CW: mentions of domestic abuse
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Draco was met with the most 'Juno' thing he'd ever seen as he approached their end of the lake that week. As always she was splayed out on the grass, her blonde hair cascaded messily down her back, loose bits of leaves and twigs entangled in the strands, beside her was the niffler she'd introduced him to some weeks ago, playing with a discarded ring of Juno's. A joint hung from her mouth as she busied her hands; she was making daisy chains. He laughed heartily as he sat beside her, tossing the niffler a coin before stealing the joint from her lips, bringing it up to his own and taking a deep hit.
"Hey!" She reprimanded, shooting him a playful scowl.
"You always offer, I was just saving you the breath. Plus, seems you're busy. What is this? Arts and crafts?"
"I'm making a daisy chain," She shrugged, continuing to thread the flowers between each other. "Look, I'll show you-"
"You know, I think I'll pass-"
"Come on, Draco, what else is there to do? You don't even have to wear it, I'll wear it,"
"I'll be keeping my own hard-work, thank you very much," he chuckled, plucking two daisies from the ground, "now, show me?"
She scooted towards him, displaying slowly how to make a little hole in the stem and thread the other through. The first few tries had been abysmal, and ended in Draco throwing down the snapped flowers in a huff, exclaiming that daisy chains were 'bullshit anyway'.
"Here," she giggled, taking his hands. "You're being too rough and clumsy with your fingers. Gently," she guided his movements softly, with the upmost patience, "just a little prick, don't snap it. Then, thread, carefully, push it through." For the first time, he'd successfully woven two of the flowers together. "Yes!" she exclaimed, "See, you can do it. Now keep going, just make a long line of them and I'll finish for you,"
"Merlin, if anyone heard this conversation before they saw what we were actually doing-"
"Oh, shut up," she laughed, drawing her attention back to her own daisy chains.
They sat in silence for a while, Draco swearing routinely under his breath as he squashed or broke the flowers, Juno laughing at his anger.
"I'm not used to not picking things up straight away, usually I can just do things," He huffed.
"Practice makes perfect," she hummed, not even lifting her eyes. "Tell me something?"
He looked at her curiously, watching her nimble fingers quickly and perfectly weave the daisies together. Her tongue poked out of the corner of her mouth, brows furrowed slightly in concentration.
"What?" He breathed, stopping what he was doing to just observe her.
"I don't know. Anything, " she shrugged, "What's your house like? I bet it's grand,"
"The manor?"
"Yes, Draco, the manor," she mocked, causing him to throw all his discarded daisies at her. She casually flipped him off in response.
"Well, you're right, it's grand. It's huge and it's beautiful and decadent, but it's cold. The ceilings are high, everything is green and silver, and there's about a hundred rooms, mostly vacant. It's luxurious and expensive, but it's completely impersonal, it just- it doesn't really feel like a home, you know? For the most part it's just me and mum, Father is away a lot, and such a huge house for two people, I don't know, it just makes you feel kind of small. I've always been lonely, no siblings, only 'friends' with people out of convenience and the need to appease my parents' view on blood purity - its vastness just makes you feel all the more lonely. The outside is a different story though," his demeanour changed, a fond expression taking over his features, a smile lighting up his face as he spoke, "we've got acres of land, full of trees and grass, the house backs onto a great wooded area, and there's a little stream and an orchard; I spent so many hours out there as a kid. Mum's got this summer house, too, that is the only homely part of the entire grounds, she's allowed to decorate it how she wants, and it's all cosy and busy and it smells like her. She gardens a lot, or at least she did-"
"You love your mum," she smiled softly. She'd stopped her movements, entirely enraptured by watching him speak. The way he spoke of his mother, with such a softness, spread a warmth through her she could hardly explain. It was lovely to watch him love, usually he was so guarded with resentment and bitterness, but all he held for his mother was pure adoration, and it was beautiful to see. Though, contrastingly she felt a great sadness as he spoke of his home and the loneliness he felt. She wanted nothing more than to take him to her home, to show her how lovely a home could be, to isolate the gentle, caring nature that was hidden so deep within him, and draw it out, to help him live a life full of love and acceptance. She knew he had it in him, he'd been conditioned his entire life to be a certain way, but there he was, sat before her, making daisy chains because she'd asked him to, proving that his soul was fundamentally kind, despite his upbringing. She'd always known money wasn't the key to happiness, they'd never really had much but she was arguably one of the happiest children around - whereas Draco- Draco had every material thing one could ever wish for, but the absence of warmth and love in his life had left him hollow, and cold. He deserved so much more.
"Who doesn't love their mum?" He laughed.
"A lot of people," she giggled back, "thank you," He shot her a curious glance. "For sharing that with me, thanks," He merely shrugged in response, going back to the task at hand. "I bet there's flying tree goblins, they love orchards,"
"Well, I've never seen one. Maybe one day I'll have to sneak you over so you can explore," He knew that was an empty promise, with the way things were going and the involvement he were to have, he wondered if the dark side prevailed if she'd even be allowed to live. She was a pureblood, but she was a blood-traitor, she fraternised with half-breeds, and she was not accepting of blood purity, he couldn't imagine that the Dark Lord would want her around - and if he did, he couldn't imagine she would want to stay. Still, the excitement on her face numbed the jolt of guilt he felt when he thought of the reality. He hated the thought of time after, when the Friday afternoons would stop, and he'd have to live his life without Juno.
"Will you tell me more? More about your mum? Your childhood?"
"Sure, if we can smoke first," He grinned. Complying, she reached into her back, pulling out the instruments to roll another joint. "Can you teach me how to roll one day?"
"Of course," She laughed, "You can impress all the Slytherins then, you'll look so cool. Little do they know you were taught by a Hufflepuff, and worse, a Lovegood,"
"Oh, shut up," he teased, nicking the joint from her hands just as she finished rolling, running away with it as he lit it with his wand.
"Draco Malfoy I swear to Merlin if you don't stop stealing my weed!" She huffed, scurrying to her feet to chase after him. As she caught up to him he took a large drag, lifting the joint high in the air so she couldn't reach, before blowing the smoke in her face. She jumped and jumped until she started climbing his body - and they laughed until they fell and Juno took the joint to finish for herself. As it burnt out calm ensued, and they returned to making daisy chains, albeit slightly slower after smoking for a second time that afternoon.
Draco spoke of his mother with a gentle fondness, his words filled with nothing but admiration. He told her of how she'd always tried to bring him up in a loving environment, to separate him from the darkness, to raise him as a child should be raised. She'd play with him in the garden, and get the elves to build him tree houses, she'd take him anywhere he wanted to go, get him anything his heart desired, they'd bake together at weekends and she always read to him before bed. To Narcissa Malfoy, Draco was more than the Malfoy heir, he was her flesh and blood, her son, her only child and the love of her life. The same could not be said for Lucius. When Draco spoke of his father there was a bitter edge to his words which entirely juxtaposed the tone he held when he spoke of his mother. Juno could feel the anger radiating from Draco as he recalled tales of his childhood, experiences ultimately ruined by the presence of his father. Lucius had never been kind or loving, all he cared for was keeping up appearances, ensuring Draco was the poster Slytherin child.
"I can forgive the way he treated me, but the way he treats my mum-" He spoke through gritted teeth now, clenching and unclenching his jaw, fists balling by his sides. Juno reached her hands out to his, taking them gently. He caught her gaze and she offered him a soft smile, squeezing his hands, running her thumb along his knuckles. He almost choked at the gesture. Instantly he relaxed as he felt her cool fingers on his, he could breath a little deeper, and think a little clearer, his judgement not so clouded by the anger he felt towards his father when her skin was touching his. "I always just wanted to protect her," he whispered, turning his gaze away from Juno, towards the water's edge. "When he'd come home when I was young, smashing glasses and shouting so loud that my mother quivered in the corner of the room, I'd come down screaming and begging for him to stop. She'd look at me, so calmly but with such authority and tell me to leave her, I couldn't do anything but comply. I wish I would have fought, and I know I was a kid, what damage would I have done? But still, I should have tried. Eventually I realised the more I protested the more he'd hurt her, so I'd end up just plugging my ears and just hoping it would stop."
"Oh, Draco-" Juno breathed, turning towards him and wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him into a tight embrace. He didn't know how to react at first, but he melted into her touch, grateful for it, all he needed was a hug from someone who truly cared about him. "I'm so, so sorry, you didn't deserve that, your mum doesn't deserve that." After a moment, she pulled away, and he noticed the skin of her rosy cheeks was wet. Cupping her face in his hands, he gently wiped away the tears that fell.
"You're crying," he hummed, his tone touched and confused, hands still cupping her face.
"I'm sorry, you just- it just makes me sad, you know? You're wonderful, Draco, I know you don't think you are but under all that pretend, stone exterior you have a heart of gold. I just hate that he put you through that, I hate that you're going through that - it's not easy,"
"You get used to it," He shrugged, his voice hushed, and soft. He'd never had to deal with a crying girl before, not like this, but he was surprisingly good at it. He was touched by the notion she was crying for him, grieving for the childhood he'd lost, the childhood he hadn't even grieved for himself. "Hey, I'm okay, I am okay, and I will be okay. Father is in Azkaban for the time being so it's alright," He stared into her eyes intensely, but the sad truth was they both knew he was lying. He knew it was only going to get worse as the Dark Lord continued to gain power, and she knew it too. "Come on, finish your daisy chain," he chuckled sadly, nudging her slightly. She nodded, wiping her eyes, settling back down beside him.
"You know, I've never told anyone anything like that before-"
"Well, I'm pleased you feel you can share it with me." She smiled.
"I don't know what it is about you Juniper Lovegood, but you're just so kind and gentle, I could feel myself telling you anything,"
"I think you're just surrounded by bad people, most people are kind, when they're not obsessed with blood purity and power,"
"You're right," he hummed
"Maybe it can be different one day,"
He knew it wouldn't be. Silence ensued again, until they'd finished their daisy chains.
"I wish they wouldn't die," She sighed, hooking it around her neck. "It's sad. I wish they could live forever,"
"Here, let me try something," He breathed, reaching out and taking the chain. "Aetorno," With a flick of his wand the chain had hardened and she eagerly took it from him. "Should last forever now,"
"I love it," She gushed, fastening it around her neck once again, "Thank you."
"Come on, you, let's get inside, it's nearly curfew."
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The following Monday Juno wore her daisy chain with pride. It hung on display over her Hufflepuff robes. The spell Draco had used hadn't taken away from the realism of the chain, just made it sturdy and long-lasting. She fiddled with it as she entered charms and took her seat towards the back. Draco and the Slytherins sat a few tables over.
"Nice flowers, freak," A venomous voice spat at her from across the room. She looked up, met by the taunting gaze of Millicent Bullstrode, a low murmur of laughter spread across the room. She could see Draco's demeanour change, red spread up his neck as he clenched his fist around his quill, his face sinking into a deep scowl upon hearing Millicent's taunts.
"Thank you," She smiled towards the other girl, taking the room by surprise. Her voice was light and airy as ever, laced with kindness and benevolence; this caught Draco's eye as he lifted his gaze to look at her. "A friend gave it to me,"
She met Draco's gaze as the rest of the Slytherins fell over themselves laughing at the idea Juno Lovegood actually had a friend. She sent him a gentle smile, and he shot her one back, hardly noticeable, but certainly there. She nodded at him, expressing in just one simple movement that it was okay, and she was okay, and to leave it, and his stature softened, turning his attention to the front of the class, ignoring his housemates. The only other Slytherin who hadn't sniggered along was Blaise, who'd observed Draco and Juno's small encounter quietly, the only one in the room to have caught wind of the silent communication.
Interesting, he thought, very interesting.