our universe

- R I G H T -

a/n : before we begin i just want to- no you know what i'm not gonna say anything. just- yeah. happy reading...

juniper's pov:

I slept almost the whole way back to Hogwarts. It was a sort of dreary day, very grey and cold. I was still sore at Viv for ditching me at the party. She wouldn't even tell me why. She just mumbled a very vague excuse, not meeting my eye. I had no idea what was going on with her lately. Meanwhile, Jade was nowhere to be found, and Rory, the one person who I actually wanted to talk too, had patrol duty with Leo.

Needless to say the train ride was very silent. That was perfectly okay with me, as I was still suffering the effects of the tequila and lack of sleep. And although there was tension between me and Vivian, there was no way I was sitting with the guys. I didn't have the energy for that.

When we finally arrived at Hogwarts, I unloaded my stuff into my dorm. It was good to be back. And I was a woman with a mission. After talking with Mum, and a lot of mental agonizing, I knew what I had to do.

Now I wasn't sure what was going to be harder. Figuring out and accepting what had to be done, or actually doing it. But I was about to find out.

"Hey!" Rory entered the room, returning from her prefect duties. She kissed me on the cheek, pulling me in for a one arm hug. "I missed you Junie."

"Missed you too." I said, and I meant it. Rory had been my anchor in the storm recently. "I really could have used you over break." I glanced to Vivian, who was barely engaged in the conversation. She picked listlessly at her mattress, eyes downturned.

"Yeah?" Rory smiled, "How was the holiday?"

"Okay." I shrugged, thinking. There had been downsides and upsides.

"I heard your mum was back." Rory added, letting her hair out of it's bun. "That's good, right? I know James was excited." A blush of pink tinged her cheeks, and I did my best to keep a straight face. It was still so jarring to hear her call my brother James instead of Potter, or more frequently, 'idiot'.

I raised an eyebrow, coming to stand next to her in front of the mirror. "Was he now?"

Rory sniffed primly, knowing she was caught. She straightened her posture, chin upturning. "He was."

I would know that uptight stance anywhere. Vivian and I used to call it her turtle face. It always happened during those rare times when Rory knew the other person was right, or she'd made a misstep. Like when James and Teddy trounced us in a Potions competition, or when she didn't want to show that she was actually enjoying James' antics.

"How nice for him." I nudged Rory, whose flushed complexion was completely betraying her.

"Oh shut up." She grumbled crossly, pursing her lips.

"Returned that jumper yet?" I asked with a smug smile. I knew she hadn't. And I also knew what James had sent her for Christmas. A tiny snow globe, which was now perched on her bedside table. I'd have to decide whether or not to tell James that little detail later.

"Junie!" She elbowed me in the ribs and we both fell back onto her bed, giggling. "You're horrible!" Rory shook her head, still giggling. She lay her head in my lap.

I tapped her nose teasingly, "Love you too Ror." She scrunched her nose and batted my hand away.

With a sigh, Rory sat up, propping her chin up on her hand, "How was your break, Viv?"

Vivian lifted her gaze briefly to shrug, "You know." We waited for her to elaborate, but nothing else came.

Rory and I shared a look, and I knew we were both thinking the same thing. Seriously, what was with the standoffishness? She was the one who'd left me at the party for Chrissakes, I should be mad at her. And as far as I knew, Rory hadn't done anything wrong. Why was Vivian being so cold? Maybe it was just the returning to school depression. Or maybe she was homesick. Or, you know, it could just be an off day. We all have those.