4 October 5 1986
"I'm sure it'll be better, Harry," said Jennie with determination as she walked beside him towards the school.
"Do I have to go? Can't you tell them I'm sick and you'll take care of me?" Harry pleaded as they crossed as street and saw the school building.
"I'm afraid I can't sweetie, I'm not your guardian…"
"I wish you were!"
Jennie smiled and swooped down and kissed the boys cheek.
"Now be good and you just might get a strawberry cake when you come home," she said half-jokingly and Harry whooped happily and walked the last part himself, and when he was about to enter the building he stopped, looked back at her and waved.
"Now I'm doing things my way," Jennie muttered as she walked up to the part of the large building which held the reception and the principal's office. She opened the door, went in, smiled at the secretary and announced that she had a meeting with Mr O'Hara.
####
"Well Jennie, I clearly see the problem here, but since you are neither Harry's guardian nor a relative, I'm afraid you can't do much, and neither can I since Mr and Mrs Dursley insist that the boys are just playing around."
Jennie stared at the elder man in disbelief.
"Are you sitting here, telling me that you will do nothing when one of the students in your school is being bullied?" the twenty-seven year old blonde said, anger seeping into every word.
Mark O'Hara sighed and rubbed his nose.
"Dear girl, I see that you care very much for Harry Potter and for this I am glad since the boy seems to have very few who does, but I repeat; you can do nothing in this matter."
"What kind of principal are you?!" snapped Jennie and almost stabbed a finger in the man's chest in annoyance.
"Miss Andrews, this far I've spoken kindly to you, but if you insist on being disrespectful then I'll have to ask you to leave."
Taking a very deep breath, Jennie smiled sweetly.
"I'm sorry, I have a temper. Okay, let's rewind a little. Is there any change that you can call Mr and Mrs Durlsey and tell them that you've had a conversation with a concerned neighbor about the situation?"
Mark O'Hara smiled slightly.
"I believe that might be possible yes. May I ask that you leave your number; I'll have someone too call you back as soon as possible."
"I'd really like if you called me back in person since we are discussing the matter," Jennie replied politely while writing down her number, name and address on the paper she was given.
"You are a very stern young lady," said the principal as they both rose and shook hands.
"I am that Mr O'Hara. Thank you for your time."
####
Jennie hummed as she parked her small cerise car and locked it before heading inside the building where she worked.
"Afternoon Jennie, you look smug!"
"Hiya Tommy! Yeah, I think I've done a really important thing!" she replied as she passed the somewhat older guy with blonde hair and blue eyes.
"Good! So, when will you ditch Daniel and date me?" Tommy joked and pretended to lean in for a kiss.
"When you start liking women," Jennie replied giggling and continued further into the maze of offices until she reached her boss's.
"Hi Andrew!" she chirped happily and handed him the thick map with papers.
"Hello there! Did your mission go okay?"
"Yupp, thanks again for letting me skip the morning," she smiled and backed out of his office and headed to her little workplace to see what people needed her to do this day.
####
She was home after another exhausting day off running around, and when she parked her car Jennie saw a little figure sitting on her doorstep, a figure with messy black hair in way to large clothes.
"Hi little man! Have you been here long?" she asked as she unlocked the door and invited the boy inside.
"No… no one was home…"
"What? Are you sure? Perhaps your aunt and uncle are a bit late."
"Yeah, but I'm cold…"
"Well we can't have it that way can we… Let's get you something warm to drink and then you can tell me what a fun day you've had."
####
"What is it Jennie? I'm terribly busy," Petunia half snapped, clearly on defense.
Jennie sighed and looked at her… friend, in lack of better word; she didn't think Petunia wanted her in in her life anymore, but Jennie was no fool and she could see glimpses of the sad younger Petunia sobbing in her living room all those years ago, and so Jennie decided to be blunt.
"I'll make it quick. Do you remember that you said that you didn't want Harry to be ill since he's your sister's son?"
"What? Oh yes, what about it?"
The short haired woman was clearly thrown back, that much was clear to Jennie.
"Well, he is ill now; you neglect him! You do today what you said you didn't want to do, wake up Petunia!"
They sat by Jennie's kitchen table; Jennie with her arms crossed and half glaring; Petunia looking angry but also caught in the headlights.
"C'mon, deep down you know what I'm saying is true, and I do believe that you also know it's wrong. I can help you, you know that too 'cause I said so and I've said it over the years; you don't have to be alone in this," said Jennie and saw a crack in her neighbors façade.
"It doesn't have to be hard; the smallest things we do are often the most important ones," she went on and poured Petunia more tea, while the other blonde gave a strangled sob and hid her face in her hands.
"It hurts so much… He has her eyes! And sometimes he looks at me and I… it's just like Lily used to look at me after she'd started at Hogwarts, hurt and sad…"
"Why don't you tell him a bit about Lily? It might get easier then, you can get some kind of closure and Harry can get answers and then he'll like you more 'cause you'll be telling him funny things that he wants to know," suggested Jennie after a bit of thinking.
"I can't… remember the wizard who wrote the letter the night he left Harry here? He wrote that I can't tell Harry anything at all…"
"But he also wrote that you were to care for Harry, and caring in this case means sharing what you know about his parents, so I say screw that blasted wizard and be Harry's aunt!" scoffed Jennie, more annoyed than she let on.
"But what if he somehow knows what I'm doing, and if I tell Harry, what if he comes and takes him?"
"If he does, he's an idiot, wizard or not; he placed Harry here for a reason, I hardly think he'll take him away just because you tell the boy about his lost family."
Jennie drained her teacup, refilled it and then rolled her eyes.
"Ugh I'm keeping you late… But really, think about it, this is not good for you or Harry. Say hello to the family from me, will you?"
Petunia smiled a little shakily, stood up, thanked her and left; Jennie saw her hurry across the street, and when the other woman was gone from her sight, Jennie let out a string of curses, annoyed and more intent than ever to help if she could.
A/N: Jennie is once again stepping in – what do you think of the plan so far?