Chapter 13
It is a day before the Yule Ball, Empu and Chris arrived a week ago to have enough time to prepare. Professor McGonagall has also been a great help these past few weeks. She has helped us with how we want to set up the stage, the special effects and much more. During this time, Juniper has also become quite close with the older woman, which is quite strange for the house professor of Gryffindor (Slytherin's natural enemy) to have a soft spot for a Slytherin student. Uncle Regulus said it has a good chance to do with her father, since McGonagall also always had a soft spot for the Marauders (even though she will never admit it).
The band was discussing the last things before their performance tomorrow in the Great Hall over lunch. They were deep in conversation that they almost didn't see the brown-haired Hufflepuff walking by. "Cedric!" Shouted Juniper trying to get the boy's attention. He glanced at the group for a moment and then continued walking towards the Ravenclaw and sitting alongside Cho Chang. Luke and Juniper looked at each other strangely. This was very strange. Normally when Cedric didn't sit with them he would wave politely or say hello and talk to them for a moment and then he would go over to the Hufflepuff table. "That's new." Luke whispered in Juniper's ear. "I know." Whispered Juniper back while still looking at the Hufflepuff.
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After lunch, Juniper told the band that they could already leave for her dorm and that she would be arriving shortly. As the boys disappeared from the Great Hall they walked to the Ravenclaw table where Cedric was sitting. She tapped him on the shoulder. "Can I talk to you?" Cerdic looked at Cho for a moment just as if asking permission, Cho did nothing. "Sure." Said he after too long a silence for Juniper. Together they walked out of the Great Hall into the courtyard. The Slytherin grabbed a cigarette from her pocket and put it in her mouth and searched for her lighter. When she finally found the lighter, she lit the cancer stick. After a long silence, Juniper spoke up. "Did I do something wrong?" (Why do I have to think of Alex from Red,White and Royal Blue, so that one scene during New Year's) She looked up at her best friend. He sighed. "No..." Now Juniper was even more confused. "Then why are you ignoring me and Luke?" Cedric looked at his feet. "Is it true that you all spread rumours about Cho that are not true around the school?" He looked Juniper in the eyes. "What?!" No! "She's always spreading bullshit about me!"
"Then why did I find her crying in the Dungeons yesterday because she found out you spread the rumour that she was with five boys at once last year?" Juniper obviously knew about that rumour, everyone in Hogwarts knew about it but she had nothing to do with it. It also hurt that Cedric thought she would do such a thing. She her Cho but not to start a rumour like that. "Dude, do you really believe your girlfriend about your best friend of six years?!" Cedric in frustration ran his hands through his hair. "Come on Juniper!" " Everyone knows you don't like Cho!"
"I don't like her because she was all spreading rumours about me that I'm a freak, that I helped my father escape, that I have no friends
and therefore always talking to myself while it's Uncle Reggie,..." and the list goes on and on. "Are you really going to throw away six years of friendship now?" Juniper threw the cigarette on the ground and stomped on it so that it went out. "Juniper, you don't get it!"
"Then please explain it, Cedric." Begged Juniper. Cedric sighed. "I think we just need to step away for a few days." Juniper's mouth fell open, she couldn't believe what she was hearing next. "Wow..." she finally said quietly in shock. "Did you seriously just throw away six years of friendship now?" Cedric looked away from Juniper's gaze again and focused on his shoes. Juniper felt a hard stab in her heart. "OK, if that's what you want... who am I to stop you?" With that, Juniper turned on her heels and walked away.
The walk back to her dorm seemed like it took ages. When she finally sauntered into her dorm and threw herself down on her bed, she let out a scream in frustration and a bit of sadness. "What happened?" Juniper's head shot up by Lola's voice. She hadn't even realised yet that the group was in her dorm because of her misery. "He just threw away our friendship." Juniper sighed as she looked at Lola. "Oh dear..." Lola placed herself next to Juniper, she put a hand on her shoulder and tried to comfort Juniper. Juniper and Lola had become very close after Snape's dancing lessons. It turned out that the friends she normally hung out with were apparently saying all sorts of mean things about her behind her back. After Juniper stayed out with Snape, Lola came to her dorm and said she was sorry for everything she had said about her and that she just wanted to fit in. Juniper was critical at first but found out it was really true and forgave her. Juniper liked having a girl in the friend group for once.
"I don't understand Lola..." Her voice broke a little, but there were no tears in her eyes or anything. "Six years! SIX FUCKING YEARS! "Doesn't that mean anything to him?!" Juniper felt the anger growing inside her. "You know how boys are, June..." Lola said softly as she quietly started playing with my hair. That's how the rest of the evening passed. Lola who sat telling Juniper that Cedric was stupid for throwing away the friendship and that he was stupid. She tried to cheer up Juniper with her favourite snacks, movies,... It worked a little, but Juniper was still sad. The person she had known and been friends with for 6 years decided to throw away the friendship.
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It was now midnight. Lola had already returned to her dorm; she didn't want to at first. She wanted to stay with Juniper first and see if everything was okay and have a sleepover. After a while though, Juniper was able to persuade Lola to go back to her own dorm and that she could handle herself. Her best friend hesitated a bit but eventually turned to her dorm. Juniper was glad Lola wasn't there now. Don't get her wrong but she wanted some time to herself. After staring at the ceiling for what seemed like ages, Juniper finally got out of her bed. She grabbed her leather jacket and a lighter. Juniper opened her door a little to see if there were any teachers or prefect in the corridors because it was already midnight and the lights were supposed to be basically off in the corridors by now. There was no one in sight. Juniper slipped out of her door and walked quickly through the corridors of Hogwarts. Quick and cunning so she wasn't going to get caught.
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Juniper finally arrived at the top of the Astronomy tower. But she was not alone...
On the edge of the tower sat a boy, his back turned to Juniper. From what Juniper could see, he had black curly hair. Juniper silently stepped forward, she didn't want to startle the boy. When she was almost near the boy, he turned around. "You shouldn't be here." His voice sounded low and rough. Juniper moved closer, she still couldn't see who the boy was. It was too dark in the tower. Her green eyes met dark brown ones, Mattheo Riddle's to be specific. Mattheo Riddle was known all over Hogwarts. He was the son of Voldemort. His mother is unknown. There are stories of who his mother might be around the school, though. Many think Bellatrix Lestrange, but according to Juniper, that would never be possible. Bellatrix would wipe it in everyone's face that she was pregnant with the Dark Lord's son. She would go around the wizarding world with pride. Plus Mattheo was nothing like Bellatrix at all. Juniper, her grandmother, Walburga Black, Bellatrix's aunt, would be so proud too. Walburga died seven years after Juniper was born. Her portrait still hangs in Grimmauld Place. She sits day and night complaining and sawing. Juniper doesn't understand why her father hasn't thrown away that old hag.
"I could ask you the same thing, Riddle." Juniper took a seat alongside Mattheo. Mattheo smirked at the remark.