▌𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐱𝐭𝐲-𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 ━︎━︎ 𝐎𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞 ▌

━︎━︎━︎━︎𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐏 𝐎𝐅 four were sitting in a diner. Harry and Ron were sat on one side with Juniper and Hermione on the other. Juniper held Hermione's had, racing thoughts echoing in her head. She hoped that Remus and Sirius were okay, she had to believe that they were. The looming silence over them was unnerving, but they were all collectively taking the time to think about the actions that had occurred.

"What about all the people at the wedding?" Harry asked. "Do you think we should go back?"

"They were after you, mate." Ron said, keeping his voice low even though they were the only ones in the diner besides the worker. "We'd put everyone in danger by going back."

"Ron's right." Hermione quietly said, only to be interrupted by the diner employee to walk over to them.

The woman had an earbud in one of her ears, clearing her throat. "Coffee?"

Hermione glanced at her. "A cappuccino, please."

"You?" She pointed at Juniper.

"Black. Three sugars." Juniper replied. her mom had fixed coffee all the time, Juniper had drank it a few times.

The waitress looked at Harry and Ron. "What she said." Ron nodded towards Hermione and Harry replied, "Same." The waitress walked away.

Hermione looked at Juniper. "You drink black coffee?"

"I think it's abhorrent, but it wakes me up." Juniper answered and Hermione hummed.

"So, where do we go from here?" Ron asked, bringing them back to the topic at hand. "Leaky Cauldron?"

Juniper shook her head. "It's too dangerous."

Hermione agreed. "If Voldemort really has taken over the Ministry, then none of the old places are safe. Everyone from the wedding would have gone underground into hiding."

"God, my rucksack with all my things." Harry realized. "I've left it at the Burrow." The door to the diner opened and Juniper glanced up, eyes watching the two men that had entered. They walked past their table and Juniper instantly used her hand that wasn't holding Hermione's to grip her wand. Harry looked at Hermione, realizing she had it. "You're joking."

"I-I've had all the essentials packed for days, just in case." Hermione explained.

"By the way―︎these jeans, not my favorite." Ron told her.

Juniper sat up straight, turning her head to look at Harry. She watched Harry's face, watching as his eyes lingered on the two males that were standing at the counter. Immediately it all clicked and Juniper quickly said, "Get down!" Juniper grabbed Hermione as she went down just as a blast was sent their way. She and Hermione hid behind the table right beside of the one they had originally been sitting at with Harry and Ron hiding behind their original table.

Instantly, Juniper shouted a spell over the table, making the two males duck as it narrowly missed them. Juniper quickly hid herself again as they fired back. Harry and Juniper took turns throwing spells at them until they managed to get one of them down, Ron and Hermione shooting up at the same time and knocking the other down. Hermione ducked as another spell was thrown before she quickly stood up again and yelled, "Petrificus totalus!" He went down and there was a silence before they heard the door open.

They all stood and saw the employee looking around, eyes wide in fear. "Go!" Hermione quickly said. "Leave!" The woman didn't hesitate, going back through the door she had come through.

"Lock the door." Harry instructed. "Get the lights."

Hermione locked the door as Ron got the lights. Juniper walked beside Harry as they approached one of them. He had blonde hair and he was knocked unconscious. "This one's name's Rowle." Harry told them as Hermione and Ron walked over to them. "He was on the astronomy tower the night Snape killed Dumbledore."

Ron had walked around behind the counter where the other man was. "This is Dolohov. I recognize him from the wanted posters." Ron looked down at the man whose eyes were open but he was frozen in place. "So, what are we gonna do with you, eh? Kill us if it was turned 'round, wouldn't you?"

"If we kill them, they'll know we were here." Harry denied.

"Ron. . ." Hermione said with a frown.

Ron turned to look at the three of them. "Suppose he did Mad-Eye. How would you feel then?"

"It's better we wipe their memories." Harry told him.

"You're the boss." Ron stepped back, looking at Hermione expectantly.

Hermione went to raise her arm but Juniper gently stopped her. The last time she had used the spell, it was to erase her parents memories. Juniper didn't want to make her do that ever again. She stepped forwards, raising her wand and turning it slightly as she softly said, "Obliviate." She did the same thing to the unconscious one before the four of them hurriedly left.

"How is it they knew we were there?" Harry asked.

"Maybe you still have the trace on you?" Hermione suggested.

"Can't be. Trace breaks at 17. It's wizarding law." Ron denied.

Hermione let out a gasp and stopped walking. Juniper quickly snapped her head towards her, worry immediately encasing her. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"We didn't celebrate your birthday, Harry." Hermione said, upset. She continued walking. "Jay, Ginny, and I prepared a cake. We were going to bring it out at the end of the wedding."

"Look, Hermione, honestly, I appreciate the thought, but, really, given the fact that we were almost killed by a couple of Death Eaters a few minutes ago. . . " Harry didn't finish his sentence.

Hermione shook her head. "Right. Perspective."

"Although I love the streets of London," Juniper started, "we really need to get off the streets and get somewhere safe." A sigh fell from her lips. "And I might know just the place."

⋆.ೃ࿔*:･⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

━︎━︎━︎━︎𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐈𝐍 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐓 of her family manor, Juniper let out a shaky sigh as she watched the manor appear to them. Juniper approached the door first, pushing it open and letting the others follow in after her. The two lights in the entry way lit up before suddenly a swirl of what looked like dust began forming on the ground until it turned into to Dumbledore and the figure went right for them. When it reached them, it disappeared.

"What was that all about?" Ron asked, looking at Juniper.

Juniper let out a breath. "Looks like dad put in some safety measures."

"Probably Mad-Eye's idea, case Snape decided to come snooping." Hermione added. From somewhere in the house, they heard a banging sound. Juniper furrowed her brows. "Jay, is Shadow here?"

Juniper shook her head as they began to creep forwards. "No, he's with Remus. Dad isn't here either."

Hermione pulled out her wand. "Homenum revelio." Nothing happened. "We're alone."

"Let's get some rest." Juniper softly told them. "We should stay together. The living room has two couches, 'Mione and I can share one and you two can decide who sleeps on the other and who gets a mattress in the floor."

In the end, Harry took the other couch and Ron slept on the floor. Juniper was holding onto Hermione, her arms were wrapped securely around Hermione's waste as the both of them slept soundly. Hermione, Juniper, and Ron were all fast asleep when Harry heard it. The sun had come through the windows, waking the boy up, but what made him sit up was the sound of banging once again coming from inside of the house. Harry stood and began his trek upstairs.

Juniper began to stir on the couch. She slowly opened her eyes, taking a moment to look around before noticing Harry was missing. Carefully, she sat up. She looked down at Hermione who was still sleeping and pressed a soft kiss to her cheek before moving around her to get off the couch. She grabbed her wand and immediately went in search of Harry. She used her wand as a light as she started up the steps, pausing and looking up when she heard a door open. Quickly, she followed the sound and came to a stop when she saw her father's bedroom door was opened and Harry was standing inside.

"There you are," Juniper breathed. Harry turned to look at her, holding one of Sirius' books in his hands. "For a second there I was worried you had left us behind."

Harry shook his head. "Well, I may not want to admit it, but whether or not I like it we're in this together. I'd rather keep you close than far away because at least when you're close I can stop anyone from trying to take you in order to get to me."

Juniper gave him a small smile. "Well, we wouldn't give you up even if we were taken. You should know that by now."

He nodded. "I know."

From somewhere in the house, Ron's voice called out to them. "Harry, June, Hermione, where are you? I think I've found something." Harry and Juniper exchanged a look before quickly finding Ron. They were led to another bedroom and Hermione walked in first.

"Lovely." The room was a complete mess. There were books and clothes thrown everywhere and the mattress was barely on the bed. But that wasn't what Ron had wanted them to see. He pulled the door a little closer and Hermione took a step back and looked at the name on the door. "Regulus Arcturus Black."

"R.A.B." Ron said.

Juniper closed her eyes and sighed. "Of course! I knew those initials were familiar. That was my dad's little brother." She looked at Harry. "Where's that note?"

They went back downstairs, sitting in the kitchen as Harry read the note once more. "'I know I will be dead long before you read this. I have stolen the real horcrux and intend to destroy it.'"

"R.A.B. is Sirius' brother?" Ron asked.

"Yes," Juniper confirmed.

"The question is, did he actually destroy the real horcrux?" Hermione asked. She looked at Juniper. "Jay, you lived here for two years, did you ever see anything that was similar to the false horcrux Harry has?"

Juniper thought about it for a minute before shaking her head. "No. Although, I wasn't allowed to go into his room. That was the only room dad forbid me from going in." The sound of clattering made her stop talking. They all turned their heads to a locked door where the sound had come from. Slowly, the group of four stood. Harry walked towards the door before turning the knob and opening it, revealing Kreacher inside. Quickly, Harry grabbed the house elf.

He pulled Kreacher out into the open and Kreacher let out grunts and groans of protests, trying to run away from Harry. "You've been spying on us, have you?" Harry asked.

The house elf looked at them. "Kreacher has been watching."

"Maybe he knows where the real locket is." Hermione suggested.

Harry grabbed the fake one before showing it to him. "You ever seen this before?" The house elf let out a gasp, turning his head away. "Kreacher?"

"Uh, uh, it's Master Regulus' locket."

"But there were two, weren't there?" Harry urged. "Where's the other one?"

"Kreacher doesn't know where the other locket is."

"Yes, but did you ever see it?" Hermione asked. "Was it in this house?"

"You filthy mudblood!" Kreacher spat. "Death Eater's are coming―︎"

"Kreacher, you do not talk to her like that!" Juniper snapped just as Ron ran forwards ready to hit the elf causing Hermione and Harry to stop him.

"Ah, blood traitor, Weasley!" Kreacher continued.

Juniper held out her wand, pointing it at the house elf causing him to cower back. "You are my house elf, Kreacher, and you will not talk to them like that. Now, answer her. Now."

Kreacher looked at the necklace. "Yes. It was here. . . in this house. A most evil object."

"How you mean?" Harry asked.

Kreacher let out a sigh. "Before Master Regulus died, he ordered Kreacher to destroy it, but no matter how hard Kreacher tried, he could not do it."

"Well, where is it now? Did someone take it?"

"He came in the night." Kreacher claimed. "He took many things, including the locket."

"Who did?" Juniper demanded. "Who was it, Kreacher?"

"Mundungus." Kreacher answered. "Mundungus Fletcher."

"Find him." Juniper ordered. Kreacher looked at her before bowing slightly and disappearing. Juniper let out a breath and looked at Ron and Hermione. "I am so sorry. He grew up in a house with blood supremacists."

"It's not your fault," Hermione assured.

"Merlin, sometimes I'm so embarrassed by my blood line." Juniper muttered.

Harry cracked a small smile. "Only you would be embarrassed by being a pureblood, June."

"Well, not the I don't love my father because I really do, but damn do I hate his family." Juniper breathed. "They're either crazy or dead. Or support the Dark Lord. The dead option is the best one of the three. Now, whilst we wait for that horrible excuse for a house elf to come back, I'm going to find us some food. I'm starving."

"Me too," Ron nodded.

"I could eat." Harry agreed.

Hermione grabbed Juniper's hand. "I'll help you." Juniper nodded before they began searching through the cabinets, trying to find food.