Jupiter | Harry James Potter

lxxxvi ; the knot in her stomach

A/N

lowkey all of my chapters are starting to be 3K+ 😁

-

    It was around five o'clock in the evening when Hermione and Jupiter departed Hogwarts together and left for Number Twelve Grimmauld Place.

Earlier that morning, Professor McGonagall had pulled them into her office to explain the sudden absence of every Weasley, and Harry. (Though, Jupiter couldn't say she didn't mind his absence.)

Harry had had a dream the night before. Apparently, he had seen Mr. Weasley being attacked, and so he and every Weasley left in an instant.

The streets of London were cold and nearing dark as Hermione and Jupiter stepped off the Knight Bus in front of Number Twelve Grimmauld Place. They had barely spoken since leaving Hogwarts, both lost in their own thoughts. The news of Mr. Weasley's attack had shaken them, but Jupiter's mind was entirely elsewhere. The cold knot in her stomach had become a gaping chasm since Cora had told her about Harry and Cho snogging.

Jupiter felt like she was unraveling, and the weight of it crushed her. She'd known—of course she'd known—about Harry's feelings for Cho. But hearing that she kissed him and he reciprocated was something else entirely. She couldn't get the idea out of her mind. Harry, with his lips on Cho's, smiling, lost in the moment. It burned.

As they stood outside the invisible door, hidden between the drab Muggle houses, Hermione glanced at Jupiter out of the corner of her eye. "You alright?" she asked quietly, though she already knew the answer.

Jupiter nodded automatically, her eyes fixed on the cobblestone street beneath her feet. "Yeah," she lied, but her voice cracked. The truth was a storm inside her, raging and uncontrollable, but she couldn't deal with it. Not here. Not while Mr. Weasley was in critical condition. It would be selfish—stupid even—to let her own feelings take precedence now. Yet the pain gnawed at her insides like she was hollow.

Hermione didn't press her any further, but her eyes remained on Jupiter as she rang the doorbell. The faint noise of Walburga's screaming could be heard from inside, as well as several people rustling to get her shut.

Sirius opened the door. Although he was unshaven and paler than usual, there was a certain light behind his eyes that Jupiter hadn't seen in a while. "I was wondering when you two would get here!" He grinned, stepping aside for them to enter.

When Jupiter walked in, she was taken aback. She had expected the house to feel as dreary and cold as the weather outside, but it wasn't. The warmth inside felt suffocating—too cozy for the chaos spinning in her mind.

A loud crash echoed from the kitchen, followed by Tonks' unmistakable voice swearing under her breath. "Sorry, Molly!" she yelled.

Sirius chuckled. "And that would be our dinner in the making. Tonks and Molly have been trying to keep busy, though you can imagine the results."

"I don't mind helping," Hermione offered, stepping quickly toward the kitchen, eager to escape the tension.

Jupiter lingered in the entryway, unable to focus on anything but the bitter thoughts crashing around her head. Every time she tried to distract herself, the imaginary image of Harry and Cho crept back in. She had been expecting this for months now, but that didn't stop the hurt. It didn't stop the jealousy that churned in her stomach like acid.

"Molly would love that," Sirius nodded, gesturing for Hermione to head downstairs to the kitchen. She did so, leaving her trunk against the wall. "Harry's in his room."

The mention of Harry's name made Jupiter's heart lurch painfully. "I think I'll stay down here," she muttered quickly, forcing a small smile. "And Remus. Where's he?"