our universe

- H O L Y S H I T -

The days passed quickly, yet leisurely at Shell Cottage. The time ticking down til summer's end in a series of sunsets, sand, and secret kisses in the depths of night. Juniper's life felt like something out of a movie. Everything was just so- perfect.

This place was perfect. Her friends were perfect. Teddy was perfect.

Juniper was the happiest she'd been in a long time, and damn did it feel good. Her birthday was tomorrow, well- her and James' birthday she supposed. They were going to be of age. Legally considered adults in the Wizarding World. Heavy shit, that was for sure. Juniper still had no idea what she was going to do once Hogwarts was over. She'd quite like to become a professional Quidditch player, but didn't know if she had the skill set to accomplish it. Thinking about the future made her stomach feel all funny, so she didn't want to dwell on it much.

Instead, she'd rather focus on...

"I'm a good kisser, aren't I?" Teddy murmured lazily against her lips, hands firm around her waist. He'd dragged her into a Muggle phone booth ten minutes ago, apparently not having been able to stand her walking around town with everyone in the midday heat and prevented from touching her in the way he wanted to.

Yes. Juniper thought to herself. Instead she said, "What sort of a question is that?"

"That means yes," Teddy smirked, roaming hands slipping under her thin, white tank top.

Juniper sighed, resisting the urge to blush. Her cheeks were already flushed, of course, but Juniper was choosing to believe it was from the weather. "You are impossible, Theodore Lupin."

"Oi!" Teddy cried, nipping at her neck. "That's my line, trouble."

"Whatever you say, princess," Juniper lifted an airy shoulder, scrunching her nose up at him. She knew Teddy loved when she did that. He often referred to it as her angry face. It drove him absolutely insane, as Juniper had soon learned. And she used it to her advantage at every possible moment.

Teddy pouted, like he always did at that nickname, "Shut up, Junie."

"And now we're even," Juniper giggled, planting a kiss on his jaw, rough with the shadow of stubble. Grey clouds gathered overhead, it was that typical muggy summer day in the U.K. and the air was thick with moisture. Juniper's hair had been standing on end since the morning, frizzy and virtually untamable. "Someone's going to notice we're gone soon," she remarked.

"You mean James," Teddy reminded her with a laugh. It was true, everybody knew now. Well, not Victoire. But everyone else. "And let's be honest," Teddy continued, "he's not going to notice." This was true as well. It had been...awkward, to say the least, between Rory, Teddy, and James.

James still thought that they'd slept together, but he didn't know that they knew he thought that. And he was unsure of how to act around both of them. James was at a loss, Rory was distraught, Leo was apologetic, Charlie was sitting back and watching it all happen, and Juniper and Teddy had gained the perfect cover. There was no way James would even suspect anything was going on between them. He was far too preoccupied with the whole Teddy and Rory mess...which was, of course, a complete fabrication.

He threaded his fingers through her wild curls, "But if I must." Teddy placed a kiss on her forehead, leading her out of the phone booth reluctantly.

It had begun to drizzle overhead, and Juniper groaned. At this rate, she was on her way to looking like a lion. She tried to pull her hair back into a ponytail, but the image had already been done. She couldn't even get all of it contained with a rubber band.

Teddy snickered, "Medusa's back."

Juniper flipped him off, "Fuck you."

"Isn't that your job, trouble?" Teddy asked with a devilish quirk of his mouth.