Oh, Juliet (s.black)

The First Letter

The late September sun hung low in the sky, casting a warm, golden hue over the Hogwarts grounds. Juliet sat on the stone steps outside the castle, watching as the shadows stretched long across the courtyard. The air was crisp, the first hint of autumn nipping at her cheeks, and the soft rustle of leaves could be heard in the breeze. She had come here to clear her head after a long day of classes and to escape the noise of the bustling castle.

It was peaceful out here, away from the chatter and laughter that filled the corridors. Juliet always liked moments like this—quiet, reflective, with nothing but the soft hum of nature around her. She tilted her head back, gazing at the sky as it shifted from pale blue to the deep, inky darkness of evening. The stars, her old friends, would be out soon, and she looked forward to the comfort they brought her.

Her tranquility was interrupted by the sudden flutter of wings. An owl swooped down, dropping a letter into her lap before disappearing into the twilight. Juliet blinked in surprise. She wasn't expecting any letters today.

Her heart skipped a beat as she recognized the neat, familiar handwriting on the envelope. It was from Jason, her older brother. Jason didn't write often—he was in his final year at Durmstrang but he was doing all of his studies at home this year, and between his studies and the long distance between their locations, letters were few and far between. But when he did write, it was usually something important.

Juliet carefully opened the envelope, pulling out the letter inside. Her eyes scanned the page, her fingers gripping the parchment a little tighter as she read the words written in Jason's careful hand:

"Juliet,

I hope everything is going well for you at Hogwarts. I know you've probably been busy with school and your friends, but I wanted to write to you about something important.

Things at home are... well, they're worse than before. Mum and Dad aren't even trying to hide it anymore. They're fighting all the time now, and I mean really fighting. Yelling. Screaming. It's gotten bad, Jules. It's not just the usual disagreements we're used to. They've stopped pretending everything's fine, even when I'm around. The house feels different—tense, like you could cut the air with a knife.

I don't know what's going to happen next, but I thought you should know. I didn't want you to come home for Christmas and be blindsided by all of this. I wish I could say it's going to get better, but I honestly don't know.

I'm sorry if this ruins your day. I just thought you needed to hear it from me before you heard it from someone else.

Take care of yourself, Jules.

Love,
Jason"

Juliet's breath hitched in her throat as she finished reading. She stared down at the letter, her heart thudding heavily in her chest. Her parents were fighting. Really fighting. The kind of fights they didn't bother to hide anymore.

It wasn't that Juliet hadn't noticed something was off before. Over the summer, things had felt... strange. There had been more tension than usual between her parents, but they had always kept their arguments behind closed doors, never letting her or Jason see too much. They had always found a way to smooth things over before it became too serious.

But now? The letter in her hands told a different story.

She swallowed hard, folding the letter carefully and tucking it into her bag. She sat there for a long moment, her thoughts racing, her chest tightening with an unfamiliar sense of dread. What was happening back home? Why were things getting worse?

Juliet closed her eyes, leaning back against the cool stone steps. The autumn breeze tugged at her hair, but the chill in the air did nothing to ease the unease growing in the pit of her stomach. She had always believed that love could fix anything—that with enough patience and kindness, any problem could be solved.

But what if... what if this was different? What if love wasn't enough?

Her parents had been her foundation, the one steady thing in her life that never wavered, no matter how chaotic things got. But now, that foundation was cracking, and Juliet wasn't sure how to make sense of it.

Families fight sometimes, she told herself, trying to steady her thoughts. It's normal. People argue. They'll get through this. They always do.

But there was something in Jason's words that unsettled her. It wasn't just the usual squabbles this time. Jason had said the house felt different—tense, heavy, like something was about to break.

Juliet hugged her knees to her chest, staring out at the fading horizon. A part of her wanted to go straight to Lily or Sirius, or even James and tell them everything. They were her closest friends, after all, and they always had her back. But another part of her hesitated. What could she even say? Her friends all had such strong, stable families. James's parents were the kindest people she'd ever met. Lily's home life, while different from her own, was full of warmth and love. How could she explain what was happening at home without sounding... broken? Sirius was the only one who would likely even begin to understand. Even then, she knew it was different. His parents were cruel, cold-hearted people, hers weren't.

No, she decided. Not yet. She would keep this letter to herself for now. After all, families fight sometimes. It wasn't the end of the world. They'd figure it out, wouldn't they?

Juliet stood up slowly, brushing the dirt off her robes as she made her way back inside the castle. She moved through the halls with her usual grace, offering smiles to passing classmates and exchanging quick greetings with familiar faces. No one would have guessed that something was bothering her. She was good at hiding things when she needed to be.

When she reached the Gryffindor common room, it was filled with the usual evening buzz—students chatting, playing games, studying in cozy corners. James and Sirius were in their usual spots by the fireplace, animatedly discussing Quidditch strategies for the next match. Remus sat nearby with a book in his lap, offering the occasional comment with a soft smile.

Juliet approached them, her face carefully neutral, and dropped onto the sofa next to Sirius, who flashed her a grin.

"Hey, Jules. Where've you been?"

"Just needed some air," she replied casually, forcing a smile. "What's the game plan for next week?"

Sirius launched into an enthusiastic explanation, and Juliet listened, nodding in all the right places. She focused on the familiar warmth of her friends, their laughter, their jokes. For now, she could push the letter and everything it represented to the back of her mind.

But deep down, she knew it wouldn't stay there forever.

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A/N: Hey all! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Hopefully more chapters coming soon :)

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