A/N: I'm sorry for being this late in updating! I've had a super busy weeks lately and hadn't had time to sit down and type. Hope you enjoy!
The beginning of the school year seemed to go in a flash. Jenni couldn't believe that tomorrow she'd find herself back on the Hogwarts Express to go back home for the Christmas break. She kept her word to Fred and James about helping pull pranks in her spare time and when she felt like it, and to her much astonishment – and happiness – they haven't gotten caught; but nearly everyone in the school knew James and Fred were involved, but very few knew about Jenni's sporadic contributions.
That night, James, Fred, and Jenni were sitting by the fire discussing with each other about Christmas and family.
"Merlin, I can't wait to go home!" said an ecstatic Fred.
"Me too! I can't wait to see my parents and all our family," said an equally excited James.
"Yeah, it is going to be nice to see everybody; I've missed everyone so much. Then again, even though we've only been here for a few months, it's hard to leave," Jenni stated, "people were right – once you're at Hogwarts you'll never want to leave."
The two boys gave a sad nod of agreement towards her. James spoke up, "Hey, try not to think about that. We have seven years until we have to really be sad about leaving."
"I know you're right, but still. I don't want to go, but I also really want to see everyone," Jenni said longingly.
"You know what," Fred continued, "how about we ask about staying here for Spring break? And then by the time Lily and Hugo come to school in three years we can stay for Christmas break? That way it's not just us three, but also more of our family. My sister will be here in two years, Al, Louis and Rose in one year. We can have our own Christmas at Hogwarts. We can call it… 'Cousin Christmas'!"
"You and your genius plans," James said with an amazed smile.
"That's a really great idea Fred -" Jenni started.
"But?" Fred questioned.
"But, that would be in three to four years," Jenni said incredulously.
"Well, Jenni, as Aunt Hermione always tells us, 'patience is a virtue'. I suggest you take that as excellent advice right now," Fred said cheekily, to which Jenni gave him a long, angry glare.
"Alright you two, calm down. We should go ahead with Fred's idea about Spring break, and maybe we can see if Melanie, Scarlett, Michael, and Roger would want to stay over Spring break," suggested James.
"I suppose so, Melanie, Scarlett, and I aren't all that close to Beth or Hannah, but I'll offer it to them, but what about Brendan?" Jenni said with a smirk.
James gave her an offhand expression and gesture, "See, Fred and I aren't all that close to Finny boy." Jenni gave him an expectant look.
"What?" James said warily.
"You aren't going to invite him?"
"Well we don't even know if we can stay over break," James replied.
"Okay, well if it turns out we can, then you're asking him when we get back or I will," Jenni said. James sighed.
"Okay well, here's another genius idea! Lets all go to bed before one of you kills the other! Sounds like a good plan?" Fred said quickly.
"Yeah."
"Fine, I guess."
"Excellent, let's go," Fred said hurriedly, and so all three went up to their dormitory, anticipating the day to follow.
That morning was full of numerous paces. Many people rushed through their breakfast so that they can go back to their room for any delayed packing, or people who were smart enough to pack days in advance were taking their time getting ready and eating, and chatting the morning away. Once breakfast was over, people were on their way following Hagrid down to Hogsmeade Station where the train was waiting.
James and Fred were walking beside Hagrid and talking with him about Christmas plans and how school was going for them lately, meanwhile Jenni was walking with Melanie and Scarlett.
"I know it's very early, but do either of you know if whether or not you're going home for Spring break?" Jenni asked.
"Um... no I don't really know, I think I am," Melanie said.
"Yeah, I mean if I don't go home, where would I go?" Scarlett questioned.
"Oh well, me, Fred, and James were thinking about staying at Hogwarts for the break. That is if we're allowed to," Jenni continued, "and maybe you two can stay at Hogwarts if possible."
"Are you serious? If I can I absolutely will join you!" Melanie cried.
"Me too! I'm in," Scarlett replied.
"Awesome! I'll send you both letters when I know for sure if I'll be able to stay or not!" Jenni said excitedly. In the past few months she was starting to feel like she meet two more friends for life.
The train ride back to Platform 9 ¾ seemed to pass in an instant for Jenni. The group of five got off board and Melanie and Scarlett went a separate way to search for their families while James, Jenni, and Fred went the opposite way.
"JAMIE!" shouted a thrilled Lily whilst jumping into her oldest brothers arms.
James picked his sister off her feet and twirled her around saying, "Lily! I've missed you so much!"
Jenni smiled at the two's greeting and hugged Al, "I can't wait until you come to school next autumn. It's going to be a blast!"
Meanwhile Fred finishes up giving his parents hugs, then turns to Roxanne who warns, "You better not pick me up and spin me." To which Fred did anyway.
"Jerk," Roxanne replies miffed, but has a smile tugging in the corner of her mouth.
"Okay, okay everyone!" Harry says to the group once James was done hugging his father, "remember the plan; we take the kids home to drop off their trunks, then we meet at Mums and Dads for dinner at 6 o'clock."
Once the Potters and Jenni get back to their home James and Jenni trudge their trunks up the stairs while grumbling about how they have to do it on their own without magical help from Harry or Ginny.
Once they make it to their rooms they both instantaneously collapse into their beds, not knowing the other was doing the same.
Jenni gets up after a few minutes and starts unpacking a few clothes, books, and Charmin. While Jenni unpacks a few items, James comes in and says in disbelief when he sees what's happening, "We've only been here for five minutes and you're already unpacking!"
"Yes you may as well say I've committed some horrible crime," Jenni says sarcastically to James' words.
"Yeah well, you may as well have. You need to relax, Jen. We're on break for Merlin's sake," James says trying to convince his friend to stop unpacking.
"James. You know me. Once I start something, I just have to get it out of the way," she says. James starts to say something, but then stops and walks out of the room knowing he wont be able to stop her from unpacking.
At 6 o'clock Harry apparates him, James, and Albus to Molly and Arthur Weasley's house while Ginny apparates herself and the girls. Once they arrive, in seconds Jenni and James find themselves being bombarded by hugs from Teddy and Victoire.
"I can't believe you just got back from Hogwarts!" cried Victoire.
"You little babies are growing up so fast!" said a sarcastic Teddy as he pretends to wipe away a tear.
Neither of them knew how to respond, but they were saved from saying anything because Fred arrived with his father and then Teddy and Victoire started to bombard Fred with sarcastic and cheeky remarks.
Jenni and James look over and see Fred giving them a look of helplessness, but they both shrug giving him a 'sorry but we can't help you' look and walk into the kitchen laughing at his expression.
As they walk into the kitchen Grandma Weasley can be seen bustling about getting dinner ready for Potter-Weasley clan with Ginny and Hermione trying to help the persistent Weasley, but with no avail.
They see Al, Lily, Rose, and Hugo playing Exploding Snap in the living room Dominique and Louis watching them and decide to join them, knowing they shouldn't dare try to help in the kitchen.
"Any idea where Uncle Ron, Dad, and Granddad are?" questioned James as he and Jenni sat down beside Louis.
"Probably outside in the shed. I think Granddad had some muggle contraption to show them," Dominique said casually.
Granddad Weasley had a way of stealing Harry and Ron before dinner about a muggle toy or invention he was currently mesmerized by. I which case, Molly Weasley would be annoyed by, and scold him about how he shouldn't be stealing the boys before dinner to show them something they would have no interest in.
Once dinner was set and everybody else arrived – namely Percy and Audrey family, and Charlie with his wife, Mary. With over twenty relatives in the Weasley house not all were able to fit at the main dinner table, so the method was to divide the adults from the children, even though Teddy and Victoire are adults they chose to sit with the kids since they want to hear all about how Hogwarts was treating Fred, Jenni, and James so far.
"It's so amazing, Teddy! It's even better than what all of you have been saying about it. So that's a good thing, of course. Classes aren't as hard as Ron says it is, so I don't know what he was going on about with that," Jenni described.
"That's because Ron wasn't – and still isn't - the most studious person," Ginny explained as she entered the room, which earned a lot of laughs from everyone.
"Anyways," Ginny continued, "Fred, Jenni, James? Do you mind coming in the dinning room? We'd all like to hear more about school." The three nodded.
When they sat down, James started to talk about how it's really magical, and that he's surprised by something everyday. As for Fred he talked about how boring Professor Binns is and that he can't believe he's still there after all these years. And when it came to Jenni to talk about school, she went into more detail about how almost everyone in their year gets along well with each other, and that she made two friends that she kicked it off with really well.
"You did? Who are they?" asked Hermione.
"Umm," started Jenni uncomfortably, since she now knows the little thing that happened between Hermione and Melanie's dad, and that Ron wasn't his biggest fan.
"One of my friends is Scarlett Osborne, her mum's a muggle and her dad owns a small bookshop in Diagon Alley. And my other good friend, her mum is also a muggle and is a Veterinarian – she's like an animal healer in the muggle world, and her dad works as a Quidditch reporter," she explained.
"That's really interesting, so you have Scarlett and…" Hermione asked.
"Melanie," Jenni replied nervously.
"Does this Melanie happen to have a last name?" Hermione asked gently.
James and Fred gave each other a worried look, and then looked at Jenni anxiously. "Her last name? Umm… yes, she has one…" the she said quickly, "It's McLaggen."
There was a very long, and awkward pause while this information sank in. Jenni was looking at Hermione, while James and Fred were looking at Uncle Ron, hoping he wouldn't do anything outlandish.
Hermione spoke up first, "Oh… well. That's…good." Jenni gave a sigh of relief.
However, Ron had a different outlook and yelled, "Are you bloody kidding me! A McLaggen! Why? Her father is a slimy, vain, selfish-"
"Stop it!" Jenni shouted standing up, "just stop it! That is my best friend's father you're talking about. I don't care about the childish grudge you have against him, but that doesn't mean you go around insulting him in front of his daughters friend."
Jenni stood there with an angry expression at Ron, not losing eye contact from the man. She could feel her face burning with anger, and everyone at the table looking between Ron and Jenni, and she can tell that everyone from the kids' table came into the room when she was defending her friends' father. Minutes later, as Ron sat down digesting what the young girl shouted at him, Jenni turned to Grandma Weasley, "I apologize for shouting at the dinner table."
"Apology accepted," she replied. Jenni nodded told them she needed to go outside and walked away from the table. She grabbed her coat and scarf and headed outside in the snow and sat down on the porch bench to collect her thoughts.
One thought she was certain about: she really wanted her parents back.