Chapter 2 – The Truth Frees Up the Mood.
A/N: I've feeling particularly creative today so I hope you enjoy this chapter
Sparks
~flashback ~
Bill had gotten up with a huge smile on his face. The night before had been absolutely perfect, him and Jess doing what he always wanted to do but more than that, for once he found a girl that he could actually connect with. She wasn't just great in bed – she was funny, smart and she was a good person. He couldn't wait to see her again and thought he'd pop past. He knew the bar was closed but no one would think anything of him passing through, after all, he was friends with all the Rebels at the bar and if Charlie wanted to come with he was sure he'd just run off to find Pat again.
He hummed to himself as he dressed. As he was walking downstairs and to the front door he was waylaid by his mother, "Oh Bill! I was just about to come upstairs to get you." She said, smiling brightly at her eldest child. Bill smiled and said, "Don't worry about breakfast Mum, I'm meeting a friend for some this morning" he said, kissing his mother's forehead. Molly shook her head, "No that's not what I was getting you for. There's someone here to see you." Bill's eyebrows furrowed and then he smiled, for a second he thought it might be Jessica, "Oh really? Where are they?" he asked. "The Kitchen" his mother replied before bustling off to collect the rest of her children. Bill quickly went to the kitchen but as he walked in his huge smile turned to a disappointed frown, "Oh hello Jerry" he said. Jerry, a tall but lithe wizard of 28, was sitting at the kitchen table, "Is that anyway to speak to your partner in crime Weasley" he teased, getting up and hugging Bill. Bill chuckled, "Sorry I was expecting someone else." He said, punching the bald man. Jerry sighed and said, "Well, looks like you've been enjoying yourself but unfortunately today I'm here with bad news. We have an emergency job in Egypt" he said. Bill's heart sank, "What? But I haven't even been back that long yet and I have some stuff to do still" he said, frowning. Jerry shrugged, "They need us to leave right away. Sorry Bill but you're going to have to grab your shit so we can head out. Muggles have discovered some new site and there's tons of magic around it and you know what could happen." He said, "And the boss says he wants us there." Bill clenched his fist and looked out the window, "Right now?" he asked, hoping he still had some time. Jerry bit his lip and nodded, "Sorry mate we cannot wait for anything" he said quietly. "Fuck" Bill said, "Um… okay dude I'll go grab my stuff." He said, running upstairs. He stopped to explain to his mother before running into his room and packing all his stuff together. Once he was done he hurriedly wrote a quick note,
Jess ~ sorry love but I had to head out urgently for work. It's not what it seems I promise that Ididn't use you. I will be back but I need to know if you want me back. Write me if you do. ~ Bill.
Bill quickly attached it to Errol and sent him off before running downstairs to head out with Jerry, quickly saying bye to his family.
~End of Flashback~
Harry had been staying with Jess for almost a week. He hardly spoke to anyone at the bar save John when asking what he was supposed to be doing and he avoided Jess at all costs. She seemed to be fuming at seeing Bill and after two days Harry had finally clicked why. From what he could tell Jess and Bill had had a thing and Jess's twins were a result. What Harry couldn't fathom was that he had thought Bill to be very good and honourable and how Bill could just use her and leave. From what Harry could tell Jess was maybe the own but she wasn't one of the 'girls' that worked at the club so it must have been something special.
After a week, on a slightly chilly Saturday morning, Harry found that he couldn't sleep. It was 5am and he knew a few of the people would be awake training outside and he decided he would go and watch them. He got up and got dressed, heading downstairs quietly so as not to disturb the other people who were sleeping. He passed the darkened bar and headed into the kitchen where he found John sitting with the twins playing with them as he helped the cooks start to make breakfast. Harry said a polite, "Good Morning," before heading outside. Normally there were a few outside in the mornings training on the grass but this morning he only found Jessica. He didn't want to get too close lest she really was psychotic and decided to use him for her training but instead simply sat on a swing bench outside the kitchen door and watched her.
She seemed to be practicing some form of martial arts that required her to constantly move side to side. As she moved side to side she would enter into a series of moves from placing her hands on the ground (to Harry it seemed like either a dodge or block – sometimes turning into a kick) or she would throw kicks and flying kicks. It seemed to be martial arts mixed with a form of dancing. He watched her for a full ten minutes, his mind wondering from the moves she completed to her and Bill. "It's called Capoeira" a voice said beside him, causing Harry to jump almost a foot in the air. John chuckled, "You're safe here you know" he added, watching the boy before handing him a cup of coffee. Harry looked at him for a moment before accepting the cup, "Thanks but what's Capoeira?" he enquired, finding it strange to converse about something other than work and his protection.
"Capoeira is a Brazilian martial art which many people refer to as a dance… they change their minds after their heads connect with one of the kicks though," He chuckled quietly, "It was formed and used by slaves in Brazil thousands of years ago and was mostly hidden and illegal. Now it's extremely popular." He explained, "Jess has been training in it for years and trains most of our new rebels in it because it fits with our…" he paused to find the right word, "Core training agenda. Rather pretend to be weak and let someone come to you rather than give it your all and show your weaknesses to your enemy." He said. He fell silent and sipped his coffee leaving Harry to his thoughts.
Harry looked back at Jess and found it very impressive that she moved with such grace and ease though some of the moves looked extremely difficult. His thoughts wondered back to her and Bill and if the kids were Bill's after all. He considered asking John, turning to him, but lost the courage. John didn't look Harry but said quietly, "She was never one to have sex. She hadn't had sex before she took over and once she had she didn't feel she needed to. Everyone had the hots for her but she only ever really liked him," he said and Harry knew he was talking about Bill, "The night it happened no one knew about it. Bill had tried to help us throw some drunks out and had hurt his hand. She took him to the office to help him and from what I hear that's when it happened. He promised her he'd come back and she believed him and he never did, didn't even send her a note. She sobbed for days and no one knew why. She only told me what had happened when she found out she was pregnant." He said quietly, not talking his eyes off of his friend. Harry bit his lip and wondered if everyone knew the story and hated him because he was associated with Bill, he felt like he needed to apologize or explained and he tried to, "I never thought Bill would do something like that…" he started and John chuckled, "None of us did. The Weasley's have always been like family to us. We still speak to most of them but last week was the first time any of us had seen Bill in two years" he said, "When she had the twins no one judged her and everyone helped. I wanted to go after him but Jess begged me not to. She never wanted him to find out about the children in case he tried to take them away." He said and looked at Harry, "You don't have to explain Harry, and you're not Bill. We all still speak to all the Weasley's… just not Bill" he said.
Harry sipped his coffee and looked at Jess and before he could stop himself he said, "She scares me shitless," before blushing and looking down. John burst out laughing. Jess looked up from her training and walked over to them curiously, "What's so funny?" she asked, sitting beside John. John shook his head, "See you are in a bad mood" he said, poking her, "You've scared this kid shitless apparently." Jess blew her fringe out her hair and punched his arm, "I'm sorry Harry." She said, blushing herself, "I really am nice I swear… I guess seeing Bill has put me in a very otherwise mood though." She said thoughtfully. John shook his head and smiled, "Is that why you hardly talk?" he asked Harry. Harry smiled shyly and said, "Well… I just… I feel out of place because I don't know anyone and you all seem to hate Bill so much." He said. Jess looked at John and then at Harry, "Understandable… and I guess we haven't really tried. How about this, you wake up earlier each day and you can train with us if you like." She offered, "Magical and non-magical." She added. Harry grinned, "Thanks Jessica, that's really cool of you." He said. Jess shook her head, "Call me Jess, everyone else does and it's no problem… I guess it would help you in our fight ahead." She said, sitting back. "Our?" Harry asked confused and John smiled, "What do you think we're training for? Shits and giggles… we know the Dark Lords back and we plan to make his life hell." He grinned evilly and sipped his coffee. Harry smiled brightly and sat back, the three of them watching the sun rise in a comfortable silence after that.
~Flashback~
Jess sat on her bed sobbing her eyes out. John didn't know what was wrong but she'd been rather quiet the month before and for the last four or five days she had completely flipped out. She had hardly eaten, very rarely came out her room and when he did lean his ear against the door he could hear her sobbing. He walked in a few times to check what was wrong but she simply begged him to fuck off and die because all men were evil. This led to John presuming that whoever had wronged her had probably been male. John sighed on the fifth day and resorted to the last thing he thought he would ever have to resort to. He called her father.
When he had walked in Jess had wanted nothing more than to kill John because she knew only he knew how to reach her father during a school year. Her father had slammed the door open and leaned against the frame, "I see we're feeling sorry for ourselves" he said icily. Jess looked up at him and then burst into tears, hugging her knees to herself and sobbing heart brokenly. Her father watched this and reacted in the completely opposite way she expected him to. He walked to her bed, sat beside her and wrapped his arms around her, whispering, "There. There. Jessie bear" he murmured, rocking her. Jess unfolded herself and wrapped her arms around his, sobbing into his shoulder. He sang softly into her ear, kissed her head a few times, and simply comforted her until she calmed down.
When she released him and wiped her eyes he simply stroked her back, "Jessie… what's happened?" he asked quietly. Jess swallowed because the last person she wanted to tell was him but at the same time she knew he would listen and he would understand, be disappointed, but understand. She swallowed hard and said quietly, "I thought I was in love… I thought he liked me back…we… we…" she burst into tears again and her father instantly understood. He didn't lecture her but simply rubbed her back, "Men are dogs Jessica and are always after only one thing." He said quietly. Jess shook her head, "I was upset he didn't call me or write or come back…" she said quietly, "But now…now…" she pulled a piece of paper from beside her bed and burst out in tears again, handing it to her father. He read the paper and his eyes widened with anger before he bit his lip and simply looked at her. "What are you doing to do Jessie?" he asked quietly. Jess sniffed and said, "I don't know… I want to keep it. I… I know that everyone here will make it feel loved and… and help but I just don't know." She sobbed out. Her father nodded and stroked her hair, "Keep it. I won't ask who the bastard is that did this to you but that doesn't mean what you've made is wrong. Remember, I wasn't part of making you but you are mine and only mine. That fuck of a real father of yours was horrid" he said and Jess looked up as he never mentioned her real father, "But you are so special and so much better than that because you are mine." He said proudly, kissing her head. Jess nodded and wiped her eyes.
Her father stood and said, "Now I'm going to leave. You are going to take a shower, get dressed, explain everything to John and take it from there. Remember the first things I ever taught you my child – Don't plan anything, take it one day at a time." He said, kissing her forehead and leaving.
End of Flashback~
As the first week blended into the second Harry woke early every morning to train with Jess and John. Although they were fun and joked a lot they were very serious about their training, Harry felt it, and he felt it in his aching muscles. The first two days after training Jess had excused him from work but after that she made him work. John explained that if his muscles hurt it meant he was developing them nicely. Harry trained hard, worked hard and since the Saturday they had spoken played hard. It seemed that since Jess' mood improved everyone was a lot friendlier and Harry had many fun, laughter filled nights. It almost felt like he had no impending doom left, that the world was right. Everyone person had things in common with the next yet every person was completely different.
Harry soon realised that Jess was not the person everyone feared in work. She seemed to be the fun, free one at work and John was the serious one whereas when it came to training that was Jess. Simon, the cook, would often invite Harry to help him or play poker after work and his partner, Rudi, was the one who watched the kids during the day when Marcus and Oliver couldn't. Oliver was always happy to chat to Harry about Quidditch although Marcus didn't have the time of day for the younger boy. Harry was content and happy and all his initial impressions flew out the window.
The only thing that popped Harry's new happy balloon of life was the fact that he could not contact the outside world. He missed his friends, his things and his world. Although it was great living at the Rebel Joint and the people were great he missed Ron and Hermione and the Weasley's and he felt slightly out of touch. When Jess could see he was missing them she would try to cheer him up by regaling him with tails of her escapades with the Weasley's when she was babysat by Molly while she was growing up. She told him embarrassing stories about the children he hadn't heard, about the way things were done and the games they attended to. Harry would smile and thank her for trying and would shift off. Jess sighed and finally approached John with an idea she thought was perfect.
