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Author's Note: Someone pointed out a few inconsistencies that I missed while going over the chapter, so I ended up making a few small edits. It doesn't really change the plot of the chapter too much. I'm sorry for the mishap!
Chapter Seven: I'm Fine
James had found it hard to believe when he'd been requested to go up to Professor McGonagall's office to discuss his new job as Juniper's tutor. When asked why she considered him, the Headmistress told him that he was one of the only ones that could, most likely, help her understand the material and that Juniper would benefit more from an older student, who was also a good friend, rather than someone she barely knew. James was eager to help her, especially if it meant hanging out with her more often.
It was now ten minutes after dinner and James had just come into the library to wait for Juniper. She'd said that she would meet him there after visiting the lavatory. A few other students were there as well, including Juniper's twin sister, Jaenelle. She looked up from her books and smiled at him. He sat down across from her.
"A lot of homework?" he asked.
"You have no idea. It's only the first day of term, but I've gotten homework in three out of my four classes I had today, and all of them are essays. I'm trying to get them done right away so I don't have to worry about them. By the way, what are you doing here? I don't see any books on you."
"I'm meeting Juniper here."
Jaenelle's hazel eyes lit up in realization. "Oh, that's right. She told me about you tutoring her. You sure you're up for the challenge?" she asked vexingly.
James chuckled and nervously ran his fingers through his dark hair. "Sure, I've tutored a few students before and it's not really that hard." Yet, tutoring Juniper would be a different story, for he'd be looking at her for an extended amount of time. She didn't realize it, but she was more appealing than she gave herself credit for.
"Hey, James," a voice purred. The Gryffindor was pulled away from his thoughts by Avery standing at the table.
"What do you want, Burke?" Jaenelle demanded.
"Mind your own business, Clayton," Avery spat before smiling sweetly at James. "So, James, I'm thinking about trying out for the Ravenclaw Quidditch team and I was wondering if you wanted to come with me out to the Quidditch field and give me a few pointers? I'd really appreciate it." She placed her hand on his arm and lightly fingered the material of his shirt. "What do you say?"
"I'm actually waiting for someone," James said pulling away from her. He didn't want to be mean to her, but he also didn't want anything to do with her either.
"That's right, Burke, so why don't you go sink your claws into someone else? We want nothing to do with you," Jaenelle spat
"Shut up," Avery hissed. "You have no room to talk. Don't you dare judge me when you're going around snogging every guy in the school."
Jaenelle stood abruptly, knocking her chair over in the process. It fell with a loud clatter causing the students nearby to look up and alerting Madame Pince. "What is going on here?" she asked briskly walking over. "Miss Clayton, Miss Burke, I will not have you disrupting the students trying to study in my library, please leave!"
The two girls put away their wands that they'd drawn, but still glared at each other with the utmost hatred, before leaving the library and going their separate ways. Madame Pince peered over her glasses at James.
"Er...I'm waiting for someone," he said. She turned and walked away, passing Juniper as she came into the library.
"What's wrong with Jaenelle?" she asked. "I just saw her coming from here and she looked mad. I tried asking her what happened, but she wouldn't say anything."
"Oh, um...she was upset because she couldn't get a teacher to give her permission to check out a book in the Restricted Session." Why did he lie to Juniper like that? Did he not want her to know that Avery had flirted with him and Jaenelle had almost tried to hex her?
"What book?"
"Huh?"
"What book did she want?"
Crap, he was caught now. He couldn't just think of the name of a random book at the drop of a hat. She sat down across from him, laying her satchel on the floor next to her chair. "You're not a very good liar, James. Plus Jaenelle wouldn't get upset over a book that she couldn't have."
"You got me there. I was just talking to her and Avery came in and started flirting with me. She got upset and tried to hex her and Madame Pince basically made them leave."
"I see." Juniper tugged at the hem of her shirt and looked down at the wooden grooves in the table, as if she was all of a sudden interested in them. "What did she want?"
"She wanted me to help her with her flying so that she could try out for the Ravenclaw team. I told her that I was too busy."
"Avery is already a good flyer on her own. I don't know why she wants to try out for Quidditch now, when she had the opportunity to try out two years ago in second year or even during her third year."
James shrugged. "Who knows?" He rarely talked to Avery unless it was the weekend, and even then he only exchanged a small handful of words. This wasn't the first time she'd flirted with him, but then again, she flirted with a lot of boys. It's just who she was. "I have no idea what goes on inside a girl's head ninety percent of the time."
Juniper laughed lightly. "I guess it would help if there was a manual on the female psychosis."
"I know, right? Anyways, let's get down to business." He thought it best to shift the subject to the tutoring schedule. He could see that Juniper didn't like talking about Avery. He shifted around in his bag and brought out some parchment, but couldn't find something to write the schedule down with. "Crap, I must've left my quill in the common room when I was starting my Transfiguration essay earlier before dinner."
"It's fine, I have one here." Juniper produced the quill and ink bottle and set them on the table.
They spent the next fifteen minutes discussing a possible schedule and decided to try and meet, at least, three times a week. It was a rough schedule and they agreed on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays starting next wee for now, and perhaps once on the weekends.
"We should definitely set the times too," Juniper reminded him.
"Right, how about after dinner?" James suggested. "We'll meet here on the prescribed days and work for, maybe two hours. If that's fine with you."
"Sure, it's perfect. But are you sure you're up to it? I do have trouble grasping some things."
"Hey, what did I say earlier in McGonagall's office? You're in good hands." He grinned impishly at her.
Juniper shook her head. "Let's not get too cocky until you actually tutor me," she lectured good-naturedly.
They talked a little more about the schedule before Juniper said she was going to go back to her common room and get an early night as the first day of term had had its toll on her. James stood up. "I'll walk you back," he offered.
"Oh, no...you don't have to do that."
He grinned. "Now, now, when a boy offers to walk you back to your common room or anywhere, you don't say no. Besides, you want me to, don't you?"
Was she just that easy to read? Yes, she wanted him to walk her, but she also didn't want to take time away from anything he needed to do, not even two minutes. Knowing that she wouldn't be able to argue with him, she allowed him to walk her back to her common room.
"By the way, when's your first Quidditch Practice?" he asked.
"Oh, er...the captain said this Friday."
"I'll be there to watch. Hang out with me tomorrow during break?" She nodded and he bid her good night before walking back down the long corridor. She watched him go, wishing that she could be more bold. Avery would probably have no problem letting her desires known. Juniper wondered if James secretly liked the Ravenclaw. A lot of boys did. It didn't help that Juniper felt frumpy ninety-five percent of the time, especially when compared to a girl like that. With a sigh, she entered the common room. A few other Hufflepuffs were scattered around in small groups. Kaylynn was beside the fireplace with a bottle of bright green nail polish open beside her and was painting her toenails. The blonde looked up when Juniper came in.
"How'd it go?" she asked.
"It was fine." She opted against telling her friend about Avery. "It won't do any good though. I'm doomed to fail."
"You're not going to fail. You really need to stop putting yourself down like that."
Juniper sat down on one of the sofas, slouching a bit. "I'm not putting myself down," she protested.
"Trust me, you are. You're very smart, you just don't have much confidence."
"I have confidence, just not in the right things," Juniper said.
"Look, I love you, Junie, but I don't like the fact that you're always coming up with reasons why you're not good enough for this or that. Stop having these pity parties and learn to be proud of what you can do. And what you can't do, learn."
Juniper nodded, looking down at her fingernails. She hated being scolded, even by her best friend. Yet, Kaylynn stood up and walked awkwardly to the sofa so as not to mess up her toenails and hugged Juniper. "Sorry I got onto you. I just want you to gain more self-esteem. Trust me, you'd be so much happier if you did." She let go of Juniper. "Now, want me to paint your nails? I have other colors, too."
Juniper thought for a moment. "Do you have navy blue?" she asked. Kaylynn chuckled and the two girls went to the dorms in order to, well, be girls. Being a teenager with raging hormones was hard, but being a teenage witch with the same problems was even harder. But Juniper knew that this was only the beginning.
The first week was now about halfway over with it being Wednesday afternoon. Juniper only had two classes on that day and they were electives, Muggle Studies and Care of Magical Creatures. She'd just gotten out of the latter. Unfortunately, it had started raining, so the students were drenched by the time they got back inside. Many of them headed back to the dorms to shower and change.
"I'll just go to the lavatory real quick," Juniper told Kaylynn. She was cold and wet, her robes weighing her down.
"Sure, I'll meet you back in the common room," Kaylynn said. Juniper went to the nearby lavatory to use it. As she was coming out of the stalls, the door opened and Avery walked in, followed by three of her friends, Michelle, Riley, and Cheri. They stopped laughing when they saw her. Avery stepped in front of the group, her hands on her perfect hips.
"Stinking up the loo, aren't we, Clayton?" she pretended to sniff the air and gave a look of disgust. "Do you girls smell that?"
"Ugh," Riley agreed. "It's making me sick." She smirked at Juniper who was eyeing the exit. Michelle caught her and pointed her wand at the door muttering, "Colloportus."
"Where are you going?" Avery asked in a poisonous honey tone. "We just want to have a little fun with you. You're like our own little toy."
Juniper slowly reached into her pocket and pulled out her wand, but Avery was quick. "Expelliarmus!" Her wand flew out of her hand and landed in the Ravenclaw's.
"That's not very nice. Ladies, I think we should teach Miss Clayton here a lesson."
Without her wand, Juniper was defenseless. Yet, even though she wasn't physically strong, she still put up her fists, which made the three girls laugh.
"Oh, are you going to try and throw a punch now?" Avery taunted. "Go on then, give it a go!"
Juniper hesitated for a split second, before thrusting her fist forward, but Avery, expecting it, pointed her wand at the girl and shouted, "Petrificus Totalus!" Juniper's entire body became rigid and she fell to the floor, unable to move even her forefinger. Avery stood over her and placed her foot on Juniper's abdomen in a dominating manner.
"Believe me, this is nothing as to what I could really do to you. I'm showing you mercy this time," she said before bringing her foot back and kicking Juniper hard in the side. Even though the Hufflepuff was frozen, she still felt the unbearable pain that spread throughout her body. Avery's friends also took a turn to kick her before her wand was thrown in one on the toilets and the group left the bathroom, laughing over what they'd done. Juniper lay there, staring straight ahead. Avery's hatred of Juniper and her family was almost overwhelming. Juniper had dealt with bullies before in the past, but Avery took it to another level. She prayed on the weak and Juniper was number one on her list.
Juniper set her mind on attempting to use a Summoning Charm to call her wand back to her, but as she couldn't speak and knew absolutely nothing about non-verbal spells, it was futile. Juniper had no idea how long she lay there, the pain in her side growing worse and worse. It was then that the door opened and in walked Eileen. The Hufflepuff stopped when she saw Juniper. She pulled out her wand. "Finite!"
Juniper's body relaxed and she was able to move again. Eileen extended a hand to help her up. She winced as she stood. "What happened?" Eileen asked.
"It's nothing, I'm fine. It was just an accident," Juniper insisted, not wanting to tell a girl that she barely knew that she was ganged up on by four girls. Now able to move, she retrieved her wand and used the sink to clean the toilet water from it.
"It doesn't look like an accident to me." Eileen fixed her dark eyes on Juniper, who shifted uncomfortably under her gaze. "You're holding your side and are having trouble standing up straight."
"It's nothing, I just fell, that's all." Juniper wished she was a better liar, but she most certainly wasn't.
"I've dealt with better liars than you. Falling is one thing, but a petrification spell as well? Wands don't exactly spring up and cast spells on their own unless there's someone behind them."
"I'm fine. What are you doing in here anyway? I thought you'd be back in the common room reading, or something."
"I was in the Infirmary getting a Pepper-Up Potion from Madame Pomfrey so that I wouldn't get a cold from being outside. I hate being sick."
"A lot of people hate that," Juniper muttered.
"Don't change the subject. Is this the first time you've been attacked?"
"Huh? Who says I was attacked?" Juniper's eyes shifted away guiltily.
"Everything about your whole demeanor right now says so. You're trying to avoid the subject."
"It doesn't matter, I'm fine," Juniper insisted. "I just need to sit down somewhere comfortable, that's all."
"You should head to the Infirmary."
Juniper sighed. "Listen, I hate to say this to you, but please mind your own business. If I say that I'm fine, then I'm fine." She walked past Eileen and left the bathroom. She didn't want to head to the common room at the moment. In fact, she didn't want to be around anyone, not even Kaylynn, who would undoubtedly realize something was wrong. So, she headed to the one place where she knew she wouldn't be disturbed, The Room of Requirement.
