win the cup this year since I'm captain, and she wasn't even kidding."

"Bet you feel bad now about calling her frosty." Anna teased as Rachel scoffed, and Kristoff ruffled Rachel's hair, calling her a foul mouth, which started a chase across the pitch with Kristoff dodging Anserrus jinxes.

Anna beamed over her shoulder and made her way to Elsa who was walking back arm in arm with Wren, who had removed the patch from her face, revealing a golden eye marked with black symbols in its place.

Wren was curiously watching the pair running across the pitch, both of them honking like geese, and then shook her head lightly as Kristoff snatched Rachel up and hauled her over his shoulders back to the group of boys who had been cheering them on from the ground.

Elsa chuckled at them, and then returned her focus back to Anna, a look of awe on her face.

"That was seriously impressive Anna. I never thought I'd see someone put Wren to shame on a broomstick, but I was wrong."

Anna fought down her blush and shrugged, trying to keep her heartbeat from galloping away with the way those blue eyes seemed to burn into her.

"I wasn't lying when I said it was the only thing I worked hard on."

"True, I won't doubt you again then."

_Shit, if she keeps smiling at me like that I am done for. _

"Hey Wren, you want to come get butterbeer with us? We're gonna sneak it out the kitchen in a bit." Anna implored, tearing her eyes away from those damn red lips, trying to regain her composure.

_Please say yes, I am having trouble keeping this in the friend-zone at the moment. _

Wren apparently had been watching them, and was chuckling softly as she began to loosen the straps on her arm and leg guards. She shook her head, "No, I'm all good. Marshall and I need to go talk to our captain anyway and see about tryouts on Thursday."

She stood up, tossing the bands at the Gryffindor beater, who had been hanging behind as the group disintegrated to head back to the castle. As she walked past the two girls, she mumbled something quietly in what sounded like Spanish to Elsa, smirking wickedly back at her as the blonde's jaw dropped and snapped back up.

Elsa coughed and then ran a hand through her wet hair, turning to Anna.

"R-R-Right. So, shall we raid the kitchen?" she forced out evenly, starting to follow the group ahead.

Anna nodded and as they strolled back, she steered the conversation to Quidditch and tryouts, which Elsa readily joined in. She couldn't help the goofy grin that was plastered to her face though.

Luckily the blonde appeared to think she was just excited about tomorrow, when in the fact Anna was blessing her friend Josie for teaching her enough Spanish to understand that Wren had just told Elsa to enjoy her hot date tonight.


	9. Chapter 9

"Ugggg. It's like you're half wood nymph or something, how do you manage to not trip on anything? I mean you fall over air regularly?" Kristoff heaved out, bent over and holding his knees as he tried to catch his breath.

Anna was taking deep gulps as well, but continued to smirk at the older boy, wiping her forehead and flicking it at him.

He fell over trying to swat at his face, "EW! For fucks sake were you raised in a barn?!"

"No, just the mountains, you goon. Get used to it, Rachel volunteered you to run with me in the morning to keep an eye on me."

The blonde just huffed out, blowing his damp bangs up out of his face. "I only agreed to that because **we** are trying to keep you from getting any more points docked from Hufflepuff. Apparantly she and Kaldrskra cut a deal with Davis so she wouldn't keep taking points from you every time she caught you in the hall at 4:30 am. "

Anna just rolled her eyes and flicked her wrist at him non-chalantly.

"Rules are meant to be broken. Plus it's not like you're gonna be much use protecting me from 'the dangers of the grounds' when you're a good 100 yards behind me every morning."

Ripping his long sleeved shirt over his head, he collapsed back down on the dewy grass of the middle of the pitch, his toned stomach muscles continuing to heave up and down.

Anna couldn't lie, Kristoff was attractive to be sure, despite his large nose and strange obsession with woodland creatures ( he had tried to convince her the other day that reindeer were magical creatures, and she had to break it to him that that was just a muggle myth regarding Christmas time. Kristoff only communicated with her through Olaf or Sven for a week because of that slight).

As she plopped down next to him to start stretching, she regarded his tired brown eyes reflecting the sunrise. It was to be a clear day out, meaning practice would be running long, irking her only in the slightest. She would need to inform Elsa that she would be running late tonight.

* * *

_She and Elsa had started a tradition of meeting up in the library after Anna's quidditch practice to go over coursework, which Anna was characteristically falling behind after the first month of school had drained her of any motivation to not procrastinate._

_Elsa took it upon herself to make sure "little miss Quidditch star" had time to study, working around her own tutoring and hall patrol schedule to try and keep her poor friend from failing miserably in potions. To show her gratitude, Anna made sure the blonde was well supplied with chocolate whenever she could snag her favorite truffles from the kitchens. _

_Usually they only ended up going over half of the material they needed to before Anna drug the blonde deep into important, life altering conversations. _

"_How on earth do you know how to play piano? Isn't that like, an affront to pureblood's everywhere?" _

"_Wren taught me a bit, but only because she wanted a new partner to play along guitar with. She has a odd fancy for muggle music, like you." _

"_Only because it's obviously much better than half the old school stuff most wizard bands churn out." _

_Mostly they ended their nights with her making Elsa snort out laughter in the silent library at a sporadic freckle trick or attempt to speak Norweigen phrases or casting out paper cranes to follow around the librarian but dissolve right before she turned around. _

_And as hard as she try, Anna couldn't help herself from grinning like an idiot every time the blonde wrinkled up her nose as her laughter overtook her. Every since the first night they had gotten butterbeer after the evening on the pitch, Anna struggled to keep her feelings in check. _

_She knew she wanted Elsa as more than a friend, she could feel it in her gut more acutely than she had thought possible. But there was also a fierce loyalty to their current friendship running through her as well. _

_There was a welcoming buzz and energy that flowed between Elsa and the Hufflepuff Quidditch team members, as well as Olaf, Marshall and Wren. Now Elsa actually had a small circle of people that greeted her warmly in the halls and invited her to dinners, not study sessions. _

_Having people that enjoyed being around her was something that Elsa had thanked Anna for quietly, but earnestly, one evening. Anna had been stunned into shock, before launching into a tirade about how Elsa had earned their respect and love on her own, not because of Anna. _

"_Maybe so, but it's only because I'm not such a worried mess when you're around that I'm able to actually make decent conversation with them." Those damn blue eyes had been shining, even though Elsa's face was restrained into a polite small smile. Anna had hugged her then, so tightly that when Wren tipped Anna's shoulder as she sauntered by, they both fell over in a flustered heap of awkward chuckles._

_So it was for Elsa that Anna reigned herself in, allowing their friendship to always take precedent over any romantic inclination she had. She fought down blushes and butterflies in her stomach ruthlessly every time the blonde would beam at her during class or in the hallway, making sure her grin back didn't reveal too much. _

_Some days were harder than others. _

_Like when she had noticed the light smattering of freckles on the blonde's nose the other evening as they strolled the halls back from the library. Anna had tripped over her feet when Elsa snorted and reassured the red head that the one's her friend sported were much more becoming. _

_What made it all the more difficult was the fact that Anna could tell Elsa was slowly, but oh so surely, becoming skilled at deciphering what was happening inside her ginger head. _

_Her cheerful and honest demeanor had made Anna popular and easy to get along with for her entire life, but for some reason, she had rarely found classmates or teammates who actually took the time to listen to her ramblings as she tried to untangle the thoughts in her mind to relay them to others. _

_She had always used too many words, gracelessly filling the air and convoluting her own message despite her best attempts to make herself clear. Most people got frustrated to the point of huffing and asking her get to the point, with only her family, a handful of classmates, and Billy in her hometown actually being patient enough to discern her meaning after a few minutes. _

_Elsa, on the other hand, would study Anna's face during her rambling fits with as much eager concentration as she did her large book of Geometric Architecture. She would then politely lift her left hand, shoot the redhead a questioning smile and condense the convoluted speech, tirade, or animated musing into something coherent and concise. ("So you don't particularly enjoy kiwis because they remind you of bullocks?" "YA I KNOW RIGHT?" "I don't think I've ever had a kiwi." "WHAT!?") _

_Last night, Anna had gotten particularly long winded as she discussed what she had hoped to do with her schooling after she came of age next year. Elsa motioned for her to take a breather as she usually did with her left hand, and Anna released a long sigh and slumped, certain that she had lost her point somewhere around mass water cleansing for Africa and the Chinese herbal supplements for geriatric wizards. _

"_I think it's wonderful that you have a passion for herbal medicine and taking care of people. And yes, I will help you invent a cure all jelly-bean that tastes like chocolate." _

"_Exactly, yes!" Anna beamed out, making the blonde chuckle and take a large gulp of her butter beer. _

_Anna leaned toward her companion on the second floor window sill, balancing her butter beer on her mid air coaster. It was a Friday night and with no classes tomorrow morning, other than her pre-planned run, Anna had suggested they take their study session somewhere more scenic so they could stay up later. _

"_So what about you?" she asked. _

"_Eh, I'm not certain really. Probably end up teaching here, or at some other school farther south" Elsa replied, staring at her near empty mug, and tapping her fingers lightly along the rim. _

_Fortunately, Anna had become a brilliant reader of Elsa as well, and nudging her on the shoulder, caught the blonde's attention. _

"_But what do you, Elsa Kaldrskra, really want to make of yourself?" _

_Elsa had stared at her blankly for a second when Anna asked her, opening her mouth momentarily before closing it, studying aqua eyes carefully._

_She inhaled and exhaled quietly, staring at her hands as she wrung them, as if she could wash away their pale exterior shining near white in the moonlight. _

"_You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. Even if you told me you wanted to dress up in a centaur outfit and join the herd in the woods, I would be behind you a hundred percent," Anna had assured, finishing the sentence quietly. _

_When Elsa didn't immediately reply, Anna sighed and returned her focus to her drink. _

"_I want to build things. Places that make people gaze up in awe, make people happy. I want to be remembered for that." _

_Elsa spoke like a child whispering a wish to the evening stars. When she tilted her focus back to Anna, her blue eyes alight even in the dim glow of the empty hallway torches behind them and dimples appearing as she smiled with the joviality of sharing a secret, Anna could tell this was information that had never crossed those full lips before. _

_Anna faced her fully and nodded for her to continue. _

"_Life is memories, I think. When you hear a certain song, or see a painting, or photograph, or taste a favorite food, it stays with you as a moment in time. Buildings can do that too because so many great memories happen inside weddings to proposals, or meeting an old friend, or just seeing something that makes your heart soar._

_I want to make a moment like that for someone. I want to be a part of other peoples beautiful memories. Where they can close their eyes, be back inside a chapel, or an opera hall, or a random marketplace street, and feel the happiness, sadness, or whatever came over them when they walked in and looked around. When they realized this place was something they were going to remember and keep with them." _

_Elsa had spoken so feverently that she was short of breath at this point, her face flushed and splotchy. But her eyes were still determinedly set on Anna's face, as if she could sear the truth of her words into the red-heads mind with nothing more than her gaze. _

_Anna was enraptured. _

_Someone could have come and knocked her clean off of the window sill and she would have hit the ground still staring at the blonde in pure awe. _

"_You're magnificent. You know that, right?" Anna breathed out, wrapping her two forefingers around the blonde's and squeezing them gently. _

_A soft laugh escaped Elsa's slightly parted lips. A moment, a brief but blinding grin that gave way to serene smile before blue eyes flickered across Anna's face. _

_Maybe she was saving this moment in her mind, just like she had described. Anna hoped it was a happy one, because of her. _

"_I'm not the only one. You know that too, right?" Elsa remarked, returning the squeeze with her fingers. _

_Anna had to take a deep breath, chug down her butter beer and excuse herself to go to bed. She had been so caught up in the whirlwind that was Elsa that she had almost forgotten herself. She had needed to get out of there before she did something stupid. Like finish leaning in and kissing her magnificent friend senseless._

* * *

Anna groaned as she too fell back onto the soft green grass in the middle of the pitch.

_I really need to get a restraining order put on myself, gotta lock it down McKay! Pay no attention to the gorgeous blonde behind the curtain!_

Kristoff sat up to stretch out his legs, casting her an amused look.

"What's wrong feisty pants? Thinking about Kaldrskra again?"

Anna shot up, smacked him hard on the arm.

"Of course not! I don't think about Elsa. I mean, I **do** think about her, but in a friendly-type way, not a I-wanna-date-you way!"

He chuckled and ruffled her wet ponytail. "Easy, don't want all the blood to rush to your face, now do we?"

Anna covered her flushed cheeks and pouted at him.

Kristoff laid a heavy, but gentle hand on her bare shoulder. "Don't get all upset, it's not that obvious really. I just know you. And I like to **think** I know Elsa fairly well. And if I had to say one thing, I've never seen that girl more happy than she has been these past few months, and I'd only need one guess as to why."

He smiled sincerely at her, which she returned somewhat sheepishly.

"It's not like that though. Elsa is….just….amazing. I don't want to ruin anything between us. It's perfect the way it is." Anna huffed out as she rolled into a front handstand, before Kristoff tickled her side and sent her collapsing to the ground. She stuck her tongue out at him as he began piling grass on top of her bare stomach.

"Sure, I understand that. More than you know." He spoke wistfully, pulling at the grass below his hands and tossing it lightly in the air.

Anna regarded him carefully. "Do you mean Rachel?"

His brown eyes turned as large as saucers before he began booming out peals of laughter, barely managing to get out a brief "For the love of Wizgamot, NO!".

Anna rolled her eyes and flicked more sweat at him.

_Well that's two for two for falsely accusing people of being in love with their friends. I'm not at the best of my game this year. Apparently my love sensors are off. God, what if my gaydar goes caput!? Maybe I need to re-calibrate to cross-Atlantic settings?_

Her musing were interrupted by an abrupt lack of sound, and she turned to Kristoff who was currently sitting up, staring off towards the side of the east side of the castle, a tiny upturn gracing the corners of his lips.

Anna sat up to see a very sweaty, very shirtless Wren coming around the easternmost hillside towards the castle door, golden eye reflecting a bit in the rising light. Abruptly, her head whipped towards the quidditch pitch, before she gave a huge wave, somehow noticing the pair sitting low on the pitch from a good 300 meters away.

After Anna waved her entire arm back at her and Kristoff lifted his hand slightly above his head, she continued off to the castle pulling a deep blue tee over her red sports bra as she made her way inside.

Kristoff closed his eyes tightly, exhaled, and ripped two more tufts of grass roughly from the pitch before standing abruptly and asking Anna if she was ready to head back, his slightly scruffy jaw set and eyes downcast.

Anna rose, giving the boy a tight hug and keeping her arm wrapped around his waist as they began strolling slowly back to the castle.

"Do you want to talk about her?"

"Not particularly," he grumbled, pulling his sweaty shirt back over his head. When he saw the pout and pleading eyes imploring him to conitnue, he blew a raspberry at her, but then groaned out and continued on.

"We used to be friends, real mates back in 3rd year. She even introduced us to Elsa to get me and Olaf help with an essay. She was just so….you know. Thought we might be a bit more, she seemed for it. But then the letters stopped coming that summer. And when she came back to school….well she had lost her eye and apparently, any interest in speaking to me."

Anna tightened her hold on his waist briefly before releasing him as they made their way in through the small side door near the kitchens.

"Did you try talking to her? Maybe she was just waiting for you to say something."

Kristoff chuckled bitterly. "Whenever I would get within shouting distance of her, she'd just take off. Hard to sneak up on her with that eye. Wrote her a few more letters, asked Elsa about it since they were close still, but never heard much from Wren other than a few thank yous, and how ya beens, and see you laters.

She never even told me what happened. I don't think even Elsa knows."

"Kristoff, I'm so sorry."

They had made it back to the common room, the lovely day having attracted several students to wake up early and congregate in the circular, warmly lit space. The sleepy, soft, but genial chatting stood at odds with the two stoic faced quidditch players heading for the showers.

Kristoff began to make his way to the boys dormitories with Anna fielding off several greetings (including a particularly long winded good morning from Amy, who was apparently struggling to speak to anything but Anna's abs before the red-head coughed and remembered to shrug on her shirt.)

Anna reached out and caught the boy's elbow, turning him around to face her. His deep brown eyes looked like a lost puppy, making Anna's heart clench.

"I'm fine, Anna. Just… hurts being shut out like that and not knowing why."

She nodded, but gave him a small, pleading grin. "Maybe it's not too late to bring it up again? Give her another go, ya?"

His lips pouted and quirked to the side.

"That time we saw her fly in September and this morning was the first time she even acknowledged my presence in three years. Like you said, I don't want to ruin anything. Maybe that's all we'll have anymore is just toleration. Plus her first match is next week, she's probably too nervous to even consider talking to me."

"Maybe she actually wants support but is too proud to ask."

"Maybe she'll just smack me in the face for coddling her or run away before I even get close."

"Maybe you're just assuming this because you're scared! Nobody wants to be alone, not really."

"There's too many maybes and not enough probablys. It's **probably** not going to work out at all. If she wanted me around she would have said something. But she didn't. People who want to be left alone do tend to do that!"

"You don't know that! Nobody wants to be alone, not even you. How on earth can you know what **she** wants? Did you see it in Divination class in a crystal ball? You'll never find out if you don't even **try**!"

Kristoff and Anna had ended up very close, whispering heatedly, both very red in the face.

He huffed and turned down the hallway, but not before tossing a final stubborn glance over his shoulder.

"Well then, we're both fools by your account. Maybe you should take your own advice, Miss McKay."

Anna stomped off to the shower, her good mood ruined by Kristoff and his annoyingly accurate point.

When she met Elsa, Wren, Sven and Olaf for lunch (Kristoff had _politely_ declined according to Sven), the blonde pointed out how red Anna's skin was looking, marveling at the fact that she had managed to get a sunburn at the end of October. Anna laughed alongside her but said nothing, letting her poke at the pink skin with a giggle.

She was unwilling to lie. She had made a promise.

But Anna was far from capable of admitting that she had scrubbed her skin raw in the shower trying to erase Kristoff's biting truth of her being a hypocrite, the guilt she felt for having fallen for her best friend, and most of all, the fact that she was indeed too scared and scarred to ever admit it to anyone, including herself.


	10. Chapter 10

**AUTHOR NOTE: Apology time. I started a new job and the hours have been a bit ridiculous, so this is coming out very late. But hey! Here ya go. And thank you to everyone who has followed, favorited, or reviewed. You guys are da best. And to yall who have done all three, well, lets just say, if I could, I'd buy you a beer. Cheers and Enjoy! **

* * *

"Okay, now list out the ingredients for the Armadillo Bile Mix."

"Uhhhhh…. Okay so you have the bat wings. Armadillo bile, duh of course. The freaky spider venom.."

"Acromantula."

"Right, sorry Ms. Kaldrskra."

A polite smile graced Elsa's lips as Anna watched her from the Hufflepuff breakfast table. The prefect had been tutoring a very bulky 5th year Ravenclaw all morning ever since he had fumbled up to her as she walked into the great hall, his face red and eyes downcast as he pleaded for her help with his accelerated potions classes.

Anna's attention kept being drawn away from Rachel and Olaf who were harassing Marshall with questions about the Qudditch match this upcoming Saturday. The way those blue eyes slowly shifted from polite and distant to so warm and enthusiastic the further they got into the study session was mesmerizing her.

_I am a fucking piece of shit. _

Sighing, she rested her hand on her chin and forcibly kept Elsa out of her thoughts as she tried to make conversation with Sven who had shown up to try and save Marshall from the grilling his brother was giving him over which Slytherins he was going to "destroy" on the pitch with extra heavy handed hits.

The large boy kept shaking his head and attempting to get a word in edge wise about how he didn't like to "go for the kill shot" when Olaf proceeded to call him a big marshmallow, making Rachel spew out her orange juice. The scene of Olaf being wrapped in a headlock with Rachel tying to whisk away the orange juice from her uniform vest and Sven attempting to save Olaf's noggin from extra noogies made Anna's heart ache.

Kristoff was conspicuously absent, as he had been for the entire week. Anna had been too prideful and frustrated to give Kristoff the validation of being correct in his accusations, and practice had been tense for the entire weekend and on Wednesday. Their interactions were curt, with both obviously hurt by the other's cold treatment but refusing to admit that eachother had a valid argument.

Rachel was at her wits end by Sunday but seeing that she couldn't get Anna to budge about what had happened, she decided Kristoff was her best bet for figuring out why the hell her two stars were playing worse than the Transylvanian's in the last world cup. She pulled Kristoff aside on Wednesday's practice to chastise him about his sloppy backbeats and acting like a "bloody hermit" and not joining their friends for any meal or get together other than classes.

Kristoff had looked so utterly downcast walking back to the locker room that Anna had wanted to latch onto the boy like a spider monkey and admit that he was so right about Elsa, and that she was pushy to try and get involved in his old business with Wren and that she was sorry sorry **sorry**.

But her throat clamped up, seized by shame's vice grip. The blond had merely looked at her expectantly as she opened her mouth to speak. When nothing came out, he grunted and clenched his jaw as he strided past her into the smelly changing room, the sound of snapping towels and Frank causing a raucous with Jeffery echoing in the background, til the door shut and left the muted red-head in silence.

She was desperate to make up with Kristoff, but to do that she had to first admit that he had a point. And to admit he had a point would be to confirm to herself that she was truly interested in Elsa. Which she staunchly refused to do.

Despite the clash of will going on in Anna's mind, business had carried on as usual with Elsa the entire week. Laughs were shared, hugs were given, and Elsa continued to entrance Anna every single time the blonde shot her a curious, gentle smile.

The stress from not being able to vent to Kristoff was compounding with her own stubborn refusal to ruin Elsa's newfound confidence around strangers (students were actually greeting the prefect in the hallways instead of scurrying around her) by trying to attempt a relationship.

She had gotten to the point that on Thursday, the day before Halloween, Anna had seriously considered trying to distance herself from the girl.

* * *

_Anna had been delaying at the end of her last class of the day in Greenhouse 6, packing up One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi into her bag, and getting frustrated that it wouldn't fit due to all of the scraps of paper sitting in the bottom. _

_Roughly pulling them out with a disgruntled snarl, she glared and started crumpling them all to toss in the bin until she came across the entwining, impossible geometric patterns Elsa had absentmindedly sketched out all over the old parchment. _

_The pair had been sitting quietly several weeks ago (a rare, but not impossible occurrence with Anna around) in one of the well-lit circular stairwells near the Astronomy tower, listening to Anna's iPod as the redhead had been cleaning up her broomstick when she stated how impressive the pattern was. Elsa had gifted it to her with a pleased smile and a blush. _

_The edges of her mouth had just begun to turn up when Anna snapped her eyes shut and ran a hand over her face, before pinching the bridge of her nose and spinning on her heel to mope out of the now empty glass room. _

_**Why. Why can't I just stop thinking about her for a minute? Fucking Hell. Too Much. I can't keep doing this. **_

"_Wow, Professor Avens held you late today. I thought your Wiggenweld powder presentation was in two weeks, it wasn't today was it?"_

_Elsa had just fallen into step with Anna as she walked at a totally-not-unreasonably-fast pace past one of their usual meet up spots in the courtyard. _

"_No, it wasn't today." _

"_Oh good. So, I read up on some of those bands you told me about, with the big fluffy hair and face makeup? And if you wanted, I could do you this charm for-"_

"_Elsa, hey, I know we were supposed to work on my costume for Franklin's thing, but I erm told Gabby I'd be fixing up her…uh old broomstick, because it's broken. Like, mega-broken. Donezo. Haha." _

"_Ah, well do you want to meet up later then?"_

"_No, I can't, gotta…work on this herbology paper- presentation. The presentation." _

"_Anna, are you okay, you're turning really red?"_

**_Stop being so observant you perfect little stinker. _**

"_Totally! I'm just-so busy. And I've got a lot on my mind, and you're always- wait…" _

_**Wow. Nice awkward pauses and obvious lack of eye contact. She'll never know. Fuck you McKay. **_

"_Shit, that wasn't-"_

_A crestfallen look raced across the seventh year's face when Anna finally drug her gaze over. The book Elsa had been attempting to pull out of her cracked leather satchel was hastily shoved back down as she reigned her face into that cold polite mask, giving a slight nod and "right then" as she stared straight ahead. _

_Anna wanted to jinx the nearest suit of armor to cut her down where she stood. Of course Elsa could tell when she was lying, that was one of the things she pointed out the very first time they met. _

"_Well, Goodnight then. Good luck…" _

_**This is for the best, don't say anything.**_

_Elsa let out a deep exhale, the wind from her sails apparently breezing out of her, as her features became marred with something akin to disappointment. Anna watched as Elsa pulled her shoulders up and crossed her arms tightly across her chest as she began to lengthen her stride to speed away from her. _

_**Fuck. Why am I doing this to her? She doesn't deserve to be left alone because it's easier for me. This isn't her fault.**_

_Miraculously, she sucked up her pride, grabbed Elsa's hand and apologized for trying to lie to her face. Those deep blue eyes finally met aqua, and the ache that their sincere gaze caused Anna was only deepened at Elsa's admission that she was "used to it" before imploring Anna to not let her monopolize all her free time. _

"_I know I'm somewhat of a burden for you. And it's my fault for not taking your feelings into account. Studying isn't nearly as fun for you as it is for me. The last thing I want is for you to miss out on time with your friends, so please, don't feel bad about cancelling on me. Ever. Okay?" _

_She wondered what her freckled face had looked like in that moment, as Elsa's neutral mask broke, worry etching her features. Anna shook her head quickly, twin braids swaying side to side as she tried not to release angry tears over the fact that the beautiful, kind, and restrained girl before her saw herself as anything other than the best part of the Hufflepuff's day. _

_But, just like earlier with Kristoff, Anna's words failed her when she needed them the most. _

_Away after no response seemed forthcoming, Elsa parted from her with an "I'm sorry. I'll see you later. Goodnight." _

_A thick, blonde braid swung behind her as she ran a pale hand through her hair, somehow making her messy bangs more ordered, yet leaving Anna's mind once again a chaotic mess of Elsa and guilt._

* * *

All Anna had received from Elsa by way of greeting this morning was a small, closed off smile and a nod.

The fact that her friend felt the need to restrain herself was creating a huge crack in the red-head's heart. Elsa thought she was a burden to her, but the Anna knew it was the other way around.

This was her own fault. She hated herself for it.

"No chocolate this morning? I thought you loved Halloween candy."

Anna thought her neck might have a crick in it from turning it so rapidly. But hearing Kristoff's voice coming from next to her was worth it.

"Kristoff."

The blonde had sat a a full space to her left, but was watching her with a passive calm face. He looked tired.

_Suck it up. Stop being a child. Just speak._

Anna scooted over slowly, like she was approaching a proud, wounded Hippogriff.

"I'm…I'm so sorry."

His weary face seemed to brighten a bit. Anna felt her chest lighten immensely, like a giant had ceased sitting on her.

"You were right."

"You're right."

Their voices had combined as they blurted out simultaneously, and they laughed. It was warm, it was comfortable, and so damn easy.

"Christ, that's hard to admit, but you are. I apologize as well. Sorry I've been such an idiot. I'm fairly good at that."

"Well we both are then. But hey, the first step is admitting it. And the second step is doing something about it." Anna said with a wry grin, poking her finger into his fraying uniform vest.

"Right. I'm swearing to you now that I'll try and talk to her before her match tomorrow. So hold me to it, McKay." He brought her into a bear hug and when she finally was released, she found a brightly wrapped muggle candy bar tucked in at the nape of her neck.

"How did you get a Kit Kat!?"

Cheery, booming laughter echoed across the table as Anna ripped open the package with her bare teeth and snapped off a bar, scarfing it down with a deep moan.

"It was my extra peace offering, just in case you weren't so inclined to forgive me. I had my Uncle Pabbie send me a bunch of halloween candy you Americans like since he owns a corner shop. Almost didn't get here in time, but he and my aunt always have had trouble figuring out how to send stuff by wizarding mail. They don't like owls."

"You are so forgiven, I could kiss you. Dear god above, I haven't had muggle candy since I left North Carolina."

"Well don't go doing that, you'll just make Elsa more mopey than she already is."

"Wait, what?"

The big blonde settled in his seat, after Rachel and Olaf finally welcomed him back to the table with a "Missed you mate" and a "Finally for fucks sake."

Lowering his voice, he inclined his head towards an expectant Anna.

"I saw Elsa last night. I was gonna ask her if you liked white or milk chocolate better. When I brought you up, she looked so….I suppose deflated is a good word for it. She covered it up right quick enough, but still. I asked her if you two were in a row and she just kinda brushed me off. So what happened?"

"I tried to lie to her last night and she saw right through it. I mean, I've been kinda losing it over here, what with trying to not kiss her stupid face, and me being a jerk to you and not being able to talk to you about it. Anyway, last night I was having a rough time, and I told myself I needed to just get some distance between us so it would be easier for me, you know?"

"And you made up a terrible lie, instead of just asking for some space."

"Well duh! What would I be asking space from? Our friendship? Friends don't tell each other they can't hang out with them 'because they need space'."

"Fair enough. Anyway, you're a terrible liar, so I'm guessing she didn't handle it well."

"Right. The idiot just tells me that **she's** sorry for taking up all my time. Now _she_ thinks that _I_ think she's a burden or something. Which is so fucking ironic I may vomit angsty Daughter lyrics."

"I have no idea what Daughter is. But still, just tell her that." Kristoff said it so flippantly, like it was the easiest thing in the world to do.

"It's a big step for me to admit I have feelings for her, but it's another thing entirely to tell her. I just can't okay. Not yet anyway." Anna hissed back, smoothing two hands down her face and pulling her cheeks down into a distressed position.

She felt a gentle hand come around her and pull her onto a broad shoulder. She just leaned in and sighed.

"I understand. Don't worry so much about it. When you're ready and it feels right, just go for it."

She leaned back away from Kristoff and frowned down at the nicks on the old worn wood.

"What if I'm never ready? What if she doesn't even see me that way?" Anna mumbled, munching on the last bar of her candy bar, and began sucking the melted chocolate off her fingers.

"I've got faith in you McKay. You're a brave little thing. And as for Elsa, if her face is any indication right now, I'd say you probably have nothing to worry about."

With one finger still in her mouth, Anna snapped her attention to where the blonde was sitting earlier.

Elsa was biting down hard on her bottom lip, with her deep blue eyes somewhat glazed over and both dark sculpted eyebrows slowly arching up. She was staring so intently at Anna that she apparently didn't hear the Ravenclaw boy ask her a question.

_Wait, she…is she looking at my mouth?_

_Oh my god. _

Anna pulled her index finger out of her mouth quickly and swallowed down the nervous, hopeful lump in her throat. This seemed to snap Elsa back to attention. Her darkened eye's flicked quickly to Anna's surprised teal gaze, and then darted away.

Even from halfway across the hall, Anna could see Elsa's face flush about the same shade as her own red hair. The blonde abruptly excused herself from the table, and breezed out the hall, musing her hair and scratching her scalp several times.

"Like I said, nothing to worry about. Elsa just eyefucked you so hard she had to leave."

It was a good thing the hulky boy had been getting faster at running, because he at least made it out the hall before Anna's trip jinx hit him square in the back and he tumbled gracelessly into the entrance hall.

He was stopped from smacking the back of his head right into the balustrade of the marble staircase in the entrance hall by a pair of quick hands catching his cranium and stopping his momentum.

_This is too fucking priceless. Brilliant aim, McKay. _

Anna had the biggest shit eating grin plastered onto her face as she watched Wren gently lift Kristoff's head and then the rest of his giant form back to his feet.

"Easy there. I gotcha" she chuckled.

He eloquently thanked her with a "Ummm, bughh, ermm."

"Goodness, did Anna actually hit your head with that one?" She threw an incredulous smile at the red-head who had finally waltzed herself over to the pair and clapped Kristoff on the back.

"Nah, he's just like that around girls he thinks are hot."

Kristoff suavely chocked on his spit and then moved away from the girls hacking. Wren shuffled over to pat his back lightly, grimacing.

"_Mierda_, McKay you're just knocking the sense out of **everyone** today. "

Anna turned to her, eyebrows furrowed. "Wait, what?"

As Wren gave a final pat to Kristoff after he muttered out something that sounded like a thank you, she sauntered up to Anna with her light brown eye gleaming with mischief, and her golden orb glinting just as brightly in the morning sunlight.

As she moved past the anxious red-head, she lowered her voice and motioned with her head towards the dungeons.

"I don't think I've ever seen Elsa move that quickly in her life. I tried to say hello but she couldn't even answer me in English, apparently. I _think_ she said something in Norwegian about not feeling well, but I'm not sure what the words are for Kit Kat bars or sexually frustrated, so I could have misunderstood."

"Ummmm, Buuhh, Whaa" Anna retorted.

Anna observed through her stunned haze that Wren had a rather pleasant loud laugh, as it boomed out while she entered the great hall for breakfast.

"I think we're square now." Kristoff said, finally having gathered himself enough to come back to Anna's side.

"We are so hopelessly fucked."

"Clearly."

"Happy Halloween, Kristoff."

"At least nothing will be as traumatizing for us the rest of the day as that lovely encounter."

"I sure hope so."

It was only much later in that evening that Anna found that, much like hoping for rain at a funeral, wishing for a smoother holiday was a request that was God or whoever was up there chose to ignore.


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait again! You guys have been so kind, thank you for still reading this. For everyone back in school good luck this year! As promised, here is some plot. Enjoy (or don't, depends on how you look at it)! **

* * *

The table that Anna and Elsa shared in Alvard's class had exactly four nicks on the left hand side, two charcoal colored grains in deeply engraved in the wood that when combined together would look like the drawn symbol of Expeliarmus (at least to Anna's trained eye), several splotchy areas that looked like LongCast ink stains someone hadn't bothered to extract from the wood after they had spilled the permanent ink, leaving the light elm wood desk with accidental tattoos.

Anna would have thought Elsa knew all these things by now from sitting in the exact same seat for two and a half months, but apparently their table was far more interesting than anything else in the near vicinity. Her piercing icy gaze had refused to budge from the table top for the past half hour of class.

The red-head had decided to approach the day just as any other, despite the awkwardness of the morning. She had rushed to Defense class early and greeted Elsa at the door.

The blonde met her with a curt smile and nod, quietly asking her how she was doing. Despite the chilly greeting (and an oddly cool draft of air that hit her in the face, but it was November nearly, it **was** getting colder), Anna was not one to be deterred.

She continued to detail her classes this morning and how Professor Delphi trying to scare them with tragic and horrifying tea leaf readings that were guaranteed "to happen within a forthnight", and her potions class mainly concocting taste additives in large pumpkins instead of cauldrons.

Elsa hadn't made eye contact with her the entire time, even as they were seated at their table. Anna had noticed she gave an extra nasty glare to Roddick as she sat down.

"Oooof, wow okay, I think they need to start the heating charms. This is like the second time today that I've gotten the shivers randomly. Are you cold?"

Elsa closed her eyes and opened them tilting her head in Anna's direction (still no eye contact), the expression on her face somewhere between disbelief and disgust.

_Shit….Ice Queen…_

"You know I didn't mean it like that. Come on, Elsa."

"I know. You're fine." She huffed, nearly tearing off the cover of her textbook as she opened to the page where she had left her homework parchment. "And no, I'm not bothered by it."

"Wait, the cold or my..."

"Both. I had to get the nickname from somewhere, Ms. McKay."

_God this is bad. This is really bad. Is she pissed at me? Is she embarrassed I caught her staring this morning? If she would just look me in the eye…_

Professor Alvard had even received a very short, drone-like answer to her question about slashing spell's effectiveness directed at Elsa, which gave the middle aged witch a nearly imperceptible pause in her usual meandering about the classroom as she glanced out the corner of her eye at the statue like blonde.

_I am in deep here. Time to cowboy up and fix this. Be brave, for once in your life. _

Finally, Alvard ended the class by handing out a pamphlet on defeating "monsters" that was intended to be humorous, but one of the drawings was a bit too morbid for Anna to imagine crossing. Again.

_No, heartbeat…..just slow back down….cmon. I am not thinking about anything. Not thinking at all. _

She refused to look at any drawings of large furry creatures snarling.

Her breathing had picked up slightly as she crumpled up the papers and tossed them at the nearest trash can hurriedly, smoothing her hands over her legs as if to wipe them clean from any residue of ink.

_Focus on breathing. There isn't any smoke here, nothing is watching you. You're not in the road, it's a chair. I am holding onto a chair. _

"Anna..."

It was a breath, nothing more, but Anna's ears seemed to be attuned to that low, feminine register.

Concern, restrained though as it was, was still present in Elsa's expression as she bent down to Anna's level. She had already pushed her chair in and seemed to be in the process of hurrying out of the classroom, but something had stopped her.

_Wait, are we the last ones in here?_

Breaking her gaze away from Elsa's, she looked around and only saw Alvard sitting at the front of her desk, watching the pair with a very curious set of brown eyes, framed by elegant navy lenses.

"Is everything alright you two?"

"Of course Professor, she just knocked her knee against the edge of the table and it smarts a bit I reckon, right Anna?" Imploring, steady blue eyes bored into her own and Anna gave strained "Yeah", unable to answer with anything else as she regulated her breathing to match the pace that Elsa was tapping out on the back of her hand.

Anna stood to her feet abruptly and shot Alvard her largest smile, exiting the classroom with a very shrill "Happy Halloween!"

Anna made it to down three flights of stairs with Elsa hot on her heels before she finally turned a random corner into an empty classroom and collapsed down at a desk, putting her head between her knees.

She heard a door close quietly. A lock turned. Nearly silent footfalls moved to right in front of her. A very soft, cold pressure fell to the back of her red locks and Anna's breathing began to slow once again.

"Please just get out of here Elsa."

Silence. Three more breaths.

"Do you want to be left alone?" a very small, timid voice asked. Anna didn't have enough wits about her to decipher why it sounded so broken.

She took a very deep breath in through her noise, held it for a few seconds and released it slowly, along with the memories of what she thought she had seen in between the pines on a smoke-filled August night.

_Repeat. Focus. In out. I am going to be okay. Shake it out. _

Anna peered down at Elsa's tapered jaw clenching and unclenching, flexing the edges of her strained expression.

"Alright, just keep breathing for me. Deep breaths Anna. Do you take anything for panic attacks?"

"They aren't panic attacks, they're just….I dunno…just spells. Little stress conniptions. They don't happen all the time and I'm not scared or anything, I just can't focus when I get caught up in the accident."

"Alright Anna, I'll leave you alone once it's finished okay? I promise, you don't have to see me for the rest of the day."

_Great now my heart rate is picking up again. Need to get the guilt off my chest. Just go. _

"Elsa, I know I'm an idiot and tried to make stupid excuses to your face. It was definitely not because I don't want to spend time with you. How could you ever think you were burdening me? Why did that even cross your mind. I mean, look at us right now. You're in here even though you're mad at me. Do you think I would even have let you past that door if I thought you were going to do anything but make me feel better?"

"I…Anna, I didn't mean to be…I'm not…"

"Would I let you talk me down from two silly little stress spells and not trust you? I just. I can't fathom how _wrong_ you are about yourself. My problem is that I want to spend too much of my time with you. I've been that friend or girlfriend or just person in general before who just doesn't know when to stop and back off. I don't want to scare you away. I just… you're the best thing."

"Anna breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth okay?"

"I'm trying but I just, I keep seeing, I- I want you to know this stuff."

_Am I doing this now? I guess I'm telling her now. Just go. Again. _

"My parents died this summer. Vehicle explosion. I was in the car but there was a strong enough child _Perge_ spell drawn in the rear seat that it repelled most of the initial engine burst. My mom had just turned around in her seat to high five me for burping, her eyes had that little crinkle on the left side that she always got because she smiled too big on that side. It was lopsided. My dad was in the middle of taking a breath in to burp back at me.

Then everything was on fire. Like sitting in the middle of the sun. I couldn't see anything for a bit, I was so scared I wouldn't see anything ever again.

I remember waking up in half off the seat on the side of the road, with nothing around me but smoke, car parts, and red spray on the two yellow lines.

Something really loud kept ringing in my ears and I wanted it to stop. I realized that it was me screaming after a minute. I can't remember how long it took me to find my wand and to do an Opem cast. I had just finished it and looked around and the smoke was being blown away from me.

It was really hot outside, but it was a clear night. It was so ungodly hot outside. We were about a mile from my house because I recognized the bent stop sign at the end of the road.

There was this weird noise so I looked over into the pine woods. There's like so many trees around my house. It's really pretty, the forest is covering you. It always felt so safe, so I couldn't understand…

I saw this big fluffy thing. It was huffing in the smoke through its nose. It-it was this bear. This fucking huge ass black bear. Breathing smoke. It snarled at me. Then the paramedics started apparating in and I didn't see it anymore. I was still screaming when they knocked me out to go to Boone Regional."

Time had just began to have significance again when Anna noticed how wet her face felt. And how warm the rest of her body was.

_Oh. That's why. _

Elsa had pulled the shaking girl into her lap on the dusty floor, and was soothingly counting to ten (_How long has she been doing that_?), her slender arms crushing the red-head to her chest. Her left hand was methodically smoothing over Anna's glossy hair, her nose and lips pressed near the freckles on Anna's temple, warm exhales puffing out so gently against her skin.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to just unload on you, but, you're here. You're **always** freaking here. I wanted you to know, I just didn't think I could talk about it. And I didn't want you to act weird around me. Everyone does. I just want things to be normal. I want to feel normal again.

God I am so selfish. I'm so pathetic. Please just go. You don't have to be around for this, you don't need this kind of shit in your life."

Elsa clung on tighter as Anna weakly attempted to extract herself from the blonde's embrace.

"It's alright, Anna. I've got you, okay?"

She gave a slow nod and continued breathing along to Elsa's rhythmic counting, the soft voice as soothing as a lullaby.

_I'm gonna be so late for Charms. _

Anna sat back eventually on her haunches, wiping off her face. Eyeing the wet stains on her shoulder, Elsa pulled her vest off and handed it to the red-head, who took it resignedly and wiped up her nose and watery teal eyes.

"I'll go handle Hendrix, tell her that you were helping me with the feast tonight. Go lie down darling. Olaf, Sven and I can probably handle the other classes between us."

"Stop helping me. You're pissed at me."

"Anna I am not mad at you. Not right now."

Elsa flinched back as Anna threw a hard glare at her.

"No. Me having a dumb spell like this doesn't mitigate how you feel or what happened. I don't' get to be excused from being a jerk to you because I'm a special little snowflake, okay? You can be mad at me. Don't you dare just forgive me because you think I can't handle it at the moment."

"But… I wasn't even mad at you."

"Elsa, you're the best liar I know. But please cut the crap. I'm okay now. Talk to me. "

A pale brow furrowed slightly, and finally her deep blue eyes drifted slowly to the floor for a second.

"I wasn't mad at you. I was just... disappointed. Mostly in myself. But a bit in you, I suppose. Because you just seemed to….just… want to be around me. When I heard you trying to make excuses to get away from me, it hurt. I didn't see it coming, not from you. And it always seems to have gone this way with people I meet here. I get attached and …and then I can't keep them around. Eventually I stopped trying so hard. I really didn't want that to happen with you, because…."

A light hitch in her breath, and Elsa met Anna's eyes once more.

"You're just this- this precious friend to me. You make me so…overjoyed. I've never had that, someone who makes me feel like laughing even when you're not next to me. But I want you there. I think so many people feel that way about you, being around you just makes everything seem so… I dunno, exhilarating? Because that's how _you_ see the world and it rubs off on people. But I am not going to keep you from what you want. **You** need people around you. I'm not that way, I don't get on well with most anyone like you. So please don't let me hold you away, that's important to me, and it should be to you to."

"I-I didn't mean to come across that way."

An awkward chuckle fell across Elsa's lips. "I understand that now, but still. If you want space, please don't let me hoard you. I know how popular you are, everyone loves you. I hear it all the time and I swear, I admire every time that you force even the grumpiest stranger to laugh."

"I even made you keel over the first time I met you" Anna sniffed out.

"Very true."

Rising to her feet shakily, supported by Elsa's trembling arms, Anna pulled her into a hug.

"Thank you for listening. I wanted to be so much more composed for that."

Elsa just shushed her and placed her chin on top of a freckled forehead.

"I don't think anyone can really ever be completely put together talking about them for the first time. You are the bravest, Anna McKay. And I am so very glad you're here."

"I forget sometimes that they aren't. I wanted to tell them about how Wren's eye has the same charm sequence as their VivioScope. Or that Kristoff can burp louder than my dad. Or about you and if they knew anyone else that doesn't use their dominant hand as their wand hand. But I can't."

"It's hard. It's the worst part I think about the whole mess, that absent ache in your chest. I would love to tell you it goes away. But eventually it doesn't hurt so much, most days."

Anna squirmed away to look Elsa in the face once more, mouth filling to the brim full of questions.

But mournful blue eyes and a miniscule shake of her head made Anna's jaw snap up.

"Another time then?"

"…Maybe. I am nowhere near as brave as you, I don't think it will go as smoothly," Elsa said quietly, taking hold of Anna's hand with her left and picking up the red-head's abandoned books to stuff in her leather bag.

"If this is what you call smoothly, I think you may need to sort out your definitions a bit," Anna scoffed, unlocking the door and moving out into the stairwell. She looked down at their interlocked hands, pairs of fingers entwined so closely. It was like holding a lightning rod. Something solid and grounding, but was fully capable of sending pleasant jolts up Anna's spine.

_God I get weird after those spells. I need to tone it down. _

This was only confirmed when she noticed blue eyes hastily scanning the empty hallway.

_Don't give any fuel for rumors. She doesn't need that sort of ridicule. At least do one thing right today. _

Sighing Anna dropped her hand, only to feel her first two forefingers be reclaimed tightly by Elsa.

"Oh… um…I just thought…" Anna stammered out, as Elsa fixed her with a hesitant but curious look.

"I just didn't…I don't want anyone to make fun of you. Or give you shit about us together…wait…. ME. I mean me. Give you crap about being seen with me. Together. "

_Mouth, just because we had a little episode back there doesn't mean it is okay to spill trade secrets to the object of our affection. We are having a work meeting later about your performance in the field. _

Elsa was silent for a few agonizing moments. Her brow was creased with her visage switching from confused to stunned to distant and thoughtful quicker than a quaffle being passed on the pitch.

Anna watched in pure amazement as she witnessed up close how quickly Elsa's pale skin colored. Her regal, high-bones cheeks were now flushed pink in a splotchy patches. Those full lips were sputtering, as they failed to force out coherent words.

Anna's legs felt like they were going to give out. Which was no good as she had a feeling that she was going to be chasing after the blonde to apologize, seeing as Elsa had backed away a bit, turning slightly as if to begin making her escape from the over-zealous creepy red-head.

Then, in a hasty jerk of a motion, Elsa turned back to Anna and her still outstretched-hand. She drug a free hand through her cream-colored bangs, shoving them to the top of her head where they remained a stiff and unmoving crown. Determinedly puffing out a breath, Elsa put on a startlingly good impression of Anna's pre-match face.

"I don't really care much for what other people will say. I'm walking you back to your dorm. Come on then."

If Anna wasn't being forcibly drug down to the kitchen by Elsa's devil's snare-like grip on her hand, she was fairly certain she would have been floating off into the rafters on cloud nine.

_Forget my neck crick, I'm getting full blown whiplash from this emotional rollercoaster today. _

They reached the kitchen hallway and Elsa blubbered out something about checking up on Anna later, or to send word with Kristoff or Rachel if she didn't feel up to visiting, and a few muttered sorry's. Anna watched in a daze as Elsa clumsily ran into an empty barrel (that she apologized to as well) near the entrance to the Hufflepuff common room as the flustered blonde had attempted to make her exit to speak with Professor Hendrix.

Certain that she had been hallucinating, Anna drug herself into her bed, pulled the heavy golden curtains shut around the frame and rolled up into a tiny ball. Exhaustion was rapidly crashing over her, drowning out the brief high she had been on.

So much had been cleared up, but Anna felt raw and vulnerable. Sharing had overloaded her.

Despite the fact that the room was empty, she cast out her mother's modified Muffliato charm around her bed space as she allowed the warning prickling sensation behind her eyes to finally release.

Not even the memory of Elsa's tight grip in her own, or the fact that she still had the older girl's soft woolen vest in hand could dull the ache of the jagged edges around the hole in her chest.

Anna covered her face with the dampened grey fabric and wept. For her mother's crooked grin and her father's merry blue eyes.

They were alive in her mind and she could hear them clear as ever: roaring for her after she scored her very first goal at New Amsterdam's; hoarse shouting leaving biting wounds over her sneaking out in the middle of the night to go cause mayhem with Billy; softly spoken reassurance that they were so proud of her for being able to love whoever she wanted; the three-part harmony that was the ever present care-free laughter that filled the McKay home.

Eventually, the memories drifted into nonsensical dreams as Anna mercifully faded into unconsciousness. When Rachel woke her up with a gentle shake to see if she wanted to head down to the Halloween feast, the light from the day was being sent out by a heavy torrent of rain. Anna felt like laughing from the bitter irony of finally getting cooperative weather for her misery as she depuffed her swollen red eyes to head to the great hall.


	12. Chapter 12

**Author Note: Again. I am sorry this is so late. But it's longish! And it has sports! Hooray sports!**

* * *

Wind was whipping hair across her face despite the fact it was braided into her normal thick twin plaits. The pelting rain had already plastered her bangs to her forehead but the baby fly-aways continued to smart across her ruddy, freckled cheeks. It was cold. It was miserable in every degree.

But Anna was ecstatic.

Elsa was grinning and shouting to her left. The blonde's hair had remained annoyingly perfect the entire game, long bangs styled back in their usual messy crown, but her face was turning slightly red from cheering and chanting so loudly. Both Rachel and Anna had asked how on earth she was not complaining about the deep chill in the November morning as they stood shivering in their long robes jumpers, and golden and black scarves. ( "How in the name of Merlin's sack do you not have those scarves wrapped around your face? Me and Anna are probably going to catch our death out here and Kaldrskra over here is dressed like she is going to the shore!" "Rachel, calm yourself sweetie." "Do not sweetie me Evan, your twiggy arm is doing nothing to warm me right now." "Be nice to me babe, or I'm taking my extra coat back.")

Elsa had looked so astonished for a second at Rachel that Anna had laughed out loud. Hearing the peal of shaking laughter permeated by chattering of teeth, Elsa finally took note that Anna had been turning quite ruddy from the wind, despite the fact that the blonde and Sven had cast a large rain deflection charm over the row's heads.

That was how Anna had ended up wearing three scarves, her Hufflepuff one, an emerald and silver one wrapped over her shoulders ( under her cloak of course, she was NOT supporting Slytherin today. Elsa had chuckled and shrugged, commenting that the deep forest green suited the flushed redhead), and a scarlet and gold striped scarf whose ends she wrapped tightly around her fists and switched periodically from wrapping the majority of it over her head to block the wind or waving around in the air like a madman whenever Wren scored.

Which was often. And spectacular each time.

Sven, Franklin, and Gabby were beside themselves, as were the rest of the Gryffindors around them. The chanting was deafening, the lionhearted students roaring (some like true lions, thanks to some flavored candies), kissing each other dramatically and making themselves perfectly scarlet in the face from their enthusiasm. Anna felt nearly drunk with the energy flowing through the crowd. This was her absolute favorite thing about Quidditch, watching how much it meant to the fans. That kind of devotion was usually reserved for Quodpot back in the states, but here with the yelling and energy crackling through the air like a stray lightning bolt, Anna felt right at home.

She knew exactly how palpable the crowd's spirit was to the player. It had always filled her with a particular buoyancy in her chest to hear a random shout of her last name in a chant of support. It made her fly faster, flip quicker, and toss the quaffle with more spin. Anna would always put on the performance of her life when the crowd was behind her.

And today, it seemed the entire stadium was attempting to fuel on Wren's fire. The chant of "Ay Diaz mio!" was heard loud and clear despite the high wind and pelting rain, the happy roars snuffing out the expected earnest booing and groaning from the Slytherins. Seeing the set jaws and outright screaming and tossing of signs from the Slytherin's, made Anna glad that they had insisted over breakfast that Elsa sit with their group rather than the other prefects of her house if she was going to be cheering for Wren and wearing her scarf.

* * *

_The red head had made an extremely quick appearance in the great hall for the Halloween feast last night, only picking at her dinner as the ghosts and other students celebrated. She had desperately wanted to be in higher spirits and tried her best to feed off of the excitement in the air, but she was lagging in conversations and her pallor only increased every time the fat friar flew overhead and frightened the first years. She had been growing sick of thinking so much of the dead. _

_Kristoff then took her elbow softly and lead her out of the hall while the choral section recited out some song she had vaguely heard once in a Shakespeare play. He looked once over his shoulder and gave a nod and a wave off to someone behind him. Anna lacked the energy to see who it was too, but she could have made a well-educated guess. She just moved her hand into a thumbs up position to signal Elsa and allowed Kristoff to take her all the way to the girls dormitory hallway. His departing hug was warm and tight, and his brown sorrowful eyes almost seemed to shine in the candlelight as he told her to get some sleep, and that it would all be right in the morning. Anna felt dehydrated, heavy and allowed herself a few more minutes of sulking before she fell asleep to the sound of her mother's laugh playing over in her head._

* * *

_Elsa had been waiting near the kitchens when the Hufflepuffs had come out for breakfast before the match. She had greeted everyone with a small smile but a noticeable bounce in her step, and even Rachel grinned at her enthusiasm. The rain had not let up completely, but the sun was still making a valiant attempt at lighting the sky. The vision of the pale sunlight turning the blonde hair near white as Elsa walked alongside her had placed a solid smile on Anna's face. _

_The small group was joined right outside the din of great hall by Rachel's boyfriend Evan, a tall lanky Ravenclaw with shocking light grey eyes and several muggle and magical tattoos visible on his forearms. He wrapped a long arm around her shoulders and planted a loud smacking kiss on the dirty blonde's head as she blushed and swatted him off. Turning to them as they followed his lazy strut into the hall, Anna couldn't help but giggle at the boy's floof of hair remaining on the top of his head (he had both sides faded into a very stylish undercut) bouncing with every step. _

"_Hallo everyone! We all hype for the match? I know I can't wait to watch Wrendalyn give the snakeys a fucking thrashing. Bunch of gobbey bung suckers those Slyther—Oh! Kaldrskra! Christ, I didn't mean you of course. OW! Love, that __**hurt**__. I know Elsa is going to be rooting for Wren, even if it gets her killed probably," the boy intoned in a lively, but smooth deep voice. _

"_Oh Merlin, I forgot about that! Elsa, you best sit with us today. For your own safety, you don't want a black eye or worse, a nose full of slugs." Olaf rushed out as he shoveled steamed honeyed carrots (Sven had sold him on the dish) and hot chocolate down his throat. _

"_I think you lot are exaggerating. I rooted for Wren when she played last, and I came back fine!" the blonde retorted from her seat next to Anna at the Hufflepuff table. _

"_Yes, but that was four years ago when everyone didn't know how much of a softy you truly are. They'll eat you alive this year, Your Majesty," Kristoff teased. Elsa tilted her chin up in a defiant show of haughty authority that was abruptly ruined by her snorting laughter as Anna tickled her side. _

_Evan whispered something in Rachel's ear, which made her bark out a muted laugh and nod, glancing briefly at the pair who were in the midst of a group wide discussion about the worst ramifications of the prefect not sitting with a friendly group today. _

_Sven and Gabby milled about briefly (Sven even gave Kristoff's face a messy smack of scarlett and gold paint on both sides of his face) before they were drug over to the Gryffindor table to speak with Marshall and the other members of the boisterous team who were eating breakfast and casting glares, hoots, and the occasional juice over at the equally crowded, and rowdy Slytherin table. _

"_Where is Wren?" Anna whispered to Elsa, the blonde ducking her head and leaning in close to hear. This caused Anna to be hit by the familiar half-scent, half-burn of a chilly winter morning. _

_**My god, I think I need a moment. How the fuck does she smell like something that doesn't even have a scent!? **_

_Elsa didn't notice Anna's eyes glaze over briefly as her pale brow furrowed and she began scanning the hall, and entry way. _

"_That is a good ques-….oh my….Wren. You lunatic, what are you thinking," she spoke to herself, shaking her head in disbelief with a smirk planted on her face. _

_Anna, the rest of the table and seemingly the entire Great Hall whipped their heads over to the doorway as Wren Diaz strode in clad only in a red sports bra, her quidditch jodhpurs and boots. Black concentric circular tattoos rippled along the caramel skin of her arms, rib cage and flexing stomach as she waltzed right up to the Hufflepuff table. Ignoring the catcalls, various shouts of "attention whore" and other less polite names hailing from the Slytherin table, she stopped next to Kristoff and leaned over the table to request Elsa and Anna's help with something. _

_Evan was roaring with laughter ("My god, I know I told you we should step up the band's sex appeal, but this is putting in overtime Wreny. Look what you did to Kristofferson!") causing Rachel to wallop him in the arm and side. Kristoff was so red in the face, and facing resolutely forward that he barely had time to sputter out a " Good luck today, Wren!" as the trio made their way towards the front doors. _

_Wren and Elsa both had their chins upturned, looking like monarchs striding onto the field of battle, completely above the sneers and gazes of their subjects. The intense set and glint of deep blue eyes roved over and silenced any students who attempted to speak to them. _

_Anna couldn't tell if she was frightened, impressed, or turned on by the wickedly icy regal composure Elsa held, and honestly she needed to focus more on trying not to trip and ruin this bad ass exit. _

"_Okay, so question. When the fuck did you get tattoos and how come I've never seen them? Also do you normally walk like you are on a runway? Not that I don't enjoy feeling like I'm in Destiny's Child, but why didn't you just grab Elsa, why am I here?" Anna fired rapidly as soon as they exited the castle and began to head towards the locker room entry tunnel. _

_Elsa rolled her eyes and cast a long suffering grin and shrug in response to Wren's quirked eyebrow as the girl began walking backwards to face them, leading them into the dry overhang of the tunnel lip. _

"_McKay, I've had these since I turned thirteen, and nobody sees them outside of music performances because I keep them concealed with that nifty transfiguration spell most of the time. They are a tool, not just art." As she stuck out her hands to the side, there was a flex, a ripple and then a vibration of a loud three tone harmony that caught in Anna's chest. _

"_Sweet Saint Mungo. I've only heard about those kinds of inks! You have, like, five of them, my god, did they have to knock you out for that?" the redhead muttered out in astonishment. _

"_What I think is the most impressive is the control she has. Wren can compose with them as well, not just make nonsensical sound., I read that only five other living wizards can do that and they are all well into their thirties." Elsa stated proudly, beaming down at Anna's dropped jaw. _

"_Okay, enough of that, please," Wren said softly, as they reached the tunnel leading into the locker room. "I needed both of you today McKay, because Elsa told me that your parents did work on the VivioScope technology and charm. That's the one that my sister engraved into the outer and inner shell of my gold eye. That's how I can have such a…normal looking eye and it can go directly…um.. in my socket. Because I'm bouncing sound waves off it continually throughout the day and the VivioScope connects it directly into the nerve receptors, so it's not bulky. That's how I see with it, technically, it's really similar to, um, echolocation I believe the word was." _

_Anna didn't try to fight down her surprised grin and soft laugh. She slowly brought her hand up to brush near the golden orb still in Wren's head, casting her classic assuring smile at the nervous twitch of Wren's lips. _

"_That is incredible. My dad thought it up for absolute precision sound systems for big name concerts, but they would have loved to see the scope implemented this way." _

"_McKay … me and my sister…she reads the tech journals, they had an obituary in it this summer. They saved my life you know, and we are both so very sorry." _

_Only steady breathing on Anna's part could be heard, the other two older girls having fallen perfectly silent. She took in the distraught tilt in a light brown eye, the feel of the chilly November morning, crisp morning air impregnated with the humidity and the scent of wet earth, a solid hand placed into the small of her back. _

_**And I'm okay. I'm here. Remember how this feels. The ache is there. So are their smiles, their legacy. I'm looking at it right now. **_

"_Thank you, they would have been so happy to know they made someone's life better. What do you need me to help you with today though?"_

"_I am not super certain about flying without my eye in today, I nearly got blindsided by a bludger during our last practice and Hans is going to have it out for me today. So, I was wondering, if maybe you knew enough of the Vivio charm to help Elsa engrave it on the patch and so she can stitch it in?" Wren asked bashfully, crossing her arms over her chest tightly. _

_Elsa glanced over at Anna, her eyebrows elevated slightly and concern shining in her eyes. _

_**I'm okay. They'd be proud. They would be so excited about this and me helping. **_

_Anna threw her arm over the blonde's shoulder and shot her a bright smile._

"_I think we can manage that for ya. Let's see the patch."_

_Wren gave a relieved sigh and pulled the grey metallic patch out of a brown soft pouch on her hip, handing it to Anna who plopped down outside the unoccupied locker room and whipped out her wand to trace symbols in the dirt below from memory. _

_Anna only broke focus when Wren coughed, apparently snapping Elsa back to attention from whatever dream land that had caused her to have a lopsided, gentle little smile on her reddening countenance. _

"_Yes, she is very skilled with her hands, but can you help me get this eye out?" Wren muttered wryly, causing Elsa to flick her wand up to freeze the tip of Wren's nose. _

_After the curly haired girl had finished shaking her head, Elsa grumbled and stilled her face, bringing her long, thin ivory wand to the glinting orb. _

"_Listo?" A deep breath. "Si, vamos."_

_Curiosity overcame her and Anna watched guiltily as a small crack and pop echoed from the tip of Elsa's wand, releasing the orb from Wren's head. The girl's jaw was clenched and a pained little whine escaped her throat as Elsa immediately covered up where the eye once sat and placed the golden ball into the small brown pouch. _

_Elsa removed her hand slowly from Wren's face, who took no time in covering up the same spot, returning her breathing to a steady rhythm. They both faced Anna, who had returned to diligently scraping out the complex Gaelic, and archaic warlock symbols used for her parent's modified charm sequence in the dirt. _

_Both elder girls watched intently as Anna finished up with a satisfied "Ah!" and then rotated her wrist to bring up the symbols from the dirt into a shimmering line in the air, muttering out different stabilizing casts and enchantments to keep the incomplete and weak charm from dissipating, just like her mother had taught her the long night she had helped Anna with her final presentation and demonstration for medical bone setting spells._

_Anna pumped her fists into the air as the charm set perfectly around the edges of the patch, glowing a light blue and then fading into a ripple in the air, like phantom heat waves on the paved roads in the summer. Wren's jaw was hanging slack, a look of admiration and wonder on her face. _

_Elsa was tilting her head slightly, her eyes piercing Anna's in what could only be described as adoration. "You are absolutely a marvel."_

"_Yes she is, no wonder you- OW!" Wren grunted as Elsa flicked her once again with the tip of her wand, casting out a thin coat of ice on the tattoos of her left arm. _

_Chuckling awkwardly, and trying not to get too distracted by Elsa's rapt attention, Anna hauled herself off the ground over to the pair. _

"_Here ya go, try that on. The ends should connect, but only to the skin. I have no idea how to construct the organic part of the connective tissue innervation sequence, so you won't be able to get a direct reading, but it should vibrate correctly in whichever direction the waves bounce off it."_

_Wren turned to face the wall quickly, and set the patch over her left eye socket. She turned back, smoothing her fingers across the long white scar that disappeared into her hair line. Wren twitched her face, closed her eye and rolled her shoulders. Slight tremors could be seen rippling along her left cheek and brow and the patch hummed. She remained testing out the patch in deep focus as the two girls looked on. _

**_There's no noise...is she using a lower frequency?_**

_There was a light pressure on her shoulder, and then she felt as Elsa leaned in so close to her ear that her breath ruffled the baby hairs that had fallen out of her not so neat and damp plaits. _

"_Thank you so much for doing this for her. I can't tell you how impressed I am, you are kind of magnificent, truly." Elsa tilted back again to gaze at the red-head endearingly, but she didn't lean back quite far enough, as her nose was only centimeters from a freckled face. Anna couldn't tear her eyes away, and nearly forgot how to breath as blue eyes glanced momentarily at her own lips. _

_She heard and saw a slight hitch of breath pass through those full lips, and.._

_**She's leaning in. Oh.**_

"_**Mierda**__, that feels funny, but I can feel how close the wall is and where the exit is even with my eye closed. I have a __**vague**__ idea of where you two stand, but I can only make out distance really." _

_The two nearly jumped apart as Wren sighed and opened her eye, massaging her cheek tenderly. She cast the girls who were staring resolutely at the ground a befuddled look, shrugged and then came forward to wrap the blonde and red head in quick, but tight hugs. _

"_Thank you so much. You have no idea how much this means to me. I…Just, thank you. For helping me. I needed it," she said, her voice wavering slightly as she stepped back and took a shuddering breath. _

"_Do you want me to stitch it in now?" Elsa spoke up softly, her face still very much splotchy, but seemingly intent on distracting herself with action as she placed her wand near Wren's face. _

"_Sure, but just the top ridge. Coach Anderson has to do a mandatory check on the socket to make sure I'm not concealing the eye under the patch. Wessleton's idea." Wren grumbled, when Anna gave a surprised snort. _

"_I swear I'll knock that man's toupee clean off his head," Anna promised gravely to Wren, who just laughed as Elsa set about stitching the patch with a light blue glowing spell that Anna had never seen before. _

_**She's using her left hand… that's different…**_

"_That'd be a lovely sight. But I think I'll settle for fucking his old house so hard that he'll need to shuffle about like the chicken he is for a week," as she smirked back at Anna, earning her a clap on the back from the Hufflepuff chaser. _

"_Right, it's all set in then. I did the new stitch we tried out in September since that held perfectly. And you'll do wonderfully today Wren, I have a good feeling," Elsa claimed, her demeaoner open and light as she gave the shorter girl a quick hug and pulled back. _

_"But please put a shirt on, or you'll give your poor blond boy a heart attack," she teased, a mischievous glint that Anna rarely got to see in her narrowed blue eyes. _

_Anna laughed out like a seal as Wren turned away, her face more disgruntled than a tickled sleeping dragon. _

"_At least I have the decency to not attempt to snog someone when my friends are in the same vicinity."_

"_You quite literally strutted about half naked in front of the entire school this morning. I think you are the last person here who can talk to me about decency."_

"_Hatred." _

"_See you at the match! Cuidate!" _

"_Skål__, you bitch!" _

_Anna took Elsa's offered hand, giggling at the shouting friends as she drug Elsa towards the castle, where small packs of painted students had begun to pour out to head towards the stadium as many cast reflective rain spells over their heads and braced themselves against the uprising wind. _

_As they neared Kristoff, Rachel and Evan, who were trying to keep Olaf's cloak and large Go Go Gryffindor sign from flying away, Elsa slid her hand out of Anna's and in the lightest of touches to her shoulder , she cleared her throat. _

"_So…um…what Wren said…about that...when I... in the tunnel..." Elsa stuttered, throwing quick glances from Anna back to her own black leather boots. _

_**My god, she isn't just going to ignore it! Holy shit, okay, she is just as nervous as you too. And it's the day after a breakdown, but I did better today… emotions are running high still….slow it down. Easy McKay. **_

"_We can talk about it later if you want some time to think about it," Anna said quietly, reassuringly. She caught those shy blue eyes and tilted her head back towards the group. "We don't have to act any differently for them. Don't worry." _

"_If you say so, then I won't. Tomorrow then?" _

"_It's a date."_

* * *

And so she found herself here, overjoyed to be wrapped up in the excitement of the affair and Elsa's scarves. Anna closed her eyes, saving the bright burning in her chest so she wouldn't forget how it felt, this moment in time, this place.

She opened them to yet another spectacular passing sequence initiated by Franklin's younger brother (the older brother had dyed his afro a rotating rainbow of red and yellow and was currently leaning over the side of the banister two rows down, screaming at the top of his lungs) who dumped the ball seemingly into open air. As a heavy set Slytherin chaser raced to reach the quaffle, a dart of scarlet flashed by her, kicking the ball feet first into the waiting hands of the last Gryffindor chaser, who delayed a moment and then rocketed what seemed to be a lazy shot right outside the score zone.

Unfortunately for the captain Landry, Wren had already arrived to adjust the direction of the quaffle with a rapid open aired bicycle kick. The crowd was in hysterics again as she racked up her 18th goal of the day, the beaming chaser swinging her broomstick back under her to speed away to mid-pitch.

Anna was jumping up and down, waving the red and gold scarf wildly about in the air. Kristoff was looking love struck as ever as he clapped and hollered for his old friend. Sven was placing sloppy kisses on Olaf's cheek as the boy shook his sign about with his stickly arms. Evan and Rachel both performed a synchronized pelvic thrust towards the Slytherin section. Elsa had both of her hands cupped about her mouth, booming something out in Spanish that was returned by another responding Spanish phrase from somewhere in the upper section near the professors.

Wren apparently heard this and was in the middle of twisting about as she sped past to find the source of the voice in the crowd with a shocked and expectant grin still plastered on her face when it happened.

Anna had thought that Wren had a pleasant laugh. She also learned that she had a heart-stopping scream.

Scarlett splattered across her tanned face as she slumped too far to her left side, loosing her balance as her hand shot to cover her now exposed eye socket.

Fortunately, as she fell, she kept a hand on her broom and she jerked to a stop, dangling mid air. And even better news the small Gryffindor seeker had snatched the snitch from somewhere high above in the emptying dark clouds, was coming down into view shaking it above her head.

In the middle of the peal signaling the end of the match and a victory, a very vulnerable Wren was nailed by two extremely well placed bludgers on her left hand side, resulting in a very loud crack, thud and whoosh as she fell limp out of the air.

Amid the cacophony of roaring and shrieks, Anna only made out a familiar voice shout "No!".

A flash of blue and white whizzed close by her head, fluttering the whispy baby hairs. A huge pile of snow materialized in the middle of the muddy pitch below Wren Diaz as she toppled into the soft fluff with a muted thud.

It felt like time had stopped, as everyone began rushing out of the stands, shoving each other out of the way in rabid fashion to get as close to the pitch barricade as possible.

Confusion was running rampant in the air, but no one was nearly as stunned as Anna McKay, who had just watched Elsa Kaldrskra cast out small house sized patch of snow. Her ivory wand nowhere in sight. Her left hand still outstretched, but clenching in on itself slowly as a complex pattern of glowing blue geometric fractals faded out from the pale skin skin.

Anna couldn't tell if Elsa was looking on at the scene of her best friend bleeding scarlet from her face and ribs into the pristine snow, or at her own hand, but one thing was becoming ingrained in her memory. Those wide blue eyes displaying nothing but terror.

* * *

**Another Author Note: Look! Plot! Also, if you would like to see what I imagined Wren's tattoo to look like, shoot me a PM. Hope you guys have a good week! **


	13. Chapter 13

**Author Note: Okay. Apology time. Sorry this took a month an a half, and all you get is a short chapter, as I haven't reached the other major plot points of the story I have planned yet and it took quite sometime to think of how to get there. But it should be going faster now, hopefully I won't keep getting odd hour shifts at work. I will finish this, so don't you worry. And thank you so much for continuing to read this rambling thing, despite the horribly long wait. Cheers!**

* * *

Anna supposed it was a good thing that wizarding hospital wards didn't smell like disinfectant and bleach. She hated the scent of that sickly cleanliness. It brought back bad memories.

These errant thoughts flew through her head with no lasting power, like the dust motes swirling through the brightly flickering candle flames of the long hall leading to the ward door.

Seated on a heavy old bench a few paces down the hall, Anna's attention was focused on the back of Elsa's head, ducked low and clutched tightly between her trembling hands. Desperate and unnaturally deep breaths punctuated the seemingly pulsating chill that had taken hold of the autumn twilight fading through the windows set in stone walls.

Anna fought with all her might to keep her teeth from chattering, if only to spare Elsa any further stress as they waited for Professor Alvard, and Headmaster Wesselton to admit them entrance into the ward after they were done questioning Wren about what exactly had occurred only a few hours prior.

* * *

"_GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY WAY! THAT'S MY SISTER!" _

_A short muscular woman wrestled her way through the throng of students attempting to crowd onto the banks of the pitch. She tore the bright checkered fabric covering the wooden barrier as she flung herself over onto the forgiving muddy pitch, and sprinted hard, slipping amongst the mud and snow. She shoved fearful grounded Gryffindor players out of her way until they all let her through. _

_Hearing the struggle seemed to snap Elsa's attention back from whatever nightmare she had read on her palm as her eyes widened in desperation. _

"_Fok. Audrey came. She can't…but I need to leave… control it… "_

"_Elsa." _

_Breathing raggedly she turned to find teal eyes already riveted to her face, holding calm as they flicked between the fading vein-like lines of an indiscernible pattern on pale hands to petrified blue eyes. _

"_Anna, we need to…I need to go…I-"_

"_Elsa, it's okay. You just made a little bit of snow. You saved Wren from being paralyzed probably."_

"_You don't understand, I shouldn't be able to do this anymore, they were supposed to stop it all but it's too strong-"_

"_So you can do magic without a wand, how is that anything but-?" _

"_Anna, please, I just need to get out of here. There are too many people, and I can't—someone will get hurt." _

"_Wren is already hurt Elsa."_

_Tears began to leak out of the edges of reddened eyes, bringing the utter fear embedded in deep blue irises into relief. Gazing out at the rush of bodies either stilled in morbid anticipation, questioning each other if they saw who cast the snow out there, or being directed by booming professors and prefects to the exits, Elsa began to shake her head slightly as she took miniscule steps away from the scene unfolding on the pitch. _

"…_It's my fault. I'm the reason they did this." _

_Anna wasn't sure if Elsa was even speaking coherently at this point, so feral did the blonde look. _

_With hands slightly outstretched, splayed fingers attempting to bridge the increasing space between them, Anna hastily took a step forward against the icy air now racing across her face. _

"_It's not. Listen to me. Please. We can work this out together. Elsa?"_

_Casting a look down at Anna's hands, there was a split second of indecisiveness, where Elsa's eyes went so perfectly still, reflective as the deep calm the Black Lake sometimes held when the air stilled before the rain began to pour. _

_**Just trust me. Hold on to me. **_

_But Anna knew that somehow, she had lost her in that moment. _

_Anguish and failure flooded Elsa's countenance. The face of a drowning woman unable to reach a lifeline that was in sight, but out of reach. _

"_I'm sorry. I'm—Excuse me." _

_Anna had seen that braid swing to and fro so many times, but watching it whip wildly as it sped down the steps towards the nearest break in the crowd and out of the stadium caused her chest to seize up all too familiarly. _

_**Just me then, once again. Back to square one. I must be getting used to this, because at least I'm still standing. Unlike Wren… Shit. **_

_Stepping up a few rows that were now devoid of students, Anna came out of her numbed phase as she observed the pitch from her higher vantage point, with the feeling of a lead cauldron settling in her stomach. _

_She watched as the school nurse, Gerda, a portly witch with dark peppered hair make calming motions to the woman cradling Wren amongst the pure white snow and removing the blood smeared on her face with her wand. The patch still remained attached on the upper stitches, and the woman gently pressed it down as she bowed her head into blood matted curly hair. _

_Gerda's wand flew in practiced spells over Wren's rib, causing small flurries to rise up and whips through the air. Professor Alvard, Wesselton, and several others congregated to the side, Alvard stooping to feel at the white fluff and attempt to cast it out of the way, only to fail. One bearded man attempted to gain the sobbing woman's attention, but was met with a sharp crack and fell back onto his backside roughly. _

_The woman began screaming in Spanish again releasing Wren to crouch low to the ground, her eyes so wide they were visible even to Anna. Immediately all sound was halted as Wesselton's petrificus totalis spell froze her in place. _

_With a tremendous groan, Wren opened her eyes and began to move, turning her head to the side. Cheers began to erupt from the banisters and exclamations of relief came from nearly the entire Gryffindor house. _

_Until Wren turned enough to spot the woman frozen. _

"_**NO**__! UNDO IT! UNDO IT! PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, AUDREY! LET HER MOVE!" _

_Attempting to crawl her way to the frozen form past Gerda's near strangle hold on her, Wren just struggled as Wesselton attempted to step forward and explain the situation._

_Alvard pulled him out of the way just in time as a rippling wave of sound so forceful it ripped through the snow and grass at him. _

"_THEY PETRIFIED HER LAST TIME AND MADE HER WATCH. YOU'RE TRAUMATIZING HER RIGHT NOW! FUCKING UNDO IT YOU BASTA-!" _

_Anna found herself tearing across the steps for a better vantage point amid the rising gasps from the crowd as she watched Wesselton petrify Wren, blood still slowly moving down her face. _

_Sprinting past, she spotted Kristoff shoving madly to move past the barricade only to be knocked back by Evan and Rachel and held down as he yelled obscenities. The remaining professors on the pitch moved to control the students and push them to the exits, wands at the ready. _

_So focused were they on the students hollering and cowering in fear and confusion, they didn't notice her lone figure hop up three more rows to the highest point possible. Aiming a clear, but very long shot at Wesselton's wand, Anna barely heard Olaf cry out her name (__**Dammit Olaf, don't draw their attention to me!).**_

_Her disarming spell missed, sizzling on the ground several feet behind the stumpy old man, but close enough to catch his attention. _

_Moving his wand, he looked down in shock. Something blue was surrounding it, but Anna was far too high up to make clear of what it was. _

_All she knew was that as the Hufflepuff prefect grabbed her and drug her down the stairs, even over the still howling wind, she heard screams of pure agony and fear amongst the utter confusion and chaos that had taken hold of the rainy afternoon. _

_She hadn't heard a sound like that since the night they hauled her to Boone Regional._

* * *

Anna had managed to get herself marched roughly to the hospital ward where she was sternly told by a scarlet-faced headmaster to wait outside until he could "deal with her insubordinate Taig self."

She had stood there clenching her jaw, nose drawn up in a snarl as the heavy door was slammed shut in her face. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a shift, only to find Elsa seated on that bench, in the exact position she was currently in, like some mourning statue that Anna had seen on the other graves littering the yard on a long gone blistering afternoon.

"She's going to be fine."

Anna's attempt at breaking the silence was met with nothing more than a stilling of trembling hands.

Steadily, Anna reached out to take hold of the now still forefingers on Elsa's left hand. Here, she was met with a stern jerk, "Stop", and again watching Elsa's braid swing back and forth as she stepped across the hall to sit stiffly up against the opposite wall.

_Wow. How the hell did that hurt more than earlier?_

"Elsa, what's wrong? Did I do something-?"

"I just came here to see how Wren is doing. Nothing more."

"Then why are you treating me like shit right now?"

Silence. Once again.

"Are you just going to not answer me?"

_**Don't make her feel worse. Just keep your mouth shut. **_

Anna shut her eyes tightly against the wetness piling at the corners and the sting pulling between her eyes.

Turned out, Anna wasn't strong enough to let the fact that Elsa kept her gaze trained stiffly on the floor as she began to sniffle slide.

"You're not being fair. You can't try to kiss me and then act like I don't exist."

Infuriating quiet.

"I saw it Elsa. Those lines? Why were you so scared that you can do magic without a wand?"

Elsa sat like a mute, eyes closed and body rigid up against the wall.

"All I want to do is help! What are you so afraid of?"

Blazing, furious blue eyes snapped open, pinning Anna back in her spot on the dark bench.

"I don't want your help. I want you safe."

Forehead wrinkled in confusion, her retort was interrupted as the ward door swung open, and Professor Alvard's deep navy robes fluttered down the hallway towards her.

She halted next to Anna, peering at Elsa over her ever present navy tinted spectacles.

"Miss Kaldrskra, did you have some business to discuss?"

_**Man, can she pull that mask out of nowhere.**_

With an expressionless face, Elsa rose gracefully. "How is Wren fairing?"

Brown eyes narrowed momentarily at the steady, calm face of the Slytherin prefect. As she rubbed her hands together to warm them, her lined brow wrinkled further.

"Several broken ribs and superficial bleeding around the skin of her left eye. Gerda healed her in minutes. Though she will be staying in the hospital ward until Headmaster Wesselton and I can piece together the entire story of what happened today. Who exactly ripped out all but the top stitches keeping her patch on, and who halted her fall with heavily enchanted snow remain our top priority."

Alvard didn't manage to catch the flash of panic in Elsa's eyes, since she began to lead the quiet red-head at her arm into the ward, but Anna sure as hell did.

And just as Elsa had made her decision to abandon her amid the turmoil of the afternoon, Anna came to a conclusion of her own as she put on her game face and strutted like royalty (_did I really do that just this morning?) _into the hospital ward, leaving the nearly unoccupied hallway to be littered with unseen gently falling snowflakes.

_**If I can't keep you with me, then I'll just have to keep you safe as well.**_


End file.
