Jennifer Potter and the marauders (Book 1)

Death at the Manor

*Warning. This might be upsetting for some readers*

Before James entered Jenny's room in St Mungos, he performed the bubble head charm, and pulled some clear gloves over his hands to prevent him catching Dragon Pox.
"Not you too" groaned Jenny when he entered the room.
"Everyone who comes in this room, has a head as big as yours" she continued.
"I'm afraid so. But it's not just to protect us from you. It's really the other way around" replied James.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, when you are ill you are weaker, and more likely to catch germs and colds from other people".

Jenny scratched her wrist and James frowned.
"I thought they had given you something to help with the scratching?" He questioned.
"They did, and it doesn't itch as much as is it did before. But I still get the occasional urge to scratch" she replied.
"Why haven't mother and father come to see me yet?" Asked Jenny.
"Because they've got a cold. And it's probably best that they stay at home until they are well enough to come and see you"
"Guess that means i'm stuck with you then"
"I guess it does".

Once James was out of the room he removed the charm and incinerated the gloves he had been wearing, with his wand. He found Sirius waiting for him.
"I thought you were going to tell her?" Sirius asked.
James ignored him and carried on walking down the corridor towards the exit.
"She deserves to know" he continued.
James stopped and faced him.
"She will know. But not just yet. She needs to overcome this illness. And if I tell her the truth it will make her worse" replied James.
"It isn't your right to withhold information from her" snapped Sirius angrily.

"I am her brother, I have every right" shouted James.
"If you won't tell her, then I will" threatened Sirius.
"No. I forbid you to tell her"
"You can't tell me what to do James".
James sighed.
"No I can't. But if you care for her at all, you will wait until she is better, to receive the news".
Sirius looked the floor, uncomfortably. "When will you tell her?" He asked.
"We both know how this is going to end. I will tell once she is better, and it's all over". James turned away from Sirius and continued to walk away from him, Sirius didn't follow.

After a week of almost solitary confinement, the healers announced that Jenny was no longer contagious. The spots had almost all gone, but she still remained a sickly green colour, which wouldn't fade for another week or two.
Jenny was packing up her clothes into her suitcase, preparing to leave, when her brother walked in.
"I wish my skin would go back to normal. I don't think this green colour suits me" admitted Jenny as she watched James enter the room and sit down on the bedside chair.
"What is it? You look ever so solemn?" She asked.

James lowered his head and looked at the floor, not saying a word. Jenny climbed onto the bed and threw her legs over the side, next to James.
"Well?" She asked again.
"It's mum and dad" said James.
"What about them? Are you going to tell the real reason they haven't come to see me yet?"
"They won't be coming"
"Why".
James rested his head on his hand looked straight into his sisters eyes.
"They won't be coming, because they are dead Jenny".

Jenny stood up.
"You're lying" she yelled.
"I wish I was dear sister... They caught Dragon Pox like you. But it was too far advanced, and they were rather old, so the cure didn't work in time. They died within a few days of each other" revealed James, as he stood up.
He reached towards Jenny to place his hands on his shoulders, but she shook them off, and turned her back to him, as she went to sit down on the end of the bed.
"I am so sorry Jenny" he continued.
"I guess I should've known. The only thing that would stop them coming to see me, would be death" said Jenny quietly.

"Why didn't you tell me straight away?" She asked, turning back towards him.
"I wanted you to be better, before I broke the news to you" answered James.
"Who else knows?"
"Everyone I'm afraid. It was released in the paper two days ago. But the healers followed my advice not to tell you until you were better"
"What have you been doing all week?"
"I've started arranging the funeral, and things like that"
"What will happen to me, will they send me away? I'm not 17 yet"
"No you're not, but you will be soon. The ministry has agreed to let you live on your own at the Potter Manor. As long as you have daily visits from friends and family, and fortnightly visits from healers, to check on you"
"Is that all?"
"No, I'm afraid you also have to have a house elf live with you full time".

Jenny stood up, looking angry.
"I do not need to be babysat by a house elf. The Potter family used to use house elves all the time, but then we realised we were better than the rest of those other pure blood families, we didn't need to have an unpaid slave looking after us".
"I'm sorry Jen, but you don't have a choice. I've already taken care of it for you anyway. You should count yourself lucky. Some of the other Ministry options were not as good. Besides you will need help. You don't know how to cook, clean, or do the laundry, as well as countless other things that you don't realise grown ups do" admitted James.
Jenny folded her arms, and her eyes flickered to her suitcase.
"I'll let you finish your packing, that is one thing i know you have had a lot of practice doing. I'll be outside though, if you need me" he continued.

Once James had left the room, Jenny felt better, as she was now able to show her emotions, without upsetting her brother.
She gripped the bed-knob tightly with both hands, as she suddenly felt the world around her come crashing down.
Her parents were dead. Gone forever, and she couldn't even remember the last thing that they had said to one another.
Her legs gave away and she slid down onto the floor.
She began to shake and tears began streaming down her face.
Suddenly she let out a loud scream from deep within, it was a mixture, of pain, anger and sadness.
Jenny realised that even though she still had her brother, he didn't live with her any more. She was completely on her own.