Jackie, Chapter 1

In 1969 Jimmy Cross met his first girlfriend. After only a few short dates she fell in love with him. It wouldn't last. On 27 March 1970 James was born, with his step father's last name because his mother married Mr. Potter before James was born. James grew up wealthy and proper… somewhat proper anyway.

After Jimmy Cross left his James' mother he met Chelsea Black although she kept her last name from him. On 31st July their first daughter was born. They married and their daughter was named Jackie Cross; her mother and father married right away and Chelsea had no idea what a mistake that was….

Jimmy often visited his first child, James at his home and when he got back bragged about how much his boy looked like him and how much better he was then Jackie (Jimmy picked out Jackie's name). Jackie lived in her half brothers shadow and he had no idea she was even in existence. By the time Jackie was a girl her father often came into her room and slept in her bed even though she asked him not too. Jimmy thought he had produced a squib when really his maternal daughter was a witch but hid her magic. When Jimmy found out that Chelsea knew about their daughter's magical abilities, he beat her. Then, he turned and beat Jackie for hiding it from him. Often with broken bones and bruises Jackie and Chelsea were to afraid to leave the house, they got their sun never and were always pale. It was often noted about Jackie when she started school with her brother. She didn't realize he was the James Potter Jimmy spoke about until she heard his last name during the sorting.

"Cross, Jackie!" McGonagall called. Pale faced and with thin gloves on to hide her bruised hands she walked up to the stool. Ready for anything. She didn't expect though, shed get sorted into Slytherin as the first girl, the first person really to be sorted into that house. She smiled anyway, happy to know that she and her father are NOT alike in every form. The red head James liked to look at was ignoring him and called a few kids after her; Jackie frowned when the hat screamed Gryffindor.

When her half brother was called she held her breath, but she already knew Slytherin was not his house. "Potter, James!" McGonagall called, her voice broke and a few kids giggled.

James walked up in his glasses, his friend Sirius Black already at Gryffindor along with Remus Lupin; he sat upon the stool and breathed out. Jackie pushed her thin hair behind her ears and waited praying she was wrong. She wanted to cry when the hat shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!" she frowned miserable already and sighed. She wanted to go home…no she didn't. She wanted Jimmy gone forever that's what she wanted, him gone so she could live freely with her new born sisters.

Jamie and Jodie cross were born premature because Jimmy starved Chelsea to keep her under weight… he called it 'a test to see if they would die still born'. Jackie cried when she held her sisters for the first time over the summer. Born at the weight of three pounds three ounces they had been kept at the hospital for an extra month. They were home now, but Jimmy would probably make sure they never saw age ten. Jackie cried a little when she thought of this terrible ordeal. What about Chelsea what she do when her twin daughter, Jamie and Jodie, died because of Jimmy Cross? She'd forgive him; sleep with him again and again to make him happy.

Jackie's thoughts were interrupted when someone who had just been sorted into her house spoke to her. "Are you alright?" she turned to see a boy in her year staring at her from across the table. He had shiny hair from not being washed and pale teeth. She saw that he rarely got any sun too.

She nodded her head and wiped away the water from her eyes, "I'm- I'm fine." She muttered taken aback by his worrying about her. Jimmy never worried about her and Chelsea never had the energy to care. He nodded and kept his eye on her for the rest of the night.

When the last person was sorted the Headmaster Dumbledore stood up and gave the usual warnings and they sang the song. Jackie and the boy across from her were silent. He sat down finally and everyone burst into applause; Jackie caught James' eye by mistake and she looked away turning away from him. Her light hair covered half her face but she pushed it back behind her ear; she got her mother's wavy blond hair and her father evil eyes: violet. She and her mum shared the same pale sickly skin; Jackie had a goal that involved spending as much time outside as possible.

The boy across from her spoke to her throughout dinner as she ate little and everyone stuffed themselves. She wasn't sure what potatoes were, she hated peas and corn; the meat smelled terrible and the fruit was often too sweet. Jimmy made her eat wheat's and odd fruit so if she any she took it. He even made her eat dog food and owl treats when he found out that she was a witch. Chelsea ate whatever she wanted to eat and got it whenever she wanted.

The boy asked her how she could like celery so much, she giggled. "My dad makes me eat it," she meant it to be literal. "I'm Jackie," she said with a smile. He grinned and they shook hands from across the table.

"Severus." He told her.

"That's a different name," she repeated it and giggled again. Her new friend smiled and nodded, he agreed with her!

Over at the Gryffindor table Lily Evans was looking up as her old friend Severus Snape and another Slytherin girl shook hands. James looked behind him; he remembered her name as Jackie Cross. "Spying on Snivellus Lily?" he mocked. She glared at him and turned to her right and began speaking with another first year. Sirius looked behind him at Jackie as well; he liked her but was unsure if she was well enough to be at school. She was scarily pale and thin.

"Starved." Remus muttered. Sirius looked at him, "She's starved. I can just tell Sirius," he said before his friend could ask. James frowned when he heard Remus Lupin say this. "I saw her dad and mum when they dropped her off, he mum was crying harder then she should have been. Her dad was… well James, Sirius, Peter… he scared me." he said as he plucked a raw carrot into his mouth along with steak.

Lily looked up as Severus turned around and waved at her, she smiled and waved back. James frowned and began hating Snape more and more.

Jackie saw the red head look up and wave, "do you know her? She's pretty," Jackie said to him. He smiled at her and nodded.

"We're friends," he muttered. Why did he wave to her? Him being in Slytherin and her in Gryffindor, they hated each other.

Jackie and Severus got along better then anyone and in the Common Room they stayed up late talking, she kissed his cheek before going to bed and thanked him for talking with her. She never had a read friend before, Severus Snape was her best and greatest friend and his enemy was her half brother.