Funestus

Funestus

A/N. I'd like to dedicate this chapter to LillyPhoenix who has reviewed nearly all my stories, WOW, thanx Lilly !!!!!:}

Chapter Four:

Jenny was standing with her back to him, with a tiny crystal bottle clutched in her hand, which she was stirring slowly.

'Jenny…' he started bemused.

Jenny gasped and spun round, obviously not hearing him come in.

'H…Harry? What are you…never mind…go back to bed!' she snapped quickly

He ignored her, a prickling sensation running down his spine, and his eyes fixed on the tiny bottle.

'What are you making?'

'You're not going to leave me alone, are you?' she said.

Harry shook his head.

'Alright. If you must know, I have just put the finishing touches to a very complex potion called Funestus. Latin word for suicidal, you know.'

'Why?'

'Could you be any stupider?' she said, her voice shaking, 'Don't you understand? Voldemort's going to kill everyone I love until I'm dead. My friends, my family, just because of me. I'm not worth it! This is my…their only hope!'

'Jenny no! Jenny please! There has to be a better way!' said Harry, understanding and desperate.

'It's too late to stop me now Harry. Goodbye,' she said, raising the conical to her lips…

Before Harry knew what he was doing, he leapt forward and knocked the poison from her hand. It smashed onto the floor and the potion was lost.

At first Harry thought she was going to hit him. A terrible anger blazed in those blue eyes and she started to approach him.

'I'm sorry, but I had to,' was all Harry could say, backing away from her as she slowly raised her wand…

But instead of cursing him she dropped her wand, sat down in a chair, put her head in her hands, and burst into helpless tears.

It was so unlike her to cry that, for a few seconds, all he could do was stare. All her bottled up emotions and sadness were showing through.

Harry sat down next to her and tried to think of something to say. He gave up seeing as the only thing he could think of to say was; 'are you alright?' so he wrapped his arms tightly round her and pulled her closer to his chest.

She didn't resist and she clutched his nightshirt as if the world would end if she let go. He could feel her body shaking with the effort of crying so hard but Harry still didn't say anything, feeling as though his presence was a lot more comforting to her than words. It was hours later before she cried herself to sleep in his arms, her body relaxing for the first time.

It was five o'clock in the morning and freezing in the common room. Harry pulled Jenny's slender figure closer to him, trying to keep her warm, but he didn't dare go to sleep incase she woke up. She murmured something intelligible but didn't wake.

He looked around at the mess in the common room and, carefully stretching over and picking up Jenny's wand where she had dropped it, he performed a tidying up spell. The excess powder on the table flew back into the small bag, which Harry levitated into the fire, just in case. The flames turned a dazzling green before settling down again.

He put her wand down next to him and tried to think of the best way to wake her. He knew she'd hate it if the whole of Gryffindor found them like this and, come to think of it, so would he.

'Umm Jen?' why it always him that had to wake her up at times like this? 'Jenny? Please wake up!'

She dazedly raised her head of his chest and let go of his shirt. It took her maybe five seconds to remember what had happened. She grabbed hold of him again.

'Please don't tell anyone! Please!' she said, her blue eyes staring franticly into his green ones.

'Ok Jen, don't panic, I won't! Look I even tidied the place up. Just swear to me that you won't try to do something like that again. Swear it or we go straight to Dumbledore! You scared the Hell out of me last night!' said Harry, almost angrily. True, he felt mean threatening her, but he knew it was the only way he could ever be sure…

'That's blackmail!' she exclaimed, staring defiantly at him, squirming to get out of his arms but he held her tightly, 'Let go of me, you beast!'

'Not until you swear to me that you won't try and pull a stunt like that again!'

He looked into her eyes and she stopped struggling.

'OK, I promise,' she said, lowering her eyes, unable to keep up the defiant gaze.

'Honestly?'

'Honestly.'

'Good.'

He let go of her and she leapt up towards the girl's dormitory.

Harry stood up slowly, moving his aching and cramped muscles. To his surprise, Jenny stopped, turned around, and caught his up in a huge hug, which made him tingle all over.

'Thank you,' she whispered, before letting go of him abruptly and racing towards her dormitory.

'You look as though you didn't get a wink of sleep last night, Harry! Are you alright?' asked Ron and the breakfast table, after Harry had yawned for the sixth time. Every time he yawned, Jenny would look up guiltily.

'I'm f…f…f…ine' said Harry, stifling another yawn.

But Harry managed to fall asleep in Transfiguration whilst they were copying down notes from the board. McGonagall, noticing, started to come towards him, nostrils flared and looking like an angry dragon. Jenny, who was next to him, poked him sharply in the ribs…

'Yow! What did you…oh, er hi Professor. I was just…'

He ended up in detention that lunch, cleaning the floor of the Transfiguration room.

'Psst! Harry!' came Jenny's voice through the door. She went over and squatted down next to him, 'You look like you could do with some cheering up!'

'Thanks, but if you're caught here…' started Harry but he didn't get to finish because his glasses were clogged up with bubbles.

'Right!' He scooped some bubbles from the bucket, grabbed Jenny, who was laughing hysterically, pinned her down, and shoved the bubbles in her hair.

She shrieked as the bucket got knocked over and drenched them both in cold water.

Unfortunately for them, Professor McGonagall walked in, just in time to see Harry tip the remaining water from the bucket onto Jenny. He caught sight of her and dropped the bucket onto Jenny's head in surprise.

'It was your fault.'

'No it wasn't.'

'Yes it was.'

'You started it!'

'Didn't.'

'Did'

This was how the conversation went that evening whilst they were forced to clean the walls of the Transfiguration room with a toothbrush.

In the next few days Harry kept a close eye on Jenny. She seemed more like herself now, since she had let herself go.

Meanwhile, rumours had spread like wildfire about creatures being killed in the Forbidden Forest. It seemed bodies of centaurs were being found daily but this could have been an exaggeration. One thing was for sure that the staff was keeping a close eye on the forest.

A few days after the rumours had started to spread, Jenny was called to Dumbledore's office. She came back about half an hour later and sat down next to Harry.

'Listen you three,' she said to Harry, Ron and Hermione, who had been waiting for her to come back in the common room, 'I need to tell you something but not here. Somewhere where no one will overhear us.'

'I know the perfect place,' said Ron.

A/N. What is the news Jenny is gonna tell them???!!!!! Where is Ron etc going to go??!!!! Find out when chapter 5 is up!!!!:}

Disclaimer: I own Jen, JK owns the rest.