Quidditch Pitch, September 30th, 1976
Jules' hair hung down her back to just above her waist. In the ridiculous fall sunlight, a residue from the drought of July, it shone as she moved while talking to Marlene McKinnon. Her legs had gotten longer, she had these slight curves on her thin frame that had filled out just so, and her lips looked pinker, fuller on her face. As she laughed and had Marlene helped her loosen the leather straps on her back, Sirius couldn't help but watch. He'd lived with her all summer, and he hadn't noticed how shiny her hair was or how bright her smile could be or how-
"Padfoot, are you listening to a bloody word I'm saying?" James said impatiently after waiting for Sirius to respond to a question he'd asked.
"Hmm? Yeah, of course, Prongs," Sirius shook out his hair and ran a hand through it.
"Why are you so spacey?" James rolled his eyes. "I need an answer about how we're going to pull ourselves up from being beaten by the swots in Ravenclaw! Pull yourself together before I replace you with Wormtail."
"Sorry, I just- Have you noticed how hot your sister's gotten?" Sirius found himself watching her walk towards them again. His eyes shifted to James who raised one of his eyebrows and made a face that bordered disgust and confusion. "Because I definitely haven't," Sirius quickly amended.
"Right," James looked at his best mate. He pat him on the shoulder. "Anyway-"
"I mean, I really haven't noticed. It's just Jules. I mean-" Sirius scoffed. "She's your twin- just like you... If you had nicer legs, and long hair, and nice, you know... Girls." He absentmindedly made a motion where he mimed breasts on himself.
"Sirius," James blinked. "Pull yourself together, mate. She's barely a minute away."
"Yeah, but I mean... It's not like I've noticed or anything," Sirius said, sounding like he was trying to assure himself more so than James.
"Noticed what?" Jules asked innocently as she pulled off her leather chest guard and shook out her hair. James rolled his eyes. Marlene was beaming at the lads from beside Jules.
"Oh, you know, Padfoot," James tried to cover up for Sirius. "Nothing really." His hazel eyes met Jules' for an instant. She could see right through him.
"C'mon, you left me out with your nonsense last year, tell me," Jules nudged Sirius playfully, and he swallowed while his eyes searched James' for some excuse.
"He was just noticing some... changes that have happened around... the Castle," James said slowly. He looked back down to his sister's eyeline.
"Like what? The fact that Emmeline Vance's dad likely bought her breast enhancement potion over the summer?" Jules teased.
"Ooh," Marlene added. "What about Bertha Jorkins' new nose! D'you think it's a charm that'll wear off?"
"Some of those fourth years look like they've grown up quite a bit over break," Jules smirked. Marlene laughed, while James and Sirius shifted uneasily from foot to foot.
"A whole fresh lot of blonde Hufflepuffs, Pads," Marlene ruffled his hair and winked.
"Oi," Sirius said. "What makes you think it has anything to do with a girl? And I liked Emmeline's tits exactly how they were last year."
"We know," The twins said flatly in unison. Marlene looked at the twins and shook her head laughing at their matching reactions. It never got old for her. Sirius looked at Marlene for a moment. Her blonde hair was pulled into a high ponytail, and she had red and gold paint covering her cheeks. Her brown eyes sparkled and suddenly, Sirius saw his way out.
"Actually," Sirius said boldly. It made James jump and his eyes flickered between Jules and Sirius for a second. "I was admiring you, Marls."
"What?" Marlene and James said in unison. Marlene burst out laughing. She wrapped her arms around Sirius' torso, and started to tease him about how she was far more clever than the blonde Hufflepuffs.
"I'm not falling for your lines so easily, Black," She winked. "Besides, we'd need to have an arrangement." Marlene started walking away.
"I can live with arrangements," Sirius said as he followed her, leaving James and Jules behind them. Jules and James walked slowly back towards the castle, carrying their gear to the dormitories.
"He wasn't really admiring-" Jules started to ask as her eyes never once left Sirius' retreating figure.
"Marley? Why?" James teased. "Feeling jealous? Things turning south with Frank?" Jules tossed him a look and then tilted her head to the side contemplatively.
"No, I just... Could you imagine? My best mate and your best mate getting together?" Jules laughed. "They'd have twins for Best Man and Maid of Honour."
"If you and Pads got married you'd have twins for best man and maid of honour, because I'd be both," James wrapped his arm around his sister's shoulder to make her smile widen again. "You know, unless you want Marlene to organize the Bachelorette party, but let's be honest. Mine'd be loads more fun."
James popped out his cigarette case that he'd knicked from their granddad's things. He offered one to Jules who laughed and took one. The pair of them smoked while watching Sirius and Marlene.
"I'm not jealous," Jules repeated again unconvincingly. "I'm going to go find Frank..."
"Alright, Julie," James laughed after exhaling his last mouthful of nicotine and tobacco. "I'll see you in the Great Hall later." He stubbed out his cigarette on the stone wall and watched Jules throw hers to the ground and stamp it out before she ran off in the opposite direction. James didn't fail to notice the almost forlorn look she shot over her shoulder at Sirius and Marlene who had laughed a lot louder than either had intended.
"Oi," James called out after Jules. "You're not jealous, remember?" Jules shoved her pointer finger and middle finger in the air at him and shook her head as she raced away.
Quidditch Pitch, June 24th, 1994
Sitting in the stands, overlooking the maze, Julianne Potter needed a smoke for the first time in 15 years. The tour of the grounds with Harry, Molly, Bill, Remus and Sirius had ended too quickly. They'd thrown her nephew into the magical monster ridden maze with three talented 17-year-old wizards. She had been through plenty of heart-wrenching, nerve-wracking, overwhelmingly anxious situations involving Harry before, but by far this took the cake. Jules needed a cigarette. Jules needed a cigarette and she hated herself for it. However, she did not hate herself as much as she resented Remus and Lily for convincing them all to stop. 'Well, not that Lily ever smoked,' Jules amended in her head. 'Self-righteous prig she was... No, lovely wife of your twin. Damn it, pull yourself together, Julianne. Harry's as much her son as he is James'.' The air was still. It was too still. Too warm. Too stagnant. Jules reached her shaky hand to Sirius' and squeezed tightly. He looked like he probably needed a smoke, too. Beside them, Remus grabbed Jules' other hand and looked as though he had paled considerably.
"Don't be Harry, don't be Harry," Lucy whispered to herself with clenched eyes after seeing the red sparks shoot up over the impenetrable maze. Sandwiched between Ginny, Fred and George Weasley in the crowded Gryffindor student stands she finally opened her eyes when Ludo Bagman announced that Fleur Delacour was out of the running. Her grey eyes snapped open and she sighed with relief. Fred passed Lucy a bag of Bertie Bott's and she reached in. Her nerves regarding Harry disappeared to be replaced with disgust about the boogie flavoured bean she just placed in her mouth. Lucy looked over at the stand where her mother was sitting between Remus and Sirius.
"Bet you're glad not to be dealing with her nerves, too," Ginny smiled gently. Lucy smiled and breathed out.
The anticipation was suffocating. Almost an hour had passed since Viktor Krum and Fleur Delacour had both been pulled out of the maze. Jules couldn't breathe as she waited for more news. Or at least, more sparks. Only Cedric and Harry were left. Excusing herself from the stands with the excuse of the loo, she made her way to the bottom of the third Gryffindor stand at the quidditch pitch. Sneaking into the bottom, she searched around hoping that no one else had found the place she and Marlene used to hide their contraband items. Finally, a loosened plank in the wall gave way and Jules reached inside. She found an old, familiar silver cigarette case that James had knicked from their grandfather and Jules had knicked from James. With shaky hands she opened it up and found one unbroken cigarette she'd rolled herself. She reached into her robe pocket and pulled out her wand. Just as she was about to light up, the stand opened and a dark figure stood in her way. Jules shoved her hands behind her back and stood perfectly still.
"Jules," Sirius said from the entry to the stand's stairwell. "This isn't the loo."
"I know," replied Jules cautiously. "I just... I needed a break."
"You're having a fag, aren't you?" Sirius crossed towards her and reached for her hand, but Jules turned away.
"No," She swallowed. Sirius laughed at her.
"You're a terrible liar," Sirius grinned as Jules finally let her hands fall to her sides.
"I quit," Jules said with disappointment dripping from her voice at her weakness. "I quit back when Lil made us all quit. I haven't had a bloody cigarette since Marlene's funeral."
Sirius pulled her hand with the cigarette into hers. He held the fragile, dried out thing and chuckled as a bit of the paper crumbled beneath his thumb and forefinger.
"You rolled this in seventh year," Sirius said knowingly. "You can't smoke that."
"How'd yo-" Jules stopped as he reached into his pocket and took out an unopened pack. "You didn't quit."
"They're unopened and I got them for emergency purposes," Sirius replied defensively. He tore open the plastic wrapping that coated the cardboard container. He then reached for the old silver case and placed the 20 cigarettes inside. Sirius hastily pulled one out and placed it between his lips. He lifted his wand to the tip and watched as a flame flickered into an ember at the end of what Remus referred to as coffin nails. He offered the pack to Jules who slowly pulled one out.
"I'd forgotten which one of you had this case," Sirius exhaled a puff of smoke and placed the end of his lit cigarette to the end of Jules. "Merlin, I'd forgotten how sinfully good this was." He grinned as the burning, sweet smell of tobacco filled the bottom of the stand. In the glow of cigarette embers and lamps to ensure no spectators tripped down the steep stairs, Jules and Sirius watched each other as they shared a seemingly archaic bad habit with one another.
"Won't Moony be wondering?" Jules asked as she took her last drag and tossed her butt to the ground, stepping on it almost gracefully to put it out.
"Moony is always wondering, but I'm sure Molly'll keep him occupied," Sirius grinned as he followed suit. He reached for her hand that now hung empty and pulled her towards him. He placed a delicate, smokey kiss on her frowning lips. "He is fine, love."
"How do you know?" Jules leaned her head on Sirius' shoulder. She reached into his pocket and pulled out the cigarette case to place it in her own.
"Because he's James and Lily's son," Sirius kissed the top of her head. "He's been bound for excellence from the start... With a godfather like me." Jules laughed and shook her head. She enjoyed the warmth of his arms around her and let herself forget about the danger facing Harry, the disappearances, and the dead.
Suddenly, cheers and screaming erupted from the stands. It sounded like utter pandaemonium. They both rushed from their place underneath, feeling guilty they'd missed a potential victory and were astonished when they saw Harry laying over an unmoving Cedric. Every inch of Julianne went ice cold.
"HARRY!" Jules screamed as she rushed forward. He wasn't getting up either. Albus Dumbledore tried to get Harry to move, but his first movement was to fling himself back upon Cedric's unmoving body. Jules blasted Professor Snape out of her way when he moved in her trajectory. The triwizard cup lay beside the two of them. As she approached Ludo Bagman and Albus Dumbledore who flanked the boy, she heard the most terrifying words her fourteen year old nephew could have ever said.
"He's back," Harry sobbed over the grey, lifeless Cedric. "Voldemort is back."
Julianne fell to her knees and pulled Harry into her arms. "Shh," She soothed. "Shh, I'm here, love. I've got you, Harry... I've got you." Harry collapsed into her like he had when he was little. He shook with sobs and Jules held him close to her, thanking the gods he was alive. Jules looked up at Sirius who stood running his hands through his hair and staring at Dumbledore with shock and panic. Mrs. Diggory's sceaming drowned out all other sounds. She wailed as she flung herself onto her son's corpse. The cheering stopped. The silence was deafening.
A horrible sinking feeling overtook Julianne as she rocked her teenage nephew in her lap. Voldemort was back. Jules looked towards Dumbledore, their eyes met briefly before he turned and strode towards Professor McGonnagal. It was starting again. The war that had stripped Julianne of everything she had loved, the war that she had hoped and prayed and pleaded would never touch what little she had left of her family ever again... This was the beginning of the end. This was it. Jules squeezed Harry tighter to her chest and pressed her lips against his lightening bolt scar. She knew that whatever happened next would be out of her control. She knew that her days of merciless over-protection weren't just numbered, they were done. A tear rolled down her cheek as she forced herself to look away from the mourning Diggorys.
A/N: I think Jo did the best job possible of writing the third task and what occurred with Harry, so I thought I'd focus more on the stands and anxiety that would surround the maze as the champions fought their way through. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this! Thank you to all the new readers and all the old ones who have stuck with me!
I have a term paper due at the end of the month, so I might not be updating for a while, but fear not! There will be more.
Reviews are always welcome, darlings! They truly make my day a little brighter.
All my love, Sophie