𝐸𝑉𝐸𝑅𝐺𝑅𝐸𝐸𝑁 𝑀𝐼𝑆𝑇 || 𝐷.𝑀.

thirty five

    The shield around Hogwarts was up and Voldemort's army was outside across the bridge. Juniper stood with students at the front, waiting for them to strike at any moment. Her mind was rattled with questions and over half of them were pertaining to Draco. She continuously wondered where he was and what he was doing, if he was alright and with people he could trust. She wished so badly they were together for this, but she knew that it was very unlikely and all she could hope for was that they'd both survive this war.
Across the school near the back entrance, Draco was thinking the same things as Juniper. He worried about where she was and how she was, but knew that she was bright and gifted so the likelihood of her getting killed was slim in his mind, but still existing in his head. His thoughts were disturbed when he felt a hand on his shoulder and he turned to see Remus Lupin.
"You're a bit young to be fighting in a war, aren't you?" Lupin spoke as he looked out the window next to Draco. "Came to offer some help if you'd like it." He said. Draco nodded his head hesitantly.
"Don't you have a son? You shouldn't be here." Draco finally spoke.
"I do, his name is Teddy. He'll be alright, my friends need me here, the ones alive and the ones gone." Lupin nodded his head. "I'm very pleased, Draco, to see how much you've changed since your third year. I know it's been years, but some people never change and I'm quite glad you did." Lupin continued to speak.
"With all do respect, professor, I still believe the only reason I did change is because of a girl." Draco let out a laugh. Even Lupin laughed and nodded.
"Yes, well, strong women can do that to us, Draco." Lupin continued to nod his head. "Who's this girl?" Draco was a little shocked at the conversation he was engaging in, but knew Lupin was probably trying to distract both of them from the impending doom of war that surrounded.
"Her name is Juniper, Juniper Hartley." Draco told him. "She was quiet during third year, I barely noticed her, but she was very smart. When you taught us riddikulus she turned an acromantula into a giant balloon with Snape's face on it." Draco reminded Lupin about the class, making him laugh at the memory.
"Yes, I remember very well. A gifted witch indeed and a very lovely girl from what I remember." Lupin told Draco who chuckled he nodded.
"Even more lovely now," Draco breathed out, "I don't know what happened, sixth year hit and we were both Prefects. We had to spend time together and we pushed each other away. I pushed more, but God that girl is so stubborn." Draco told him freely as Lupin watched him explain her. "She's singlehandedly the only person on this Earth who's said they'd risk everything for me even when I was terrible to her. I couldn't help but fall in love with her no matter how hard I tried not to, and believe me I tried because I'm stubborn too, she's just more stubborn than I am." Draco leaned against the window frame and took a breath in while Lupin chuckled a bit and leaned against the window as well.
    "Amazing thing isn't it? Love." Lupin looked at him and Draco chuckled. "Where is she tonight?" He asked.
    "She's here, somewhere in the castle. I have no clue where and it's driving me up the wall with madness, but she's smart, smarter than any witch I've met, so I have faith she'll be alright wherever she is." Draco told him.
    "Do you want to go find her?" Lupin looked over at Draco.
    "Yes," Draco and Lupin both laughed, "she doesn't need my protection though. She's with others and she'll do most of the protecting. Plus, I can't leave you alone to fight by yourself. Not when you've got two people to go home to." Draco said.
    "Make that one person." They both heard a females voice from behind them, a woman he recognized, his own family he barely knew, rushing over to Lupin.
    "You shouldn't have!" Lupin yelled out as Nymphadora Tonks rushed into his arms. "Teddy needs you!" He said as he grasped her.
    "Teddy will sleep through the night and snore like his father. It's you that needs me, dear." Tonks told her husband and then looked at Draco. "Draco, goodness, I haven't seen you since you were so little." She said as she went to hug him. He had barely any memory of meeting her, knowing his family refused to meet with his cousin after her allegiance didn't fall into the wrong hands.
    "As much as we could use the help, he's right, your son—" Draco began but Tonks cut him off.
    "Teddy will be alright." She laughed. "Did I hear you've got yourself a girlfriend?" She asked him. Draco nodded his head. "Go to her, I'll help here and others from the Order are on their way." She tried to send him off.
    "Are you sure?" Draco asked and even Lupin nodded.
    "We'll be alright here." Lupin confirmed to him and Draco reluctantly nodded and began to back up into the school again.
    "Good luck to you both." He said as they saw the flicker of lights heading toward the castle, hitting the shield and causing small blue explosions to flicker around everywhere above them. Draco retreated into the corridors and began searching for Juniper, not knowing where she was at all, but prayed they'd find each other.
    Juniper stood with Neville Longbottom near the front of the bridge, the two of them watched as Voldemort's army sent sparks toward the shield, hitting it and causing the blue explosions above.
    "Do we start running yet?" Juniper asked Neville as the army got closer to them, unable to cross until the shield was broken.
    "Not yet, they can't cross." Neville stood there with his arms crossed as they watched the army. "Nervous?" He asked her and Juniper nodded without any hesitation.
    "Terrified honestly." She let out a laugh.
    "I am too. I didn't think this is how I'd spend seventh year." Neville agreed with her.
    "I think we should run now, Neville." Juniper said quickly as she watched a stream of green rush toward the shield, sending pieces of it to float down. Neville was silent for a moment until the army across from them began to step over the nonexistent line that made it impossible to cross before, and suddenly the mass of people came rushing toward them.
    "Yeah, run, run!" Neville shouted as they both turned and began to run down the bridge. Spells were flying at them as they ran as quick as they could while dodging and throwing spells back. As soon as they made it across the bridge it collapsed, sending a bunch of Death Eaters down with it and for a split second Juniper wished she had gone down with it too when she saw the massive outbreak of war upon the castle grounds.
    Nearly immediately Juniper was thrusted into defensive magic as three Death Eaters attempted to kill her instantly. War in her mind was so different than war in reality, the world around her seemed so enclosed and small, the adrenaline rushing through her veins made her quick with her magic but also made her feel like she was watching war outside of her own body. Juniper wasn't sure how many people she fought, her entire body hurt after getting hit with some spells, but she still had power over almost everyone and everything she was up against.
    As Draco attempted to try and find Juniper within the castle, he heard the screams and commotion outside as the battle began, sending students running through the halls. Instead of running though, he ran toward the commotion inside the castle and began to fight with Voldemort's army among the other schoolmates.
The battle raged on and Juniper and Draco shared similar thoughts, all of them pertaining to each other and hoping that they were each alright. It was hours, at least six until Voldemort called off his army and told Harry to meet him in the Forbidden Forest. Juniper was already in the Great Hall with the others who were injured, crying with students over the losses including her own: Blair Williams.
Blair Williams' body laid in front of her as she sat there letting Madam Pomfrey tend to her wounds. She felt like a ghost as she held Blair's cold hand, her emotions had barely come over her yet and all she could think about was the last communications she had with Blair.

* FLASHBACK *

Juney,
    I'm so glad you wrote back! I understand you can't say where you are and goodness, Juniper, I'm so sorry that we've been on bad terms. I should've tried harder as well, but I was stubborn and you were stubborn.
    I want to see this little place you're at. I hope that one day I can meet you there or you can bring me. We can kick Draco out of the bedroom and have a sleepover and share the same bed like we always do. We can stay up all night and laugh until six in the morning. Goodness, Juney we will have so much fun. I can't wait to see it. I can't wait to see you.
    I love you so much Juniper Hartley. I'm so sorry that we've parted for so long, but no more, we're never going to do that again. I'm stuck with you forever and you're stuck with me forever.
                                               Forever and always,
                                                                        Bee W.

* END FLASHBACK *

    "Alright, dear, your wounds are...mended." Madam Pomfrey spoke with a sad voice. "I wish I could mend your heart, dear. I'm so sorry about your friend." Madam Pomfrey patted her hands. Juniper nodded her head, feeling as if she couldn't speak. She just sat there, holding Blair's hand and prayed she wouldn't have more bad news.
    Draco was walking to the Great Hall praying that he'd find Juniper there. His face had small cuts and dirt on it and there was dirty on his hands and clothes, but he didn't care about any of that. He didn't care that he probably had a few broken ribs nor that his hands were bloody as well. He knew he could be mended, the only thing that mattered to him was finding Juniper.
    When Draco got to the Great Hall, he suddenly felt a deep pit in his stomach and grew terrified that Juniper could be among the bodies on the ground. He looked around the room, feeling incredibly sad as he saw Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks lying on the ground, both of them had been killed. He stopped and looked at them, feeling a wave of emotion as he now knew their son Teddy was an orphan in just one night. He wiped his cheek, smudging a bit of dirt on it to get the tears away, but he went back to looking around the room and felt relief when he saw the familiar dark brown hair, seeing the messy loose curls and knew it was Juniper. He rushed over to her and she looked up, her eyes red, but she stood up and he embraced her tightly.
    "I've been so worried about you, Junebug." Draco breathed out and he felt her begin to cry hard and he did too.
    "She's gone," Juniper could barely manage the words, "Blair is gone, Draco." He pulled away from her quickly and looked at her and then looked at the ground behind her.
    "Oh God, no. No, no, no, Blair." He said as more tears went down both their cheeks, Juniper sat back where she was, Draco sat next to her and they both cried for a while.
    "I'm so sorry, Junebug." He said softly as he put his head to hers. "I know how much you love her." Draco rubbed her arms as Juniper nodded her head.
    "Your hand is bleeding." Juniper remarked as she nodded to Madam Pomfrey to come over again.
    "Yeah, I think I've got a few broken ribs as well." Draco nodded as Madam Pomfrey began to mend his wounds.
    "I'm just glad to see you're alive." Juniper said as she wiped the dirt from his cheeks and then his now mended hands. "I've been worried about you too." She told him.
    "It's alright, we're together now, darling." He said as he lightly pressed his lips to hers. "I'm so sorry about Blair, sweetheart." He whispered to her. She leaned into him and they sat there for a while, waiting to see what would happen when Harry Potter came back from the Forbidden Forest.