An- bahnannah- No, Not at all. I always thought Harry wasn't as affected by the destruction of his wand as he really could have been so Juniper really felt it. I imagine all the Weasley males by birth and extension maybe getting haircuts as a birthday surprise for Molly some day years in the future lol. Leta doesn't look young maybe I should have made that part clearer. Her age was part of the reason they accepted her identity so easily. Juniper recognized her because she read the Grindelwald book so recently and she made a gesture she had in the photo she saw. I think Astoria had the curse in the Cursed Child which has absolutely no relevance in this story.
BioHazard82- Thank you so much.
n7kairos- Its definitely on the list to be tested.
AN- The Slytherins kind of took over this chapter. Draco and Juniper are bonding a little, Blaise is being well Blaise, and Pansy is being insufferable. Not sure how her little plan to hook Ron is going to go but I imagine no matter what happens a scene will be coming where Lavender slaps the absolute cream cheese out of her. Wand selection got pushed back but Wormtail has made his last appearance.
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CHAPTER THIRTY SIX
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Juniper decided for everybody that the rest of them should go freshen up while she Ron and Hermione dealt with their Slytherin counterparts. There had been some grumbles mostly from Tony and Bucky until Nat and pointed out in a annoyed tone that the other three had too much to loose to risk attacking Juniper especially with Ron and Hermione there. Not to mention with Dobby and Kretcher in the house they had to know they'd never get away with trying anything. So when they entered the upstairs parlor it was Juniper slightly in the lead flanked on the right by Ron on the left by Hermione.
It must have been like a flashback for Draco, Blaise, and Pansy who where sitting by the fireplace in a group of straight back formal chairs. It was the way the three had always moved from first year to last around Hogwarts. Juniper may have been the smallest and least physically imposing of the golden trio but no one had ever had cause to wonder which was the leader.
All three stood as they entered in a similar formation. Draco facing Juniper, Ron facing Blaise, and Hermione Pansy. "Malfoy." Juniper said a definite chill in her voice.
"Potter." He answered a bit of a sneer in his own voice. "How's your Godfather?"
"About the same as your mum." Juniper answered managing to hide the wince at the mention of Sirius.
Anger flared in Draco's grey eyes. "Bellatrix needs to die."
"Oh don't worry that is without a doubt on my to-do list." Juniper answered.
"This is his home right? The ancestral home of the Blacks." Draco asked. "You know it should belong to me not some half-blood..." Blaise reached out wrapping a arm around him and putting a hand over his mouth.
"Lady Potter-Black I have to ask you to forgive Lord Malfoy's manners. The full-moon you know. What he means is thank you for allowing us both the safe haven of the come and go room at Hogwarts and allowing us to come here for the full-moon. I know there where places at Hogwarts that could have been used but none as safe as this." Blaise said in his usual smooth manner even as Draco tried to pull away. It was a testament to the strength of their relationship that he didn't escape his hold. He could have easily with the extra boost of strength he had had from the wolf but not without possibly injuring Blaise.
"You will always be welcome Blaise. As you seem to come in a package deal with the other two I suppose we can tolerate them as well." Juniper answered with a slight smirk. Blaise grinned back. Her use of his first name especially after calling Draco only Malfoy showing she'd been putting effort into learning the intricate social rules that ruled in Pureblood circles. The circles they'd all be expected to move in now that they where legal adults.
As the head of two old and noble houses Juniper was the highest ranking in the room. Calling Draco only Malfoy without putting either Lord or Heir in front of it was a mark of displeasure. Not a surprise but him responding in kind would have been considered a social faux pas if they'd been in public. At a event or the Wizengamot it would have drawn glares from Wizards and sniffs from witches. Even more so as Draco was also technically still a member of the Black line. In addressing Blaise by his first name she was acknowledging him as a ally if not a friend.
Her eyes flickered over to Pansy. "Heir Parkinson."
"Lady Potter-Black." Pansy answered nodding her head. It was probably more in shock at the polite greeting than anything. Pansy had in general clashed with Hermione more than Juniper but they'd never gotten along and a snide comment would have been more in keeping with their previous encounters.
"Don't be a prat Draco." Blaise hissed in his friend's ear before releasing him. Honestly Blaise didn't like the whole situation either. Slytherins worked hard to avoid owing anyone much preferring to have others in their debt especially when the others where Gryffindors. This time though to keep Draco and by extension Pansy safe he was willing to play the game. He just needed his friends to pull their weight.
"Look, this whole situation is not ideal but if we work together we can make things better." Hermione said with a soft sigh.
"Nobody asked you mu..." This time it was Pansy's mouth Blaise was covering.
"Do we need to gag both of them to manage a civil conversation?" Juniper asked Blaise. "Why are you even friends with them? Aren't Slytherins suppose to be smarter than to bite the hand that's feeding them?"
"Possibly, Sometimes I wonder that too, and in theory." Blaise answered.
"Work together how?" Draco asked suspicion in his voice.
"Well first of all to kill Bellatrix, Tom Riddle, Voldemort, and Grindelwald. Then to put our world back together." Juniper said softly.
"Let me guess your planning a light magic paradise. A mirror image of the muggle world." Draco sneered.
"No as a matter of fact. We plan to bring back the magic world's high holy days and lift the ban on the rituals associated, reinstate the wizarding etiquette classes as mandatory for muggle and half bloods, and bring muggleborns and their families into our world at a earlier age with pureblood families as mentors." Juniper answered arms crossed.
Surprise showed for a second on Draco's face before he quickly hid it. "We also intend to pass new protections for dark creatures, house elves, muggleborns, and squibs hire a muggle studies teacher who's actually lived in the muggle world in the last 70 years and make it mandatory. The light families where wrong to try and drive out the old traditions and practices but the dark families have to realize the muggle world isn't what they think it is. The two can coexist. But this is a discussion for after the war. We can't win this with just bravery and honor we need a little cunning and ambition as well."
"At the moment at least we have common enemies. I suppose its better to fight as one unit so as not to split our resources." Draco said not seeming at all happy about it.
"Don't worry as soon as this is all over we can go right back to hating each other." Juniper told him. Draco just gave her a narrow eyed glare. "If you are hungry tea should be ready but I have to warn you we have other guests. Muggle guests and if you insult them your likely to get squished like a bug." Amusement actually glinted in her eyes as she imagined what Natasha would do to Pansy if she insulted her in the passive aggressive way she did the other girls at Hogwarts.
Pansy wrinkled her nose in distaste. "We would rather just eat here. Where the air is clean."
"I'm sure you would but I don't remember offering that as a option. You eat in my house you will do it with my other guests." It was a bluff. Juniper had went to bed way to many nights hungry to ever let anyone even the Slytherin trio do the same. They didn't have to know that though. In her opinion in would do them good to spend some time with muggles. To actually see that they weren't that different. Oh course the Avengers weren't exactly normal muggles but the same principal applied.
Blaise and Pansy both looked at Draco the same way Hermione and Ron would have looked at Juniper. "Thank you. We will join you then." He said. Blaise relaxed a little as it seemed for the moment Draco was willing to play nice. Well nicer anyway.
"Ron, Hermione could you take Blaise and Pansy to the dining room? I need to talk to Malfoy privately." Juniper said. Draco nodded when his friends looked at him and Ron gave Juniper a disapproving look but the other four left the room.
Juniper turned back to face Draco. "Malfoy, Draco, I'm sorry about your parents."
"You hated my father. What was it you called him? Vile and cruel?" Draco answered a hint of anger back in his voice.
"He tried to murder me when I was twelve. Would have if Dobby hadn't intervened. Hard to feel kindly towards him after that. But if there was one admirable thing about Lucius it was that he loved you and your mother more than anything. More than his own life. I know what its like to have that and lose it. To have the one person who'd shaped you and your life more than anything, the one person you admired and wanted to be like more than anyone die right in front of you and not be able to do anything but...watch." Juniper said softly.
"Yeah I suppose you do." Draco's voice was almost a growl as they both pretended not to see the tears in the other's eyes.
"Most of the Black family is gone you know. Technically its down to the two of us. When everything else is put aside we are still cousins." Juniper said softly.
"I...may have to petion to take the Black name. I would assume I will be expelled as head when the French branch of the Malfoys find out about...about me..."
"They won't." Juniper broke in her eyes glinting.
"Oh course they will too many people know about it to keep it hidden." Draco answered almost snapped.
"Except that Lady Potter Black, Bill Weasley heir of the Prewitt family, Lord Longbottom, Lady Lovegood, Lady Bones, and I would assume Heir Parkinson, Lord Zabini, and Heir Nott will be waiting to swear before the Wizenmagot that the incident in question is a spurious and vicious lie meant to disqualify the true Lord Malfoy. And that any further investigation into the matter would be considered a insult to the honor of the houses in question." Juniper told him.
"You would...Why would you..."
"Because your my cousin Draco. Because together we could do some good balance the scales of light and dark magic and change the world. And because I owe you that much. I was raised muggle Draco. I didn't understand first year how much you where putting on the line when you offered me your hand or how much of a insult it was when I refused to take it." Juniper told him. "Or course you had been a prat to Hagrid and Ron who where the first two people who where actually nice to me except my old babysitter so I may have refused it anyway."
"You have a streak of Slytherin in you cousin." Draco said thinking if he was inclined in that direction the grin she sent him may have curled his toes and made him reconsider his objections to the Black tradition of cousins marrying.
"Yeah so the sorting hat said. I'm just now starting to realize maybe its not the worst thing in the world. Come on lets go eat before they get to the treacle tart."
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The Avengers and Remus where already sitting around the table when Hermione, and Ron entered leading Pansy and Blaise. The looked up as they entered studying the newcomers. Pansy was about Hermione's size a pretty girl with dark hair and eyes a bit of a snub nose and a look of distaste on her face. Blaise was outrageously handsome in the way of a teen movie romantic lead dark hair and eyes with a grin that made him seem he saw something everyone else was missing. Bucky hated him at first sight.
Kretcher had careful arranged them around the long rectangular table and after a bit of fussing he'd decided that Tony and Pepper should sit at separate ends for whatever reason with the others on either side of the table between them 3 empty seats on either side of Tony.
"Where's Juniper?" Tony asked.
"She wanted to talk to Malfoy alone. Haven't heard anything blow up yet so have to assume its going well." Ron answered moving to sit beside Tony. "This is Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson." He told them and then quickly introduced Leta as Ledda, Pepper, and each of the Avengers by only their regular names. "And oh course you remember Professor Lupin."
"Oh course. Its a pleasure to met you all." Blaise said and gave Pansy a nudge. With a sigh she sat beside Steve while Blaise left the chair between them empty obviously for Draco sitting beside Tony. Hermione took the seat across from Pansy next to Bucky.
"Tony Stark that name is familiar. I think you did some business with one of my stepfathers? Augustus Tremayne." Blaise said with a charming smile.
"Tremayne. Yes I remember him. He was doing some interesting work in DNA mapping. He was a wizard?" Tony asked in surprise.
"A half-blood yes. He kept up his muggle studies while he attended Hogwarts. Its rare but some do it." Blaise answered.
"I heard he passed away unexpectedly. I'm sorry he was a nice guy." Tony said.
"He was a stupid man." Pansy muttered. Blaise shot her a dirty look. "What? When your the fourth husband of a woman nicknamed the Black Widow of Milan you deserve what you get."
Natasha looked a bit surprised but remembering the woman she'd fought at Wool's orphanage it wasn't a shock to be told she claimed the same title. She wasn't a true Black widow assassin though Natasha would have known. Most likely from remarks the kids had made and Pansy's statement she was the more classic type. She wondered if the boy knew yet that his mother was dead. Well if not she certainly wasn't going to be the one to tell him. Between Juniper, and Hermione she'd already dealt with her fill of teen angst for the year. "She has a point."
Pansy flashed her a quick grin then seemed to remember she was muggle and she hated muggles and turned her attention to pouring a cup of tea from the pot on the table. "That incompetent elf of Juniper's didn't even bring us tea. He was so much better behaved when he belonged to the Malfoys."
Hermione bristled and glared at the other girl. "Maybe that's because Dobby is no longer a slave. He doesn't belong to Juniper he does things for her because they are friends."
"Unnatural. It figures she'd make friends with a house elf. After all she spent so much time at Hogwarts with that giant idiot groundskeeper, and that crazy little Lovegood girl." Pansy snorted.
If Bucky hadn't put a hand on Hermione's shoulder she most likely would have stood and drawn her wand. "Hagrid is kind and smart in a way a stuck-up little prig like you would never be able to understand and Luna is worth twelve of you." She snapped eyes full of fury. It seemed Juniper wasn't the only one protective of Hagrid and Luna. Even though she was the one who'd once referred to Luna as Looney.
"Thats enough." Remus said in his professor voice that seemed to still work on the two girls, even if he wasn't their current teacher and they weren't at school. "You two are seventeen years old. Having the same disagreements you had at eleven is beneath both of you. I know you both have better manners than that."
Both girls sat back in their chairs a bit but continued glaring daggers at each other.
"Shes just jealous of Lovegood." Blaise said the smirk he gave Pansy had a cruel edge to it.
"Why on earth would I be jealous of that barmy little crackpot?" Pansy growled at him eyes hard.
"You know exactly why and if you don't get off Lovegood's case Juniper will know why too. Just remember what she did to Edgecombe when she was picking on her." Blaise answered.
Pansy scowled crossing her arms angrily. It was however obvious to see she was reconsidering her animosity towards Luna and if it was worth risking what Juniper would do to her because of it. The others in the room couldn't decide if they should be amused or concerned about what Juniper had done to this Edgecombe person.
The door opened again, and Juniper and Draco entered. Natasha was a bit amused to see them both enter the room side by side as if neither fully trusted the other at their back. Draco was taller than Juniper (who wasn't?) but he was thin as well his shoulder's broader but he'd never have the physical strength of most of the males in the room. If that made him insecure there was no sign of it as he seemed to be looking down his nose at all of them. He had aristocratic features with very pale hair and grey eyes with shadows underneath as if sleep had been elusive for him lately.
"Can we take the fact that neither of you are bleeding as a good sign?" Ron asked with a smirk.
"We may never be best mates but we are cousins and family means something to Blacks." Draco told him.
Juniper met Ron's eyes both of them trying not to laugh at the sight of Draco Malfoy commenting on the importance of family to a Weasley. Any Weasley. After all Narcissa Malfoy was her actual cousin but it was Molly and Arthur Weasley who'd taken her in and treated her as their own child.
"Come on lets eat. I'm starving." Juniper said nodding at the chair between Pansy and Blaise for him to sit as she took her own chair. "Everybody this is my cousin Draco Malfoy. Draco this is everybody."
"Helpful." He said to her raising one elegant eyebrow. But she just smirked at him and it was Remus who introduced everyone.
"Kretcher we're ready for the food please." Juniper said and then between one blink and the next the table was filled with food. A large pot of steaming hot beef stew, fresh baked bread, what looked like freshly churned butter a salad with what Juniper, Hermione, and Ron knew would be home grown veggies from the Weasley's garden, and in Juniper's opinion the best thing three large treacle tarts. A second later Juniper's nutrition potion and Ron's for Cruciatus exposure popped in beside their plates.
"Thats a nutrition potion. Why are you taking that?" Draco asked looking at the vial as Juniper picked it up and downed it quickly.
"Wow your really so good at potions that you can tell what they are at just a glance? Impressive." Draco gave her a look that reminded her eerily of Sirius. "Why do people usually take nutrition potions Draco?" she asked with a sigh.
Draco fell silent for a moment his eyes locked with Juniper's. Suddenly bits and pieces of things he'd seen and heard but determinedly ignored clicked into place. How thin and tiered Juniper always seemed when she first returned from summer vacation, how she never went home for Christmas holiday, the ragged, over-sized clothes she wore during weekends, the bruises he'd seen on her arm back the first time they'd meet at Madam Malkin's before first year, and the nasty look Theo Nott had once given him when he'd been on his usual spiel about Princess Potter. Shame washed over him. She was his family. It didn't matter that they didn't like each other. It didn't even matter that she had refused his hand first year. He should have known she was being hurt. If he'd told his mother she would have found a way to put a stop to it. Their stare off was broken when Blaise nudged him roughly and handed him a bowl of the stew.
"Eat you need your strength for tonight." He told him and patted his knee lightly under the table. It calmed him, relaxed him.
"Don't get weird on me Draco. I get enough of that from everyone else." Juniper muttered softly taking a bite of her own food.
"Don't worry scar head I'm not going to start kissing your arse like all your little lions." Draco answered.
"Thats good ferret-boy because we have no intention of bowing to the Prince of Slytherin." Juniper answered looking relieved.
"Ferret-boy? Okay I get scar head but please tell me there's a story that goes with ferret-boy." Tony said with a smirk.
Juniper smiled. "Don't you dare." Draco growled.
"Tell ya later." Juniper whispered to Tony then looked back to Draco. "By the way though, Barty says hi." A lie oh course but it still made Draco pale a little. He was never going to get over being transfigured into a ferret. You'd think being turned into a werewolf would have knocked that a bit down on the trauma chain.
"Mr. Stark I'm sorry but are you by any chance a Squib?" Blaise suddenly asked. Hermione scowled knowing what was coming. She noticed him glancing back and forth between Juniper and Tony. They should have known the overly observant Slytherin would notice the resemblance between the two. So of course first he'd assume he was a squib from the Potter line as their where some similarities between him and James Potter.
"No. Not as far as I know and I have a pretty good knowledge of my family tree." Tony answered.
"Then maybe your related to Lily Potter? I believe her maiden name was Evans." Blaise continued.
"God no. Thats a disgusting thought all things considered." Tony answered after sharing a look with Juniper. It was obvious Blaise had already figured it out and Pansy and Draco weren't far behind.
"James Potter is my father through magic. He did a blood adoption when I was a newborn, but Tony is my biological father." Juniper informed them. Blaise's eyes widened slightly but he'd already gotten there a few minutes before. Draco looked shocked into speechlessness.
Unfortunately Pansy wasn't. She was on her feet before Blaise could lean across Draco to grab her. "NO. No way. The head of the Black family can't be a filthy little mudb..."
She cut off her rant midsentence as Juniper had moved faster than most people could manage grabbing Ron's wand and standing as well the wand right in Pansy's face. "Finish that word and I'll cut out your tongue." She said calmly her voice as cold as her eyes. Not Black mad cold but not far off.
Tony wasn't sure what disturbed him more that Juniper made the threat or that the Slytherin trio all seemed convinced she was perfectly capable of fulfilling it. All three of them had frozen as if a wrong move could set her off. But it wasn't because the slur had bothered her it was Hermione's eyes that had flashed with pain every time it was spoken. Juniper hadn't spent seven years having the term snarled at her every time she out preformed the pure bloods. It was Hermione who the word cut. Which made Juniper more dangerous as she was always more defensive of her loved ones than herself.
Luckily no one looked over towards Bucky. So far he'd been able to keep the stone face of the soldier since Blaise and Pansy had entered even when Juniper had come in with Draco and sent him a grin. The only move he'd made was to keep Hermione in her seat once. The much to handsome boy had given him a few uneasy glances and he got the feeling he recognized his name. But when Juniper moved so quickly threatening the girl his expression shifted to pure adoration. If the Winter Soldier hadn't already loved the girl her quick action and ruthless threat as well as the fear on the other girl's face would have made him fall. Bucky was attracted to her light, her goodness, her determination to do that right thing no matter what it cost her and her willingness to keep trying no matter the odds against her. The soldier was drawn by the darker side of her nature. Her strength, her power, her quick mind, and that little vicious streak that peeked out when the people she loved where hurt or in danger.
Draco stood slowly and raised his hand reached over to Juniper's hand and nudged her hand so the wand was pointed at him instead of Pansy. She let him do it her gaze turning from his friend to his face.
"Apologize and sit down Pans." He said his voice unnaturally calm. In that moment Steve and Tony knew exactly what Andromeda Tonks had meant when she'd said Draco and Juniper had more in common than she realized. They could easily see Juniper doing the same thing if it had been Draco on the edge of that dark place the Blacks seemed to go pointing a wand at Hermione. Draco may be a spoiled rich brat, a bully, and a prat but he was also protective of his friends.
"I apologize. I never should have said that. I got carried away." Pansy said her voice just managing to not shake and she quickly sat.
Draco met her eyes seeing that she was right on the edge and knew then that he'd have to say something shocking enough to distract her completely to pull her back. It was a technique Blaise specialized in but he doubted propositioning her would work. Might be scarier if it did. "I never hated you."
"What?" Juniper asked her expression shifting a bit into a confused frown.
"You said we could go back to hating each other after this whole thing was over. I never hated you." Draco repeated. "I was angry with you, confused by some of the bloody gormless shite you managed to not only pull off but never got in trouble for, and jealous over
the way the whole school fawned over you but I never hated you."
Ron reached up grabbing Juniper's sleeve and gently tugged on it until she lowered his wand then sat Draco doing so in unison. "So the constant bullying, stalking us, wishing for Hermione to get killed by the basilisk, nearly getting Buckbeak killed and Hagrid fired, mocking me over the dementors then pretending to be one during a game, The badges during the triwizard, trying to curse me from behind, breaking my nose on the train, and nearly casting the Cruciatus Curse in Myrtles bathroom all that was just what? Your idea of family bonding?"
"Alot of that was kid stuff and you know it. I never wanted Granger dead. I knew it was you two under Polyjuice. You think I don't know the difference between your voices and Pansy and Crabbe? Anyway I would think the hint I gave you about what the monster was with that book page would have made up for that." Draco answered.
"What? You mean that page we found in Hermione's hand that she tore out of a book when she was petrified?" Juniper asked frowning.
"Tore a page out of a book?" Hermione repeated sounding horrified at the thought. "Juni I would never tear a page out of a book. How could you think I would do something like that?" She sounded as if Juniper had just accused her stealing candy from a baby.
"Did it never occur to you that if she'd had that page in her hand the whole time Pomfrey would have noticed way before that?" Draco asked amusement in his voice. Ron and Juniper looked at each other both realizing how little they had questioned the details of that event both at the time and after. They'd never asked Hermione about it either figuring being petrified by a Basilisk was pretty traumatic.
"The whole thing with the hippogriff just got out of control. After my dad found out there wasn't anything I could do to stop him. That curse I was throwing at you before Mood...Crouch stepped in was just a stinging hex. Parents use that on misbehaving toddlers. The nose thing was your fault you where spying on us after you'd gotten my dad thrown in Azkaban and you where bad at it. As for the Cruciatus if I'd really wanted to hit you with it I wouldn't have hesitated. You never would have had time for that curse you threw at me. You came closer to killing me with that curse than I ever did to even seriously hurting you. Snape never would tell me what it was." Draco said.
"Yeah and I won't either." Juniper answered. "I didn't get your dad thrown into Azkaban. He broke into the ministry in full Death eater regalia and tried to kill a bunch if teenagers while stealing a prophecy."
"You did the same thing. You where just wearing a different outfit." Draco pointed out.
"I was trying to save my godfather." Juniper snapped.
"Yeah and..." Blaise clamped his hand over Draco's mouth again.
"Lets not play provoke the Black again 'kay" Blaise warned.
"But its such a easy game." Leta said a small smile on her lips. "I went to school with a couple of Blacks. Phineas and Cygnus. The weren't even the eldest of their lines their older brother Sirius whom I think was the second of that name in the family had already graduated. Hot tempered, prickly, arrogant gits both of them."
"Sounds familiar." Juniper said smirking at Draco.
"I think they enjoyed it best when they where having a go at each other. Blacks don't really enjoy snarling at those they consider less than them and thats everyone but another Black isn't it sweet girl?" Leta gave Juniper the exact same kind of smirk she'd just sent at Draco.
"I...I...do not...I..."
"She does seem to enjoy arguing with Draco." Ron confided with a nod.
Tony tried not to snicker. He had noticed that she'd been ready to just end Pansy but had seemed to be having fun bickering with Draco. It actually reminded him of the way he and Steve went back and forth. Oh, at first they had genuinely disliked each other but now it was almost a game.
Blaise had released Draco and was looking at him speculatively. "You do always seem to go out of your way to antagonize Juniper."
Draco glanced over at Juniper. "They are ridiculous."
"Completely barmy." She agreed then she gave him a speculative look. "Why where you angry at me Draco? Seems a long time to hold a grudge over not taking your hand."
"I'll tell you if you promise to answer a question for me as well." Draco answered.
"One question?" Juniper clarified figuring she could hedge almost anything he would ask her. Leta let out a sigh obviously not confident in Juniper's ablity to hold her own in that kind of game against a Slytherin. Natasha glanced at Pepper and rolled her eyes obviously not having that much faith in her young friend either. Draco nodded. "Okay. You first."
"Ginny Weasley wasn't the only one who grew up on stories of the great Juniper Potter. We where all told you where being raised in a manner suited to the heir of two great houses, trained in special magics, taught about your place in our world, but sheltered from it. We expected a princess well versed in all the politics but not the specifics. In my plans we where going to meet on the train and be best mates by the time we reached Hogwarts. After all we where cousins and I admit I thought it was brilliant to finally have a relative my age. I was going to talk you into going into Slytherin and we where going to rule the school by fourth year. Then you had the absolute audacity to be this ignorant scrawny little muggle raised brat with a smart mouth who already had a best mate. Even worse you went into Gryffindor, hung out with that half giant oaf, and made friends with Longbottom who at the time was the next thing to a squib, and a know-it-all Mu...ggleborn in addition to the blood traitor."
"So sorry I didn't follow your script." Juniper said surprise in her eyes. She had never really honestly considered what the majority of the other students at Hogwarts had thought of her before they'd met. Well except for Ginny who Ron had straight out told her had always idolized her based on those stupid girl hero books. "I didn't know you where my cousin Draco. I was always told I had no family other than the ones I was living with."
"Yes, well I suppose my social skills at the time where a bit lacking. I should have been clearer about our connection."
"Lacking?" Juniper asked a grin tugging at her lips. She looked over to Ron and spoke obviously mocking Draco. "Do I need to ask your name? Red hair, vacant expression, Tatty secondhand robes. You must be a Weasley. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford…You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."
Blaise gave Draco a disbelieving look. "I was eleven." He defended himself.
"You were a bully and then you Crabbe and Goyle tried to steal our sweets." Juniper corrected.
"You tried to steal sweets from Juniper and Ron and you walked away in one piece? You should consider yourself lucky." Hermione told him just grinning when her friends glared at her. Juniper's sweet tooth and Ron's fondness for any kind of food was well known in Gryffindor and no one in the house of the brave would try to snitch sweets from one of them let alone both.
Draco's eyes locked on Juniper. "My turn. What has happened to your wand Potter?"
Crap. If he'd asked her where her wand was she could have said in her arm holster. If he'd asked why she'd used Ron's she could have said because it was closer. She could always still lie but Draco had been extremely honest just now and it couldn't have been easy. Her eyes narrowed slightly wondering if he'd been so honest so she'd feel honor-bond to tell the truth. Slytherins where such little shits.
"Broken." She muttered softly taking the last bite of the stew she'd been eating without consciously realizing it.
"Broken." Draco said his eyes widening. "Potter that wand is the brother to The Dark Lord's. He can't fight it using his own wand you proved that in the Graveyard and no other wand will work as well for him as he has no old family wands. Its your best weapon against him."
"Thanks for pointing that out Draco I didn't feel nearly bad enough about it in the first place." Juniper said glaring at him. "How did you know that? I didn't tell anyone what happened in the graveyard until recently."
"The Dark Lord was living in Malfoy Manor after his resurrection. He was furious and fairly vocal about what happened so my parents got to hear it all my mother told me in case the information was ever useful." Draco answered. "He has my father's wand now but even though it should respond to him as he won it by conquest its giving him occasional problems."
"Oh course it is. He doesn't have enough of a soul left for it to properly bond with him." Juniper scoffed. "His original wand was already bound but it would take a exceptional powerful wand to create a new bond with someone with only a sliver of soul left."
"You need a new wand immediately." Draco said.
"I know that Draco. I intend to test some of the family wands tonight after you and Remus go downstairs." Juniper answered.
Draco let out a breath. "Good. You'll need to glamour it to look like you original one."
"We've got it Draco." Juniper said sighing right back. "Could I have a slice of the treacle tart now?" The pies seemed to slice itself into equal pieces which put themselves on small plates and distributed itself to the dinners the empty bowls and plates seemed to snap out of existence.
"I love magic." Tony said with a grin exchanging a look with Juniper. Juniper loved the way her dad responded to seeing magic. It reminded her of how delighted everything about the new world she'd found herself in had been to her when she'd first discovered it. He took a bite of the pie and his grin widened even more. "And I love treacle tart."
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"Juni can I talk to you?" Remus asked softly as the group was heading into the drawing room after they finished eating.
"Of course Remus." Juniper answered and followed him into the kitchen. It wasn't somewhere that the past inhabitants had frequented as for the most part Blacks tended to have house elves to do their actual work including cooking. When the order had been based here that had changed as Molly Weasley took the kitchen over so the furnishings where more basic and comfortable than in the rest of the house. Juniper sat on one of the padded stools at the breakfast bar and gave Remus her full attention. "What's up?"
"I think you know." He told her with his wry grin.
"Wormtail?" Juniper asked. "You decided?"
"You always knew what I was going to decide didn't you?" Remus asked.
"I think I have a pretty good understanding of how your mind works by now Remy. If nothing else you have a lot in common with Hermione and when it comes to vengeance... well she's good at it."
"Hermione?" Remus asked doubt in his voice.
"Ask her about Umbridge, or Edgecombe, or heck even about the time she punched Malfoy." Juniper couldn't help a slight grin, but then her expression sobered. "Are you positive about this Remus. You don't have to do it this way or even at all. Me and Ron would be pleased to take care of him for you."
"No." He almost growled the word. "Trust me Moony is very much looking forward to showing Wormtail why its such a bad idea to betray your pack."
Juniper nodded and stood leaning over to kiss his cheek lightly. "I think I'll take Bucky and maybe Uncle Rhodey and Dad to have a talk with Wormtail before the moon comes up. See if we can scare him as badly as he did me that night in the graveyard. I'll send Steve in to spend some time with you."
"Bambi about Steve..."
"Nope. Don't want to hear it." Juniper said softly. "I know you loved Siri. You mourned for him for 12 years even thinking he was guilty. You took care of him after Azkaban. But he is gone now. He would want you to be happy. You deserve to be happy. So does Steve and I've seen the way you two make each other smile. I'll send him in." Remus smiled slightly and nodded.
Juniper entered the downstairs drawing room to find the others had all gathered there. Her dad, Peter, and Bruce had already started in on the books about the effects of magic on technology. Steve, Bucky and Leta where sitting in front of the fireplace talking Juniper would assume about the past. Leta looked like she could have been their grandmother and it was a bit of a mind screw to remember that technically she was only around 20 years older than they where. Draco and Blaise had withdrawn to a corner where they where standing a little closer than just friends would talking in soft low voices.
Pansy on the other hand was leaning against the wall near them giving Ron a speculative look that made Juniper more than a little wary. She had no illusions that Pansy had ever envisioned a life for herself that didn't include her being Lady Malfoy to provide Draco with heirs even if Blaise was his primary partner. No doubt she'd be on the market for a new pureblood wizard to latch onto. Ron may not come from a rich family but it was a well-respected one. One that was listed in the pure blood registry, the sacred 28. One who's new generation was making waves in many different areas. Ron was handsome enough, and was already considered a war hero he'd likely find himself a target for more than one girl looking to increase her status by using his. She made a mental note to talk to Hermione about how to discourage Pansy from sinking her claws into Ron, but for the moment just gave the other girl a good glare when she looked up at her. Then walked over to Bucky putting a hand on his shoulder.
He reached up putting his own hand over hers and looked up at her with a soft smile for a second before going back to his emotionless expression. Juniper looked almost amused and he could see she was considering kissing him to break his mask but then her expression turned serious and she looked over at Steve. "Remus is in the kitchen if you want to see him before he has to go downstairs." Steve stood and headed the way she'd come.
"I need to go talk to Wormtail."
"Kiddo. I don't think that's..."
"I want you, Bucky, and Uncle Rhodey to come with me."
"A bad idea at all." Tony finished making Juniper smirk.
"But only if you can keep your mouths shut. I just need you to stand there and look intimidating. Hes not really that hard to scare and with the three of you as back-up he'll tell me anything I want to know." Juniper told them.
"Ohh, we get to be brainless muscle. I like it." Rhodey said giving Juniper a grin as he stood to join Tony.
Bucky stood as well taking Juniper's hand in his. "You sure about this doll?" He asked her softly. He remembered the way the creature had attacked her in the graveyard memory and the way she'd reacted when she'd been given the cage containing the rat.
"Positive." Juniper answered and tugged his hand. The three men followed her down the hall and then down the stairs past the basement and into the Black Dungeons. Juniper paused and released Bucky's hand and looked back at the three men. "Remember shhh." She reminded them.
"Why is she looking at me?" Tony asked Rhodey.
"Because she's smart." Rhodey hissed. "Now shhh."
Juniper smiled and waved her hand the big heavy door swung open with a creak. Unlike the HYDRA facilities this was a almost medieval looking dungeon. One side of the huge cavernous chamber was filled with cages side by side the bars rusted the floor bare dirt. The other side had various torture instruments some still smeared with blood. There where also blood stains on the walls and floors. Not just for show then. It was cold and dimly lit with a air of dampness and fear as if former occupants emotions had been absorbed by the very walls.
They heard Wormtail before they saw him in one of the middle cells whimpering and crying cringing in the back corner. Juniper stepped closer running her fingers across the bars. "Pathetic. One day and your already falling to pieces. Do you think Sirius cried his first day in Azkaban?"
"Juniper?" Wormtail cried out looking up at her for a moment his expression warring between hope and horror. "You need to let me out of here. I...We need to get out before they come back."
Juniper smiled slowly realizing Wormtail didn't know where he was and likely still thought he was in Tom's headquarters. "We? There is no we Wormtail. You have no one no allies, no friends, no family. And I have no need to get out of here. No need at all. Don't you know where you are Wormtail? Can't you guess? I'm sure when you where children Sirius must have told you tales of the Black dungeons."
Wormtail went so white he looked like he was about to pass out. "T...the B..bb...b..."
"Black Dungeons." Juniper yelled turning and slamming her hand against the bars drawing a epp of fear from the rat Animagus. Merlin, maybe she hadn't needed the guys to scare Wormtail. "Grindelwald sent Barty to bring you to me. As a gift. I suppose your usefulness ran out hmm?"
"Juni please this isn't you." Wormtail squeaked raising up on his knees as if he where begging her. "Your good and kind. Your forgiving. You saved me before remember. James would never have wanted me harmed we where friends..."
"You are the reason my father is not here to make that decision aren't you?" Juniper yelled. "You betrayed him and my mother. You set Sirius up, its your fault he was in Azkaban for all those years. You murdered Cedric in cold blood. Not to mention this." She yanked her sleeve up holding up her scarred forearm. "You really think James Potter would have sparred you after all that? Of course I suppose I really wouldn't know. You stold any chance I had of knowing him. You know what I remember of James Potter? I remember him blowing bubbles for me to chase and I remember his last words. 'Lily, take Juniper and go! It's him! I'll hold him off!' Those words are seared into my brain. I'll hold him off. He knew he couldn't beat Tom. He knew he was going to die. He could have run, could have gone out the kitchen but he didn't he stood and he died for the people he loved. You really think he would have sparred you after you betrayed everyone he loved?"
By the time Juniper finished speaking Wormtail had collapsed in on himself weeping pitifully. "Why did you do it?" She demanded. "Why did you do this? Why did you betray the people who thought of you as one of their closest and dearest friends? Their family?"
"Because of your SODDING MOTHER!" Wormtail screamed seeming to find some semblance of a backbone. "That BITCH ruined everything! It was suppose to be Sirius, and Remus, me and James then she had to come along and tempt James away from us. It was fine when she was playing hard to get but then she had to change her mind. She pulled him away from us. She ruined everything!"
"Jealousy." Juniper breathed out disbelief twisting her features. Fear maybe she could have understood. Thats what she had been expecting. Or maybe lust for power. This she had not seen coming. "You where in love with my dad?"
Wormtail suddenly lunged for the bars where Juniper was standing much too close to the bars. She didn't even flinch even as all three men with her moved to grab her to pull her away. It proved to be unnecessary as he slammed into some kind of invisible barrier before he was close enough to the bars to reach through. He fell back hard and immediately went back to whimpering
"This is the Black dungeon." Juniper repeated again. "I am the head of the Black family. Did you really think the family magic would ever allow me to be harmed here?" He voice sounded dull as she said that but her eyes looked almost aflame with fury.
"Let me speak slowly so maybe even someone of your limited intelligence can understand me. Even if my father and mother had never met, even if my father had preferred men or both sexes it never would have been you. You never would have been good enough for James Potter. He was a hero, strong, handsome, smart. He protected you. He cared for you as a friend and a brother but he never would have had you as a lover." Juniper's voice was low and cruel. "You destroyed the only family that you ever had because of petty, unfounded, pointless jealousy. Tonight your going to die because of your petty, unfounded, pointless jealousy."
"Your going to kill me." Wormtail whimpered.
"Oh no. I'm not going to kill you Wormtail. Did you know the Animagus blocking spells on these cells unfortunately don't work on the werewolf transformation? Did you know the full-moon was tonight?" Wormtail let out a high keening noise of terror. "I suppose you no longer have a reason to keep track of things like that anymore though do you?" She gave him a almost creepy smile. "Why would I kill you when Moony is so looking forward to being reunited with his old mate?"
She turned away and he scrambled to his feet slamming against the bars now that the barrier let him. "NNNOooo please Juniper please not that! Kill me! Just kill me give me a quick painless death please? Even Sirius would have given me that!"
"Then I guess he was just a better person than me." Juniper answered before leading her father, uncle, and boyfriend out of the dungeon for what she sincerely hoped was her last visit ever.
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An- I hate Wormtail. I suppose that s been made clear though huh? I hated that in the books he got that moment of redemption. He didn't deserve it after all the awful things he did so I'm giving him the kind of death he deserved.
The wand search will be coming up next chapter still got a few options in mind. So we'll just have to see what happens. At this point I may be as surprised as you all.