Jean's Tale
By Rurple101


Chapter Four


The summer holidays continued blissfully, mainly because Lily and Petunia had had a falling out, which had led to Lily performing under-age magic. Her parents had punished Lily by confining Lily into her bedroom.

After Jean had called at the Evans household, and been politely informed by her kind mother, Jean had sent Matilda, her own owl messaging her. She and Severus spent time together, writing individual letters to her, which Matilda delivered to Lily's bedroom window.

Jean had enjoyed the amount of free time she'd gotton with Severus. She did feel slightly guilty and wondered if she should say it to them, but thought better of it. Severus always hunched over his piece of paper when he wrote his notes, making Jean's heart sink slightly.

Stop being childish, she scolded herself one time near the end of the holidays, watching him scribble onto an A4 piece of paper.

"Severus?" Jean asked and Severus jumped but didn't turn away from his paper.

Jean sighed. "I'm going to go into the play park, are you coming?"

"Just a minute" he said, absent mildly. Jean closed her eyes and wondered what she was feeling. She cared a lot for Severus but she was fed up with the attention Lily was gaining. But she forced herself to take a deep breath and not to feel jealous.

She ignored Severus (who was still writing frantically) and Matilda flew alongside with her. The play park was secluded so she could play with her owl all she liked. Jean sat on the swing and Matilda hoped onto her lap and hooted dolefully.

"Why do I feel so lonely Matilda?" she asked the owl, stroking her head. "Why do I feel these horrible feelings of jealously? I don't want to be mad at Lily, and she's not even here!"

Matilda just looked at her intelligently.

Jean sighed once more and continued running her hand up and down Matilda's back. Matilda grazed her fingers affectionate. Jean smiled slightly.

"Jeanie?"

She looked up and Severus was looking at her warily, clutching his folded letter. She could see that he's written on both sides. Words like 'missing you' and 'boring without you' and 'beautiful' sprang out at Jean.

"What, Severus?" she said, with a bit of bitre in her tone. He recoiled slightly and stepped towards her.

"Can Matilda send this to Lily?"

Jean got up, took the letter from Severus hand and without looking at it, she placed it in Matilda's beak. She then held out her arm and Matilda took off, flying towards Lily's house.

"Thank you" he muttered, looking at her happily.

Jean smiled sadly and walked back to her swing, picking up her new magic book which she'd already read twice before. She then found her page and fell into silence.

Severus sat down next to her and asked "Why are you reading?"

"Because I like it" Jean replied.

"Are you alright Jeanie?" he asked.

"I'm perfectly fine Severus" she said coolly.

"No you're not!" he snapped, standing up and wrenching the book away from her. His angry expression shocked her.

"Give it back!" she yelled, scrabbling to get the book. Severus held it higher, taunting her.

"Not until you tell me what's wrong!" he roared.

In her fright, Jean felt herself get angry, angrier than she'd ever been. Her upset at how he was ignoring her, vocally liking Lily over her took its toll.

"Give it back now" she stated very quietly, her fists clenching into fists.

"NO!" he yelled, dropping the book and he pushed her, back so her head hit the swing. Her eyes clouded over with tears as she gaped at him.

"You are no better than those bullies" she muttered and got back up. Severus returned to normal and started to say "Jeanie, I'm so sorry-"

"Hiya guys!" called Lily from behind him. He turned around, completely forgetting her.

That did it, Jean burst into tears and grabbing her things, she ran back to her house.


Jean didn't come out of her house once since Severus had cornered her. Mistress Mabel had offered to go and have words with his parents, but she knew Severus didn't deserve his parents beating him up.

Instead, she'd remained in her bedroom and continued reading all her school books. Matilda had refused to leave her side and she was thankful that the owl understood her. Matilda refused to send Mabel's' letters until Mistress Mabel's new owl had come.

It had been a week since the incident and they would going to Hogwarts in the morning. Jean felt like her insides were stinging, stinging with rejection and embarrassment. How could Severus have changed so quickly? How can he have been so stubborn and mean?

There was a knock on her bedroom door, and she heard the sounds of two pairs of footsteps and giggling. Jean ignored them, glad her door was locked and buried deeper into her duvet.

"Jean!" called Lily from behind the wood. "Open up!"

"Yeah Jean, don't be silly!" Severus called, and she could hear the smirk in his voice.

Why should she give in? Why should she give them the satisfaction of knowing they could win her over so easily? In truth, Lily hadn't done anything, but this was the first time they'd come to her to 'apologise'.

So she remained silent.


The next morning, Jean got up, still feeling empty. She missed her friend's company. But she was still hurt by what Severus had done to her, and he was too focussed on Lily to care about her.

She dressed, Mistress Mabel helped her pack and carry her trunk downstairs, got Matilda into her cage and fed her some owl treats and then they were off.

It took them forty-five minutes to get to King's Cross in Mabel's car. Mabel found a trolley, planted Jean's things on it and they carried on up the platform to the gap between platform's nine and ten.

"Right Jean" Mistress Mabel said, stopping the trolley. "You see that wall over there" she motioned with her hand and Jean nodded.

"We have to run through it to get to Platform Nine and three quarters."

Jean snorted "Really?"

"Watch those people over there" Mabel whispered. Sure enough, as Jean watched a small family, made of three blondes, in turn took a run at the brick wall. But a load of muggles disembarking a heavily packed train blocked the path of visiom. Once the last suitcase had cleared, they had disappeared.

Jean gulped. "Err, are you sure?"

Mabel held both sides of the trolley and placed Jean in front of her, holding the bar to control it. "We're do it on a run if your nervous."

"One…two…THREE!"

They pelted towards the brick wall and Jean braced herself for the impact.

But it never came. Like how tapping bricks to get into Diagon Alley, Jean had been transported to an unknown-to-muggles platform. There was a bright red steam engine, already puffing loads of smoke.

"It leaves at exactly eleven o clock Jean" Mabel told her. "That means we have a good ten minutes until it leaves, let's go find you a seat."


A few minutes later, Mabel had strapped Jean's trunk securely in the luggage rack and then put Matilda in her cage inside.

"Mistress Mabel, what are the Hogwarts Houses?" Jean asked, looking at the clock over head in the station, less than five minutes to go.

"There are four houses, and they all have personal traits and characteristics. There is a hat, which will sort you into these houses when you arrive. The castle has four areas, reflecting on what house you're in. You will form your own band of friends in your house and your lessons will be spilt up with people in your year. Nothing to worry about darling!" Mabel explained calmly.

"Would you be upset if I was in Slytherin?" Jean asked.

"How did you know what-"

"Hogwarts; A History" Jean explained. "I bought it when we were in Diagon Alley."

"No, sweetie, I won't be upset. Don't fret."

A whistle sounded.

Jean felt her nerves pick up.

Mistress Mabel gave her one last hug and kissed her forehead. "If you're worried or need a chat, then owl Matilda to me and I'll reply. I will see you at Christmas!"

Jean smiled nervously.

"And forgive your friends Jean" Mabel added. "I spoke to Severus separately yesterday after they called on you. But it's not good to be jealous sweetie. Obviously let him sweat for a while, until. He realises what he's missing, but if not, then explain that you feel upset by what he did. Tell Severus Jean, it's not good to bottle it all up inside you."

Three hoots of the whistle and the steam engine started puffing louder. Mabel closed the door to the compartment and platform and waved Jean goodbye as the train picked up speed. As they drew out of the platform, she witnessed some younger children, crying to see their siblings or family off, parents waving frantically and some blowing kisses.

Jean leaned back and turned to Matilda.

"Now what?"


Sorry for the long delay! ;)