An- I made the ritual to bring back Tom more complicated to explain the question I've heard asked many many times of why didn't Barty as Moody just hand Harry a portkey one day after class to whisk him away to Voldemort if it was that easy.

AN- Thank you BioHazard82 I appreciate your encouragement.

AN- gingin1975 Thank you. I'm glad you liked it. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well. I appreciate the thoughts on chapter length especially since this one may be my shortest. Not sure.

There more emotions and discussions this chapter and Natasha, and Clint come out as MVPs. There is progress between Bucky and Juniper and although I am afraid she may backslide at times they should be more solid from now on.

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CHAPTER FIFTEEN

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Going from the brightly lit and loud stadium to the quite warm family room of the tower was almost a physical shock. Juniper took a step backwards away from the pensieve and sat on the couch hard hands going up to cover her face. She didn't want to see the other's faces, their expression after they'd seen how...how cowardly, and weak and stupid she'd been that night. Remus and Bucky both stepped forward catching the pensieve lowering it too the table before it hit the ground without Juniper's power supporting it. Not only was it incredibly valuable it was also a family heirloom and seeing it damaged by her own distraction would hurt Juniper. Bucky was a bit surprised by how heavy it was and how easily the other man held his side of it. By the time he'd turned back towards Juniper someone else was already kneeling in front of her. He was a bit surprised to see it was Natasha although he really shouldn't have been. Natasha didn't often like other people but when she did was a loyal friend.

Natasha took Juniper's wrists lightly. "Juniper look at me." The girl shook her head. "You can't hide forever little one. Look at me." Juniper lowered her hands her eyes red and tear filled, haunted. "Do you think I would lie to you? Even to spare your feelings?" She asked her.

Juniper had only had a few training sessions with Natasha and the one ice cream trip but she knew the answer to that. "No." She whispered her voice breaking even on the single one word answer.

"Then I want you to look at me and listen to me very closely. You did everything right. Your boy Cedric did everything right." She raised one hand to put it on Juniper's cheek as she started to shake her head. "No your listening to me remember. Sometimes even when you do everything right circumstances are against you. Numbers are against you. You can't control everything. People die. Sometimes the good guys lose the battle. You haven't lost the war. WE won't lose the war. Now you can speak if you want too."

"If I had been braver, stronger, smarter I could have saved him. I could have stopped Tom that night. I should have done better. I have to do better." Juniper answered sobbing and shaking.

"Why?" Hermione's voice was soft as she sat on the couch beside Juniper slipping a arm around her. "Why does it always have to be you? Dumbledore..." She paused taking a deep breathe then spoke again. "Dumbledore should have known. Moody was his best friend and he didn't know for the entire year he'd been replaced? How long would it have taken you to know if Ron wasn't Ron? Or even if...if Neville wasn't Neville. We all knew someone had put your name in the goblet but he never even bothered to look at the newest teacher. Did he ever even bother to look for who had done it?"

"Dumbledore didn't tell me everything he did. I'm sure he did. But it doesn't matter. I'm the chosen one I'm the one whos suppose to save everyone. Thats why I was born thats my only purpose and if I can't even do that right then whats the point?"

"Bullshit." Natasha growled. "Don't you dare let them tell you what your purpose is. Don't let them, this..." She reached up to trace the scar on Juniper's forehead. "Define you. The only person who can tell you what your purpose is is you."

"The prophecy defines me." Juniper answered. "It always has since before I was even born. Neither can live while the other survives. We both survived without living for eleven years. The disembodied spirit, the freak in the cupboard. Now we're both fighting to be the one who lives and I'm losing. Every time he takes away someone I love hes winning. I feel like I'm still in that maze running scared not knowing what I'm doing or where I'm going just waiting for him to take another piece of me."

"Oh Kiddo." Tony sat on her other side and pulled her into his arms. And she let him then was holding onto him just as tightly.

"Dennis Creevy." Ron said softly.

"What." The unexpectedness of Ron's voice saying the name softly caught Juniper's attention. "Dennis Creevy what do you thing would happen if you took Dennis right now and put him in that same situation."

"Don't be ridiculous Ron."

"Why is it ridiculous if its Dennis but not if its you? Hes the same age now as you where then, muggle raised just like you, first in defense against the dark arts just like you, hes the best of his year in dueling club just like you. He even got special training from you during DA meetings so hes got more special training than you. But if anyone tried to do to him what was done to you you'd bring the fucking roof down around their ears and you know it." Ron said sitting on the table next to the pensieve and leaning forward.

"Dennis couldn't handle it." Juniper growled at him.

"OH COURSE NOT. Fourteen year olds should not be forced to compete in contests with a death toll." Ron yelled.

"Once my name came out of the goblet..."

"No." Hermione said softly. "Fourteen year old can't legally sign binding contracts magical or otherwise. Theres a reason for that. Fourteen year olds do not have the experience, education or mental capacity to understand what they are signing. Not to mention you didn't put your name in the cup in the first place."

"That doesn't even matter. You have to complete 3 tasks to save your magic? Fine first task exploding snap, second task gobstones, third task broom race. Boom contest done contract fulfilled and if they insist they can do another with the other three. The three actual champions who where stupid enough to intentionally put their names in the cup." Ron added.

"HEY!" Bill and Hermione protested the slight to their significant others at the same time. Then paused. "That would have worked." Bill said softly looking at his youngest brother as if he'd never seen him before.

"It doesn't even matter at this point. The bottom line is I messed up and Cedric paid the price for it." Juniper said softly still in Tony's arms taking comfort in the fact that her father and Natasha at least didn't hate her for what she saw as her failure.

"You saved four lives that night Juniper." Steve said his voice soft. "You saved Fleur from the vines, Viktor from Cedric, Cedric from the vines, and yourself from Tom. I know its not much comfort when you lost Cedric just a bit later but the truth is if your weighing it out your still ahead."

"Someone was always going to die that night Juni." Bill said softly. "That ritual was death magic and blood magic. Its a extremely delicate ritual he only had a hour to perform it. The stars had to be in the correct astrological position. The blood had to be not only from a enemy but a hero. Someone enough people see as a hero to give them that title. There had to be a battle and a act of predation. And there had to be a death. When they put Viktor under the imperious curse they fully meant for him to murder either Fleur or Cedric or to die in enough of a fight to count as a battle. Frankly the magic, and manipulation Barty Crouch Junior and Peter Pettigrew had to pull off to make this work is mind-boggling."

Juniper turned her head to listen to Bill a shiver running through her again when he implied she was a hero. Tony just shifted slightly putting his feet on the table and leaning back so Juniper was still leaning against his chest his arm around her.

"I have a feeling this is all getting us nowhere." Clint said softly. "Your just sitting there thinking we don't get it aren't you Bambi? Thinking if we could know what was going through your head when everything was happening we'd understand how you where what was it you said weak, cowardly, and stupid? You don't understand yet that true bravery isn't not being afraid but being afraid and doing what needs doing anyway, how much strength it takes to just keep going when the pain is so bad you just want to give up, or that sometimes no matter how smart you are your brain just does not work fast enough to keep up with whats happening around you. I do think you need to talk to someone Juni. A mind healer, a counselor, someone who can help you untangle whats going on in your head. But for now we love you Juniper. Everybody in this room loves you, we're on your side, and theres none of us who in your place with your advantages and disadvantages could have done any better. I'm sorry you lost Cedric he seemed to be a amazing young man and no doubt if he'd lived he would have helped you change the world but God forgive me I'm glad it wasn't you."

"I don't need..."

"Shhh. Don't say anything about it right now little one. Think it over for awhile." Natasha said. "Theres nothing wrong with talking to someone. I think all the muggles in this room have had a least a few therapy sessions."

"Goblins require all their human employees see mind healers at least once a month. They think humans are fragile and don't want us broken once they invest in our training and protection." Bill offered.

"I saw a child psychologist for a while when I was younger. Turns out kids with IQs as high as ours tend to have issues with other kids." Hermione shrugged. "Its not the big deal you think it is."

"Well for now lets table this discussion and let everything settle in our minds shall we." Bruce said softly. "We all need to eat and sleep."

"I should get home Aunt May must be ready to kill me by now." Peter said standing.

"I actually contacted your aunt a little earlier and obtained permission for you to spend the night in the tower to aid Sir with a project as tomorrow is Saturday." Jarvis broke in. "I have also placed orders with several local delivery restaurants and food should be arriving any minute."

"Thanks Jarvis I owe you one." Peter said with a grin returning to his chair.

"So I doubt any of us are going to sleep easy anytime soon if we all shuffle off to our own rooms so I suggest we all grab pillows and blankets we put on some mindless comedies and we spent the night in here." Tony suggested.

"Slumber party." Hermione said brightly as the others shuffled off into different directions in different stages of tiredness from Rhodey who looked ready to drop to Peter who was still almost bouncing. "Come on Ron help me grab some stuff from our room." Ron gave a long suffering sigh but allowed the brunette to pull him to his feet it got a smile from Juniper which made the tightness in Bucky's chest unclench a little. He sat where Hermione had been beside Juniper and reached out taking her hand a bit surprised at the strength with which she gripped his hand. He lifted her hand to his lips kissing the back of it gently. Tony glanced over at him but for the first time didn't look ready to kill him too worried over Juniper to remember he hated Bucky's relationship with her.

"Come here doll. I need a hug too." Bucky said softly. Juniper leaned into his embrace holding him tightly for a moment. Bucky gave a soft sigh his arms much gentler even though he wanted to hold her just as tight. She just felt so fragile in his arms. He knew he was never going to be able to banish the image of that bastard throwing her around that graveyard she must have been bruised from head to toe. Not to mention the torture curse that he'd used on her twice. The sounds of her screams the second time where still ringing in his ears and he hoped Sirius Black had never known how she'd screamed for him. It had ripped his heart to shreds. He couldn't even imagine how it would have affected the man she'd considered her protector. He had thought he'd experienced pain in HYDRA but they had never done anything to him to compare to that curse that Juniper had experienced. After all nerve damage, insanity, or death would have compromised his effectiveness as a assassin. He rested his face against the top of her head inhaling her vanilla and cinnamon scent. It settled something in him that hadn't been willing to accept her safety until she was in his arms in the comfort of their own territory.

Bucky met Tony's eyes over Juniper's head and he gave a nod. "I'm going to grab a few blankets too. We will all be back so please keep all clothing items in place."

"Tony!" Juniper complained turning to give a glare not as impressive as usual but a sign that she was starting to recover.

"Thats my girl." Bucky whispered softly as Tony strolled out following the others. Juniper knew if Hermione had heard it she probably would have started in a lecture about the words being unfeminist and possibly patronizing but she didn't care. The words warmed her in a way only Bucky had managed in the last few years. It made her feel safe and cared for. It couldn't last. She knew that but just for now just for that night she wanted to be Bucky's girl. She found herself leaning into him again her head resting on his chest letting his warmth and strength surround her driving the tension out of her shoulders. Even the dull ache in her hands and the headache throbbing behind her scar eased. By the time Ron and Hermione returned bickering softly over nothing she was already more than half asleep in his arms.

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"Remus? Can I come in." Remus who was sitting on his bed starting at the photo in his hand looked up to see Steve standing in the doorway. He nodded and Steve crossed to sit beside him his eyes going to the photo.

It was Remus looking maybe a shade younger with a smile on his face eyes lighter, Juniper the Juniper who'd entered the stadium in the memory younger with a happy grin looking as if she was laughing, And the man Steve knew instinctively was Sirius Black the man whos death had gutted both his lover and his goddaughter. He wasn't quite as tall as Remus and he had a look similar to Juniper as someone who had missed more than a few meals and was just getting use to eating regularly again. He was handsome with long brown hair and grey eyes with a glint of mischief a mustache and goatee a lot like Tony's, and a slight haughtiness in his expression that also reminded him of Tony. All three of them where smiling at the camera and...moving. Well that was different. Steve thought as Juniper laughed and the men flanking her hugged her.

"This was before the tournament?" Steve asked softly.

"Her fourteenth birthday. Siri gave her that knife as a gift. Family heirloom. I tried to tell him she was too young but he wanted her to have a way to protect herself if she lost her wand." Remus said softly.

Steve couldn't stop the slight grin that appeared on his face. "I've seen her use that wand its like a weapon of mass destruction and she got it at what eleven but fourteen is too young for a knife."

Remus cracked a grin as well. "Well when you put it that way. The wizarding world isn't big on common sense Steve." His smile faded and he shook his head and shuffled the pictures in his hand to show him another. It was the man who'd been in the graveyard Peter Pettigrew, Wormtail but younger a bit heavier with a grin holding what he knew had to be baby Juniper a fuzz of dark curls on her head green eyes bright as she grinned up at the man.

"I don't understand how this man the man who helped changed her diapers, sang to her when she was teething, and rocked her to sleep became that thing in the graveyard that cut her up and stood by while Tom tried to kill her." Remus said softly. "He loved her once I know he did. I saw it we all did. He was our friend. We trusted him with James and Lily's life with Juniper's life."

"Anger, greed, fear, jealousy who can know for sure which exactly but any of those things can twist a certain kind of person." Steve tapped the man in the picture. "This man is dead Remus. Peter Pettigrew is dead all thats left now is Wormtail."

"I've never hated anyone so much. Juniper is right about all of this being because of him. He returned to Tom and aided him without that he would have still been stuck possessing whatever body he came across in the Forbidden forest, and hes the one who found Barty Crouch Junior and freed him to aid them. If it wasn't for him Cedric and Sirius would still be alive. So many people would still be alive and Juniper wouldn't have lost that smile." Remus said.

Steve put a arm around the other man and took the pictures with the other hand placing them on his knees and looking through them until he found one with Remus, Sirius, James and Lily with baby Juniper in Remus's arms. Peter wasn't in this one. They where all smiling and waving at the camera even Juniper looking at the adults puzzled then copying their actions. "This is your family Remus. Your fighting in remembrance of James, Lily, and Sirius. Your not the only one left you still have Juniper. She adores you. when she needed help you where the first person she wanted. I think even before Bill. We will finish this and you will see a smile on her face again. Maybe not that fourteen year old smile. Shes seen to much and done too much to ever go back to that place again but she has more smiles."

"I know. I should have brought her to Tony as soon as Sirius died. Sooner right after the tri-wizard when we realized how bad things where about to get but I was so afraid of losing her. If Siri...before Azkaban he would have brought Juniper here. That was the plan if James and Lily where killed for Sirius to bring Juniper to Tony but when he was arrested it all went wrong." Remus said.

"Lily meant Juni to come to me." There was something almost vunerable in the question and they looked up to see Tony and Bill standing in the doorway.

Remus gave a soft smile. "Honestly Tony James spent most of Lily's pregnancy trying to convince her to tell you."

"James." Tony repeated surprised. "I never met James...Did I?"

Remus chuckled softly. "No trust me if you'd met James you'd remember. Under other circumstances I think the two of you as well as Sirius would have gotten on quite well. He always believed you deserved a chance to be in Juniper's life. It was Lily who refused."

"Why?" Tony asked as the two other men joined him and Steve trying not to sound hurt.

"There where a few reasons. Do you remember telling Lily you where afraid you'd be just like your father if you had kids? That the last thing in the world you wanted was to be a father, and that you felt sorry for any kids you had?" Remus asked gently.

"I...Ah...No, but it does sound like something I might say." Tony admitted. "So Lily agreed that I'd be a crappy dad."

"Actually the opposite." Remus said. "Lily was convinced you'd be so determined to not be like your father that you'd throw yourself into being the best father possible. Which would mean they would have to tell you about the magical world because being around Juniper you would inevitably be brought into contact with it. Then you being who you are would have to know and discover everything you could about this new world your daughter belonged too. She was afraid that when you found out about the war and the danger Juniper would be in if she was outed as a muggle born you'd insist and if nessacary fight to bring her to America where admittedly muggle borns are treated better. When we where told about the prophecy she was convinced if you knew about Juniper you'd find out about the prophecy and you'd move heaven and earth to bring her here where she'd be safe by your standards. She also knew leaving England, leaving us to fight without him wasn't something James could do. He was the head of one of the oldest and most powerful light families in the country. She once told us you where perfectly capable of exposing or threatening to expose the entire magical world if you thought that would help you get custody if you thought Juniper was in danger in Britain."

"That does sound like you." Steve said softly a slight smirk on his lips. "Don't think I didn't hear you mumbling about carpet bombing Britian earlier."

"It was a joke." Tony lied. If he could pin-point Tom Riddle's location he'd do it in a heartbeat. Which probably gave credence to Lily's theories. He looked to Remus. "I would have then and will now do whatever I have to in order to protect Juniper but, I would never have kept her away from Lily and James or you and Sirius for that matter."

Remus studied his expression for a moment then nodded. "Thing was Lily was afraid of everything especially at first. Not for herself but for Juniper. Young, first time mother, in hiding because a monster wanted to murder her baby. It was to dangerous for her mother or sister to come to her, James's mother had already passed. Then her mum and dad where killed as well when Deatheaters went there looking for them. And I can guarantee James and Siri, as much as they adored Juniper, where not as helpful as they thought they where. Neither of them had ever so much as held a baby before." Remus chuckled softly. "I can still hear Lily yelling, 'Support her head.'. I think she started lifting her head early out of self defense. Her first words where when Lily and I caught Her and Sirius eating some cookies she'd just made. 9-months-old she looked straight at Siri and said "Uhoh Pa'foo'."

Bill chuckled softly. "Destined to be a troublemaker."

"So Sirius Black wasn't perfect good to know." Tony said taking the pictures Remus was now holding out to him. Pictures of his daughter from birth to 15 months alone and with the five adults who'd made up her world including Peter Pettigrew. In almost every picture she was smiling, laughing, there was only one picture of her scowling she looked about a year old in that one and Lily was scrubbing what looked like magic marker from her face as a big black cat sat in the background whipping his tail and glaring at Lily looking disgruntled about the unhappiness of the baby.

Remus gave a sigh. "I loved Sirius. For a long time he was my world. He was also hot-tempered, impulsive to the point of reckless stupidity, arrogant, irresponsible, and when we where younger he was a bully. There was a streak of cruelty in Sirius back then that Juniper never saw thank Merlin. He was very careful what Juniper saw of him. She saw the loyal, loving, witty, and brave man. The one who would have walked through fire to make her smile. He was protective of her but at the same time he believed in her, he was always telling Dumbledore he needed to stop keeping things from her. He had faith in her strength, and intelligence not just her magic. I don't think anyone realized how much she needed that except him. Oh course they had a lot in common Sirius was abused as a kid mostly by his mother. She was crazy even by Black standards, and he ran away to live with his best friends family at 16. He called James parents Mom and Dad. Watching her with Ron is like watching James and Sirius sometimes."

"And you where Hermione. The one with common sense. Their stable rock trying to keep them out of trouble." Bill commented with a soft smile.

"Trying. I was never as good at it as she is. Not to mention Ron got his bullying streak knocked out him a lot earlier than James, and Juni's mean streak only shows when she goes full Black." A slight grin came across his face. "Or when shes facing down Draco Malfoy. Those two hate each other."

"Remus, I have to ask you. Did you know about the Cruciatus Curse being used on her that night?" Bill asked softly.

"Oh course not." Remus said his voice going harsh. "And neither did Sirius. We would have torn Hogwarts down to get her to Saint Mungos and a real healer if we had. Merlin I should have seen it." Remus ran his hands over his face. "She shook all night. She talked to Dumbledore and Minister Fudge but her voice was trembling the entire time and other than that she just clung to Padfoot then when he changed back after the minister left Sirius the whole night. I could strangle Pomfrey it was her responsibility to let us know and make sure she got proper treatment. Even Sirius didn't know until she came to stay at Headquarters. When she finally told him he was calm and comforting to her then went to one of the basement levels and destroyed every piece of furniture, every heirloom stored down there. By then it was too late for the treatments to make a diffrence."

"We can't talk about this anymore." Tony said his voice hoarse eyes on the picture in his hand of Lily and James cuddling a newborn Juniper. "Its just increasing my desire to just carpet bomb the entirety of wizarding Britain." He had a new name for his list. Pomfrey. Dumbledore may be beyond his reach but Pomfrey whoever she was wasn't. "Lets grab some blankets and head downstairs before Bucky and Juniper pick a movie."

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Juniper slept completely through the night. She had spotty memories of bits of movies and at one point Hermione forced her to wake up long enough to eat half a carton of pork fried rice before she was out again. She woke up very early probably around 4 AM. The room was full of people sleeping. In recliners, on the couch, a few people stretched out on the floor. The coffee table was crowded with Chinese food containers, pizza boxes, and sub sandwich wrappers and cups with the remains of soda. The TV was still on most likely because Jarvis was afraid turning it off would wake everyone up. Some movie about a bunch of spiders attacking a small town was on. Probably a good thing Ron was sleeping through that one.

Juniper careful and slowly extracted herself from Bucky's arms and stood carefully stepping around Clint, Ron, and Bill and going into the kitchen and through to the patio feeling a bit pleased with herself that not one eye had opened. It was cold and not even a sliver of sun was peeking over the horizon the lights of the city however where still blazing and where enough that Juniper couldn't make out any stars in the night sky. There wasn't as many people out and about at the moment. It was very very late, or very early and this was a business district but there where still some people moving around here and there. Ambitious people coming into work early and there where still plenty of cars in the street.

Juniper boosted herself up to sit on the railing turning to look down over the streets so far below. She wondered if the magical district in New York was like the rest of the city or if it more closely resembled Diagon Alley. Diagon Alley. Dobby still hadn't returned with news. She knew the Longbottoms and Xeno Lovegood had been killed from Neville and Luna's letters and that the Weasley boys where okay but she was still worried about Florean, and Ollivander.

She heard the door sliding open and knew instinctively who it was so she didn't even turn as Bucky wrapped the blanket he was carrying around her shoulders and pulling her back against his chest. "Sometimes I think you like freezing." He said softly.

"Bucky we need to talk." Juniper said softly squeezing her eyes closed for a moment to commit the way his arms felt around her to memory.

"You know no conversation that has started with those four words ever ended well for the person hearing them." Bucky said softly.

"You don't need me Bucky." Juniper said softly. "You don't have to worry about HYDRA anymore. Your free. You can find a nice ordinary girl whos not scarred up and screwed up and have a nice ordinary life without having to worry about magic and Dark lords."

Bucky pulled back and put a hand on her cheek sitting on the railing put them on the same level so she was looking right into his eyes. "Why the hell would I want a ordinary girl when I have a extraordinary one right here? You think your scars bother me? Physical or mental? Everything that has happened to you in your life has made you who you are. I hate like hell that you where hurt but every part of you is beautiful and perfect because its part of you." He took her left arm and pushed her sleeve up to reveal the scars there. "These show what you've endured and survived. These are a reminder of the time you where out-numbered, out-powered, injuried and alone and still refused to lay down and die. Everyone has scars Juniper just because a few of yours are more obvious doesn't mean they are uglier." He raised her arm to his lips and gently ran them over her scars causing her breathe to come quicker. "You wanna get rid of me you look me in the eyes and you tell me you don't have feelings for me. Thats the only way your gonna. I don't think your a good enough liar though."

"Bucky..." Juniper whispered softly squeezing her eyes closed as if she was holding back tears as she fought to find a way to say what she needed too. "When I was a little girl my aunt had these little porcelain figurines. She kept them on the bookcase in the family room. Her favorite was this white dolphin jumping. It had little gold designs painted on it. I thought it was beautiful. It was a cheap thing like 15 bucks at the pharmacy. I would never touch them. I knew what would happen to me if I did but my cousin figured out I liked them and he started breaking them and blaming it on me. Back then he liked getting me punished played it like a game."

Bucky gritted his teeth at that last sentence. Christ he wanted to get his hands on her relatives. "Usually Aunt Petunia would just punish me then have me clean it up and bin it. But then he broke the dolphin. The first time my aunt gathered all the pieces and glued them all back together very carefully. When she was done it looked almost as good as new just tiny little lines that showed where it was broken if you knew where to look. The second time it happened the cracks showed just a bit you could tell it was mended. He just kept breaking it and every time the cracks wouldn't mend as well little pieces would break off and couldn't be found because they where too tiny. By the time she finally gave up and just binned it it was obviously cracked and chipped and it wasn't beautiful anymore you could barely tell that it used to be." She looked up at Bucky then a tear rolling down her cheek. "I'm just like that dolphin Bucky broken and chipped and I'm not sure I can even be put back together again."

"Your not broken Doll. Your not a porcelain statue. Your the sword of Gryffindor. Everything that happens to you makes you stronger. You absorb the parts that make you stronger. You lost Cedric but you can't tell me he didn't teach you a few things about bravery and loyalty. Your lost your godfather but you've already started passing on what he taught you. What was it you told me? Its your choices that matter not your circumstances. The worse thing isn't always dying Juniper its being forgotten its dying in vain. They didn't die in vain and they will never be forgotten because they live in you. And you are the sword that will destroy Tom Riddle. You are the sword that will save your world." Bucky told her his voice soft and intense.

"And if I die. There is a big chance I'm gonna have to die to destroy him. I don't want you hurt." Juniper nearly whispered averting her eyes.

"You think if you died right now it wouldn't hurt me?" Bucky asked his voice hoarse as if just the though pained him. "It was too late for that the second I looked into your eyes for the first time Doll. Losing you now, losing you in a week, in a year, in 50 years it will rip out my heart and a big chunk of my soul. I need you to stop accepting so casually that your death is a acceptable price to pay to defeat Tom..."

"It is. You don't know what will happen if Tom takes over..."

"Its not for me. Its not for your dad, or Ron and Hermione. Or Bill I suspect any of the Weasleys would object. Not for Remus or Luna or anyone in this tower. Dobby certainly wouldn't consider it a fair trade and neither would Neville, or Terry or the rest of your little DA group. I'm gonna ask you something and then we are not going to talk about the possibility of you dying again understand." Juniper still looking uncertain nodded. "If you had a chance to go back would you spend less time with the people you loved and lost so it wouldn't hurt as much when they died or would you spend more with them soaking up every memory you could get? Do your regret the moments you spent with them or do you wish you'd had more time with them? And if its the second why would you deny me that?"

Bucky reached up gently wiping away the tears that where now running down her cheeks and kissing her forehead lightly. "B...But you don't lov..."

Bucky put a finger to her lips. "I don't believe in love at first sight but the moment I saw you I...recognized you. I knew what you where a fighter a soldier. Then I looked into your eyes for the first time and I was yours. Yours however you need me. I'll be your friend, your soldier, your lover whatever you want, need from me." He promised his hand settling on her back pulling her a bit closer to him. "Its only been a few days Juniper but yeah. Yeah I love you."

"Why." Juniper asked her eyes wide. Not the reaction he'd been expecting although it probably should have been as he'd seen Juniper's self esteem issues more than once.

"Because your beautiful, and your smart. Because you have a core of pure goodness but you got a dark side that will rise up and protect your friends. Because you lead from the front lines and never ask anyone to do anything you wouldn't do yourself. Your brave and strong and you care so so much that your heart bleeds even for those you've called enemy like Malfoy. Your life up until now could have been the story of a hero or a villain origin story and your choices have made it into a hero's tale. I want to be a part of it. A part of your life, a part of your future. Because your mine too Juni and I'm not letting you go." He kissed her then and for the first time it wasn't just Bucky who was kissing her. He was whole now and the Winter soldier was very much in that kiss. Heat, desire, confidence as he pulled her closer her body melting into his her lips opening under his. A claiming as much as a kiss for both of them.

"I hope your ready for this Bucky. Because I love you too and I'm not letting you go." Juniper whispered as the kiss ended.

"Good then we're on the same page." Bucky whispered a charming smirk appearing on his face. Then he picked her up off the ledge and carried her over to one of the loungers sitting with her in his arm and arranging the blanket over both of them. "You can't see the stars as well here as I imagine you can at your castle in the Highlands but the sunrises can not be beat." He confided before he kissed her again.

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AN- I'm not trying to make James perfect or turn Lily into a selfish witch but for story purposes James was more on the lets tell Tony side. It will matter later. Poor Remus needs a lot more hugs at least Steves good at that. Anybody think Bucky got to sappy and sentimental? If so I blame youtube for playing Hero by Enrique Iglesias as I was writing that part. And maybe Juniper deserves a little sappy.

AN- I got to a natural stopping point so I stopped so the chapter didn't go as far as I expected. Next time I promise Dobby returns, unexpected OCs pop in. Bill finds out the truth and responds in typical red head fashion and Fury stops by for a visit. Once we get back to England the action will really pick up.