˗ˋ 71

                                    

                                          
CHAPTER SEVENTY-ONE
✧
-: fifth year :-

                          
── IN WHICH INTRODUCTIONS
ARE MADE
                          
. . .



                          
She had missed him.
                          
Jane had missed him. 
                          
Oh, how he wished he could tell her just how much he had missed her, and what a colossal relief it was to see her stood before him. But there was no time, not even for a reply, because as soon as they broke apart from the hug, Molly was ushering them back down into the kitchen, shutting the heavy wooden door behind them to block out the sounds of Mrs Black's wailing. 
                          
Mrs Weasley had waved her wand again and it seemed like the kitchen was working quicker at producing their lunch now, and Harry felt almost dazed as he felt the presence of the girl sitting beside him amongst a flurry of smiles sent towards his friends before her proper introduction whilst he watched, Flora taking a seat besides Sirius and Arthur at the top of the table. He wondered if she was as friendly with them as she appeared to be with Remus and Mad-Eye Moody. 
                          
Florence's friendship with Dumbledore was entirely a different story, one that he would ask Jane about when they got all the interesting stuff out of the way. Because as of right now, Ron was staring at Jane with that slightly gormless lack of movement, and Hermione was muttering furiously to close his mouth, or else he'd catch flies.
                          
"Hi, I'm Jane." As Ron snapped his jaw shut the girl offered a hand for him to shake. 
                          
"Sorry." Ron apologised as he shut his mouth, blinking once, then twice before hurrying to shake her hand. "I just can't believe you're real - sure, Harry's my best mate but you've got to understand when I read he'd met a girl... well it was different to his usual letters." He babbled, and Harry could've died on the spot. 
                          
"Jane." The Potter boy swallowed back the slight flush of embarassment. "This is my friend, Ron - I told you she was real, mate. And I told you about him as well, and that's Hermione, I told you about her as well."
                          
"Pleasure to meet you." Hermione raised her hand over the table, Jane shaking it. "I was told you're also fond of Muggle literature too? I've got a collection upstairs if you'd like to take a look." 
                          
Hermione had never had the easiest time making friends, both Harry and Ron knew this from their first year. This could be a change - and both were sincerely hoping it would be, because as much as they loved her, both boys were useless when it came to things girls liked. Or normal girls, because Harry was approaching well-versed on all things to do with Jane. 
                          
"I'd love that." Jane replied earnestly, her many bracelets sliding up her wrist as she returned the hand shake. "I've brought some of my own in my bag." 
                          
"Your bag?" Harry repeated.
                          
"Yes." Flora interrupted from the head of the table, disrupting her own conversation. "It's been arranged that I attend Order meetings, and now that Jane's presence in the Wizarding World is clear, I also felt it necessary for her to take up residence here as opposed to the Manor. For now at least, it may vary once you return to school." 
                          
Harry couldn't believe his luck, green eyes meeting grey as they shared a smile, and Jane turned her attention to the rest of the group, eyes landing on Ginny first. They could almost be siblings.
                          
"Ginny, right?" She guessed, a grin of confirmation being returned. Then, to the twins. "And.. you're George, and you're Fred." Her finger switched between each of them, watching as they nodded.
                          
"We didn't think you were real either, for the record." George piped up, as Mrs Weasley began to magic serving dishes over the long wooden table. "But I don't think anyone's guessed right that quickly."
                          
"Boys." Mrs Weasley seemed to already be able to understand what sort of plan was forming in their mind, and it didn't take long for Harry to be able to hazard a guess either. "Jane, dear, I'm Mrs Weasley, and that's my husband, Arthur. I believe you first met at the hearing today?"
                          
Jane nodded. "And you must be Sirius Black." She continued, her eyes on the man at the very head of the table. "I heard of you before I even met Harry." The dark haired man seemed to understand what she meant very quickly, but was surprised to find that there was no waver of uncomfortableness in the situation. 
                          
He swallowed, unaware of just what to say. "The one and only." Sirius finally managed to say. "Harry's mentioned you once or twice.. but I daresay we'll have plenty of informative talks about him when he sods off for that bloody school again."
                          
"Sirius!" Molly hissed. 
                          
"Apologies." Sirius replied dryly. Quite clearly, he was not sorry. His eyes landed on Jane for a moment longer, before meeting Harry's. "James and Lily would have loved her." He announced, before turning back towards Flora.
                          
Jane flushed, confidence wavering just for a moment in the face of so many introductions. Up until then, the important people in Harry's life had been people he hated - his uncle, aunt and cousin. These were all people that Harry loved and found comfort in being around. And that had been the type of compliment she hadn't expected to hear within two minutes of hearing the only person Harry had that he was even remotely related to (even if that relation was godfather as opposed to actual blood).
                          
Plates were being dished out now, a friendly chatter growing as the others began to serve up the plates. Harry, feeling the sudden need to do something remotely gentleman-like, filled Jane's plate for her, and after filling his own he settled back down, turning towards her.
                          
"I'm sorry." He muttered, as Jane took her first bite of the mashed potatoes. "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you anything and that you were attacked by the Dementors because you were with me."
                          
"Harry." Jane matched his lower tone, her voice barely a whisper. "It's okay, I know why you did it, and I don't mind, really." 
                          
"I'll tell you everything." Harry continued. "I promise. Right after this, I'll show you your room when I found out which it is and the rest of the house and then I'll tell you everything."
                          
"Oh, you two are going to be bloody annoying, aren't you?" Ron interrupted through a mouthful of mash. A ripple of laughter echoed around the kitchen as Jane turned towards her plate again, cutting off a piece of the sausage and raising it to her mouth.
                          
There was a tiny smile on her mouth as she kept her head bowed slightly, and Harry knew that she was alright, no matter whether she said it aloud or not.
                          
✧




                          
a/n
it's only natural for it
to be awkward at first, 
let jane settle in first, okay?