CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
Aaron and Jane snuck quietly out of the Hospital Wing and out of the castle, which was difficult enough with Jane's sore ankle. They talked about her Quidditch match as they walked down to the Black Lake. He was telling her how great she had done, and that now she knew that she had nothing to worry about.
They sat against a large beech tree and looked out at the lake. It was kind of cloudy out; they could hardly see any stars. The half-moon peaked out from behind the moving clouds on occasion, casting a little bit of light down on the lake.
Aaron talked about how much harder fifth year was, about all the stress it put people through to do really good and to figure out what they wanted to do with their lives. It kind of scared Jane. Sure, her fifth year was two years away, but she had no clue what she wanted to do with her life. She had no clue what jobs were even needed in the wizarding community.
After swallowing her pride, Jane finally told Aaron how little she knew of the wizarding world outside of Hogwarts. He just chuckled a bit. He said that it was okay, that they loaded you down with pamphlets in your fifth year that had tons of things she could decide on.
"I assure you, you're not that far behind. Even kids that grew up in magical homes have no clue what they want to do," he said.
"What do you want to do?" Jane asked.
"Honestly," Aaron said, turning to look at her, "I have no clue."
Jane laughed with him.
"I'm serious," he said, still laughing, "they expect you to have your life figured out at fifteen, and it's ridiculous!"
"Well, I have two more years before I have to worry about it," Jane said.
"Hey, that's what I thought. And here I am, still not knowing. And with everything that's happening in the world right now, I think it's just going to make everything a lot more difficult."
Jane thought back to Remus' issue of the Daily Prophet that she had read the other day. She remembered reading something about a dark wizard rising. She remembered that it had scared her. It reminded her that even in this exciting life that she lived, bad things still happened in it. Wizards and witches could turn bad just like Muggles could, and they were a lot more dangerous.
"You don't think things will get better by then? I mean, by the time we've graduated and are finding jobs?" Jane asked.
Aaron shrugged.
"My dad works high up in the Ministry, with Potter's dad, and he says it's actually a lot worse than the Prophet's been letting on. Some people have been disappearing, a few more than what the paper says."
"Oh," was all Jane could say.
She began to chew on the inside of her lip. It was getting really awful out there in the real world. She pulled Aaron's cloak tighter around her, breathing in his scent on it, and trying to feel a sense of protection from all of the bad going on in the world. But before Jane had any chance to feel better, light flooded around them.
"What do you two think you're doing?"
The two students scurried to their feet to see Professor Sprout, her good-natured face twisted into a frown.
Sprout escorted them back up to the castle where she took twenty points each from their houses and gave them a detention for the following morning.
Jane walked back to the Hospital Wing, Aaron's cloak still wrapped around her. As she lay in her bed, she wasn't worried about her detention.
Totally worth it, she thought as she closed her eyes.
"What do you mean, 'you have a detention?'" James exclaimed the next morning at breakfast. "When?"
"In about fifteen minutes," Jane said, looking at Remus' watch.
"Where?" James asked.
"The greenhouses," she replied.
"Why?" James asked.
Jane shrugged indifferently.
"Just got caught out of bed after hours."
"You what?!" James asked.
"You've gotten detentions for that very same reason a thousand times," Jane said.
"Yeah, but no one ever sneaks out of bed alone. Who were you with?" Sirius asked.
"None of your business, that's who," Jane said.
"No, tell us," James said.
"No, you'll get all mad and vengeful," Jane said.
"Ashby?!" James exclaimed.
"I never said it was him!" Jane argued.
"Well, you said, 'mad' and 'vengeful,' and I highly doubt you were walking about the grounds with Snape, so it's pretty obvious," Remus said.
"Especially with the way she fawns over the git," Sirius said.
"He is not a git," Jane defended. "And I don't fawn over him," she added. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a detention to get to."
Jane left the boys and walked down to the greenhouses. Halfway there, Aaron caught up with her and apologised for getting her a detention.
"Hey, it's just as much my fault as it was yours. I didn't have to go with you," she said.
"You say that, but people find it hard to resist my charm," he said, flashing Jane a grin.
She laughed and rolled her eyes playfully.
Jane had hoped they would serve their detention together, but Jane was stuck in Greenhouse Three, watering the Umbrella flowers, while Aaron was in Greenhouse Two, repotting Mandrakes.
Jane knew she got the easy detention for two reasons: 1) she was one of Professor Sprout's best students and 2) she was just a 'little girl.' For some reason, everyone saw her as this sweet, innocent, and naïve girl. When it came to Ashby, that was how James liked to treat her as well. She hated it. Of course, she wasn't about to complain about an easy detention.
After a while of spraying the huge Umbrella flowers with water, she heard angry voices coming from Greenhouse Two. She walked over to the greenhouse Aaron was in to find him arguing with James and Sirius.
"Guys, guys, guys!" Jane shouted over them. "What the hell are you doing?"
"I was just telling him to stay away from you," James said.
"You can't tell me what to do," Aaron said.
"Guys, you need to leave before Professor Sprout comes back and puts you two in detention as well. There are five other greenhouses to choose from," Jane said.
"I don't like you hanging out with him. I've told you that," James said to Jane.
"I know, James, but just because you don't like him, doesn't mean he's a bad guy. Aaron's my friend; I like hanging out with him. And if you can't handle that, then I'm sorry. You're just going to have to deal with it somehow," Jane told him adamantly.
James opened his mouth like he was about to say something, but Jane shushed him.
"I'm going to finish my detention first, and then we can talk about it. Now, please go before Professor Sprout catches you here."
And with that, Jane walked back to Greenhouse Three. James sighed.
"Looks like you're not getting rid of me that easily, Potter," Aaron said, smirking mischievously.
James blood boiled, and he rounded on Aaron.
"If you hurt her, I swear I'll—"
"You'll what?" Aaron asked sarcastically, interrupting James.
"We'll rip you to pieces," Sirius finished.