𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐫 | b. black

✧.*┊xxx. loving her

CHAPTER THIRTY
loving her

.·:*¨༺ ☾ ༻¨*:·.

𝐀𝐒 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐆𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓 𝐇𝐀𝐋𝐋 to celebrate the fall of the Dark Lord, Juniper went outside with Bellatrix, their hands laced together. All was quiet now save for the birds and their happy chirping.

"Remember this tree?" Juniper asked, memories flooding back from the day it all began as she approached the tree in which she used to read in.

Bellatrix nodded with a chuckle. "Only you, Juniper Harrison, could ever get me to sit up in a tree and pour my heart out to you."

"What do you say, princess?" Juniper asked, beginning to climb. "Wanna have a little chat up here for old times' sake?"

"I'd rather not, peasant," Bellatrix teased, rolling her eyes playfully.

"But the view, Bella, the view!"

"What view?" Bellatrix looked around the ruined castle grounds with a scowl. "It's not beautiful anymore."

"Then imagine!" Juniper called down to her, now perched on the same branch where she sat reading Pride and Prejudice the day Bellatrix came out to harass her about sitting in a tree merely because she was bored.

"This is still ridiculous," Bellatrix muttered with a sigh as she began to climb.

"Says the one willingly climbing a tree to hang out with little old me . . . Again."

"You're lucky I love you, you insolent little Hufflepuff."

Juniper gasped, her eyes lighting up. She couldn't help but smile like an idiot as Bellatrix sat down across from her. "Say that again."

"Say what again?" Bellatrix asked, her brows furrowing.

"What you just said."

"You're lucky that I love you?"

"That!" Juniper grinned, happy tears filling her eyes.

"I'm sorry, I don't quite follow. What are you on about?"

"You love me?"

Bellatrix's heart swelled. She reached across to place a hand on top of Juniper's, their eyes locking together. "Of course I love you, Pip. I always have, and I always will."

Juniper leaned forward to press her lips softly to Bellatrix's. "I love you too, Bella," she whispered.

Bellatrix put a hand on the back of her neck and pulled her into another kiss, deeper this time. Her arm snaked around her waist, pulling her close while making sure neither of them fell out of the tree. When air became limited, she broke away, resting their foreheads together as they caught their breaths. "Then let's make it official. I want you to be mine, Juniper. Forever. Now that I have you, I'm never going to let you go again."

"Promise?" Juniper asked quietly.

"Promise." Bellatrix kissed her once more, trailing her lips across her jaw and to her neck. "What do you say, Pip?" she whispered in her ear, nipping the skin behind it gently. "How would you like to officially be a Black?"

"Say the word, Bella," Juniper murmured, running her fingers through her curls with a teasing smirk. "Say it . . . "

Bellatrix dramatically rolled her eyes. "Will you marry me or not, Muddy?"

Juniper grabbed the sides of her face, forcing her to look at her as she said, "Yes," and crashed their lips together.

Just as Bellatrix was sliding a hand into Juniper's trousers, a gasp from the bottom of the tree made them break away. Dorothea stood there with her jaw dropped.

"Thea!" Juniper's eyes went wide.

"You're getting married?!" Dorothea grinned.

"Dorothea, don't you dare run your mouth," Bellatrix threatened.

"I won't." Dorothea grinned mischievously as she ran back to the castle. "Mum, I saw Auntie Bella snogging Juni in a tree!"

Bellatrix and Juniper glanced at each other, both of them bursting into laughter. All of a sudden, it was like they were 16 and 18 again, back when they were sneaking around in dark corridors and hiding their relationship for fear of what would happen should anyone outside their trusted circle find out.

But they didn't have to hide anymore. Juniper would spend the rest of her life loving her, and Bellatrix would keep her promise to never let her go again.

( author's note )

thank you all so much for reading. bella and juni's story is one that means so much to me, and i'm so sad that it has come to an end :')

make sure to follow me if you haven't already, as well as follow my instagram @dreamofsome.epiphany for news on current/future stories, as well as some behind the scenes of my writing process and little posts about my characters and their ships (it's not much right now, just an edit of bellatrix and juniper, but i am trying to be more active!)

don't forget to leave a comment with any final thoughts you may have on the story! once again, thanks for reading! 🖤