Lillian 'Anna' Potter || Goblet of Fire

Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Second Task

To her surprise, when she finally woke up, Anna was in Harry's arms and not Cedric’s.

After McGonagall had explained Anna's role in the next task, she had been expecting to awaken to the sight of Cedric removing her from the pond - but instead it had been her brother who had stayed with her until she woke from her magic-induced slumber and not her boyfriend.

Mental note: talk to Cedric later.  Anna ordered herself - standing with her blanket wrapped around her shoulders; wondering if she'd be able to catch eye of Cedric through the crowd.

She knew something was off - even since she had resigned herself to choosing him, Cedric still seemed distant, and sometimes their relationship nonexistent.

Anna continued to tell herself it was nothing - after all, Cedric probably was looking forward to seeing his score, and Anna knew how much winning the tournament meant to him, but it had still hurt that Cedric had just left - like he hadn't even cared she was unconscious.

"Oi! Andromeda Weasley!" Fred and George were suddenly plopped down on either side of her - their arms along over her shoulders.

Anna raised an eyebrow. "Andromeda? Weasley?" She questioned.

"Your second name - obviously." George rolled his eyes.

Fred shrugged. "It's unofficial. We tried to change it officially on your birth certificate, but Dad wasn't keen on us breaking into the Ministry,  so we're just hoping the name will catch on."

Anna shook her head, but smiled. Being a Potter connected her to everything she was - an orphan, an animagus, etc. But it was nice to feel like a lonely Potter wasn't all she was, but a loved honorary Weasley.

"Or you could just have the last name." George wiggled his eyebrows. "The only question is which Weasley brother."

Her cheeks were bright red as she slapped them both on the back of the head - though it didn't stop the twins from laughing hysterically.

"Why would she want either of you buffoons?" Ginny scoffed - coming into the conversation as she wedged herself between Anna and George. "Honestly, she'd be better off marrying Malfoy."

Fred whistled. "Are you and Diggory toast? I thought you two would last at least till the end of the year."

"No. We aren't 'toast'," She deadpanned. At least I hope not. Anna thought dimly. "Ginny just has an overactive imagination. "

"Really?" Ginny demanded - eyebrow raised high.  "Because the pale git just asked you out only a few hours ago - and I didn't hear you decline."

"It's not like he gave me a choice. " Anna pointed out.  "We're just having brunch together at Hogsmeade. As friends."

"Didn't sound as friends." Ginny muttered.

George snorted. "Could you imagine? A Gryffindor and a Slytherin - dating or married."

"What's so wrong with that?" Anna asked a bit too defensively.

George raised his hands in surrender. "I'm just saying it's rare.  There's Gryffindors with Gryffindors, Gryffindors with Hufflepuffs, maybe even a Gryffindors with a Ravenclaw. Never Gryffindors and Slytherins. It always ends badly."

"That's so stupid." Anna retorted. "Two people that can't be together because of the house that they're in?"

He shrugged. "You can look at the yearbooks if you're curious.  Every Gryffindor-Slytherin couple that either dated or married always ended in disaster. Every single time - someone gets hurt."

George only patted her atop the head - as if what he just said had no weight in the slightest. "So just stick with your little Hufflepuff boy, okay? You've already had enough trouble for a lifetime."

Anna nodded. "Of course."

George's talk only added to the long list of facts why she couldn't date Malfoy - shouldn't. They were simply too different to be compatible for such a trivial thing as love.

Even if they decided to act on their feelings for each other, the whole school would just be waiting for the fallout. It just wasn't a good idea. Life was good as it was - she didn't need more.

She just wished her heart would agree.