Chapter one

Dear James,

How's America? I know you only left yesterday, but I already miss you! That's quite sad, isn't it? Just don't go too wild while I'm not there! Whatever you do, don't get too drunk and sleep with a fan. Remember I'm here, waiting for you.

By the way, your family and the Weasleys are coming for dinner tomorrow. I'm looking forward to it – something to take my mind off your absence. Your presence will be greatly missed by everyone though; it just won't be the same… Oh, and Luke told me to remind you of your promise yesterday, whatever that was.

Anyway, I really just wanted to tell you I love you. Don't forget me. I don't believe you're off having this great experience and I have to go back to school in a few days. Last year though, and then I shall be free! Please try and visit at Christmas or something though?

All my love,

Jess x

Jess smiled, satisfied, and sealed the parchment with her wand. She began to tie it to her owl, Hermes' leg, but this proved more difficult than expected. He struggled, eager to take off on his flight to America.

"Calm down, Hermes, I need to get this tied on," she moaned. "He won't change, will he? When he's off partying and stuff? He'll remember me, right? Oh, look at me, worrying worse than Rose! He loves me, and he'll be back by my side again in no time. And, in the meantime, I'll concentrate on my schoolwork." She laughed to herself. "As if! I could never be like Rose in that respect. Oh come on Hermes, stay still!" Hermes finally quietened and she managed to get tie the letter to his leg. "Goodbye, and return quickly!" she said to him, before he flew out the window into the clear blue sky.

"Jess!" Jess' mother called up the stairs. "Come on! We're meeting everyone at the Weasley's house. We should have been there five minutes ago for Merlin's sake!"

Jess sighed and headed down the stairs with her broomstick.

"Relax, mum. You know no one will be ready when we arrive, and besides, it's not like there's a specific time for arriving at Diagon Alley."

"Still, it's rude. Are you ready? Grab some floo powder and let's go!"

Jess obeyed her mother, grabbing a handful of the strange blue powder and stepping into the fireplace. She threw in down and said the address of the Weasley's home. She spun off through the maze of fireplaces confidently (she had done this many times before), landing like a professional in the Weasley's front room.

"Rose!" she exclaimed, embracing her friend who was standing alone in the room, waiting for the guests.

"Hey Jess, glad you could make it," she smiled. "You're the first to arrive, surprise, surprise. I told mum we should have told you all to come half an hour before we wanted you, but she wouldn't listen… Oh, hi Kath."

Jess' mother had landed in the room, and was busy smoothing down her clothing.

"Hello Rose. Oh, are we the first? I thought we would be late! Where's Hermione?"

"She's busy shouting at dad for misplacing his wand again," Rose laughed.

"Oh dear," said Kath, concerned. Just then, however, Hermione came beaming into the room to greet her guests.

"Kath, so nice to see you! Found the wand," she added to Rose, rolling her eyes. "Ron's just coming. Oh look, here comes Lily."

Lily Potter fell out of the fireplace, closely followed by a smooth exit from Albus. Their parents followed soon after, and they were all greeted happily by their friends.

"I don't know why we need to fly there," Lily moaned, picking up her broomstick. "Floo powder is so much quicker and easier."

"Because you kids need the exercise," Ginny, her mother, told her with a laugh, summoning her own magically. "Well, shall we be off then?"

The large crowd headed outside, chatting and laughing. They set off after having an expert disillusionment charm placed on each of them by Hermione. Jess didn't mind flying there; in fact, she liked it. Feeling the wind in her face made her feel free, and alive, things she really needed to feel again now James was gone.

"So, Luke decided not to come?" Rose asked, flying next up next to her.

"Yeah, he said he had stuff to do. Talking to his girlfriend probably."

Rose giggled. "Ah well. Anyway, more importantly, how are you managing with James gone?"

Jess sighed. "I don't know… I'm coping, sort of. He's only been away one day though. I wrote to him this morning, and I know it will take time for Hermes to travel to America and back, but I swear, if there's not a letter waiting on my desk when I get home, I'm going to America myself to find him."

Rose laughed again, but stopped as Albus flew up to talk to them. You don't talk about this sort of thing to boys, especially not when it's about their brother. Apparently he didn't mind though.

"Coping without my brother then Jess?" he asked, smiling at her. The two of them were in the same year at Hogwarts and had become best friends, despite Jess going out with his brother.

"Yeah, I'll manage. I was just telling Rose, I wrote to him this morning."

"Oh good. I know he'll be glad to hear from you. Look, don't worry about him going off partying with other girls. I know my brother, he may be an enormous flirt but he loves you, and would never do that."

It was like he could see straight into her soul and know exactly what was bothering her. She smiled and thanked him, before changing to a lighter topic. She didn't want to talk about James; the more she did, the more she missed him. Albus understood, and they chatted and laughed about nothing the rest of the way there.

Landing outside Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, the party headed inside to drop off their broomsticks and say hello to George Weasley.

"Hello everybody, yes I know you're glad to see me. Hugo! Put that down! Just 'cause you're my nephew, doesn't grant you special access to bottles clearly labelled Do Not Touch. Ron, learn to control your child. And Jess, that's very expensive, and, truth be told, it doesn't even work that well. Put it back."

Jess blushed and put down the parchment that claimed to 'make the recipient of your letter unable to forget you'.

"Now, everyone, listen to me," Hermione ordered, taking control. "You can all go off and do what you want, but we're meeting back here in two hours, okay? We'll be buying all your schoolbooks in this time, so don't worry about that. Go and enjoy yourselves, but stay safe, and don't go down Knockturn Alley."

Albus, Rose and Jess looked at each other and grinned, before heading out the shop.

There, chapter one. Hope you liked it. If you want to see more, you know what to do. (Hint – review ;] )