I'm so sorry guys, I know it took forever! Thank you for all the reviews! I had this chapter in my head for a long time but it took me forever to find time and type it …it's finally here, just a nice peaceful chapter – a little transition before the summer madness starts.
I hope you like it. I'm already starting another one so next update should be here…let's say in a few days.
I'm sure we all know that J.K.R. owes everything HP related and we're all here just dreaming about her world – right?
Enjoy!
Jade was standing at the side of her bed, folding the last school robes. The rest of her uniforms were already packed in her trunk.
The door of their room was open and there was general chaos all around the corridors.
Students were running up and down the stairs returning borrowed books and looking for lost socks and ties.
It was lovely sunny day and wind was bringing the scent of wild flowers inside through the windows. The fact that it was fourth day in a row without a single raindrop was a proof that summer was here.
Sue was writing down addresses of all the girls, so they could keep in touch. She made four copies and handed one to each of her friends.
Tonight was the last dinner of the school year and the train would leave tomorrow first thing after breakfast.
Jade sighed, closed the trunk and jumped on the bed, stretching her back.
"I can't believe the year is over." She said simply.
It was a strange feeling. So much has changed since September. She had a ton of new memories and a handful of photos from the year which she planned to turn into few pages for a scrapbook album.
The frame with the photo from last summer was still standing on the bedside table, she'd leave it there for next year.
"Can you believe it? We'll be in second year soon. It will be nice to come back after summer and know everything around here." Smiled Maddie, putting the last piece of chocolate to her mouth. They finished all the candy from their stash and all that was left was a pile of colorful papers and tinfoil in the middle of the carpet.
"I feel so grown up." Laughed Joyce as she spun around in front of the mirror, her flower skirt swirling.
"What are your plans for summer?" asked Maddie, sitting on the window-seat, turning her face to the sun.
It was a topic which they discussed over and over in the last weeks of school.
Jade knew there are no exciting sea-side family vacations or mountain-climbing for her, but she couldn't wait to be back home.
"I'll kick off my shoes the moment I get home…" she always started with the same sentence.
"You don't wear your shoes half the time here." Giggled Katie.
"… And I'll run to my room and unpack, because mom wants to do the laundry as soon as we get home." Continued Jade. Sometimes, when she was dreaming, she didn't even notice she called Molly mom, or Arthur dad. But it felt natural now.
"We'll pick strawberries. There are miles and miles of strawberries at home. And we'll just sit on the dry warm soil and eat all of them. And we'll make jam. You have to cook the strawberries with sugar and apples in huge pot on the stove. Whole kitchen smells like jam for days and days after. And fresh green peas picked in the morning when there's still dew on the grass and you're still wearing pajamas and apple juice every day. And we'll fly on Saturdays or when dad comes home early from work. We'll have barbeques in the backyard with grilled zucchini and hotdogs until the sun sets down and someone will turn on the Christmas lights." Jade dreamed and as always when she started to talk about her summer, girls just sat back and listened. None of them knew how exactly Jade's home looked, but they could almost feel the warm garden soil under their toes and smell the sweetness of strawberries in the air when she talked.
"We'll sleep outside, there's big pile of hay on one side of the house and Fred and George said we'll make a roof from bed sheets over it and we'll stay there all night."
The dinner was even more chaotic than the day of packing. The results of house cup were announced but no one really seemed to care. Suddenly there were millions of stories to be told before summer starts, and the Great Hall was filled with buzzing of thousand voices, trying to be heard over each other.
Dumbledore had some speech prepared and he started, but ended early with joyful exclamation of wishes for beautiful summer to everyone.
Professor McGonagall looked angry for a while, trying to calm the students down so headmaster could finish "The end of the school year speech" but when Dumbledore himself covered her hand (which was knocking on the crystal glass with butter knife rather hard) with his own hand and smiled at her, she relaxed too and mumbled something about it being almost summer.
Percy held a lecture for Fred and George who were still not packed, and who didn't care. They were surrounded by their classmates, re-telling the most famous stories from this year. Fred had the side of his shirt pulled up again, showing the fading scar to a couple of impressed girls. He winked at Jade when he caught her looking.
They went to bed late and got up early.
Jade made her bed, even though she knew house-elves would come clean the rooms and change the sheets. She wanted to leave the room nice and tidy, ready for next year.
They had chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast and lemon muffins, which they also packed for the journey.
The atmosphere inside train compartments was packed with excitement. Kids seemed to be even wilder than before Christmas. Now there was whole summer in front of them, and summer always brings a promise of adventures and lazy days.
"We'll have to write each other at least once every week alright?" asked Sue looking around the compartment at her friends.
"We will, don't worry about it." Promised Joyce and stood up to close the window. The morning was nice and sunny but as they were heading south, sky started to darken and there were heavy rain clouds visible on the horizon.
As Hogwarts' express swished quickly through the meadows and overgrown grass bent down under the force of air which was cut by the powerful engine, first drops of summer rain started to fall. Nothing's better than steady continuous rain, cooling down the country after days of sunshine.
"next year we need to add more decorations to our room. We'll be second years, we can't stay behind and let the first years get better room. There is a lot of space for improvement ladies." Said Katie pulling out her notepad and reading through the list of decoration ideas they've put together in preparation for next year.
"Jade you said a pom-pom garland and tassels are your job – right?" Katie made a small note to the side of the paper.
"Joyce you'll bring that Gryffindor banner you said you have home." Katie kept on reading.
"For goblin's sake Katie, relax. Everybody brings as much as they can and we'll have to do with that." Said Maddie leaning against the window which was now covered in raindrops from outside and girls could hardly see anything.
"We're in London!" yelled Sue jumping up from her seat and pressing her face to the window.
The sky was pale grey outside as the sun was setting down and there were still clouds from the rain.
And after few minutes the railway dived into the labyrinth of London streets and they felt the carriage slow down.
"Almost home." Smiled Jade as she got up too and girls started to pack everything back to their trunks.
There were good-byes and last minute conversations echoing through the train as it stopped with squeaking breaks at the King's Cross station.
Jade jumped down from the stairs to the platform and turned around to help her friends with the baggage. She was pulling down the third school trunk when two pairs of hands snatched it and put it effortlessly next to her own suitcase.
Fred and George helped girls with the rest of things and they were all out of the train in no time.
"I'll write you soon! I'm going to miss you!" Jade managed to say as Fred and George pulled her to the place where they were supposed to meet the family.
"Will you stop it already!" complained Jade as boys kept pulling her by her hands through the crowd.
"I have to say good bye to Deric before we go."
"Oh Fred, how could we forget about him!" started George in mock horror.
"Precious boyfriend of our Jade." Continued Fred making kissy face before they both started to laugh.
"Go on then, but hurry up, I'm sure mom's already waiting for us." Said George turning away and pulling both his and Jade's trunk.
"He's not my boyfriend." Snapped Jade angrily at Fred who was still there.
"Well I hope not, we'd have to have a talk with him otherwise." Smirked Fred and left, following his twin.
When Jade finally made her way through the crowd of friends and saw her family waiting for her, she couldn't help herself, and overwhelmed with all the people in her life who loved her and cared for her, she run straight to Molly's arms.
They flooed to Burrow where delicious dinner was waiting in the kitchen, including huge chocolate ice ream cake to celebrate their homecoming.
"No, no, no. Get your things upstairs and wash your hands first. Dinner will be ready in twenty minutes." Scolded Molly and chased twins away from the cake.
Jade climbed the stairs up to her room. It seemed right now. No doubts like at the Christmas break, no near-tragic night scare ruining the atmosphere like over the Easter. Now it was perfect.
The window was open, light wind playing with the curtains. There were fresh sheets on the bed and a bunch of wild flowers in a mason jar on the bedside table (probably Ginny's idea).
Jade let herself fall down on the bed, the cool fresh bed sheets felt perfect against her hot skin. Summer was here.
"Dinner's ready!" exclaimed Ron peering inside Jade's room, allowing a beam of yellow light in from the corridor.
Jade got up, kicking off her shoes and crossing the room to her dresser.
"I'll be right there." She said to Ron who looked impatient.
"Alright, see you at the table" he yelled, running away. Jade could head Percy complaining about twins who chased him out of the bathroom.
She looked inside the dresser and searched through piles of clean laundry for her favorite cut off jeans. She took one of the white vests and a plain flannel shirt. It might be summer, but nights in Devon could get pretty chilly.
Everyone was already in the kitchen. Plates were passed around and Molly was blushing over the compliments of the food she prepared. Jade sat down on her usual place, getting a sip of pumpkin juice. Everything was perfect as she looked around the table, seeing Percy explain something to Ginny, who, as always, had millions of questions about school, Molly and Arthur seemed to be in their own little world as he whispered something to her ear – probably already planning their annual date-escape for the anniversary. Jade smiled and looked the other way, basking in the idyllic atmosphere of family dinner when the fairy-tale was interrupted by Fred and George tickling Ron, who was sitting between them, so hard that when Ron tried to fight them off, he tripped the bench and half of the family disappeared under the table. Drinks got spilled and forks dropped to the floor. After the briefest of moments of complete silence most of the family erupted in laughter, apart from Percy who complained about all the stupid things twins did all the year at school, and Molly who frowned at the boys as she vanished the spilled juice from the tablecloth.
It was almost eleven when Molly chased everyone upstairs to get ready for bed.
"Don't worry Ron, we'll tell you about all the mischief tomorrow." Said Fred.
"We have all day to relax and do nothing apart from eating strawberries from garden, right?" smiled George, ruffling Ron's hair.
"You have unpacking and cleaning to do tomorrow boys. No strawberries until I have all the dirty laundry down in the washing room!" reminded them Molly and then kissed all her kids' foreheads before turning around and walking back to the kitchen, smiling at her husband who was sneaking the last piece of the cake on his plate.
"This feels like Azkaban!" complained Fred. "Child labor!" agreed George but they sprinted up the stairs anyway, probably to get Percy out of the bathroom again, just to annoy him even more.
Jade shook her head at them and wished good night to Ginny who was half-asleep leaning against the wall.
"I'm so happy you're finally home." Ginny said before yawning.
"Me too, we have so much to talk about. I've missed you Ginny." Smiled Jade and hugged her sister.
"Good night." Said Ginny waving her hand as she climbed the stairs up to her room.