Everything to Me

59.

"Take your time dear." Euphemia said softly while Juli sat silently in her parents' room.

"Maybe a glass of firewhisky will help." Fleamont winked as he started pouring it into a glass but instantly kept it down when his wife glared daggers at him. "Only joking." He muttered.

"What's it, sweetheart?" He asked, sitting down beside Euphemia. 

They had to ask Sirius and James clean their rooms for their friends so that they wouldn't interrupt them and Juli could talk freely.

She took a deep breath and told them about her dream and conversation with Dumbledore while her parents listened carefully, responding appropriately without interrupting.

"I know it is for the greater good and I want to help but I am scared. Mulciber scares me and - and leaving Sirius after everything... I can't..." She said.

"Well, I for one," said Fleamont. "Don't think you should do it."

"What? Why?" 

"Too dangerous and you are not even of age. No no."

"Fleamont..." Euphemia warned.

He looked at her and rolled his eyes. "Alright, fine! I take it back."

"Listen to me Juli," Mrs. Potter started. "I am incredibly proud of you but as a mother, I am also worried about your safety. I want to say that you shouldn't do this but that would make me a bad mother. I have seen the passion and fire in your eyes and I know you will do your best."

"But ma, my friends... Jamie, Sirius, Remus...." She replied, her inner conflict crystal clear to her parents.

"Dumbledore has given time till you are 17, hasn't he? Think about it and make your decision. As for your friends, they are just as strong as you and they will handle it. When the time comes, they will understand, too." Her father smiled.

"Oh my beautiful, beautiful daughter," Euphemia sniffled. "I am so proud of you." She went and hugged Juli, patting her head all the while.

"Just promise me this, Juli," Her father said. "If you do this and do whatever Dumbledore asks you to, you will stop it and leave the second it gets too much. Okay?"

"Okay." She smiled.

"That's gr -"

"Mummmmmm!" James shouted, barging in, but his eyes widened at the scene in front of him. Before he could say anything else, they heard a loud crash and Sirius collided into him, making both of them fall down face first.

"Ow." James said, pushing Sirius off of him and straightening his glasses. "What do you think you are doing, Padfoot!"

"And what do you think you were doing?" Euphemia asked, getting up. "Barging in like this without knocking?"

"We couldn't find Jules and we wanted to ask why she didn't have to clean her room!" He replied while Sirius grinned sheepishly behind him. "What's going on? Is everything alright?"

"Yes yes, everything is fine and unlike you," Juli said, "I keep my room clean all the time."

"That's not true and you know it!" Sirius exclaimed. "Your room is messier than James'!"

"I completely agr -- wait, how do you know about her room?" Fleamont raised his eyebrows. "Have you been to her room?!"

"Does it matter?" Juli said exasperatedly.

"Of course!"

"Yes!"

James and Feamont said at the same time. Juli looked at her mother for help but she just stifled a laugh.

"Well," she smirked. "If my room is messier, and Sirius just cleaned his, maybe I can stay there  with him during the break..."

"No!"

"Absolutely not!"

* * * * *

"Sir,
I have thought long and hard about it. I don't want to wait until I am 17 and I have realized that I need to be in this war. To fight it. We cannot let Voldemort and his corrupted ideals win. I will do whatever I can to stop him.

Happy New Year!
With respect,
Juli."

She wanted to stand for what she believed in. She had seen how devasted children looked when the news of their parents' death reached them and she couldn't bear it. What if next was Lily or Remus or worse.. her own parents. No. She had to fight.

There was a knock on her door the moment her owl took off. "Come in."

"We are leaving." Fleamont said. "Please don't let James and Sirius  burn the house down and everyone is waiting for you downstairs."

She smiled and nodded. "Have fun."

The 3 children had tried to convinced Mr. and Mrs. Potter to let them be alone with their friends during New Year's and after a lot of arguments and reassuring, mostly by Juli, they had had agreed.

She knew this was possibly the last New Year and Christmas she could spend with her friends before she began Dumbledore's work. Who knew how it would turn out or if she would come back at all. So she used that an excuse for herself when she went down 10 minutes later, slightly tipsy.

"Merlin Juliette!" Sirius said catching her before she almost tumbled down the stairs. "Are you drunk?"

"Who's drunk?" James asked, walking in. His eyes fell on Juli as she struggled to stand up straight. "Did you sneak fire whisky from Dad's study?!" He exclaimed.

"Maybe... So what?" She giggled. "I brought it for everyone." 

James and Sirius noticed two bottles in her hands, one of them half empty. "Whoa... how much did you have? And why? Sirius is the only one legally allowed to do this..." James protested.

She squinted her eyes and swayed in her place. She brought her finger and thumb close with minimal space between them, showing how much she had to drink, clearly lying. "Shhhhhhh... I know Sirius had a little on his birthday but now it is our turn." She removed Sirius' arm from her waist and ran towards the living room, where her friends were seated.

"Is that whisky?!" Remus asked, eyes widening in shock..

"Mhm..." Juli replied and got glasses from the kitchen. "Let us practice being adults."

"Oh, boy..." Allison whispered. "I am not sure how good of an idea drunk Juli is..."

Sirius and James entered a few seconds later with bottles of water.

"You're not encouraging this, are you?" Lily asked.

"Well..." James started.

"I think it's time we live a little, don't you?" Sirius said.

"What can possibly go wrong?" Remus sighed, his tone heavy with sarcasm.

"Worth a try..." Peter mumbled.

"I am in!" Allison said and taking the bottle from Juli, poured some whisky in a glass.

"Attagurl!" Juli said. "Now, who here has heard of the Muggle game called Never Have I ever?"