You're Not Alone-Hermione Granger(Currently Editing)

Eighty-Two

As the days continued on, Juniper growing more nervous for the first task coming up, she was just glad she wasn't getting bullied as much as Harry was. Not that she wished bullying on any of her friends but, Rita Skeeter's paper had come out and most of the article which had been on several pages were about Harry with Fleur and Viktor being barely mentioned and Cedric and Juniper weren't even on the paper. Not that Juniper minded anyways.

She was glad to see that the group photo they put up on the page seemed to be centered all around Harry too with her and Krum tucked into the back and out of the spotlight. The one thing she didn't like about the arcticle was it showcasing Harry possibly having fallen in love with none other than Hermione Granger. She did agree, Hermione was stunningly pretty, but for Rita to say that Hermione and Harry could possibly be dating just made her insides burn. 

Of course, thanks to the article, it now made Hermione a target too, which angered her even more. "Stunningly pretty? Her? What was she judging against- a chipmunk?" Pansy had brought up one time as they passed in the hallways, her Slytherin gang sniggering.

"Ignore it" Hermione had warned her friends but Juniper couldn't help herself. "I'd rather take a chimpunk over a pug. At least her eyes don't look like they're bulging out of her head at any given moment" Juniper quips and the whole hallway burst out in laughter, including Pansy's friends, Pansy's face turning red in anger and embarrassment and even Hermione was trying to hide her giggles behind her hand. 

Juniper found herself spending a lot more time in the Room of Requirements with Lucas and Summer and a lot less time with Hermione and Harry, who had been spending a lot of their time in the library. No one had any idea what was in store for the first task but Lucas and Summer were training her in tons of spells to help prepare her for whatever was to come as well as turning it into training areas such as different terrains she might have to face.

They were a lot of help and all of the training seemed to make the week go by faster what with the first task steadily getting closer. The Saturday before the tournament was a Hogsmeade day and the three meet up with Draco, Crabbe and Goyle. 

The six all ventured around the village but none of them could stop talking about the first task and even Crabbe, Goyle and Draco were still wearing the Cedric Diggory badges. So much for getting support from her supposed best friend. In fact, as she walked around, all eyes seemed to be on her, crowds whispering about her as she walked past.

"I'll be back" Juniper mumbles, though Summer is the only one who hears her as she slips in to the Three Broomsticks, feeling as though she can't breathe. Not that this was the best place to go either. It was full of Hogwarts students as well and some of them were now looking at her. She moves to head towards a table, keeping her head down until she hears someone calling her over. "Eleanor!" She looks over to see the Weasley twins, Lee Jordan and Ron all sat at a table, drinking butterbeer.

She sighs, hoping she could've gotten some alone time but heads over anyways. "There's our favorite champion" Fred shows off the badges him, George and Lee Jordan were wearing with one side saying Juniper Rosewood & Harry Potter and on the other side, Best Hogwarts champions. "All of the Gryffindors are wearing them at this point. Most of the Hufflepuffs, Slytherins and Ravenclaws are wearing the Cedric ones but when they see you in that first task, I'm sure you'll get more supporters" George explains.

Juniper glances at Ron who wasn't wearing any badge and was more interested in his butterbeer than her. "Don't worry about him, Eleanor. He's an idiot" "Hey!" The twins shrug, unbothered. "Any idea what the first task is?" Lee Jordan asks and Juniper frowns. Here it goes again. More tournament talk. What she was trying to avoid. "Wanna sit, Eleanor? We were just talking about how Krum might be based on his Quidditch skills a moment ago." George offers and Juniper looks around, not sure whether she wanted to have a panic attack in the bathroom or sit with them and listen to them talk about the task, making it worse.