Hi everyone, thanks for commenting and adding my story to your story alert. You're all amazing!
Here's one short chapter, it's not long but some pretty important decision is made here.
Just a note: - I want to leave the story as JKR wrote it – nothing will change, Golden Trio will still be golden trio . I want to write this from the point of view of "normal" witch so no, Jade won't be part of golden trio, she might be their friend, Ron is her brother after all, but this is her story.
Also, I'm still not sure she'll be in Gryffindor, maybe, maybe not… any thoughts?
I sat there waiting for someone to continue, I wanted to hear the "but" because now, I realized I wanted to go, no matter how much I loved it here, maybe this could be the first school where I would fit in.
"Molly dear, we need to let her decide." Started Arthur and then turned to me.
"It's completely up to you Jade, if you want to stay here one more year and learn more about magical world it's fine. We would love to have you here one more year and I'm sure it would be great to spend more time with you before you go to school, but even if you decide to go now, we'll still have Christmas and Easter and Summer vacation. It's not like you would go away forever.
We will support you no matter what ok? And we love you so much. Understood?" he smiled at me and I nodded.
Molly opened her mouth as if she was going to say something but then her face relaxed and she smiled again, looking more herself.
"Do you have any questions about Hogwarts? I'm sure Fred and George told you a lot, but not all they say has to be true" she chuckled.
"So if I want to go, you'll let me?" I asked. I was totally lost, I had no idea what they wanted me to say.
"Of course we'll let you go, I'm sure you'd love the school and all your classmates" said Molly.
"but you wish I stayed here." I finished knowing what she'll say.
Molly sighed. "Honey, of course I'd love it if you stayed here, I wish I could keep everyone here forever, safe and sound tucked in their beds at night and feed you all properly every day and never let you grow up. But if you want to go, I would never stop you, but don't even think about staying at school during holidays." Smiled Molly and looked at Arthur.
"Jade, you don't have to decide yet, we just want you to know you have options and whatever you do, we'll be here forever. It's not like we'll send you to school and never see you again. You can go now, and come back on Christmas and all other vacation. Or you can stay here one more year, and then go to school with Ron. There's no rush, just think about it a little and when you're ready we can talk, or answer any questions." Said Arthur and stood up properly from the window sill he was leaning against.
Molly stood up too. "ok darling, I'll let you read, and don't forget to put away your clean clothes. I'll start knitting in an hour so if you want you can join me, I'd be happy to have some company." She smiled again and left.
"But you don't have to do that, Molly's just trying to find at least one of her kids who would share her interest in knitting. So far, we're all resisting." Arthur winked at me.
I laughed softly.
After he left and closed my door I shut the window and started to put away neatly folded clothes from chair where they were piled.
I loved the smell of freshly washed laundry.
After I cleaned my room I want to sit on the bed again and after re-reading the letter I opened the book and started to read.
It was truly interesting book, but I couldn't concentrate. After looking at the same page for 8th time, I skipped couple of chapters and found a section describing Hogwarts now.
It sounded magical and very unreal, but still like the kind of school where I belonged. If all kids were witches and wizards there, I would no longer be a freak and would never go home with a note from the headmaster for making something inexplicable happen during lessons.
I closed the book and looked around my room and even though I was used to being alone all my life now I felt too lonely.
I pushed away the book with letter and stood up, my bare feet hitting the cold hardwood floor. I pulled out a pair of thick hand knitted socks from the bottom drawer and opened my door. As I climbed the stairs I went past twins' room where they were fighting over something with Ron, Charlie was in Ginny's room, playing some board game with his little sister and they giggled uncontrollably so I didn't want to disturb them. I was about to turn around and go back to my room when Percy came out from the bathroom and found me standing there in the middle of corridor, doing nothing.
"Hey." I said quickly and pushed past him trying to get to my room as fast as possible.
"Hey." Replied Percy and was about to get back to his bedroom and write just another letter for Penelope but he knew there was something on Jade, something odd.
"Do you want to talk about something?" he asked slowly.
Jade turned around and nodded.
"Come on in then, well, if you want to talk to me." Invited her Percy and stepped into his room leaving the door open. He sat down on his chair and started to arrange the parchments on his desk.
Jade followed him, but stayed standing in the doorway.
Percy looked around and raised his eyebrows.
Jade came inside and sat at the end of his bed.
"Well?" he asked simply.
"Well. I got a letter this morning." Said Jade and looked at him, trying to find some sign he knew about it. She thought Molly will tell it to everyone, but Percy just looked at her confused.
"A letter from Hogwards?" Jade asked. He still didn't move so she continued.
"They say I could go this year or wait one more – because you know, my birthday is in September. And your parents say it's up to me to decide…"
"And you're not sure if you want to go?" asked Percy.
"No, I mean… I would love to go, but… your mom said she'd like me to stay here one more year." Explained Jade.
"Listen Jade, our mom would keep you here forever if she could, but it's just now, because she's always worried when one of us goes to school for the first time. But she'll get over it and once you settle in school and you find new friends she'll be happy with you. If you feel like going then go." Said Percy and folded his letter he finished just a couple minutes ago.
Jade nodded quietly and looked at her hands.
"You're nervous?" asked Percy gently.
"um, uhum. " agreed Jade but still didn't look up.
"well, I know how you feel, I was nervous too, and I'm pretty sure Fred and George were terrified the first day, of course they pulled first prank before the train even left the King's cross station, but that was just to cover how scared they were. There's nothing to worry about, first days are hard but they go by really fast, and you'd love Hogwarts." Concluded Percy and nodded firmly, making sure Jade believed him.
"You'll be just fine, you said you want to go, then you should go downstairs and tell mom. Ok?"
"ok." Said Jade and stood up. "thank you Percy, thanks for listening to me." She smiled and left.
After washing her face in the bathroom sink and looking at herself in the mirror for a while, she went downstairs, pausing on the last step before she crossed the last couple of feet and joined Molly in the living-room. Jade sat down next to her and bit her bottom lip, something she didn't do very often, only in situations when she was really stressed and had to concentrate.
Molly paused, sliding the stitches to the end of the needle and putting it down on the coffee table.
"I'm so happy you're here, so would you like to show me how to knit, or crochet? Or do you want to talk?" Molly posed so many questions.
"I… I think I want to go." Said Jade simply and looked up nervously, prepared to see angry Mrs. Weasley. But Molly wasn't angry, a little bit surprised that Jade decided so fast, but happy at the same time, because she knew how much her newest daughter needed friends who wouldn't push her aside.
"Oh honey! That's amazing! I'm so happy for you." Exclaimed Molly and made a move as if she wanted to hug Jade but wasn't quite sure if she should because it looked like Jade wanted to say something.
"Really?" was all the girl asked.
"Of course! Come here!" laughed Molly shaking her head and pulling Jade into bear hug.
"But if you really go this September than you'll have to study a little bit more and learn all you can about our world, I want you to be prepared." Said Molly seriously.
"Arthur! Arthur come here!" she called her husband, who appeared on the stairs just a couple seconds later.
"Arthur she wants to go!" exclaimed Molly, still hugging Jade and wiping happy tears from her cheeks. Her baby was all grown up. She knew Jade for such a short time and now she was already going to school.
"That's awesome! I'm sure you'll love it there." Said Arthur a patted Jade's back, because Molly just wouldn't let her go.