- Mind games-

I jolt awake, my body covered in sweat, I rush out of bed and go straight to Gryffindor common room.

I stand by the entrance, trying to catch my breath when Harry,Ron and McGongall comes out.

"Harr- dream, Arthur."

"Yes. You had it too?"

I nod quickly, McGonagall grabs my arm as Ron keeps hold of Harry as we head to Dumbledore's office. 

...

"In the dream were you standing next to the victim?" Dumbledore asks us. "Or looking down at the scene."

"Neither. It was like I.."

"We were the snake." I finish.

"Professor, will you please just tell us what's happening?" Harry asks panicking.

"Everhardt, Arthur's on guard duty tonight." Dumbledore walks over to a painting."Make sure he's found by the right people."

"Sir.."

"Phineas, you must go to your portrait at Grimmauld Place. Tell them that Arthur Weasley is gravely injured and his children will be arriving there soon by portkey."

I look over at the Weasley and gulp.

"They got him Albus. It was close, but they think he'll make it." Everhardt returns. "What's more, the Dark Lord failed to acquire it."

"Ah, thank goodness."

"Acquire what?" I ask.

"Look at me!" Harry yells. "What's happening to me?"

I glance over and see that he's sweating and panting, whereas I've seemed to calm down.

"You wished to see me Headmaster?"

"Severus, Im afraid we can't wait. Not even till the morning. Otherwise, we'll all be vulnerable."

Snape grabs Harry, "Jade you too." and we head to the dungeons.

"What are we doing?" I ask.

"You wanted me to stop reading your mind...  well it appears that there is a connection between the Dark Lord's mind  and the two of you. Mr Potter, your seems stronger. Whether he is yet aware of this connection is, for the moment, unclear. Pray he remains ignorant."

"You mean if he knows about it, then... he'll be able to read my- our minds?" Harry asks.

"Read it, control it, unhinge it. In the past, it was often the Dark Lord's pleasure to invade the minds of his victims, creating visions designed to torture them into madness. Only after extracting the last exquisite ounce of agony, only when he had them literally begging for death, would he finally kill them... Used properly, the power of Occlumency will help shield you from access or influence. In these lessons, I will attempt to penetrate your mind. You will attempt to resist. Prepare yourself, Mr Potter you first.... Legilimens!"

Harry struggles. "Concentrate Potter. Focus!" He doesn't.

"Right Jade, let's see if you can do better. Legilimens!" 

I groan as my mind start racing, "Focus!" I try to block it out, flashes of black appear between memories. "Keep going!" I start panting but try harder, darkness appears slightly longer before I give in.

"Better."

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

We're about to head back to Grimmauld Place for Christmas, "Jade, let's go." Harry exclaims.

"Wait, can I have like five minutes!?." I ask before running off and around the corner bumping into the boy I was looking for. 

"What's the rush?" He smirks.

"I was looking for you, I have to leave soon and Im afraid it's going to be like summer again, so I just wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas."

"Really?! Ughh, can I get a new years kiss then?"

I look behind me to check that Harry wasn't there, "I guess."

He place his hand on the back of my head, leaning down. I end up having to pull away before Harry comes looking for me.

"I . really . have.  to . go." I say between kisses and he groans. I gasp, "No! I have a gift for you but it's in my trunk. oh no."

"it's fine, we can do gift when we get back... I've got something for you too."

"You didn't... stop spending your money on me." I wack his chest

"No. Besides you'll like this one." He grabs my hands.

"I like everything you give me."

"Really?" He smirks leaning down and kissing my neck. I push him off, "Draco, don't you dare."

"But I thought." He tilts his head and I bite the inside of my cheeks, shaking my head.  "Dickhead." I hug him one last time. "Im going now" I start to walk away. "Don't miss me too much."

"Im afraid that's impossible darling." He calls after me.

I turn the corner smiling to myself. "Took your time, come on, we're going to be late." Harry states. "Why are you smiling so much?"

"Just saw Umbridge pulling a couple apart, quite funny."

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

"Here we go."  Mrs Weasley chimes, coming in. "Daddy's back. Sit down everybody, sit down. That's it now presents."

"And a nice big box for Ron." Mr Weasley adds

"Big box for him. And umm." She struggles to tell the twins part." Here.. oh. Come on open up, I wanna see your faces."

They pull out homemade jackets and sweaters with their initials on it, "Yes. Try it on."

Ron looks over at Hermione and I, clearly unimpressed.

"Thanks, mum, It's perfect." Ginny smiles, I look to my right and spot Harry walking in, which reminds me of the gifts we got everyone else.

"Oh i'll be right back." I stand up as they clear away the table and Mrs Weasley hands Harry his gift.

My hands are full of gifts as I walk past Sirius, "here you go Mr Black." I smile handing him his gift as Mr Weasley announces. "A Christmas toast! To Mr Harry Potter, and to Miss Jade Potter... without the two, I would not be here. Potters." 

"Oh i'm going to give these out," I tell him, handing him a few to carry "Come on." 

"Oh Twins. You shouldn't have." Mrs Weasley protests as we give everyone their gift.

I pretend to give Fred, George's gift and he gasps. "Cheeky."

"You know i'd never get you two mixed up." I grin.

"Hermione." I hand her two small gifts. "Harry insisted on one of them but I had to get you the other."

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

"I can't understand why don't want to wear it, Ronald." Hermione says, talking about the jumper.

"Cause I look like a bloody idiot, that's why."

"No more than usual." I tease.

"Yes, I don't know why you don't trust your mother's taste more." Hermione adds, and I watch Harry walk into another room.

"Kreacher!" I hear  Sirius yell and I go check it out, "That's enough of your bile. Away with you."

"Of course, Master" Kreacher groans 

"Away!... Sorry about that. He never was very pleasant, even when i was a boy. Not to me, anyway"

"You grew up here?" Harry asks, as I stand hidden by the door.

"This is my parents' house. I offered it to Dumbledore as headquarters for the Order. About the only useful thing I've been able to do."

"This is the Black family tree. My deranged cousin. I hated the lot of them. My parents with their pure-blood mania.. My mother did that after I ran away. Charming woman. I was 16. "

"Where did you go?"

"Your dad's. I was always welcome at the Potter's. I see him so much in you, Harry.You are so much like him. "

"im not so sure. Sirius, when I was... when I saw Mr Weasley attacked, I wasn't just watching. I was the snake. And afterwards, in Dumbledore's office, there was a moment when I, I wanted to... this connection between Voldemort and me. What if the reason for it is that I am becoming more like him? I don't know if Jade feels this way, I guess it would make more sense as she's a Slytherin and her powers but still.  I- I just feel so angry all the time. Makes me wonder, what if something gone wrong, like inside of me.  What if im becoming bad? What if Jade becomes bad?"  Harry asks.

"I want you to listen to me very carefully, Harry. You're not a bad person. You're a very good person who bad things have happened to. You understand? That goes for Jade too, her been Slytherin means nothing... if she finds out that you think she's bad because of it... you're family, you need to stick together. Besides the world isn't spilt into good people and Death Eaters. We've all got both light and dark inside of us."

"I just worry about Jade more... She's getting closer to Draco Malfoy and her boggart wasn't... you know."

"What matter is the part we choose to act on. You need to trust Jade, she's a smart girl, she knows what she is doing. And so are you, you will choose what is right for you. As for Malfoy... I though Remus told you to stay out of it. We can't choose who we love."

Hermione appears by my side, "Spying are we?" she whispers before knocking on the door and grabbing their attention, I step back.

"Harry, time to go." She tells him and I walk away before he sees me.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

We have confirmed that ten high-security prisoners, in the early hours of yesterday evening, did escape. And of course, the Muggle Prime Minister has been alerted to the danger. We strongly suspect that the breakout was engineered by a man with personal experience of escaping from Azkaban, notorious mass murderer, Sirius Black- cousin of escapee Bellatrix Lestrange

"So your aunts free." I close the paper, looking up at Draco.

"Hmm I assume she'll contact Mother soon but I haven't heard anything."

"So Christmas was okay then?"

"Yup, was yours?" He pushes a strand of my hair out my face.

"Yes." I clear my throat, taking my legs off Draco's lap as the Golden Trio walk in. "Great Christmas, still need to give you... Hey guys" I smile as they approach the table.

"People are finally starting to realise the truth, about Voldemort." Hermione tells me.

"That's good." I try to act casual . "Well, not good that's he back but."

"And Hagrid's back, don't think Umbridge is a fan though."

"Who is she a fan of?" I scoff, pushing Draco's hand off my thigh as Harry stares at us.

"What are you doing at the Slytherin table?" Draco sneers.

"Talking to Jade, jackass." Ron quips.

"Now, now. Let's be civil for five minutes please." 

"Also don't forget we have our lessons with Snape later." Harry reminds me.

"I won't."

"Okay... just seems like you might have some distractions." He glance at Draco.

"Harry. I won't." I state again before they head back to the Gryffindor table, Draco hand grabs mine.

"Needy much?" I grin.