The winner takes it all

A risk/ The fight

Juliette woke up with a strong desire to speak to the Slytherins. They we're so alluring to her in such an unexplainable way. She really didn't know why she was so drawn to them.

Maybe it was the way they could relate to her in some way, or maybe there was some dark, magic curse placed on her making her want to be with them. Besides the reason she met with Dorcus.

"Hey." She said simply.
"Hi, don't you have class?" Asked the other girl.
"Yeah, we both do, I have astronomy with you." Replied Juliette.
"Oh, sorry I didn't notice , I'm always with the boys." Dorcus apologized, they began walking to the tower.
"I understand, it's hard to focus in general with the others."
"Right!"

Astronomy was the only other class, besides Deviation, that she had without the Marauders. She had always wanted someone to talk to in those classes.

"Good evening class! If you will all please take a look at the Astrolabe." The teacher called out. The class walked over and began taking notes on the lecture.

After about an hour Juliette's paper was covered front and back in notes. The sun was setting and she was quite drowsy.
  "Hey, so I'm going to the lake with my friends, you should come." Dorcus said as they walked down the stairs. Just as they were about to take the next flight it moved.
  "I'm not sure, I probably need to do homework..." Juliette replied. 

  "Do it with us, come on! Regulus and I really want you too."
  "... fine!" She smiled.
  "Good, don't be nervous ." Dorcus joked.
  "Well I am now." Juliette replied, walking with the girl out of the castle.

———

There was loud chatter and even louder laughing.
  "Don't you need a haircut pretty boy?"
  "Shut us Bartemius." Evan replied knocking Barty's  hand away from his head. They went quiet for a second.
  "Well what have we here? Juliette Sallow, or may I say potter?" Barty teased.
  "Don't get ahead of yourself Jr." She replied sitting next to Regulus. He gave her a playful smirk.

Crouch was quick to challenge someone. Everyone knew it, but no one knew it like his father. That's where him and Juliette were alike, yet so different. She challenged her father all the time, but never to his face. Barty's dad didn't show his face. Not to Barty.

  "What are you doing here? Not in a rude way, you know?" Evan asked.
  "I don't know. Meadows invited me. So I came." She replied.
"Well it's nice to have you." Pandora said, slightly glaring at the two other boys. She figured she did this a lot.

  "How is potter taking you being here?" Dorcus asked.
  "What he doesn't know won't kill him." The girl replied with a sly smile.
  "I'm impressed," Barty raised an eyebrow, "disobeying the warden?" Evan elbowed him in the gut and he let out a grunt.

  "What are you on about?" She felt embarrassed. The group was silently staring at her for a moment.
  "You know... he's like psycho protective of you." Dorcus spoke up, speaking delicately.
  "But he studies with Evans and who knows that else." Barty chuckled, earning him another jab.  "Can you stop doing that." He mumbled.

"What-" She asked rushed.
"Don't listen to him Jules. He's a dim-wit." Regulus reassured.
"Hey!" Barty defended. "He's not wrong." Evan replied. Barty placed an offended hand over his chest and opened his mouth.

———

"Lestrange is mental! I'm telling you! He and Malfoy have the hots for one another!" Juliette said, screeching in laughter. The small group was laughing as well.
"Isn't Lucius dating your cousin, Reg?" Evan asked.
"Unfortunately." Regulus groaned. They snickered.

After a few minutes they we're sitting in a calm chatter. Each talking to one another in even smaller groups or pairs.
"I got a letter from my mum," Barty said suddenly. "Said that my dad has been home the entire school year... he wasn't even there for Christmas." He looked down.

Barty was much different than his parents.
"I'm sorry." Pandora gave him a hug. He gave a slight smile and patted her arm.
"Do your parents wright Jules?" He asked.
"Hardly. And when they do I wish they didn't." She sighed.
"That, I understand." Regulus replied.

Common ground. It felt freeing.

———

Juliette left feeling very conflicted. She wasn't supposed to like them. To like people like them. But who was anyone to control who she liked or not. The group was kind to her and treated her as an equal. They even shared struggles.

She was more than willing to forget about what crouch had said about James and Lily. She didn't care if they studied together and she trusted Lily with her life. She trusted all of her friends with it .

Walking through the portrait hole she held her breath, hoping James wasn't there. He was. Of course he was. And Sirius was right next to him, smiling and having a great time with his friends. While she just had a great time with his brother and his friends.

  "Hey love, where have you been?" James asked, seeing that she entered the room.
  "With... some friends of mine." She answered awkwardly.
  "Oh, who?" He asked, getting a bit suspicious. She was never shy to tell who she was with or tell what they had talked about, at least not around James.

  "Just some friends, what are you guys up to." She quickly changed the subject. He noticed immediately, the strong smell of cologne coming off of her.
  "Answer the question Jules." He replied, standing.
  "Why does it matter?" She defended.
  "Because if it was Barty Jr. And Regulus again I want to know." He began getting a bit madder.

"You were with Regulus?" Sirius asked.
  "I didn't say that-"
  "Your not denying it either." James replied.
  "Am I not allowed to hangout with other people?" She asked them.
  "Not them." James insisted.
  "Why! Why not, James pray tell!" She began to shout.

  "There dangerous!" He yelled back. Juliette was fuming at his reply. Sirius stood next to James, she looked to him and he had the same expression of anger and confusion . That's when she knew they were on the same team as each other, and she was alone in this argument.

  "Oh, yes very dangerous, I was almost blasted to bits the second they laid eyes on me! And Dorcas watched in amusement!" Her face was heating with exasperation. A slight Scottish accent breaking through.
  "Oh Dorcas was there? That makes it so much better!" James replied sarcastically.
  "Pandora was there too." She explained quieter than her yelling.

"It doesn't matter! You could've been with us! With me!" James took a step closer.
  "I like talking to them!"
  "Talk to me!" He replied.
"You don't understand James! .... You haven't been through what I have." Tears began to threaten her eyes.
  "I do!" Sirius began.
  "Things have changed since you left Sirius! They know that."
  "Barty's dad is hand in hand with the ministry of magic! He's just rebelling!"

  "That's not the point Sirius! He's not! There are things so much bigger than you! So much bigger than us!!" She looked at James. He looked hurt.
  "Bigger than us?" He asked quietly , referring to her and himself.
  "Not like that James, all I'm saying is, that you don't know what I'm going through like they do. Your family is amazing."
  "You say that like it's a bad thing! Like it's my fault!"
  "That's not what I mean James!"

"Then what do you mean?!" He shouted. She was breathing heavily and sweating too.
" ... why did Barty crouch have to tell me that you were with lily?" She whispered.
  "With Lily?"
  "He told me that you two spend... time together."

He looked at her hopelessly.
  "We're friends, you know that."
  "Yes I know. But I also know how obsessed you were with her."
He shook his head and took a deep breath.
  "I'm with you. I like being with you."

She didn't know what more to say. All she knew is that she was done letting anyone control her. Juliette Sallow was tired of not being the one who manages her life, her fate.

  "Look I just worry about you, ok?" He said calmly holding her arms.
  "I'm going to bed, James. Night Sirius."
Juliette left and went to bed.