Disclaimer: I own nothing
Author's Note: This is a sequel to Jena Mason: The Hogwarts Years, but you don't have to read that to understand this. Basically, Bill has been going out with his girlfriend (my OC) since about November of their 4th year at Hogwarts.
This story will briefly skim over 7th year and focus on what happens when they leave Hogwarts and have to make serious decisions about their future, and even about each other.
Chapter One
1st September 1987
It was the first day of another school year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and the school's young witches and wizards were currently hurrying around their homes, preparing to leave for King's Cross Station.
Jennifer Mason, a 17 year old witch - as her birthday had been over the summer - slammed the bedroom door behind her, and sighed as she looked at the staircase in front of her, and then at the large trunk of luggage that sat at her feet.
There was a loud crack behind her and she jumped in suprise.
" William Weasley! " she hissed, turning around and playfully swatting her boyfriend of almost 3 years in the chest.
Bill had been her best friend from the beginning of their first year at Hogwarts, and they'd always gotten on so well, that by the time they realised their true feelings, shortly after the start of their fourth year, everyone else already knew it. After some messing about and hesitation, they got together and had been happy since.
Bill was laidback, confident and did everything with an air of ease and an effortless grin which Jena found herself hardpressed to ignore.
He'd been staying with Jena's family for the last two weeks of the summer. Jena usually stayed with Bill's family for part of the summer - she liked them all and could count them as her own family - but this year, Jena's mother had sighed and said she wouldn't mind playing the host every now and then.
And that was how they were both now standing on the top floor landing of the Mason's cosy house in a muggle town in Ireland.
Bill simply laughed at her outburst and held his arms out hopefully with the sort of grin he knew Jena couldn't resist, " Morning, sweetheart. "
Jena smiled despite herself, and moved into his arms, hugging him warmly.
" It's a good job you showed up right this minute, you know," Jena told him when they broke apart, as she pointed a finger to her trunk, " that thing seems much heavier than usual. Would you take it downstairs for me? "
Bill rolled his eyes at her, " Jena, are you a witch or not? And a witch who came of age recently, and is therefore allowed to do magic outside school? "
" Oh yeah," Jena muttered absently, " I keep forgetting. "
Bill looked as if he were trying not to smile as he pulled out his wand and levitated Jena's trunk up in the air, sending it down the stairs in front of them.
" What on earth would you do without me? " Bill sighed in mock exasperation, before disappearing with a loud crack and reappearing at the bottom of the stairs.
Jena closed her eyes, concentrated on the hallway downstairs, and appeared there beside Bill a moment later, " I hate it when you do that," she said, " one minute I'm talking to you, and the next you've disappeared. "
" Beats walking places," Bill shrugged, " I've been doing it all summer at home - drives my mum mad. "
Jena smiled, " You're going to be in for a shock when we have to walk around the castle all year. "
" Yeah, but at the castle, there are certain other things to occupy my time, that I don't have at home," Bill said, laying one hand on her hip.
Jena smiled, " Such a charmer," she said, pushing herself up onto her tip toes - Bill had grown several inches over the last year, and Jena only came up to his shoulder - so she could reach him better, and planted a kiss on his lips.
Kissing Bill always felt perfect - like her lips moulded themselves perfectly around his, and it sometimes made her want to explode at his touch. He knew how to touch her in all the little ways that sent shivers through her, and they'd spent many nights perfecting this in the boys dorms. Bill would wait until the others were all occupied, then drag Jena up to the dorm, lock the door and cast a silencing charm.
Bill kissed back, applying more pressure, and bringing his other hand to her hips, pulling her hips against his. Jena laid her hands on his chest - which had filled out in the last few years, and made him a fine figure of a young man - gripping the material of his shirt, as his tounge slid across her lips and she opened her mouth to let him in.
They broke apart when Bill heard footsteps from the next room, and gently pulled away from his girlfriend, thinking she wouldn't want to be caught in such a passionate clinch with him in front of her mother.
" Are we all set? " Isobel Mason asked, displaying a thick Irish accent - thicker than Jena's, which had lessened due to spending most of the last six years at school.
Jena nodded and smiled at her mother, and a moment later, two smaller figures rushed into the hallway.
" Beat you! " 6 year old Anna cried triumphantly, as she grabbed Jena's hand and stuck her tounge out at her twin, Sophia.
" No fair! " the other little girl cried out reaching the others and tugging on her twin's hair.
The two little girls both had deep green eyes like Jena's, and light brown wavy hair - also features their mother had. The twins spent all their time teasing each other and trying to annoy everyone else. They'd both quite taken to Bill and whenever he and Jena were in a room together, alone, they came running in and insisting that Bill play with them. Jena loved familes and loved being with her sisters, but got annoyed when she wanted to spend time with Bill. Bill however, didn't mind at all, and would pick one of the girls up, spin her around and then tell them both a story.
" There's no time to mess about girls," Isobel said, taking Sophia's hand firmly, and then taking Anna's, " we have to be at the train station or your sister and Bill will miss the train and will be stuck here all year. "
Jena's mother looked at her daughter, " I'm apparating with your sisters to the entrance of the King's Cross Station, like usual, yes? Now you can apparate yourself Jena, you'll be alright to take yourself there? "
Jena nodded, " Mum, I'll be fine. "
Isobel nodded, " Good. Now, I don't want everyone getting split up, so you and Bill apparate together. Meet you there. "
Jena had spent the summer practising her apparating and felt that she could do it quite well by now. She gave her sisters a smile as her mother grabbed them both by the hands and had disappeared with a loud crack.
" Well, would you look at that? " Bill smirked, gesturing to the empty hallway with one hand, " house to ourselves. "
" Mind out of the gutter," Jena said, rolling her eyes, though she smiled at him fondly. She held the handle of her trunk in one hand and slipped her free hand in Bill's.
" Do you want to do it? " Bill asked her, raising his eyebrows.
Jena nodded, " Sure. "
She closed her eyes, concentrating hard, and she felt Bill squeeze her hand in reassurance. She squeezed back and the next thing she knew, there was a strange pulling at her navel.
When she opened her eyes, she was on the ground, where she'd landed with a heavy thud and a groan. She looked around to see her mother and sisters standing not so far away, and although muggles walking past glanced at them, they seemed to have very little attention for them.
" We really need to work on your apparating skills," said a voice from underneath her.
Until now Jena hadn't even realised she'd landed ontop of Bill, landing them both on the ground during the journey she'd carried out. She muttered an apology and rolled off him, before getting to her feet.
Bill got up right after her and he shook his head at her.
" Shut up," she muttered before he had chance to say anything else, " I haven't done long distance before. We did just come all the way from Galway. I think I did that pretty well, considering. "
" Could have been worse I suppose," Bill agreed, brushing off his shirt and grabbing the handle of his suitcase.
They were soon stood on platform nine and three quarters, looking at the gleaming red train. Isobel hugged her daughter tightly, " You do well this year," she said, " your last year, I want you to go and make me proud, Jena. Do the best you can in everything, and make sure you keep on writing to me. "
" I love you mum," Jena said as she hugged her back tightly.
" I love you. Have a good year," Jena's mother told her.
Jena nodded and she turned to hug her sisters, gathering them both up at the same time and telling them to behave themselves for mum. She adored her sisters, even if they caused chaos, and she supposed she'd like being around them some more, when she left school.
As Jena was hugging her sisters, Isobel turned to Bill.
She hugged him too, " You have a good year too, won't you? " she said. She'd gotten rather fond of her daughter's boyfriend, and decided he was the best sort of boy Jena could be with. He'd proved he was good enough for her daughter by being with her for so long without ever arguing with her, and always keeping a smile on her face.
" And you make sure you look after my Jena," Isobel said, wagging a finger at him as she released him.
" I will, Mrs Mason," Bill promised, with his permanent smile, " I always do. "
Jena hugged her mother again, and then she and Bill headed for the train, dumping their luggage on the luggage compartment. Bill gestured for Jena to get onto the train before him, but before she did, she stopped, noticing a family of red heads not so far away.
She hadn't seen Mrs Weasley this summer, since Bill had come to hers instead of her going to his, so the last time she'd seen the woman had been at Christmas, when she spent the holidays at Bill's home.
" Look, it's your mum," Jena said, pointing across the platform.
Bill pulled a face, " I only saw her two weeks ago. She'll just fuss, " but even as he said it, he was walking over to where his mum and siblings stood. Bill was aways so respectful of his parents, Jena thought with a smile.
" Oh, Bill! " Mrs Weasley cried out, hugging eldest son tightly.
Jena smiled as she watched the short plump redheaded woman holding Bill in a bone-crushing hug. Charlie, who would be starting his 5th year this time, grinned at Jena.
" Hey," he said with a smile that was quite similiar to Bill's.
Jena laughed as she walked over to him - she'd always seen Bill's oldest younger brother as a brother of her own, and since he was only 2 years younger than Bill, he and Bill were quite close.
" Wow," she said, " you've grown. "
Charlie wasn't built the same as Bill, who was tall, but he'd still grown up this summer and started to fill out. Jena smiled and hugged him briefly, before turning her attention to everyone else.
Bill's next younger brother was Percy, who'd be starting his first year this time, and was already wearing his Hogwarts robes as he pushed his glasses up his nose.
Fred and George, twins who were ten times more mischevious than Anna and Sophia, were 9 year olds, and were trying to annoy Percy by pushing into him over and over again. The last brother, 7 year old Ron, and the only girl, 6 year old Ginny stood close to their mother, both staring at the train in awe.
Jena barely realised what was happening when two red heads flew past her and suddenly they were clamped around her middle. She laughed as she looked down at the Weasley twins, who she was fond of, and who had both taken a liking to her ever since she first started staying with them for holidays.
" What are you doing? " she asked with a laugh, " you're both crazy. "
" We're stopping you from going to Hogwarts," Fred - at least, she thought it was Fred - told her.
" Yeah," George - if the other one was Fred, at least - agreed, " because then you could come to our house. "
" All year," Fred added.
" Boys! " Mrs Weasley snapped, " leave poor Jennifer alone! " Mrs Weasley shooed the twins away and pulled Jena into a hug, " good to see you dear. Make sure you thank your mother for allowing Bill to stay over. "
Mrs Weasley released Jena and smiled at her, " Maybe we'll see you at Christmas, dear. It'd be lovely if you come and stay with us. You know, I'm so glad Bill's found someone so lovely to spend his time with. "
Jena smiled, " Thanks Mrs Weasley. Um ... we'd better get going," she told Bill, looking over her shoulder at him.
" Have a good year," Mrs Weasley nodded, " and Bill, look after Percy. And keep and eye on Charlie. "
As Bill noticed Fred and George running around, he grasped Jena's hand and started towards the train, not trusting his brothers at all. He was first, as Fred threw his arms around Jena, and George did the same.
Bill rolled his eyes, " Every year," he muttered, prying his brothers arms away from Jena's waist, and wrapping his own arm around her securely.
" Getting a bit jealous? " Jena giggled as they pushed through the crowd, " a little bit possessive? "
" You'd better believe it," Bill said with a smirk, " I won't have anyone else near my girl. "
" Yours? " Jena asked, stepping up onto the train and reaching back to grab his hand and pull him with her, sincethe gap wasn't big enough for them go get on side by side.
" Well, you know," Bill said, at a loss for words, " not that I'm saying you're any property of mine or anything. I mean, I dont think I own you. I just - "
Jena laughed and turned around to face him, stopping walking so abruptly that Bill almost walked into her. Instead, Jena reached up to wrap her arms around his neck and kissed him firmly on the lips. Bill kissed her back, his hands on her wait.
They were in the middle of the corridor, and Bill laughed as the people behind them couldn't get past. He pulled away from her and took her hand, leading her down the corridor, looking in the window of every compartment until they found some of their friends.
It transpired that all their friends - at least, their closest friends - had gotten on before them, and were already sitting in the compartment.
" Hey guys," Jena grinned, closing the compartment door behind her.
Her best friend beside Bill, was Daisy Holmes, a Gryffindor who she slept in the same dorm as. Daisy was a carefree kind of girl, and her biggest interest was exotic animals. Allan Cole, who shared Bill's dorm, was another good friend. He was a quiet boy, who always nagged at the others to get their homework done. Lucy Shaw shared she same dorm as Daisy and Jena, and was a loud, outgoing person, always laughing, always bubbly and gossiping. She was sat beside her Hufflepuff boyfriend Zack Belby, who was quite shy in front of his girlfriend's friends, but everyone liked him anyway.
It was great to be back amongst her friends, and they spoke about everyone's summers, whilst the Hogwarts Express hurtled towards their destination.
After a while, the conversation turned to their careers.
" This is so weird," Daisy said, shaking her head, " that we've only got one year at school, and then we're off being proper witches and wizards. I mean, actually getting proper jobs - or training for them at least. "
" Does anyone actually know what they want to do? " Bill asked, raising his eyebrows.
" My uncle's got me an internship at the ministry, I think," Zack piped up, " or, he said he was going to look into it. Department of Magical Sports. "
" That's cool," Allan nodded, " I think I quite fancy teaching. "
" You would," Lucy scoffed, giving him a playful shove, " I don't really know what I want. I really like writing - maybe something where could do lots or writing. "
" Writing for gossip columns, you'd be suited to," Allan retorted, giving her a shove in return.
" I really fancy healing," Jena said - it had been her ambition for a couple of years now, and she hoped to get into a training scheme at St Mongo's, when she finished school.
" Off saving everyone," Bill said fondly, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, " I think you'd be good at that. "
" I hope so," Jena said with a shrug, " otherwise the people I tend to are going to be in a pretty bad shape. Daisy, are you still set on this dragon thing? "
Daisy pouted, " You say it as if it's a stupid idea! "
" Not stupid," Jena corrected lightly, " it's just a bit unbelieveable that you'd want to do something as dangerous as that. Although I suppose it could be pretty cool - do you really think you'd do it? "
Daisy smiled, " I've been looking into it," she said, " it just sounds so cool, and it's such an advenure. You know, they offer training programmes with the possibility of full time positions on reserves in Romania, Bulgaria - all over the place. You only live once, right? I think if I'm going to go off on an adventure, I've got to just do it. One life. "
A short silence followed, while everyone considered this.
" What about you, Bill? " Allan asked, breaking the silence, " are you still up on this curse breaking? "
Bill shrugged. For the past few years, he'd been set on becoming a curse breaker, due to the adventure it carried - Bill wasn't one to sit around, and he needed to be off doing things and experiencing life. When he looked into it and found out that most of the opportunites were in Egypt with the pyramids, he was torn. He wanted that job and thought it would be amazing, but was less sure about leaving the country, leaving Jena.
He and Jena had had arguments about it. Bill told her he wasn't sure about going, but Jena hated the thought of standing in his way.
She'd told him that if he wanted to go to Egypt, he had to go, regardless of her. Like Daisy said, they only lived once, and she didn't want to be the reason Bill wasn't doing everything he wanted to. There was time to live their life now, and have a relationship later.
Eventually Bill had left the subject - even knowing that Jena supported him, didn't make him sure about it.
" Some sort of curse breaking," he finally said, " they have loads of opportunites in Egypt, and some other in atzec africa, but there's loads to do in London too. "
Jena didn't miss the glint in Bill's eyes as he imagined everything he could be dong in Egypt once he graduated. She really wanted him to do it if he thought it would make him happy - maybe she could go to Egypt too, travelling. She was sure she'd find somethin to do there. She'd been with Bill for three years as a couple, and he'd been her best friend for 3 before that, so it was hard to imagine life without him, but she was willing to let him go if it would make him happier.
Bill seemed to know what she was thinking about, because he draped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her a little closer as he looked around at everyone, " Never mind about all that career stuff," he said, " we've got one year left, all together like this. Let's just enjoy it. "
Bill's words seemed to instill some confidence in everyone, and the subject of leaving school was long forgotten as they spoke about everything but the scary subject of leaving the comfort of the castle.
Once they arrived at the castle, they watched the sorting with mild interest, clapping when new students joined Gryffindor, but paying very little attention otherwise. When Percy Weasley's name was called, Jena poked Bill's side, as he'd been slumped forwards not paying attention.
Bill sat up and looked towards the 11 year old with the sorting hat on his head.
" GRYFFINDOR! " bellowed the hat.
Bill and Charlie cheered louder than anyone else, clapping and whooping as their brother came to sit opposite them. Jena clapped too - Percy was a good enough lad, but he wasn't funny or confident or engaging like Bill, Charlie, and even Fred and George, so she found out she didn't really get on with him.
The feast was as delicious as ever, and Jena was sat between Bill and Charlie. Charlie was rambling on about dragons or something, and Jena nodded in the right places, though she wasn't really listening. She sometimes thought that Daisy and Charlie would have a lot in common if they spoke to each other more.
When the feast was over, they all headed to their respective common rooms.
Bill and Jena stayed up longer than their friends, sitting by the fire and talking.
Once it passed midnight, Jena sighed, " You know," she said, " I really should be getting to bed. I don't want to fall asleep in the first class of the year, tomorrow. "
Bill sighed, " Suppose you're right. "
Jena slowly got off the sofa and Bill did too. Jena turned around and smiled up at Bill. He grinned and hugged her to him - his embrace as warm and comfortable as ever - and then heput his thumb under her chin and tilted her head up. He captured her lips with his, kissing her slowly and running one hand through her hair.
When they broke apart, he rested his forehead against hers, " Love you," he muttered.
Jena smiled, " Love you," she said, before bidding him goodnight and disappearing up the stairs to the girl's dormitories.
She wasn't sure when exactly she'd realised she was in love with Bill. She'd always cared about him, and when she started going out with him, she knew she fancied him, but she didn't know whe love came into it.
The first time they said it, it had been almost 2 years into their relationship. That seemed like a long time, but for their ages, it was about right. They'd both known it a while, but just never said it to each other. It was also the first time they slept together.
It was September of their 6th year at Hogwarts.
Bill and Jena both had a free period on the third lesson of Thursdays, which their friends didn't have. They were sitting in the boys dorm, where they'd gone because the 5th years in the common room were so loud.
Jena was sitting cross legged on Bill's bed, chewing on the end of a quill as she look down at the Ancient Runes homework in her lap.
" You look cute when you're concentrating," Bill told her, from where he was also sitting on his bed, facing her, his own ancient runes homework beside him, finished.
" Don't," Jena said, looking up at him with an exasperated look.
" Don't what? " he asked innocently, leaning forwards and taking her homework from her.
" Distract me," Jena sighed, watching as he looked at her homework with raised eyebrows, " don't distract me - I need to get this done. "
Bill shrugged and dropped her homework onto the floor of the dorm, " You'll get it done ... just not right now, because right now, I can think of something else I want to do. "
" Bill, I - " she started, shaking her head.
Bill grinned and leaned in. He cupped her cheek with one hand as he kissed her, and his lips pressed against hers, kissing and biting in the way that he'd learnt was so effective in pleasing her. She let out a little moan, but put her hands on his chest and pushed him off gently.
She looked at him for a moment, sitting there, so irresistable, and then shook her head, " Oh sod it," she said, leaning back towards him.
Bill grinned and kissed her again. This time it was a long kiss, and Jena responded by slipping her tounge past his lips and wrapped her arms around his neck. One hand ran through his hair as she kissed him hungrily, and Bill put his hands on her waist, finding that sitting up on a bed wasn't so easy.
Instead, he pushed her back against the pillow gently but firmly, and leant over her, propping his weight up on one arm as hovered over her, and lowered his lips to hers.
As she ran her hand through his hair, he started to kiss her neck lightly.
" I think I love you," he muttered quietly, inbetween kissed.
Jena still managed to catch the words, and she stared at him. Realising what he'd said, Bill look up at her. " I'm sorry," he said, startling himself, " it just ... came out."
" No," Jena whispered, " I ... I love you too. "
The kissing continued, and Bill's hand wandered under her shirt, touching her hips, her stomach, sliding over her skin and sending sparks right through her. His hand inched closer to her breast, and he stroked over the top of her lace bra.
They'd been this far before - several times - but they'd never gone all the way.
Bill payed particular attention to rubbing his thumb over her nipple until it was hard, drawing out a wanton moan from her.
He groaned too and he sat up, gone far too quickly for Jena's liking. She looked up at him with a pout, " What? " she asked
" I'm sorry," he said, licking his lips, " but I'm afraid that if I don't stop now, I won't be able to. "
" Maybe I don't want you to stop," Jena breathed, reaching up to rub his shoulder.
" You're sure? " Bill asked, leaning over her again.
" Yes. "
Bill grinned.