Sparks Fly || A George Weasley Story

Year 5: Let's Have A Serious Talk

"JUNIPER!" 

I was shaken awake, blinking away the sleep that clouded my vision. There were hands grabbing at me and I tried to push them away from me, confused on what was happening. What in Merlin's name is so upsetting that I need to be manhandled this way?
When my eyes focused, all I could see was Amaryllis's worried face only inches away from mine. The only other time I'd ever seen her so scared is when I'd come home from sneaking out with the twins. So, naturally, I'd begun to panic. 

"What?" I asked, "What happened?"

"I think I'm the one that should be asking you that, young lady," Amaryllis asked, "Where in Merlin's name did all of this blood come from?"

"Blood?" I asked, looking down at my chest to see that I was, in fact, still stained with Heather's blood. I must have fallen asleep here in the library. 

"Don't play dumb with me," She huffed, "Are you hurt?" 

"It's not mine," I shook my head, still partially asleep.

"Is that supposed to make me feel any better?" She asked, her eyes wide as she shouted at me, "Explain yourself!" 

There was no way that I was going to be able to lie my way out of this. I was just going to have to tell her that I'd done the exact opposite of what she told me to do and snuck out in the middle of the night to a completely different country to possible face a werewolf without letting anyone know. Like, how else was I suppose to explain my ruined pyjamas, because my monthlies were certainly not this rough, and I hope that nobodies are ever this bad. 

I shook my head and took a deep breath, "I had a dream that something bad was going to happen to Heather and I couldn't just sit around if something bad was going to happen because her parents are muggles and they wouldn't be able to help her and I didn't want her to die because then it would be my fault for not going to help her. She'd been attacked by a werewolf, and I had to put a mixture of powdered silver and dittany on her back because she was bleeding out and then I helped her dad carry her inside and her blood got all over me and I came back here and fell asleep in the library on accident." 

Amaryllis stared at me for a few moments, both parts surprised and like she'd been expecting this from me. I honestly didn't blame her, but I was really hoping that she wasn't going to be mad or yell at me. She'd had friends in danger before and I was sure that she knew how I'd felt last night, so maybe that meant that I wouldn't be in as much trouble as I was when we went to go and get Harry or when I'd gone off to school after she told me not to. 

"Juniper Clemonte," She said, and I could see her trying not to yell, "What have I told you about throwing yourself into harm's way for other people?"

"I know what you've told me, but I couldn't just-"

"Why didn't you tell anyone? I would have gone with you, so you had a more experienced witch with you."

"You don't understand-"

"No, I understand how you felt, Juniper, I do," She said, "I had two muggle friends and their muggleborn child hiding out in my home during the war. I woke up every night from nightmares of what could happen to the three of you, but in them, I never thought that this is how it would happen. Even in my worst nightmares, I never pictured the three of you apart. But, I think that qualifies me to understand your fears." 

"Okay, so you understand the fear I felt," I sighed, "But In the moment, I wasn't thinking clearly and the only coherent thought that I had was that she was in trouble and needed help. Plus, you told me that I couldn't go and I didn't want to wake you up and have you tell me the same thing and... I didn't want to risk being held up and having the worst-case scenario happen."