The Boys Are Back in Town

9- James and Jesse

The Christmas holidays sucked, for lack of a better word. Jesse had to go home and deal with the wrath of her parents. The only comfort being that while she was there, Regulus was safe.

"You will not fucking touch him!" Jesse cried as Walburga staunched through their house, towards Regulus' room. "Won't I? Your precious baby brother that you leave here alone every holidays? You must really love him, you ungrateful little swine!" She shouted. "I know you see him! You still love him don't you?" She cried as she walked back down the stairs. "You disowned Sirius, mother! Not me!" Jesse screamed back, tears of anger welling in her eyes. Walburga reeled her hand backwards, smacking it against Jesse's cheek. "You are a disgrace to our name!" She shouted once Jesse had fallen onto the floor, clutching her face.

Carter had gone home to her mother and grandmother, she was extremely excited to see her younger sister again.

"Susan!" She shouted as her little sister ran at her, wrapping her arms around her as Carter lifted her up into a hug so she could wrap her legs around her too. She covered the girl's face in chaste kisses. "I missed you," she said as Susan latched her arms around the back of her neck. "I missed you too Carter," she smiled. "Hello Carter," her mother Denise said, tugging her cardigan around her shoulders. "Hi mum," she said as her grandmother Margaret walked out of the house, her arms wide as she enveloped Carter into a warm hug. "My dear! Oh I've missed you, how's your 5th year going?" She asked. "I missed you too, it's going well Nan. I have a date," she said. Her mother laughed slightly at the proclamation. "With who?" Her grandmother asked, interested in the small details of her life. "Remember Barty?" Carter asked. "Yes, the manwhore," she said, walking arm in arm to their kitchen. Carter laughed. "Yes, he asked me out," she hummed. "Good on you chicky, now come on grab a spoon we're cooking," she said, giving Carter one final squeeze before pulling the chair back to the stove so Susan could stand on it and stir the saucepan.

She didn't necessarily have a bad home life. But it was by no means perfect. Her mother was aloof and had been since her father died. She just wanted her sister to grow up happier than she did. She barely remembers their dad now, she remembers that she had a dad. And his name was Henry. And she recognises him in photos. But she had no specific memories with him.

Blue's parents were out of town most of the holidays, visiting her brother Cypress in Paris. She spent most of her time with her twin sister Pandora, playing chess and baking. Anything together while their parents weren't there. While they were everything between her and Bluebelle felt like a competition.

"Did you burn them?" Blue asked as Pandora laughed, waving the smoke away with her oven mitt. "Perhaps," Pandora laughed. After the batch of cookies were thrown out the two of them sat at the kitchen table, passing a joint back and forth. "So, tell me Bluebelle, what new things are going on in your life?" Pandora asked. "I kissed a boy," she said. "Well that's not new, now is it?" Pandora said, raising her eyebrows as Blue pushed her slightly, pretending to be offended. "Go on then, who's the boy?" Pandora asked. "I cannot tell you that part," Blue smiled. "Come on! Don't leave me hanging!" Pandora pestered. "I really can't, but he's sweet and gorgeous. Nicer to me than any other guy I've ever kissed," Blue said. "Well I'm happy for you and your mystery man," Pandora smiled. "And you? Are you still pining after Professor Daine?" Blue teased. "Absolutely, and you're still coming to the wedding, yes?" Pandora laughed. She'd had a thing for their Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor for years.

Once the three of them reunited on the train it was like they hadn't seen each other in years. Carter grabbed Jesse's jaw between her fingers, inspecting her bruises closely. "Merlin's beard woman, it's like you're a magnet for domestic violence," Carter said, making Jesse chuckle. She and Blue were two of the only people who knew the way Jesse needed to be cheered up. "How's Susan Carter?" Blue asked. "She's good, growing too fast though," Carter sighed. "For fucks sake they're back," Carter said, her head in her hands as she watched the Marauders make their way into their compartment. "Aren't we technically their friends now?" Blue asked. "I will never be Sirius Black's friend," Carter said.

Jesse wriggled excitedly as Sirius wrapped her in a lung-crushing hug. "SIRIUS!" Jesse shouted. "JESSE!" He shouted back. "How are you? Are you alright? Godric I wish I could get you out of there for good," he asked, pulling her face in closely to observe her. "They hurt you again," James said, being familiar with the Black family and the way they raised their children.

"Sirius? What's wrong? Are you okay?" Euphemia fussed as Sirius stood at the Potter's front porch, getting drenched in rain. "Um... this is my sister, Jesaria," Sirius said. She couldn't have been older than 11 or 12. "Hello dear," Euphemia smiled. A young James stood at the top of the staircase, peering through the railings to watch as the little girl was welcomed past the threshold. She had long, waist length black hair and was wearing what looked like one of Sirius' quidditch jumpers and pyjama bottoms. He couldn't quite see her face but from the gasp his mother let out he knew it wasn't good. "Did your parents do this?" Fleamont asked as he tied his dressing gown tightly at his waist, looking at the girl who was yet to speak. "Yeah, they did," Sirius hummed. He wouldn't let go of her hand. He couldn't. As James walked down the stairs Euphemia noticed his eyes widen. "James, honey go back to bed alright?" She said. Jesse's eyes lifted from the ground for the first time and met James'. Her face was swollen and red, something no little girl should ever have to see in the mirror. "I'm so sorry," James said. It's all he could manage to say. He was 13, what else could he say? He had only ever heard about Jesse or seen her in the halls, she sat silently in their carriage in her first year but that was it. And now here she stood in his entry way, dripping wet, bloodied and bruised. "You've both already given me so much, I didn't want to ask you for anything else," Sirius said, his eyes squinting as he began to ramble. "Of course she can Sirius, she can sleep in the spare room, James dear, go show Jesse to the bathroom. You don't have to speak to us right now my love. You can talk to us when you're ready, if at all," Euphemia said, desperately having to restrain herself from hugging the poor girl so as to not overwhelm her. "Thank you. You're both just as kind as Sirius said," Jesse said as Sirius nodded a reassurance at her, telling her it was okay to go with James. James smiled a weak smile at the girl, trying to ease her awkwardness if he couldn't ease her pain. He walked up the stairs slowly so she could follow him. He opened the door to the main upstairs bathroom. "You can have a shower, whatever you want," he said. His parents had dealt with this with Sirius, but when he was with Sirius he knew how he liked to be comforted. He didn't know how she needed to be helped right now, again he was only 13. So he decided the best thing he could do was get her a towel and turn the water on for her before he placed his most comfortable pillow on the spare bed his parents were making up for her.