𝐸𝑉𝐸𝑅𝐺𝑅𝐸𝐸𝑁 𝑀𝐼𝑆𝑇 || 𝐷.𝑀.

thirty seven

    "You're Draco's mum." Juniper finally spoke as she and Narcissa walked closer together.
    "Narcissa Malfoy," She held her hand out for Juniper to shake, "I'm assuming you're the girl my son's been hiding with for the past year." She said with a slight laugh.
    "Um, yeah, I am." She said hesitantly. "It's lovely to meet you." Juniper was unsure of what to say, but Narcissa hadn't let go of her hand yet.
    "I wanted to thank you." Narcissa told her. "For keeping my son safe and for keeping him good." She told her as she looked at their hands. Juniper let out a small laugh and nodded her head.
    "He was already good when I met him, he just needed a nudge to make it known." Juniper told her.
    "I've never seen Draco defy his father like that. I've never seen him have the courage to do that. Not until you." Narcissa told her.
    "He's one of the most courageous humans I know." Juniper told her. "I-I'm sorry that we left, that we ran off. I'm sure he told you it was for safety, it really was. We didn't know what else to do." Juniper rambled a bit.
    "I know," Narcissa nodded, signaling she said she understood, "tell me about your cottage." Narcissa said.
    "Oh, goodness it is beautiful." Juniper breathed out as she leaned against the wall. "It's right by evergreen trees, which I love and it's got a meadow, a lake, stained glass windows. Everything we ever talked about having, we got it. Draco fixed it for us." Juniper rambled again and Narcissa watched her with ease and a slight smile at the mention of her son being so loving.
    "Sounds like you two have made a home for yourselves. He told me that in his letter. That wherever you two were, it was his home now." Narcissa told Juniper.
    "It really is home. I think he'd like if you came to see it one day." Juniper gave her a smile. It was then that Draco rounded the corner and saw Juniper and his mother talking. Juniper met his eyes quickly, the smile on her face grew as she saw Draco standing there. She instantly ran over to him, both of them wrapping each other in the tightest embrace as emotion consumed them greatly.
    "We won, Junebug. The war is over, we've won." Draco said quietly as their foreheads were pressed together. His hands cupped her cheeks and his thumb brushed the dirt in her cheek. "God, I love you so much, Juniper." He breathed out.
    "I love you too." She said with a laugh in her voice a bit. "Your mum, Draco." Juniper looked at him and then looked at Narcissa. Draco looked over at his mother and released Juniper, walking slowly over to Narcissa and hugging her tightly.
    "It's good to see you, mum." Draco said into his mother's shoulder. "See you've met Juniper." He remarked as he stood up straight, holding his hand out for Juniper to grab. She grabbed it and leaned into him, watching him talk with his mother as she closed her eyes, the wave of tiredness finally hitting her. "You'll come visit soon, mum?" She heard Draco ask Narcissa, moving from her hand so he could hug his mother again. They parted ways with her, confirming that they'd all see each other again soon and Draco walked with Juniper toward the Great Hall where they saw their friends, Harry giving Draco his wand back and they mourned more of their friend's and schoolmates' deaths.
    "Malfoy! Thank you." Harry said as he handed the wand back over to Draco.
    "Yeah, yeah, excellent job, Potter." Draco chuckled as he took his own wand back. The two looked at each other and then surprisingly to everyone, hugged each other for a brief moment, laughing that this war had actually mended their relationship.
    "Boy are just weird." Hermione shook her head as she and Juniper watched them. They all talked for a while, crying and laughing with each other about the war and reminiscing on those who had died and their favorite memories of them until Juniper and Draco were outside looking at the rubble and mess of the castle grounds.
    "What do we do now?" Draco asked as they kicked around rocks.
    "What do you mean?" Juniper asked him as she looked up at him.
    "The war is over, do we just...leave?" Draco asked her slowly. Juniper thought for a moment before responding to him.
    "We go home, Draco. We have a cottage waiting for us, sweetheart." Juniper said as she made up her mind on what to do. "We can live our lives now. No hiding, no secrets, no war, and with our friends." She leaned her head against his arm as they walked slowly. They both turned to look at the castle that had parts of the building towers destroyed and burned.
    "Well, I know two things for certain." Draco said as he looked up at their school.
    "What's that?" Juniper asked him as she felt him take her hand.
    "One, I can't wait to go to our cottage so I can shower and sleep." Draco said making her giggle.
    "And the second one?" She asked, looking up to him now as he looked down at her. A small smile came across his face before he spoke again.
    "The second one is that I want to marry you, Juniper." He told her. "We just survived a war and I'm not saying we go run off and get married right away or anything. We're seventeen, way too young, but I know that's what I want one day." Draco told her as he looked back to the school. "Few years, then I'll give you a proper proposal and wedding." He chuckled and Juniper laughed as well.
    "You want to marry me." She smiled up at him, leaning her chin to his arm as she looked at him. Draco looked down to her again and laughed at the fact she was giggling still.
    "Come on, Junebug. Let's go home." Draco leaned down and pressed his forehead to hers before the apparated out of Hogwarts and back to their cottage.