BioHazard82- Thanks you so much for your support.
LilRedTilly- Thank you so much! I'm glad you like it. I know there's a lot of stories to pick from and that she chose mine and found it good enough to stay up late for makes me sooo happy. Hope you continue to enjoy.
AN- I can't believe it took me so long to get this done. It was a hard chapter because it kept wandering off on tangents that I found too interesting to cut. I think part of my brain didn't want to get to the big confrontation between the Dursleys and Juniper knowing it would be bad.
Hermione and Pansy got a little show down which I enjoyed. Kretcher gets to be difficult which is always fun. Leta and Loki have a moment of understanding that might turn into a friendship. The avengers and Draco get more of a idea of Juniper's childhood than perhaps she would have liked, and Draco is surprisingly affected. Thanks to Hedwig Juniper gets even more than she expected in the attic and then it all comes crashing down when her relatives arrive home. Hmmm, I wonder if this will end badly for them?
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CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
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"You really grew up here?" The distaste in Leta's voice brought a small smile to Juniper's lips. She'd often felt the same way about the cookie cutter uniformity of the houses on the street. Every single one was the same boxy shape, and in mild colors grey, light blue, pale yellow, off white. Every mailbox was exactly the same distance from the road, every blade of grass cut to exactly the same height, each tree and bush trimmed to match all the others, even all the flower gardens had the same lay-out.
"Yeah. Boring huh? My relatives love it. Predictable, ordinary...normal." Juniper answered. For once no one was peering through their curtains to see what was going on as the two women strolled down the street. After so many years of hiding in plain sight, Leta had perfected the notice-me-not charm to the point that it was just as natural as breathing when she was in public.
"Normal for muggles. You're not a muggle. Have you seen some of the homes magicals live in? They make yours in London look just as boring as these." Leta asked with a slight smirk. Juniper smiled back thinking of the Burrow which always looked half ready to tip completely over and the Rookery the Lovegood home which looked like a chess rook. She would have loved to see the reactions of the people of Privet Drive if either was plopped down on their street.
"I hated growing up here." Juniper said softly.
'Merow.'
The sound brought the smile back to Juniper's face. "Except for one thing." Leta glanced over at her curiously and when she saw her looking up into a tree she looked as well. On a tree branch over her head sat a fat fluffy tabby cat. "My old babysitter Arabella Figg. Shes a squib. She raises kneazles." Hedwig on her shoulder made a sound that sounded like a sniff. She generally didn't care for cats making a exception for Crookshanks because of Hermione.
"Be nice." Juniper told her familiar then lifted her arms to the cat causing Hedwig to take flight. "Come on down Tufty. I'm not climbing up to get you this time." Her affection for Mrs. Figgs cats especially Tufty had once cemented a strange kind of friendship with the old woman. One in which Juniper had pretended to hate going to her house to be babysat and Mrs. Figg had pretended to barely tolerate the girl. They had never actually had to talk about it. They had both known that if the Dursleys had known that the old woman would spend the day feeding her up and watching movies with her while cuddling the cats they would put a stop to it. Tufty jumped down into her arms drawing a soft puff of air from Juniper. "You've gained some weight Tuft. I'll have to tell Mrs. Figg to switch you to the diet food." The cat let out a offended huff and jumped to the ground giving Juniper the kind of glare only a cat could manage before stalking away.
Leta let out a sigh rolling her eyes. "Kneazles. Better than nifflers I suppose." She muttered softly. She didn't know why her mind kept finding connections between the wizarding world's little hero and Newt. They had both been favorites of Dumbledore, and both seemed fond of magical creatures but other than they they really weren't that similar. The quiet awkward Hufflepuff had been very good at fading into the background and had few friends. He'd even seemed to make some people uncomfortable. Juniper on the other hand was a reckless outgoing Gryffindor who despite her rough background seemed to draw people into her orbit. She was the type Leta had always found annoying.
So why did she like Juniper? It wasn't a question Leta could answer. She couldn't even say why she'd agreed to come with her to her relative's home. She knew she should have immediately gone and told her father what she was up to as soon as she'd asked her. It seemed though that even she couldn't say no to those big green eyes of hers when she had that pitiful look on her face. She may not have Grindelwald's silver tongue but she definitely had her own type of persuasion. If she'd been in Slytherin and been schooled by the older years in the type of manipulative backroom deals and power moves all the pure blood dealt in the girl would be downright deadly. Maybe she should encourage Tony to keep her away from both Loki and Draco. She was already powerful, rich, charismatic, and had it seemed almost by accident built a web of support that included the heirs of some of the most powerful families in the wizarding world. If she won the war, it was likely she would find herself in a position of power not even Dumbledore had ever reached.
"Thats it." Juniper said softly her eyes on the house marked number 4.
Leta studied the house that looked exactly like all the other except... "Are there bars on that window?"
"Yeah. That use to be my room. The Weasley twins and Ron pulled them off at the beginning of second year. They put them back but did a shoddy job. I was able to pull it loose enough for Hedwig to come and go." Juniper answered.
"They put bars on your window." Leta repeated. Juniper didn't reply. It was very obviously not a question but a statement of disbelief. What if death eaters had attacked? What if there had been a fire? Juniper would have been trapped. Had that never occurred to them? She glanced at Juniper's face and sighed softly. Yes. Yes, it probably had. They just hadn't cared.
"The cars not here. My aunt probably went to the market or something. Could you just wait out here? It shouldn't take long." Juniper told her.
Leta studied her face for a moment. "Maybe I should go and get your trunk and you should wait out here." She offered.
Juniper looked over at her in surprise then smiled. "I'll be fine. It's just a empty house, right? Besides I know where everything is. It'll be quicker."
"If you're sure." Leta conceded as Hedwig settled back on Juniper's shoulder. "I trust your intelligent enough to let me know if I'm needed." She said eyes on the owl making Juniper giggle.
"I did ask you to come you know." Juniper pointed out. "I'm trying to be less reckless."
Leta laughed at that. "Oh, sweet girl you couldn't stop being reckless if your life depended on it. Which it might one day. You asked me to accompany you because you expect I'm the one least likely to step into the middle of any confrontation you have with the muggles. What you didn't take into account was that putting a few nasty muggles in their place would be much preferable to returning you to your family with so much as a hair out of place."
Juniper looked up at Leta amusement glinting in her eyes. "Careful Leta you keep talking so sweet I might think you actually like me."
"Perish the thought. Go get your trunk this place is giving me hives." Leta scoffed.
Juniper nodded and approached the house going around to the back and through the gate into the back garden. It wasn't quite as well kept as the front. After all it wasn't as easy for the neighbors to see. Oh course, when she'd lived here it had been flawless. As she neared the back door she peered behind a hedge and saw the tarp she'd left there to cower under on nights she'd been locked out of the house. She shook her head and scooped up the fake rock that held the spare key. She could have used magic but like she'd told Bucky just because you could use magic didn't mean you had to use it for everything. "Home sweet home." She almost whispered and took a deep breath before opening the door.
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"Has Juniper come back down yet? She barely ate anything at breakfast." Bucky looked up from the book he was reading (A brief history of the Black family- Warmongers or peacekeepers?) to see Steve peering into the library. Bucky, Peter, Hermione, and Bruce where all sitting in different chairs or tables all studying the parts of this new world they found most interesting. To be honest Bucky hadn't even realized it was a little after noon to interested in learning the family history of the woman he was in love with.
"Did you know Alexander the Great was a Black wizard?" Bucky asked. "That Juniper is related to him in some capacity?"
"How would I possible know that?" Steve replied amusement in his voice. "Somehow though it doesn't surprise me."
"Possible she doesn't know either. Sirius tended to concentrate on the more recent family members and their actions in the magical world not the ones who made waves in the muggle world when he was teaching her." Hermione told them absently. "It is a bit unusual though in general Blacks where the attack dogs not the leaders."
She glanced up from her book to see Bucky glaring at her. "Hey, I'm just saying." Hermione defended. "Alexander and Juniper are the exceptions not the rule."
"That cousin of hers seems the leader type to me." Peter said. He'd finished the monster book of monsters and had moved on to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. He'd meant to be studying the effects of magic on technology but after reading the book Ron had saved him from, he'd discovered that magizoology was incredibly interesting.
"Thats the Malfoy blood I think." Hermione said.
"Not necessarily." They looked up as Pansy strolled past Steve. "Or not completely. The eldest Blacks are typically warriors. They have the Black gifts. Bellatrix, Sirius Black, Draco, Juniper. Even Nymphadora Tonks to a degree. She doesn't have the first-born gift but she is a Metamorphmagus and became a Auror. Secondborns like Draco's mum Narcissa and Regulus Black are expected to be the politicians. Enter the ministry or like Narcissa be the perfect society spouse making connections that way. Generally, it's also the secondborns who are more likely to have children. Third children are scholars like Andromeda Tonks. Although becoming a healer would have been frowned on as it requires oaths that may prevent her from doing her duty as a Black. All that do no harm nonsense. Unfortunately, birth rates among pure bloods have been falling in the last few generations. So, with The Tonks girl not being officially recognized its only Bellatrix, Draco, and Juniper. Draco learned from both of his parents as their only child. He was always expected to fill all three roles."
"Inbreeding." Hermione muttered. Pansy glared at her. "Look at the facts Pansy. Even just look at the Black family tapestry. The same names crop up over and over. The sacred 28. And it's not just birth rates falling its magical strength. Look at the most powerful magicals born since Grindelwald. Tom Riddle is the child of a muggle and a squib, Dumbledore was a half blood, Severus Snape half-blood, Juniper magical adoption aside practically a muggleborn. Pure bloods are inbreeding themselves out of existence. You want to save your family line Parkinson? Find yourself a nice muggleborn or even a squib."
"Ridiculous." Pansy hissed and whirled on her heels stalking out.
"That was awesome." Peter said gazing at Hermione admiringly.
"Been wanting to do that for years." Hermione admitted trying not to blush at Peter's praise.
"Lovely. Taking down a bully with logic is always satisfying." Bruce told her with a understanding smile. "What's the sacred 28?"
"It's a list of the 28 families in the British wizarding world who are considered the purest. No muggles in the family tree. Most of them not even muggleborns. Although halfbloods are allowed. It was published in the 1930s. The Parkinsons, Malfoys, Blacks, and Weasleys are all on it. The Potters would have been, but Henry Potter Juniper's great grandfather was known as being extremely pro-muggle and it ruffled some feathers. He publicly condemned the minster of magic for forbidding wizards to aid muggles in the first world war." Hermione answered.
Steve laughed. "Sounds like Juniper."
"Well, she has publicly spoken out against two ministers." Hermione agreed. "She wanted Amelia Bones as minister, but she was murdered. It's a pity Madam Bones would have been wayyy more proactive than Scrimgeour. She hasn't come down for dinner yet?"
"No." Steve answered making Bucky frown. He wanted to give her time to be alone and read her mother's letters, but she was too thin to skip meals. Not to mention he wasn't convinced she'd fully recovered from the night before.
"Are you sure she's not with Tony or Ron?" He asked Steve.
"No, Tony and Ron are both in the parlor with Pepper, Clint, and Nat. They are all 'keeping a eye on Loki'. I think he is enjoying being distrusted." Steve answered. He still wasn't thrilled about the deal they'd made with the god, but he couldn't honestly say he wouldn't have done the same.
"I'll get her." Bucky said standing. As far as he knew he was the only one besides Juniper who could find the head of house's room which he supposed was where she would be.
She wasn't in their room. She also wasn't in the kitchen, the garden, or either the upstairs or downstairs parlor. He even knocked on bedroom doors to see if anyone had seen her and a few minutes later everyone in the house were gathered in the library. Well, everyone except Leta which did nothing to ease their anxiety.
"So, you lost Potter already?" Draco asked them with a bit of a sneer. "Forget about her habit of trying to handle shite on her own, did you?"
Ron leveled a glare at the other wizard then called out. "Kretcher."
He didn't come as quickly as he always did when Juniper called, and he looked a bit grumpy about being summoned. "Weezey calls Kretcher?" Draco didn't bother hiding his snicker at the elf's mangling of Ron's name. Even Blaise who was being quiet and staying out of the way grinned a bit.
"Yes Kretcher. Where is Juniper?" Ron asked.
Kretcher very nearly bared his teeth. "Kretcher does not answer to you. Kretcher answers only to Mistress Black."
"Oh, for Merlin's sake." Ron huffed.
"Kretcher you know who I am?" Draco asked the ancient elf.
"Kretcher knows. Missus Cissy's little dragon."
Pain flashed in Draco's eyes for a moment at the nickname but was hidden quickly. "So, you know I'm also a Black. Tell me where is Juniper?"
"Kretcher answers only to Mistress Black."
"You insolent little..."
"Just forget it we can just search the house. I mean she didn't leave without telling anyone right? She has to be here somewhere. I mean how many rooms can there be?" Clint said.
Pansy smirked just a little. "Kretcher how many rooms are there in this house?"
"Fifty-seven obvious rooms. Twelve hidden. Today." Kretcher answered tilting his head slightly as if listening to someone whispering to him before answering.
"Fifty...Thats not possible." Bruce objected.
"Grimmauld Place is a very old magical house. They tend to absorb magic and after a few generations they become devoted to their families and will...for want of a better word create new rooms to please their families. Remember we told you technology only fails around high concentrations of magic? Grimmauld has become one of those places." Remus explained.
"It doesn't matter anyway." Ron said looking over at Hermione. "You know where she went." Hermione looked at him questioningly. "Somewhere to read her mum's letters. Somewhere comforting and safe."
"Oh. OH! Right. Oh, Merlin I'm starting to think like you two. That can't be good."
"I wouldn't worry Granger you just spent too much time with just the three of you. Being around those two is bound to drive anyone spare. I'm sure after another few weeks of proper company you'll return to your senses." Draco said with a smirk.
"I...do believe that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me." Hermione said looking at him in shock.
"Don't get use to it." Draco answered.
"He only complimented you to insult me and Juni." Ron pointed out scowling at Draco then grabbed her sleeve. "Come on."
Hermione grinned shaking her head but the two led the group up the stairs opening the door to a bedroom on the second floor. It was almost a explosion of red and gold.
"Let me guess this was Black's room." Draco said dryly rolling his eyes.
Remus gave a small smile. "This room was one of Sirius's first acts of defiance. His father gave him permission to decorate as he wished. His mother only came in here once. He was in Saint Mungos for 3 days after she was done with him. When he came home, he got the posters from a muggle shop."
"I think I'm starting to understand why Juniper hero-worships the guy." Blaise said with a trace of a smirk.
"Because he was too stupid to keep his head down and do what he needed to keep himself safe until he could get away from this house?" Draco asked with a snort. "Typical Gryffindor."
Ron shoved him out of the way going over to the beanbag chair in one of the corners. The now empty teacup sat there along with the stack of letters about half opened. He glanced over at Hermione. "You didn't see this." He told her before kneeling and picking up the unfolded paper on top of the open stack.
"Oh, Ron don't. Thats private." Hermione objected.
"Witness me not caring." Ron answered eyes on the paper and after only a few moments he paled. "Oh, bloody hell." he muttered.
"Ron?" Hermione asked a look of concern on her face.
"I know where she went."
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Loki insisted on coming and as he volunteered to transport them and hide them from nosy eyes they couldn't very well say no. Draco as well although they suspected it was more curiosity about where Juniper had grown up than honest concern for her. Then it was sometimes hard to tell with Malfoy. Tony, Bucky, Pepper, Ron and Hermione came as well.
Hermione was a little surprised by the domestic tranquility of the street they'd arrived on. She'd never really given it much thought but given what she'd known about Juniper's childhood she had expected something...different. Something darker and grimmer maybe. It was hard to believe such cruelty could exist in what seemed such a ordinary and peaceful neighborhood. It was a lot like the street she'd grown up on in fact. Maybe a little more perfect as there didn't seem to be any houses with children's toys and bikes on the lawns, or chalk drawings on the sidewalk. It almost made her wonder what could be hidden by the walls of her neighbor's houses.
Ron took her hand in his and squeezed it lightly. "I know." He said softly. Hermione nodded and looked over as Leta joined them seeming to appear from nowhere.
"She just went in. Shes fine." They all turned to glare at the older woman who seemed more amused by their expressions than anything.
"You had no right." Tony growled. "Juniper is my child. Mine. Not yours. You don't get to make decisions for her."
"Neither do you. She is a adult." Leta pointed out raising a eyebrow.
"In some ways yes but you know good and well this is not something she should be doing alone." Tony answered.
"And she's not. I'm here. I'm doing what she asked. She knew good and well you wouldn't be able to resist taking a little revenge on her behalf, so she asked me instead." Leta answered. "No one is there. The car is gone. Shes just grabbing one thing and then we'll be leaving."
"We're leaving now." Tony snapped. "You can't know for sure the house is empty just because there's no car. She shouldn't be here at all trunk or no trunk." He turned and started stalking towards the house.
"Stark." Tony turned to glare at Loki at the word. "If she didn't need this closure, she would have asked me to fetch the trunk for her. Shes not a stupid girl she knows how easy it would be for me."
"You don't have to trust me Stark. In fact, it would probably be better if you didn't. You should however trust Juniper." Leta said softly.
"It's not about trusting her." Bucky said his voice icy cold. "It's about her not being safe in that house. Even if her relatives aren't there the memories are."
"A girl who can face down dementors and dark lords can handle a few bad memories." Leta responded.
"Says the woman whose been hiding from her past for 70-years." Ron growled and turning stalking towards the house Bucky, Tony, Pepper, and Hermione on his heels.
"Gryffindors." Leta sighed shaking her head. She glanced at Draco. "You should go. I know your dying to see." Draco who'd never once been inside a muggle home and honestly was curious nodded and followed as well.
"I need to stop hanging around Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors. If they don't get me killed, they are definitely going to give me ulcers." Leta remarked to Loki with a sigh.
Loki just shook his head. "At least there's never any surprises. You can always expect them to make the heroic, noble, morally correct, and usually stupid choice."
The front door was locked but Hermione had always been good with Alohomora and they all quickly entered. Draco and Ron both looked around the room seeing more than a few things they didn't recognize. The muggles and Hermione where also looking around as well but they saw something else. The walls, mantle, and shelves were filled with pictures of the Dursley's. Especially their son a fat little beach ball of a baby who'd seemingly grown into a equally fat little boy. The most recent pictures did show however than he had lost quite a bit of the weight and gained more muscle. None of the pictures however had Juniper in them. Not one. Another slap at her. Making it clear if she'd somehow missed the memo that she wasn't part of the family.
Hermione's eyes were locked on the smaller door under the stairs. "Did you ever see it?" She asked Ron.
"No Fred and George did once. When we came to get her before first year, they had her wand and trunk locked in there." Ron answered glaring at the door in disgust. There was still a lock on the outside, a grate on the door that could only be opened from the outside, and a light switch also on the outside. A light switch that could only be turned on or off from the outside. Hermione suddenly understand Juniper's obsession with always sleeping with the curtains opened or the fire lit. So, she was never in the dark.
"It's a closet right?" Pepper asked a bit confused over the way the two were staring at the door under the stairs as if there was a monster on the other side.
"It was Juni's room until she was eleven." Hermione said softly.
Tony swallowed hard as he remembered the references both Ron and Hermione had made about Juniper being locked in a cupboard as a child and Juniper referring to herself as the freak in the cupboard after they'd seen the third task. At the time he hadn't given it the thought it deserved it seemed.
"Bullshite!" Draco scoffed. "Nobody would...I mean...She was just a baby when..." He couldn't seem to finish the thought. He pushed past Ron and Hermione pulling the lock and opening the door. He was probably looking for proof it wasn't true. instead, he found a tiny, dusty, cramped space with a small bare mattress shoved into the back corner. There was a smudge on the far corner that could have been a small bloodstain. There were several shelves and one held a collection of old toy soldiers and broken crayons. Another a few worn and well-loved books and thin notebooks. "There's spiders in here." He barked as if that was the most offensive thing.
"She said she didn't mind the spiders so much. Gave her something to talk too." Hermione said softly trying to hold back tears at the thought of her friend being locked in the tiny dark space.
"She never told me there were spiders." Ron said with a shudder.
"Hmm I wonder why?" Hermione remarked rolling her eyes. She glanced over at Tony, Pepper and Bucky. "They locked her in at night, or if she was being punished or was sick."
"Why the bloody hell is she still trying to protect the muggles. The Dark Lord is right! Look at this. What kind of animal does this to a kid." Draco asked anger blazing in his eyes. "If my mum had known...even my father would never have allowed this. Why didn't she tell the headmaster?"
"He knew." Ron said.
Draco looked over at him in disbelief. "No way. Why would he have allowed his precious Girl Who Lived to be treated like this?"
"To make sure that when she came to Hogwarts, she would be so grateful to be saved and so hungry for any kind of kindness or affection that she would do anything for him." Ron answered.
Draco glared at him as if it was his fault. "Your precious leader of the light."
"Not anymore. Dumbledore is dead. If the light has a leader now its Juniper. Although lately she tends a little more towards light grey." Hermione told him.
"Can we just find her and maybe burn this place down on the way out?" Draco growled.
"Sounds like a excellent idea." Bucky answered in the same tone he leaned past Draco and grabbed the toy soldiers cramming them into one of his pockets. He wasn't sure why, but he had a feeling for Juniper to have kept them they must have meant something to her. He handed the books and notebooks behind him to Hermione who stuffed them into her ever present bag. He was fully in Draco's camp. He had no intention of leaving this place standing and didn't want anything of his doll's left behind.
"The letter said it was in the attic." Tony said icy fury in his voice as he held Pepper's hand her face white eyes watery and turned to the stairs.
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Juniper hadn't been in the attic often but she had been the one who brought down and put away the Christmas decorations every year so she knew the only staircase that led to it was the one from the kitchen. A design she'd always found odd, but it was better than trying to lift the decorations through a ceiling access.
She'd never noticed her mum's trunk before which made sense as she'd never been consciously looking for it keeping it hidden by the notice me not spell. Now though that she was specifically looking for it it was impossible to miss. It was a around the same size as her own Hogwarts trunk maroon with a Gryffindor pennet affixed to the lid. She knelt down beside it and ran a gentle hand over the lid.
Her mother's trunk. For so many years she'd longed for a connection any connection to the parents she'd only remembered in flashes of red hair, and round glasses. It was hard to believe that all that time this had been here just above her head. When she'd went to Hogwarts Hagrid had given her the photo album and she'd finally had something of them. something tangible to prove they were real. They had existed beyond her imagination. They had lived and danced and loved. They'd had friends and schoolmates and a wedding. And they had loved her. That had been clear in the pictures of the three of them together. She'd been given the cloak as well. A family heirloom that her father had used in his time at school. A link that went back into her family tying her to a long history of Potters who'd crept through the hallways of the school after lights out to play pranks, sneak into the restricted section of the library or just to the kitchens for sweets. The map third year had seemed the ultimate prize once she'd understood what it truly was. Something created by her dad, Sirius, and Remus. (She could overlook Wormtails involvement.) Something that seemed to have a sliver of their personalities as teenagers much like a portrait. Nothing personal of her mum's though. Until the letters. Letters that had led her to this. She was so tempted to open it here and now, but she reminded herself of Leta waiting for her outside and the family back in London who would realize eventually that she'd snuck off.
Hedwig who'd been flying around the attic dropped a cardboard box on her. "HEY! I'm not taking that long." She complained. Hedwig gave her a exasperated look then stared at the box. Juniper frowned at the sight of her name scrawled across the top. "Oh." She said softly and opened the box. A breath caught in her throat at the sight of what was inside. A pale-yellow baby blanket with her name embroidered in red and a stuffed bunny with one ear half chewed off. She'd seen them both in the pictures she had of herself as a baby dragging one or the other around with her.
"These...must have been in the basket with me when Dumbledore dropped me off." She said softly. Which meant either Hagrid or Sirius had taken them from the house, so she'd at least have that much comfort. So of course, her relatives had shoved them in a box and tossed them up here. Merlin forbid their hated niece have even that much. "Thank you, Hedwig." She said and closed the box putting it on top of the trunk and waved her wand. "Reducio." Both shrank down to pocket size, and she stood sliding them into the pocket of her robe. "Come on let's go home." Hedwig settled back on her shoulder rubbing her cheek against Juniper's comfortingly. Juniper scratched her feathered head lightly as she opened the attic door and headed back down to the kitchen.
She should have known things were going too well. Oh, course it was all going to turn. Barely a second after she'd entered the kitchen the back door swung open, and Vernon and Petunia entered carrying grocery bags. If only she'd heard the car, she could have ducked back into the attic stairway or the pantry. Instead the door just suddenly opened and to her surprise she was face to face with the two people who'd made her childhood hell.
Juniper took a involuntary step backwards and hated herself for it. She wasn't weak. She wasn't a little girl anymore. She was capable of protecting herself. She had her wand and could use it with no hesitation as it no longer had trace on it, and it wasn't registered to her. She could probably even out fight Vernon. Granted he was a lot bigger and stronger than her but both Charlie and Natasha had showed her how to throw a punch and she always been good at dodging. That was all logic though and it wasn't logic that made the fear shoot through her, and panic try to rise in her chest at the sight of their faces.
Petunia's face was surprised for a moment then her expression which had been tiered went straight to the crumpled, angry look of disgust that Juniper was so use to seeing on her face. She'd always looked at Juniper as if she was a huge bug, she'd just found scurrying across a freshly cleaned kitchen table. Vernon's face went white then red then shot to purple as fury made his entire body tense up.
"What the hell are you doing back here." Vernon snarled. "I don't care if your freaky friends kicked you out you aren't welcome back here. I can't believe you'd dare come back here after what you did to this family! GET OUT!"
"I only came back to get something that was mine." Juniper forced the words out her throat tight. "I have no intention of staying. And I did nothing to your family you're the one who spent years abusing me so don't you speak to me like that."
"Abuse. How dare you!? We took you in out of the goodness of our hearts, gave you food off our table, even let you have Dudley's extra room..."
"Food off your table? When did you ever eat cheese sandwiches or a apple for a meal? You stuffed me in a cupboard for 10 years. You whipped me with a belt anytime you were in a bad mood. You screamed and yelled and threw things at me. You only took me in the provide you protection from Tom Riddle and we both know it. There is no goodness in your heart!" Juniper answered her voice going up until she found she was yelling as well by the end.
"And now you're getting your revenge? You think I don't know why my company suddenly decided I was embezzling money? Think I don't know you're the reason I was fired and arrested? We had to sell the car for bail! Had to give up internet, and cell phones, and eating out to keep Dudley in Smeltings! It's all your fault!" Vernon lunged forward to grab her arms.
Juniper should have pulled her wand should have fought back. But when it came to Vernon, she was not the girl who'd faced off with Tom Riddle over and over. Wasn't the girl who'd fought basilisks, dementors, and dragons. Wasn't the girl who'd decimated HYDRA, faced off with Bellatrix and disarmed Greyback. Definitely wasn't the girl who was Flitwick's prized dueling student, been taught to fight by the Weasley's brothers, and had a few lessons with the Black widow. She was once again the five-year-old who'd accidently pulled up her aunt's violets when she'd been weeding the garden and had known she was gonna get beaten for it. She was the seven-year-old who'd somehow turned her teacher's hair blue and had spent the night in her cupboard cradling a broken arm and trying not to cry too loudly knowing it would make it worse. The nine-year-old who'd somehow ended up on the school roof while running from her cousin and his bullies and had been beaten with a belt and thrown out into the garden to sleep in the rain. The ten-year-old who'd somehow let loose a snake on her cousin and been dragged into the house and hurled into her cupboard for a week only being let out twice a day to use the bathroom. With Vernon up in her face his hands still big enough to encircle her upper arms completely as he held her hands near cutting off the circulation nails digging into her skin, his face filled with rage as he shook her, she flashed back to all those times she'd been afraid this would be the time he'd completely lose control and finally kill her.
The spell of childhood trauma was broken by a screech of avian rage from Hedwig. Evidentially her familiar had finally had all she was willing to take. She swooped at Vernon and her talons slashed across his face and he screamed releasing her to swat at Hedwig wildly as blood poured down his face. Petunia let out a screech of horror, grabbing a pan off the table and swatting wildly at the owl who spun in midair to wheel around and land on Juniper's shoulder glaring and barking at them threateningly.
"VERNON! Oh my god!" Petunia reached out to her husband grabbing the dish towel off the counter to hold to his face.
"Good girl." Despite the words of praise the tone was cold and hard and the three turned to see Tony, and Bucky in the doorway. The others out of sight behind them as both men had their eyes locked on Vernon with predatory intent.
Vernon pushed Petunia behind himself holding the towel to his bleeding face with the other hand. "I don't know who you are or what the girl has told you, but you are breaking and entering. If you don't leave at once I will call the authorities." He stammered out.
Bucky took two steps across the kitchen and reached out to grab the house phone ripping it completely off the wall without saying a word. He then turned standing between the Dursleys and the back door.
Juniper had almost stopped realizing how big Bucky was. Unlike Vernon he'd never used his size to intimidate or hurt her but now seeing them so close it was obvious that although Vernon was a bulky man Bucky was taller and much stronger.
"I'm her father that's who I am." Tony growled stalking closer.
"What?" Petunia shrieked peering around Vernon to look between Juniper and Tony several times. She then focused her eyes on Juniper. "I told you. I told you your mother was a ..." She broke off with a strangled gasp as Pepper stepped up beside Tony immediately making the same mistake Juniper had. "L...Lily?"
"Not quite but I think for this conversation I can speak for her." Pepper said her eyes glittering dangerously. "I think I can safely tell you how absolutely furious and disgusted Lily Potter would be at how you treated her child."
Color rushed back into Petunia's face. "How DARE you! You have no idea what it was like having a freak for a sister. Then that one was born, and I knew she'd be just as strange and abnormal as my sister, and I was RIGHT. Turning teacher's hair colors, growing back haircuts, flying to the top of buildings, and playing with snakes. SNAKES! Normal little girls do not play with snakes! We couldn't have the neighbors realizing we had such a freak in the family."
"You don't know the neighbors think your monsters?" Juniper asked as she felt Ron's hand slip into hers. "You think they didn't see me with bruises, malnourished, wearing oversized rags working in the garden for hours? You think they didn't see you turn the hose on me and leave me outside to dry if I got to dirty doing the yard work? You think they didn't notice Dudley and his gang of hooligans chasing me down? Mr. Prescott use to slip me five pounds every time he saw me alone. Mrs. White would give me a glass of lemonade and cookies every time she caught me working in the garden without you watching." She tightened her hand around Ron's. "They know you're not normal Aunt Petunia. You know it too. Normal people do not shove their orphaned nieces in cupboards and starve them!"
"They don't know what you are! Does your new father know what a freak you really are?" Petunia snarled.
"Do I know she's a witch?" Tony asked moving closer to put a hand on Juniper's shoulder pulling it back as Hedwig clicked her beak at him not willing to give up her spot. "Yes, I know. I know she's a witch. I know she's smarter than you could ever dream of being. I know shes fighting a war to keep everyone else safe. And I could not be prouder to be her father."
Pepper stepped forward closer to Petunia who'd edged out from around Vernon in her anger. "I have a question for you. If you and your husband had died, how do you think Lily and James Potter would have treated your son? I think I can answer it as well. They would have loved him and treated him as their own son. They would have raised him well and protected him with their lives. You couldn't even give their daughter the basic necessities of life. You abused and neglected her to the point that it severely damaged her health. According to her doctor your treatment of her shortened her life expectancy. Still...still she asks the people who want to make you pay for how you treated her to leave you in peace. How she grew up so kind and compassionate with people like you as a example is a miracle."
Petunia looked a bit taken aback by Pepper's words, but Vernon didn't have the sense to keep his mouth shut. "Shes a ungrateful little bitch. We should have sent her to a orphanage straight away."
"Yes, you should have. It would have been so much better for her. A beautiful, intelligent, sweet toddler. Couples would have been lining up around the block for the chance to adopt her. Or if they'd done a DNA match Tony would have found her then." Pepper answered coldly. Jarvis ran a routine check on DNA testing sites for just such a situation as Tony had never made a secret of the fact that there was a possibility of a oops baby from his younger more carefree (stupid) years.
"Fine then you take her. You trot back off to America or wherever you're from and play happy family. But you will see she's a curse she'll ruin your lives." Vernon growled.
"Juni lets go. I'm assuming you got what you came for so let's get the bloody hell out of this pit. Being around these people is making me sick." Ron told her softly sliding a arm around her waist which Hedwig did allow.
Juniper looked frozen in place her eyes on her aunt's face. "Did you ever care about me at all? Even when I first came here when I was just a baby?" Even as smart as Remus had claimed she was even she hadn't been able to prepare her own food at 15 months old, and she'd still been in diapers so surely Petunia had at least changed her diapers and given her sippy cups if not bottles.
Petunia met her eyes the eyes everyone said where just like her mother's just like Petunia's sisters and if anything, her expression hardened. "I did the bare minimum to keep you alive. To keep Dudley safe from the wizards and the death eaters. I never cared about you. You are not and never have been a lovable child. You are nothing but a freak just like your parents. I cannot tell you how many nights I watched you sleep and had to suppress the impulse to put a pillow over your face and tell the wizards you died in your sleep. Thats why we put you in the cupboard to get you out of our sight. No one will ever love you. You will die alone and unmourned and no one will so much as shed a tear."
The expression on Juniper's face was so heart breaking it was all Bucky could do to keep from wrapping his hands around the woman's neck and squeezing the life from her. In fact, his hands had actually started to rise when Pepper stepped forward.
Tony's vision had gone red as the vile couple who his daughter had been forced to endure since Lily and James death spewed venom much worse and much more poisonous than anything his father had ever said. Rage twisted his features as the woman spoke and the thought of cutting out her evil tongue had him tensing to move forward when Pepper beside him beat him to it.
He'd known Pepper wasn't a complete novice at fighting having taken more than one self-defense class but he'd never known what a devasting right hook she had until her fist slammed into Petunia Dursley's face. The other woman fell backwards blood spurting from her nose as she cried out in pain hitting the floor on her ass.
"Pet!" Vernon cried the scratches on his face from Hedwig's talons forgotten as he dropped to his knees and brought the dish towel to her nose. "GET OUT! GET THE HELL OUT OF MY HOUSE!"
Juniper was just looking at the two of them with a almost blank expression now and she said softly. "I don't care anymore. Just don't kill them Dudley doesn't deserve to be a orphan."
Ron was barely aware of the almost feral expression that flashed over his face at the permission from his best friend to finally take the revenge he'd been aching to have for the last six years. He gave Juniper a very slight push towards Hermione. " 'mione take Juniper outside."
Hermione started to say something then looked over at Juniper and glared at her relatives before putting a arm around her waist and leading her out the kitchen door. As they passed Bucky, he reached out to caress the back of Juniper's hand lightly. She looked up at him briefly before Hermione tugged her out the door closing it behind her. The pain in her eyes hit him like a punch and he knew that if he laid a hand on either of the Dursleys he wouldn't be able to respect Juniper's request not to kill them. It didn't mean he wouldn't enjoy what Tony and Pepper were going to do to the two though.
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"Juniper, Juni look at me." Hermione ordered her friend gently as she led her to the back of the rear garden so the two of them could have some privacy.
Juniper looked up at Hermione her eyes filled with tears she was determined not to let fall. "I know Hermione. I know who they are. I know what they think of me. Why did I even bother asking?"
"Because you're a good person Juniper. You want to believe everyone else has at least a little good in them too. But some people just...don't. Some people aren't worth the effort." Hermione told her gently brushing her hair off her face.
"Oh, I most heartily agree with that statement." Both girls looked over in surprise to see the man standing leaning back casually against one of the trees that grew at the property line.
He was a tall man and looked to be in his mid-thirties. That was a lie. The entire appearance was a lie. The neatly cut dark hair and clean shaved handsome face with the squared chin, the soft kind blue eyes, the gentle smile he was giving them. It was all a lie. Juniper knew him immediately. Even before he let his power wash out over them. A power so strong that Juniper knew that if he pushed it, he could have brought them both to their knees without ever uttering a spell.
"Good afternoon, Lady Potter Black, Ms. Granger. It's a pleasure to meet you. I've heard so much about you both." He said his voice soft and kind.
Juniper heard Hermione's gasp, but she didn't look at her to busy stepping in front of her protectively. "Lord Grindelwald."
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AN- I admit the Dursleys are really turned up to eleven here, but they have hit a really bad streak of luck that they are oh course going to blame on Juniper. After all they've always blamed her for anything bad. They will find out next chapter that it was actually Tony. That it all happened to them not so much because Juniper is a witch but because she's Tony Stark's daughter.
AN- Alpine and Mrs. Figg didn't make it this chapter, but they are coming. Did anybody else really like Pepper speaking for Lily and punching Petunia? At first it was going to be Juniper but then I don' think she's to the point where she could actually punch her herself. At least Gellert did show up. Hes definitely going to go under Polyjuice or glamours. He is much more aware of how ones appearance effects how they are received than Tommy boy is. Love and kisses to all!