just for me ⚘ a Fred Weasley Fanfiction

54. girl talk

"Well..." Juniper looked between the two girls sitting with her, the only two people she'd consider friends at this point. "I told Fred I love him."

"What!" Hermione choked on her breath.

"And he said it back? Right?" Matilda's eyes widened, scared to hear the answer. "Please tell me he said it back."

"I don't know, I kind of... ran."

"What?" Hermione asked again.

"I said 'I'll see you tomorrow, love you', and then ran out of the common room because I thought McGonagall would turn me to stone!"

"Wait. Did you say 'I love you' or just 'love you', like casually?" Hermione asked, her head ducking closer over the table.

"Just 'love you'." Juniper answered.

"What was McGonagall doing there?" Matilda's nose turned up, threatening to laugh.

"She caught us in Fred's bed this morning." Juniper winced, predicting Matilda's reaction.

"Juniper Jade Jones, you slutty little minx!" Matilda squealed, turning a few heads.

"Are you okay?" Hermione reached across the table to squeeze Juniper's hand again. "Are you happy you said it? Or are you regretting it..."

"I don't regret it. I mean... it just slipped out so I guess some part of me was ready to say it." Juniper shrugged. "And Draco said Fred likes me too much to find it embarrassing-."

"You told Draco before me?" Matilda continued to yell.

"He saw me freaking out. Believe me, if I had a choice, he wouldn't know anything about my life." Juniper turned to the table. "But I don't have a choice."

"You're hiding something." Matilda concluded after a moment of silence. She stared at Juniper with a suspicious look, taking out her wand and casting a silencing spell around the three girls. "What haven't you told me?"

"I've told you. I got caught in Fred's bed and then said I loved him." Juniper tensed, confused by Matilda's sudden attitude change. "There's nothing else to say."

"I've said it before, Juniper. I'm not stupid." Matilda said, her face completely serious. "What happened over summer?"

"Oh." Hermione mumbled from across the table, wishing she could run away.

"W-what? I don't know what you mean." Juniper stammered, avoiding Matilda's glare.

"In July, you and Draco were better than you had ever been, now you can't even mention him without looking like you're going to be sick. Fred Weasley was number one on your 'most-hated' list, now you're saying you love him."

"Things can change-"

"You didn't just find your grandmother's body, did you? And you're not living with muggles." Matilda said, watching Juniper's face drop. She reached over to grab her hand. "What are you not telling me."

"Matilda..." Juniper began, debating whether to deny everything, tell her half of the truth, or dump everything on both the girls right in the middle of breakfast.

"I'd also like to know what's happened." Hermione spoke up. "Everything."

"Breakfast is almost over. I don't have the time to explain everything." Juniper shrugged, feeling her chest begin to collapse in on itself.

"We can go to the library." Hermione suggested quickly.

"Or one a common room. Or a dorm." Matilda added.