The fact that a sharp stone dug into the muscle of her shoulder was blatantly ignored in favour of focusing on the hands holding her in place. Jane wasn't sure she would have done anything even if she could, however if anyone asked she would blame her compliance on the fact there really wasn't anywhere to move in the tiny broom closet. The sound of clomping boots passing the wooden door, that brushed her right arm in the small space, was enough to send her eyes to those of the male in front of her. Immediately her breath caught in her throat, his hands were warm on her sides through the light fabric of her blouse; her own hands were pressed against the shirt on his chest. It wasn't clear who moved first, or if they moved together, for their lips to meet in a soft peck. Once there was an inch between their lips one of his hands had moved to her cheek and this time he pressed his lips against hers, not that she was complaining in the slightest. She could feel his lips part and she pushed him to take control of the kiss, her tongue darting out before she nibbled his bottom lip. She could feel his breath hitch before he pushed back.
"Mistress," The small voice broke through the girl's sleep. "Mistress, it is time to get up. You must catch the train soon, mistress."
Jane held back the swears bubbling into her thoughts, she hated to disturb the peaceful house elves.
She sighed quietly blinking her sleep away and rolling over to face the female house elf. "Thank you, Nonna." She whispered, offering a small grin before sitting up and tilting her head to the side. She held up two fingers, smiling at the elf who moved forward to listen intently, "Mother is mistress, Nonna, I'm just Jane."
She lowered one finger and the elf nodded smiling, "Yes, Miss Jane."
Jane smiled and considered correcting her but instead moved along with the second topic, "Has my brother awoken?"
"No, Miss Jane." The elf answered, "Master James does not enjoy mornings."
"No one in this house does, Nonna." Jane shook her head groaning, she wasn't completely awake but she knew her brother, "I will see to it that he does not miss the train. Thank you, Nonna."
"Anything for the house of Potter, Miss Jane." The house elf replied before disappearing, most likely to fix something in another part of the house.
Jane stretched as she stood. She had not lied, mornings had never been kind. Her brother's room sat across the hall from her own, she walked the short distance and pushed the door open without knocking. "Wake up, James. It's morning." Her attempt at sounding cheery falling far flat.
A groan came from the mess of covers and Jane walked to the window, pulling open the blinds and groaning at the light. "That was ladylike." James muttered making Jane give a halfhearted laugh.
"Shut up, Jamesy. If I have to deal with this then so do you." She stated pulling his covers off the side of his bed, accidently pulling him with them.
"You've injured me! I cannot go, I have been gravely wounded." He cried.
Jane rolled her eyes and left his room once again, with a call over her shoulder, "Suffer through it, dear brother." She heard him call more claims of wounds after her as she closed the door to her own room, her trunk had been packed, courtesy of Nonna she assumed, she knew she hadn't packed it. Of course Nonna had been with the Potter twins for much to long to expect them to have anything done on time, Ravenclaw or not Jane Marie Potter was a procrastinator by nature. She stood in front of the vanity her mother had bought for her, she ran her fingers through her messy black hair before picking up a brush. Jane shared the same messy hair that ran strong through her family, once the mess was sufficiently untangled she braided it quickly. Only a few more hours before they were off to Hogwarts again. She dressed quickly, in simple muggle clothes, before pulling her trunk into the hall.
This time instead of entering she just knocked loudly on her brother's door with a shout of it being time to leave. She could hear him race around his room and then his door slammed open,
"I can't find my trunk." He exclaimed, looking wide-eyed to his sister for help. Jane gave him an exasperated look before pushing past him into his room, she paused in the middle to survey the mess he had made. James stood in the doorway and Jane turned, her arms crossed, her expression clearly stating that she couldn't believe him, she pointed to his bed and watched her brother's expression shift into a grin as he realized he had left it under his bed, again.
"I swear James, you would lose your head if it wasn't attached." Jane stated, shaking her head at her brother.
"You'd find it for me." James replied, grinning. Jane rolled her eyes at him, smiling, before going back to the hallway to push her trunk down the hall.
"Come on, stupid."
For the first time in three years Jane saw the tall castle of a school. She had spent said three years in a transfer program of sorts, and though she loved it she couldn't think of a better way to finish her schooling then to return to Hogwarts. A blonde head of hair caught her eye and a grin stretched on Jane's lips, Xenophilius Lovegood, her best friend.
"Xeno," she called, laughing as the woman beside him turned with him as if she had called both of their names.
"Jane," Xeno replied, returning her hug once she was close enough to wrap her arms around him, "I was worried the nargles would get to you. Do you still have the charm I gave you?"
"Of course, Xeno," Jane affirmed, pulling the little blue charm on it's chain from her chest, a few others had joined it in the last three years. "Oh! I almost forgot," she exclaimed before reaching into the bag at her side and pulling out two shining stones, she held one out to the two in front of her, "Dragon Stones, from the lost Kingdom of Atlantis is lore is to be believed."
"Thank you, Jane." Pandora's smile was brighter than Jane had seen for a while, she suspected it had something to do with the fact that the blonde woman's fingers were entwined with Xeno's. "We should head in with everyone else."
Pandora was the most level-headed of the three, though Jane was often loathe to admit it, and she was certainly right. Aside from the other stragglers they were close to the last ones outside as they finally made their way to the entrance of the school. Jane had met Pandora and Xenophilius during first year, she shared a room with Pandora as well as two others that Jane had managed to keep in relative contact with during her time away, and she had met Xeno while he searched for his shoes. The three Ravenclaws had bonded quickly and Jane had spent most of her free time with them, she suspected that might change now that the other two were clearly together, not that they would do anything. Jane knew they would never intentionally drive her away, but she also knew that relationships and friendships were never on par with each other, and she wanted to give them their space. Though of course, she would insist on being the Godmother to their future children.
Conversations flew about the Great Hall as Jane took her seat. She poked the book-y boy beside her and waited. Dante was the quiet sort, he had his reasons she knew, and always seemed to be thinking. When she had met him in her second year he had stood in stark contrast to Xeno who introduced them; Xenophilius was tall, pale, with white-blonde hair and silvery-grey eyes, Dante was almost the same height, his skin was dark, dark hair, and strange teal eyes.
Said strange teal-eyes lit up as he finally looked to the girl that sat patiently beside him, "Jane!" He grinned and wrapped an arm around her in a side hug, "When did you get back? Today, why am I asking."
"It's good to see you again, Dante," Jane replied leaning into him affectionately, "Did anything of value happen while I was away?"
"Well I finally made it to my first class on time."
"Hey!" Jane exclaimed, smacking her friend's arm, "I resent that!"
"Doesn't make it any less true," Dante shot back, "You sleep like someone gave you the draught of living death, or something."
"So what, you're jealous of my sleeping ability?"
"Yes, about as much as I'm jealous of Lily's shadow."
"Why, Dante, I didn't know you swung that way," Jane joked before-, "Hey! That's my brother you're talking about!"
"Are you saying he doesn't follow around a certain red-haired beauty like she harbors the means to defeat You-Know-Who?"
"Ah, well-... I-," Jane glared at him, "Admittedly he has a bit of a problem."
"Sure," Kai put in, sliding onto the bench across from the duo and beside Xenophilius, "A problem the size of Malfoy's ego."
"Kai! Manners," Jane exclaimed with a pointed look.
"Oh, of course," Kai replied, a sly smirk settling on his features, "'ello, Jane. Welcome back, you look ravishing, in fact I was wondering; have you survived the Avada Kedavra curse? Because you are drop-dead gorgeous."
"You must be a horcrux," Jane spoke grinning, "Because you complete me."
"If I were to look into the Mirror of Eriseid I would see us together."
"Your smile is like Expelliarmus, simple but disarming."
"My name may not be Xenophilius, but I sure know how to Lovegood."
Three years and the easy back-an-forth with her friends was certainly what Jane had missed most. "Is that a wand in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?"
"Did you spike my drink with Skele-Gro potion? Because I think I'm growing a -"
"Alright!" Pandora interrupted, "That's enough from the two of you."
Taking in the reactions around the table Jane had to stifle a laugh while Kai simply looked proud of himself, Pandora had her 'why-do-I-deal-with-you' face on, Xeno was characteristically distracted by something no one else could see, Dante was proving that it was very possible for a blush to overpower his dark complexion, and Lily, who had just arrived, looked slightly bothered but moreover used to it.
"Dinner hasn't even finished," Lily pointed out, shaking her head at them before sitting on Jane's other side.
"Lily, darling, if you wanted to join Jane and I, you could've just said so." Kai's words earned him a smack from the Gryffindor.
"Honestly, Kai, I don't know how anyone stands you," Lily shot back, her smile and the blatant warmth in her words cancelling out any venom the words might have held.
"A Slitherin and a Gryffindor surronded by Ravenclaws," Xeno murmured, his eyes lighting up but not looking at anyone in particular, "This reminds me of a dream I had twice. We're just missing the Hufflepuff."
Hours later Jane laid with her head on Xenophilius' lap, he had said something about making sure she was free of some certain type of invisible magical creature that was indigenous to the area she had been transferred to. They had been trading stories quietly, Xeno was finishing telling the one about how he had met Pandora, and sneaky Mulliols.
The others had branched off a while after leaving the Great Hall, Lily had booked it when she spotted James ("he's my brother!" "Doesn't make him any less of a filthy toe-rag." "My brother.") looking for her, which of course only led to James leaving his own table to follow her, Kai had left when James was approaching their table ("You do understand that he hates me, correct?" "Kai, he doesn't hate you, he just—," "Hates him on basis that he's a Slitherin?"), Dante had gone to speak with Remus as they shared a certain affliction, and Pandora was likely in the library, but Jane couldn't say for certain.
"You couldn't tell she fancied you? Honestly, Xeno," Jane laughed, earning a light swat on the forehead.
"It wasn't as if it were obvious," Xeno countered, to which Jane scoffed.
"She kissed you."
"You kiss me."
"On the cheek or the forehead, and it's completely platonic," Jane pointed out.
"Regulus kissed you once, and you're not even friends with him."
"And we agreed to never speak of it again!"
"You kissed Lu—"
"The point," Jane cut him off before he could bring up any of her other mistakes, "dear Xenophilius, is that Pandora obviously fancied you and you didn't have a clue 'til she told you and asked you out for a butterbeer."
Xeno seemed to ponder that for a moment, dazing off, before he spoke again, "Your turn."
"Anything in particular?"
There was another pause, "A story with your brother."
Jane almost laughed, she had plenty of those. But when the thunder cracked outside the window she could only think of one. "I used to be absolutely terrified of storms."
It was during one of their parents' trips, Jane had insisted they go somewhere nice for their anniversary, Nonna would take care of them. Two days in a storm had come out of nowhere, the twins had been playing outside before the thunder sounded and suddenly they were soaked, they sky was dark, the rain was heavy and a bolt of lightning, though far off, made Jane scream. Nonna had ushered them inside and being the eight-year-olds it was expected that they would bolt into their room. At the time they had shared a room, two beds, two dressers, enough space to give them their comfort while still being near enough to each other.
This time Jane had gone straight to her brother's bed, grabbing a pillow and putting her back to the corner. Jumping at the slightest sound and shaking like a leaf caught in a wind storm. James had sat beside her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, "It's okay Janey, it's just a storm."
"Monsters!" Jane had shouted, eyes glued on the scary shapes the shadows left on the carpet and walls.
"It's okay, Janey!" James had insisted, "I'll protect you!"
"But—ack!" A thunder clap and a lightning strike had Jane hiding under a blanket.
"Hey, Janey," James had prodded, waiting for his sister to look up at him before he held out a bracelet made of string, tying it on her wrist, "It's a magic bracelet, it'll protect you from the monsters."
Jane had looked at him with uncertainty, she was never one to believe someone easily…
"I promise," James added with a sincere smile, hugging his sister tightly.
Unless that someone was her brother.
"Now I'm only slightly terrified of storms," Jane concluded, swallowing a knot in her throat and biting her lip when the thunder sounded again.
someone informed me that the oc submissions were against the rules so here's the first chapter, i would still like to accept oc's but you'll have to pm me so i can tell you what information i need. thank you for reading :)
Sirius is in the next chapter, I really hope you like the sibling fluff as much as I liked writing it