Chapter 16:

Cold

And then it was September 1st. Mr. and Mrs. Puecy had warmed up to her in the last few weeks. She would forever be grateful to Taryn and her family for allowing her to stay with them.

Adrian helped the girls load their trunks onto the train, then left them to their own devices in favour of seeking out his own year-mates. They were lucky to find a carriage to themselves.

The girls had grown close over the summer, and Jessa knew that could only help her in the coming years. She loved how easy it was to talk with the other girl. It reminded her of how things used to be with Harry.

Of course, it also helped simply to have a girl friend. There were topics she was definitely not talking about with her brother.

Harry looked around as boarded the train. He hadn't seen or heard from his sister since she ran away that night almost a month ago, apart from one owl, letting him know she was safe and would see him for school.

"She'll turn up, mate. She's probably already on the train, with her friends. She wouldn't miss the first day of school. You can find her at the feast."

Harry nodded to Ron and they found themselves a mostly-empty compartment.

"We'll help you look later, if you want. But Ron's actually right; she wouldn't miss the Express. You know, her first chance to go to Hogwarts the normal way?" Hermione pointed out with a pointed look at the boys.

Ron rolled his eyes and closed the compartment door.

Two carriages down, a certain blonde Slytherin was also wondering about Jessa Potter's whereabouts.

"Did any of you see Jessa Potter while you were boarding?" he asked, trying to sound nonchalant as he finally asked his year-mates about forty–five minutes into the trip.

Pansy Parkinson scowled. "Why do you care so much about her, Draco? She's Potter's bratty sister."

"I don't need to answer to you," he said coldly.

"I think someone's falling for the boy–who–lived's sister," taunted Zabini, and Crabbe and Goyle laughed stupidly.

"Forget it," Malfoy said sharply, getting up and going to wander around the train. Before he could get anywhere, however, the trail lurched, slowing, causing him to fall back into his seat.

"We can't possibly be there yet!" Taryn exclaimed.

Jessa responded by looking out the window, trying to spot…something. Her brow furrowed when she noticed frost of all things creeping up the window. She pulled her robe closer around her.

There were screams down the carriage as the whole train was thrown into pitch-black darkness. An eerie silence settled, before a skeletal hand opened the creaky door to their compartment, accompanied by an odd, deep breathing noise.

She felt cold, worse than if she'd been dumped in ice. It seeped into every part of her body, drowning her. Spots appeared in her vision, seemingly bursting grey, and flashing bright green behind her eyes. A searing pain lanced through her left palm.

"Jessa! Je – "

" – Taryn! You're alright!" Adrian exclaimed, relieved, as he popped in to check on his little sister. Then he glanced at her friend.

He immediately came to help get her seated again. "Enervate."

Jessa sat up suddenly. Or tried to at any rate.

"Easy."

She looked up, nodding as Taryn handed her glasses back. But it wasn't Taryn who was helping her up.

"Adrian? What are you doing here?"

"I came to check on Taryn after the Dementors came aboard."

"Sorry, Dementors?"

"Soul-devourers who guard the wizard prison, Azkaban."

"If they guard the prison, why are they here?" she asked, holding her left hand in her right.

The Puecy siblings exchanged a glance. Instead of directly answering, Taryn asked, "you alright?"

She nodded, albeit slowly. She then looked up. "You didn't faint, did you?"

Taryn shook her head.

"Of course, it was just me," Jessa muttered. She glanced up at Adrian again. "Thanks for helping."

"I'll see you at the feast," he said, rising and giving his sister another pat on the shoulder before leaving.

"Jessa? You sure you're alright?"

Shakily, she just nodded again. "Yeah. Thanks."

Despite the events on the train, Jessa smiled as they approached the castle in the carriages. She'd forgotten how beautiful it was at night. However, her happiness didn't last long. As she approached the castle's entrance, she ran into her brother and her friend…once again, at odds.

"You fainted, Potter? Is Longbottom telling the truth? You actually fainted?"

Facing Harry as he was – the boys having a staring match of sorts, neither saw her approach. For one of the first times, as he continued to goad Harry and Ron, Jessa saw the maliciousness, the coldness Harry was always talking about.

"Did you faint as well, Weasley?" he asked loudly, mockingly.

"I did," she said in response from directly behind him.

Harry watched in…amazement as Malfoy's demeanour changed.

"Jessa. How are you?"

"I'll be better once you stop insulting my family," she replied, her tone remained quiet, but there was no missing the steely note to it.

"Yeah, well…come on. We should go now if we want decent seats," he said, moving to put an arm around her shoulders. She ducked underneath it though, taking a step backwards towards her brother.

"I'll meet you in there. Save me a seat, yeah?"

He just glanced back before nodding.

"You alright?" she asked, turning to her brother, giving him a short hug before they ascended into the castle themselves.

"Fine. You?"

Jessa nodded. "It was more like I just…blacked out. Felt pain through this though," she explained, holding up her palm. He nodded. He had felt pain through his own scar.

"Potters! I want to see you both!" a voice called as they moved up the staircase. They turned to see Professor McGonagall waiting for them, Hermione Granger at her side. Once the siblings caught up to the stern woman, she led them to her office.

"Professor Lupin sent an owl ahead to say that you were taken ill on the train, Potter. Miss Potter, Mr. Puecy approached me regarding the same."

She was surprised (though clearly not as much as Harry was). But before either Potter could answer, Madame Pomfrey came bustling in, though she all but rolled her eyes at seeing Harry. Jessa had to hide a smile.

She wasn't used to the fuss, however, as Madame Pomfrey bustled around both of them, taking their temperatures and vitals – much like a muggle doctor would. In the end, she was glad when they were both allowed to leave without spending a night in the Hospital Wing.

However, she didn't feel up to the feast – certainly not after the Dementor encounter. She bid her brother a good night instead and returned to the dungeons. Glancing around the green-tinged common room, she smiled. She was home.

Jessa went to begin unpacking and when she heard others returning, she made her way back down to the common room. She scanned the room and quickly found the boy she was looking for.

She slid next to where Draco sat on one of the large, black couches.

"Hey. You okay?"

"What was that earlier?"

"What was what?"

"You know. With my brother. I mean, I know you two don't get along, but still…"

"Look, if I had known you also fainted, I wouldn't have teased him about it. But you said it yourself, we do not get along. We never have, we probably never will."

"I get that. But there's teasing and then there's…whatever that was. It's not like we can help things like that."

He nodded. "Alright. I'll try to…think about what I'm teasing him about first."

"Thank you."

He could hear the appreciation in her voice. It made it worth it.

"Are you alright? From the train, I mean?"

She nodded, albeit shakily – something which didn't go unnoticed by her friend. "I'm alright. I just don't understand why."

"I get it. Now how was your summer?"

"Alright. Except for, you know, getting blamed for Harry's mistake. Yours?"

"Alright…I missed you," he admitted quietly.

She smiled up at him. "I missed you, too."