We should all thank inlovewithguysinbooks for the update cause she reminded me i have something to do

Mariland, The Year Before

George laughed, Jane rolled her eyes. All the same she snuggled back to his side, resting her cheek on his shoulder and closing her eyes.

"God, how are ye t'o nah' married?" Leonard questioned, making Jane smile, she knew George likely flipped off his older brother.

"Fa' that ta happen," Mary replied in place of the couple, "Jane would have ta actually inform her family of this darling relationship."

"And when do you plan on introducing the person to whom you continuously send love letters to?" Jane replied, not bothering to lift her head or open her eyes. George made a good pillow.

A really good pillow as it turned out, a few hours later George was shaking her awake. "Jane, Jane," his voice was urgent and Jane urged herself to sit up and pay attention, "Jane, Sweetie, you need to get up."

"George?" Jane blinked the sleep out of her eyes, accepting George's hands as he pulled her to stand, "Darling, what's going on?"

"Death eaters, Raven," George informed her, terror plain in his eyes, his voice caught in his throat and his eyes watered, "They—they, they killed Ma and Papa. Peter, Killian, Leo, they're all dead and the twins and the others; they're holding them off the best they can."

"Then we need to help them!"

"No!" Mary had joined them, bloodied and bruised, "They want ye, Jane."

They words stuck but they didn't stick in, only a scream had Jane moving again, letting George pull her along, out the back door with Mary following close behind them. Quickly they ran into the woods, the sounds of fighting following soon behind them. Jane refused to look back, her Ravenclaw nature taking over as she took the lead, turning off the beaten path and holding back heavy branches for George and Mary to pass. Together they dashed towards the other end of the forest, the plan that had formed in Jane's mind was destroyed the moment the hooded figure appeared in front of them. The three teens froze in their spots.

"Give us Jane Potter," the man demanded, sending a shiver down Jane's spine.

It was an odd sensation for her; to not know what to do. But George recovered much faster, "No."

And with a flash of light George had fallen limp at her feet. Mary's scream echoing in Jane's mind as it would for years to follow, but the female Potter grabbed Mary's arm tugging her into a run.

In the end they had hidden in a dilapidated house, frozen and mourning. They had lost a family, and Mary's fingernails dug into Jane's palm as they watched the shadows shift and move away. Jane offered her friend the only comfort she could by pulling her close and letting her cry. They couldn't fight. Jane had gone over all the logistics, the possibilities, every fact she had. Perhaps if she was a Gryffindor she would have only had her bravery to guide her into the middle of the mess, had she been a Hufflepuff she would have been fighting side-by-side with the family she could have called her own. But she was there, a Ravenclaw thinking over the options, and she knew if she and Mary were to leave their hiding spot they would be dead—well, Mary would be dead. Merlin knows what would happen to Jane.

When the sun finally shone the next morning Jane stood, having Mary wait while she took in what happened. Alone Jane had walked through the forest, the Death Eaters were gone, she returned to the house. Mister and Miss Sullivan… Killian, Leonardo, everyone George had mentioned the night before, they were dead. But all the others, they just weren't there only blood.

"Ah can't feel them."

Jane spun on her heel, a wave of relief conflicting with worry as she saw Mary standing there, "I told you to wait for me."

Mary shrugged, her eyes blank, "Ah had ta see for myself." She met Jane's eyes, "My family, we could always feel each other's life force, my parents were wiccan they made sure we were all very connected to the spirit. We all practiced a bit of Wicca, George was the best at it. I can't feel their life forces anymore, Jane."

Hogwarts, The Present

Jane retold the story to Sirius, leaving out her relationship with George, she felt no need to include it. "It was my fault." Finally Jane met Sirius' eyes again, "They're dead and it was my fault."

Sirius had listened quietly, but now he shook his head, moving forward to wrap the girl in a hug.

Her next words made him laugh despite the situation, "I'm sorry you had to deal with your family alone."

Sirius shook his head, "I'm sorry they died."

With something between a laugh and a cough Jane looked up to meet his eyes again, "So, I guess we're even now?"

"Yeah," Sirius laughed, ignoring the tears in Jane's eyes, "I guess we are."

Mariland, The Year Before

Mary's nails dug into Jane's skin but she refused to flinch as the girl held tightly to her hand. They were dressed in black. A few others stood near, but not too close as to not disturb the ladies.

"They're the ones who died," Mary murmured, "So why do I feel like we're the ones meant to suffer?"

Jane didn't answer. There was nothing she could say.

At the moment all she could do was stand beside her friend and do her best to offer comfort. Hating that she herself needed comfort as well.

"I'm going to live with Hatoshi in Australia."

Jane was expecting that, she nodded, Mary had been close with the boy they had housed, it made sense that she would live with him. Jane would return to Hogwarts once her year was over. But she would spend the rest of the term in Mariland... the haunting reminders of the family she called her own...

Finally Mary let go of her hand to kneel between the graves' of her parents. Jane averted her gaze only to have it land on the stone marked for George. Somehow she couldn't seem to accept it. The impact had yet to hit her truly.

In a way she knew once she accepted the fact he was gone, the fact that they were all gone, she would have to get over it and she wasn't ready for that.

Instead she knelt beside the grave of the first boy she had loved and laid a single flower on the fresh dirt. They hadn't found his body. She wished that meant there was hope, but she knew better.

"I don't want to be alone here, George. You're not here and-" Jane's voice was quiet enough to keep her words between herself and the grave beside her, her tears welled in her eyes and choked up her words, "And why did you have to be so damned brave, you idiot? I would've gone with them-, I would have gone, if it meant you were still alive." She smacked the stone with the palm of her hand. Nothing happened.

She didn't want to be alone but that didn't change the fact that she was.

Her gaze went to Mary. Even with her friend, truly they were both alone now. Mary would never share her family's passing with another. Jane would never share her pain. And the two would not stay together.

For once in her life Jane let herself cry.