Partners in Crime || PJOxHP || Marauders' Era

Chuck E. Cheese

'You-Know-Who strikes again! Infamous Auror Augusta Weasley (nee Black) found dead at home with husband and Muggle Activist, George Weasley...'

'You-Know-Who supposedly after 'Pure Blood Traitors', evidence suggests...'

'Muggle Activist Rufus Fudge found dead under Dark Mark..'

The week had started off terribly ever since New Year's. The world seemed to have grown darker in the past few days, with every Daily Prophet letter that swooped into the house, with Voldemort on the front page, every time. Fear creeped over every magical household... even in the hearts of mere children. Even Muggles knew it. Something bad was happening- something was coming. A wave of darkness to put out the light in the world.

"Now, don't forget to send a letter!" Euphemia said as the train whistled for the first time. She caught hold of her daughter's face and kissed her forehead so hard that it probably left a mark. "And it won't hurt if you were to video message me either- like you did with that boy, or is that saved only for your potential boyfriends-"

"MOM!"

"Alright, alright!" She let go of Jessica, and she clambered onto the train just as the wheels began to go around, and the train let another whistle. Euphemia waved her handkerchief. "BYE!"

Jessica waved from the train as it picked speed. James was there too, standing by the door next to her, waving, his eyes glistening with tears. The train began to pick up speed, and the figures of her parents started to get smaller, and smaller, and smaller, until they were just tiny specks in a distant universe. 

She faced James, who's eyes were threatening to spill. "It's okay," she whispered, and pulled him into a hug. "They'll be fine. We'll be fine." James hugged her tight, enough to choke the life out of her, but Jessica held on. He needed some assurance, and well... she was the older sibling here. She couldn't let her fear take control of her. 

"Now," she said, pulling away, "get to your compartment, you little swine."

James sniffed, but he grinned. "We'll see who the swine is by the end of the year, Potter."

"You're one too, Potter."

James grinned at their old pointless joke. There was this twinkle in his eye that told her- he was back to being normal- that the annoying teen was back. He almost sashayed into his compartment of marauders.  

***

Jessica stood there by the open door of the train car, looking outside, leaning on the door. The sky outside looked like a tapestry- as though it was forming a well-knit and intricate design that day. The clouds looked like balls of soft cotton candy, and the sky was a perfect shade of blue, matching her irises. Jessica knew there was no chance for the day to go wrong- it was the most perfect weather- as perfect as can be in all of Britain. She sighed satisfactorily. Nothing like a day with good weather. She walked towards her compartment.

Perhaps it was the fact that the girl's mind was in the clouds, but she almost didn't notice who had pushed against her shoulder as they ran until she had turned around, frowning, and said, "EXCUSE YOU."

Severus' greasy hair was his first give away. He turned around. "Oh, it's you, Jess," he said, throwing the hair out of his face. "Yeah, sorry about that."

"Um, yeah, it's alright," Jessica replied. "Hey, I thought you were staying at Hogwarts for the winter?"

"Yeah, well, family issues," Severus said. His tone was stone cold, Jessica noticed. Maybe something had happened at home- she shrugged it off.