𝗷𝗮𝗻𝗲, harry potter

˗ˋ 04

CHAPTER FOUR
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-: fourth year :-

── IN WHICH THEY MAKE PLANS

. . .

The sandwiches were long gone, yet neither Harry nor Jane found themselves straying away from the spot under the tree, the drooping branches shading them from the hot July sun.

The Everleigh girl was sat closest to the outisde, legs kicked out in front of her and letting the sun hit them, in her hands was a book and she was flicking lazily through the pages. Glancing upwards, she saw Harry sat against the trunk, watching her read.

"Can I help you?" She asked, head tilting playfully. "I was here first, you know, so if I'm boring you you're free to go." Harry shook his head, about to open his mouth and say something when Jane held out her hand, pointing for her back.

Harry passed it too her, watching as she opened it and flicked through a few things, before pulling out another book. "If not?" She held out her hand, handing him a rather battered book. "Romeo and Juliet? Have you read it before?"

"Shakespeare? No.. I can't really say it's on my school's curriculum. My friend Hermione might have though." Harry took the book, carefully opening the cover, trying not to break it anymore than it was, the copy practically falling apart.

"It isn't on your curriculum? Is there any Shakespeare on there?" Jane watched as Harry shook his head. "What sort of school do you go to? Everyone has to learn it, don't they?"

"Apparently not." Harry shrugged, carefully turning to the first page and scanning the prologue. "'In fair Verona, where we lay our scene'." He quoted, looking up to see Jane nodding. "I get the feeling people at my school wouldn't exactly be interested - boarding school. I go to boarding school." He admitted, Jane nodding and sitting up.

"Boarding school? Shouldn't you be spending time with your family then? Considering your home and everything." Jane asked, and without questioning it, Harry found himself ready to tell her. She seemed to have quite a comforting effect, although he wasn't sure why.

He supposed that it reminded him of Ron and his various other friends at Hogwarts. First with the way she introduced herself reminding him so much of Hermione, and how she just gave up her sandwiches like Ron did the first time they met. But those were only small things, and Harry seemed to get the impression that Jane was quite the unique character.

"I stay with my aunt, uncle and cousin." Harry admitted, sitting up a bit and carefully placing the book back on the grass. "We don't really get along."

"I see - this is the same cousin who you were hiding from?" Jane asked, watching as Harry nodded. "And that's why you're hiding out down here?"

"I'm not the Dursleys biggest fan." Harry replied. "I've been home since eight yesterday night, and I couldn't spend another minute in that house."

"I.. sort of get that." Jane's voice had gotten a little quieter, a change in her usual tone. But she bounced back quickly, sitting up and pulling her legs out of the sun, crossing them under her. "I have an idea."

"You do, do you?" Harry asked, watching as she nodded, slipping a slip of paper into her book as a bookmark and putting it down on the grass besides the Romeo and Juliet copy.

"Yes genius, why else would I say I did when I don't." Jane looked over to him, and Harry only shrugged. "Well you see, I only just moved here with Flora, and before I lived half way up the country and I left all my friends behind."

"So, I know absolutely nobody here, and it seems that you're going to be out the house a lot - and it's not really in my nature to stay indoors as well." Jane continued, and Harry, although usually clueless, began to get the hint of what she was saying.

"You think that we should be friends? Pass the summer days together?" Harry guessed, watching as she nodded and rooted around in her bag, pulling out what looked to be folded up map. He was right, and watched as she unfolded it, moving over to him and spreading it across her legs, paper brushing against Harry's knee.

"When Flora demanded I take a day off helping her fix up the house, I have a feeling she didn't really mean one day - especially when she handed me this." Jane continued to explain, Harry watching her and then looking down to the map when she began tracing one of the lines. "There are tons of walks around here, and tons of places that I want to go."

"And you don't want to go alone?" Harry asked her, watching as she shook her head, strands of ginger hair slipping into her eyes. "Well, I don't suppose Uncle Vernon or Dudley could have ever gone on any of these walks - so I've never had the chance."

"Is this your way of telling me you accept?" Harry looked up to meet Jane's eyes, glancing back down at the map once more.

Before nodding.

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