𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐫 | b. black

✧.*┊xix. the prophecy

CHAPTER NINETEEN
the prophecy

.·:*¨༺ ☾ ༻¨*:·.

𝐉𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐏𝐄𝐑 𝐇𝐀𝐃 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐄𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐃 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐒𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐔𝐒 that Sirius was allegedly at the Ministry of Magic being tortured by Lord Voldemort. This was bullshit, of course, seeing as Sirius was right there at Grimmauld Place, where he had been all day.

But knowing Harry Potter, he was sure to be on his way to the Ministry right now, meaning that he was falling right into the Dark Lord's trap, and the Order of the Phoenix had a rescue mission to attend to.

Sirius was the first to arrive in a room in the Department of Mysteries. A large veil stood in the middle. Lucius Malfoy was standing in front of Harry, a prophecy in his hand and a triumphant look on his face.

He approached the blonde man, his gaze hardening. "Get away from my godson." He punched him across the face.

After getting lost in the endless maze that was the Department of Mysteries, Juniper ran in, gasping for air. She scanned the group of teens, her eyes landing on Dorothea and then to the Death Eater holding her captive.

Ocean blue locked onto mocha brown. For a moment, Juniper forgot they were on opposite sides. She looked so different after all these years, but all the same, she was still as gorgeous and enchanting as ever.

A smirk spread across Bellatrix's lips. It wasn't the teasing ones that she would give her back in their youth, but a nasty one of pure evil. This snapped Juniper back to reality.

"Get away from my goddaughter!" She took an arrow out of the quiver strapped to her back. She hooked it into her bow and let it fly without a second thought.

Bellatrix disappeared in a puff of black smoke, and the arrow landed in the wall. Dorothea ran to Juniper, and the woman wrapped her in a tight hug as the rest of the Order members arrived, a fight breaking out.

"Thea, listen to me," Juniper said, ushering her away from the blasting spells. "You need to get out of here. Get somewhere safe. Go with Luna and Neville, okay?" She blocked a curse that was shot their way. "Go." She pushed her away when she tried to cling to her arm, her mouth opening to warn her about something but no words coming out. "Thea, go!"

"Juniper, look out!" Hermione shouted from where she was hiding with the others.

Juniper looked up, but all she saw was a puff of black smoke before she was lifted off her feet and brought over to a more secluded part of the room. They were in a sort of tunnel that led into the room; it was higher up and nearly pitch black, making it impossible for anyone in the fight below to see them.

"Did you miss me, little one?" a voice whispered.

"I'm not playing any of your twisted games, Bellatrix," Juniper spat, shoving the older woman away from her. "You don't get to act like everything will be as it was before, because everything has changed. I've changed. And you've most certainly changed."

Bellatrix pouted teasingly. "You say that like it's a bad thing." She traced her fingertips lightly across her cheek, smirking softly when Juniper leaned into her touch despite herself. "You're still such a responsive little thing," she said, her voice horace. She cupped her chin and tilted her head up, leaning close, their lips barely grazing.

"Bella— N-No . . . No." Juniper forced herself to snap out of it. She yanked her head away from Bellatrix's touch. "You don't get to do this. You left me. You did. To serve a cruel, heartless man."

"An honest mistake, Pip."

Juniper scoffed. "It wasn't a mistake, Trixie, this was your choice. You chose to choose evil."

"Because choosing to be good is just so boring." Bellatrix rolled her eyes dramatically. "Besides, it's thrilling, don't you think? Like Romeo and Juliet."

"Did you even read Romeo and Juliet?" Juniper raised a brow. "It's not a love story. It's a three day relationship between a thirteen year old and a seventeen year old who both died in the end. Juliet was a child whereas Romeo was almost an adult. It's rather disturbing."

"Spare me the lecture, Muddy, you know what I meant."

"That I'll be your little plaything again like I was when we were younger? That I'll run to you and welcome you back with open arms? That I'll let you use me just to have my heart shattered again? I have a life now, Bellatrix. I'm an Auror, I have two beautiful goddaughters. You don't fit into that picture because you and your Lord are against everything that I stand for. If I were you, I would stay away from me before I throw you back in Azkaban."

Bellatrix's jaw clenched. She gripped her wand tightly in her hand. "Fine . . . If you're going to be like that. I was willing to show that little half-blood brat mercy, but not anymore."

"Bellatrix, don't you dare touch her!" Juniper whipped out her wand, adrenaline shooting through her as Bellatrix flew down in a puff of black to the fight below. Juniper followed in a trail of white, materializing by the veil next to Sirius and Harry.

She looked around in search of Dorothea and spotted her running towards her. Bellatrix appeared on a ledge behind her, her wand raised. "Thea, down!"

"Avada Kedavra!"

Juniper grabbed Dorothea and pulled her down to the floor as a jet of green light shot towards them. With a protective hand on the back of her head, she looked up, confused when she saw what looked like regret on Bellatrix's face.

Juniper followed her gaze and saw Sirius fall backwards into the veil.

A sob left Dorothea's lips, and she tried to run to him to try and save him, but Tonks grabbed her arms. Juniper stood up, a single tear falling down her cheek. She glanced between Dorothea, who was crying into Tonks's chest, and then to Bellatrix, who was backing away to the exit with a cruel smirk on her face, and then to Harry, whose pain turned to anger as he broke out of Remus's arms and sprinted after her.

"Juniper?" Neville's quiet voice hit her ears. She turned around to face him, and he held out a blue crystal orb – a prophecy. "I know this is a bad time, but . . . I think this belongs to you. It was on a shelf with your name on it when we retrieved Harry's prophecy."

"It belongs to me?" Juniper questioned, wiping away a tear before reaching out to take it with a shaky hand. Dorothea walked up next to her, staring curiously at the orb.

"You a-and Bellatrix," Neville corrected, swallowing.

A voice began to speak from the orb, and Juniper held her breath as she listened to the prophecy:

"Two souls intertwined in destiny . . . one light, one dark . . . shall stand together against the greatest threat . . . and bring about the fall of the Dark Lord."