A/N: This is my first attempt at a Harry Potter fan fiction and only my second attempt at a fan fiction overall. Please rate and review; constructive criticism welcomed, flames are not. Thanks! I do not own any character from J.K. Rowling's wonderful wizarding world. The O.C. Jessica Park was thought up by my friend, Jiyoung, so credit and ownership to her. All others are mine.
Part One: The Charming
"Jess!"
Jessica stirred in her sleep and groaned sleepily.
"Jessica! You're drooling on me! Wake up!"
Her best friend Athena Bradley shoved her off the effected shoulder. Jessica partially woke up as her head flopped downwards. She momentarily panicked to realize suddenly her face was falling forward towards the edge of the seat. She sat up scared and still a little groggy from her unintended nap. She looked around the train compartment to notice her friend Bethany Kubrick, Athena's younger sister Venus and Venus's friend Dianne Hurst. They were all giggling themselves silly. Athena was wiping the shoulder of her robe with a handkerchief, looking quite disgusted. Jessica blushed and her hands flew up to cover her mouth.
"Oh, my god! Athena, I'm so sorry!"
Athena shrugged and waved her off, smiling. "It's not a big deal. I just wanted you stop!"
Jessica nodded sheepishly and rubbed her face with her hands. She glanced out the window to her right. It was dark outside when she didn't remember it being before.
"How long have I been out?" she asked curiously.
"A few hours maybe." Bethany replied, as she leaned back in the seat on the other side of Athena, "But you've only been soiling Athena's shoulder for about a minute."
She again fell into a fit of giggles and Jessica stuck her tongue out at her. Unfortunately, Jessica knew that that would not be the last time she heard of it. Bethany had a habit of not forgetting things like this and teasing you about them later. Athena collapsed back into the seat and sighed dramatically.
"I am so not looking forward to school this year! I barely recovered from last year! Whoever named the N.E.W.T.s named them well."
Jessica groaned in agreement. She waggled her finger at Venus and Dianne.
"Just you wait! You will miss being 1st Years, mark my words! Appreciate it now!"
The two younger girls nodded solemnly. The poor dears were so nervous! Jessica made a mental note to try to help them as much as she could this year. She rapped on the window and smiled at them.
"You get the first look at Hogwarts up here. All lit up. It's pretty. Come check it out!" she encouraged.
The two eleven-year-olds leaned up against the glass expectantly. They gasped and giggled when they saw the large castle almost glowing under the moonless sky.
"It's so big! I didn't know it was going to be this big!" Venus said incredulously, her bright green eyes widening slightly, "What if I get lost?"
The older sister winked one of her own emerald eyes at Venus. "Ah, it won't take long before you can sleep-walk the halls, trust me."
"Athena would know!" Bethany cackled gaily, her black curls bouncing.
Athena's faced flushed. "You promised to stop talking about that!"
Jessica nodded in agreement. In their 3rd Year, Athena had slept-walked into the Hufflepuff common room. Two boys, Conner McGowl and Yale Mays, were there. According to both of them, Athena walked in, sat down on the arm of Connor's armchair, and leaned her cheek on his head. Then, when Connor tried to ask her to stop, she tried to kiss him. Connor freaked out and pushed her off the chair as he jumped up. He still won't talk to Athena.
Jessica, Athena and Bethany waved and smiled encouragingly as Hagrid led the two younger girls, as well as the other 1st Years, away. The poor girls were holding hands and waving back, looking even more scared than before. It would be a shame if they ended up separated after the sorting, Jessica thought. They had just made friends on the train ride here. She had flashbacks to when she and Athena were that young. And we didn't even have anyone we knew here to help us! As if she was reading her thoughts, Athena elbowed her in the ribs.
"We were terrified of Hagrid, remember? Everyone was whispering that he really wasn't a professor and that he was just taking us all away to eat us one by one!"
Jessica snorted and then laughed. "Yes! Man, the guy is huuuuge!"
Bethany whistled at them from a short distance away. "Oy! Come on or we'll miss the carriages!"
Jessica and Athena hurried to catch up with her. Bethany hadn't been with them then. She met Athena in Potions their 2nd Year. They had all been friends ever since.
The girls sat at the far end of the Hufflepuff table, near the professors' table. They leaned back expectantly, as did most of the other students, when the doors to the Great Hall swung open wide. A cool, if not grim, Professor McGonagall trooped the 1st Years up to the Sorting Hat. Jessica lost immediate interest as Venus and Dianne had ended up at the back of the line. She doodled on a piece of paper until Athena nudged her. She looked up to see McGonagall take the Hat off of the last boy's head and turn to face Venus.
"Venus Bradley." she said declared flatly.
Venus nervously looked at Jessica, Athena, and Bethany. They started whooping and cheering encouragingly. McGonagall gave them a brief but gracious smile. Shaking, Venus climbed up onto the stool. McGonagall set the Hat on her head. The Hat scrunched his "face" up.
"Don't be so scared. I won't bite. Now, let's see….ah! Hufflepuff! Definitely!"
The older girls cheered again, as well as the rest of the House. Venus' face lit up in a great happy smile. She hopped down from stool and skipped into her older sister's arms. She took her seat next to her and turned back to the professor.
"Dianne Hurst."
Venus face dropped. The group of girls tensed. Jessica was a Park and they were always Hufflepuffs. The Bradleys were the same way. But, Dianne was a half-blood, who only had a very slippery grip on her wizard blood. Her father was a wizard, but he went missing shortly after she was born. Dianne's mother never talked about him, so she had no idea what he was like. The Hursts were Muggles! Poor Dianne looked like she was going to faint she was so nervous, all alone with McGonagall and the Sorting Hat.
"Hmmm….real smart one here" the Hat observed.
Jessica, Athena and Bethany exchanged glances. Shit! Jessica mouthed. Athena made a face back. Ravenclaw, Bethany mouthed.
"Hufflepuff!" the Hat finally declared proudly after a minute or so of gut-wrenching silence.
Hufflepuff again erupted into cheers. Professor McGonagall smiled and took the Hat of her head. Running to Venus, she gave her a hug that Jessica wondered if it would ever stop. The rest of the evening went through without a problem. Venus and Dianne drowned them in innocent questions, which the older girls tried to answer, until they were dismissed. The Head Girl came by and took charge of the two 1st Years for them. Happily, Jessica headed off to their room. Today had been a good day, just long. Jessica couldn't wait to get to her room, which she shared with Athena and Bethany as well as two other girls, and get some rest. Classes would start tomorrow and she wanted to start the year of well. This was her last year and she wanted to make the best of it!
Jessica woke up the next morning to Bethany and Athena laughing. She rolled over and looked at them sitting on Athena's bed, curiously. Bethany looked at her and blushed.
"Sorry. We were just doing our nails. See?" Bethany showed Jessica her now purple tipped hands.
"Eh, the sleepy head needed to wake up anyway. Breakfast is in a half hour." Athena said never looking up as she brushed another coat of the bright blue polish over her left hand.
Jessica smiled and rolled over onto her back, stretching. She flung her blankets off and got up. The other beds were empty.
"Where's Kari and Olive?" she asked casually as she pulled her wife-beater up over her head and reached for her uniform.
"Already in the common room, I think." Bethany replied, blowing on her nails.
"You really should have down that earlier, you know. Now, how are you going to get dressed in time without ruining them?" Jessica asked.
Both girls stopped mid-action and stared dumbfounded at their hands. Clearly, they hadn't thought this through. After a moment or two, Athena confidently nodded.
"It's okay! Jess, toss us your hair dryer!" she flipped her straight, never-had-to-be-blown, blonde hair back over her shoulder.
Bethany's honey colored eyes lit up. "Genius! Athena, where do you get these ideas?"
Jessica laughed. That was true, Athena always had been one to think on her feet. She excelled in Transfiguration for that reason. If anyone could Transfigure a speeding bullet into a marshmallow before it hit them, Athena could. Jessica smiled at Bethany. She was an interesting girl and the odd one out of the group. She was more on the stocky side, and was pretty tall to boot. Athena and Jessica were both of average height and average figure, though of the two Jessica leaned more towards the petite side. Beth had a darker complexion and probably was of some Hispanic descent somewhere farther back. She also wasn't much of a student. Most of all, she was a Muggle-born. Jessica and Athena had really been worried about her during that whole petrifying episode a few years ago. Apparently, some kid from Gryffindor figured it out and helped them stop it or something like that. That Potter guy was acquitted, too. Amidst Jessica's musings, her friends had managed to get their nails dried to their satisfaction. Now, the two of them were frantically gathering their uniforms in order to make it to the Great Hall in time for breakfast. Jessica shook her head and laughed at them.
Miraculously, Athena and Bethany had managed to get ready very quickly. They chatted freely as they made their way from their House to the Great Hall. Rounding a corner, a girl with the most god-awful, crimped brown hair that puffed in all directions managed to run right into her. The girl looked right up at her and gave her a formal 'sorry' before she continued running off down the hall. Athena gawked after her.
"What was up with her? And where was she going?"
"I have no idea but she obviously isn't going to breakfast." Bethany commented sarcastically.
After breakfast, the girls ran into a large group of 1st or 2nd years blocking the hall a little further down and decided to make the turn down the corridor just before them to avoid that whole mess. Again, as they rounded the corner heading for class, Jessica was again almost run over. This time it was by a kid in glasses with black hair and his carrot-topped companion the former of whom managed to knock the books out of her hand. She sighed, frustrated. She knelt down to pick them up, as well as the dark-haired kid while the red-head simply smiled an adorable yet goofy smile.
"Sorry. I wasn't paying attention." he said matter-of-factly.
"It's okay. Don't worry about it." She glanced up at him and noticed something on his forehead.
"Hey, is that a scar?" she blurted out.
The kid smiled nervously and rubbed it. "Yeah. Sorry, again. 'Bye."
His red-headed friend just kept smiling and waved as they ran off. That Potter kid didn't seem so bad to her. Bethany leaned in really close and said quietly: "Do you think it's an omen?"
Jessica snorted and giggled. "What? Is what an omen?"
"What do you mean 'what'? You have been run into or blocked three times today. Do you think that that's a little bit off an odd coincidence?"
"Well, yeah. But the school is full of kids. There is bound to some people running into each other. I am going to have a good day today!"
Bethany crossed her arms and looked at her cockily. Jessica and Athena just laughed. Jessica wrapped her arm around Bethany's waist and pulled her along with her.
"Give up the Divination thing, Beth! Professor Trelawney all but came out and said you had no skill for that whatsoever." she said teasingly.
Beth's mood darkened. "I know…"
Jessica immediately regretted what she said. "Oh, Beth…I-I'm sorry…"
"No, no. You're right." Bethany shook her head. "I'm not really much good at anything. 'Cept maybe Muggle Studies, but that doesn't really count does it…"
Athena, desperate to lighten the mood, grabs Jessica and Bethany's wands out of their robe pockets and starts running down the hall with them, laughing.
"Wha-what? Hey! Don't run with those!" Bethany tore off after her. "If those break, you owe us 15 Galleons! And a note out of class!"
Jessica burst into hysterical laughter as she took off after them. She was breathless when she finally caught up to them in the courtyard. Athena was leaning forward on a bench, holding her side and trying to breathe. Bethany was standing next to her, still threatening her not to break the wands in between gasps. The trio of girls stayed there until they had caught their breath before they separated. Athena gave back the wands: Jessica's was a handle less, flexible, bone white, 10 inch willow wand with a dragon heartstring, decorated with a carved crescent moon pattern. Bethany was off to Muggle Studies, Athena to Airthmancy, and Jessica to Charms.
Jessica barely managed to slide into her seat before class started. Professor Arelus gave her a stern look. She blushed and looked down at her desk, feeling rather ashamed. Professor Arelus was a somewhat tall, pudgy, stuffy sort of man, she would soon come to realize. He had an order to things, and that was how he expected it to be. He was incredibly formal and had high expectations. He also had the uncanny ability to know when you were capable of doing something and chose not to. Maybe this was why (possibly of a sick joke by the staff or a lost bet) he was given one student who would happily and amusingly muck his whole world up from Day One: Fred Weasley.
He sat at the desk just across the aisle from Jessica. He stood out even at first glance. His was tall and skinny with somewhat short, reddish-orange hair. However, it was his aura and presence that stood out more than his appearance. There was something about him that gave off the vibe of a playful and mischievous, though charming, spirit. Jessica glanced at him a few times while Arelus was taking attendance until he finally caught her gaze. She blushed and looked away quickly. Fred grinned. Jessica was so flustered and distracted she didn't hear the professor the first few times.
"Miss Park!" Arelus said loudly for the third time.
Jessica visibly jumped. "Y-Yes!"
The rest of the class snickered. It died down when Arelus looked around the room with a stern expression. He looked back at Jessica and sighed.
"Well! Obviously you are in class today after all. Though I must say, this is not a good first impression. I had you father, Harold, when he was your age. Fine boy. Now, I know you can do better, yes? Not a good start. Not at all…" he trailed off as he wandered back to his desk.
"Yes, professor," Jessica said glumly, as she slumped her head down onto her desk.
The classroom was filled again with snickers, though this time they were muffled. Jessica remembered Bethany's earlier comment about her bad luck today. No! She was determined to have a great first day to her final year! She sat up good and straight, pen and parchment at the ready. Arelus continued on with the attendance sheet. He was nearing the end when he looked up with a face Jessica couldn't quite describe.
"Fred Weasley?" he said solemnly, but his eyes spoke differently.
Suddenly, Jessica recognized what it was: he was nervous! Why on earth would he be so nervous? She had no idea how soon she was going to realize why.
"Oy!" Fred called out cheerfully, still wearing that grin.
Jessica tried once again to look at him, but he was still gazing at her impishly. She felt her face go red. She leaned forward trying to let her soft brown hair cover her cheeks. I can feel the heat off my cheeks! Why is he staring at me? Fred leaned his head back and laughed at her quietly.
About halfway into the lesson, Arelus mentioned the use of the Avis spell as a good way to distract possible attackers. Fred responded to that with a sudden burst of laughter. Professor Arelus was quite shocked and indignant at his outburst.
"I say, Mr. Weasley, why don't you share the joke with the class?"
Fred crossed his arms casually. "You and that idea. What are some ruddy birds going to do? Flying around, smashin' into stuff."
Professor Arelus puffed up his chest and took a deep breath. Through clenched teeth, he calming, but lowly said: "Very well, Mr. Weasley. What would you use?"
He shrugged. "Oh, that's easy. An Aggravation Charm."
"Hah! Mr. Weasley, there is no such charm!" the professor got a smug and haughty look on his face.
"Sure it does; I made it up. Aggravato." he smirked, flicking his wand at the collection of portraits on the back wall of the classroom.
All at once, all of the portraits began singing, each with their own song and tune. Professor Arelus turned around and gaped at his portraits for a moment before getting annoyed. He started yelling at them to stop. When they wouldn't, he began shouting spells at them and waving his wand. He tried everything from the Silencing Charm to the Incendiary Spell. Nothing worked. The entire class, including Fred and Jessica are howling with laughter. Fred leaned back in his chair and casually put his feet of his desk and folded his hands over his chest, his whole manner cocky and amused. Jessica looked at him in surprise. She had never met anyone with such nerve, reckless intent or ingenuity. Fred started back at her and gave her a confidant, impish grin and a wink. Jessica blushed and looked down at her desk again, prompting another laugh.
[End of Part One]