By the way, I am soooooo sorry for how long this took to get up! I cleaned my room and lost my notebook, which held the entire second chapter! I found it now! Lol, Sorry again!
Chapter 2: Controversy Leads To Conversation…And Then SomePreviously: Harry went running down the sidewalk alone, at four in the morning after receiving a letter from an as-of-yet anonymous source.
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Harry was beginning to breath harder after two miles of running. He had been doing this for nearly the whole summer ever since he had gone out one morning and discovered that it was a great way to get his mind off of reality when he didn't feel like studying. He had built up his stamina over the summer, he could usually go about four miles without having to stop, but he had gone a different way this morning and discovered that the hill he was running up was making it far more energy consuming than he had originally planned on. Just to that park. I know I can make it that far. I'll walk a bit then take a rest on the swings. Then I should be rested enough to run back home. Yeah, I should be able to do it; at least it will be down hill on the way back. What the bloody hell was that! Some twenty feet away Harry saw a large cloud of pink smoke billowing up, it looked an awful lot like magic, but what type of idiot would be stupid enough to be doing magic in the middle of a muggle park? He ran the rest of the way there with a renewed energy at the prospect of finding out what was going on.
As he approached the spot where small puffs of pink smoke were still billowing from, the source became apparent. A girl, a young woman actually Harry noticed, about his and very attractive. Her shoulder-length brown hair was streaked with blonde and was beautifully curled into soft ringlets in a look that was natural yet still had the elegance that only a style that took several hours to create could possibly hope to posses. Shit, it's just my luck isn't it? I finally manage to feel something, even if it is anger, and then I have to take it out on an absolutely gorgeous girl that I would otherwise be trying to impress. She may not be Ginny but she is still gorgeous! Why does this kind of shit always happen to me? When he finally got to where the girl was standing, staring intently on some object that she had a wand pointed at, and it was definitely a wand she was holding. Harry stood directly behind her and questioned her in a voice that would have frozen dementors in their tracks.
"What exactly do you think you are doing?" The girl spun around in shock. Eyes nearly as green as his own were staring directly at him, a little unfocused from the shock, but penetrating enough to make him feel like he was having his soul bared under her scrutiny. A feeling he did not enjoy with the many things he preferred to keep hidden in his own mind.
"I am obviously talking on my phone, and if you don't mind, it is no business of yours. And if you do mind, then I have no choice but to tell you to sod off!" the girl snapped at him, making no effort to hide the animosity in her voice. Yet, at the same time, her face took on a little more pink than it had formerly held, no doubt due to the surprise and slight frustration of being caught off guard. Harry noticed the blush rising on her cheeks and had to quell the urge to console her. He knew what she was feeling, the anger and embarrassment and frustration that came from being caught completely off guard. But that did not change the fact that she was performing magic, and such obvious magic at that, right in the middle of an open place where a muggle was sure to see her sooner or later. When he spoke again, some of the ice had left his voice, but the anger was still there and it was by no means pleasant.
"Oh yes, because we all produce pink clouds of smoke and hold wooden sticks out in front of us when we talk on the phone, especially when there is no phone in sight. And of course we would all be this defensive of our actions when all we were doing was something so innocent as talking to someone. Besides that, it is 4o'clock in the bloody morning, who the hell could you possibly be talking to? Not too many sane people are up at this hour in case you haven't noticed!"
The girl looked shocked, her mouth hung open as she stared at Harry, "Wait…you saw pink smoke? That can't be…only…you would have to…Yes he must be a…But what if…" She rambled on to herself for a minute or so, leaving out too many words for Harry to fully grasp exactly what it was that she was arguing with herself over, though he did find it entertaining to watch, no matter how confused he was becoming. Finally, she seemed to come to a conclusion to her internal struggle. "Well yes it's the only way…I have to ask you a question. Please answer me honestly as your answer will dictate what I can tell you. So please, tell me, do you know who Harry Potter is, and, if so, what is his importance in your life?" Harry looked her in the eye, trying to find some sort of humor hidden in them. He found none. At that point he realized that he was wearing a hoodie and it was impossible to tell who he was as his hair and scar were hidden. That was the breaking point; Harry did something he had not done since before Dumbledore's death. He laughed. He laughed and laughed so hard that he was bent ion half with tears pouring out of the corners of both eyes. The girl was looking at him with shock and more than a little fear in her eyes. It was as clear as day that he had to be insane, and obvious that she was attempting to decide which way to run to get away from him most effectively. Harry noticed the fear in her eyes and forced out a response before she completely ran away and he didn't get any explanation.
"Sorry…hang on…its just…haha…I AM Harry Potter…yeah…hold up…give me…a second 'till…I can breath." The girl stared at him even more now, though fear had left her eyes and a bit of admiration had entered into her gaze. That she thought him somewhat mad was still obvious.
After she had given him ample time to recover, she spoke again, "It's not that I don't believe you, but before I say what I am going to, I want to make completely sure that you are who you claim to be. Please prove it, it ought to be easy if you really are." Harry calmly pulled back his hood and pushed his hair aside to reveal the lightning scar that was his constant I.D. card and a constant, if painful, reminder of exactly why he was famous.
"I suppose that ought to do,'" he said with a shrug.
The girl gave him a genuine smile and said, "I guess it will! Sorry I was so rude, I just wanted to make sure you weren't some random muggle who had no clue about our world before I went and ruined the big secret with my big mouth!" She extended her hand, "I am Jessica, and I am pleased to make your acquaintance. Though I am not sure you will be able to say the same about meeting me."
As he reached out to shake her hand, Harry grinned at her comment then sobered, "I am sure I will be more than glad to meet you so long as you can explain to me why exactly you were doing magic at four in the morning in the wide open in a muggle park."
She grinned at him, "Well, you said yourself that not many sane people are up and about this time of morning. I will refrain at this point from making inferences about your sanity, but my own is definitely questionable! Anyways…I can see how what I was doing might seem absolutely ridiculous from what you saw, however, I assure you that no muggle could possibly have seen what you saw. And please, do not take this as me trying to chum up to you, but even a magical person should not have been able to see it. The glamour I placed around myself was very powerful. Only a very powerfully magical person could have possibly seen through it, anyone else, oddly enough, would have seen me talking on my phone. There was even a simulated conversation that they would hear. No on that stuck around for less than an hour would have ever suspected anything."
Harry's curiosity got them best of him on this last statement and he couldn't help but ask, "Why an hour?"
Jessica let out a heartfelt laugh, "Because that, my dear, is when the conversation would end and repeat back from the beginning!"
Harry chuckled at this too, "I suppose that would be a bit obvious wouldn't it?"
She nodded, "But not many people hang around for more than an hour. In fact, you are actually the first person I have seen when I am out here in the mornings."
She said it so casually, but Harry was interested yet again, "You mean this wasn't just a one time thing?" Hope was radiating off of him…could it be that there was actually someone awake at this time of morning that he could talk too.
Jessica giggled at the look on his face, "God no, I'm insane remember! I have been out here at about two in the morning nearly every morning since the holiday started. I am a bit of a freak and can't seem to sleep when no one else is around," she admitted, "it all makes for a very tiring experience, but studying and practicing help me to take my mind off of being tired." She gave him a sheepish smile then questioned him, "Okay, enough about me, what is your insanity? You did say that no sane person was awake at his hour." She gave him a questioning but smug glance at having turned his own words against him, then seemed to realize who she was talking to and looked horrified that she had just asked him such a stupid question. She began to apologize profusely until Harry cut her off.
"Just stop before you hurt yourself. Trust me, you aren't the first person to ask me a stupid question, and I know for sure you won't be the last. Besides, that isn't even the dumbest question I have been asked," he stopped and grinned, "people have asked me if I got along with my parents before, now that is what I would call a stupid question! As for you, please, don't treat me like I am Harry Potter, just treat me like a friend, almost nobody has ever managed to do that before, and I screwed up our relationship so bad that there is no way she will ever want to have anything to do with me again. And to answer your question, I would most definitely not consider myself sane. I can talk to snakes, I survived the killing curse when I was barely a year old, and honestly, how could anyone be sane after that? Besides, I think it would be boring to be sane!" They grinned at each other.
Jessica was the first to speak, "So we agree on one thing at least, well, make that two actually. We both think it is fun to be insane, and it sucks to not be able to sleep! Wait! That makes three, because neither of us wants you to be hero worshiped, especially not by me!"
Harry grinned at her. "I can agree to that," he stuck his hand to her out for the second time that day, "Insane friends?"
"Insane friends! And as such, we deserve a special treat! Let's go to my house for breakfast! Will your relatives care?"
Harry grimaced, "The only thing I have to worry about there is that they will get very happy with the false impression that I have been kidnapped, then I would have to break their hearts by coming back later! In other words, no, they won't worry. I am up for whatever you suggest!" He thought for a moment then added, "On one condition, please don't take this as distrust, but I was told not to do anything stupid, and wandering off with someone I happened to meet in the park just because they offered me breakfast would probably qualify as stupid. So, what I am going to do is a simple truth spell that will show me whether or not you are lying when I ask you a question. Okay?" At her nod he quickly cast the spell. "What is your name?"
"Jessica Ann Ambrai"
"Are you working with, for, or in any way related to Voldemort?"
"No"
"Are you in any way shape or form planning on causing me or anyone I know harm of any sort?"
"No"
"Perfect!" Harry released the spell. "You pass with flying colors!"
"Well then, my house for breakfast it is! I hope you are hungry! I have to warn you, my mother is a really great mother and all, but she overdoes it quite often! She literally cooks a mountain of pancakes when it is just the two of us. I have yet to tell her when I am going to bring a friend over because I am secretly afraid that there will be no house left and just a sea of pancakes and ham or whatever other breakfast food she thinks of that particular day! I'm sorry I am babbling on, I am just so excited to have finally found someone as crazy as me! Not that I mean that in a bad way of course. I should also warn you that mum is a fairly powerful witch too. It sometimes takes people by surprise when they come to our house because they can feel the magic sort of floating out of her, it's kind o like she has a ton of magic and what she doesn't use just floats off so that she doesn't explode or something." Harry grinned at her continued ramblings and couldn't help to wonder to himself how it was that a girl as great as this would be so willing to welcome him into her life. Not only was she gorgeous, she treated him like a human, not a collectable or someone she depended on to be her savior. Harry mentally sighed though; I really should make her stop right now. If I go to her house I am just putting her in a huge amount of danger that she doesn't need to be in. Well, here goes again, Harry Potter's heroics loose him yet another friend. Jessica noticed Harry's silence and paused in her walking, Harry stopped next to her. Se looked at him questioningly, "What's up?"
"Well, I just thought you had the right to know, or at least hear it from me before we go to your house. I am dangerous." Jessica looked at him blankly. "That is, I'm not dangerous, just being associated with me is. I am a marked man, Voldemort wants me dead, and he tends to use those closest to me to get to me when he doesn't feel like attacking me directly. If I go to…" Jessica blocked any further comment by covering his mouth with her hand.
"Honestly kid, you need a reality check. No one is marked; we are all in equal danger no matter whom we associate with. You coming to my house is not going to be a direct cause of my mother or I to be any more at risk than we already are. Now can we please get going? I am starving!" Harry laughed, how could I have thought she would ditch me just because of what I said? Because a million other people would have!" It was at that moment that Harry thought he realized just what a friend he was going to have in this girl. It wasn't until they got to her house that he learned just how much he had underestimated their friendship.
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Jessica was right, that was all Harry could think of when he first walked into their house, Jessica was so right. Not only did the magic seem to float out of her and seep into the air, but also it remained there and left a trace of magic in the air. Every time he breathed in, Harry felt a little better, the raw magic was entering him and, as closely as he could figure, healing and revitalizing him from the inside out. It didn't scare him as Jessica had warned him it might, but rather comforted him and wrapped around him like a blanket on a cold day. But it made him sad too. It reminded him of something he couldn't place. Something that seemed just barely out of reach, and then he found it. If he closed his eyes he could see it, himself as a baby, looking up from his crib to see he smiling faces of his parents and the same feel of powerful magic surrounding him. It was a little different, and he could only guess that the difference was due to the unique magic of each witch and wizard. A lone tear was lost in a trail down his cheek, and Jessica looked at him just in time to see it fall from his eye. She came over and hugged him. How she knew that that was what he needed, he would never know, but she knew just the same. Standing there in each other's embrace Harry felt a strong desire to explain, to open his heart to this new friend who just might be able to help him. "My parents," he started, "my parents felt this way too. There was more of the magic, probably because there were two of them, and it felt different because their magic was unique. But overall, it was like this. I remember, lying there, looking up at them. That was before I was famous. God, what I would give to not be famous, if it meant going back to that? I have been known my entire life for a heroic deed that had nothing to do with my ability or any sort of capability or skill I might have had, no I am famous because my parents died and I didn't." Jessica continued to hold him and rub his back as he shook in her arms. Dry sobs escaping him every so often. As dishes and cutlery clinked in the next room as her mother prepared a huge breakfast for the two, Harry was finally able to let go of a life of torment that he had never really told anyone about, and Jessica listened. She wasn't just some fan girl, she was real, and she was a good friend. She listened when he needed her, and didn't pass judgment on him or his actions. She just listened, and that was all he had ever really needed. Soon, however, the smell of waffles became too much and Harry stopped and slowly pulled away. Though he had been unashamed while he was hugging her and telling his story, he was suddenly self-conscious as he backed away and saw her face and the tears streaming down from her eyes. Harry was at a loss for words, And the great Harry Potter does it again! Talks someone's ears off complaining about my own problems after they have gone out of their way to be nice to me. And I didn't even notice she was crying! How can I be such a bloody git? She was actually willing to talk to me and treat me like a human being and then I go and… Jessica's voice, distorted by tears, interrupted Harry's mental reprimand of himself.
"I am so sorry. Here I am trying to comfort you, and I go off like a water faucet! I feel like such an idiot. Even a simple thing like comforting someone is beyond my capability it would seem." Harry was shocked. She doesn't blame me? Wait…She doesn't blame me! He was so happy to discover this that he did something he would never have considered before; he reached out and, ever so gently, wiped away the tears, then pulled her into his embrace. Neither said anything as each drew support from the other. Harry could feel Jessica's heartbeat where she was pressed against him and could hear her breathing at the level of his neck. Eventually, both of these slowed and became more regular. He no longer heard her crying, though it had been a soft sound all along, so when she leaned back a little, he assumed she was letting go. However, as he began to loosen his hold, her head fell to the side and she slumped into him. Only his Seeker reflexes allowed him to tighten his hold and catch her before she collided face-first with the floor. He experienced a moment of panic about what could have possibly caused her to fall before he realized that she was fast asleep. Gently, so as not to wake her, Harry lifted Jessica so she appeared to be standing in front of him, but was actually leaning against him. He was made painfully aware of the fact that, other than a brief statement by Jessica to her mother that she had a friend over for breakfast and would introduce him later. So much for making a good first impression. Poor woman, some boy she doesn't know walks through her house in search of breakfast, all the while carrying her daughter who is asleep, though she must appear to be dead! Harry almost had to laugh as he considered the strangeness of the situation, at least being famous will be good for something for once, she will recognize who I am! Hopefully she supports me… Placing an arm behind her knees and the other around her back, Harry picked Jessica up and, with a wry grin on his face, walked towards the source of the waffle smell.
Harry found the kitchen with ease, the smell getting stronger the closer he got. He could hear Jessica's mom, Mrs. Ambrai he corrected himself, inside. He stopped at the doorway and glanced at the girl in his arms, her arms and legs dangling limply. He shook his head and took a deep breath, ready for the worst but hoping that that would not be what he found. He entered the doorway and got his first look at the woman whose daughter was asleep in his arms. She was tall, probably 5'9", nearly as tall as her daughter. Harry could see where Jessica got her brilliantly green eyes, delicate nose, and full pouty lips. This woman, however, had not given Jessica her hair, hers was straight, blonde, and nearly reached her slender waist. For Harry, whose only 'mother' figure had been Mrs. Weasley; this woman did not look like a mother. At first glance, in fact, she looked too young to even be Jessica's mum, but a second glance revealed the small creases in her skin and the deeper crows feet at the corners of her eyes. For a woman as old as she had to be, she was very beautiful, worn and tired looking, but beautiful. She projected a motherliness, however, that made it impossible for Harry, or any other young man for that matter, to think her beautiful for long.
When Mrs. Ambrai first saw the young man in the door to her kitchen, she smiled warmly, but a slight frown creased her forehead when she saw her daughter lying lifelessly in his arms. Harry noticed the worry on her face and realized how the situation must look.
Blushing, he cleared his throat, "Sorry, don't worry, she's fine. At least, I think she is." He frowned, "We were talking and she started crying and I hugged her. And then, well, I think she fell asleep." He finished with a slight shrug, careful not to wake the girl in his arms. Mrs. Ambrai's face lit with understanding and she smiled at the young man looking shyly at her with questioning eyes as she did her best to explain the situation.
"Oh, I see. She does this sometimes. She can't seem to sleep on her own, the poor dear, and the exhaustion will eventually overpower her to the point that she falls asleep the moment she is in contact with someone she feels safe to be near." She broke off, realizing that the poor boy was probably baffled by what she was trying to say. To her surprise, she was nodding slightly and really did seem to understand. Some kid she thought I wonder what he has been through to understand something like this? Goodness, look what Jessica went through to get like this! Harry must have noticed her skepticism, for he spoke up.
"Trust me, I really do understand. I have been there many times myself, more than I care to remember actually. But it never seems to stop, just gets worse." The last part was added more as a comment to himself than anything else, and he blushed slightly when Mrs. Ambrai's questioning expression revealed that he had been heard. "Sorry ma'am," he said, "I've been terribly rude. I have been standing here, holding your daughter all this time, and yet, I never introduced myself. My name is Harry, Harry Potter. I would shake your had, but, alas," he glanced at the girl he held, "fate seems to think that I ought to do otherwise." He finished with a lopsided smile and looked at her face to meet her curios eyes and barely contained admiration.
"Harry Potter," she said breathlessly, "I never thought I would get to meet you in person." She was silent a moment, and seemingly lost in her own world, before remembering her manners. With a self-deprecating laugh she said, "And now it is I who have abandoned my manners. My name is Sarra, or Sarra Renne. There is no need for you to be calling me Mrs. Ambrai. You are nearly and adult by age, and older than most in experiences. My daughter seems to have forgotten her manners as well! I you will excuse me a moment; I will run and go get my wand so I can wake her. If you set her down while she is still asleep, the nightmares will set in." Harry remembered Jessica's earlier comment about not being able to sleep, and Sarra's about this whole situation being a result of extreme exhaustion. He looked at Jessica, sleeping peacefully in his arms, and then back up to her mother who had just started to walk off to get her wand.
"Wait! Sorry, I was just wonder if, that is, would you mind, I mean, could I just sit down and hold her and let her sleep? She looked so tired," he said by way of explanation. He looked at Sarra hopefully and was surprised to a lone tear sliding slowly down her cheek. Fearing he had overstepped the unknown boundaries, he quickly tried to backtrack. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you or anything. I just wanted to help."
Sarra was quick to reassure him, " No, no. I am the one who should be sorry. That isn't the problem at all. I was just so touched that you were being so kind to her. You have known her for what? All of one morning?" At Harry's affirmative nod she continued, " I will be curious to hear more about that later, it is quite unusual. Anyways, you have known her for such a short time, and you are so willing to help her, and it has been so long since our family has known that much kindness. Well…we'll discuss that more once I've got you settled down. I keep leaving you standing there holding her. She's not terribly small, and you, no offense of course, but you look terribly underfed! Come this way," she said, leading him further into the house to a comfortable looking room with large, soft chairs. "Have a seat." Harry settled gratefully into a large armchair and sighed in relief, Jessica had been getting a little heavy. While his morning runs had greatly strengthened his legs, his arms were still rather small. Besides, the scarcity of food at the Dursley's made it a little difficult to build muscle. The minute Harry sat down, Jessica settled herself more comfortably against him, never waking. Her lags hung over the arm of the chair, one hand was resting on Harry's chest while the other sat in her lap, lightly curled into a half fist. Her head was lying on his shoulder, while the rest of her body was tucked neatly under his arm, her one side leaning against the back of the chair. Sarra began fussing over them immediately and Harry grinned at her similarity to Mrs. Weasley. Soon, he had a plate full of waffles in front of him and was chewing contentedly. By the time he had finished, he was feeling rather sleepy himself. Sarra had warned him that Jessica was likely to sleep for most of the day in order to make up for the sleep she had been missing. I suppose a little nap couldn't really hurt anything, especially since conversation is a moot point. Closing his eyes and smiling a little, Harry was soon deeply asleep.