just for me ⚘ a Fred Weasley Fanfiction

14. Esmerelda the Witch

Juniper's home smelt exactly how she remembered it. The rose petals and peppermint of whatever love potion her Grandmother, Esmerelda, was brewing up. The lavender soap that she used a bit too heavily on her clothes, and Juniper could taste the perfume that she was wearing from a few rooms away.

"I'm home!" Juniper called from the front door, letting it close gently. Two new cats that her Grandmother had found on the street and decided to 'adopt' rubbed their bodies along Juniper's legs, familiarising themselves with her. Juniper walked slowly, making sure not to trip on any cats, or candles, or books. She had to duck her head a few times to miss the leaves of plants drooping from the ceiling. "Es?"

"Junebug! Did you have a great year?" Her Grandmother gushed without looking. She blew a kiss from where she was, hunched over a small cauldron, bottling up her Love Potion.

"Yes. I did." Juniper said, trying to haul her trunk through the kitchen without knocking anything over. The only bumped into a metal container of kitchen utensils, but it was enough for Esmerelda to flick her bright green eyes up, the clatter breaking her concentration.

"You got skinnier." Was the first thing she brought up. Esme was obsessed with appearance, being a Veela would do that to you. She managed to remain as beautiful as she was 40 years ago, her white-blonde hair was always neat, not a hair out of place. Whichever wrinkles she had added a mature essence to her charm, not only drawing attention from older Wizards, but younger ones too. Her lips were full and pink, and the corners were always upturned in a permanent smile. But didn't keep her thoughts from blurting out.

"Yes, I did." Juniper repeated, pursing her lips slightly.

"Don't frown like that, you'll get premature wrinkles." Esme said, turning back to her cauldron. Juniper continued dragging her trunk up the stairs, until it was whisked in the air with a wave of Esme's wand, making its way to Juniper's room.

"I could've done it myself." Juniper said, almost standing on the tail of another new cat. It hissed at her before running off to the bed that the rest of them were curled up on, sleeping together. "How many did you adopt this time?"

"Only the three. There was a fox too, but I think he left." Esme shrugged slightly, unbothered.

"Oh no, how come?" Juniper pulled out the chair across, sitting down and watching Esme work.

"I think we were too similar. Our personalities clashed." Her head snapped up, as though she could sense something. She turned to Juniper, eyeing her up and down suspiciously. "What happened?"

"What?"

"You're stressed, and sad." Esme rolled her eyes, summoning a pot of tea. "Talk."

"Well." Juniper poured her tea and took a strawberry from the bowl in the middle of the table. "Lucius Malfoy-"

"Oh no." Esme cut her off at the mention of the name.

"Yeah, exactly. He's making Draco force me to date him."

"Of course he is." Esme rolled her eyes, her anger slowly becoming visible.

"Draco said that it's because I'm a Veela and I can influence people." Juniper sighed, picking up another strawberry.

"He's not wrong."

"He said I was boring." Juniper said, a frown on her face that made her Grandmother shudder.

"You're not boring." Esme brushed the comment off without a thought. "I bet all of the boys at that school are dying for a sliver of your attention."

"Only because they think I'm pretty."