Hogsmeade

Joshua James Selwyn is highly known for his constant rule breaking, endless pranks, charming smile, wavy blond hair and greenish-hazel eyes. Only few are aware of his constant observance and gut feelings. Those few being the ones closest to him – and Professor McGonagall, but then again, she seemed to know everything about him. He'd been on constant, high-level observance ever since school started. He knew there was something he wasn't seeing, something his sister had been hiding. Jessica was one to hide things, especially things that worried or scared her. He wasn't a jealous older brother, but he was reasonably overprotective. The problem was, she was good at hiding what she needed to. He was almostconvinced there was nothing to worry about... Almost.
"Harry and Jess had the same Boggart. It was a dementor, can you believe it?" Lavender whispered.
"I don't think Jess' was a dementor though... Remember when it pulled down the hood? It was a woman." Parvati whispered back.
Josh also happened to be known, only by those who knew him extremely well, that he was very good at pretending to be asleep.

He would definitely have to thank McGonagall for making him prefect at some point, nothing like having a proper excuse for roaming the castle after hours. Although, Professor Snape would tend to make sure he did his job properly, and not spend all night huddled in a corner. Tonight was different, however. He'd gone out for his usual nightly patrol with a mission. He knew the risks of starting this so called mission, it was highly likely that his father would somehow get involved, but it was a risk he was willing to take. He was never one to remain in the dark. He liked having information and fighting for what was right. It made him feel worthy. He went as far as considering himself a member of the Order. He had done so ever since he was five, according to his parents. Josh had quite a decent amount of information on the Order. His father had joined at the age of seventeen, dragging along his mother with him. Josh was determined to become an official member, even though Voldemort wasn't exactly around anymore. Athos never really believed the Dark Lord had truly died. He believed he was hiding, waiting for the precise moment to attack.

"I admire your dedication to your job, Joshua, but perhaps it would be ideal if you got some sleep." Remus smiled, not taking his eyes off the piles of parchment before him. Josh casually continued walking into Lupin's classroom, even though the Professor seemed quite busy.
"I need a word with you, if you're not too busy." He focused on his foot, which was kicking against the stone floor, for a slight moment. He then sluggishly made his way towards the Professor.
"Well... I guess I could use a break. These first years write the craziest of things." Remus chuckled.
"I'm sure they do. I wanted to talk to you about the third years, though." Josh leaned back against the table nearest to Lupin's desk.
"I would assume you've overheard them whispering about their Boggart lesson. It's true, Harry Potter's Boggart was indeed a dementor." Remus said, packing away his quill and ink.
"Although it's concerning, Harry isn't exactly my top priority. Not right now, at least."
"I didn't think he would be." Remus smiled. "Although a few students seemed confused, your sister's Boggart wasn't a dementor. It was a Death Eater."
"She's never seen one, though. She knows you-know-who's followers are called Death Eaters, just like any other child who grew up with wizard parents, but she's never seen them." Josh frowned.
"According to her, she has." Remus raised an eyebrow. Josh frowned even more and sighed deeply.
"When?"
"I was hoping you could answer that for me. Did anything happen during the summer that maybe I should know of?" Remus asked, curiously.
"Apart from the raids and my mother going berserk, nothing." Josh shrugged. Remus nodded thoughtfully.
"I am looking into it, Josh, and I believe there's really nothing to worry about."
Joshua knew that was the end of the conversation for now. He also knew Remus was still hiding something. His – what he liked to call – wolf instinct, was kicking in. He picked himself up and dragged his tired body towards the door. He glanced back slightly, just before heading out.
"It's funny, Remus, but it seems like you're trying to convince yourself about that. If there really is something we should worry about, then I can help you."
"You have O.W.L's to worry about this year, Josh. I don't think your father would be happy to know you're focusing on other things." Remus said.
"I've been preparing for my O.W.L's since I was ten. I'm pretty certain I can handle it." He rolled his eyes. Remus sighed. The young boy's determination was amusing, but worrying. Josh had been right about knowing they'd reached the end of their conversation. Remus wasn't going to say anything else. Josh would have to go it alone again, but he knew Remus was still in action.
"Right then, good night." Josh nodded.

Another characteristic which most people noticed about him; he always seemed to show up at the most unexpected moments. This, however, came with a secret. A secret which he shared only with his two greatest friends, Fred and George Weasley. He was eternally grateful to the twins for snatching such an interesting artefact from Filtch's office. It was the key to their success. It also became very useful during his nightly patrols. His favourite part of the night was sneaking around the shadows, purposely heading towards a certain someone.
"Hello there, gorgeous." He smirked.
Lila nearly jumped when she felt his hot breath against the back of her neck. His arms snaked around her waist and his hands stroked her stomach. He pressed his body against hers and smirked when he felt her shudder.
"You know, I was thinking about heading to bed, but with a greeting like this one..."
She twirled around, still in his arms, and crashed her lips on his. She tugged his shirt out of his pants and allowed her hands to sneak underneath, her ghostly finger tips tracing his toned stomach. He groaned slightly and pushed her up against the wall behind them. His hands traced the outline of her body, from her chest to her legs. They crawled back up once again, stopping at the hem of her sweatshirt. He separated their lips and pulled off the large piece of clothing, tossing it to the side. She smirked seductively and pulled him in for another kiss. Their tongues fought for dominance as his hands squeezed her thighs. She let out a hushed moan when she felt his excitement press against her. She pulled herself up and wrapped her legs around his waist. He grinned cheekily and allowed his lips to find her neck, kissing and nipping against her flesh. She tugged against his tie until it fell limp and loose on the floor. His hands travelled up to her chest, squeezing and pinching bits of flesh on the way, while her hands travelled down to his belt.
"As much as I'm enjoying this, we should probably go somewhere Snape can't find us." He whispered huskily.
"There's the prefect's bathroom." She said, breathlessly.
"Which he, and all the other teachers, know the password." Josh raised an eyebrow.
"Live wild and free, babe." She smirked.

They cautiously made their way to the fifth floor and headed toward the statue of Boris the Bewildered. Their lips were connected once again as they entered the Prefect's bathroom. Lila tossed aside her sweatshirt and Josh's tie, which she'd grabbed hold of before running off. Josh kissed her hungrily, licking and biting her lower lip. His hands, which were initially connected to her waist, moved to her chest once again. She moaned loudly and began roughly pulling his shirt off his body, a series of white buttons were sent flying across the room. He pulled his sleeves off and tossed his shirt elsewhere, then, he began working on hers. Her hands travelled down to his belt once again, which she pulled off with ease. She was quick to undo the button, pull down the zipper and begin pushing the trousers down. Her hands brushing against him sent a slight shiver down his spine. He backed her up against the pool-like bath tub and began pulling down her skirt. They both startled for a slight moment when the hundred golden taps began working their magic. Different-coloured water and foam began filling the large tub. Lila pulled out of Josh's grasp slightly and began removing the rest of her clothing, giving him a very lustful look as she dropped everything to the side. She turned round and climbed into the bath, sighing gratefully as the warm water came in contact with her bare skin. All the while, Josh watched her amusedly, slightly contemplating whether he should or not follow.
"A back rub would be nice, you know?" Lila glided towards the edge of the tub and stood up straight. Josh stared at her for a few good seconds before removing his remaining clothing and climbing in. Lila didn't allow him enough time to get accustomed to the water, pulling him into a deep and passionate kiss.

x.x

During breakfast, no one was talking about the dementor on the train, or Harry's death omen. No, instead, they were talking about Harry's Boggart. As usual, Harry tried his very best to ignore the ongoing whispers and stares.
"Don't they ever shut up?" Ron rolled his eyes and took a large bite of his apple.
"Hermione, is there a spell to make people lose their voices?" Jessica asked, with a very mischievous grin spread across her face.
"That would be against the rules." Hermione stated.
"Just like making Polyjuice Potion, in Moaning Myrtle's-" Hermione shushed Jessica instantly, by covering the small girl's mouth with her hands.
"Don't say those things out loud!" Hermione hissed.

Josh slumped down next to his sister, opposite Fred and George. He sunk his head in his arms and didn't bother to look up when Jessica began poking his side.
"Leave me alone, Munchkin, I'm tired." A muffled groan escaped him.
"You wouldn't be so tired if you'd gone to sleep last night." Fred grinned.
"What were you doing all night?" George wondered.
"Nothing." Josh spat.
"You got back at six in the morning." The twins said in unison.
"You had to patrol the corridors until six in the morning? Has McGonagall lost her marbles?" Ron said, with his mouthful, as usual.
"It's obvious that's not the case, Ronald!" Hermione huffed.
"I bet he was with Lila." George said, wriggling his eyebrows.
"All night? Not bad, mate. Tell us, did you get far?" Fred grinned in anticipation. Josh lifted his head up, not bothering to open his eyes, and smirked.
"Very."
Jessica nearly choked on her grapes and glared at her brother. She definitely could spend a lifetime without hearing certain things come out of his mouth. Hermione was hiding her giggles with her hand, Harry was trying to suppress his laughter by eating more food, and Ron had his mouth hung open.
"Our boy's a man!" Fred cheered, raising his goblet into the air. Jessica decided to leave when Fred and George asked for more information. Her three best friends followed soon after.

Professor Snape became rather vindictive when he found out about the Boggart transforming into him, and then being seen wearing Neville's grandmother's clothes. He hadn't found it the least bit funny. His eyes flashed menacingly at the mention of Professor Lupin's name, and he was bullying Neville worse than ever. He had every third year doing double the amount of necessary homework. Most people were also dreading the hours spent in Professor Trelawney's stifling tower room, deciphering lopsided shapes and symbols, trying to ignore the way their teacher's enormous eyes filled with tears every time she looked at Harry. Parvati and Lavender had taken to haunting the tower room during lunch, and always returned with annoyingly superior looks on their faces, as though they knew things others didn't. Hagrid's class had gone downhill completely. After the action-packed first class, Hagrid seemed to have lost his confidence. They were now spending lesson after lesson learning how to look after Flobberworms, which had to be some of the most boring creatures in existence.
"Why would anyone bother looking after them?" Ron said, irritably, after yet another hour of poking shredded lettuce down the Flobberworms' throats.
Lupin's classes, however, had become reasonably popular. After Boggarts, they studied Red Caps, nasty little goblin-like creatures that lurked wherever there had been bloodshed: in the dungeons of the castles and the potholes of deserted battlefields, waiting to bludgeon those who had gotten lost. From Red Caps they moved on to Kappas, creppy water-dwellers that looked like scaly monkeys, with webbed hands itching to strangle unwitting waders in their ponds.

October soon came round and the weather became cooler. The leaves on trees were turning a brownish-orange colour, and some were already falling to the ground. Harry had occupied himself with Quidditch nearly every evening. Josh would stay up all night "patrolling", at least once a week. Jessica tried not to think much on it, though she was curious to know how her parents would react if he ever was unfortunate enough to get caught. Professor McGonagall entered the Gryffindor common room one evening; Harry was still at his Quidditch practice with the rest of the team. She smiled as she walked in, and pinned a piece of parchment to the notice board. She left as quickly as she had arrived, stopping only to frown at Josh's laziness.
"We finally get to go to Hogsmede!" Hermione beamed.
"Lila wants us to hang out with her, remember?" Jessica said, slightly glancing towards her brother.
"What am I suppose to do all day, then?" Ron frowned.
"There's Harry, you know?" Hermione rolled her eyes.
"He can't go. His aunt and uncle didn't let him." Ron said, still frowning. Harry, and the rest of the muddied up team, entered the common room at that very moment. Harry grinned and threatened to hug his three friends.
"Don't you dare!" Hermione glared at him, threateningly.
"Can't one of the teachers sign for him?" Jessica asked, making Harry furrow his eyebrows.
"I don't think so. It clearly said it had to be a parent or guardian." Hermione said, shaking her head.
"What are they talking about?" Harry whispered toward Ron.
"Hogsmede weekend will be at the end of October, and you can't go." Ron frowned.
"But we'll figure something out. We could always sneak you into a large bag, or something." Jessica smirked mischievously. Harry, Hermione and Ron chuckled.

x.x

Harry followed his three friends down to the entrance hall, on Halloween morning. He was felt slightly depressed for not being allowed to go to Hogsmeade, but there was nothing to be done. Professor McGonagall refused to sign Harry's permission slip, making it very clear that she was neither parent nor guardian. Jessica's idea of sneaking him out had gone downhill; dragging a big sack would've been a little too obvious.
"We'll bring you lots of sweets back from Honeydukes." Hermione said, looking desperately sorry for him.
"Yeah, loads." Ron nodded.
"We could try to sneak away a butterbeer or two, also." Jessica grinned.
"Don't worry about me, okay? I'll see you at the feast. Have a good time." Harry smiled.

Filch, the caretaker, was standing inside the front doors, checking off names against a long list, peering suspiciously into every face, and making sure that no one was sneaking out who shouldn't be going. Jessica frowned at him.
"Staying here Potter? Not scared of passing the Dementor's, are you?" Draco Malfoy shouted. He was standing in line with Crabbe and Goyle.
"Oh, shut your gob, Malfoy." Lila snarled as she walked past them. "Ron, I hope you have fun with Neville, Seamus and Dean for the day. Hermione and Jessica will be riding with me."
It was needless to say that all four boys were amazed to hear their names being mentioned by Lila. Ron was still getting used to the sudden conversations. Draco, on the other hand, was glaring intensely at her. No one told him to be quiet, except for his father, perhaps.

Jessica, Lila and Hermione were unlucky enough to share the carriage with Lavender and Parvati. It would've been half decent, if only Lavender hadn't glared so much. Lila didn't seem fazed at all, which was quite surprising, but it bothered Jessica. She could feel the anger boiling up inside her, and it would most likely explode at any moment.
"Did you see him this morning, Parvati? He looked extra gorgeous. I love it when he's not in his school uniform. Oh, and last night, he said good night! He's such a gentleman!" Lavender bragged, hoping to get some form of reaction from Lila. Parvati giggled quietly, but other than that, said nothing. "I'm contemplating running my hands through his hair next time he's sleeping in the common room. I bet its super soft. Lee Jordan said that Marcus Flint used to tease him because he washed his hair every single day. I actually find it makes him even more attractive! No wonder he always smells nice. He walks into the room and you just know he's there."
"He's a very hygienic person." Lila nodded.
"You don't even know who we're talking about. Mind your own business." Lavender spat, irritably.
"Well, I'm assuming it's Josh... Unless there are other boys with that description around here. You're right about him, though. He's a gentleman, has amazingly soft and clean hair, and looks extra gorgeous without the uniform. He's also told me about you two, and how he finds it funny that you're always around." Lila smirked. Lavender was bright red, but Jessica couldn't be sure whether it was out of embarrassment or anger.

It was very liberating once they'd arrived at Hogsmede and were free of Lavender, and her ongoing gossip. Hermione was beaming in excitement and seemed as though she'd start running around like a toddler that had just learnt how to walk.
"Why don't we buy a few snacks, take a look around, and then go sit on the hill and stare at the Shrieking Shack? We could get a few butterbeers later, and I don't know what else. We can plan as we go along." Lila shrugged slightly. Jessica and Hermione grinned up at her.
Jessica had, obviously, bought the largest pack of pumpkin pasties she could find. Lila and Hermione went crazy with all the sweets at Honeydukes, buying a small pack of everything they liked. They took a good look around Hogsmede, stopping at nearly every shop window. They stared the longest at the gowns shop window; Lila was definitely going to bring them back there later.

"That, over there, is the Shrieking Shack. I've never been, but I doubt it's really haunted. I bet there's an old lady who lives there, and she just doesn't wish to be disturbed." Lila said, opening an every flavoured beans box.
"That sounds familiar." Jessica chuckled.
"You can never really know, though. I mean, anything's possible around here." Hermione said.
"True... I will never forget the day we saw the three headed dog." Jessica nodded, as she happily munched down her pumpkin pasties.
"Wait, that was true?" Lila asked, eyes wide.
"I thought the whole school knew about it already." Hermione said, quite surprised by Lila's surprise.
"Well, yeah, we all found out what happened. There were even some rumours about a three headed dog going around, but I never thought it was actually true. You four are insane! A bunch of children, practically saving the world!" Jessica and Hermione laughed at Lila's reaction. The older girl didn't find this funny, at all. "I'm serious, you know? The amount of times you all almost died, it's not something to laugh about!"
"I didn't know you could be so overprotective." Jessica smirked.
"Well, I can. Get used to it." Lila huffed.
"I think it's sweet. You're completely different with your friends, aren't you? When people first see you, they probably think you're this arrogant, bitchy Slyhterin-"
"Wow, Hermione, I didn't know you knew those words." Jessica teased her friend. Lila laughed, hysterically.
"Just because I don't use them, doesn't mean I don't know." Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, but, you saying things like 'bitchy', it's almost just as surprising as Lila being overprotective." Jessica grinned. Lila was still laughing uncontrollably.

They went back to the gowns shop after they mutually agreed they were too full for more sweets. All three girls were in complete awe as soon as they stepped in. There was one even more beautiful than the other.
"I wish we had a gala dance at Hogwarts." Jessica sighed.
"That only usually happens when there's an important event." Lila frowned slightly. They had no important events this year, and Lila couldn't be sure she'd be around for the next one. This was her sixth year already, after all.
"I think... I think we should try a few on." Hermione grinned.
"Just for the fun of trying it on? Won't we get in trouble?" Jessica asked.
"You break the rules at least once a month, and you're scared of trying on a few dresses?" Lila smirked. With a satisfied shrug, Jessica headed towards a purple, strapless gown. It was long, and big, but not overly exaggerated. She placed the dress over her small frame and twirled around.
"This would look even better if it were my size." She pouted.
"The smaller sizes are usually further down." Lila nodded toward the end of the dresses. "Take a look at this beauty!"
Lila pulled out a red, v-neck, long dress. It had slits on both sides, which most likely reached up just below the hips. The back was left uncovered, meaning it was very easy to get in and out of it.
"That's... Something." Hermione said, quite nervously.
"It's the sexiest thing I've ever seen." Lila grinned. Jessica continued rummaging through the dresses and eventually pulled out a long, light pink, mermaid style dress. She wasn't a really big fan of mermaid styles, but this one seemed to have her attention. It was strapless, but the top was slightly heart shaped, instead of straight. The fabric, on the very top part, had been carefully folded and crumpled, creating an interesting pattern.
"Try that on, Jess! It's your size and it's completely gorgeous!" Hermione grinned.

By the time Jessica had managed to get the dress on and head out of the dressing room, Lila and Hermione were waiting, also in gowns. Lila had tried on the sexy red dress, of course, and she was happily checking herself out in the mirror. Hermione had picked out a reasonably sensible navy blue dress. It left the chest area completely covered, but the back was nearly fully exposed. It was tight on the top half and extremely loose on the bottom. Jessica headed towards the nearest mirror and checked herself out. The dress was tight on all the right places and she smirked. She'd never felt so beautiful and grown up before. It was a good feeling. She noticed the fabric was slightly glittery, though it was barely noticeable.
"There're shoes over there!" Lila called out, pointing toward the large window.
Jessica casually made her way over, and slowly bent down to pull out a pair of light pink heals. She looked up for a slight moment and saw a familiar pair of eyes staring down at her. Fighting back the urge to blush, she stood up straight and twirled round once. She then looked at him, expectantly, mentally asking him what he thought.

x.x

Draco drank his fifth butterbeer of the day. It was a good thing there was no alcohol in it, otherwise he was certain he'd be in deep trouble. They were just so darn good. It was nice to get out of the castle for a while, and see something other than the school grounds or the Forbidden Forest. He caught a glimpse of two Weasley's and Selwyn chatting to a lady at the bar. He then, for some unknown reason, looked around the room and saw another Weasley, kissing on a blonde girl. He rolled his eyes slightly and got up from his seat. Blaise, Pansy and Millicent stared at him, as he headed out the door.
"Draco! Where are you going?" Pansy called out. He didn't answer.

He noticed there were a lot of people on dates, and a lot of people snogging in the most random places. Well, he wasn't really one to talk, he'd just spent almost half an hour snogging Pansy just outside the Shrieking Shack. He internally groaned at the thought of Pansy. What kind of a friend was he? He cared about his friends, he really did, and Pansy was supposed to be one of them. He wasn't sure what made him want to use her. Well, he knew his motive, but he didn't know why he didn't just listen to Blaise from the start. He wanted Jess. He was quite scared that it would someday drive him insane. He'd already been stupid enough to try to get her attention through Pansy, which obviously hadn't worked, but what if it got worse? What if he did something worse? He shook his head and shoved his hands in his coat pockets. He had no idea where he was going, but he wanted to keep going. He could maybe walk back to Hogwarts. It was a long walk back and it would help to clear his head. He wanted to know what it was that he wanted. Did he want Jess? Did he really want her? Why not just ask her out? Why pretend to be with someone else? Perhaps he didn't like Jess in that way. Perhaps he was just obsessing because Harry Potter had her.

No. Harry Potter did not have her. He would never accept that. He couldn't accept that. What would she see in Potter anyway? So he was the boy-who-lived, and was pretty darn good at nearly everything. He always managed to catch that damn Golden Snitch. Was that all she saw in him? Draco clenched his teeth and shook his head once again. What would she see in Draco? She knew him inside and out, and vice versa. Draco knew what Jessica was thinking just by the slightest look in her eyes. She wasn't hard to decipher once you knew all the tricks. For example, he was certain something happened over the summer, something she's not willing to speak of, and something that's slowly scaring her to madness. He knows she goes to sleep really late when she's not at home, because she knows it's not her room. She only likes to sleep in her room, unless she extremely tired. He knows that she sleeps cuddled up with her stuffed lion, also known as Roary. No one was allowed to touch that thing, otherwise she'd become murderous. He knows she's terrified of spiders, or nearly every creepy-crawly. Nothing compares to flying, though. He still remembers the look in her eyes on their very first flying lesson, back in first year. If she could've run off right there and then, she would've. In fact, he was surprised she didn't try. He even knew things about her family, like how her father is a direct descendent of Salazar Slytherin. In fact, he wouldn't be surprised if she turned out to be the Heir of Slytherin, especially because of some of her actions the previous year. He sometimes wished he could've entered the chamber with her, instead of Potter. If he could turn back time, he would've done a series of things differently. Perhaps even try to get into Gryffindor. He shook he head again, and ran a hand through his hair. What was his thinking? Draco Malfoy in Gryffindor? That would be almost like committing suicide, or begging his father to murder him. He would be with her though. Then again, it would've been easier if she'd just gone to Slytherin.

No. She didn't belong in Slytherin. He wasn't sure if he'd ever admit it out loud, but she was just too good for Slytherin. Yes, she has an evil and mischievous side, and she can be quite cunning when she wants to be. But she's no Slytherin. She's too good for Slytherin. She's perfect for Gryffindor, though. Not even three complete years in the school and she's already proved just how brave she is. She possibly doesn't realise it, but everyone talks about her. Well, they mostly talk about Potter, but she's automatically involved. The entire school knew she back-talked to the Dark Lord and distracted the Basilisk so Harry could kill it. Draco thought she was insane. Then again, he's always known that. He looked up from the ground for a slight moment. He hadn't gone too far, so he'd either been walking extremely slow or gone round in circles. He didn't care really, what mattered was that he was now feeling much better than he had been a while ago. He contemplated on heading back, despite being bored out of his mind; he couldn't just ditch Pansy like that. He was an asshole, but not that much. He decided he'd walk toward the last shop, which happened to be just a few steps away, and then head back.

His mind drifted off to dark, wavy hair and chocolate brown eyes, as he started walking again. This was getting ridiculous. He had to stop thinking of her all the time. He knew he was going crazy when he pictured her in a beautiful, light pink dress. That was until he realised it wasn't his imagination. There she was, in a dress shop, heading toward the window and bending down to get something. His feet moved without his brain ordering them to and, before he knew it, he found himself just outside the window, staring. He wanted to kick himself for freezing at that very moment. She looked up, quite startled. He viciously forced back the urge to blush when she smiled up at him. She twirled around, allowing him the chance to take a good look. Damn her and her extremely good looks. He always thought she was beautiful, but never had he actually taken notice of how sexy she was growing up to be. This was going to be much harder than he thought. She was looking at him with a strange look on her face. He was almost certain she was wondering how she looked. God, if only she knew. He hesitated for a slight moment before he allowed a small smile to creep across his face. He wanted to go inside. He wanted to tell her exactly what he thought of her, in that dress, her as a person, as a friend... But Lila Davis and Hermione Granger were also in there. He glanced over to them for half a second, but his eyes wanted to stay connected to Jessica.
"Draco! Come on! We still need to by some treats for tonight!" Pansy's voice managed to cut off whatever fantasy he was having at that moment. He gave Jessica another small smile and headed back. He wouldn't sleep that night.

x.x

"It was great! The joke shop was the best, though. Oh, and Fred hooked up with that Melody girl. It was quite unexpected but really funny. She just kind of showed up and the next thing we know, they're practically swallowing each other." Ron laughed as he told Harry about Hogsmede.
Jessica had in fact managed to sneak away a couple of butterbeer's for him, not to mention they bought nearly every sweet they could find. Harry had laughed and asked if she was fattening him up for Christmas. Her mischievous grin would've been worrying if he didn't know any better.

Harry told them about his day with Remus Lupin, and how he was almost certain Snape tried to poison him.
"Snape wouldn't poison Lupin in front of you, Harry." Hermione giggled.
"It was weird though, the goblet had smoke coming out of it, even after he drank it. Lupin said it was some sort of potion." Harry frowned.
"Maybe he was feeling a little ill. Snape's weird, but he's not stupid." Jessica nodded.
"Can we head down to the feast? I'm starved!" Ron whined.
"You just ate three packets of fudge." Jessica raised an eyebrow.
"And now I need food to fill me up!"

The food was as delicious as ever, even those who seemed full of Honeydukes sweets were willing to get second helpings. Harry kept glancing at the staff table. Professor Lupin looked cheerful and as well as he ever did; he was talking animatedly to Professor Flitwick. Harry moved his eyes along the table, to the place where Snape sat. He wasn't sure if he was imagining it, but it seemed as though Snape's eyes were flickering toward Lupin more often than natural. The feast finished with the entertainment provided by the Hogwarts ghosts. They popped out of the walls and tables to do a bit of formation gliding; Nearly Headless Nick had a great success with a re-enactment of his own botched beheading.

Dumbledore eventually dismissed everyone from the Great Hall, and the Golden Quartet followed the rest of the Gryffindor's back to their tower, but when they reached the corridor that ended with the portrait of the Fat Lady, they found it jammed with students.
"Why isn't anyone going in?" Ron said, curiously. Jessica and Harry tried to peer over the heads in front of them. The portrait seemed to be closed.

"Let me through, please!" Came Percy's voice. He bustled his way through the crowd, not really bothering to be polite about it. "What's the hold up here? You can't all have forgotten the password. Excuse me! Excuse – I'm Head Boy, now move!"
A silence fell over the crowd, only some of the first years were whimpering. Jessica pushed past some of the older students, who frowned at her persistence, and made her way to the front. Percy had managed to get there first and was looking rather pale.
"Percy?" She shook his arm slightly, hoping to get some sort of reaction out of him.
"Somebody get Professor Dumbledore. Quick." He ordered. There was a slight panic in his voice, very subtle but still noticeable.
Professor Dumbledore turned up rather quickly, sweeping toward the portrait; the Gryffindor's squeezed together to let him through. Harry, Ron and Hermione moved closer to see what the trouble was.
"Oh my-" Hermione whimpered slightly, grabbing hold of Ron's arm.

The Fat Lady had vanished from her portrait, which had been slashed so viciously that strips of canvas littered the floor. Great chunks of it had been torn away completely. Dumbledore took one quick look at the ruined painting and turned, his eyes met McGonagall, Lupin, and Snape hurrying toward him.
"We need to find her. Professor McGonagall, please go to Mr. Filch at once and tell him to search every painting in the castle for the Fat Lady." Dumbledore ordered.
"You'll be lucky!" Said a cackling voice. It was Peeves the Poltergeist, bobbing over the crowd and looking delighted, as he always did, at the sight of wreckage or worry.
"What do you mean, Peeves?" Dumbledore asked, calmly. Peeves' grin faded a little. He didn't dare taunt Dumbledore. He adopted an oily voice that was no better than his cackle.
"Ashamed, Your Headship, sir. Doesn't want to be seen. She's a horrible mess. Saw her running through the landscape up on the fourth floor, sir, dodging between the trees. Crying something dreadful, poor thing."
"Did she say who did it?" Dumbledore asked, quietly.
"Oh yes, Professor-head. He got very angry when she wouldn't let him in, you see." Peeves flipped over and grinned at Dumbledore from between his own legs. "Nasty temper he's got, that Sirius Black."

Josh, who was standing behind his little sister, tensed slightly. He placed his hands on her shoulders, as if it would remind him that she's there, and she's fine. His eyes met Lupin's, who seemed just as worried as all the other teachers. Josh knew little about Sirius Black, but it was enough for him to worry. He knew his father and Remus were friends with Black, and he knew that neither of them had ever got it through their heads that Black was a vicious murderer. Josh didn't need every detail on Black to realise he was after Harry. Of course, that meant his sister was in danger.
"Albus! She's over here!" McGonagall cried out, further up the stairs.
Lupin was the first at her side and immediately tried to calm the Fat Lady down. She was bellowing her heart and soul out.
"He's here! He's in the castle! Eyes like the Devil, he's got!" She cried.
"Calm down, my dear. We'll get you back, safe and sound, in no time." Dumbledore smiled. Jessica watched curiously as the Headmaster whispered a few words to the other Professors. He gave them a short nod and turned back toward the students. "All of you, to the Great Hall. The Head Boy shall lead you."

The entire school ended up sleeping in the Great Hall that night. Jessica couldn't sleep at all. She'd made sure she was next to her brother at all times, but she still couldn't sleep. She wanted to cuddle Roary, no matter how childish that sounded, but he was locked up at Gryffindor Tower, on her bed. She kept her head under the blankets and tried her best to control her breathing. The teachers were awake and keeping watch, but that didn't make her feel safe. She wanted a distraction. Anything. When she realised her mind had drifted off to dark hooded figures, Basilisks and the Dark Lord, she huffed and removed the blanket from her head. Remus Lupin happened to be passing by her sleeping bag at that very moment.
"Relax your mind and get some rest, little one." He whispered.
"I don't have Roary." She pouted slightly. She wanted to kick herself for sounding so childish, but it was true.
"You still have that?" He laughed slightly. "I gave that to you when you were a baby. Your father said it was the only thing that made you sleep."
"Well, it still works." She attempted to sit up, but Remus placed a hand on her shoulder.
"There's nothing we can do right now, unfortunately, but once the school's been cleared and the Fat Lady's back in her place, I'll go get him for you."

Sleep eventually found Jessica, even if it was past four in the morning. Remus was eventually allowed into Gryffindor Tower, and he rushed through the rooms, trying to find the stuffed lion. Even though she was already asleep, it wouldn't hurt to have that slight comfort. Especially with the thought of a mass murderer in the castle. Snape snarled and rolled his eyes as Lupin placed the stuffed lion next to Jessica.
"Sleep well, little one."