just for me ⚘ a Fred Weasley Fanfiction

30. good jokes and bad jokes

Things stayed quiet around the castle for the last week of school. The senior half of the school were grieving the loss of Cedric Diggory, and the junior half remained shock that a student had died on campus. But altogether, everyone was eager to get on the train home.
Juniper lost Draco to a group of Durmstrang students saying goodbye, so she had to get on a carriage with Pansy and two third-years. The entire carriage ride to Hogsmeade station was silent, even Pansy wasn't trying to make conversation.
Juniper was the last off the carriage, trying to lose Pansy so she could sit by herself for the train ride home, she didn't think she'd be able to handle another minute of Pansy and Draco.
She walked down the length of the train, sitting in an empty compartment in the middle of the train, hoping that she was still intimidating enough that no one would sit with her. Once the train started moving along the tracks, she was able to relax into her seat.

"Hey." A very small voice came from beside her. Juniper looked to the door and it was Hermione, poking her head in. "How are you?"

"Hi." Juniper smiled to her, ignoring the question. "Sad to see your boyfriend go?" She teased, hoping Hermione would get annoyed and leave.

"He wasn't my boyfriend." Hermione laughed, opening the door a bit wider. "But seriously, how are you? It's been a while since we've... you know. Talked. And I heard-."

"I think the last time was after the Yule Ball. In your common room." Juniper winced in regret, a flood of memories she forced herself to forget coming back to her. She gestured to the seat across from her for Hermione to sit down, she wasn't going to go anywhere anyway.

"That was like, seven months ago." Hermione said quietly, taking a seat. "And it was after you had punched Draco in the face."

"Oh god." Juniper covered her eyes out of embarrassment. "I have an incredibly short temper, what can I say?"

"Yeah..." Hermione added quietly, debating whether or not she should continue. "Are you two... okay now?"

"What do you mean?" Juniper quickly asked, trying to think of a convincing response.

"Well, you did punch him in the face, and now he's the only person you're ever seen with." Hermione gave Juniper a small smile, not sure what reaction she was going to receive. "But about-."

"Yeah, he's my boyfriend. I made a commitment to him." Juniper bluffed, pretending Hermione was crazy for bringing it up. "If I'm going to spend the rest of my life with him, I'm not going to let something silly get in the way."

"The rest of- what? Juniper, do you hear yourself?" Hermione's eyes widened and her demeanour completely switched. "He's horrible to everyone, especially you! He's abusive. His parents are Deatheaters, he's probably a Deatheater."

"I mean..." Juniper started, unable to hear how delusional she sounded. "If you can't beat them, join them."

"What?" Hermione shouted, all the breath leaving her body. She looked around to make sure no one was walking past the compartment, her voice turning into a hiss, "Not with Deatheaters, Juniper! They'd kill anyone if You-Know-Who told them to."

"Lucius said my grandmother and I would be protected as long as I'm dating Draco." Hermione's eyes softened as she covered her mouth. "And that's all I really care about anyway, so..."

"Harry hasn't spoken to you yet." Hermione said quietly. "Has he?"

"You said my name?" Harry groaned, stepping inside the compartment. The boy looked rough. He had eyebags upon eyebags, and his hair looked like it hadn't been brushed since the first task. He glanced at Juniper quickly, sitting beside Hermione awkwardly.