Sister (slow updates)

Chapter Ten

The semester seemed to drag on, day by day, week by week. The weather was getting colder and gloomier, the sun was out less and less. It was nearly time for Quidditch season, and James would not shut up about it. When he wasn't out on the Quidditch field, practicing, he was talking our ears off about strategies and plays. Most of the time, I tuned him out. I could only listen to Quidditch talk for so long.

"You're coming to Hogsmeade this weekend with us, right, Joss?" Sirius asked. We were sitting alone in the common room. James was at practice, Remus was picking up some books in the library, and Peter was off doing Merlin knows what. I glanced up at him from an essay I was writing for Professor Slughorn's Potions class.

"I hadn't decided if I was going or not," I shrugged.

"You should come." He leaned back in his chair, arms behind his head. He looked away. "I- James would like you being there."

"James?" I asked, raising and eyebrow.

"Yes, James."

I let out a breath and looked around. It was still pretty quiet in the common room. I wanted to say something. I wanted to know how Sirius really felt. I wanted to tell him that I'd noticed. I'd noticed the looks. I'd noticed how he seemed to care more, under the guise of just simply looking out for me for James. I wanted to tell him about the dream, which hadn't been a single incident at that point. It had reoccurred at least once a week, always the same. It gave me an eerie feeling each time.

"Joss?" I snapped my head back toward Sirius, who had sat up and was waving his hand in front of my face. "Are you okay? You seemed really lost in thought."

"Oh, yes, just thinking about Potions," I responded quickly.

"Are you sure? It seems like more than that."

"How would you know?"

"Joss, I've been best friends with your twin since first year. I've been around you enough to know that you and James both get the same look on your face when you're deep in thought about something important." He paused a moment. Before I could say something, he added, "You know you can tell me anything, right?"

"Of course I know. It's just... complicated."

"I can handle complicated, Jocelyn. Have you met my family?"

We stared at each other for a moment, not saying a word. Finally, I sighed, trying to determine how much I could tell him. "Remember at the beginning of the semester, when I came up to the dorm to stay with James?"

"Yeah, the day classes were supposed to start, right?" I nodded. "So what does this have to do with that?"

"The reason I was there, I..." I let out a long, slow breath. "There was this dream that I had. Kind of like a nightmare, in some ways, but mostly just strange. And I, well, I, uh, I needed James to kind of prove that it was just a dream."

"So that's what you were thinking about? A dream you had months ago?" His voice carried an air of skepticism. I stayed quiet, unsure how to approach the situation I had just been placed in. Before I had the chance to say anything, however, Sirius sat forward in his chair. "Unless it's happened since then?"

"At least once a week," I murmured. "I wake up gasping, with tears running down my cheeks. It just... feels so real."

"James doesn't know, does he?"

"Doesn't know what?" I jumped and glanced up. James had just walked through the portrait hole, sweaty. His hair was exceptionally windblown, and it was obvious by his confident air that practice had gone very well.

"Nothing," I said quickly, closing my Potions book and gathering my things. "It's getting late, I should go up to bed. See you tomorrow, James."

"Wait, Jo," he called after me as I made for the stairs to the girls' dorms. I stopped, sighing and turning around. "What's wrong with you today? I feel like I've hardly seen you all day."

"We had classes, Jamie."

"Besides classes."

"You had practice. I assume it went well?"

"Jo," he sighed. He looked between Sirius and I. "What were you two talking about before I came in? What don't I supposedly know?"

"Whether or not I'm going to Hogsmeade this weekend," I said quickly as Sirius opened his mouth to answer. "Sirius was asking if I was going with you all."

James furrowed his eyebrows, unsure whether or not to accept my answer. I knew he didn't really believe me. He was James. He knew when something was wrong. He knew when I was hiding something. He knew when I was trying to avoid answering his prying questions. The joys of being a twin. They always knew, subconsciously, even when they didn't realize.

"Jocelyn," Sirius started. I looked at him and he nodded towards James. "He deserves to know," he mouthed, while James still watched me. I sighed and set my things back on the table.

"Fine. But I don't want to talk in the common room. I don't want anyone to overhear."

"Okay. We'll go up to my dorm," James said, holding out his hand. I nodded and took it.

"I'll make sure no one walks in," Sirius said, standing to follow us.

We made our way up the stairs to the fifth year dorm. James and I stepped inside, Sirius staying outside the door. James closed the door as I sat on his four-poster. "What's going on, Jocelyn?" he asked, coming over to sit next to me.

"My dream," I whispered softly. "The one from the beginning of September."

"What about it, Jo? You never talked about it. Just said you didn't want to lose me."

"It happened more than once." I couldn't meet James' gaze. I just stared at my hands. "A lot, actually. At least once a week, most times more than that."

"Why didn't you come to me, Jo? You know I could have helped."

"I was worried. I- I was scared, I guess. I don't know."

"Jo." His voice was softer now. Gentler. "You should have told me."

"I know, I just... I wasn't sure how to explain it," I murmured. James moved closer, wrapping me in one of his signature hugs. "I don't know how to do it anymore, Jamie."

"What do you mean, Jo?"

"I can't keep reliving it, Jamie. It's too horrible," I muttered into his sweaty practice uniform as I buried my face in his shoulder.

"What, Jo? What can't you keep reliving?"

I paused and lifted my head from his shoulder, looking straight into the auburn eyes we shared. He stared back, worry and concern swimming in his eyes. "Your death," I murmured finally.
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New chapter, yayyyyy!!! I hope you enjoyed this one, and I'm only a little sorry I left it on a cliff hanger haha Anyway, I don't really have much else to update on. See y'all next week with the next update!