"You said you went to Cambridge? In Oxford?"
"It was the first thing I thought of, I panicked!"
"He isn't dumb you know, he'll figure it out!"
"Arthur calm down, it's not her fault, I'm sure Fred will forget all about it."
"Have you not met my son Remus?!"
It was the next morning, the start of her private lessons, and Jessica had finally been able to tell Mr. Weasley what happened last night. She had woken up early with much regret and purposely avoided small talk with anyone at breakfast. Hermione had tried to ask her a bit more about herself as she poured them both orange juices across the table and Jessica had immediately panicked and declared that she urgently needed the toilet. Though in hindsight, not the best thing to say, no one seemed to ask her anything after that, so it had somewhat paid off. Fred had come down with George and said nothing but a 'morning' in the general direction where she was sat for the whole time they ate. Given their conversation, she thought that he would've been a little bit more friendly to her than that, but for now, she accepted that it was probably for the best until she got her story straight anyway.
As soon as they had all finished their toast and jam, Mrs Weasley whisked them all up out of their seats to instruct them on what cleaning job they would be doing that morning. Today it was de-cobwebbing the whole house and was consequently met by a chorus of moans and grunts from the group. Jessica was quite pleased with the duties as she thought the place needed it (and was afraid of what spiders might have created them) so she was slightly disappointed when Mr Weasley subtly pulled her out of the room under the pretence of 'having a quick chat'.
As they walked down the corridor to the living room on the ground floor, Mr Weasley whispered that they were only prepping today, as some things needed to be sorted out first before she could start learning properly. Remus Lupin was already in there waiting for them and examining an array of objects that were lined up on the mahogany coffee table. Once the door was closed, Jessica seized her chance and told Mr Weasley and Remus about her and Fred's conversation the night before. She initially thought that they would be very understanding and then tell her how to control her story moving forward, but Mr Weasley reacted much worse than she had expected.
"It's over, it's over, he knows, or he will know soon enough! Oh, Merlin's beard! He'll tell George, who'll tell Ron, who'll tell everyone!" Muttered Mr. Weasley as he paced up and down the grand patterned carpet. Jessica stood at the end near the door, watching the men bicker and playing with the blue ribbon of her polka dot sundress that Mrs. Weasley had given her to wear before breakfast.
"Jessica, has he said anything to you this morning about it?" Asked Remus kindly, standing to the side to get purposely out of Mr. Weasley's path.
"No," she replied eagerly, "not a word."
"Okay, then there is a chance he has forgotten and we are worrying for nothing," Remus told Arthur calmly.
"Oh no, you don't know Fred Remus, and George for that matter," said Mr. Weasley, stopping in his tracks and waving a finger at Lupin, "those boys do not forget a single thing that they can use later, sharp minds the both of them!"
"I know that I was their teacher during O.W.L year," said Remus. Jessica examined the grey cardigan he was wearing and was very happy that her first impression of him had been right. He just gave off a teacher impression. Remus looked across at Mr. Weasley, "They are frightfully intelligent, but as their teacher, I also know they only use that intelligence in the areas they think of as important. Affected their homework rate a lot if I remember rightly. Fred has more important things to think about like what he's going to do after graduating - he won't be bothering to think about a five-minute conversation he had with a stranger in the kitchen."
Arthur's face screwed up in a mixture of consideration and defeat, and he bit his lip to silence himself from what she knew was going to be another futile effort to argue his case.
"Hey!" Snapped Jessica, "stranger in the kitchen here. I'd just like to know when you're going to give me advice on what to say in case this happens again. I can't keep going to the toilet every time someone asks me a personal question, they'll think there's something wrong with me!"
Mr. Weasley and Remus shared a look and the latter resumed fiddling with the objects on the table, of which a few were a paperclip, an egg, and a leather-bound book. Mr Weasley sighed and then turned to Jessica, rubbing his forehead.
"Well you can't change the story now, you've said it. There were rumours about other schools in Britain a while ago, we'll just say it was one of them. Small, village run, you'll only have to say it unless explicitly asked. Apart from that, you're fine."
"What about why I'm here, in the order?" She asked, remembering Fred and George's frustrations that they were of age and still hadn't been invited, "I have to admit I get why they're annoyed, by the sounds of it they should be in it!"
"Have you said an answer to that?" Asked Remus, not looking up from the large tatted briefcase he was now rummaging through.
"No, I just told you-"
"Then keep it that way," Said Remus, averting his attention once again, "they're not your responsibility".
Jessica looked pleadingly at Mr. Weasley but he just shook his head in a 'just leave it' kind of way. He too didn't have a more informed answer to give. They both had not been as helpful as she thought they would've been, and Jessica was frustrated. She felt like she was being forced into telling this lie without being given the correct equipment to do so. It had only been a day and she had already messed up, what would happen over the next few days or weeks? All anyone had to do was ask the right question.
"Right now that that's over," announced Remus, standing up tall and clapping his hands together, "let's get on with why we're here shall we?"
To her surprise, Arthur and Remus left the room and walked past her into the corridor, and she mindlessly followed with anticipation. It was when they reached the stone steps outside that she realized what was happening. She grabbed Arthur's emerald sleeve just in time, and before long they were lifted off of the ground and spinning through a black hole. They landed on a dark and cold cobbled side street that she could see led into a much larger and busier passage. As they walked forward Remus revealed a hat that concealed his scars, and Mr.Weasley slyly searched around as if he was on the lookout for something.
"Where are we going?" she asked nervously as they passed an odd-looking man in battered black robes who was engaged in a very tense conversation with a brick wall.
"If you're going to learn magic, you have to have a wand don't you?" replied Mr. Weasley in a friendly manner, rubbing his hands together.
Jessica smiled at him from ear to ear. A wand. She was going to have a real wand.
When she was younger she used to play with twigs that she pretended were magical, she had a fake plastic one for Halloween, but never did she ever think that she would have a real one.
"And here we are...Diagon Alley," uttered Remus with a weary smile as they approached the end of the street. Jessica's eyes widened as they took in the narrow colorful row of buildings standing before her. Witches and Wizards of all shapes and sizes were bustling in between each other, hurriedly making their way into each packed storefront. No building was the same, all leaning in inconsistent directions and contrastingly bright coloured walls, the shop signs drooping over the heads of the crowd. As they stepped out onto the street, there was an apothecary with strange powders and creams on display to the right, and a shop with owls in cages outside to the left. The hoots from the owls glided over the chattering of the crowds. As the three of them journeyed north she continued to stare in amazement at the most unusual shopfronts, including one particular shop window where a group of small children was gazing up at a neatly groomed broomstick hanging on golden hooks. From their excited chatter, Jessica could only think that this broom was like a Formula One racing car to them. It was refreshing to be back outside, around people, and the electricity raced across her body.
The three of them stopped two shops short of the grand white building that stood at the centre point of Diagon Alley, and they turned to a plain black storefront with two panelled dusty windows. In gold lettering, it spelt the name 'Ollivanders'.
"After you," said Remus, opening the door for Jessica to step inside. He straightened his cardigan as he followed her in and took off his hat, making her think that he had only wanted to hide himself out in the broad daylight.
It was dark in Ollivanders, as the walls were painted in the same black as the exterior had been. There were tall candles around the place, with large build-ups of melted wax that gave away that they hadn't been replaced in a long time. The owner obviously saw them as only a source of light and not as decor. There was not much furniture on the shop floor either, just a single armchair and a front desk that guarded rows of tall bookcases stuffed from top to bottom with thin black boxes. Strangely, even though there were hundreds of wizards and witches outside its doors, Ollivanders was empty. Not even any staff could be seen.
"Arthur Weasley! Not another child to wand up is it?" Croaked a hoarse voice from the backroom. An old man emerged with wild grey hair and silver misty eyes, his robes compared to those a Victorian aristocrat might wear.
"No Ollivander," said Arthur, "the whole family is covered, for now, our visit is for Jessi-"
"Remus Lupin! It's been such a long time..." Ollivander croaked, reaching the front desk and shakily leaning against it. Jessica watched him from the corner of the room, amazed that the aged man could even hold himself up at all.
"Nice to see you again Ollivander," greeted Remus modestly, and he bowed his head to him, "we wondered if you would be able to provide a wand for Hogwart's newest student."
Ollivander turned his misty eyes to Jessica and she shuddered in his presence. There was a mystical air around him, and she wasn't quite sure how to act; she could only timidly look at Remus whilst Ollivander examined her. Remus and Arthur were observing them both as if they were waiting for something exciting to happen. Would he ask about her age? Or did wizards come in here all the time for a new wand, like a pencil case? These were questions that she wished she had been given the chance to ask.
"Of course," Ollivander said eventually, "I think I have a few which might fit. How rare it is that I give a witch her first wand at age sixteen."
Before she could even ask how he knew her age, Ollivander had fled into the mountains of wand boxes, and a minute later he came back out with two long thin black boxes. Arthur sat back into the armchair that was situated next to the window and Lupin strode to the side of the room and leaned casually against the wall, leaving Jessica standing at the counter alone.
"I am pretty certain of my choice, I just need to test it against something first," Said Ollivander, as he pulled off the lid of the first box and took out a short thin black wand with a bottleneck handle. He handed it to Jessica and she grabbed it gently by her right hand. All three men looked at her expectantly.
"Uh, yeah...it's nice," she said, smiling kindly at Ollivander. The truth was that she didn't know what was meant to happen, she didn't possibly have the means to start practising spells straight away.
"Wave it, Jessica," Said Remus, like a parent trying to encourage their child. She saw Arthur compress a small chuckle out of the corner of her eye.
Jessica flicked the wand upwards and the contents of the entire far bookcase flew out and landed on the floor with a thud. She blushed bright pink with embarrassment and instantly started apologizing, "I am so sorry Mr. Ollivander...I-I'll clean it up!"
"I thought as such," said Ollivander abruptly and prized the wand out of her hands. Remus pressed himself off of the wall and started lifting the boxes back onto the shelf using his wand.
Ollivander discarded the wand she had used to the side and lifted the lid off of the second box. Inside was a rich dark mahogany wand, which had a handle rather shaped like a tulip bud and had engraved vines on it that disappeared halfway up to the point. It was a much more attractive wand than the first one. He delicately handed it over to Jessica and his foggy eyes were transfixed on its handle, eagerly awaiting what would happen when it met her touch. She reached out and clasped the handle and an invisible beam of energy seemed to strike right into her wrist and raced throughout her veins. She felt like her blood had been replaced with golden liquid, and that this wand was now an extension of her being, like an extra finger. It was wonderful.
"Wow," she gasped excitedly, and Ollivander broke into a dry smile. Remus and Arthur looked up at her, the air around them being lifted and swirling towards her like a strong autumn breeze.
"Try it," whispered Ollivander, flicking his wrist instructively.
She copied what he had done and the ceramic flower vase on the wooden pillar in front of her levitated upwards 3 inches. It hovered there for only a second, and then gently landed back where it had been before, untouched and unharmed. There was a rush of joy and relief from all parties.
"That's the one!" Beamed Ollivander, smiling and clapping his hands proudly.
"Well done Jessica!" Said Mr Weasley, getting up and patting her on the back. Although she was glad to have done something right, she wasn't quite sure that she deserved congratulations for something that must have been so normal to them.
"What is it then?" Remus asked Ollivander curiously, having finished cleaning up the boxes and now staring at the wand she was holding.
"Dogwood wood with a phoenix feather core, 10 ¾", rigid flexibility," Ollivander replied straight away, packing the other wand and its box back into its original place.
"Is that a good one?" Jessica asked, grinning whilst examining the wand that was now her own.
"Phoenix cores are much rarer that's for sure," Shouted Ollivander from the back of the room, "but all wands are great, especially the ones sold from my shop."
"Well with that we must be going," said Mr. Weasley loudly so that Ollivander could hear him, "we'll leave the money on the counter if that's okay."
"Yes, yes, until next time Arthur!"
Jessica snapped out of her jovial state. She hadn't any money on her at all. The last time she had seen her purse was the night at the hospital, which Mr. Weasley had taken. He still hadn't given it back. She went to tell him this, but he reached into his pocket and pulled out seven large gold coins that didn't look anything like pounds, and placed them on the counter.
"No Mr. Weasley please, I'll give you the money-"
Mr. Weasley put a finger to his mouth and hurried her out of the door, wand still in hand. Remus slipped the box into his jacket pocket and they all exited through the door back out in the bright sunlight of Diagon Alley.
"Dumbledore has given us some galleons to get you your school things," whispered Mr. Weasley once the door to Ollivanders had swung shut behind them, "everything is covered don't worry."
Jessica nodded as an old witch struggled past them with a large black cauldron between her arms, her pointed hat close to falling off her head. Though she was glad that she was not putting the Weasleys out of extra money and grateful that Dumbledore had given her funds out of his pocket, Jessica couldn't help but wonder why he had been so nice to do so. Where she came from, there was no such thing as a selfless good deed, and there was always a favour to be repaid at the end.
"Do you think we'll be okay if we make a second stop Remus, as we're already out?" Arthur asked Lupin over Jessica's head.
"You're the ministry employee you tell me, I'm just happy to be out of that house," Remus sighed whilst putting the hat on again to cover his scars.
Mr. Weasley considered the possibilities and then cheerfully stepped forward in the direction of the opposite row of shops. Jessica gave her wand to Remus upon his suggestion, as he had pockets to place the wand in and she didn't, and then they speedily caught up with Mr. Weasley outside a royal purple storefront with elegantly dressed mannequins in the window. The sign, a pair of large golden scissors, read 'Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions'. This store was much busier than Ollivanders, and the three of them struggled to squeeze in through the door. The room was filled with parents and their children, surrounding hangers of black long cloaks and grey woollen jumpers, and a woman with glasses and a tape measure around her neck was running in between every single customer. Jessica had experienced similar scenes at home every week before a new school term.
"Is this the Hogwarts uniform?" She asked as she glided her hands over a green and silver striped tie.
"Kind of," Said Remus, "there are different colours for different houses, and let's hope that you won't be wearing that one hey Arthur!...Arthur?"
Jessica and Remus both turned around to Arthur, who was staring down the middle of the shop red-faced with his fists clenched. Jessica stepped back on her tip-toes to see over the heads of the tens of children who were running about the place and saw just who Arthur had been so angry to see.
"Tonks!" He shouted, alarming the witch and her daughter who were trying on scarves behind him.
Tonks, now with long purple hair and wearing a rather vintage-looking long-lined red leather jacket, emerged from the crowd with an overcompensating large grin on her face. "Arthur, Remus hey! All good Jessica, get your wand sorted yeah?" She asked.
Please to see Tonks again, Jessica met her with an honest smile. "Yeah I did, Phoenix Feather, I even made a vase float!" she replied excitedly. She then realized how stupid this must have made her sound, and her excitement dropped a little.
"That's great!" Tonks replied, lifting her hand for a high five. Jessica met her hand with hers, and a child's scream pierced her ears. She wasn't sure if the scream was in her head or from one of the many children in the shop.
"Yes, it is," replied Arthur sternly, "a necessary journey you might say. Now would you like to explain to me why my sons are here when I left them both safe at home?"
Tonk's expression drained from her face and she stammered her words when trying to answer him. It was clear that she had done something wrong. Arthur glared at her and then brushed past, his emerald robes disappearing into the chaos. Remus ushered Jessica to follow Arthur, as he needed to talk to Tonks alone about an 'Order' matter. She obeyed and pushed her way through the children, parents, and groups of teenagers until she reached the back end of the shop that no longer was displaying school uniforms - but instead, was showcasing the most beautifully designed dresses and suits that she had ever seen. Arthur was standing in the corner, pointing his finger at Fred and George, and looked to be giving them a good telling-off.
"Honestly what are you playing at coming here alone? Has nothing your mother and I said sunk in?" He muttered, looking at them hopelessly.
Jessica forced her way through the crowd, who were far too consumed with their own shopping to care about Mr Weasley's anger, and she eventually stopped next to him - to the relief of his sons.
"Ah, there she is! All right Jess?" Asked Fred, who was currently holding both his hands up playfully like he was under threat of arrest. He winked at her and a lump appeared in her throat.
"Funny seeing you here," said George with a mischievous grin, "thought your 'little chat' with father dear was going on a bit too long."
"Don't deflect this onto her, you two are the ones in trouble!" Snapped Arthur.
"Hey we followed the rules, we had an order member come with us!" Fred protested.
"An order member who is meant to be at work at the ministry, not playing dress-up with you!" Arthur hissed, "Besides, that is on approved trips only, and your mother and I have already got your school stuff. You're in your last year you don't need new robes, so what the hell are you doing here?"
"We're getting a present," said George innocently.
"For who?"
"For you," said Fred. Jessica smiled at the floor away from Mr Weasley.
"Nice try, tell me the truth."
"Okay it's for Ron," whispered George. He had no reason to whisper, especially as the room was extremely loud, but Jessica knew that this was part of the older brother's act. They could not openly admit to doing something nice for Ron.
"George Fabien Weasley do not lie to me!"
"No it's true...we wanted to buy him some new dress robes," mumbled Fred, who was also having trouble admitting this to his father.
"After the Yule Ball last year and what he had to wear," said George, "he looked like a prat, we wanted to get him something that wasn't a hand-me-down."
"We wanted it to be a surprise as we've never got him anything that nice before," finished Fred.
Jessica was touched by their subtle sweetness and the caring for their brother which she guessed they rarely showed. Their puppy dog eyes also appeared to have the same effect on Mr Weasley, whose red face had started to turn blotchy on its journey to return to normal colour.
"Jessica, please find Madam Malkin and get her to fit you a set of Hogwarts robes," he said down to her kindly, "tell her Arthur Weasley sent you if she gives you any hassle - we've given her a lot of business over the years."
"Yeah for repairs not new stock," Fred mumbled.
Jessica knew to not hang around when family matters were at hand, although she secretly wanted to hang around. She went in search of the shop owner and behind her, she could hear Arthur interrogating Fred and George further, with them answering much more quietly now that they didn't have an audience. After a minute of looking, Jessica found the woman with the tape measure around her neck near a pile of grey cardigans and tapped her on the shoulder. The woman turned around with a jolt and almost stumbled into her. Madam Malkin was much shorter than she was, and her bejewelled glasses reflected in the luminescent lighting.
"Need any help dear?" She asked.
"Hi, yes, I'm looking for new Hogwarts robes," Jessica replied, "I'm starting there soon so I think I need a fitting."
"Oh of course," said Madam Malkin as she clutched a hand covered in lavish rings onto Jessica's shoulder, "this way!"
She followed the little woman through the shop floor and into a small room that led off of the main one. It was hidden from customers by a lilac velvet curtain which Madam Malkin drew back. Bare mannequin dolls with pins stuck into them were scattered across the small side room, and there were stools placed in the center for kids to stand on - of which one was already occupied by a tall light-haired boy in a plain black suit. Madam Malkin ushered her up onto the empty stool and started taking her measurements using the tape measure around her neck.
"I thought I was next!" Snarled the blonde boy on the other stool. His thin face was pointed in disgust.
"You get new robes every year, your measurements are already on file, she needs a whole set!" Muttered Madam Malkin, giving Jessica an eye roll that made her snigger.
"Honestly," tutted the boy as he crossed his arms and looked the other way in protest. Jessica had the chance to now look at him properly as Malkin did her leg measurements and found him quite peculiar. Though he must have only been her age or younger, he had the demeanour of a thirty-year-old investment banker. His platinum blonde hair was cut to perfection and his cheekbones were clenched so much they gave the impression that they were going to break out of his skin at any moment. With one look she was reminded of all the rich kids at her old school.
"All done! I'll go to give my notes to the seamstress, and then I'll be back with your robes Draco," said Madam Malkin as she returned the tape measure to her neck and walked out of the little room in her tiny purple court shoes.
Jessica and the boy were now left alone. An awkward silence filled the air and she hoped that either Arthur, Lupin, or Tonks would walk in at any moment. She entertained herself by looking at the moving images of famous witches and wizards dressed in fancy robes that were placed on a long shelf to her left.
"Aren't you a bit old to be a first-year?" Asked the boy jadedly, fiddling with his black diamond cuff links. Jessica met his eyes, a chill shivering down her spine as she stared into the ice-grey iris's. They made his pale skin look snowy white. "I'm going into the fifth year," she replied cautiously. She suddenly found herself wanting to shrink inwards under the boy's judging glare.
"I haven't seen you around before," he pressed on.
"That's because I haven't been around," she said passively, "I'm a transfer."
The boy looked her up and down pompously and sniffed. Never had she felt so uncomfortable.
"Draco Malfoy," He said, reaching out his hand which was decorated with a signet ring on the index finger. Engraved on the crest was a snake, the reptile that formed the basis of her number one childhood fear. She shook his hand and shivered at his touch. His skin was as cold as his eyes, drained of all warmth. "Jessica Clarke," she said.
Draco lingered on her, his hand increasing pressure and her heart skipped an unconscious beat out of nerves. He was analyzing her necklace as if what a painting at the National Gallery. She looked down; To her surprise, the necklace did not burn at his touch as it had with most of the others, instead, it was emitting a faint cobalt light that made it glow. She had never seen it do that before. Draco dropped her hand and his arrogant face fell into a concerned frown, his jaw clenching the tighter than before.
"Where did you get that from?" he ordered, pointing at the pendant.
"It was a gift," Jessica replied, taken aback by his abruptness, "why?"
Draco's eyes narrowed on the bluish glow, almost looking as if he was frightened of it. "A relative of mine used to have one just like it," he explained. He swallowed a large gulp and stepped back on the stool, not taking his eyes off of the necklace. Jessica looked at his concerned face and wanted to ask him more, but she didn't want to make him talk about something that was going to upset him.
Up until the last couple of days, she always thought that Auntie Bethan's necklace was meaningless - perhaps a bit of homemade wear that she had bought from a seaside corner shop or something. However, that was until she had been made to wear it herself, and felt the necklace act like it was living, always dueted with strange flickers of visions. If Draco's relative had the same one, then maybe that meant the necklace was magical, he could help provide some insights into why it was acting the way it was. But if the necklace was magical...how did her Aunt Bethan have it?
"Here we are Mr. Malfoy!" said Madam Malkin as she hurried back into the fitting room, carrying a large pile of black robes lined with pine green and silver. She placed them onto a spare chair and drew out her wand, waving them into an open black briefcase that lay on the floor. Once all the robes were neatly folded into the case, it clasped itself shut and Draco, who had since gone silent, stepped off of the stool and picked it up.
"Father will take care of the bill," said Draco stiffly, towering over Madam Malkin, and Jessica watched him strut towards the velvet curtains. As he was about to leave, he stopped and turned to her, once again looking at the necklace. His transfixed glaze then lifted upward to her eyes. "See you at school Clarke," he said soberly, and with one last glance downwards, he was gone.
Jessica stared at the velvet curtain, which was rippling in the air after having just been moved, and felt the pendant's glow fade away. Madam Malkin asked her a question about what house she would be going into but it was blurred out in her ears. An element of realism that had escaped her mind the past morning had been forced right back into her and she now felt as cold as Draco's hand had been.
There was more to the case of her auntie's murder, there had to be. Too many things were becoming convenient. Meeting Draco in this fitting room had been fate, she knew it was...
...and she had a feeling that he had just provided one more piece of the puzzle.