just for me ⚘ a Fred Weasley Fanfiction

26. matilda the red liqorice connoisseur

Once classes had started up again, almost everything went back to normal. Juniper hung around the Slytherin pack, not speaking unless she was spoken to, Draco pretended like nothing had happened, and that his black eye had just appeared out of no where. Even Professor Snape had made a snarky comment about it in the middle of Potions Class, which made everyone in the room laugh, but the Slytherin's sat in silence.
Draco tried to talk to Juniper every chance he could, but she had gotten quite skilled at avoiding him, noticing the way everyone was slightly quieter when he was around, she started sneak around with first and second years, knowing Draco wouldn't go near any of them.
It wasn't until the beginning of February that he managed to catch her alone.
She was on her way to somewhere that Draco had only visited once or twice, the library, trying to get ahead of her Defence Against the Dark Arts work, when he grabbed her by the sleeve of her robe, her books tumbling out of her arms as he dragged her to the corner.

"Hey!" She shouted out of annoyance, turning to grab her books but Draco's arm held her back. She had no choice but to stay and talk to him. For the first time in over a month, the first time since she 'cheated' on him with Fred Weasley. She rolled her eyes and looked up at him. "What do you want Draco?"

"You need to stay with me." He said pleadingly, as though he had been ordered to say it.

"Why's that?"

"I... can't tell you." Draco replied, a bit sheepish.

"Convincing." Juniper said blankly, boredom spreading across her face. "You've got Pansy, you don't need me anymore. Tell your father you got bored of me or something."

"He can't know about it, not yet." Draco said, thinking hard to himself before continuing. "Just until the end of the school year."

"Why?"

"I can't... ugh." Draco groaned out of frustration, his head burying into his hands. "I can't talk about it, or tell you, or... anything."

"Then I'm out." Juniper said, turning to walk, but Draco pulled her back in.

"You have to keep it top secret, not one person can know." Draco's voice lowered, barely audible.

"Why?"

"Just!- Shh." Draco hissed out of frustration. "I'm not the one in danger here, I'll be fine if my father knows we aren't together. I know what's happening, I'm protected. It's you in danger."

"Right... so, this is another threat?" Juniper's eyebrows raised, not taking Draco seriously.

"If that what it'll take for you to keep this a secret, then sure." Draco's eyes stared into Juniper's, trying to convince her how serious the situation was. Juniper kept his stare, considering it for a few seconds.

"Alright. I won't tell anyone." Her arms crossed her chest again, waiting for him to say something that was worth her time. Draco's hand reached around the back of Juniper's neck, making her flinch slightly, and brought her head down closer to his. 

"Something is going to happen at the third task, I'm not sure what but it's going to involve the Death Eaters." Draco spoke, his voice barely breaking into a whisper. "It's best that you stay with me, in alliance with my family, for both you and your grandmother's sake and safety."

The mention of her grandmother's safety is what laced Juniper's eyes with tears, threatening to spill as she stared at Draco.

"A-are we going to... die? If your father..." Her voice waivers and she struggles to whisper. Draco was finding the right answer when a shadow casted over the two.

"I'm guessing these are yours, June." Fred Weasley said, gripping Juniper's books in a hand, holding them out for her to take. Juniper continued to look at Draco, desperate for an answer. Wanting to know whether her grandmother, her entire family, was dependant on Juniper and Draco's fake relationship to live. Whereas Draco's eyes had crossed over to Fred, his eyebrows pulling together and his back straightening in an attempt to intimidate him. Draco watched as Fred's eyes stayed on Juniper, the concern growing on his face as Juniper stayed silent. Fred placed a hand on Juniper's back, attempting to bring her back to life. "Juniper?"