Heaven in Hiding [H.P.] ✓

The Jester

Juniper had rarely hated someone as much as the group consisting of James Potter a bratty, entitled pureblood boy with messy dark hair and glasses; Remus Lupin, a halfblooded quiet boy that would be the brain behind every prank they pulled; Peter Pettigrew, a chubby tag-along kind of boy but with a certain sadism that he kept rather well hidden from his friends but not from their victims; Sirius Black, the very boy she had promised to protect who had turned out rather quickly as an annoyingly arrogant Gryffindor with a certain hunger for pranking Slytherins...

She had nothing but trouble with him and it was not worth it, considering that she still got pranked alongside all others more than a handful of times.
Still.. she had promised. One time she had even, subtly, hexed a boy who had tried to get revenge on him and his friends, leaving  the poor boy to be found in the castle halls.

That was all the contact she had with the Black heir for years...

Until her sixth year.

Sitting across from Bellatrix she listens solemnly to her words.

"If he goes back home this year he'll die. HE has heard of his disobedience and is coming to.. deal with it." Juniper bites her lip hard. "What is going to happen?" "I'm going to take his punishment and cover for him.." "Bella.." "Andromeda ran away to live with her Hufflepuff boyfriend. You know that he is muggleborn. And I am happy for them. And he is happy to be with his friends too.. which makes me glad. I'm now the oldest one still standing of us Blacks. If I don't do it, Cissa and Regulus and him will be hurt as well. I don't know what kind of person I will be when I come back, little Frost.. but you have to do me a favour and make sure that he won't come back home." Juniper hugs her friend tightly, tears running down her cheeks. "I will. I love you lots, Bella." The two girls hug inside of the small broom chamber, both crying.
Pulling themselves together somewhat with the help of Glamour charms they make their way into the hallway where they part.

It was rare that Juniper was walking the castle alone.. even more rare that she was using her favourite secret passage and a guiding charm to locate Sirius Black of all people.

And still.. there she was, emerging from the wall just to grab him swiftly by slapping her hand in front of his mouth from behind and dragging him into another broom chamber which she locks behind her and makes soundproof. "Winters.." He looked at her rather angrily and had begun with a flurry of insults as she was trying to gather herself. "Are you fucking done, Black? Then shut the Fuck up and Listen!!" He falls quiet. "What do you.." "Bellatrix asked me the day you were sorted into Gryffindor to make sure you were kept somewhat safe and Salazar knows I've had loads of trouble with that And keeping it secret but this is beyond simple background hexing of people trying to curse you. Voldemort is a name familiar to you, yes?" He nods. "He is going to come to your home those next holidays to.. deal with the disobedient Black heir himself." Sirius looks at her sharply. "What.." "Bellatrix is going to sacrifice herself so that you, Regulus, Narcissa and Andromeda will be safe. There is no telling in what kind of condition she will return. But she asked me to make sure you know Not to return home under any circumstances these holidays.. or you are going to die." Juniper had, a bit exhausted, leaned back against the wall and was trying her best not to cry. "You were.." The door flies open and his annoying little friends march in, pointing their wands at her only to slowly lower them as they notice that she was simply resting against the wall with their friend talking to her. "What is.. going on here?" "Close the door you bloody fucking idiot.", Juniper hisses and Potter shuts it behind them, locking it again. "Now.. what.." Sirius gestures for his friends to shut up. "You were doing that the entire time?" "Slytherin, Black, stands for loyalty towards family. Both chosen and by blood. You might not think of Slytherins that way often but that is what and who we are..." He swallows hard. "I.." "I don't care for whatever you are going to try and say.. just.. do as told." He nods slightly. "Good." She turns to the door. "Wait.." He hurries after her. " She stops. "You can talk freely in front of my friends." Juniper shakes her head. "I really can't." Leaning in she moves close to his ear. "No Slytherin I know is joining out of free will but under torture.. however.. Lucius has told me that the Pettigrew family, boy and all, has been spotted at the meetings. You know what that means. Do with it what you will... Just be aware that your words may carry further than you ever intended.", she whispers hastily, before, to cover up, gently pecking his cheek and heading out into the hallway, sliding away. Sirius stands frozen with his hand touching his cheek. "Did Winters just kiss you?! What's going on? And why are you blushing?!", James Potter asks. Sirius ruffles his hair. "She let me know that our families were planning to engage us to one another but she managed to resolve the.. issue." "Seems almost like you wouldn't have minded.", Peter snickers and Sirius shrugs. "She's hot. What can I say?" However.. he was very aware that his words had to be chosen carefully. He would talk to Remus and James later. For now he had to cover his and her tracks a bit.. just like she had always done.