𝐸𝑉𝐸𝑅𝐺𝑅𝐸𝐸𝑁 𝑀𝐼𝑆𝑇 || 𝐷.𝑀.

thirteen

    As Draco was about to finally let himself forget the worry of his own issues and allow himself to be happy with her, they both heard footsteps coming down the corridor. Draco, who was leaning in to kiss her, pulled back as he saw a few Slytherin students heading for the common room, one of them was Blair who looked completely shocked to see Draco and Juniper together near the window.
    "This is a surprise, but yet it's not." Blair said as she stopped to look at them. Juniper looked at Draco and then to Blair, unsure of what to say.
    "We can talk later if you'd like." Draco said quietly to Juniper. She nodded her head as she sighed lightly.
"Tomorrow? I have plans with Bee and I haven't been the greatest friend lately so I really want to be with her tonight." Juniper told Draco quietly.
"I'll find you tomorrow night." Draco nodded his head, letting Juniper to go be with her friend. She gave him a small smile and walked over to Blair. Both of them walked into the Slytherin common room and immediately went to Juniper's dormitory.
"What happened with Malfoy?" Blair asked immediately, wanting to hear all the details. They both sat on Juniper's bed talking, Juniper told her of their conversation including the Death Eater issue as she knew the information would be safe with Blair; she could trust Blair with anything.
"He said he would find me tomorrow night, so I guess we'll just continue our conversation then? I know he's got Quidditch practice tomorrow during the day." Juniper said.
"Well, definitely tell me everything that happens, sounds as if this might actually go somewhere." Blair said as they both got under Juniper's blankets, preparing to go to sleep.
"Do you think it's a good idea? For this to go somewhere?" Juniper asked as she turned off the lamp next to her. She turned around to face Blair again, curious of the answer.
"I think Malfoy is an...interesting choice, but I also don't think it's a bad idea." Blair told her. "He could be good, I just don't know him. It wouldn't necessarily hurt to know him." She said. Juniper nodded her head, not dragging out the subject any longer as they fell asleep.
    Juniper and Blair slept in a bit the next morning, the light coming into the window disturbed their slumber and woke them. Juniper was eager to get on with the day, wanting to see Draco later after his Quidditch practice to continue their conversation.
    "Do you want to get breakfast?" Juniper grumbled to Blair. "I can sneak you into the Prefect's bathroom if you want." She offered, making Blair sit up quickly.
    "Let's go, I've always wanted to have the privilege to use that bathroom." Blair got up immediately, dragging Juniper with her so they could go get ready. Juniper understood the eagerness, the Prefect's bathroom truly was great. It had huge vanities and sinks, the showers were massive, but nothing beat the huge bath that was more like a pool of warm, bubbly water. Prefects truly had a great area for bathing, they were lucky to have their own dormitories and bathrooms away from the students they had to constantly reprimand. The entire time they were in there, she heard Blair constantly saying, "this place is amazing," which only made her laugh. They left the bathroom after spending too much time there, Juniper constantly laughing at Blair's amazement, but they finally got breakfast peacefully.
    Juniper and Draco made eye contact with each other as he sat a few people away from her, both of them giving each other a smile. Juniper went back to eating as Draco grabbed a piece of spare parchment and a quill, folding the note into a small paper bird and using magic to make it fly as he blew it over to Juniper. The Slytherin's around them watched as the paper bird fluttered softly to Juniper, but no one thought much of it.
    Astronomy tower tonight, Junebug? is all the note said. Juniper looked over to Draco who was smirking slightly at her, but turned his gaze back toward his Quidditch teammates.
I'll be there when the clock strikes nine. she folded the note back into the small paper bird and blew it back to Draco. Once he read it he gave her a nod and had to snatch the note away from Goyle who was trying his best to read it.
Don't fall if you're there before me. He sent the note back to her, making Juniper laugh a bit as she nodded to him. Blair couldn't help but giggle at the exchange she witnessed, causing Juniper to blush.
    "A paper bird, I've got to admit that was quite romantic." Blair teased Juniper. "And the nickname? Since when did Malfoy give people nicknames?" She remarked, but before Juniper could answer, Blaise Zabini was standing behind her. "Oh good lord, here we go." Blair rolled her eyes.
    "Can we talk?" Blaise asked Juniper. Juniper looked at Draco who was watching intensely, then looked to Blair for help, but she shrugged her shoulders and mouthed, "sorry," to Juniper.
    "Sure?" Juniper said in more of a question as she looked up at Blaise.
    "What was...that?" Blaise asked her quietly.
    "What was what?" Juniper scoffed a bit, but Blaise rolled his eyes at her.
    "That exchange with Malfoy, I thought you two were done?" Blaise asked her. "You said nothing was happening with him." Juniper sighed as Blair turned back to her food, trying her best not to laugh at Blaise.
    "I mean, things can change, Blaise." Juniper said with a laugh. "I don't know what you want me to say." She said to him. Blaise looked quite annoyed.
    "I just wanted to make sure you know what you're getting yourself into." Blaise said.
    "I'm not daft, Zabini. I'm perfectly capable of handling myself." Juniper said as she stood up. "I'll see you later, Bee. I've got homework to do." Juniper lied, she didn't have homework, but she also didn't want to stay there any longer with Blaise trying to give her a lecture. She went to the Slytherin common room to her dormitory, grabbing a book and then began to head outside to a particular spot near the edge of the Forbidden Forest and the Black Lake, a spot she went to often that she never told anyone about. It was a spot to get away from reality for her, and so she sat under the tall evergreen trees as she opened her book and began to read. Even when the cold breeze hit her skin, she didn't leave, she continued to sit there for the entire day, attempting to finish her book that she had bought on a day in the muggle world. As the sun began to fall, she made her way back to the castle, going to the astronomy tower early to continue reading without being near the Forbidden Forest so late at night.
    Draco was quite eager to get through Quidditch practice so he could go to the astronomy tower to see Juniper. He felt quite strange knowing how excited he was to see her; allowing his emotions to have so much control over him wasn't something Draco was used to, he was more used to suppressing them. Quidditch seemed to drag on today, which was boring as he felt there wasn't much for him to do since his one job was to catch the snitch. Practice ended right as dinner was starting, leaving the players no time to get showers before dinner as by the time they were done eating, dinner would be over. Draco was slightly surprised to see Juniper wasn't there, wondering where she could be, but he didn't know that right after he left she'd shown up to briefly grab food and head right up to the astronomy tower again.
    Draco quickly went to the Prefect's bathroom after he finished eating, the clock had just struck eight thirty so he knew he had some time, but not much. Juniper sat reading, completely unaware of the time as nine neared. She had only become aware of the time once she heard Draco's footsteps coming up the stairs of the astronomy tower, causing her to shut her book and stand up from her spot on the ground.
    "Is it really nine already?" Juniper asked, she had no way to tell time with her.
    "It just turned nine, how long have you been here?" Draco asked as he slowly walked toward her.
    "Longer than I care to admit," Juniper giggled, "I was reading." She said as she held the book up a bit. Draco continued to walk forward and took the book from her hands.
    "Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen." He read the cover of it as he opened the thick cover to see the summary.
    "It's from the muggle world." Juniper said slowly. "I saw it when I was in London for the day and I just saw it and had to buy it." She continued to try and justify her purchase of a muggle product. Draco shut the book and handed it back to her.
"Honestly it sounds good." He said, something he never thought he'd say about a muggle product, but nonetheless Draco did enjoy books and the summary of this one sounded rather intriguing. Juniper felt herself nod, a small laugh of relief escaped through her lips as she stared at the cover of the book. She set it on an empty table next to them. "So, our conversation from yesterday." Draco began to get right into it.
"I meant what I said," Juniper said quickly, "I would risk it." She said.
"I never got the chance to speak." Draco let out a chuckle as he walked toward the railing of the tower. Juniper felt her stomach turning with nerves, fearing she'd expressed so much emotion that he wouldn't reciprocate back to her.
"Right, go ahead then." She nodded her head even though he wasn't facing her. She heard Draco chuckle again and could see his head shake.
"I don't think I've ever met anyone who'd be so thrillingly willing to risk everything for me." He said as he looked up at the night sky, the stars were shining brightly down on them. "I surely have never felt this strongly over a girl before nor have I ever met myself so willingly feel emotion like this." Draco told her. "It honestly terrifies the hell out of me."
"That's okay." Juniper said as she slowly made her way over to stand next to him, placing her hands on the railing next to his.
"I can't promise you that I won't hurt you. I'm terrible with people." He told her which made her laugh.
"I know you are." She said with the laugh still lingering in her voice. He laughed with her now, enjoying that they were both laughing at this together.
"I'd probably end up hurting you or I'll be a dick to you and you still want to be with me?" Draco asked her. Juniper nodded her head.
"You only say that because that's what you believe is going to happen, I believe in something different." She said with a small smile on her face as she looked up at him. His almost white hair was bright in the moonlight, she could see the small bit of fear in his eyes. "I trust you." Juniper told him, making Draco look down to her.
"I trust you too." He told her before moving to face her, pulling her toward him and cupping her cheeks so I could finally kiss her. The kiss was similar yet different than the rest, it was as if he was kissing her for the first time again, the rush of emotions and nerves came flooding into both of them.
Juniper wrapped her hands around his neck, letting her fingers go into his hair as they stood there kissing each other softly, it wasn't rough nor the type of kiss that screamed they wanted to take each other's clothes off. It was the type of kiss full of lust and passion, the kiss that screamed they wanted to stay there hidden on the astronomy tower forever together.
Draco's hands that were on her cheeks went down to her waist, one holding it as the other wrapped around her back and pulled her into him. He had greatly missed the feeling of kissing her, something he enjoyed more now knowing he could do this willingly and freely. He'd never felt so free to experience true emotion until now and it was all because Juniper Hartley was too damn stubborn to let him go, something he was so extremely grateful for.