AN: Not sure if this will be a boring chapter for you, but I think Jamie needs time to settle into a small bit of normalcy in order to start to heal, but don't worry… typical hijinks and The Order of The Phoenix are on the way.
Jamie tossed and turned in her little twin bed, frogs croaking outside and birds beginning to stir. It was early, early in the morning, and she had been up all night. Draco's observation—"I highly doubt that Diggory kid would want you to just lie down and die, too," had been playing on repeat in her mind all night.
Jamie didn't know a whole lot about herself at the moment. She was technically a champion of the Triwizard Tournament, she had barely passed her sixth year by the skin of her teeth, and she was the newly discovered Potter daughter and a scapegoat for the murder of her secret boyfriend.
Jamie had never tried for anything, well, except in the tournament, and look what that had gotten her.
"Ah, but you still were able to find the cup…" the voice in her head reminded her smugly. "You outsmarted a dragon…you found the taken treasures in the lake before any of the others…you scored the most points in the final Quidditch game this year…"
"So what," she huffed, sitting up in her bed in frustration. She felt hot, she felt…like a caged animal. Her days of doing nothing were catching up with her…she was restless.
"I highly doubt that Diggory kid would want you to just lie down and die, too."
"Is that true, Cedric?" She mumbled allowed, feeling her cheeks redden at the idea of speaking to Cedric…wherever he was. "I bloody got you murdered; you really want me to do something with myself now?"
She was up, digging through her trunk of clothes, muttering aloud to herself—or maybe it was to Cedric.
"I don't even bloody know what you wanted to do with your life, yet I have to do what…keep living for you?" she grumbled as she found an old sundress her mum had packed her. "Bloody hell, still managing to mess me all up even now, huh?"
She had a small smile on her face, and she shook her head. "No fair I have to deal with all this bullshit and you get to kick back for all eternity, huh, Ced?"
She shook her head as she tugged on a jumper with enough sense to remember it would be chilly in the early dawn. She knew she sounded mad, talking to Cedric who maybe could or couldn't hear her—how was she to know how these things worked? She never really talked out loud to James or Lily, somehow it had felt too…sacred of an act.
But James and Cedric had spoken to her during the graveyard incident, and Lily had smiled at her in only the way a mum could smile at her child. Loving. Proud.
"Hell," Jamie snapped, realizing either they all had been trying to tell her something all along or she was losing her mind. Maybe the latter. She snatched up a pair of shoes and spelled one of the furniture drop cloths into a large canvas tote.
Scavenging around in her trunk, she found her emergency stash of money. She could go wake Severus, but she had heard him retire for sleep only two hours earlier. She jimmied open her window and dropped down into the backyard. The lake was lapping gently, soothingly, in the distance the sky was turning silver as the sun began to awaken.
The dirt lane the other summer homes sat on was basically a one-way road, it led to the end of the lane of houses and then back toward the village of Hogsmeade. She headed toward the village and to the market.
The benefit of getting to the market at dawn had some advantages, Jamie presumed. Hardly anyone was out, and if they knew who she was, they didn't say a word about it.
Hogsmeade had always been a cool place, a sleepy little village were the full-time residents were friendly and welcoming to visitors and the neighboring school, yet they also seemed disinterested in picking up their pace to become a hotspot for people to want to come visit. It was like a well-kept secret; a nice little village people didn't mind stopping in at.
The village was primarily a block of shops right beside each other. The rail station, the Wizarding Wireless Network HQ, Hogs Head Inn, and a Ministry Clerks office were situated in their own separate premises around the village amidst blocks of homes of the residents.
There were some farms on the outskirts of the village, mostly sheep and cattle, and it was the farmers and local gardeners who brought in produce for the early morning market outside The Magic Neep Grocery, which sat between Dogweed and Deathcap, the Herbology Shop Neville frequented during visits, and Bernard's Butcher Shop. Also, on their side of the block was the post office, Ceridwen's Cauldrons, Pippin's Potions and Apothecary, Scrivenshaft's Quill and Stationary Shop, which also housed a small collection of wands from Ollivanders, and Dervish and Banges repair shop.
On the other side of the block were the more popular attractions: The Three Broomsticks Inn, Dominic Maestro's Music Shop, Gladrags Wizardwear, Annabella's Salon, Honeydukes Sweet Shop and Bakery, Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop, Spintwitches Sporting Needs, Zonko's Joke Shop, and the Tomes and Scrolls bookstore.
Farmers and gardeners had spread their produce out on stands and wooden tables outside of The Magic Neep and along the street line. Piles of fresh lettuce, cabbage, tomatoes, onions, potatoes, spicy spelling herbs and spices, paper-wrapped packets of seeds, perfectly ripe peppers, and an assortment of jams, fresh salsa, and preservatives. Farmers had a selection of fresh eggs, glass jugs of milk, and the promotion of their fresh meat, which she housed inside of Bernard's shop. A few fishermen had also brought in their spoils from fishing, including a selection of trout, mussels, and eel.
The shopkeeper at Gladrags was pushing out racks of clothing to entice shoppers, just as Tomes and Scrolls were setting up tables of discount books. The smells of the tiny bakery in the back of Honeydukes, Madame Rosmerta firing up breakfast and Madame Puddifoot's brewing fresh tea were perfuming the air already.
A nice older couple had set up a little stall offering fresh coffee they made themselves as hobby in their retirement, a basket of muffins and cookies from the bakery hot and fresh were also ready to sell.
Jamie found herself buying a delicious cup of coffee, perfectly sweetened with hints of mocha and brown sugar, and a muffin as she wandered the stalls and tables, planning out their grocery list. It was oddly peaceful, walking about unnoticed or bothered. No one seemed to be staring or taking second looks at the young woman as she wandered.
In the end, she loaded up on fresh vegetables to start while also taking it upon herself to buy nearly an armful of seed packets. A basket of eggs, strips of chicken, sausages, rashers, a flank of steak. A loaf of fresh white bread and another load of cinnamon raisin for breakfast, a small collection of tea, jars of jam and some salsa and spices, and a container of coffee and a promise to return soon.
A quick charm to make everything fit comfortably in her bag, weightless, and Jamie found herself in much more pleasant spirits. She already had intentions of returning the next morning for coffee, maybe a stop to get a few books, some stationary and a few quills to owl Harry, the twins, and her parents. And Fleur, definitely Fleur, and maybe Xolia would be free sometime this summer. Perhaps Luna and Soleil could tag along for a visit as well. Angelina would want to visit...
But then how did one explain things? Anything to her friends…? She was stumped on that one and she felt the familiar twinges of pain as her mind traveled to Cedric once again. She shook herself, pushing through the gate and entering the cottage.
She could hear someone muttering upstairs as the shower turned on, snores in the other. She began unpacking the groceries, finding a pan she began frying up eggs, sausages and rashers in the other. Using Molly and Guin's cherished charms, she had the pots and pans tending themselves on the stove as a knife sliced tomatoes on the cutting board, toast popping into the toaster ready to be buttered.
She had the radio on the windowsill switched on, a morning talk show segment warbling, as she charmed all of the dishes to wash themselves in the sink, wanting to start fresh since who knows when they had been washed last? Coffee was brewing in the pot; the tea kettle was on.
Footsteps were thumping down the stairs as Draco and Severus appeared in the doorway, gaping at her.
"Morning," she pointed to the table where clean dishes sat waiting. She was moving the food over as well, ignoring their wide-eyed looks of disbelief.
"Coffee…tea?" She cocked an eyebrow at them.
"Oh God, she's gone full Weasley," Draco announced as he stared at the food, seemingly captivated before sitting down. Severus was studying her, mildly concerned yet relieved.
"You cut your hair," he remarked.
"It was hot," she replied, shrugging. Severus looked to Draco, who also shrugged. He sat, watching as Jamie doled out mugs of coffee and tea, opening the window for the delivery of the Daily Prophet and handing it to him.
"You were up early," he tried again.
"I'm all caught up on sleep," was the reply as she fixed herself a plate. "Try the cinnamon raisin bread, it looks so good."
"What I think Professor Snape means is, you're actually out of bed," Draco smirked at her.
"And so are you, good job, Draco," she sing-songed, patting his shoulder ironically, causing him to roll his eyes and jerk his arm away. "I think I'm going to try to tame the gardens today if that's alright, Severus? Also, I have some vegetable seeds I bought and need to find a place for."
"Go—" his voice caught and he tried again, schooling his face to not look delighted by her request. "Go right ahead, Jamie. If there's anything you need, just let me know. I'm sure the herbology shop has a decent selection of tools just in case, and I'm sure Professor Sprout wouldn't mind letting you borrow things out."
"Fine, what time do you both want lunch?"