Harry, Hermione, Ron and Ginny discussed what they had heard from the order meeting. Hermione felt annoyed about being followed and not being told to which Harry told her at least she knew what it felt like now. Hermione got in a stress with them and didn't talk to them for the rest of the day. Ginny wandered off sometime near dinner and didn't return so Harry and Ron had a few games of wizards chess. At dinner Jenny and Sirius were extremely quiet but no one really took any notice but Harry, who after attempting to talk to Sirius, found out he was in a bad mood.
"Who exactly is April?" Harry asked. Sirius looked at him and Jenny turned to look at him. She was sitting next to Harry, opposite Sirius.
"Just an old friend really. Lupin told you everything you need to know." Sirius said.
"Not everything." Jenny chimed in quietly.
"Of course, you would know." Sirius snapped.
"Yes." Jenny said quietly. "I am her daughter." Sirius grunted and went back to his dinner.
"Don't worry, he's just a bit annoyed." Harry whispered to Jenny. Jenny frowned and nodded. "You ok? You've been a bit quiet."
"Oh, I don't normally talk to other people" Jenny whispered as quietly.
"Why? Don't you like talking or something?" Harry asked. Jenny smiled slightly, Harry felt his heart in his throat and turned back to his food.
"Do you think we'll still be prefects?" Harry heard Hermione ask Ron. Harry turned to look at them.
"There's still three weeks until school and you're already thinking about it?" Ron asked with his mouth open slightly. Harry could see bits of food in his teeth.
"Well, we do still have two years of-"
"Please don't remind me." Ron said. "This year's going to be really bad, worse then last year."
"Well you better get yourself organised because I might not help you this year." Hermione said.
"Are you going to keep the DA?" Ron asked Harry. Harry shrugged.
"I don't know." Harry said. "It was just to annoy Umbridge really."
"No it was to help teach everyone defence against the dark arts." Hermione said. "I really think you should carry it on. You were a great leader." Harry smiled at this remark and Hermione returned the smile.
"Well I suppose," Harry said.
"You three hurry up and finish dinner." Mrs. Weasley snapped at them.
* * * *
"What's that sound?" Ron asked looking around the boys bedroom as a soft tinkling music filled the air. Hermione looked up from her book and looked at Ron while listening. Harry quickly caught the snitch that was hovering in front of his face and listened as well.
"It's music Ron." Hermione said.
"Yeah but where's it coming from?" Ron asked.
"Upstairs I think." Harry said putting the snitch in his pocket and getting up. "Come on."
"Harry, I'm really not sure if it's all that wise." Hermione said before realising what she'd said. "But it is the house so I guess it would be ok." She added slowly, after that. Ron rolled his eyes and got up. Harry held his hand out and pulled Hermione to her feet. She dusted off her skirt and the three of them went upstairs.
"It's coming from that room." Hermione whispered pointing to the door next to her room. Harry went up to it and gently pushed it open. The sound of a piano filtered out of the room and filled the hall. There was a quite voice singing along to it.
"I know that tune." Harry said, the tune that was being played rang a bell in his memory.
"It's because it's a muggle tune." Hermione whispered back.
"Oh yeah." Harry pushed the door wider and looked into the room. Jenny was sitting at, what looked like an electric keyboard. It sounded exactly like a proper piano. Her voice floated subtly over the top sounding like an angel and catching Harry's attention instantly. Even Ron was slightly hypnotised by it. When Jenny stopped playing there was a few moments of silence as the sound of the music died away. Ron started clapping as he recovered. Jenny whipped around so quickly she nearly knocked her keyboard off it's stand and knocked over a guitar that was perched next to it. She lunged to catch her guitar and help it tightly.
"What are you doing here?" She asked afraid.
"Listening to you" Hermione said with a smile, "That was really good." Jenny blushed and smiled shyly.
"I'm not that good." She said. "It's just something I do in the holidays."
"I thought it was amazing." Harry said, he could still hear her voice in his head.
"Could you play us something else?" Ron said as the three went into the room. Jenny hesitated and started to lift her guitar to her lap but placed it in it's stand.
"I'm sorry, I can't," Jenny said, "I get really nervous when other people hear me play." Jenny had been in Grimmauld place for two weeks and she had shown no signs of being nervous, shy or intimidated. No one had heard her play either or had gotten anything else out of her about her life. They had started to get along very well and Jenny was starting to be more open minded to Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny's ideas though they could all tell that she still felt incredibly reluctant to listen to order meetings and think about breaking rules.
"Just pretend we're not here." Harry suggested. Jenny blushed slightly, "You won't do it for me?" Jenny looked at him with a sarcastic look.
"What are you suggesting Potter?" Jenny asked. Hermione nudged Harry and he shrugged.
"Nothing." He said quickly. Jenny smiled and turned to switch her keyboard off. Harry took this opportunity to look at Hermione "What?" he mouthed.
"Stop flirting with her, she's younger then you." Hermione breathed.
"So?" Harry asked. Hermione gave him a slightly shrewd look. Ron watched them curiously. Jenny turned around to look at them again,
"When's your mum coming?" Ron asked Jenny. She shrugged.
"It's too dangerous for her to keep in full contact with me. An auror's greatest weakness is their family. Mum doesn't want me getting hurt." Jenny told them.
"Why does she spend so little time with you?" Hermione asked curiously. Jenny shrugged again.
"I guess it's because I think I remind her of my dad and because she has trouble saying my name." Jenny said,
"But your name's Jenny." Harry said holding his hand out slightly.
"Not my proper name." Jenny said, "It's kinda cheesy and a bit stupid but my mum named me Lily Jennifer Marsden. She can't say Lily so she calls me Jenny." She was looking at Harry as she said this. He felt a strange sensation forming inside him, the fact that this girl had been named after his mum, or so he presumed from what he'd heard, made him feel suddenly slightly awkward. Harry looked away
"Well we better get downstairs" Ron said clapping his hands. "Lunch will be ready soon." He turned and headed down the stairs.
"Harry, are you coming?" Hermione asked. Harry glanced at Jenny and nodded quickly.
"Yeah." Harry said. He put a hand on Hermione's back and led her out of the room. Jenny looked slightly annoyed and turned back to the keyboard.
"Do you like her?" Hermione asked Harry. Harry looked at Hermione.
"Excuse me?" Harry asked.
"Do you like Jenny?" Hermione asked kindly. Harry thought for a while. Did he like Jenny? He had never felt this way when he was with Cho.
"I don't really know." Harry said. They went into the kitchen where Fred and George had decided to come by for lunch.
"Harry!" George said squeezing Harry's hand
"And dearest Hermione." Fred said giving Hermione a tight hug. Hermione looked slightly shocked.
"Hermione!" George shouted giving Hermione a hug.
"And Dearest Harry." Fred said giving Harry a hug. The twins both had flaming red hair like Ron and Ginny and their parents. Their faces splattered with freckles. They both wore huge grins and burst out laughing at Harry and Hermione's faces.
"Hi." Harry said recovering first. Hermione shook her head and frowned.
"What was that for?" she asked curiously.
"Just pleased to see you. Just pleased to see you" Fred said. George started taking some sweets out of his pockets.
"Do you want to try some of our-"
"Fred! George!" shouted Mrs. Weasley. Fred and George hastily hid the sweets and turned innocently to their mum.
"Mother!" they both said loudly at the same time and went to give her a tight hug. She pushed them both off.
"We have not had the pleasure of seeing you for a long time" George said letting go.
"I saw you last night. What is wrong with you two?" Mrs. Weasley asked them. Ginny was giggling at the table as she watched them.
"Ginny fed us something." Fred said, "Our sweets backfired." He got slightly emotional.
"They're called Emotional endulgences." George said. He gave a thoughtful sigh. "I will curse my younger sister when the effect wears off." He said absently.
"Well it serves you right. Now I have to give these letters to Harry and Hermione. You two go and do whatever it is you do." Mrs. Weasley said. Fred gave a teary farewell to everyone in the room and the two disapparated. "Now Harry, Hermione." Mrs. Weasley said kindly. Harry was always amazed at how quickly Mrs. Weasley's moods could change after talking to her sons. "I have your Hogwarts letters but nothing new. Would you like me to get your things for you. Of course Harry, dear, you're not allowed to leave I'm afraid."
"It doesn't matter anyway." Harry said, "It would be very kind of you."
"Thank you Mrs. Weasley" Hermione chimed in.
"Just call me Molly." Mrs. Weasley said. Harry and Hermione nodded. "Now go and have your lunch then go and stay in your rooms we have another order meeting tonight."
"Anofa one?" Ron said with his mouth full. "If there any day you won be hafing one?" Ron swallowed his food.
"You-know-who is very active right now." Mrs. Weasley said. She knew it was the wrong thing to say because the faces of her two youngest and their friends lit up. "I'm not telling you anything just eat." She left the room leaving everyone looking disappointed.
"I can't believe they wont tell us anything." Ron complained. "We're old enough."
"We're not qualified witches or wizards yet." Hermione said.
"That shouldn't matter, we've been through a lot more then most of the order have." Ron said annoyed. Harry wasn't listening as Ron and Hermione started bickering again. Jenny snuck quickly into the room when no one was looking and put her mouth near Harry's ear.
"Can I speak to you quickly?" She whispered. Harry nodded and got up. The two left the table quickly. Hermione and Ron were still bickering and hadn't noticed them leave but Ginny glanced up but went back to reading a magazine. Jenny and Harry went into the hallway and stopped.
"I'm sorry if I shocked you earlier, you know telling you my full name" Jenny said awkwardly.
"No, you didn't really." Harry lied. Jenny smiled slightly, she knew he was lying.
"It's just that, your mum and my mum were the best of friends and when your mum died she named me after her but, you know, she never got over it like she did with Jenny Chang's death. What with Black in prison, Remus missing and Peter and your parents dead, she didn't really have anyone." Jenny told Harry.
"Well you know…Peter, isn't really dead." Harry said, he hesitated when he said Peter and even as he said it the name was filled with hate. Jenny looked at him confused.
"Peter Pettigrew is alive?" Jenny asked. Harry nodded.
"Remember when Sirius escaped from Azkaban?" Jenny nodded, Harry explained everything that had happened when he first met Sirius. Jenny looked slightly impressed.
"So is all that stuff about the chamber of secrets true as well?" Jenny asked. Harry nodded. "Wow." Jenny said with a smile. Harry smiled as well.
"Have you done anything while you've been at Hogwarts?" Harry asked.
"Nothing as exciting as you." Jenny answered. Harry saw her examining his hair. "Does your hair ever just lay flat?" Jenny asked pressing a hand against the top of his head. She had to stand on her tip toes to try and reach it.
"It's not going to work." Harry said with a grin.
"It's cute but a bit annoying." Jenny said tilting her head to the side slightly while trying to keep his hair down. Harry held her wrist to stop her when suddenly the door slammed open and a figure stood in the doorway. Harry wasn't so much surprised to see the person but he was surprised that it was raining in the middle of such a hot summer. His attention went to the person. Sirius came running down the stairs slightly alarmed. The person had a hood up so their face wasn't visible but Harry could see a few locks of blond hair. The person was obviously looking at Harry but then they turned and looked at Jenny. Jenny quickly put her hand behind her back and stepped away quickly as if scared.
"Who are you?" Sirius asked. The person closed the door calmly and put their wand away.
"What are you doing here?" came the person's voice dangerously. The person was now a female, Harry recognised the voice, somewhere in the depths of his mind new emotions stirred and something was triggered. "I was told you were on the run." She said bitterly.
"April?" Sirius asked surprised. The person lowered her hood and shook her long hair free. She had long blond hair that was slightly lighter then Jenny's and brown eyes flecked with green. She was quite beautiful but she looked like she hadn't received a lot of sleep and that she had seen many things she hadn't wanted to see. She was glaring at Sirius with such hatred that if looks could kill Sirius would be dead in an instant.
"Are you April Marsden?" Harry asked. She turned to look at Harry. Harry saw her gaze go to his scar and instinctively he tried to flatten his fringe over it.
"Harry Potter" She said with a slight smile, "it's good to see you at last. You look so much like James and of course I've heard so much about you." She then turned Jenny and Jenny seemed to seem impassive. "Aren't you going to say hello to your mother?" April asked as she rolled her eyes and Jenny grinned.
"Hi." Jenny said happily going to her mum and giving her a tight hug. April hugged her just as tightly and she stroked Jenny's hair a few times before letting go.
"How have these people been treating you?" April asked. Harry saw April glare at Sirius for a moment.
"They're great. Harry and his friends are really nice and the Weasleys are really good people." Jenny said. April smiled pleased that her daughter was happy. Ron, Hermione and Ginny entered the hall curiously at the strangers voice. They all looked at April confused but when they saw Jenny smiling in her presence they realised who it must be.
"You're early." Sirius grumbled. "The meeting doesn't start until eight." April snapped her attention at him.
"I would be quiet if I were you. Remus has always told me you were innocent and ideally I should be taking you to Azkaban right now after everything you did." April said. Sirius scowled and went down a few more steps so he was on the ground. He was a little taller then April so April had to look up at him.
"Yes well, you should have been looking after Harry while I was away. I see that you clearly didn't do that." Sirius said. "Whether I was innocent or not, you made a promise to Lily and James."
"What?" Harry asked.
"You haven't told him?" April asked curiously crossing her arms. It was weird seeing a stranger who had been in the house for less then a minute already arguing with Sirius.
"Of course I haven't." Sirius said,
"Haven't what?" Harry asked. Everyone looked at Sirius expectantly.
"April's your godmother." Sirius said slowly, "it was part of our engagement terms that we were to be your godparents and then something went wrong."
"We know you cheated on her." Ron said. April and Sirius both looked at him. He looked slightly alarmed at this and looked at Hermione. Hermione had gone slightly pale as well.
"Who told you?" Sirius asked.
"Well…" Hermione started but Ginny stepped on her foot subtly.
"I saw that miss. Weasley." April said almost fiercely. "Well that was the past and Dumbledore wouldn't let me look after Harry now if you excuse me I need to do some catching up with my daughter." April looked at Jenny who was frowning slightly at the exchange between April and Sirius. Harry was absolutely shocked, he had a godmother? Where had she been all his life while Sirius had been in Azkaban and he, Harry, was stuck at the Dursleys. That's what Petunia must have meant when she mentioned his godmother. April looked at Sirius who moved out of the way and let April and Jenny go up the stairs. Hermione looked worriedly at Harry. Harry just stared where April had been still in complete shock. Not only was this new but his godmother was head auror?
"You alright?" Ron asked Harry. Harry started to attention and looked at Ron, Hermione and Ginny all looking worried. Harry then looked at Sirius, who was looking worried as well but also slightly scared at Harry's reaction. Harry quickly went up the stairs and closed the door to his bedroom. He went to the bed and sat on it as he tried to come to terms with his new 'family' member.