A Light in the Dark

“Hey Jess, I think breakfast is ready downstairs,” I heard Hermione say from the other side of the bathroom door. I looked myself in the mirror. “Ginny and I are going on down there, but don’t take too long or the boys will have eaten everything.”

“Okay!” I replied before grabbing my comb and running it through my hair again. Today I was letting my hair down, and my dark brown waves rested below my shoulders. This morning I looked more awake than I had the past three days. My dark blue eyes started to sparkle again, and after that first day in this wretched house, I decided to leave the adults alone about what was going on here, though Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny gladly told me the main stuff about the Order. Also, Harry told me about Sirius being his Godfather and how he was innocent. So I started to feel a little more comfortable around Sirius and he often told me stories of his school years, and also how he knew my mom.

After a moment of messing around with my hair, I walked out of the bathroom and headed down the stairs.

“Now, now, I think she deserves to know!” I heard a hushed voice say in annoyance.

“Sirius, Abby did her best to keep her away from all this and I’m going to do my best to keep her from getting too far in.” I recognized Mrs. Weasley’s angry hushed voice.

“Come on now, I think Jess deserves to know the truth! She’s only heard lies her whole life. You are depriving her of something she needs!”

I stopped on the steps when I heard Sirius say my name.

“Sirius, I think Abby should decide on this one.”

I stood there slightly confused as to what they were talking about, but I decided to continue down this last flight of stairs. I might be able to hear more without being accused of eavesdropping.

“I don’t want to wait to ask her. Besides I would rather avoid all the arguments when I see her for the first time in fifteen years. Please Molly,”

“Well why are you asking me?”

“Because if I didn’t have your consent I’m sure you would smash a frying pan against my head.”

“Okay well, then…” Mrs. Weasley looked up and saw me as I started the last five steps of the staircase. “Oh Jess! Good morning!”

“Hey Mrs. Weasley,” I replied as I stepped off the stairs.

“Everyone is in the kitchen, the food is all ready for you.” She smiled as I stood next to her.

“Good morning Jess,” Sirius smiled warmly and tucked his arms behind his back. He shot a glance at Mrs. Weasley but I didn’t get to see her reaction.

“Morning,” I forced a smile on my face before turning and heading towards the kitchen. What on earth were they arguing about?

Apparently they waited till I shut the door to the kitchen before arguing again, because they stood in silence while I had walked down the hallway.

“I will admit guys,” I turned unto my side on top of Fred’s bed, looking at him and George sitting on the ground messing with some of their new joke products. “I’m rather proud of Ron for getting Prefect.”

Fred snorted. “I’m excited to see him take it seriously.”

George smirked and I rolled unto my back again. At the moment I wanted to just lie on this bed for hours and think. Sirius and Mrs. Weasley had been arguing, about me. I desperately wanted to know how I had lived my whole life in lies. I also wanted to know what Sirius wanted to tell me, and why Mrs. Weasley wouldn’t let him. I let out a sigh and turned my head to see George’s head looking down as he whispered to Fred. He was smiling.

Then I let a small smile form on my lips as I gave myself a quiet laugh and stared back up at the ceiling. I really wanted to daydream; George had appeared in my mind more frequently since I had arrived here. I really didn’t want the added aggravation, but sometimes our memories were kind of a refuge for me to run to when I started feeling lonely or helpless at home when my mom would leave for weeks at a time, doing who knows what. Right now, I wanted a refuge from my questions and confusions, not that thinking about George didn’t cause confusion, because it did, but it was a confusion I wanted.

I slowly closed my eyes to stare into the darkness of my eye lids, Fred and George’s quiet laughter and whispering eventually fading away.

”I don’t think I got to tell you earlier,” George rested his hands at my waist as I placed my hands behind his neck to dance to another slow song. “You look beautiful tonight.” He smiled and looked off to the side, obviously too shy to look me in the eye after such a compliment.

“Well thank you George,” I smiled and looked up at his face. He still wasn’t looking at me but I thought he looked handsome.

“Did you actually come alone tonight?” He asked, finally looking at me.

“Yeah,” I nodded as we swayed to the music. “I got asked a couple times, but I didn’t want to come with any of them.”

“Oh,” he nodded his head as he slipped his hand off my waist to grab one of my hands behind his neck and held it out to the side.

“Oh nice George,” I teased him. “Very formal, very nice.”

He shrugged as he led me across the dance floor in the waltz. Everyone was dancing like that though, so we didn’t stick out.

“I know, I bet you never knew I had some mean skills in dancing,” he stood up straighter.

“Nope, I though you had mean skills in bad dancing.” I replied and laughed. George smirked as he slowed down our waltz and pulled me closer. I tried to ignore this as my stomach started to get jumpy. George looked down at me and we just danced. For once we didn’t say anything to each other, we just followed the music. That’s when I realized his sparkling green eyes, and I noticed this as he moved his face closer to mine. I didn’t move, I just waited to see what he would do, soon I felt his warm breath against my cheek…

“Mommy what’s wrong?” I patted my mom’s knee as she hunched over in the couch. Her face was in her hands and I noticed her shake in sobs. I dropped my teddy bear and pushed my two year old body unto her lap, forcing her to sit up. I looked at her face covered in tears.

“Oh Jess,” she shook her head. “Daddy’s gone.”

“What?” I didn’t understand. “Where did he go?”

My mom only shook her head as she tore the daily prophet she had been reading on the nightstand beside her chair.

“He’s not coming back, he can’t. Jesse, I don’t know if you’ll understand this, but your daddy…” her lip quivered as she looked at my eyes. I felt tears verging and small hiccups of sobs escaping my mouth. “died,” she finally said and instantly hugged me as I burst into tears. That’s why he hadn’t returned that morning to take me on the flying stick like he promised.

Through my small tears I saw the torn newspaper under the lamp on the nightstand. A new mass murdered looked back up at me, his face grave, apparently sad, but he eventually started laughing, but not happily. It was terrifying. I sniffed and cried as I thought I saw the picture of my now dead father…

“Jesse!”

I felt someone shake me and I forced my eyes open quickly. My vision was blurred, I was crying.

Fred let go of my shoulders and George looked down at me.

“Jess? What’s wrong?” he asked desperately as he felt my head. Fred slapped his hand.

“Don’t be a git George, she obviously just had a bad dream.”

George nodded slightly but still looked at me, with worry in his eyes.

I instantly sat up.

“Oh my gosh,” I breathed heavily. My mind was reeling and I felt my heart beat faster.

“What is it Jess?” Fred asked.

“Oh my gosh,” I jumped off the bed and ran towards the door, new tears formed at the edges of my eyes. I couldn’t believe this!

“Jesse!” George yelled after me as I threw the door open and sprinted towards the stairs, and let out sobs of anger, and sadness.

Oh. My. Gosh.