Juniper couldn't stop bouncing her legs. She had barely left the safety of the castle, afraid of the secrets that shadows could hold. It took Remus a lot to convince her to spend an afternoon outside with him, and Juniper ended up agreeing because if there was one person she trusted would be safe with, that was him.
She had an open book over her legs, which she was paying no attention to. The chilly breeze that came from the Black Lake, entertained with her cigarette's smoke, tickled and numbed her cheeks. Remus was sitting next to her, a chocolate bar hanging dangerously from his hand, focused on studying for their upcoming Ancient Runes quiz. She should have been doing the same, but trying to guess what the giant squid was doing under the water seemed more promising.
"How is that going?" Juniper asked, smoke blowing out her mouth.
"It's not," he revealed, and the chocolate he was holding fell on the dew-covered grass. Remus stared at it, emotionless, and shut the book close. "Fuck it."
"Yeah, I don't know how Jud does it." Juniper put out the cigarette and laid her back on the trunk of the big oak, trying to relax. Remus observed the fuzzy sun that reflected on the surface of the lake, lighting a cigarette for himself.
"How's he doing?" he wondered in a murmur, and then quickly added, "and Maverick?"
"They're alright." Juniper shrugged, gaze alert and in constant search of the surroundings. "Mav is really into collages and some weird paintings he claims it's called 'abstract art', so you can imagine the mess up in his dorm. Judson hates it."
Remus let out a cackle, almost nostalgic.
"I barely see Jud during the week now that he spends most of his time with Madam Pomfrey. I don't know how he gets any study done for his classes. He's learning a lot, though. Seems to be enjoying it."
Remus agreed, and Juniper quickly turned to see him.
"Blimey, he hasn't seen you there yet, has he?" Juniper gulped, remembering that two days ago, the evening after the full moon, Judson had come back from the Hospital Wing with a pile of books the nurse had lent him. Until that moment, Juniper hadn't thought of the compromising situation Remus was in with Judson walking around freely in the infirmary.
Remus shook his head. "He didn't see me—he doesn't know I'm there every month. I always stay behind the curtains. I have it all worked out."
"But he stays there until very late. Is that why you leave late as well?" Remus nodded. "I guess that makes sense."
A group of Hufflepuff girls approached from the shore of the lake, laughing under their breaths as they made their way back to the castle. One of them stayed a little behind, and her eyes flicked over Remus. She waved at him with her fingers, the corner of her lips buckling up. Remus smiled back at her before she hurried up the hill to catch up with her friends. Juniper turned to look at him, grinning.
"She was totally checking you out."
"I know," Remus grunted.
"You know?" Juniper raised her eyebrows. Remus passed a hand through his face tiredly.
"That's not—" he began, letting out a sigh. "James and Sirius had the magnificent idea of reminding her that I'm still available."
"Well, aren't you?" queried Juniper with a smile. "She seems nice."
"That's not the problem."
"Is she the one from the summer?"
"No," Remus was quick to answer, and immediately regretted it. It would have been easier to lie.
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Orphic » Sirius Black
Fanfiction"There is this thing about you that amazes me every time I look at you, but I just can't quite comprehend." "Maybe it is beyond your understanding." Unraveling the mystery that was Juniper Callister was quite harder to achieve than Sirius Black woul...
