chapter eight : Jily

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"Did you know?"

It was Saturday afternoon and Juniper, Angelina and Alicia had just returned from Hogsmeade and were currently doing their homework in the common room. At this question, the former looked up to see Harry hovering over her.

"Did I know what?" she replied, dropping her quill and leaning back in her chair, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"That your uncle betrayed my parents?"

Angelina and Alicia casted a glance at Juniper before taking their stuff and hurrying towards the dormitory. June nodded towards the seat next to her.

"Sit down."

Harry didn't move. An expression of disbelief crossed his face.

"You knew."

"Harry, cousin, sit down and I'll explain everything," June said, pulling back the chair next to her. Harry fell down on it and looked at her expectantly.

"I did know," Juniper confessed and Harry opened his mouth to reply, but she raised her hand and glanced at him. "Give me a chance to explain, Harry."

Harry closed his mouth again.

"I did knew," she repeated. "Dora, Meda and Ted told me the moment he escaped. So I only knew it a few months longer than you did." June stared down at her half finished essay of Potions before looking up at Harry again. "Maybe I should've told you, but I was afraid you'd go after Black."

Harry casted his eyes down, something that only confirmed what June had just said.

"I know you're tired of hearing this, but he's dangerous, Harry, and I prefer not to lose you."

Harry shook his head. "He betrayed my parents, June. He was the reason they got killed in the first place."

"I know, Harry." Juniper placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"How can I just do nothing? Don't my parents deserve revenge?"

"They do, but letting yourself get killed is not the way."

The two of them sat down in silence before Juniper stood up and put her things in her bag before gesturing at Harry to follow her.

"C'mon, I want to show you something."

Juniper walked towards the portrait hole, not bothering to look if Harry was following her. She knew that her cousin was too curious for his own good.

"Where are we going?" Harry asked, looking up at her in curiousness.

"You'll see when we get there," June replied, fiddling with the sweater she had gotten from her godmother for her birthday. Aubrey had been her mother's longest friend and lived currently with her family in France. The two of them exchanged letters monthly and Juniper had visited her multiple times.

Juniper leaded Harry towards the library which made the latter look up in question.

"What are we doing in the library?"

"Patience, cousin," June said, making her way towards the back of the library. She counted down the tables before stopping at the one in the back. She crouched down, checked if it was still there, before gesturing Harry to crouch down beside her.

"Look," she said, pointing at something that had been scrabbled on the bottom of the desk.

James + Lily and around that, a big heart.

"I'd like to think they were called Jily," June said, as Harry stared at it, his green eyes turning watery.

"Jily?" Harry repeated, tearing his eyes away to look at her.

"Yes, James and Lily. Jily. Or Lames. But I prefer Jily."

"How did you find this?" Harry asked amazed, looking back at the names.

"I was working on an essay when my quill fell on the ground and I had to pick it up. In the process, I noticed it," June said, shrugging.

"Thank you for showing it to me," Harry said, caressing the names fondly.

"You're welcome, cousin."

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Christmas was around the corner and if there was one thing June loved the most, it was Christmas. The black haired woke up on Christmas morning with a bunch of presents stuffed at the end of her bed. She sat up, smiling broadly before looking around at Alicia and Angelina. The former was busy unwrapping her own presents while Angelina was still sleeping.

"Good morning," June said, making Alicia look up and smile at her.

"Good morning, June, and Merry Christmas."

Juniper grinned. "Merry Christmas."

The black haired look back at the pile of presents before taking the one from Molly. She opened it, revealing a soft scarlet sweater with a J on it. Juniper immediately pulled it on, smiling as the soft fabric slid over her bare skin. It was by far the most comfortable sweater she had ever worn — sorry auntie Aubrey.

She had gotten Chocolate Frogs from Dora and she smiled upon eating one of them, thanking her adoptive sister in the process. Chocolate Frogs were her favorite.

Andromeda and Ted had gotten her a box full of candy, something that would come up handy when her O.W.L.s would be there. June knew she was a stress-eater, especially for her exams.

Aubrey had gotten her a necklace with her initials ingraved in it. Juniper stared at it, fascinated by the silver that shone in the sunlight that managed to shine through the curtains. She smiled while putting it around her neck.

Another gift caught her eye, making June frown in surprise. She didn't know who had send it to her. Mentally, she went off all the names, but she couldn't find the person that would send her a present.

Carefully, she pulled it onto her lap, looking down at it as her hand went over the package. It was a small box and June opened it, revealing a silver ring. With the ring, there was a piece of parchment and she folded it open

Your father got this ring for your mother. She asked me to give it to you before she died.
— a friend

Juniper stared at the parchment until her hazel eyes darted over towards the ring. It was quite a ordinary ring, no diamonds or anything fancy. However, when June leaned in, she could make out letters on the inside of the ring.

R & L

Regulus and Lyra, June realized. Her mother and her father. The black haired took the parchment again. A friend. Who could it be?

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When June breathed out, her breath formed a white cloud. The dark haired stood outside, dressed in a warm jacket and a Gryffindor scarf. She was looking over the grounds, enjoying her time alone. Once in a while, she needed a time off.

The box with the ring in it was in her pocket. The black haired had yet to put it on, feeling as if it would be wrong to do so.

Her mother and father had had quite a love story. Put a Slytherin and a Gryffindor together and you had a relationship doomed to fail. However, the opposite happened. They fell in love and had June.

The black haired walked up the Quidditch stands and sat down in the back. She pulled out the box and opened it. Sometimes she wondered how it would feel to have someone you loved unconditionally. To have a love story of her own.

Juniper shook her head at the thought. Having a boyfriend would take too much of her time. And she need time to watch over Harry and Draco, prank with Fred and George, study a lot and hang out with Angelina and Alicia.

"Penny for your thoughts?" a voice asked and Juniper turned around to see Hermione standing a couple of feet from her. The black haired shuffled to make room for her and Hermione sat down next to her.

"It's nothing," June replied, closing the box and putting it back into her pocket. "How are you?" she questioned the bushy haired girl. "How are you and Ron? Last I heard, you were having a pretty big fight."

Hermione casted her eyes down. "It's better now, but I have a feeling it will not last long. Crookshanks' a cat and cats hunt rats. It's their nature." She sounded defensively.

"I know that," June said. "Everyone knows that."

"Ron doesn't," Hermione muttered.

Juniper sighed. "He's just worried about Scabbers."

"That doesn't mean he has the right to yell at me."

Juniper glanced at her. "I know, Hermione."

The two of them sat in silence for a while. June was with her thoughts back at the ring. Who could've given it to her?

"Harry got a Firebolt for Christmas," Hermione said. "I don't think you've got something to do with that?"

"A freaking Firebolt?" Juniper exclaimed, her eyes widening. "Are you kidding me?"

Hermione shook her head. "We don't know who send it."

"Oliver'll be over the moon," June said, grinning widely. "A Firebolt. Harry must be happy about it. He lost his Nimbus after all."

"I think Black send it to him," Hermione stated, snapping Juniper out of her state of excitement.

"What?" June said warily. "Why would he do that?"

"It could be hexed," Hermione said as matter-of-factly.

"I don't think my uncle would buy Harry such an expensive gift only to hex it," June said, shaking her head. "You should let Harry enjoy it."

An expression of guilt appeared on Hermione's face and Juniper glanced at her.

"You didn't —"

"I did," Hermione defended herself. "I don't want Harry to get hurt!"

June sighed and went with her hand over her face.

"Well, if you were at peace with Ron, I'm sure that's over now."

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Published 13.09.2020

I hope you enjoyed it & tell me what you think of it!