REPUTATION • [j.p.] ✔️

[24]

Chapter Twenty-Four:
Darkness Within

•••

JESSICA BLACK HAD not spoken to James in a whole week. She was still angry. She refused to speak with him or even have her friends tell his side of the story.

She spent most of her time hiding in her dorm with Lily. Most of her time period was spent with Lily, actually. Including this trip to Hogsmead. Though she wore one of James's sweaters, despite herself. As angry as she was, she missed him dearly.

Jessie cashed out at Zonko's, smiling happily. She had every intention of pranking that blonde witch. Something horrible and disgusting. Lily shook her head as they walked down toward the Three Broomsticks.

"You know they're probably in there right?" Lily asked, pointing to the restaurant ahead of them.

"So? Doesn't mean I have to talk to him," she scoffed.

Jessie opened the door, holding it for Lily. She smiled in thanks as they entered. Jessie's eyes quickly fell on that head of blonde hair.

Rage coursed through her instantly.

"Inflatus," Jessie growled, instantly knowing her mistake.

At once the blonde began inflating. Jessie's breath caught in her throat. She saw her three friends and her boyfriend on their feet instantly.

Jessie dropped her bags, spinning around fast, running out of the building. She moved as fast as her feet could carry her out of there. She slipped down an alley, hearing her name being called out. She hurried down the dark alley, only to have herself pinned to the wall.

She made to scream, only to have her mouth covered. She thrashed, seeing her dear sister Bella. She felt her sister's wand poking her side. She stiffened, staring up at Bella.

"The Dark Lord wants you on his side, dear sister. He knows you've got darkness in you as he does. You just inflated that girl, did you not?" her sister said, poking her harder.

"I won't!"

"Can't you feel the darkness? There always been something...unsettling inside you. Something you don't know what to do with. This destructive force..." Bellatrix cooed.

"No!" Jessie yelled firmly.

"Crucio!" Bella yelled.

Jessie collapsed, screaming in agony. She sobbed on the ground.

She curled in on herself on the ground as her father yelled a spell she couldn't bear to think of.

Her screams were horrible and rang out long into the night, until her father was bored of it.

But this was what Jessie did. She endured.

She endured when her parents found the picture of Dora in her pocket. Her mother made her watch as the picture burned in front of her.

Choose courage.

Jessie panted, raising her eyes to Bellatrix. "No! I will not join him! Because I am not afraid of him, Bella! I am not! He can come after me, my future husband, my future child—I won't be scared!"

(Little did she know...But we're getting ahead of ourselves.)

"Bellatrix," a voice snarled.

"Traitor!" Bellatrix shouted back. Jessie instantly knew who she was speaking to. She nearly sobbed in relief.

Bella cast the curse once more before disappearing down the alley. Sirius dropped next to Jessie, pulling her into his arms.

"Hey there, Tigress. It's okay. I've got you," he said softly, his voice soothing. So soothing that it lulled Jessie straight to sleep.

•••

"She would have been expelled if the victim hadn't requested not to press charges. She'll serve some pretty extensive detentions, trust me." Professor McGonagall stared down at the girl on the bed. "There has been a watch placed on Bellatrix Lestrange. Jessica is not to be alone in Hogsmead. Voldemort is growing desperate to have her on his side..."

"B-but why?" James asked.

He cried shamelessly, clinging to his girlfriends hand. When James had found Sirius carrying his cousin to Hogwarts, James knew something was wrong. And she had looked so limp and lifeless...James feared the worst.

McGonagall shook her head. "I'm not a liberty to say, but Professor Dumbledore would like to see her when she wakes."

"She just went to sleep James, relax," Sirius said, but that didn't stop him from gripping his cousins other hand.

Jessie groaned at their voices. "James is here?"

She sounded so disappointed. James retracted his hand, "Y-yeah." He nearly fell out of his chair as Jessie threw herself into his arms, kissing him.

James laughed as he pulled back. "Good morning, angel."

"I missed you, Prongs," she hugged him tightly.

James smiled. "For the record, that bitch kissed me and not the other way around."

"Language!" McGonagall scolds.

James, Jessie and Sirius all laughed hysterically.

•••

Jessie sat down hesitantly in Dumbledore's office. "You wanted to see me, sir?"

"Yes, thank you for coming Miss Black. I am sorry about what happened with your sister. There is tighter security being placed on Hogsmead and Hogwarts as we speak," the old man assured her.

She nodded, but she was still scared of the lengths he would go to to get her.

"Tonight I'd like you to hear a prophecy I'd recently heard. I think you'd find it quite interesting."

Dumbledore stood, going to the Pensive. He dumped a memory inside and gestured for Jessie to dunk her head inside. So she did.

•••
[Published: 02/23/18]
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