Disclaimer- I only own Jennifer foster and the plot. **Sighs** Oh well…
A/N- Thanx to all my reviewers- Love ya'll!
Chapter Seven- A familiar face on the Hogwarts Express.
"Um, hi. Can I sit with you?"
Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil looked up at the girl standing in the doorway of the train compartment. She wore a white baseball cap and big, very stylish sunglasses. Her hair was scooped up under her hat and she had a thick Californian accent. She was dressed smartly, but casually at the same time, something that the two of them were always trying to achieve. Her trunk was hovering behind her, but it was a different trunk to the English ones- this one had carved shooting stars travelling over the lid.
The girl was obviously new, and Lavender and Parvati didn't have to think twice about letting her join them. They were always keen for gossip. They both nodded at the girl, who gave them a relieved smile and came into the compartment, sliding he door shut behind her.
Once she had stowed her trunk away in the luggage rack above, the girl sat down opposite them and smiled again. She had a vaguely familiar smile, but the two best friends couldn't quite put their fingers on it.
"So, um, you're new then?" Asked Lavender, trying to be friendly. The girl nodded.
"Yeah." She said. "I've just transferred from Salem- my parents are English and they wanted to come back. So here I am."
"Do you have any brothers or sisters?" Asked Parvati. The girl seemed to think carefully before answering.
"Well, yes, I do. I have a sister, but she's a Gandle."
"A what?" Lavender and Parvati cried together in confusion.
"A Muggle." The girl said quickly. "Sorry." She added with a grin and a shrug.
Lavender grinned back. "That's all right. Are you in your fifth year?" She asked. The girl nodded, and Lavender and Parvati grinned again.
"Good, so are we." Parvati said. "I'm Parvati Patil by the way, and this is Lavender Brown."
The girl smiled. "Pleased to meet you both. I'm Jennifer Foster."
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"Do you believe me now?" Hermione said, pushing the heavy book across the table to Ron. He picked it up and grinned. "Yep. Hey! Don't I look good!?"
Hermione rolled her eyes and Harry laughed. "That's a matter of opinion." He said, peering over Ron's shoulder at the book. He grimaced and sat back. "Put it away now- it's all a load of lies anyway."
"You mean you don't receive fan mail?" Hermione asked, pretending to be surprised. Ron snorted. "Where does it say that?" He asked with another grin, scanning the pages eagerly. He looked up. "Since when are you handsome and charismatic?" He asked.
Harry grabbed the book off of him and slammed it shut, while Ron fell about laughing. Hermione jumped as Harry slammed the book. "Careful!" She cried. "My Trepta's in there!" Hermione picked up the book and flipped through until she had found the piece of parchment. She breathed a sigh of relief and banished the book away to her trunk.
Ron recovered from his laughing fit and sat up as if suddenly remembering something. "So, what was the big news you just couldn't tell us over the Trepta then?" He asked curiously. Hermione had to think for a moment before she realised what he meant. When it hit her, she couldn't believe that she'd forgotten. But she had to tell them about Jennifer. And now was as good a time as any. Hermione took a deep breath, and began.
"Well, you probably aren't going to believe me, but here goes. My dad came home early the day you sent us both the Treptas, to tell me that Josephine Yates had been in contact with them. Josephine Yates had been their social worker when they going through the adoption process, but they hadn't heard from her in fifteen years. Anyway, she told us something that we had never known anything about." Hermione paused, took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "I have a twin sister."
Silence greeted her last remark. Hermione opened one of her eyes and peered at her best friends. They were just sitting there, dumbstruck, and staring at her in disbelief. Hermione waited a few minutes, but still they just sat there, looking as though they had both been petrified. She sighed.
"Oh! And also, just before the summer holidays started, Viktor Krum got me pregnant." She said casually. It worked. Both of the boys snapped out of their little daydreams so fast that Hermione made a mental note to use that trick in the future. She grinned.
"Hey! Welcome back!" She said sarcastically to them both. They didn't answer, and Hermione sighed again. "It's true. The twin part, not the pregnant part, obviously. She's called Jennifer Foster and she's been living with her adoptive parents in California for the last fifteen years. We met over the summer. The reason I couldn't go to Diagon alley with you two was because she was coming up my house that day. I made up Deirdre and Bob. Sorry." Hermione smiled, trying to get a reaction out of her friends.
"You…you do believe me, don't you?" She asked uncertainly. Finally, there was movement. "Well, yeah, I, well yeah." Harry said, glancing out of the window as he spoke. Hermione looked at Ron, who nodded. "I believe you, though it does seem pretty, well…"
"Unbelievable." She finished with a sigh. "I know." She said. "But wait 'til you meet her. She's really nice, although she sometimes seems a tiny bit…" Hermione's voice trailed off as an eruption of giggles was heard from the next-door compartment. It sounded like a laughter bomb had gone off in there. Hermione shrugged and continued.
"Anyway, as I was saying, she's really…" The giggles came again, and this time they seemed louder. Hermione frowned. "That sounds like Lavender and Parvati." She said, swivelling round in her seat so she could hear the sounds better.
"Figures." Harry muttered. Hermione nodded in agreement and Ron stood up. "Where are you going?" She asked in surprise. "I'm gonna go and see what's going on." He said, sliding the door open and going through into the corridor. Hermione rolled her eyes and sat back. Lavender and Parvati would not take kindly to Ron telling them to shut up. And she was the one stuck in the same dormitory as them.
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Lavender and Parvati had really taken to Jennifer. She was really funny and smart, and was really nice to top it all off. They asked her all kinds of questions about life at Salem, and she in turn asked a lot about Hogwarts. They could tell she was very nervous about starting a new school, and they had already decided to take this new girl under their wing.
Jennifer cleared her throat. "So anyway. I heard that you have a sorting hat or something. Will I have to try it on in front of everyone?" She looked terrified at the very thought. Lavender and Parvati shook their heads with a smile. "No." Said Lavender. "You try it on, but not in front of everyone. A new girl transferred from Beuxbatons a couple of years ago and Professor McGonagall sorted her before the feast started. I just hope you're in Gryffindor." She added with a grin.
Jennifer smiled. "I hope so too. After all, you're the only people I know so far." She said with a sigh. Parvati smiled happily. "Well, I guess that's just your good luck then, isn't it?" she said with a wink. Jennifer started laughing, and soon the other two joined in. "So how long will it take to get to Hogwarts anyway?" Jennifer asked. "All day." Parvati replied, rolling her eyes. Jennifer groaned. "Blimey. So what are we meant to do all day then?"
Lavender pulled something out of he jacket pocket. It was a Muggle magazine, full of pictures of celebrities. She grinned wickedly. "We make fun of people. What else?" She opened the magazine, and the three of them pored over it, pointing things out and joking as though they'd been friends for years. And it felt like they had.
"So what's the talent like at Hogwarts then? 'Coz the Salem boys were…" Jennifer began, but Parvati cut her off. "Oh, we've heard all the rumours about the Salem boys. Don't worry." The three of them giggled and Lavender continued. "Well, wait to you meet Dean and Seamus, they're in our class and they are so…"
Parvati interrupted her with a sly grin. "Oh, yeah, they're great, but wait 'til you see Ron." She said. Lavender frowned. "Ron *Weasley*?" She asked dubiously. Parvati nodded. "Yeah. I saw him a few weeks ago in Diagon alley, and boy has he changed. Well, he looks the same, kind of, but he really seems older." Parvati sighed heavily. "Shame he's already taken." She added wistfully.
Lavender and Parvati looked at each other and suddenly erupted into a fit of giggles, earning a very weird look from Jennifer. "What? Has he got a…?" She stated to say, but Lavender wiped her eyes and answered her half- finished question. "No, he doesn't have a girlfriend, but we still consider him taken." She said.
Jennifer frowned. "Why?" She asked with interest. Parvati grinned. "Because he is so obviously head over heels for his best friend. But she seems to be the only one who doesn't see it." Parvati shook her head, still laughing quietly. Jennifer grinned. "Aww, that is so sweet! But how do you know?" She asked, leaning forward to listen better.
Lavender smirked. "Well, there was this Yule ball thing last year and…" She didn't finish, because she had unfortunately glanced at Parvati, and they had both started laughing again, really loudly. Jennifer grinned. She wanted to know what was so funny. "Tell me!" She demanded. Lavender sighed. "Well, as I was…was saying…" she started. But once again she was interrupted. Though this time, it wasn't by a fit of giggles. Nope. The compartment door slid open to reveal a tall, red-haired boy, who looked about their age, standing there with his arms folded. Parvati and Lavender turned so red that Jennifer could feel the heat radiating from them. This was obviously Ron Weasley.
Parvati swallowed. "Um, hi Ron." She said uncertainly. Ron nodded. "Hi." He said. "I just wanted to find out what was going on in here. We're all next door and…" Lavender gasped. "Did you hear us?" She asked worriedly. Ron shrugged. "We could hear loads of laughing, but that was it. Why? What's going on?" he asked with a frown.
Lavender and Parvati breathed visible sighs of relief. "Er, nothing. We're just having a laugh, that's all." Parvati answered, folding her arms. Ron rolled his eyes. "Fine." He said with a grin. "But do you mind if I put a silencing charm on the compartment? We can't hear ourselves think." Lavender and Parvati rolled their eyes back at him. "Fine. Finished now?"
Ron rolled his eyes again and turned to leave when his eyes fell on Jennifer. She smiled at him. "Nice hat." Ron said. Jennifer shrugged. "Thanks. But I suppose I don't really need these anymore…" she smiled again and removed the hat to reveal very bushy brown hair. Next she reached up and pulled off her sunglasses. Ron swallowed. Parvati and Lavender gasped loudly. Jennifer looked at them all confusedly. "What?"
Parvati buried her face in her hands, muttering "Oh my God oh my God oh my God…" under her breath. Lavender's face turned white, then green, and then settled on a nice magenta colour. Parvati lifted her head and squirmed uneasily in her seat.
"We, we were only joking you know. I mean you really had us fooled. But we were only joking…" Her eyes flicked over to Ron, who was still staring at Jennifer. That was wrong. If Hermione had come to spy on them or whatever, Ron and Harry would have been in on it.
'Jennifer' looked at them all worriedly. What was going on? She cleared her throat nervously. "Listen, I don't know what…" Ron held up his hand and she fell silent.
"Sorry. You must be Jennifer Foster. I'm Ron Weasley." He said, extending his hand. Jennifer shook it, more confused by the second. "Um, hi." She said. "How do you know my name?"
Ron glanced at Parvati and Lavender- who were sitting dumbstruck in their seats- with amusement. He turned back to Jennifer and smiled. "Your twin sister is my best friend." He said casually.
Jennifer collapsed onto her seat with a thump. Twin sister? Hermione? Hermione was here? But, but that would make her a…
"What are you doing? How long does it take to…?" Hermione Granger appeared behind Ron, obviously investigating what was taking him so long. Her eyes fell on Jennifer, however, and she stopped dead in her tracks. Her mouth fell open and, once again, the expression on her face was mirrored in her twins'.
Parvati and Lavender sat completely silent, not out of courtesy for the moment, but because they could not find anything to say. They were completely identical. Jennifer and Hermione. Hermione and Jennifer. One in the seat opposite them, and one standing in the doorway. And it was obvious by the look on their faces that they had not expected to see each other there.
"J-Jennifer?" Hermione asked uncertainly. Jennifer stood up and smiled meekly. "Hi Hermione." She said. Ron, knowing what was going to happen, quickly stepped out of the way so the girls could hug each other. He rolled his eyes. Typical.
"I can't believe it! You're a witch!" Hermione exclaimed, as they broke apart. "I really wanted to tell you I was but I…"
"I know! It was bad, wasn't it? But now…" Jennifer suddenly started laughing. "'Mione! St. Matthew's! Oh my god!" Jennifer started laughing really hard. "No wonder you didn't like me asking questions about your school." Hermione smiled, but didn't join in the laughing. Ron knew why.
"Hermione Granger! Do you mean to tell me you actually *lied*? To your own flesh and blood?" He asked, pretending to be deeply shocked. Hermione shot him an evil look, but he could see that she still looked uncomfortable. She hated to lie. Ron grinned.
"I'm only joking! You did what you had to do. If you'd told her about Hogwarts, you could have been expelled." He said. "And that would be a tragedy. Who would help me with my homework?"
"It's not like she helps you anyway." A voice behind Ron said. It was Harry, obviously tired of being left alone. Ron sniggered. Harry looked over at Jennifer. "So what's going on in here Herm?" He asked. Jennifer shifted slightly, and Ron started to laugh. Hermione leant round Ron and waved her hand in front of Harry's face. He started. His eyes flickered between Jennifer and Hermione, his face turning a bit red.
"O.K." He said slowly. Hermione grinned. "Harry, this is my sister, Jennifer. Jen, this is Harry Potter." She said. Harry held out his hand to Jennifer, who shook it, looking- quite literally- star-struck.
"*The* Harry Potter?" She asked, her eyes widening as she glanced at the scar on his forehead. Harry dropped his hand. Ron stopped laughing and Hermione stopped grinning. They knew how much Harry hated things like this. Jennifer seemed oblivious. As did Parvati and Lavender.
"Yep. He's in our class." Lavender said, snapping out of her trance. She smiled at Jennifer, who looked impressed. "Cool. So you three are in Gryffindor as well?" She asked, turning back to face Harry, Ron and Hermione. Hermione nodded and Jennifer grinned. "That's great. So sit down 'Mione! I want you to answer all my questions again, and this time don't lie." She said, flopping back down into her seat and pulling Hermione down with her.
"Um…" She said, glancing at Ron and Harry. She knew they probably weren't in the mood to sit down with four giggling girls and listen to them talk about Hogwarts-neither was she to tell the truth. She had to stay, obviously, but she didn't expect the boys to hang around any longer than they had to. And she was right.
"Yeah. Er, we're gonna go back next door. Nice to meet you Jennifer." Harry said turning to leave. "See you later." Ron said, as he did the same. They both left.
"So Hermione, why didn't you tell us you had another half?" She said wickedly. Hermione smiled, unsure of what to say. She didn't like the way Jennifer was referred to as her 'other half'. They weren't halves. They were two *wholes*, and totally different people. She had known that since the first day they had met.
Hermione opened her mouth to speak, but Jennifer cut her off. "She didn't tell you, because she didn't know. Hermione didn't find out about me until the day before we met." She said excitedly. Parvati and Lavender sat forward eagerly. "Wow. That's so sweet. So tell us everything that happened." Parvati said, her eyes shining.
So Jennifer did, and Hermione sat in her chair, bored out of her mind. Jennifer would sometimes refer to her, but then if Hermione tried to answer, Jennifer would just cut her off again. After two hours of not being able to get a word in edgeways, Hermione was starting to get annoyed. At one of the rare moments her three companions paused for breath, she cleared her throat and stood up. "Er, I think I'll go back next door now Jen." She said with a smile.
Jennifer looked up at her, a crestfallen expression on her face. "Oh, please don't go 'Mione. Stay in here with me. It's my first day, and I need you. Please?" Jennifer looked so alone that Hermione felt her defences crumble at once. She was just being selfish- Jennifer did need her there. Hermione sat down again and smiled. "Ok then." She said.
"So, do you hang around with those two, like, all the time?" Jennifer asked her. Hermione frowned. "Who? Oh- you mean Harry and Ron? Well, yeah- they are my best friends." She said. Jennifer chuckled suddenly. "Best friends? That's funny." She said, starting to giggle harder. Hermione frowned again. "Er, why?" She asked. Jennifer shrugged, still smiling. "Well, no offence honey, but you're kidding yourself. Boys and girls can be acquaintances, and they can go out with each other, but *friends* is pushing it. Best friends is impossible. I've seen it happen." She said airily, turning back to Parvati and Lavender.
But Hermione wasn't finished with her twin yet. "Well, excuse me Jen, but you're wrong. Because they are my *best* friends. Like it or lump it." She said coolly. Jennifer raised her eyebrows. "Wow. She's really defensive of them, isn't she?" Jennifer said to Parvati and Lavender with a smirk. They giggled, and Hermione felt like exploding. "*She's* still here you know." She said angrily.
Jennifer turned back to her looking sceptic. "Look, I'm sorry 'Mione, but I was just voicing an opinion. It's a well known fact that no boy can understand the female species, and friends have to able to understand each other I'm afraid." She said with a shrug. The sound of a food trolley being pushed along the corridor came from outside, and Jennifer jumped up.
"Now, as your twin and your friend, I understand what you need right now." She said, jumping over her legs and sliding open the carriage door. "Chocolate." She said wickedly. Parvati and Lavender started laughing. "Hear hear!" They cried, then laughing even more. Hermione stood up as well. "No, really Jen…" She began, but her twin cut her off. "It's alright 'Mione, I insist." She said, gently pushing her back down into her seat. Hermione sat back down with a sigh, pointedly ignoring Parvati and Lavender, who were talking and giggling quietly.
Jennifer's words were revolving round in Hermione's head, and even though she didn't believe any of it, it still really annoyed her. She was acting as though she knew what was best about everything, but in reality she didn't even know Harry and Ron at all. If she did, she would know that even though they might not *understand* her completely, (who did anyway?) they *knew* her better than anyone else. And vice versa. Like when Jen had first seen Harry, and Hermione and Ron had known what he must have been feeling. Or when Ron had known what she had been so uncomfortable about when Jen had mentioned St Matthew's. Or like last year, Hermione had known exactly why Ron suddenly wasn't speaking to Harry, and Harry had known that he could count on her to help him learn a Summoning charm. They knew each other really well, and that's why they were best friends.
Getting her mind back into the present, Hermione realised that she had been correct all those weeks ago- Jennifer was like Parvati and Lavender, only not so bad. In fact, when she was alone, she was almost normal. However, just like Lavender and Parvati, the more there were of them, the worse they acted. 'I bet Jennifer loves divination.' Hermione thought bitterly.
Hermione shifted in her seat, wondering why she was feeling so resentful towards her twin. She didn't wonder for very long though. She hadn't seen Harry and Ron for over eight weeks, and today she had only spoken to them for only ten minutes. And, Hermione had a nasty feeling that Jennifer was going to want to stick to her side like glue. And that meant Parvati and Lavender within two metres of her. Hermione shuddered slightly. Ugh. And of course that meant… Harry and Ron would stay away. Wherever Parvati and Lavender were, they weren't.
"Ok. Dig in you three." Jennifer poured an armful of chocolate bars onto the table with a grin. "Especially you 'Mione." She said, grabbing a chocolate frog. Hermione sighed and took one as well. To tell the truth she had never really been a lover of chocolate, and all she wanted right now was a pumpkin pasty.
Yes, yes- this took me like… wait a minute- it was that long? You're kidding right? No? Oh God, I'm sorry. I started this chapter like, a month ago, and it's just taken me sooooooooo long. Sorry! Anyway, this chapter was the start of a bumpy ride for Hermione, who, (poor dear) is discovering that life with an annoying shadow (aka her twin) isn't a bunch of sweet- smelling roses. Don't worry- Jen is a good person and all, but she is too much like L & P to be good friend material for her. Sorry!
p.s- this is a happy story, don't worry.
p.p.s- please review!
Luv sparkley xxx
This is a new part of my author's note, written about a week after the above. My Internet at home isn't working, so I didn't have a clue how to upload this. But then my mate Aleydis, (whom everyone should really thank for typing this all out again- how long must it have taken?), said she'd upload it from her house, so here it is! Enjoy!
A/N- Thanx to all my reviewers- Love ya'll!
Chapter Seven- A familiar face on the Hogwarts Express.
"Um, hi. Can I sit with you?"
Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil looked up at the girl standing in the doorway of the train compartment. She wore a white baseball cap and big, very stylish sunglasses. Her hair was scooped up under her hat and she had a thick Californian accent. She was dressed smartly, but casually at the same time, something that the two of them were always trying to achieve. Her trunk was hovering behind her, but it was a different trunk to the English ones- this one had carved shooting stars travelling over the lid.
The girl was obviously new, and Lavender and Parvati didn't have to think twice about letting her join them. They were always keen for gossip. They both nodded at the girl, who gave them a relieved smile and came into the compartment, sliding he door shut behind her.
Once she had stowed her trunk away in the luggage rack above, the girl sat down opposite them and smiled again. She had a vaguely familiar smile, but the two best friends couldn't quite put their fingers on it.
"So, um, you're new then?" Asked Lavender, trying to be friendly. The girl nodded.
"Yeah." She said. "I've just transferred from Salem- my parents are English and they wanted to come back. So here I am."
"Do you have any brothers or sisters?" Asked Parvati. The girl seemed to think carefully before answering.
"Well, yes, I do. I have a sister, but she's a Gandle."
"A what?" Lavender and Parvati cried together in confusion.
"A Muggle." The girl said quickly. "Sorry." She added with a grin and a shrug.
Lavender grinned back. "That's all right. Are you in your fifth year?" She asked. The girl nodded, and Lavender and Parvati grinned again.
"Good, so are we." Parvati said. "I'm Parvati Patil by the way, and this is Lavender Brown."
The girl smiled. "Pleased to meet you both. I'm Jennifer Foster."
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"Do you believe me now?" Hermione said, pushing the heavy book across the table to Ron. He picked it up and grinned. "Yep. Hey! Don't I look good!?"
Hermione rolled her eyes and Harry laughed. "That's a matter of opinion." He said, peering over Ron's shoulder at the book. He grimaced and sat back. "Put it away now- it's all a load of lies anyway."
"You mean you don't receive fan mail?" Hermione asked, pretending to be surprised. Ron snorted. "Where does it say that?" He asked with another grin, scanning the pages eagerly. He looked up. "Since when are you handsome and charismatic?" He asked.
Harry grabbed the book off of him and slammed it shut, while Ron fell about laughing. Hermione jumped as Harry slammed the book. "Careful!" She cried. "My Trepta's in there!" Hermione picked up the book and flipped through until she had found the piece of parchment. She breathed a sigh of relief and banished the book away to her trunk.
Ron recovered from his laughing fit and sat up as if suddenly remembering something. "So, what was the big news you just couldn't tell us over the Trepta then?" He asked curiously. Hermione had to think for a moment before she realised what he meant. When it hit her, she couldn't believe that she'd forgotten. But she had to tell them about Jennifer. And now was as good a time as any. Hermione took a deep breath, and began.
"Well, you probably aren't going to believe me, but here goes. My dad came home early the day you sent us both the Treptas, to tell me that Josephine Yates had been in contact with them. Josephine Yates had been their social worker when they going through the adoption process, but they hadn't heard from her in fifteen years. Anyway, she told us something that we had never known anything about." Hermione paused, took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "I have a twin sister."
Silence greeted her last remark. Hermione opened one of her eyes and peered at her best friends. They were just sitting there, dumbstruck, and staring at her in disbelief. Hermione waited a few minutes, but still they just sat there, looking as though they had both been petrified. She sighed.
"Oh! And also, just before the summer holidays started, Viktor Krum got me pregnant." She said casually. It worked. Both of the boys snapped out of their little daydreams so fast that Hermione made a mental note to use that trick in the future. She grinned.
"Hey! Welcome back!" She said sarcastically to them both. They didn't answer, and Hermione sighed again. "It's true. The twin part, not the pregnant part, obviously. She's called Jennifer Foster and she's been living with her adoptive parents in California for the last fifteen years. We met over the summer. The reason I couldn't go to Diagon alley with you two was because she was coming up my house that day. I made up Deirdre and Bob. Sorry." Hermione smiled, trying to get a reaction out of her friends.
"You…you do believe me, don't you?" She asked uncertainly. Finally, there was movement. "Well, yeah, I, well yeah." Harry said, glancing out of the window as he spoke. Hermione looked at Ron, who nodded. "I believe you, though it does seem pretty, well…"
"Unbelievable." She finished with a sigh. "I know." She said. "But wait 'til you meet her. She's really nice, although she sometimes seems a tiny bit…" Hermione's voice trailed off as an eruption of giggles was heard from the next-door compartment. It sounded like a laughter bomb had gone off in there. Hermione shrugged and continued.
"Anyway, as I was saying, she's really…" The giggles came again, and this time they seemed louder. Hermione frowned. "That sounds like Lavender and Parvati." She said, swivelling round in her seat so she could hear the sounds better.
"Figures." Harry muttered. Hermione nodded in agreement and Ron stood up. "Where are you going?" She asked in surprise. "I'm gonna go and see what's going on." He said, sliding the door open and going through into the corridor. Hermione rolled her eyes and sat back. Lavender and Parvati would not take kindly to Ron telling them to shut up. And she was the one stuck in the same dormitory as them.
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Lavender and Parvati had really taken to Jennifer. She was really funny and smart, and was really nice to top it all off. They asked her all kinds of questions about life at Salem, and she in turn asked a lot about Hogwarts. They could tell she was very nervous about starting a new school, and they had already decided to take this new girl under their wing.
Jennifer cleared her throat. "So anyway. I heard that you have a sorting hat or something. Will I have to try it on in front of everyone?" She looked terrified at the very thought. Lavender and Parvati shook their heads with a smile. "No." Said Lavender. "You try it on, but not in front of everyone. A new girl transferred from Beuxbatons a couple of years ago and Professor McGonagall sorted her before the feast started. I just hope you're in Gryffindor." She added with a grin.
Jennifer smiled. "I hope so too. After all, you're the only people I know so far." She said with a sigh. Parvati smiled happily. "Well, I guess that's just your good luck then, isn't it?" she said with a wink. Jennifer started laughing, and soon the other two joined in. "So how long will it take to get to Hogwarts anyway?" Jennifer asked. "All day." Parvati replied, rolling her eyes. Jennifer groaned. "Blimey. So what are we meant to do all day then?"
Lavender pulled something out of he jacket pocket. It was a Muggle magazine, full of pictures of celebrities. She grinned wickedly. "We make fun of people. What else?" She opened the magazine, and the three of them pored over it, pointing things out and joking as though they'd been friends for years. And it felt like they had.
"So what's the talent like at Hogwarts then? 'Coz the Salem boys were…" Jennifer began, but Parvati cut her off. "Oh, we've heard all the rumours about the Salem boys. Don't worry." The three of them giggled and Lavender continued. "Well, wait to you meet Dean and Seamus, they're in our class and they are so…"
Parvati interrupted her with a sly grin. "Oh, yeah, they're great, but wait 'til you see Ron." She said. Lavender frowned. "Ron *Weasley*?" She asked dubiously. Parvati nodded. "Yeah. I saw him a few weeks ago in Diagon alley, and boy has he changed. Well, he looks the same, kind of, but he really seems older." Parvati sighed heavily. "Shame he's already taken." She added wistfully.
Lavender and Parvati looked at each other and suddenly erupted into a fit of giggles, earning a very weird look from Jennifer. "What? Has he got a…?" She stated to say, but Lavender wiped her eyes and answered her half- finished question. "No, he doesn't have a girlfriend, but we still consider him taken." She said.
Jennifer frowned. "Why?" She asked with interest. Parvati grinned. "Because he is so obviously head over heels for his best friend. But she seems to be the only one who doesn't see it." Parvati shook her head, still laughing quietly. Jennifer grinned. "Aww, that is so sweet! But how do you know?" She asked, leaning forward to listen better.
Lavender smirked. "Well, there was this Yule ball thing last year and…" She didn't finish, because she had unfortunately glanced at Parvati, and they had both started laughing again, really loudly. Jennifer grinned. She wanted to know what was so funny. "Tell me!" She demanded. Lavender sighed. "Well, as I was…was saying…" she started. But once again she was interrupted. Though this time, it wasn't by a fit of giggles. Nope. The compartment door slid open to reveal a tall, red-haired boy, who looked about their age, standing there with his arms folded. Parvati and Lavender turned so red that Jennifer could feel the heat radiating from them. This was obviously Ron Weasley.
Parvati swallowed. "Um, hi Ron." She said uncertainly. Ron nodded. "Hi." He said. "I just wanted to find out what was going on in here. We're all next door and…" Lavender gasped. "Did you hear us?" She asked worriedly. Ron shrugged. "We could hear loads of laughing, but that was it. Why? What's going on?" he asked with a frown.
Lavender and Parvati breathed visible sighs of relief. "Er, nothing. We're just having a laugh, that's all." Parvati answered, folding her arms. Ron rolled his eyes. "Fine." He said with a grin. "But do you mind if I put a silencing charm on the compartment? We can't hear ourselves think." Lavender and Parvati rolled their eyes back at him. "Fine. Finished now?"
Ron rolled his eyes again and turned to leave when his eyes fell on Jennifer. She smiled at him. "Nice hat." Ron said. Jennifer shrugged. "Thanks. But I suppose I don't really need these anymore…" she smiled again and removed the hat to reveal very bushy brown hair. Next she reached up and pulled off her sunglasses. Ron swallowed. Parvati and Lavender gasped loudly. Jennifer looked at them all confusedly. "What?"
Parvati buried her face in her hands, muttering "Oh my God oh my God oh my God…" under her breath. Lavender's face turned white, then green, and then settled on a nice magenta colour. Parvati lifted her head and squirmed uneasily in her seat.
"We, we were only joking you know. I mean you really had us fooled. But we were only joking…" Her eyes flicked over to Ron, who was still staring at Jennifer. That was wrong. If Hermione had come to spy on them or whatever, Ron and Harry would have been in on it.
'Jennifer' looked at them all worriedly. What was going on? She cleared her throat nervously. "Listen, I don't know what…" Ron held up his hand and she fell silent.
"Sorry. You must be Jennifer Foster. I'm Ron Weasley." He said, extending his hand. Jennifer shook it, more confused by the second. "Um, hi." She said. "How do you know my name?"
Ron glanced at Parvati and Lavender- who were sitting dumbstruck in their seats- with amusement. He turned back to Jennifer and smiled. "Your twin sister is my best friend." He said casually.
Jennifer collapsed onto her seat with a thump. Twin sister? Hermione? Hermione was here? But, but that would make her a…
"What are you doing? How long does it take to…?" Hermione Granger appeared behind Ron, obviously investigating what was taking him so long. Her eyes fell on Jennifer, however, and she stopped dead in her tracks. Her mouth fell open and, once again, the expression on her face was mirrored in her twins'.
Parvati and Lavender sat completely silent, not out of courtesy for the moment, but because they could not find anything to say. They were completely identical. Jennifer and Hermione. Hermione and Jennifer. One in the seat opposite them, and one standing in the doorway. And it was obvious by the look on their faces that they had not expected to see each other there.
"J-Jennifer?" Hermione asked uncertainly. Jennifer stood up and smiled meekly. "Hi Hermione." She said. Ron, knowing what was going to happen, quickly stepped out of the way so the girls could hug each other. He rolled his eyes. Typical.
"I can't believe it! You're a witch!" Hermione exclaimed, as they broke apart. "I really wanted to tell you I was but I…"
"I know! It was bad, wasn't it? But now…" Jennifer suddenly started laughing. "'Mione! St. Matthew's! Oh my god!" Jennifer started laughing really hard. "No wonder you didn't like me asking questions about your school." Hermione smiled, but didn't join in the laughing. Ron knew why.
"Hermione Granger! Do you mean to tell me you actually *lied*? To your own flesh and blood?" He asked, pretending to be deeply shocked. Hermione shot him an evil look, but he could see that she still looked uncomfortable. She hated to lie. Ron grinned.
"I'm only joking! You did what you had to do. If you'd told her about Hogwarts, you could have been expelled." He said. "And that would be a tragedy. Who would help me with my homework?"
"It's not like she helps you anyway." A voice behind Ron said. It was Harry, obviously tired of being left alone. Ron sniggered. Harry looked over at Jennifer. "So what's going on in here Herm?" He asked. Jennifer shifted slightly, and Ron started to laugh. Hermione leant round Ron and waved her hand in front of Harry's face. He started. His eyes flickered between Jennifer and Hermione, his face turning a bit red.
"O.K." He said slowly. Hermione grinned. "Harry, this is my sister, Jennifer. Jen, this is Harry Potter." She said. Harry held out his hand to Jennifer, who shook it, looking- quite literally- star-struck.
"*The* Harry Potter?" She asked, her eyes widening as she glanced at the scar on his forehead. Harry dropped his hand. Ron stopped laughing and Hermione stopped grinning. They knew how much Harry hated things like this. Jennifer seemed oblivious. As did Parvati and Lavender.
"Yep. He's in our class." Lavender said, snapping out of her trance. She smiled at Jennifer, who looked impressed. "Cool. So you three are in Gryffindor as well?" She asked, turning back to face Harry, Ron and Hermione. Hermione nodded and Jennifer grinned. "That's great. So sit down 'Mione! I want you to answer all my questions again, and this time don't lie." She said, flopping back down into her seat and pulling Hermione down with her.
"Um…" She said, glancing at Ron and Harry. She knew they probably weren't in the mood to sit down with four giggling girls and listen to them talk about Hogwarts-neither was she to tell the truth. She had to stay, obviously, but she didn't expect the boys to hang around any longer than they had to. And she was right.
"Yeah. Er, we're gonna go back next door. Nice to meet you Jennifer." Harry said turning to leave. "See you later." Ron said, as he did the same. They both left.
"So Hermione, why didn't you tell us you had another half?" She said wickedly. Hermione smiled, unsure of what to say. She didn't like the way Jennifer was referred to as her 'other half'. They weren't halves. They were two *wholes*, and totally different people. She had known that since the first day they had met.
Hermione opened her mouth to speak, but Jennifer cut her off. "She didn't tell you, because she didn't know. Hermione didn't find out about me until the day before we met." She said excitedly. Parvati and Lavender sat forward eagerly. "Wow. That's so sweet. So tell us everything that happened." Parvati said, her eyes shining.
So Jennifer did, and Hermione sat in her chair, bored out of her mind. Jennifer would sometimes refer to her, but then if Hermione tried to answer, Jennifer would just cut her off again. After two hours of not being able to get a word in edgeways, Hermione was starting to get annoyed. At one of the rare moments her three companions paused for breath, she cleared her throat and stood up. "Er, I think I'll go back next door now Jen." She said with a smile.
Jennifer looked up at her, a crestfallen expression on her face. "Oh, please don't go 'Mione. Stay in here with me. It's my first day, and I need you. Please?" Jennifer looked so alone that Hermione felt her defences crumble at once. She was just being selfish- Jennifer did need her there. Hermione sat down again and smiled. "Ok then." She said.
"So, do you hang around with those two, like, all the time?" Jennifer asked her. Hermione frowned. "Who? Oh- you mean Harry and Ron? Well, yeah- they are my best friends." She said. Jennifer chuckled suddenly. "Best friends? That's funny." She said, starting to giggle harder. Hermione frowned again. "Er, why?" She asked. Jennifer shrugged, still smiling. "Well, no offence honey, but you're kidding yourself. Boys and girls can be acquaintances, and they can go out with each other, but *friends* is pushing it. Best friends is impossible. I've seen it happen." She said airily, turning back to Parvati and Lavender.
But Hermione wasn't finished with her twin yet. "Well, excuse me Jen, but you're wrong. Because they are my *best* friends. Like it or lump it." She said coolly. Jennifer raised her eyebrows. "Wow. She's really defensive of them, isn't she?" Jennifer said to Parvati and Lavender with a smirk. They giggled, and Hermione felt like exploding. "*She's* still here you know." She said angrily.
Jennifer turned back to her looking sceptic. "Look, I'm sorry 'Mione, but I was just voicing an opinion. It's a well known fact that no boy can understand the female species, and friends have to able to understand each other I'm afraid." She said with a shrug. The sound of a food trolley being pushed along the corridor came from outside, and Jennifer jumped up.
"Now, as your twin and your friend, I understand what you need right now." She said, jumping over her legs and sliding open the carriage door. "Chocolate." She said wickedly. Parvati and Lavender started laughing. "Hear hear!" They cried, then laughing even more. Hermione stood up as well. "No, really Jen…" She began, but her twin cut her off. "It's alright 'Mione, I insist." She said, gently pushing her back down into her seat. Hermione sat back down with a sigh, pointedly ignoring Parvati and Lavender, who were talking and giggling quietly.
Jennifer's words were revolving round in Hermione's head, and even though she didn't believe any of it, it still really annoyed her. She was acting as though she knew what was best about everything, but in reality she didn't even know Harry and Ron at all. If she did, she would know that even though they might not *understand* her completely, (who did anyway?) they *knew* her better than anyone else. And vice versa. Like when Jen had first seen Harry, and Hermione and Ron had known what he must have been feeling. Or when Ron had known what she had been so uncomfortable about when Jen had mentioned St Matthew's. Or like last year, Hermione had known exactly why Ron suddenly wasn't speaking to Harry, and Harry had known that he could count on her to help him learn a Summoning charm. They knew each other really well, and that's why they were best friends.
Getting her mind back into the present, Hermione realised that she had been correct all those weeks ago- Jennifer was like Parvati and Lavender, only not so bad. In fact, when she was alone, she was almost normal. However, just like Lavender and Parvati, the more there were of them, the worse they acted. 'I bet Jennifer loves divination.' Hermione thought bitterly.
Hermione shifted in her seat, wondering why she was feeling so resentful towards her twin. She didn't wonder for very long though. She hadn't seen Harry and Ron for over eight weeks, and today she had only spoken to them for only ten minutes. And, Hermione had a nasty feeling that Jennifer was going to want to stick to her side like glue. And that meant Parvati and Lavender within two metres of her. Hermione shuddered slightly. Ugh. And of course that meant… Harry and Ron would stay away. Wherever Parvati and Lavender were, they weren't.
"Ok. Dig in you three." Jennifer poured an armful of chocolate bars onto the table with a grin. "Especially you 'Mione." She said, grabbing a chocolate frog. Hermione sighed and took one as well. To tell the truth she had never really been a lover of chocolate, and all she wanted right now was a pumpkin pasty.
Yes, yes- this took me like… wait a minute- it was that long? You're kidding right? No? Oh God, I'm sorry. I started this chapter like, a month ago, and it's just taken me sooooooooo long. Sorry! Anyway, this chapter was the start of a bumpy ride for Hermione, who, (poor dear) is discovering that life with an annoying shadow (aka her twin) isn't a bunch of sweet- smelling roses. Don't worry- Jen is a good person and all, but she is too much like L & P to be good friend material for her. Sorry!
p.s- this is a happy story, don't worry.
p.p.s- please review!
Luv sparkley xxx
This is a new part of my author's note, written about a week after the above. My Internet at home isn't working, so I didn't have a clue how to upload this. But then my mate Aleydis, (whom everyone should really thank for typing this all out again- how long must it have taken?), said she'd upload it from her house, so here it is! Enjoy!
