BioHazard82- Thank you so much.
lynch. - Wow thank you so much! I'm incredibly flattered. I hope I can continue to hold your attention and the story stays worth your time. The Kudos and Crumbs are much appreciated.
AN- This is a little bit of a filler chapter and I'm not sure I'm really pleased with it but I wanted to get Sam in there as he has been requested. Not much time for snark between him and Bucky but give it time. After all the trio gives him enough grief this chapter. Pepper shifts into mum mode hard. You wanted a mum Juni hehehe enjoy. Next chapter will be the last for that pesky horcrux no matter how long it gets. Fury should also be making a appearance if things go as planned. The chapter after will be another interlude to check in with Grindy and Tom then back to England. YAYYY.
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CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE
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"Juni, Ron, Hermione this is Sam Wilson. He works with us sometimes. Hes joining us for dinner." Tony said as Juniper focused on the handsome dark skinned man who seemed to object for some reason to Bucky kissing her.
Juniper knew exactly who Sam Wilson was. Sam Steve's friend. Sam the counselor Clint and Rhodey had talked to before their breakfast at Rosie's Cafe. She wasn't sure if they'd forgotten they'd told her his name or if they thought she'd forgotten but either way she found it a little insulting that they hadn't just told her. It was worse because her dad and Bucky where in on it too. At least Pepper looked surprised to see him narrowing her eyes at Tony in a look she'd seen Mrs. Weasley give her husband which usually resulted in a sheepish look and apologies. Tony just avoided the look. Juniper knew he was gonna pay for that later.
As soon as she heard his name she glanced over at Hermione then Ron who had both heard Tony ask Steve to call him and known from what Juniper had told them about the conversation she'd had with Rhodey and Clint who he was. Ron's expression was clearly asking Juniper what she as going to do about it. Juniper's eyes narrowed slightly and thats all it took for a flash of almost unnatural glee to appear in Ron's eyes for a flash. It took another minute for Hermione to catch up. When she did she sighed softly and gave them her best disapproving look but then shrugged. Okay. She could play too. It was like the three had held a entire conversation and made a plan within seconds with no words at all and none of the others noticing. Oh course no one ever noticed when they did that except the twins who did the same thing and claimed it was creepy when the trio did it as they weren't even blood related.
"Well, I hope your in the mood for cheeseburgers Sam." Pepper said. "Luckily we made plenty." She hooked a arm through Tony's and pulled him to sit with her and Juniper had to fight off a smirk imagining the kind of things she was most likely going to be hissing in his ear.
Juniper sat at the table this time between Ron and Bucky across from Sam who was beside Hermione. A perfect formation in her opinion to mess with his head. It also put Bill and Remus further down the table a bit in a position where neither he, Tony, or Bucky her main targets could see their expressions. She didn't think it would take either of the wizards long to figure out their little game.
Juniper obediently took two of the burgers more to make Pepper happy than because she was hungry and gave Hermione a good glare when she leaned across the table to add some fries to her plate as well.
"So are you kids enjoying New York? It must be different than Britian." Sam commented.
"Not really. After a bit all places seem to turn out just the same." Juniper said her tone a bit disgruntled. It was a lie oh course she was completely in love with New York but it wouldn't go with the game to admit it.
"Oh are you planning to go back to Britian soon then?" Sam asked trying to keep the concern that was starting to grow from the trio's actions and body language and Juniper's response show.
"Maybe." Juniper answered. "Or maybe I'll just run off to Australia live in the outback somewhere with just the dingoes and kangaroos so everybody will leave me alone."
She saw Hermione bite her bottom lip to hold in laughter at that and considered pulling back a little until Hermione spoke. "But...but you'll take us with you right? You wouldn't leave me and Ron?" Ahh yes codependent and clingy might as well throw that on top of apathic and depressed.
"Who cares anyway. Everyones just gonna die anyway. The future is a mirage Hermione. We don't have one none of us." Ron answered his voice morose dialing up Juniper's depression and sprinkling in some fatalistic thinking.
"Whiner." Juniper muttered.
"Oh your one to talk. Wah, wah, wah, I'm so rich, pretty, smart, and famous. Woe is me." Ron snapped and a tone only she and Hermione would know wasn't really so much a snap as a playful jab.
"Why do you always say things like that?" Juniper near wailed covering her face with her hands to disguise her laughter as tears.
"Now look what you did." Hermione yelled at Ron.
"Why do you blame me for everything?" Ron asked. "I'm so sick of the two of you ganging up on me."
When Juniper had first spoken almost everyone had looked over at her in concern except for Bill and Remus who exchanged looks the first rolling his eyes the second sighing. The golden trio didn't do pranks and things as often as the Weasley twins but when they did they could be meaner and more carefully targeted. It was also usually deserved. As they continued Natasha and Clint who knew Ron the best looked at each other and Natasha almost grinned not buying it for a moment. Bruce caught on the moment Hermione spoke. The whiny tone and needy comment wasn't the girl he knew at all. Bucky was surprised when Juniper claimed not to care for New York so much but when she and Ron started bickering, he glanced over at Steve and knew something was up. The two had fought before but not sniping pointless insults. By the time Ron let off his last complaining whine the only ones still half buying any of it was Tony, Pepper, and Sam.
"You three finished?" Bill asked trying to sound stern but coming off more amused.
"I don't know." Juniper said raising her face with her eyes dry from her hands and looking over at Sam. "Did you get enough for your psychoanalysis or would you like to see more?"
"You are a brat and don't deserve your Order of Merlin." Bill informed her dryly.
"Doesn't that mean your not gonna visit when I move to Australia?" Juniper asked with a fake pout.
"Only if I get to feed you to the dingoes." Bill answered.
"That was...I mean you where?" Tony couldn't seem to finish a sentence.
"Yes that was and yes we where." Juniper answered. "You seem to forget that me and Hermione are literal geniuses and Ron is a strategic mastermind you really don't think we know when we're being snowed? The counselor whos a friend of Steves just happened to stop by for dinner?"
"Juniper kid we...I was just concerned..."
"If you wanna talk to someone I'll find you someone but they shouldn't be trying to sneak analyze you." Juniper said. "Did you just say that cause you though it was what I wanted to hear? Can I trust anything you say?"
Sam who for a moment had just seemed to surprised by the turn of events looked over at Tony as well. "Well Tony answer her. Can she trust you?" He demanded.
"Whos side are you on?" Tony asked him looking pained.
"At the moment the person trying to build a honest relationship with her father."
Sam answered earnestly.
"Thank you, Sam. I'm sorry we tried to gas light you a bit." Juniper said giving him a smile.
"Quite alright. You made your point." Sam answered returning the smile.
"Hes scared for you Juniper. All three of you." Pepper said softly. A part of her felt she should go to Juniper to give her a hug but at the moment Tony was holding her hand under the table so hard it was almost painful. "Your so young and you've been through so much. It feels like until now all the adults around you have failed you so badly. We don't want to fail you as well. The three of you have done and seen things adults struggle with and have been so strong."
"And we do. We do struggle with it. But in the end we have each other. Have since first year. We've had a lot of times when we had to handle things on our own because the adults around us couldn't or wouldn't help us but we did what we had to do. I'm glad you had a nice childhood Pepper but I grew up in hell to the point that when I went to Hogwarts and things started happening it was almost a relief to see the cracks so quickly and that it was something I could do something about instead of something I just had to watch happen to me. The Weasley are the third generation of warriors in their family. Their grandparents fought Grindelwald, their parents Voldemort and they knew another war was coming and that their kids would most likely be a part of it. They where raised with love but also raised to be tough, strong, and to depend on each other. On family. Hermione grew up in the muggle world and she had loving parents but she was also alone alot and bullied for her intelligence. It gave her a core of solid steel and a appreciation for true friendship. The three of us together are the backbone of the war. It may not be fair but it is what it is." Juniper gave a slight shrug. "People look to us. All three of us and we will remain strong for them because it is necessary, because their is no other option. Maybe afterwards after the final battle we will all break down under the weight of what we've seen and done but this is not that time or place."
Looking at the determination and honesty on her face and hearing the strength in her words they saw the leader the rest of Hogwarts and a portion of the wizarding world was ready to follow into war. Here in the comfort and safety of the Tower she'd let that facade fall more than a little but it was still there.
"Shes as good at that as you are." Clint said glancing at Steve.
"Good at what?" Juniper asked.
"The heart-felt inspirational speech." Clint answered with a grin. Juniper crossed her arms and slid down in her chair a bit muttering something about Luna being better at it. Then her eyes went wide and she looked over at Sam alarmed at some of the things she'd said worried she'd just broken the Statute of Secrecy. Again.
Sam was actually more worried about the hint that Juniper's childhood had not been the pampered and privileged existence the entire wizarding world had been led to believe but he knew immediately what she was worried about. "Its alright. I'm a squib."
"Your a squib?" Hermione asked sitting up straighter and turning to him.
"Oh here we go." Ron muttered to Juniper. Then to Sam. "You've done it now mate." He was a bit surprised but also encouraged that none of the three looked at him with the pity wizards usually gave him at this admission.
"I have so many questions for you." Hermione said scrambling for her bag and pulling out a spiral bound notebook. "I've hardly had a chance to speak with a squib except for Mrs. Figg and she doesn't like to talk about the bad things. I'd love to talk to you find out how things are different for squibs in America than Britian and how we can improve conditions. Most of the things we've come up with have been from a outside perspective."
"You've given this some thought then?" Sam asked a bit surprised.
"Oh course." Hermione answered. "The current system is broken. There is a reason we've had wars for the last 3 generations. If we win this we are going to be in a unique position to change things and if it works in Britian maybe it will trickle out to the rest of the world. Muggleborns need more opportunities, squibs and dark creatures more rights and house elves more protections."
Sam's eyes lit up. "May I?" He asked holding out a hand to the notebook. Hermione opened it to the section where they'd been writing out ideas on implementing legal protections for squibs and handing it too him.
"Doll?" Bucky ventured softly.
"Uhuh." Juniper said turning a annoyed look on him too. "I wanna trust you Bucky. That means if he..." She pointed at her dad. "Is planning some next level Stark bullshit you have to warn me."
Pepper burst into laughter. "Next level Stark bullshit. I love it."
"And do you ever pull next level Stark bullshit?" Natasha asked sounding amused.
"Oh constantly, we just all thought it was next level Potter bullshit. Or depending on the violence level possibly next level Black bullshit." Ron volunteered cheerfully. "Why do you think theres five of us to keep her out of trouble?"
"Don't help me Ron." Juniper said dryly.
Tony stood and went over to her. Ron stood so he could take his chair taking his plate with him and relocated to sit beside Pepper to eat his eyes flickering back and forth as if trying to decide if Hermione and Sam, or Tony and Juniper where more entertaining.
"Juniper..." Tony started but Juniper held up a hand to stop him.
"Please don't. I don't want to hear excuses about how you were worried and were trying to do what was best. I can't, won't have someone else manipulating me. Not when I'm finally at a place to take control of my own life." She rubbed her face with one hand. "I don't want you to remind me of him."
All the blood drained from Tony's face. He didn't even have to ask who he was it was as obvious as the pain in Juniper's eyes. "I would never want to." He said softly then he took a deep breath and did something he'd never done in his life with anyone but Pepper. "I'm sorry Juniper. Your right."
"Did I just have a stroke, or did Tony Stark apologize?" Clint asked Bruce.
"Not only that he admitted someone else was right." Bruce replied. "Maybe HE had a stroke."
Tony glanced over at them and repeated the words Juniper had used on Ron. "Don't help me." Before returning his eyes to Juniper. His father had never apologized to him even once not about anything. In fact Howard Stark was probably rolling in his grave right now that Tony had apologized to his daughter. In Howard's world parents where always right and children where to be seen and nor heard. Tony would never be that father. He'd cut out his own tongue before he ever told Juniper to shut up. "Am I still dad or did I knock myself back down to Tony?"
"You'll always be dad." Juniper almost whispered and leaned in to hug him. Relieved Tony hugged her back. "Careful still sore."
"Right. Right." Tony said pulling back a bit and putting a hand on her cheek. "I'm sorry. I keep forgetting how strong you are." The words where easier this time and the real genuine smile they drew from Juniper was more than worth it. He glanced at Bucky who was looking fairly miserable over her shoulder. "He really loves you ya know." He whispered in her ear nodding towards him. And oh God was he actually encouraging his daughter's relationship with Barnes? What was wrong with him?
Juniper looked over at Bucky and leaned over to him linking her arm around his, as he was on her left, real arm. "Mad at me?" He asked her his eyes going soft as he looked down into hers.
"Yup. But I told you before I'm keeping you. Just next time, and I have a feeling there will be a next time," She gave Tony a stern look. "Warn me." Bucky nodded and kissed the top of her head lightly.
"Good now eat." Pepper ordered pointing at Juniper's plate.
Juniper straightened and picked up her cheeseburger obediently. "I think you and Mrs. Weasley are going to get on famously."
Sam was looking up from the notebook at Juniper a bit of a bemused expression on his face. "What?" She asked.
"You sure your not Steve's kid?" Sam asked. He'd read articles in The Ghost the American magical world's newspaper mostly picked up from either The Prophet, or The Quibbler about Juniper Potter and they had been vastly different.
The Prophet had see-sawed first portraying the girl as a hero, martyr, and role model then a weak-willed tool being used by the evil mass murderer Sirius Black, or Albus Dumbledore who obviously wanted to overthrow the ministry, in her 4th year they had started proclaiming her as a disturbed, attention seeking liar, and by the end possibly a murderer. The end of 5th was another wild swing. She was right. The Dark Lord was back, Sirius Black was innocent, and Juniper Potter was the only one who could save everyone. That had made Sam nearly physically ill and sent his mother into a 20-minute rage filled rant. A 15-year-old-child who'd just watched her godfather murdered in front of her was now being proclaimed the only hope to beat a homicidal madman and everyone seemed to agree. The picture that had run with the article had made it even worse. She had looked lost, in shock as if Albus Dumbledore's hand on her shoulder was the only thing holding her up. She'd been a hero again until the Dark Lord had taken over the ministry. Now according to them Juniper was evil incarnate, a terrorist, and public enemy number one.
The Quibbler by contrast hadn't really reported much until fourth year when The Prophet had really started attacking her. Xenophilius Lovegood had come to the girl's defense with gusto. He had reminded readers of her age constantly had pointed out she was still their hero their golden girl. He had straight out called Rita Skeeter a liar. He'd run interviews with her, her friends including his own daughter and her teachers. He'd also called on readers to stop looking to a child to defend them and pick up their own wands. The Quibbler which once had been regarded as little more than amusing nonsense had become the go to read for those who really wanted to know what was happening in Britian, to Juniper Potter especially after the fall of the ministry. The Lovegood name had become as linked to Juniper Potter as that of Granger or Weasley.
In those articles the ones in The Prophet where they called her a hero and all of the ones in The Quibbler they pointed out her leadership skills, her self sacrificing nature, and her talent for drawing people to her. He would have taken it all with a grain of salt if he hadn't just watched her and her two partners in crime concoct a scheme to pay back her dad for breaking his word without a word shared, completely disregard her own mental state in a speech that would have made Steve proud, get a apology from Tony Stark and completely manage the other Avengers. Tony probably could do those things but he chose not to and that was the point. Steve did. It seemed to him Juniper had more in common with the other man. Not to mention the soft spot the two seemed to share for The Winter Soldier.
"Positive." Juniper answered with a smirk. "For one thing from what I've heard I'm pretty sure Steve was frozen at the time in question."
"Trust me she totally has Stark tendencies." Natasha said dryly.
"She once snuck into Hogsmede knowing or thinking that a crazed mass murderer was stalking her." Hermione said brightly.
"I had a invisibility cloak." Juniper defended herself.
"Started a illegal club right under the noses of the temporary fascist regime in the school." Ron offered.
"That was Hermione's idea."
"Tricked Malfoy into crashing face first right into the ground during a Quidditch match." Hermione said obviously enjoying this game.
"He deserved it." Juniper answered arms crossing at just Malfoy's name.
"Refused to report that not one but two teachers where torturing her during fifth year." Ron piped up.
"I was told to keep my head down remember. Anyway it was fine I handled it." Juniper answered real annoyance creeping into her voice.
"Okay yup. Shes a Stark alright." Sam allowed keeping his voice forcibly calm. He could yell and break things when he got home.
"Tortured by two teachers." Pepper's voice was calm as well when she spoke but the expression on her face gave new meaning to the term tranquil fury. Juniper looked over at Pepper then her eyes flickered to Ron with 'see what you did' clear in her eyes.
"It wasn't torture it was training from Snape and detention from Umbridge." Juniper told her trying her wide-eyed innocent look. It usually worked on Professor McGonagall who associated those big green eyes with Lily and melted. It always worked with Sirius, Remus and the Weasley boys except Ron and Bill as well. It had even worked a few times with Mrs. Weasley when she was younger before she'd caught on that the angelic faced brunette was every bit as crafty as the twins when she put her mind to it. But Pepper had too much experience with Tony's big brown puppy dog eyes to fall for it.
"Then why did Ron use the word torture?" Pepper asked sternly.
"Ron exaggerates." Juniper claimed ignoring the betrayed look he gave her at the words.
"Show her your hand." Hermione ordered.
Juniper gave her the same look she'd just gotten from Ron. "Can't eating." She claimed picking up her cheeseburger for another bite.
"Juniper Maria Potter show me your hand right now." Pepper ordered.
Almost without her permission her hands put down the cheeseburger and she was holding out her right hand. She looked over at Ron in horror and whispered. "Mum voice." She'd seen Mrs Weasley do the same thing to her boys and even Ginny. Ron nodded solemnly.
Tony took her hand taking his first good look at it. He'd been more focused on the dark mark carved into her other arm to concentrate on her right hand more than to register there was a scar on the back but now her realized there where actually words carved into her flesh.
"I must not tell lies." He read softly. "What the hell Juni? A teacher cut this into your hand."
"Oh course not don't be silly." Juniper answered taking a sip of the milk Pepper had insisted she drink. "She had me do it myself."
"WHAT?" Pepper stood and walked over taking the hand herself. "Oh baby. She made you cut yourself?" She looked almost on the verge of tears.
"Not exactly." Juniper answered. "I just had to write lines with a blood quill." She said the last part in a rush pretending not to see the looks on Bill and Remus's faces.
Steve gave Remus a hard look. "Whats a blood quill?"
"Its...only suppose to be used for vital documents its a restricted dark item. Definitely not for use in a school for punishment." Remus answered. "It uses the blood of the user as ink and scratches the signature or the...the words onto the hand. To make a scar...Juni how many times did she make you write that?"
"A fair few times." Juniper said with a shrug trying to convince herself that Tony and Pepper's reactions where not causing the warmth in her chest. She was remembering the conversation she'd had with Ron about the Blood quill though. She remembered him telling her she had to report Umbridge that the parents would lose it. And she had responded, 'Well I don't have any of those do I?' Seemed she did now. And seemed Ron was right. She met his eyes and he gave her a smile as if remembering the same conversation.
"Hours every night over 2 weeks." Hermione almost growled. "The Bloody quill heals the cuts almost immediately so to make a scar like that it has to be used over and over and over."
"Why didn't you go to Dumbledore, or Professors McGonagall or Flitwick?" Bill asked his voice strained.
"Well I couldn't let her win could I? If I did that she would've thought she'd broken me." Juniper answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Tony couldn't help nodding at the obviousness of the answer.
"Stark tendencies." Rhody grumbled. "Tony stop agreeing with her. Good fathers do not encourage insanity." Tony and Juniper shared a eyeroll and a grin.
"What about the other?" Pepper asked still gently rubbing her thumb over the scar on the back of Juniper's hand as if she was trying to comfort her, or soothe the scars that honestly didn't hurt anymore. "The training from Snape."
Juniper shrugged. "He was suppose to be teaching me Occlumency. I was a bad student, he was a bad teacher. It didn't go well."
"No wonder you suck at mind magics." Bill said his voice hard drawing surprised looks from everyone. "Did he even bother to start with teaching you meditation and then Legilimency?" Bill's voice softened as he focused on Juniper.
Juniper just shook her head. "It was a emergency. I needed to learn fast to keep him out of my mind."
"Doesn't work like that brat. You can't learn anything properly without the correct foundation. Meditation would have taught you how to focus on blocking him out. To stay in the moment and not let your concentration wander. Legilimency would have given you a way to recognize the attack before it properly started. Its alot easier to defend against something when you better understand how its done." Bill explained to her gently. "Dumbledore was a natural Legilimen and Occlumen so never had to be taught. Snape was a Prince on his mother's side she probably started training him from the cradle. It is possible they both though the blunt instrument approach would work, but any shield built like that is fragile. Your not coming from a place of strength your just throwing whatever you have up in a effort to avoid the pain. It would never stand against Tom. Its also hard to learn something like that from someone you don't have a bond of trust with. The only teacher at Hogwarts who should have been teaching you something like Occlumency was Flitwick. Goblins excel at it."
"Snape said I was just being lazy, and stupid, not concentrating hard enough, wasting his time." Juniper said softly.
"Consider the source." Ron said. "Just because Snape wasn't quite as bad as we always thought doesn't mean he wasn't a evil sadistic git."
"It hurt you." Pepper said softly raising a hand to gently brush her fingers over her forehead. Juniper could only nod.
"Migraines. Blinding migraines literally. Sometimes she couldn't see they where so bad. Her nose would bleed and she'd even have bloody spots in her eyes. Once early on Blaise and Daphne Greenglass brought her back to the tower carrying her cause she literally could not walk she was hurting so bad. Nearly caused all out war between the Gryffindor and the Slytherins because we thought they'd done something to her. Afterwards the DA always arranged to have someone waiting at the end of her lessons to help her back to the tower. They arranged the lessons on Friday after classes because it took most of the weekend for her to recover." Ron explained trying and failing to keep anger out of his voice.
Bucky leaned closer putting a arm around her waist and leaning into her back as if to reassure both of them that she was safe now. Here. In his arms.
"Juniper if someones hurting you you have to tell someone." Pepper said softly.
"I didn't have anyone to tell." Juniper said just as softly the matter-of-fact tone making it even sadder. "It was Dumbledore's idea, McGonagall was too busy trying to protect the rest of the school from Umbridge, and Flitwick was trying to negotiate with the goblin nation for aid in the upcoming war. Neither of them had time or energy to deal with my little problems."
"Little..." Bill broke off whatever he was going to say. "Juni you could have told mom and dad they would have..."
"Would have what?" Juniper asked turning her head to look at him. "I love them Bill but they have no legal rights to me. Dumbledore was my magical guardian. If they had started a fight with him he could have kept me from going back to the Burrow over the summers. Or kept your family away from Grimmauld Place. Those where the only places I was really ever safe. I couldn't risk it. I don't want to talk about this anymore. Its over now. Can we change the subject please?"
Tony started to say something but Sam gave him a hard look and drew a finger across his throat. Enough trauma had just been dragged out and Sam was impressed Juniper had stayed put for it as he'd been told of her penchant to retreat when faced with emotional topics. Pushing her now couldn't help and may hurt.
"So what movie should we watch tonight?" Tony asked changing the statement on the fly.
"I've got a idea." Hermione offered. "Theres a movie I've been wanting to show Juniper and Ron but never got the chance to yet."
"What movie?" Tony asked.
Hermione grinned. "Matilda."
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Tony had never seen the movie and when he first read the description he'd been afraid it would bother Juniper. He couldn't have been more wrong. It soon became obvious that Juniper and Ron found Matilda to be the funniest thing they'd ever seen. And that Hermione knew his kid much better than he did. Juniper also swore that Roald Dahl had to be or have a magical in his family to so accurately portray accidental magic. There where a few moments where Juniper went quiet eyes locked on the screen as something struck close to home but the laughter always came back. The wistful smile on her face at the end when Matilda and Ms. Honey became a family made him wish all over again that he'd found Juniper when she was younger.
Juniper was sitting on the couch between Bucky and Ron all three sharing a blanket. The full stomach (she'd eaten one and a half cheeseburgers and a handful of fries to please Pepper.), long day, sweet movie, and the warmth from either side of her had lulled her into a deep sense of contentment. She'd pushed everything that had happened and everything that had been revealed that day off to the side burying it and refusing to think about it. Denial was after all a family trait inherited from all three of her 'fathers'.
"We should all get some sleep." Pepper said glancing at Juniper who's eyes had started to droop near the end of the movie even as she laughed and smiled. "It was a long day." Juniper snuggled closer to Bucky for a moment. Truthfully she didn't want to go to sleep. After the day she had she was a bit afraid of what would be waiting for her in her dreams but knew Hermione wouldn't give her any dreamless sleep after her injury. Especially since Andromeda had warned her to be careful. Dreamless sleep was not careful.
Bucky stood and tugged Juniper to her feet. "Come on. Walk with me you can stay awake another few minutes." Juniper followed him thankfully through the kitchen and out onto the patio. Her favorite spot. He slid his arms around he waist resting his hands on her lower back and pulled her close resting his forehead lightly on hers. "I love you Juniper." He said softly. "I promise next time your dads about to pull some crap I'll tell you."
"I love you too Bucky. I know my dad is your friend and keeping his schemes secret probably feels right. I would never snitch on Ron. But when it has to do with me I need to know." Juniper said softly eyes closed.
"I know doll." He told her softly and she lifted slightly on her tip-toes to kiss him softly gentle. "Do you want to stay with me tonight?" He asked her gently brushing her hair back from her face.
"Would we get any sleep if I did?" Juniper asked almost teasingly.
"Doubtful." Bucky answered honestly. "But maybe I could chase away any nightmares for you." Juniper raised a hand to caress his face lightly as he looked down into her eyes. Juniper loved him. He could see it in her face in her eyes. A part of him felt like he didn't deserve it. He'd spent years hurting, killing, fighting. Brainwashed or not he'd hurt so many people. And Juniper had been saving lives, helping people, protecting those she cared about since she was a child. She was like a bright shining light and his hands were covered in blood. 'All the better to protect her with.' the soldier whispered in his mind. "I don't deserve you." he said softly.
"Maybe its not about deserving. Not in either direction. Maybe its about our personalities fitting together. Our strengths and weaknesses compensating for each other. Balancing each other. We belong together Sergeant Barnes." Juniper answered just as softly linking the fingers of her free hand with his, her other hand still on his cheek. "And it doesn't hurt that your incredibly fit and a great kisser."
Bucky couldn't help the grin that appeared on his lips. "Ahh so the truth comes out your just after my body."
"Have you seen your body Buck?" Juniper asked teasingly. "I'm sure I'm not the first."
"Maybe not but you are the first whos gotten more." Bucky answered truthfully pulling her even closer and kissing her again his hand edging under the hem of the Weasley sweater she was wearing to rest on the bare skin of her waist.
"Snogging again Jeez get a room." Juniper let out a annoyed groan as Bucky lifted his head turning his head to glare at Ron who was standing at the kitchen door smirking at them.
"Your pushing it...mate." Bucky growled.
Ron shrugged. "Don't blame me. Hermione sent me. She wants you to take a calming drought before bed. Thinks it may help with nightmares. Its not dreamless sleep but its better than nothing."
"When we go to England chances are good we'll be staying at a Black or Potter estate. We'll get all the privacy we want then." Juniper promised Bucky with a cheeky grin. Then tugged his hand to lead him inside. "Have you been to England? I mean except for Wool's oh course?"
"Not since the '40s." Bucky answered not wanting to tell her that during his years with Hydra he often wasn't really aware of what country he was in as he'd only ever been given information needed to complete his mission. "Honestly I wasn't impressed it was a mess."
"Well there was a war going on at the time. We've build it up a bit since then." Juniper answered amused nudging Ron as he fell into step on her other side as they entered the kitchen.
"Do you think after the war you might think of moving here to New York?" Bucky asked the only hint of how important the question was to him his hand tightening around her's briefly.
"There will be work to do rebuilding but with portkeys and floos I should be able to come home...back to the tower every night." Juniper answered. The tower had become home so so quickly and living in New York seemed to grow more attractive then London every day. Not that London didn't have its bright spots but no one in America seemed eager to build her up then rip her apart if she wasn't perfect. She wasn't eager to find out what the British wizarding world would attack her for next. Here she could have the best of both worlds. The Avengers knew about magic so she could use it, even use it to help to save people if she wished too, or she could live a normal muggle life as Juniper Stark, Tony's long lost illegitimate daughter.
Juniper glanced over at Ron and saw his slightly sad smile. "Its okay. I know. I've known since just after HYDRA." He said softly. He'd always thought after Hogwarts the two of them and Hermione would find a flat together. He and Juni would attend the Auror academy while Hermione started a career in the ministry. After 7 years of living in the same dorm, eating together, attended classes together, studying together going even a day without seeing the two girls seemed inconceivable. But he could see how much happier Juniper would be here. He loved her. His whole family loved her as if she'd been born into it but the fact was she hadn't been. There had always been that slight difference. Maybe it was because none of them could really relate to the abuse she'd endured during her childhood but Tony could as Sirius had and that slight distance wasn't there with Tony. She had a anchor here in Steve, she had a mother figure in Pepper, uncles, aunts, little brother Peter, and Bucky. People who had not only the physical power to protect her but political and financial resources as well. It would be better for her in every way to relocate to living in America. But Merlin it was going to hurt to have his best friend living across the ocean even if she was only a floo away it wasn't the same as being just up the opposite staircase.
"I love you ya know." Juniper said taking his hand as well.
"Oh course you do. I'm awesome." Ron answered.
"Nothing stopping you from moving to America." Bucky observed glancing at Ron over Juniper's head.
Ron shook his head. "If Junipers here she'll have all of you. Hermione will need me more at that point. She'll have Viktor and Neville but Viktor has his own stuff going on and Neville...well Hermione needs someone who'll tell her when shes wrong. I know her Juniper comes home for the weekend Hermione is quite capable of coming up with something that would cause a riot by the time she comes back to the ministry on Monday."
Juniper laughed. "Shes passionate and impatient but I don't think its that bad. Anyway at some point you are going to have to stop trying to take care of me and Hermione and figure out whats going to make you happy. If thats living in Britian becoming a auror and riding herd on Hermione while double dating with her and Viktor thats fine. If its I don't know moving to Southeast Asia and raising racings Llamas thats fine too."
"Doing what?" Hermione asked looking over at her as if she'd lost her mind as they'd entered the family room as she'd finished her statement.
"I was just telling Ron that hes going to have to stop worrying about us and figure out whats going to make him happy." Juniper said.
"And you think thats racing Llamas?" She asked her expression confused.
"It was a for example Hermione." Juniper answered with a sigh.
"What if he wants to try out for the Chudley Cannons?" Bill asked amusement creeping into his voice at the horrified look that came over Juniper's face.
"That is just insane crazy talk! We should give the Llama idea more consideration." Juniper objected as Ron seemed to be considering it.
"Gotta agree with Juniper on that one. The Cannons suck. Did you listen to the game they played against the Harpies last year? They destroyed them." Sam said.
"Sam you've just been promoted from acquaintance to friend. I need someone around with better taste in Quidditch teams." Juniper announced.
"Actually, all in all I prefer Quodpot." Sam admitted. All the magicals in the room with the exception of Hermione looked at him as if he'd just said he was considering chopping off his hand for fun.
"Bloody Americans. Quodpot doesn't even have a seeker." Juniper finally muttered taking the calming drought Hermione was holding out to her and downing it with a grimace.
Pepper sighed shaking her head and sharing a look with Hermione before stepping forward to hug Juniper. "Go to bed get some sleep." She told her.
"Right. Good night Pepper. Night dad." Juniper said the calming drought already started to tug at her mind smoothing out the edges. It was so nice how quickly potions worked compared to muggle meds.
"I'll walk you up." Bucky said a arm around Juniper. The two of them Ron and Hermione headed up the stairs.
As soon as they where out of sight and hearing Tony looked over to Sam. "So, thoughts?"
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AN- Love and hugs to everybody hope all who celebrate Thanksgiving had a great one. 20 days til Christmas.
AN- Got this scene in my head I'm dying to write with Juni and Draco getting drunk together and bonding while Blaise and Bucky do the same over the dangers and trials of loving a Black.