Chapter 1

Ellie awoke to a pounding headache.

A long time later, or maybe no time at all, it came to her that she must exist, must be more than disembodied thought, because she was lying, definitely lying, on some surface. Therefore she had a sense of touch, and the thing against which she lay existed too. She realised quite quickly that the thing she upon which she lay was a bed, a very soft and comfortable bed. She wondered whether, as she could feel, she would be able to see. In opening them, she discovered that she had eyes. She lay in, what appeared to be, a child's four poster bed. Next to her on the bed lay a small child with short dark hair. The child was gazing at her with enchanting hazel eyes hidden behind glasses; Ellie imagined her father must have looked similar as a child. "Bitty!" the child shouted, "You're alive!" The child hugged her tightly mumbling about her being all right as an older dark haired woman glided in.

"James," the woman reprimanded, "I thought I told you not to wake up your cousin." The woman's voice was gentle, but firm as she placed a hand between the child's shoulders. The child who had now been identified as James.

Ellie was very confused, since when did she have a cousin named James. Something seemed to click and memories came rushing into her mind. Suddenly she realised this woman was her aunt and the child was her Jam, her cousin. That her name was Elizabeth Helene Potter, the almost eight year old orphan of Richard Darius Potter and Elladora Helene Potter née Fawley. But her mind also remembered being Elizabeth Lilith Potter, the seventeen almost eighteen year old orphan of James Charlus Potter and Lily Marie Potter née Evans, The Girl Who Lived. Her mind was in conflict, but Ellie, always a practical thinker, decided to go with the memories that included the people at present with her. "Auntie 'Rea? Jam?" Ellie's voice was hesitant as she said the familiar and yet foreign names.

"BITTY!" The little boy almost tackled her in his excitement and relief at her voice.

"James," the woman scolded her son, "How are you feeling sweetling?" Her aunt asked stroking her brow. Ellie leaned against it, amazed at the feeling of being cared for thusly.

"Better," she croaked, her voice slightly hoarse.

"Blinky," her aunt's voice called. A house elf popped into the bedroom, "Can I please have a glass of water and some soup for Ellie?"

The little house elf nodded before saying, "Yes, Lady Dorea," and popping down to the kitchen to return with the asked for items not a minute later.

"Thank you, Auntie," Ellie said, thanking her aunt for asking for some water. "What happened?"

"You fell off your broom Bitty, don't you remember?" Her Jam asked looking concerned.

More memories swirled in her head, flying around the yard with Jam, throwing a quaffle back and forth, then darkness. "It's all a bit blurred, the last thing I remember is flying with Jam."

"You were flying with me, but I looked away for a second and then you weren't on your broom anymore," Jam said, "So I ran to get mum and then she levitated you back here and did a spell to check you over."

"You had a concussion and a few broken bones," Auntie 'Rea said with gentle swipe to her niece's brow, "But I fixed you right up."

"Oh," Ellie said, still rather confused. Her head was still throbbing and there were so many thoughts swirling around inside her head that it was hard to concentrate.

The house elf popped back in and handed Aunt 'Rea a silver tray that had a pitcher filled with water, a glass, and a bowl of covered soup. "Will that be all Lady Dorea?" Blinky asked.

"Yes, Blinky. Thank you," Aunt 'Rea said to the elf, taking the tray for her hands and setting it on Ellie's side table. "James, help me get your cousin to sit up, please," Aunt 'Rea said to Jam. The two of the worked to help Ellie sit up slowly and propped her up with pillows. Aunt 'Rea poured some water into the glass and handed it to Ellie.

"Thank you, Auntie," Ellie said, taking small sips from the glass as Jam hovered next to her, looking ready to help in any way.

"Of course, sweetling," Aunt 'Rea took the glass back when it was half full and exchanged it with the soup and spoon, which she slowly fed to Ellie while perched neatly on the edge of the bed. Jam still looked very concerned about her so Ellie took his hand in hers and gave it a slight squeeze to let him know she really was okay. He relaxed minutely, but was still very attentive in his attention.

"Auntie 'Rea?" Ellie inquired.

"Yes, sweetling, what is it?" Aunt 'Rea asked softly.

"Where is Uncle Charlie? I'm surprised he's not here too," Ellie commented on her Uncle's absence. It had been a Sunday when she and Jam were playing on their brooms so he had been doing paperwork in his office.

"He's at work, sweetling. You've been unconscious for a few days now. It's half twelve on Wednesday now," Aunt 'Rea carefully told the child.

Ellie was astonished. It was Wednesday! That meant she'd been unconscious for almost three days now. Oh, her poor Jam must have been so worried. She couldn't remember a time where she and Jam had been without out each other's conversation for such a time. They'd been each other's best friend since either of them could remember. Ellie had been Auntie 'Rea's and Uncle Charlie's charge since she was about 15 months old. Both her parents, and all of her mother's family had died in what had infamously been called the Fawley Fire. Her father's parents had both died before she was born so she went to her father's closest relative, Lord George Potter. Lord Potter was 89 when her father died though and both he and his wife had not been the sole caregiver of such a young child for years so the responsibility fell to Charlus Potter and his wife, Dorea Potter nee Black, who had a son a few months older than Ellie. Ellie didn't remember her parents or her mother's family, but that hadn't stopped the rest of her family from telling her about them. Not much really changed for Ellie, either, when her parents had died; her room just moved to a different wing of the Manor. She grew up about the same she would have had her parents lived. She missed them, of course, but more the idea of them than for any other reason as she never wanted for anything her parents would have given her that her Auntie and Uncle didn't. She and Jam were just as close as they would have been had her parents lived, well, okay, maybe that part is a lie. She and Jam probably were closer because they shared everything, including his parents and meals, which they would not have otherwise. All in all, as bad as it may make her for thinking, she didn't think she missed out on all that much my not having parents.

~J~B~

Dorea gave a slight smile as she watch Ellie and her James fall asleep on Ellie's bed. She carefully removed the pillows that had been propping Ellie up and tucked the two of them in. She was glad James was sleeping; he had been out of his mind with worry about his cousin, his sister really. She didn't even want to contemplate what would have become of him if he had lost hist Bitty. Dorea's smile widened just a bit when she thought of the nicknames the two of them called each other Jam and Bitty. Her mind back to the incident that had caused those nicknames.

James and Ellie had been about three or four when all of the elder Potters were away from the Manor for a Ball so Blinky, one of the house elves, was set to watching them. The two of had somehow managed to skirt the house elf to find the kitchen and Ellie had then managed to upend a tub of Jam on James' head. Ever since then Ellie had somehow associated James with Jam, calling out that instead of his name.

As for how James nicknamed Ellie, that had happened much earlier and was jus as funny. James despite being only about 5 months older than his cousin was much bigger than her. So everyone was always warning him to be gentle with the itty bitty baby and somehow that had stuck for James, he was always very careful with his Bitty.

Dorea sighed, walking in the direction of George Potter's study to let him know that his great-granddaughter was out of the woods now. She knocked on the door and waited for his standard, "Enter," before opening the door, closing it behind her and taking a seat in one of the chairs in front of his desk. George looked up from his paper work before signing one last thing before setting it down and giving Dorea his full attention. "Well, what news do you have Dorea?" He enquired.

Dorea responded promptly with, "Ellie awoke and I was able to get her to eat and drink something before both she and James fell back asleep. She seemed fine, and the scan I ran after they fell asleep came back as you would expect. It seems there will be no lasting damage."

George looked relieved with that pronouncement, and visibly relaxed, "That is good. I'm glad she is seems to be recovering well, I don't even want to think what would have happened without you here Dorea. I may have been hesitant for you to have gotten that Healer training when you and Charlus first married, but I can't help but be thankful now."

Dorea felt a bit of pride to hear George say that, he had been most against a bonded witch training in something outside the home. She would have to tell Charlus that when he got back from work, he would sure get a good laugh from hearing his grandfather admit she was right, in not so many words. She and George chatted a bit more about James and Ellie before she left to check on them again, and work on a few thing before Charlus got home.

AN:/ Early than I promised some of you, but didn't have much to do today. I made a wikia for anyone who wants to take a look.

Also for anyone who notices a resemblance between my story and MaryRoyale's Roundabout Destiny that's because there is. She inspired the beginning of this story and so I just wanted to take the time to acknowledge that and thank her for her amazing stories.

Hope you enjoyed Ptl4ever419