𝗷𝗮𝗻𝗲, harry potter

˗ˋ 60

CHAPTER SIXTY
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-: fourth year :-

── IN WHICH HARRY FINALLY
RETURNS

. . .

"And where have you been?" The piercing screech of Aunt Petunia's words broke through Harry's trance as he closed the front door to Number 4, and all of a sudden reality came back to him. "Not just now - but all summer! What gives you the right to disappear on Vernon and I with no word of warning or explanation?"

"I didn't really think you'd notice I was gone." Harry grumbled, hands dug into the pockets of his jeans as he kicked off his shoes before he dragged mud onto Petunia's pink floral carpet. "And Flora didn't call? We went to the beach for my birthday and got back too late." 

Petunia was seething, bony hands digging into the material of her apron. "You'll understand why I don't rush to serve you any dinner, seeing as you don't even have the courtesy to turn up for that - and don't you slope off to your bedroom! Your disappearance means that there are dishes needed to be cleaned, the table needs to be cleared and the bathroom needs to be cleaned!" She hissed, in one long breath. 

Harry paused, one foot already up on the first step. He contemplated refusing to do it, but he had promised Jane to meet up tomorrow and even though he had escaped before, he was afraid that the Dursleys wouldn't hesitate to lock him up in his room once again. Instead, he silently turned towards the kitchen to complete his chores without so much as one word of complaint. 

He completed the tasks with the sort of practise a teenage boy shouldn't necessarily have, not minding so much that he was skipping dinner as he knew in his bag were the remains of his birthday feast, and he had many things to think about. 

Namedly Jane and everything she had done for him. He didn't want to place her up on a pedestal - that would be cruel and unfair to the both of them - but he couldn't quite forget just how nice and interesting she was, and to top it all off - she liked him.

That was the one thing that mainly stayed on his mind, and when he finally finished scrubbing the tiles of the bathroom floor, it continued to remain there as he made his way back into his room, knowing he wouldn't leave until the next morning if possible and clicking the lock closed behind him.

"Hi Hedwig." He spoke softly as he saw the bird. "I'm sorry I've been away for so long." Harry continued, reaching into the top drawer of the table her cage was set upon, taking out a handful of bird treats and feeding them to Hedwig. His presents from Hermione, Ron, Sirius and Hagrid sat on his neatly made bed, and after letting Hedwig out to hunt for the night, he settled down by his desk.

Alongside the presents came replies to the latest set of letters he had sent out, and bearing that in mind, Harry decided to write thank you notes with a little more detail added below in a letter form.

To Hagrid, he wrote a quick note about how his rock cakes didn't resemble a rock half as much anymore - they were a lot softer these days - and that although the slobber-covered envelope hadn't made it, the moving pictures within had. 

To Hermione, he thanked her for the sweets and decided to go a little more in depth to his activites that summer. If Ron hadn't already mentioned her, Harry introduced her to Jane, putting in as many details that could fit on the page and hoping that she could send a couple book recommendations for him to gift Jane when her birthday came around. He already had one - he had bought it when she wasn't looking with most of the muggle money he owned - and now it was sat on his bookshelf staring back at him, the Queen record he had purchased at the same time slid in beside it. 

To Ron, he joked with him until he couldn't hold off the serious stuff anymore, and tried his very hardest not to sound cringy as he detailed what Jane had done for his birthday, and that she had sent him on a quest for a four-leafed clover and how she very much liked him back, thank you very much.

For both of his best friends, he added small notes detailing his most recent nightmare, and the pain that had come through his scar following it. 

That was also added into Sirius's letter, which is where Harry decided to just lay out everything that had happened. His Godfather was the only source of advice he had on these sorts of things, and seeing as he had no idea when he would be able to see him face to face, he was going to utilize his letter writing skills. 

She kissed me. Or I kissed her. I don't really remember - but I found a four-leafed clover. Kind of. Harry felt a little silly as he wrote it, but pioneered on. It was actually one with five leaves and I just pulled one off.. Jane knew but she never really minded. I don't think even she had the patience to wait much longer. But what she did for my birthday was just so... thoughtful. I've never had something like that, and I knew I just had to find one. But now, well, I'm not sure what to do.

Despite being alone in his room, Harry's cheeks had turned bright pink and the blush was reaching his ears as he crossed out a sentence or two. I'm doing pretty well by myself though. I wanted to ask if it would be okay for me to tell her? Or should I wait for Florence to ask? I don't know - I want to tell her before September.

I can't remember if I told you about Flora, but I know I said to Ron about her. She's called Florence Adley, and she's Jane's adopted mum - and she's a witch. Hermione did some research into the extent of the Statute of Secrecy, but I still don't know whether to wait, or talk to Flora or something else.

I know, if anything, that I can trust Jane. I would do it blindly - which feels stupid saying - but if there is anyone who I had to tell about being a wizard and would believe me without even thinking, it would be Jane. She respects things like that, private things that shouldn't really be talked about like me waking up with a nightmare. She didn't ask anything about that, although I knew she was dying to all of today. She would trust me, and I trust her.

I just don't want to keep lying to her.

- Harry.

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