Jupiter | Harry James Potter

lxx ; more than that

-JUPITER-

"Are you alright?"

Jupiter looked up from the two separate stacks of homework in her lap to see Will Noland standing next to her. "Oh, er- yeah," she said, quickly pushing the multiple papers onto the sofa.

Quidditch tryouts had just taken place, and unsurprisingly, Ron had tried out, but even more surprisingly, he had actually made keeper. Fred and George had thrown a party to celebrate their baby brother's accomplishment, but Jupiter felt no sense of excitement due to the intense worrying about Harry's final detention taking place. Hermione sat in the armchair beside the sofa, complete dozed off with a glass of butterbeer in her hands.

"Has Potter seriously got you doing his homework?" Will scoffed, his eyebrows raising as he grabbed a piece of parchment from the stack. "I swear if he's making you-"

"Cool it, Noland, I'm the one making him let me," Jupiter laughed, snatching the parchment from his hands. "Even if he was, it doesn't concern you in any way. You know why?"

"Yeah, yeah, you're with Potter, I get it," Will snickered, sitting on the sofa next to her. "Where is the bloke, anyway? I figured he'd be snogging you in front of the whole party just to make me jealous."

"Detention," Jupiter huffed her voice tinged with a mix of frustration and worry. She glanced at the clock on the wall, noting how late it was getting. "It's his last one, though. At least, I hope it is."

Will frowned, his playful demeanor giving way to something more serious. "You care about him a lot, don't you?"

"More than anything," Jupiter admitted, her voice soft but firm. She looked down at the stack of papers, now forgotten on the sofa. "It's just been so tough since the end of last year... I just want him to be okay. But sometimes it feels like no matter what I do, it's not enough."

Will hesitated for a moment, then placed a hand on her shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "You're doing more than you realize, Jupiter. Just being there for him, that's gotta mean the world to him. And I'm sure he knows it."

Jupiter smiled faintly, appreciating the sentiment even if it didn't entirely ease her worries. "Thanks, Will. It's just... hard, you know?"

"Yeah, I get it," he replied, leaning back and glancing around the common room. The party was still in full swing, but it was clear that Jupiter's mind was elsewhere. "If you ever need a break from all this, you know where to find me. Madam Pomfrey's been letting me observe her in the hospital wing during my free periods, so I've learned a lot more."

"I'll keep that in mind," Jupiter said with a small smile, though her thoughts were still preoccupied with Harry.

As if on cue, the portrait hole creaked open, and Jupiter's heart skipped a beat. She immediately turned her head, hoping it was Harry walking in. But instead, it was Ginny, followed by a Ravenclaw boy, Micheal Corner.

Will noticed her reaction and offered her a sympathetic smile. "He'll be back soon. And when he is, you'll be the first person he'll want to see, trust me."

Jupiter nodded, though she couldn't shake the nagging worry at the back of her mind. She glanced over at Hermione, who was still dozing off in the armchair, the butterbeer glass tilting dangerously in her hand. With a sigh, Jupiter gently reached over and took the glass from Hermione's hand, setting it down on the table.

"Potter's lucky to have you," Will sighed, watching Jupiter intently. "If he ever forgets it, I'll be there."

"Yeah, I know you will," Jupiter laughed softly. "But I don't see that happening."