The next morning Jane woke up feeling normal although her hand hurted. She wrote Tom good morning and then got ready to go down. That day even though it was Tuesday the students didn't have class since that day the defence club was going to take place. After Jane got ready she looked at Hermione's bed and noticed she was still asleep. Jane was surprised Hermione was usually the first one up, but in that moment she didn't care, she just let Hermione sleep and went down to the common room.
The common room, unsurprisingly, was empty so Jane just sat down on the couch close to the fire. She stayed like that for an hour, still she noticed, that after that long hour nobody came down. She got up from the couch looked around the common room and for the first time she noticed she wasn't alone. There was a man in front of her, or at least she thought it was a man. It had red eyes, no hair, and a pale white skin. He honestly looked serpent like. He smiled at her with a cold evil gleam in his eyes. Jane could only watch him frozen by fear.
"What is it Jane? You look as if you just saw a ghost" The man hissed moving closer to her. Jane still did nothing but stare while he walked closer and closer. He stopped right in front of her stretching his hand as if to touch her and when he did, pain burst throughout her body.
Jane woke up screaming with a start.
"Jane I've been trying to wake you for about ten minutes" Hermione said alarmed. "Are you okay?" Jane looked around and realized she was dreaming there was no red eyed man, she was safe.
"Yeah, I just had a nightmare" Jane answered Hermione.
"Okay, because it's time for breakfast" Hermione said leaving the dorm room. Jane started to get ready for the day.
"That was really scary" Lavender whispered to Parvati when she thought Jane wasn't hearing.
"I know what you mean, it was as if somebody was hurting her" Parvati said scared. Jane kept making her bed as if she wasn't hearing. Soon the other girls left, leaving Jane alone. Jane sat down on her bed and sighed. She was scared, even though she knew it was just a dream something about the man was familiar but she didn't know what. She sighed again standing up, she wasn't going to find out anything in that moment. After getting dressed she went downstairs to the common room. Everything seemed to be normal and Jane felt relieved, she didn't want to be there alone.
"Hey Jane, about time you got here" Fred said as she entered the common room.
"Hi Fred, George" Jane said stopping beside them.
"Well lets not waste any more time, I'm hungry" George said. The three of them got out of the common room and made their way to the Great Hall. Halfway there Katie and Angelina joined them. Fred and George started talking to their girlfriends about who knows what and they didn't notice when Jane was no longer beside them.
When Katie and Angelina joined them Jane stopped walking she thought that they deserved some time together since the twins seemed to be always with her and she felt guilty for keeping them apart. So she just stopped walking and waited until they were out of sight before she continued walking. When she was getting closer to the Great Hall she felt a familiar hand on her hand. She stopped walking looked at her hand and then up. She was mesmerised by Cedric with his perfect smile, his hazel eyes, and his beautiful chestnut hair.
"Hey" Cedric said.
"Oh hi" Jane said still staring at him although a smile was growing on her lips.
"So you are going to eat?" Cedric asked stupidly.
"Well obviously" Jane said smiling.
"Obviously" Cedric repeated. "Well come on we don't have all day" Cedric added tugging her hand and leading her to the Great Hall. When they entered the Great Hall hand in hand people stopped talking and stare at them. Cedric kept walking ignoring the other students. Jane however couldn't ignore the other students and tried to pull her hand back which Cedric didn't allow, holding her hand tighter. He lead her to the Gryffindor table.
"Where do you sit?" Cedric asked still not bothered by the other students.
"I usually sit with the Weasley twins" Jane said looking around the table for the twins. "But I don't think they are here"
"Well Harry is there glaring at me" Cedric answered pointing at where Harry was with a smiling Hermione and an uninterested Ron.
"Well come on lead the way to my glaring brother" Jane answered not ready to let go of Cedric hand just yet even if minutes before, she had tried to pull her hand free.
"Alright but you have to promise me to protect me from him" Cedric said smiling.
"Oh you have my word" They walked to where Harry was and Cedric smiled at the three second year students.
"Good morning" Hermione said smiling at Jane.
"Hey Hermione" Jane said before turning back to Cedric, "I guess I'll see you later"
"Sure" Cedric answered before leaving. Jane sat down besides Harry with a small smile on her face. She started to fill her plate with food while the others just stared at her. Hermione was the first to stop staring and keep eating. Harry and Ron stared for a long while.
"Isn't he too old for you?" Ron asked after minutes of silence. Jane looked up from her food with a confused look. "Diggory, isn't too old for you" Ron explained.
"I don't see how that is any of your business, Ron" Jane answered.
"Just saying" Ron said before going back to eating. Jane started eating again while Harry kept staring at her.
"Are you going to stare at me forever, Harry?" Jane said getting uncomfortable.
"No, it's just that Ron is right, he is too old for you" Harry said.
"Well it is non of your business either" Jane said.
"Hey, where do you think the Defence Club will take place?" Hermione asked changing the subject. However, before anyone could answer the students were asked to leave the Great Hall for it to be prepared for the Defence Club.
"Well I guess that answers your question, Hermione" Jane said standing up.
"I guess it does" The four kids followed the other students out of the Great Hall. Although Harry and Ron seemed to be moving a little faster than Jane and Hermione. Jane noticed that but soon brushed it off as paranoia. All the students waited outside of the Great Hall until McGonagall opened the door.
"You can come in now" The professor said and instead of walking in she walked away from the Great Hall.
Once inside the students noticed the Great Hall was divided in seven parts, one part for each year.
"Well I guess we are learning different things" Jane said.
"Why do you say that?" Ron asked.
"Pretty obvious, if we were learning the same thing the Great Hall wouldn't be divided" Hermione explained. They didn't have time to keep talking, since they were soon ushered their year's part of the Great Hall.
Once on the second year part the four students stayed in a corner waiting. Harry and Ron started whispering between each other with no intention of letting Hermione or Jane know what they were talking about.
"What do you reckon is wrong with them?" Jane asked Hermione.
"It's hard to tell, but I guess they are talking about you"
"It's very possible, I just hope they get over it fast" Jane said looking at her brother with hopeful eyes.
"Good morning everyone!" A very familiar and annoying voice said, silencing the room instantly. "I'm going to be teaching you defence today, so please pay attention to me" Lockhart added.
"Oh no, I don't want him to teach us" Jane told Hermione, who glared at her.
"Honestly Jane I don't know what your problem is with him"
"Have you not notice how false he is?" Jane asked exasperated.
"Whatever Jane" Hermione said moving a little closer to Harry and Ron and turning her attention to Lockhart. Jane was hurt by Hermiones action but decided to ignore it for the moment and pay attention to Lockhart who was introducing Snape as his assistant. Apparently Dumbledore was intelligent enough to not let Lockhart teach defence alone.
The two teachers demonstrated how a duel started, bowing to each and preparing to fight. However, the duel didn't last long since Snape disarmed Lockhart with only one spell.
"Alright, this was a demonstration on what you shouldn't do" Lockhart said explaining how he knew what Snape was going to do since it was so obvious.
"Maybe it is better if the students duel each other, so they learn better" Snape suggested obviously irritated that he had to be there.
"Good idea, all of you grab a partner and start dueling" Lockhart said and all the second students started looking for their friends.
"Lockhart we should assign the partners or this will take too long." Snape said through gritted teeth.
"Right" Lockhart said before addressing the students. "Now since you've taken so long in choosing your partner I will choose for you" he started naming student after student.
Jane's partner was a Ravenclaw girl and as soon as Lockhart ended assigning partners Jane and the girl started dueling. The Ravenclaw girl who, Jane later learned, was called Sophie Green was a pretty good dueler so Jane was really focused in dueling her. She only stopped when she hit Sophie with a tickling charm making Sophie drop to the floor laughing. In that moment she heard Harry's voice across the room but he wasn't talking in English. Harry was hissing in a scary way and a snake across from him was, apparently, answering him. Everyone in the room was scared because of the noise Harry was doing; however, Jane was scared because she could understand every thing he was saying. He was trying to stop the snake from attacking anyone but the snake wasn't listening, it wanted to attack a Hufflepuff boy.
The whole room was quiet everyone, apart from Jane, Hermione , and Ron, thought Harry wanted to hurt the students so everyone decided to remain quiet and still so Harry wouldn't attack.
"Harry stop" Jane said in english. "You are scaring them"
"What?" Harry said taking his eyes off the snake and looking at Jane. Snape used that opportunity to vanish the snake. The room kept still and quiet as Harry and Jane stared at each other. Lockhart wanting to end the awkwardness dismissed the students. All the second years practically ran out the door, leaving Jane, Harry, Hermione, and Ron alone with the teachers. Lockhart didn't say anything to them he just smiled and left the room. Harry, Ron, and Hermione followed him out without realizing Jane wasn't following them.
"Do you have a problem Miss Potter?" Snape asked sounding annoyed.
"Um, well, I was just wondering if you knew what just happened?" Jane asked shyly.
"No, Miss Potter I have no idea what just happened but I intend to find out" Snape said very serious. Jane looked at him for a second before excusing herself out.
When she crossed the doorway she saw Cedric waiting for her anD her mood changed.
"Hi" Cedric said. "How was the dueling club?"
"Horrible" Jane said.
"Really? Why?"
"Well Lockhart was our instructor" Jane said not wanting to explain anything else.
"Oh that makes sense" Cedric said noticing Jane was hiding something but deciding not to push her. He just took her hand and turned back to the Great Hall. Jane looked up at him with a confused expression.
"We have lunch now" Cedric explained.
"Oh right" Jane said as they entered the Great Hall. This time they separated as soon a they entered. Jane made way to the Gryffindor table that was almost empty. Only a few third year and Ginny were sitting on the Gryffindor table. "Hey Gin" Jane said as she sat down across from Ginny.
"Hey" Ginny said and kept eating.
"Where do you suppose everyone is?" Jane asked after minute of eating in silence.
"I really don't know" Ginny said thoughtfully. "I'm going up to the common room."
"Oh okay, I'll go with you" Jane said standing up.
"But you just got here, you haven't eaten anything" Ginny said preoccupied for her friend's well being.
"It's all right I'm not really hungry"
"Jane you have to eat. You look like a skeleton" Ginny said.
"Really I'm okay" Jane said and started walking toward the Great Hall's exit.
"Come on Jane eat some more I'll stay with you" Ginny said following Jane.
"Seriously, I'm not hungry" Jane said exiting the Great Hall and starting up the stairs to the common room. Ginny followed without saying anything but thinking Jane needed serious help. When they got to the common room, it was packed. Almost every Gryffindor was there and when Jane entered they attacked her with questions about her brother. One boy asked if they were really the heirs of Slytherin. Another boy asked her if she also could talk to snakes. And so they asked her question after question. Jane was shocked she couldn't move she could only stand there and let all of them drag her inside. Ginny was trying to help her but honestly she was too tiny to actually keep all those savages away. Ginny tried looking for Percy with her eyes but there was too much people to actually identify him, so she ran out of the common room to find McGonagall.
Meanwhile Jane tried escaping the mob and make her way upstairs but every time she moved someone caught her.
She couldn't find a familiar face. She felt like she was being suffocated she needed air but she couldn't find it. There in the middle of the mob in the middle of the common room she fell to the floor. She sat there with her arms around her knees. Tears ran down her face, she couldn't control them. However, no one paid any notice to the tears and kept harassing her with the questions.
Oliver Wood who was in his room working on Quidditch strategies heard a commotion downstairs in the common room. At first he ignored it (Gryffindors were always making noise), but then the noise grew louder and he decided to check it out. When he got to the common room the first thing he noticed was that it was packed with students. He was about to turn around when he noticed they were all around someone who was obviously in no shape to defend herself or himself. He used his captain whistle, blowing it with all his mighty. It made a deafening sound and everybody stopped harassing Jane shocked by the sudden noise.
"What in the world is going on?" Wood asked. No one answered but they all looked ashamed of what they were doing.
Jane noticing the change in the atmosphere looked up. She saw everyone looking toward the stairs so she stood up to see who had saved her.
Oliver was shocked to see Jane with her teary red eyes in the middle of the mob looking scared.
"Jane are you alright?" Oliver said at the same time the common room door opened. There on the common room entrance was McGonagall besides a fearful Ginny. McGonagall looked pissed.
"What do you think you are doing?" She asked. As they had done with Oliver no one answered and everyone looked ashamed.
"I'll deal with you later" McGonagall said glaring at everyone. Then her expression changed when she looked at Jane. "Now you Jane come with me"
When Jane didn't move McGonagall looked at Oliver for some help. Oliver acted immediately he went to Jane's side and offered his hand. She looked at him gratefully and took his hand. He led her towards McGonagall who turned around expecting them to follow her. Jane, Oliver, and Ginny followed McGonagall towards her office.
"Any of you know what this was about?" McGonagall asked once they were seated in her office.
"No" Wood and Ginny said at the same time Jane said "I think I know." The two students and the professor looked at her expectantly.
"Well I'm sure you know about the incident that happened in the Defence Club" Jane said looking at McGonagall, who nodded. "Well they were asking about that. All of them at the same time and I couldn't take it Professor."
"I understand and I'm going to talk to all of them today" the professor said. "And as for you two thank you for helping Jane"
"No problem, Professor, nobody messes with my team" Wood said.
Ginny just looked down and blushed.
"Well I guess I'll go talk to them. Jane I will tell you when is safe to go back"
"Thank you professor" Jane said. The four of them left the office and while Oliver, Ginny, and McGonagall went to the common room, Jane went outside to her favorite tree by the lake. She really wanted to write to Tom but for that she would have to wait. She sat down against the tree and watched the lake. It really looked beautiful and calming. As she watched the view she felt somebody sit besides her. She already knew who he was but she didn't acknowledge him.
"It is very calming here, don't you think" Cedric said looking dreamingly at her.
"Yeah, it is" Jane said looking at him her emerald eyes locking with his hazel eyes. They stayed looking at each other mesmerised. Cedric feeling spellbound started leaning towards her. She also leaned towards him in a dream like state. Their lips were almost touching, she could feel his warm breath against her lips. She closed her eyes and as his lips grazed hers a noise startled them breaking the spell. They jumped apart as if struck by lightning and looked up to find an embarrassed Hermione and two very pissed boys.
"What the bloody hell do you think you are doing with my sister?" Harry demanded Cedric.
Cedric looked shocked and Jane would have laughed had she not been pissed at her brother.
"That is none of your business, Harry" Jane said standing up.
"Yes it is" Harry said glaring at her. The other Hermione and Cedric looked preoccupied while Ron just glared at Cedric.
"Please can you just not fight" Hermione said grabbing Harry's arm.
"Sure, if Jane comes with us now" Harry said. Jane glared at him but stepped back toward Cedric holding his hand.
"Who the hell do you think you are?" Jane said holding Cedric's hand tighter when she felt his hand pull away. He looked at her with a pleading look.
"Seriously, you choose him over me your brother" Harry said being impossible.
"That is not really fair, now is it?" Jane said.
"I'm only trying to protect you Jane" Harry said looking down.
"Oh, Harry" Jane said stepping away from Cedric and embracing Harry. "Look I think it is very cute that you want to protect me and I love you for it, but you have to trust me on this" Jane told him.
"I know but I still think you are too young to have a boyfriend and he is too old for you" Harry told her stepping back. Cedric smiled at him sympathetically.
"Look I have no intention in pushing her to do something she doesn't want to do, you know" Cedric told Harry. "And I really like her" At that Hermione started crying as if this was the most romantic thing in the world. Jane smiled a little at his words and Ron just looked confused.
"That's very cool and all but Jane is still too young" Harry said.
"Come on Harry" Jane said. "Would you stop being the overprotective brother for a second?"
"Alright I'll leave you alone for now" Harry said turning around. Jane sighed and looked at Cedric with a smile on her face.
"See you later" Hermione said dragging Ron by his arm and smiling. Jane smiled back at her and sat down against the tree. Cedric sat down besides her and put his arm around her shoulder.
"So I guess there is no point in asking, but I'll ask anyway. Would you be my girlfriend?" Cedric said. Jane smiled and acted as if she had to think about it.
"Well, I'd like that very much" She said after a minute of silence.
"Thank God, for a minute there I thought you'd say no" Cedric said kissing her cheek. Jane blushed furiously and her hair turned various shades of red before going back to normal. Cedric just chuckled slightly and kept enjoying the moment. They stayed like that for like an hour before Cedric escorted her back to her common room. After kissing her hand and making her blush he left her in front of the Fat Lady alone. Jane said the password and went in. Fortunately, this time nobody paid attention and she went up to her room without a problem. She climbed onto her bed closed the curtains and took the diary out. She wrote everything that had happened earlier that day. She didn't know that this particular day made him stronger. This confession of love from Jane gave Tom total access to her soul making her more vulnerable to his possessions.
Hi, sorry I took so long to update but between school, technical difficulties, and writers block I really couldn't write. So I hope you liked the chapter and please remember that reviews are very much appreciated.