Annabella the Hero (Book Three Of Defiance)

Chapter 16

I don't even know what I was thinking when I started hiding in the first place. It's been nearly a year now since I first went into hiding. Harry was very angry with me at first but now he's at some level of understanding.
Harry was also pretty angry with George. There were a lot of screams of "My cousin, George! You got my cousin pregnant!" It didn't take long for them to make up though.
I've been spending a lot of time at my dad's house. It's not that I'm sick of the twins, I've just missed Dad and Harry so much. I never want to leave them again. They're trying to get me to tell everyone else but I'm reluctant.
"Come on Bell! They'll be ecstatic!" I shake my head at Harry's words. "They will not! They'll be angry with me and hate me!" My cousin rolls his eyes at me in response. "Anna," my father says. "They've missed you so much."
I refuse once again. Whether Dumbledore was right or not, I don't want to push my luck. I don't even deserve the family I've gained back now. If I get too many good things back into my life it'll go bad again. The baby proved that.
    ••••••••••••••••••
    At home that night, George and I are fighting. "Why won't you just come out of hiding Bells? Everything is over!" I scream in frustration and feel the tingle of power that tells me that my appearance is changing.
    George and I haven't had a big fight in a long time but this one is definitely blowing up. I'm sure I'm the human embodiment of anger with whatever I look like. "How do you know George? How do you know everything will be okay? It's not a fairytale!"
    George laughs but it's not because I've said something funny. He's angry. "Is that it?" He yells at me. "Or is it because you're scared?" I give him a look of disbelief. "I've just told you I'm scared and what I'm scared of!" I shout back at him.
    "I meant are you really scared some evil is still lurking out there? Or are you just scared you've made everyone hate you?" My mouth gapes at George as he states his conclusion. "How could you think that?" I ask him, slightly hurt. If he notices, he doesn't care.
"I don't think, I know. You think they're all going to hate you because you tricked us all into believing you're dead. And if they do, honestly it's your own fault. You're lucky you still have us."
I'm very hurt by George's words and it also makes me very angry. I barge past him with a cry of "I can't believe you George Weasley!" I go into our bedroom and throw several outfits and some hygiene stuff into a bag before heading back out the door and towards the front door where I can get past the protective wards.
George is calling out behind me as I storm down the stairs. Fred looks surprised at my anger but doesn't try to stop me. George is still calling out as I feel the familiar twist in my stomach and go anywhere but here.
•••••••
The air is hot and a breeze blows gently. I open my eyes and see rolling waves in front of me. I have no clue which beach I'm on but it's empty so I don't mind. I plant myself on the damp sand and promptly begin to cry.
I hate fighting with George but I don't think I've ever run off to unknown place, especially without telling anyone where I was going. I try not to act only on emotion usually, but today there was no rational thinking involved. I just did what my emotions told me to. I fled.
At this moment in time, I don't care what is happening around me. I don't think about George looking for me, I don't think about the worried look on my father's face, and I don't think about how worried they'll be. I let myself have time to be upset and angry. When I've calmed a bit, I decide to explore.
The beach is completely empty, so I have no clue of even what continent I'm on. I'd wanted to go someplace calm and pictured a place in my mind. I don't even remember where I pictured. In my moment of anger, I'd probably picked a place I'd read about or something.
There are only rocky cliffs behind me, so I stay on the beach the rest of the evening. When night falls, I make a fire with my wand and think about all the events that have led to this moment.
When the sun rises, I'm finally calm again. I'm more than calm. I have a sense of tranquility now that I'm sure of everything that led to the person I am today. The choices I have made that led me to and away from George, the choices that led to me leaving my family broken, the choices that helped me put it back together.
When I apparate, I think of home. I don't land in front of my father's house. That's not home anymore. Home is the small apartment I share with two twenty-one year old boys. Home is George's arms when we've both had a long day. Home is the ugly couch that I begged them not to get but they did it out of spite.
When I land outside the shop, it's dark. I tentatively push open the door and walk to the stairs. There are lights on upstairs and I hear whispers. I walk up the steps and push open the door that leads to the apartment. Two redheads sit at the bar, whispering to each other frantically. I can barely make out their words.

"She'll be home before long George."

"You didn't see the look on her face. I wouldn't blame her if she stayed gone."

"She won't stay gone."

"She's never done this before."

I step forward, making sure my shoes click against the floor. The twins whip around to look and me and for a moment we just stare at one another. A minute later, George stands up and opens his arms to me. As I run to him, I know we'll have many more adventures to come.

This is not the end! There will be more chapters and more feels. However, updates will be slow for a while because my phone still isn't doing well. I love you guys though and I'll try my best to update as often as possible!