Melancholy || Harry Potter's twin brother

1: chapter twenty

Exams had been announced, ensuring the first years all burst into panic. It seemed almost the entire year had realised that they had not retained any of the necessary information, and even the most laid-back students in the year were beginning to stress about exams.

Ernie was on full blown-panic mode, and if people were metaphors, he would be a headless chicken. Whilst this was admittedly amusing, Sirius and Justin were beginning to worry about him.

"Ernie calm down." Justin attempted, only to be glared at in such a manner that made him hide behind Sirius, who sighed.

"We have study sessions with Hermione on a Friday, you'll be fine." Sirius pointed out. Ernie looked up from where he was frantically flicking through two textbooks at once and froze, his eyes wide. Sirius sighed again, fighting the urge to laugh at his friend, Justin carefully stepped out from hiding behind the Potter boy.

"We do?" Ernie asked, placing both textbooks down.

"Yes, and we can revise in the evenings and at weekends, Ernie this isn't the end of the world. There's still time." Sirius answered. Ernie let out a sigh of relief and began to neatly stack his books on his bedside table.

"I was worried there for a moment." He laughed, Sirius and Justin exchanged a look and shook their heads.

"You don't say." Sirius laughed, glad that the situation was dissolved, he passed Ernie his stray copy of the standard book of spells grade one.

"Thanks Sirius." Ernie nodded at the boy.

"On that note, why don't we go and find Hannah?" Justin suggested, the three, following his suggestion, went into the common room to find Hannah lounging in a chair, waiting for them. She tapped her watch menacingly.

"What time do you call this?" She asked them.

"Sorry Hannah," Justin sighed. "Ernie freaked out."

"I wouldn't say 'freaked out'." Ernie defended himself.

"I would." Justin answered.

"Can we just go for dinner, I'm starving!" Sirius sighed at them.

"Of course Dear." Hannah linked her arm with his and the four walked down to the great hall together.

Dinner was a subdued affair. Stew and dumplings, with a fish and even a vegan option (the house elves were kind souls, who liked to include everyone). True, it was served with several types of potato, but it seemed so drab, compared to the usual feast traditions.

"Something's wrong." Hannah announced.

"I like it." Sirius shrugged, eating his gravy-drenched roast potato.

"You're literally just eating potatoes." Justin pointed out.

"I like roasties." Sirius shrugged.

"No, I mean its seems so sad." Hannah sighed at the boys, who looked up from their meals in confusion.

"I get what you mean." Ernie finally said, as he examined his jacket potato in interest. "Usually there's more options." Since the announcement, he hadn't left the dorm room without a text book. It had been less than four hours.

"Maybe they're tired." Sirius suggested.

"How many potatoes can you eat boy!" Hannah bellowed at him, making few people look at them, she looked at him in disgust.

"Many," Sirius shrugged, refilling his plate.

"How do you not get any fatter." She asked.

"It's because he sleep-walks." Jane said, joining them at their table with her plate. "My table ran out of mash, so here I am."

"That was one time!" Sirius defended himself, although he did not actually know that for fact.

"Yeah, one time per night." Jane scoffed, patting him on the shoulder. "We've told you this before."

"I thought you were joking." Sirius mumbled.

"I never joke Sirius." She answered threateningly.

"Jane, seeing as you're here, do you think something isn't right?" Hannah questioned, as though she were conducting a survey.

"They ran out of food, there is definitely something wrong." Jane nodded. Sirius was surprised to have his suspicion that she wasn't always angry, confirmed. But then maybe she was just angry at him, he did seem to annoy her often.

"I knew it!" Hannah shrieked mutinously, as though she had a clear plan formulating in her mind. Sirius and Justin looked at her in fear, whilst Ernie told her to stop being stupid and then read them three things they needed to know about transfiguration.

Jane laughed and talked with the group as though she had always been there, but as she revealed to Sirius later that there was another reason to her being there.

She had come to inform Sirius of some of what she knew, some she revealed that she couldn't tell him, but what he learned would help him in the future, at least he hoped she was right about that. She also revealed to him that she finally excepted him as a part of their 'team'. The two talked of their fears, of what's to come and why they had to do what they had to do. But Sirius was happy, she finally accepted him, she didn't hate him and he was glad, it made everything easier, it meant he could trust her with his fears. Sirius's friends also seemed to like her, despite not knowing what fate was to befall the two, what hardships they would meet. They still treated her like they would any other, like a friend. Jane hadn't really had a friend before, she kept to herself and others found her to be scary. Her brother didn't count, he was her brother, not a friend.

Things seemed to be looking up, despite the sombre tone of the evening.