AN- BioHazard82- Thank you for your support as always.
nightwing27- I totally agree. My Grindelwald's appearance isn't based on any of the acters as he is much older now and is using Polyjuice and glamours to appear younger and more appealing.
n7kairos- Thank you! I know you enjoy the fight scenes so hopefully you'll like this chapter.
MagicalCatgirl68- Thank you. Please let me know when you publish your story I'd love to read it. I guess I'm writing Draco more the way I think a Slytherin would be but after his traumatic experiences of late he's had to grow up a bit. There will definitely be a conversation between Hermione and Juniper soon. Both of them where wildly tempted by Grindelwald. I'm sure Bucky is going to get his turn to be insanely heroic after all I have a few changes to make in the final battle of Hogwarts.
AN- HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME! I know this update has taken a while. Hangs head in shame. Only excuse I have is the Covid is still causing after effects and some days all I can do is work and sleep. I will try to do better. *Offers cookies*
AN- The Maximoff twins have arrived. (little shits.) Bucky and Juniper both get out some pent up aggression on deserving targets. Leta is a bad-ass. We get a look in Lily's trunk and of course Blaise is the one who suggests they all get good and drunk lol.
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CHAPTER FOURTY THREE
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It was almost a hour before they left Mrs. Figg's house. Alpine was perched on Bucky's shoulder as if copying Hedwig's position on Juniper's his arms filled with a bag of food, litter, litter pan and a few toys Mrs. Figg had insisted they take. Juniper was walking close to his side seeming enchanted by the kitten. Hedwig on the other hand seemed annoyed at her existence and kept giving Bucky betrayed glares.
"Explain to me why we don't just apperate back to Grimmauld Place from here? Why do we need to go to this park of yours?" Draco asked Juniper sounding annoyed again obviously not comfortable spending any more time in the muggle neighborhood than absolutely necessary. Juniper didn't mind. In fact she preferred it to him acting all weird because he knew more about her childhood than she'd ever wanted him too. She'd spent 7 years at Hogwarts hiding her background as much as she could even though her dormmates, Ron, the twins, and Theo Nott knew more than she wished. She didn't need anyone pitying her or worse thinking she was weak.
"Because we've trusted the notice me not and disillusionment charms to far as it is. The last thing we want is for the Death Eaters to notice and pay Mrs. Figg a visit." Juniper answered with a frown. They'd tried to talk Mrs. Figg into going to Diagon alley but she'd refused. A refusal that had grown even stronger when Ron had told her she could stay with his family and they'd watch out for her. She'd glared at him puffing up like one of her cats and informed him that she had been taking care of herself for 35 years and just because she was a squib that didn't mean she needed witches or wizards to babysit her. He'd still been stuttering about how he hadn't meant it like that when Hermione had drug him out.
"And I wanted to look up a few things where my phone works." Tony added his eyes on the phone in his hands eyes scanning the numerous news articles about his long lost daughter. None of the reporters had her or Lily's name yet. The articles went from painting Juniper as a gold digging liar who was posing as his child to a poor abandoned child pining for her father. In some he had never known about her at all in others he had heartlessly abandoned her. Bucky was painted badly in nearly every article a combination of Juniper being young and looking even younger, her in their opinion new found wealth, and his previous reputation all mentioned. He had a feeling Juniper was going to be livid when she saw them. Hopefully Pepper could work her magic and get the reporters to back off at least enough to keep Juniper from cursing any of them. On the other hand watching Juniper go toe to toe with say Christine Everhart could be amusing.
As if she'd read his mind Pepper who was walking close to him to read the phone as well gave him a stern look. Tony gave her his best innocent look but she just rolled her eyes.
"What in Merlin's name is that boy eating?" Juniper looked over at Draco's question and followed his gaze to see a young family sitting at a small picnic table in the park eating lunch.
"A hot dog." Hermione told Draco with a sigh.
"Muggles eat dogs?" Draco said a look of mild horror and disgust washing over his face. Juniper and Hermione both burst into giggles as Ron looked disturbed and the others grinned in amusement.
Suddenly the father of the family looked over his shoulder then stood and scooped up his son and said something to his wife. She quickly gathered their things and the small family hurried towards the parking area.
Juniper stiffened slightly and looked around a sudden wave of wrongness washing over her. It was the same feeling she'd had before when something bad had happened. She noticed Leta had the same reaction and the twos eyes met. Juniper shifted closer to Pepper the most vulnerable of the group eyes scanning for the danger.
"Juni?" Ron asked softly catching her swift change of mood.
"Somethings wrong." She said softly eyes sweeping over the area. There had been a few children playing and parents watching only moments ago but they seemed to have vacated the park just like the family. Ron with no questions pulled his wand and shifted so he was blocking Pepper from one side as Juniper was in front of her.
"Dementors?" Hermione asked her wand already in hand. "Isn't this where they attacked you before?"
"Yes, but this feels different." Juniper answered softly her eyes scanning the others doing the same catching her mood. The bags sliding to the ground as Bucky unholstered his gun.
"Merlin Potter can't you go just a few hours without someone trying to kill you?" Draco growled taking her word for it pulling his wand too.
The crack of electricity seemed to come from nowhere and before anyone actually knew what was happening what looked almost like a harpoon was flying at Loki's chest. His hand flew out catching it before it hit him. Unfortunately their attacker had obviously anticipated the reaction and a surge of electricity coursed through him. He let out a cry of pain but his hand was locked on the harpoon. Ron started to reach for him but something hit him hard knocking him backwards in to a tree with a thud. Something that was nothing but a blur. Hermoine grabbed a tree branch and used that to knock the harpoon out of his hands and he fell to the ground still shuddering slightly.
"KREACHER." Juniper yelled the elf appeared with a crack. "I need you to take Loki and Pepper back to Grimmauld Place." She was not going to have her future mum in the line of fire again and the God was down for the moment. She looked over at the others to see if anyone else wanted to go as well. Tony had already deployed his gauntlets both arms encased up to his elbows eyes determined, Bucky had pulled his gun eyes cold he reached up with a surprisingly gentle hand and removed Alpine from his shoulder handing her to Pepper, Hermione held her wand and Ron was shaking his head hard to clear away any cobwebs but he was standing wand in hand. Both looked ready as always to stand at her back. Her eyes went to Draco and Leta questioningly. Leta met her eyes again and pulled her own wand. Draco frowned deeply and turned away scanning for enemies. Juniper nodded to the elf and he took Pepper's hand putting his other hand on Loki's arm and they were gone.
Only seconds after the three apparated gunfire rang out. Hearing the story later Natasha would insult them all as it was obvious in hindsight that it was a tactic to separate them as not one single bullet found its target. At the moment all of them dove for cover. Bucky's arm went around Juniper's waist pulling her into the trees not giving her time to finish the shield she'd raised her wand to cast. Hermione grabbed Leta and Ron who were closest to her dragging them a bit further behind the brick building where the restrooms where. Tony gave Draco a shove into another section of woods as the boy seemed to have frozen in confusion not quite understand what the bullets were.
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"What the bloody hell was that?" Draco asked Tony looking up at him in confusion.
"Guns. Muggle weapons." Tony answered looking around trying to spot any of the others.
"Thats...thats impossible." Draco answered eyes wide with shock. "Muggles don't have weapons that powerful. All you have are those what do you call them? Pistols?"
Tony looked at Draco in surprise a bit shocked at how ignorant he was. "Hermione mentioned the purebloods where extremely behind on muggle culture." He muttered softly. "Just wait until the war is over I'll bring you to New York and show you some things they will blow your sheltered little mind."
"Muggle America." Draco said wrinkling his nose. "No thanks."
Before Tony could respond they both froze as they heard a sound like a branch snapping under someone's foot. As they both turned to look in the proper direction they both felt a hand touch their face. Tony felt like he was caught in the ocean's undertow and was dragged deep into his mind. Draco having been trained in Occlumency since he was a toddler recognized the mental attack and threw up his shields but this wasn't like anything he had ever experienced. She (and it was definitely a she.) ripped through his mental shields as if they were made of paper. It was only his fierce pride that kept him from screaming in pain. If Greyback couldn't make him scream some little trollop of a witch using off brand magic would not accomplish it.
He felt as if he was being dragged backwards in his memories another world being formed around him trapping him. A world that combined the two nights that had destroyed his world and nearly fractured his sanity. The night Voldemort had informed him that either he or Pansy and Blaise where going to entertain Greyback for the night. Pansy knew but Blaise didn't. It was the one secret he'd kept from his boyfriend they one thing he would never know. That Draco had chosen to sacrifice himself rather than his friends. And the night his parents had died. He hadn't been there but his Aunt Bellatrix had sent him the memory. He fell to the ground curling up in agony as the two memories warred and combined in his mind.
Tony was clutching the nuclear warhead in his arms flying towards the black hole knowing it was a one way trip. Knowing he wouldn't be coming back. He was leaving Pepper. He was leaving Rhodey. He was leaving...he was leaving...JUNIPER! No he couldn't leave Juniper. She needed him. His daughter needed him. If he died she'd have no place to retreat too. No one to help her figure out how to beat the Horcrux in her scar, no one to help her contact Loki for help when Grindelwald came. He couldn't do this. He had to save his daughter. He fought desperately trying to escape or change the memory/vision his eyes wide and desperate.
Wanda stepped away from the two with a slight smirk. She hadn't particularly wanted to hurt the boy. His hair reminded her to much of her brother but if he was a ally of Starks he was a enemy of hers. She left the two of them incapacitated for the soldiers to scoop up later and went to find Stark's daughter.
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"Well this is a interesting predicament." Leta said almost lightly to Ron and Hermione. "Tell me have the three of you ever actually had a full day where someone wasn't trying to kill or capture you?"
"It's been a while." Ron admitted.
"Once the war is over things will be different." Hermione said looking as if she was trying to convince herself. Leta gave a soft hum of not quite agreement.
Then suddenly that blur that had knocked into Ron before was back slamming into him again and knocking him backwards several feet to land on the ground with a whoof. Then the blur just jerked to a stop and they could see it was a handsome man with a mischievous grin, hair as pale as Draco's and sparkling blue eyes maybe a few years older than Ron and Hermione. "What you didn't see that coming?" He asked Ron in a playful tone with what sounded like a Russian accent.
Ron gave him a glare and whipped his wand up.
"Wouldn't do that if I were you." A familiar voice growled. They looked away from the blur who disappeared as soon as they did to the two newcomers both known to Ron and Hermione. Marcus Flint and Lizzy Lane both with their wands pointed at them.
"Flint. How's the face?" Ron asked with a smirk.
"Healing well enough. How about you? Still got the shakes from Bella's curse?" Flint asked with a sneer.
"No shakes." Ron answered. "I suppose The Order has better healers than the Deatheaters."
"We value offensive fighters over weak creatures that have to be protected." Flint replied.
"I'll be sure to mention that to Andromeda Tonks. You know Bella's sister." Ron grinned at the look on Flint's face. Disowned or not insulting a Black was historically a good way to meet a gruesome end.
"Enough chit-chat. Put down the wands Granger, Weasley, you too whoever you are." Lane ordered her expression much harder and colder than it had been when they'd met in New York. Ron gritted his teeth angrily. Flint had his wand pointed at Ron while Lane was pointing her own at Leta and Hermione.
"That will not be happening." Leta said her voice cold as ice.
"You'd be well served to stay out of this you old hag. We weren't expecting you and have no reason to kill you. Don't give us one. Walk away." Lane ordered.
"Mind how you speak to your elders child or someone may decide to teach you some manners." Leta hissed softly. Hermione's eyes widened slightly. She knew Leta's reputation when she was younger. Even before she'd faced down Grindelwald she'd been the assistant to the head of magical law enforcement. You didn't get to that level without some combat experience. Lane on the other hand was younger, and HYDRA trained not to mention it was probable that the older woman had gotten rusty in the last 70-years.
The thought had barely formed in Hermione's head when Leta's wand snapped out. A shield charm blocked a body bind curse coming at them from behind then sending out a curse of her own that shattered the disillusionment charm hiding Cheyenne Navora knocking her back a few steps. Then in one smooth movement she turned and sent Arresto Momentum at the blur that was rushing Ron again. Or more specifically where the blur was about to be so he ran into the spell and jerked to a stop so quickly it looked painful and he hit the ground much as Ron had. Okay so not rusty then.
"What you didn't see that coming?" Ron sneered at the man sending his own body bind curse at him before raising his wand to face Marcus Flint. Hermione had already turned to face Navora who had recovered from her stumble and was glaring furiously. Leta's wand had returned to point at Lane so quickly she'd barely had time to register let alone send a spell at her.
"Gryffindors shouldn't try to play Slytherin games." Leta said her voice smooth as silk. A hint of the woman who'd once fearlessly faced down Grindelwald peeking out.
"Who the hell are you?" Flint asked but the way he was looking at her the Slytherin seemed to suspect. After all the woman was a icon of his house.
"Leta Lestrange." She answered her eyes flaring a smirk playing on her lips as she seemed to once again accept her former identity. That had all three of the others taking a bit of a step back. Lane was definitely rethinking her insults.
"So now the great Juniper Potter is raising the dead." Navora sneered.
"No matter. We can just make sure the rumors of her death are made fact." Lane said regaining her confidence. Seconds later the area of the park behind the brick restrooms lit up as spells flew.
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"Where did everyone else go?" Juniper asked Bucky a bit breathlessly.
"I'm not sure." Bucky answered one arm still around Juniper the other holding his gun. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to apperate back home and let me take care of this?" She gave him a look almost eerily similar to the one Hedwig had given him when she'd seen him with Alpine in his arms. "Right."
"Желание. Ржавый. Семнадцать. Рассвет. Печь. Девять. Добросердечный. Возвращение на Родину. Один. Товарный вагон." The words said in a carefully practiced Russian accent came from behind them. As the turned they both stiffened and their eyes narrowed in a glare at the two men standing there one with a gun aimed at them the other a wand.
The gun holding HYDRA agent trying to trigger Bucky was tall with spiky dark hair and a face that had probably been handsome before whatever had caused the burn scars across it. The wizard was heavier but almost as tall with brown curls and pale blue eyes.
"The words don't work anymore Rumlow." Bucky growled his own gun already pointed at the other man as Juniper's wand was on the wizard at his side.
"Had to give it a try." The other man answered with a smirk.
"Working with muggles now Nott?" Juniper asked her expression one of someone who was smelling something quite unpleasant. She hated the man in a uncomplicated way she'd never been able to quite manage with her relatives. She'd only ever seen him in the graveyard once and in photos in the Daily Prophet, but she'd know those eyes anywhere. His son had those same pale blue eyes. She'd never been friends with Theo Nott Junior the way she was Ron or even Blaise, but they understood each other. Like recognizing like as Nagini had said. He'd seen the bruises on her arm in the library one day. He'd revealed the burn scars on his own. After that they'd studied together in the library a couple of times a month both knowing but not talking about it.
"I do as my Lord bids Potter." Theo answered in his cold voice. It was obvious though by the way he was holding himself as if unwilling to get too close to Rumlow and risking being infected by his...muggleness, that he didn't like it. "You know how this all ends girl. You dead. Surrender now and I'll make it quick. Won't hurt at all."
"Oh no. This is going to hurt. Alot." Juniper answered her voice just as cold. Witch and wizard fired spells at the same time, and they slammed into each other the resulting shockwave knocking both Bucky and Rumlow away from the other two.
Juniper couldn't stop herself from glancing over to make sure Bucky was okay and he was already on his feet and going after Rumlow with his knife both men having lost their guns when they'd slammed into trees. Her distraction gave Nott the chance to shoot a cutting curse that caught her arm and would have done more damage if Hedwig's sharp bark from the top of one of the trees hadn't warned her to dodge.
She scowled as if offended that Nott had managed to land a curse. "Should've used the killing curse Nott. Let me teach you the error of your ways." She hissed as if her heart wasn't pounding and arm throbbing. She didn't have time to cast a numbing charm or even try to stop the blood. Doing her best to channel Mad-eye she started casting in what he had called a curse chain. It was the same tactic Bella had used on her at Wool's orphanage casting fast and hard so that all Nott could do was throw up a shield charm and hope she exhausted herself before breaking his shield. She wouldn't. He may be older and more experienced but even injured Juniper was stronger and filled with the righteous anger of a abused child facing a abuser. Not her abuser granted but him she could take her anger out on.
Bucky had to keep his entire focus on Rumlow. Like Bucky he had gone straight to knives after losing his gun. With his strength enhancing gauntlets and his extensive training from both SHIELD and HYDRA he was one of the few who could fight Bucky on a equal footing. Which he seemed intent on proving. Knives and fists flew to quickly to follow both of them thrown against trees more than once. Bucky felt a sadistic thrill when his knife sunk into Rumlow's abdomen not even feeling his own injuries. He wanted to look over to check on Juniper, but he knew better than to turn his back on the other man. Even injured Rumlow was extremely dangerous, and Bucky knew if he was taken out the man would go after Juniper. He would gladly die if it meant keeping Juniper out of HYDRA's hands. The thought had him twisting the knife in Rumlow's abdomen as he looked him in the eyes letting him see the soldier still lurking in the depths. The man's face already pale with pain and blood loss seemed to go completely white. Bucky pushed him off the knife and shoved him backwards his eyes cold as he landed awkwardly on the see-saw and didn't move.
He shifted slightly so that he could still see the man's still body but could also see Juniper and the larger older wizard she was fighting. Bucky had thought Juniper was beautiful since the first moment he'd seen her. She was beautiful in oversized boy's clothes. She was beautiful dressed up for their date. She was beautiful in Penguin Pjs. She was beautiful in her hero garb for Diagon alley. Fighting like this using her magic without the fear she'd shown when fighting Bellatrix, without the horcrux holding her back she was breath taking. She was flinging curse after curse at the wizard who could do nothing but shield and retreat. He had the look on his face of someone realizing they had maybe bitten off more than they could chew. He considered stepping in, but he got the feeling Juniper was working through some things. He didn't know who the man was or why Juniper seemed to dislike him so violently, but he assumed she had her reasons.
He was surprised by the sudden feel of a hand on his cheek when he'd neither heard or sensed anyone approaching and then the feeling of something, someone trying to get into his mind. He let out a cry of pain even as he felt the earring Bill Weasley had given him seem to strike back. It was like a wall of ice sprang up to guard his mind from the invasion.
Juniper heard Bucky cry out and turned to see a young brunette woman with her hand on his face seeming to attack him mentally. White hot fury washed over her. She cast one more curse at Nott. "Confringo." It blasted him backwards into a concession stand which he hit so hard the shoddily built wooden building tipped completely over and crumbled on top of him. She then turned stalked over to Bucky and the girl who seemed to be locked in some kind of mental battle and pulled her away from him before punching her in the face. She hit the ground out cold.
Bucky staggered slightly before gaining his balance then blinked hard gasping before looking over at Juniper out of breath, hair wild, a bloody tear across one arm and at her hip then the girl she'd punched out. "It's probably very inappropriate to be turned on right now? I know how concerned you proper British dames are about that kind of thing." He said giving her a smirk.
"Save that thought til we find the others and get home." Juniper answered matching his smirk. The she turned her eyes to the unconscious girl her eyes narrowing. The girl had been breaking into Bucky's mind. With no wand. Juniper wanted to know how. "KREACHER." The old elf popped into existence. "Take this girl and put her into the strongest magic suppression cell in the dungeon. In fact, put her in one of the family cells." The elf's eyes glittered with what seemed to be glee and he grabbed the girl's arm popping back out again.
"Then let's find the others." Bucky said taking her hand long enough to kiss her hand lightly before they headed back into the woods.
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Draco came back to himself with a loud harsh gasp barely managing to hold back a sob before rolling to his side to be violently sick. He felt a large hand gently rubbing his back before he heard Tony's voice sounding harsh. "It's okay. It's over now. Whatever the hell it was."
"That was...I don't know..." Draco said his voice hoarse as well as he sat up letting out a small cough. Tony's hand on his arm helping him when a dizzy feeling hit him. "It wasn't imperious or legilimency. That wasn't any spell I've ever heard of."
"A mutant or metahuman then." Tony said his expression stern. This was a HYDRA operation then and HYDRA...HYDRA wanted Juniper for their new pet assassin. "Come on we need to find the others." Draco let Tony pull him to his feet.
"She'll be okay." Draco told Tony knowing who he was worried about. "The only reason that...episode would have ended like that is of the caster was incapacitated or dead and it would take someone of Juniper's power to fight that kind of ability."
Despite still feeling off balance and bruised emotionally if not physically Tony still couldn't hold back a grin. It was kind of amusing to know that even though they were rivals Draco still acknowledged even in a roundabout way that Juniper was stronger than he was.
"This way." Draco said turning back towards the playground. "I can feel her magic."
"Creepy but useful." Tony said following the younger man his gauntlets at the ready eyes scanning for enemies. They stepped out into a clearing to find Bucky's wand and Juniper's wand aimed at them both of them were wounded and bloody.
"If your Draco Malfoy what where the first words you spoke to me on the Hogwarts express?" Juniper demanded.
Draco smirked slightly just as he had that day so long ago when they were eleven. "So, it's true. Juniper Potter has come to Hogwarts."
Juniper lowered her wand with a soft sigh of relief and crossed to Tony hugging him tightly. "Are you okay dad?"
"I'm fine kiddo. What happened to you two?" Tony asked returning the hug.
"Rumlow." Bucky told Tony gruffly.
"Nott Senior." Juniper said in much the same tone glancing at Malfoy.
"Did you kill him?" Draco asked his face twisting into a scowl obviously sharing Juniper's opinion of the older wizard.
"I... didn't actually check. Maybe." Juniper answered giving Bucky a sheepish look as he realized he hadn't actually made sure Rumlow had breathed his last either. Considering what he'd seen if magical healing there was the chance, he'd squirm out of the grim reapers grip again.
"Merlin Juniper! You may be a good dueler, but you don't have any follow through." Draco complained.
"You should be glad of that Malfoy. Otherwise, you'd never have made it out of Myrtle's bathroom." Juniper snapped the sheepish look falling away.
"Children." Tony said with a sigh. They both gave him very unchildlike looks. "Right let's find Leta, Ron, and Hermione."
"Can you feel their magic like you did Juniper's?" Tony asked.
"No. Family magic." Draco explained.
"Shhh." Juniper hissed listening intently for a moment they also heard the sound of spell fire. Soft whooshing and cracking like electricity she turned and started at a near run towards the sound the others just behind her.
Juniper jerked to a halt at the edge of the clearing where Hermione, Ron, and Leta where dueling Navora, Flint and Lane. She peered from behind a tree seeing that all three looked pretty evenly matched but somehow, she got the feeling Leta was playing with Lane from the almost casual way she was casting and the smirk playing on her lips.
Usually, she would have just let the duels play out as they all where fair enough but she was really at the end of her patience and wanted to go home. She edged out from behind the tree waited until the right moment and quickly cast two body bind curses at Lane and Navora smirking as they body snapped into a stiff stance and fell to the ground. They all looked over noticing the others for the first time and Flint looked a bit panicked at realizing he was suddenly on his own.
"Hi, Flint how's it going?" Juniper asked sweetly.
"What do you want Potter?" Flint growled giving Draco a look as if asking if he was going to aid him. The blond shook his head at his former quidditch caption and housemate.
"So rude. But then you have a habit of that don't you? For example, when you just got sooo upset that you were losing at quidditch that you intentionally hit Oliver with a bludger and knocked him out?" Juniper asked. The incident had always ticked her off and she could not pass up the chance to get some pay back.
"That was a accident." Flint claimed seeming a bit nervous now.
"You weren't a beater. You had no business using that bat and you know it." Juniper answered. The without raising her wand. "Accio rock." A rock about the side of a bludger that was half buried in the ground behind him jerked free and hurled towards her. Unfortunately for Flint he was between Juniper and the rock, and it collided with his shoulder with enough force to break it sending him to the ground with a cry of pain. "Oops." She gave him a cheerful smile stepping out of the rock's path letting it hit a tree behind her and sent a body bind at him as well.
"Vindictive Black streak." Draco said sounding approving.
"Vindictive Stark streak." Tony corrected with a smirk nearly identical to his daughter's.
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Why Ron had insisted on bringing the blond version of Sonic the hedgehog back with them Juniper didn't understand. But she humored him banishing him to the Black dungeons with his partner in crime who was probably awake or would be soon. She really didn't want to deal with them at the moment. Her head was too full of Petunia's words, Grindelwald's words, Pepper's words, and Mrs. Figg's words. They'd be fine, or mostly fine anyway until she felt like dealing with them.
When they apparated back to Grimmauld Place they found a irritated Loki, a enraged Thor, and a worried everyone else. Luckily none of them had been badly injured. Bucky had gotten the worst of suffering several stab wounds and more than a few bruises from Rumlow. Luckily his super soldier serum was already working to heal the wounds. The rest of them had a few cuts and bruises from their duels or crashing to the ground except for Leta. She didn't even have a hair out of place. Juniper wasn't sure if she was annoyed or impressed.
It was predictably Hermione who asked the question they all had in the back of their minds. "Did you at least get the trunk?"
"I did." Juniper affirmed and took out the trunk and box tapping them once with her wand to return them to their true size. She picked up the box and opened in taking out the baby blanket and stuffed rabbit.
Remus inhaled sharply seeing them. He reached out touching the blanket lightly. "Your mum made that when she found out she was pregnant."
"She did?" Juniper asked the blanket automatically becoming ten times more precious too her.
Remus nodded and held it up so she could see the stitched name more clearly. Most specifically the uneven stitchwork. "James thought it was hilarious that it didn't come out the way she wanted. He said it was amazing to see her not be perfect and something for once. You never cared you dragged it around everywhere." He reached out touching the bunny. "That was a gift your mum got at the baby shower from Pandora Lovegood."
"Luna's mum?" Juniper asked her eyes bright.
Remus nodded. "They didn't know each other well she was a friend of a friend invited mostly because they were the same age and schoolmates even though Pandora was a Ravenclaw. It was charmed to play a lullaby when you cried. Sirius was always annoyed that you preferred it to the stuffed dog he got you."
"Do you want to be alone to go through the trunk?" Hermione asked her gently.
Juniper looked around at the assembled group and shook her head. "No anyone who wants can stay."
It was a bit of a surprise that everyone stayed. Even Pansy, Leta, and Loki who she had suspected would flee at the slightest hint of sentimentality. Of course, maybe they were just curious.
She sat on the floor in front of the trunk and opened it. The very first thing on top was a envelope with Severus Snape's name written on it. She took it out then handed it to Draco. "Can you see that Professor Snape gets this?"
"I will." He answered and Juniper could see he was dying to ask why Lily Potter would be writing to Severus Snape but refrained from asking which Juniper was glad of.
The next thing was a muggle picture. She could identify her mum even though she was only about 10 or 11 and Petunia who was a few years older but the other two in the formal family picture she didn't recognize although she could guess at their identity. A tall man with Petunia's dark hair and Lily's stunning green eyes and a pretty red-haired woman with soft brown eyes. They all looked happy smiling. Juniper looked over at Remus. "Is that..."
"Harry and Rose Evans. Your grandparents." Remus told her seeming a bit choked up that she'd never seen a photo of them before.
"Your grandmother was very pretty." Pansy offered seeming to actually be trying to be nice. Of course, she immediately ruined it. "Too bad you didn't inherit her hair."
"Thanks Pansy." Juniper said a grin on her lips.
There was also a box of medals some with her grandfather's name, others with the name Edward Evans. Her great grandfather according to Remus. A family bible with a family tree in the first pages. A box of recipes. A jewelry box with several simple but lovely pieces. Then the rest was mostly schoolbooks 7th year texts, a Gryffindor tie and scarf, broken quills and empty ink bottles in the bottom just like her own school trunk and a potions notebook.
"Was it worth it?" Leta asked her softly.
"Nothing is worth any of us getting hurt but since Alpine found Bucky and we got to see Mrs. Figg as well I can't really say no." Juniper answered wrapping the scarf around her neck the faint smell of lilies comforting.
"Good answer." Tony said with a soft smile hugging her briefly.
"May I?" Draco asked motioning towards the potions notebook which Juniper had put on the table without opening. Potions wasn't her strong point. She had gotten more interested during 6th year thanks to Professor Slughorn and the half-blood prince's book but that had soured quickly when she'd nearly killed Draco.
"It's fine go ahead." Juniper agreed.
"Kretcher could hang the picture and medals." The old elf offered, and Juniper couldn't help thinking that him offering to hang up mementos of muggles was a huge step forward for the elf.
"Thank you Kretcher." Juniper said handed the pictures she'd still been holding to the elf.
For a moment there was silence then Blaise spoke. "Know what we need a fun night. What say we raid the Black liquor supply, pull out some of those old records I saw in your godfather's room, have your elf make us a ton of food and play some cards."
"Aren't you a little young to drink?" Steve asked in his responsible adult voice.
Blaise shrugged. "Legal drinking age in the magical world is 17 in muggle London its 18. The only ones technically underage are Juniper, Ron and Pansy and I think all things considered a few months can be overlooked."
Juniper gave Steve her best puppy dog eyes and he folded. "Alright fair enough. At least go get cleaned up a bit first."
Juniper grinned at him warmly and stood to follow the others out to get cleaned up but paused and after seeming to think about it for a moment turned to hug Tony whispering in his ear. "Thank you for coming to get me dad. Even though I didn't want you too. I needed you."
"I will always come for you Kid. Always." Tony whispered back.
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AN- Next chapter will probably be a bit fluffy getting drunk and pigging out while playing games and listening to music. Hopefully we'll also get to have a conversation with the twins who are currently chilling in the Black dungeon.