Jennifer Potter and the marauders (Book 3) The New World

Nightime Scares

Jenny sat on her bed in the Potter Manor, and laughed at a questionable joke Sirius had just made. He sat opposite her, with Remus at his side. Her brother James sat beside her, placing his arm around her shoulders.
She felt so safe and happy, but the room suddenly turned cold. The bedroom door opened and Peter Pettigrew walked in, holding a knife.
Jenny looked back at the other Marauders, all of which were now dead. Their throats cut, and covered in blood. She looked over at Peter, whose knife and hands, were also drenched in blood.
But Peter was no longer alone, Lord Voldemort stood beside him. Jenny wanted to run, but she was frozen. Voldemort strutted towards her, coming up close to her face.
He placed one hand on her neck, the other hand held his wand, which was pointed at her face.
"You didn't want to join me. Now look at what you have done. Such a shame" he hissed.
Jenny opened her mouth, but no sound came out. Tears ran from her eyes as she looked down at the dead bodies of the people she loved.
"Pitty. What a waste of life. Oh well. Advada Kadavra" said Voldemort.
Green light flashed before Jenny's eyes, and a cruel laugh filled the room.

Jenny screamed and bolted upright, grabbing her wand from the bedside table, and holding onto it for dear life.
She waved her wand, lighting up the room, so that she could see. Jenny's eyes darted around the room, looking for any signs of danger.
Charlie woke up, and sat up beside her, taking one of hands, and rubbing it reassuringly.
"What's the matter?" He asked, yawning, and reaching for his own wand.
Jenny didn't answer, she kept looking around the room. Voldemort's cold voice still rang in her ears.
Even though he was dead, he still haunted her nightmares. Jenny rarely got a good night's sleep.

The door opened, and Molly walked in, with her wand lit. Jenny turned around, preparing to attack the intruder, but she quickly lowered her wand when she realised who it was.
"Is everything alright? Do I need to fetch a healer?" Asked Molly.
"She's fine. Go back to bed mother" Charlie instructed.
Molly looked at Jenny's still petrified face, unsure whether she should leave or not.
"Are you sure? I could stay" Molly offered.
Charlie rubbed Jenny's back and shook his head.
"No. She'll be O.K. It was just a nightmare I think" he replied.
Molly nodded her head. "Well, you know where I am if you need me. Good Night Charlie".
"Night Mother" replied Charlie.
Molly took one last look at Jenny, before leaving the room, and closing the door behind her.

Jenny jumped when the door slammed shut, but she felt safer with Charlie's arm around her.
"Are you alright?" He asked.
Jenny turned to face him, and nodded.
"Was it Malfoy?" Charlie questioned. He knew that most of her nightmares were of the time she was tortured by Lucius Malfoy, during the first wizarding war.
"No. It wasn't him this time. It was Wormtail, and Voldemort" Jenny answered.
Charlie flinched at the name, but didn't comment on it.
"Well it's over now... Do you want to try and get back to sleep?" He suggested.
Jenny shook her head. "Will you stay up with me?".
Charlie nodded and pushed himself back, so that he was leaning on the back of his bed. Jenny shuffled back and got comfy in his arms.

"I wish there was something I could do. Do you want to talk about it?" he asked.
"There just dreams Charlie. Nothing can stop them" replied Jenny, shaking her head.
"Maybe if you had someone to speak to, you wouldn't have such bad dreams"
"Who? You?"
"No. I mean yes. But someone else as well. A stranger, who doesn't know you. So that you can just unload all of your problems onto someone. Instead of keeping them inside you. It's destroying you"
"I don't need a therapist Charlie. Besides, everyone knows my family name, they already know what I've gone through. So it wouldn't work"
"A muggle wouldn't know"
"The last thing I want to do is talk to a muggle"
"But it might help. If they didn't know you, you would be able to explain everything that has happened to you, out loud. Emmitting all the parts about magic of course"
"I don't know Charlie. I don't see how talking to someone could help".

"They are trained to listen, and respond accordingly. They are used to helping people who have lost people they care about" explained Charlie.
"Hmm" muttered Jenny.
"Promise me you'll think about it".
"O.K" yawned Jenny.
"Maybe you should try and get some more sleep?"
"I don't think I can"
"You are safe here, I will protect you".
Jenny smiled and kissed Charlie's cheek.
"Thank you" she whispered.
Jenny placed her wand back down onto the table and turned back to Charlie.
She closed her eyes, and concentraited hard. A second later she transformed into Ash, and curled up onto Charlie's chest as a squirrel.

Charlie smiled and extinguished the light from his wand. He then began stroking Jenny's back, until she fell asleep.
"This is very strange" he muttered.
He was probably the only person who's fiancè turns into a squirrel in the middle of the night, and falls asleep on your chest. Charlie just hoped that she didn't have another nightmare, and wake up scratching his face with her claws.
He yawned and tried to get back to sleep, which was difficult as he didn't want to make too much movement, and upset Jenny. But eventually the two were both fast asleep, holding on to each other for comfort.