The Potions Master's Daughter (Book Five)

Chapter 7

The next morning I ate breakfast, packed a trunk, said bye to Severus, took Blake by the arm and apparated to the Burrow, home to the Weasleys. I had written a reply to Neville's letter before I went, and told him my plans to stay at the Burrow for a little, and told him that he should come over one day and play Quidditch with us. I told him I could come pick him up if he wanted me to. Technically no one was supposed to know I didn't have the Trace still again, but there was no point in hiding it anymore, everyone was bound to find out or ask if I didn't have it again.

I knocked on the door and Mrs. Weasley opened the door looking flustered but gave me a big hug then went on to hug Blake too, "Jessica, Blake I'm so glad you both could make it. Hermione and Ron are right upstairs. Harry should be coming later tonight, Dumbledore is picking him up to run some errands before bringing him here."

I beamed at the small woman in front of me, "Lovely. I'll go up with Ron and Hermione then and get settled in."

She ushered us upstairs and I walked into Ron's room, "Hey guys, your Mother said you were up here."

"Jessica!" Hermione squealed standing up and giving me a hug, "Blake, so glad to see you again," she exclaimed as an afterthought also giving him a hug, "You've been staying with Jessica haven't you?"

He nodded and answered, "Yeah I've been staying with her and Severus most of the summer. Both of them have been helping to train me and such, and take them to the Ministry to learn some things while Jess did some of her Junior Auror stuff."

Hermione nodded, listening intently, "You guys will have to tell me about what you did at the Ministry, it seems so interesting!"

"Why don't you let me say hi before you interrogate them?" Ron asked with a laugh, "Hey Jessica," he said leaning over and giving me a small hug, "Blake, good to see you too man."

"So Harry isn't coming until tonight I heard? What's Dumbledore need him for?" I asked taking a seat on his bed.

Ron shrugged, "I dunno. Hopefully something cool that he can tell us about. Maybe he's going to tell Harry why his hand is all black like that."

I scrunched my eyebrows, "What do you mean his hand?"

"Oh I forgot you haven't seen him lately since you've missed a few meetings. A few weeks ago he came in and his hand was all black as if it had been charred. He wouldn't answer any questions on it, but it looked really bad, and was still there when he came back the next time."

"That's odd," I agreed, "Maybe Harry will find out, or we can try to do some investigating and see what could even cause something like that. Severus just went to see him and didn't mention it, that's very strange."

There was a knock at the door and Ginny opened it, "I heard Jessica come and just wanted to pop in and say hi."

I went over to the door and gave her a hug, "Hey Ginny. You've gotten so tall, gosh. How has your summer been?"

She shrugged, "I'm stuck in a house full of boys for the most part. I'm glad the two of you are here. We are going to have as much fun as we did last summer."

The three of us looked at each other and started to giggle remembering last summer. Every night we'd stay up very late and talk about anything imaginable and by that point in the evening we were not in our right mind, so of course it would often get very silly.

"I'll see you at dinner then."

"No, stay," I told her, "I'll yell at Ron if he tries to tell you to leave," I shot a grin over at ROn and winked.

He shook his head but said nothing so Ginny came in the room. We stayed in there and talked until Mrs. Weasley called us down for dinner.

"Is Harry not here yet?" questioned Arthur Weasley once we were all settled around the table, "Where could he be?"