our universe

- T E D D Y & J U N I P E R -

juniper's pov:

My whistle was missing.

Still missing, I mean.

I'd had it yesterday. I thought I'd left it in my locker. It wasn't there. Then I checked my Quidditch bag. It wasn't there either.

Maybe it was in my dorm. That made sense. I didn't usually bring it in, but maybe. I should look. It could be on the dresser. Or under one of the beds. I was always losing things. Dad said I was like Mum that way.

It had to be here somewhere.

"Junie!"

It just had to be.

"Junie!"

I could look in the desk drawer, I suppose. It wasn't there, either. I opened the medicine cabinet. Nope it wasn't there either. I peered at Rory's bookshelf, walking all around my room.

I was looking for my whistle. Did Teddy call Selene his girlfriend? I don't know, maybe. I didn't care, I was looking for my whistle. Was Teddy in my room? Who. Fucking. Cares. I didn't. I was looking for my whistle.

It was missing.

"Damn it- Junie will you just stand still?!" Teddy grabbed me by the shoulders.

It was getting a lot harder to ignore him.

I refused to meet his eye, "I am looking for my whistle."

"Yeah- you mentioned that." Teddy raked a hand through his hair, keeping a firm hold on my arm with the other. "Junie-"

"What?" I snapped curtly, tearing my gaze upwards to meet his. It hurt.

It hurt to look at him.

Teddy's stare was unrelenting, "Junie..." He repeated.

"Stop saying my name like it means something!" I said, temper rising. I needed to calm down. I needed to find my whistle. I needed to not think about Selene and Teddy. And girlfriends and boyfriends. I needed Teddy to-

I needed a lot of things. Most of which I could do nothing about.

But the whistle. If I could just find the whistle.

Teddy backed down, guilt in his eyes. Good. He should feel guilty. He loosened his grasp on me, murmuring softly, "Juniper- sorry...would you just- just sit down- please?"

I didn't want to sit down. I wanted to run. Hide. Mostly run. Run as fast as I could. Far, far away from here. Maybe I could make a home for myself in the Forbidden Forest, befriend a tarantula. Tarantulas didn't snog Selene. Tarantulas didn't call Selene their girlfriend. I bet the tarantulas would even eat Selene for me.

But I sat down anyways. He was so earnest. I knew he felt bad, and then I felt bad because I was glad he felt bad. And now I sound like a fucking Dr. Seuss book.

"Are you ok?" Teddy asked, sitting down beside me. He tried to take my hand, but I wouldn't let him. I pulled away, shoving my hands under my thighs for protection. He cast his eyes downward, hurt, "I didn't mean- it wasn't supposed to come out like that. I swear- I never meant..."

"Never meant what, Teddy? I don't care that you snogged Selene." But I did. I really did. But he could never know that. "I've seen you snog half the bloody castle for merlin sakes." That was true. And it hurt every time. Every single time. But he couldn't know that either.

Teddy fidgeted nervously, "I know- but that was before...everything." He gestured his right hand aimlessly, "Before- us."

Us.