CHAPTER FORTY FOUR
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-: fourth year :-
── IN WHICH SHE PUTS
FORWARD A PROPOSITION
. . .
The lowering sun cast over them in a magnificent mixture of pinks and oranges, the once clear sky now dotted with clouds that resembled pulled apart cotton candy. It was only just cooling down as they walked away from the spot under the small sycamore tree besides the river.
Their hands hung between them, swinging forwards and back with each step they take. Jane's idea of a distraction had worked perfectly, and the drowning sensation that Harry had felt disappeared with ease.
"I'll walk you to your house this time." Jane spoke up, breaking the comfortable silence that had hung between them as they began their journey home. The bag of leftover food and completely drunk pink lemonade hung besides her waist, and in her spare hand her shoes hung by the twisting straps.
"You don't have to do that. I'd much rather walk back to the Manor." Harry replied quickly. He had no idea what would happen if Jane turned up and Dudley was there - he didn't know what he would do if she got hurt.
"Nope." Jane smiled, and the emotion clearly came through into her voice. "I have to make sure your aunt remembers you have Florence Adley on your side now... and there's a cat on Privet Drive and there's some leftover prawns in here."
Harry laughed, and Jane joined in moments later. The Potter boy came to a stop, his hand running over her knuckles. One of the bracelets that so commonly sat around Jane's wrist and was way to big for her hung down and hit the top of his nail.
"You're so.." His thoughts seemed to stop working then and he swallowed, unable to put his emotions and feelings into stilted words. "Sweet." He finished, revelling in the smile that appeared on her sunset-tinted features.
There didn't seem to be a better word to describe how his feelings were towards her. She was voluntarily going to walk him to Number 4 Privet Drive to prevent him from getting into any trouble - trouble that he was far too used to and only contributed to the horror that she had seen in his eyes.
Jane's gaze had slid away at the sound of voices, smiling when she saw a group of younger-aged kids playing in the shallower part of the river. It was so simple for them.
When she looked back to Harry, she was considerably surprised to find him still watching her, a quiet sort of emotion hidden in his gaze. He was looking at her differently to usual, more care and happiness then how she had seen him at the river, or even how he looked at her when she was crying her eyes out on his shoulder the night before.
Silence hung between them as their eyes met, something conspiring between them that hadn't happened before. Simultaneous curls of excitment and anticipation of what seemed to be inevitably coming.
Something jumped in Jane's throat, her heart slowly beating quicker and quicker. She didn't quite know what she was doing, but soon enough she found her voice.
"I think I'm right about this." Her voice shook only a little as she spoke. "So.. if you want.." Jane took a deep breath, gaze slipping down to the dogtag necklace that hung around Harry's neck. "If you want.. if you find me a four-leafed clover, I will kiss you."
There was still that confidence there, but Harry could see the hints of nerves all over. From the way her hand squeezed his just a little, the lack of eye contact, the spattering of blush underneath her freckles.
If Jane was feeling nervous, then Harry was overflowing with the emotion. He couldn't believe the luck of it - even after the end of something that was so tragic and awful, there was still something so positive and full of hope.
She liked him back.
Harry supposed he had already had a tiny inkling that she did. Just perhaps from all the teasing, kisses on cheeks and all the time they were spending together - maybe he had figured it out. He couldn't believe it really, the good fortune of his crush liking him back.
And his crush was none other than Jane. Jane Everleigh who had manged to make what had promised to be the shittiest summer of his life into a daydream, who was so kind and understanding, who loved books and cats and lived in Adley Manor. Jane, who wore summer dresses and wore flowers in her hair, who pierced his ears and gave him a necklace, who happily would help him with anything and didn't mind showing him her room or leaning on his lap as she read.
The girl who had offered him half of her lunch the first time they met, who had taken him on walks and exploring the area outside of Little Whinging - who had taken him to a nearby town and knew that his favourite dessert was treacle tart and taught him to dance whilst they were supposed to be setting up for the garden.
Who thought she was so plain and ordinary because of something that should never happen to anyone, someone who - in the eyes of others - was so perfect and unique and so utterly beautiful.
Jane had done so much for him, it only made sense for him to fall for her just a little bit.
He thanked his lucky stars - the same ones that he had thanked after surviving attack after attack from Voldemort and thanked for letting him go to Hogwarts - that she liked him back.
"And if I don't manage to find one?" Harry said something, realising that he most likely been staring at her for a good while now. In reality it was only a few, prolonged seconds, but the shock was bound to last a lifetime.
Another thing he was lucky for - not being a stuttering mess. That must be some of his dad coming through, according to what Sirius had said.
"If you find a four-leafed clover, I'll kiss you." Jane repeated, a lot more comfortable and confident with her words now that she knew that Harry wasn't going to outright reject her and ruin their suummer plans.
Harry's eyes dropped to the trodden grass path they were walking walking on, looking up when he heard a laugh. "Not now, idiot." Jane smiled, holding his hand just a little tighter and pulling him forward. "I've got to walk you home now, and I can't wait around for you to find one."
"Does it have to be real?" Harry let her drag him along, feet moving mechanically until he took control. His mind was moving towards the hat covered in the tiny green plants from where he supported Ireland at the Quidditch World Cup Final.
"Depends on what you present me with." Jane mused. "But I guess you'll find out eventually."
Harry grinned, still trying to find loopholes until they reached Privet Drive. He wouldn't allow her to come all the way down to the house just in case Dudley was waiting to ambush him, and instead left her by the cat, feeding it the prawns.
The sun was burning orange now, and Harry stepped foot onto the drive of the Dursleys' house. He glanced back, smiling when he saw her still crouched by the cat, which was now licking her fingers. As if she could sense him looking, her head tilted upwards, catching his eye.
He lifted her hand in a wave, getting the action returned. And Harry pushed open the door into Number 4 Privet Drive with a smile bigger than anything that Vernon or Petunia had ever seen, the couple staring in shock as Harry walked up the stairs to his room, shutting the door behind him.
He was lucky he was yet to send the letter to Sirius; he needed to add a note to the end.
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a/n
sorry i promised myself
i wouldn't have any more of
these notes but should this fic
end or should it like continue
through other books as well?