CHAPTER TWELVE
important question
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JUNIPER AND CHARLIE spent Christmas Day at Tonks Manor. Although June could tell Nymphadora was still heartbroken, Christmas made her forget it for just a little while.
"So, Junior," Nymphadora said, when it was just her, Charlie and June at the table. Andromeda and Ted had gone to bed already, "ready for another semester at Hogwarts? Or d'you want more action than simply patrolling and having duel sessions?"
"Are you suggesting something, Dora?" June said, the corner of her lips curling up.
"Me? Never!" Nymphadora said, grinning broadly.
June rolled her eyes, deciding not to press the matter and leaned back, accidentally dropping the napkin that laid on her lap. Bowing sideways, she picked it up and when she rose again, she noticed that Charlie had put his hand over the corner of the table while he had started a conversation with Nymphadora.
Tracing his muscled arm with her finger, Charlie let out an involuntary shiver. Pulling his hand back, he placed it on her leg instead. June laid her hand on top of his and smiled almost automatically.
When at last, Nymphadora headed upwards as well, Charlie pulled June closer, burying his face into her neck and breathing in her sense.
"You have no idea what you're doing to me, June," he murmured. "You make me feel things I've never felt before."
June smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck and put her chin on top of his head. She felt as if her heart would burst out of her chest. The love she felt for him was immense; she could not describe it.
"I love you as well, Charlie," June said, pressing a kiss on his forehead. "More than you will ever know."
Charlie grinned, kissed her neck and glanced up at her.
"Let's continue this upstairs, shall we?"
—
Juniper was packing her trunk again to return to Hogwarts, when someone knocked on her door. She glanced up and saw Fleur standing in the doorway.
"Oh, hello Fleur," June said, giving her a friendly smile. "How are you? How was Christmas with your family?"
"It was good," Fleur said, smiling. "I enjoyed zis time wiz my family. I zink Bill enjoyed himself az well."
"That's good to hear," June said, continuing to pack her trunk. "Can I help you with something?"
"Actually, I waz here to ask you something," Fleur said, rather hesitating. This caused June to stop and turn around.
"Is everything all right?" she asked worriedly.
"I was just wondering if you want to be my maid of 'onor," Fleur said, rather quietly.
June stayed quiet for a couple of moments, processing what Fleur had said. Then, she smiled.
"I would be honored."
Fleur beamed. "Really?"
June dropped everything she was holding and threw her arms around Fleur. "Of course!"
Fleur laughed and hugged her back just as tight. "I'm so 'appy to 'ear that," Fleur said, sounding relieved. "I am sure Charlie will propose soon, too! I see the way 'e looks at you."
June laughed as she pulled back. "I hope not. I hate to disappoint him."
Fleur frowned. "You do not want to get married?"
"I do, but just not now," June said, shrugging. "I'm only nineteen after all. I feel like I'm not in that stage just yet."
Fleur smiled. "You should do it when you feel ready for it," she said. "But if you don't feel like marrying, that's also fine," she quickly added.
June smiled. "Thanks Fleur."
—
June pushed the door to Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes open and stepped into the store. It was the last day of Christmas break and tomorrow she'd return to Hogwarts.
A red haired freckled face snapped up and greeted her with a smile.
"Hello there, June," George said, cheerfully. "How are you doing?"
"I'm doing good, how are you?" June said, as she headed closer to him. "Is there anything I can help you with?"
"Nah, we're good," George said, continue to stock things on the shelves. "How have you been? I get the feeling we haven't seen each other as much as we'd like."
"Well, I'm busy with being a trainee while you guys have your hands full with the shop," June said, looking around. "Blimey, did you guys expand even more? It looks awesome!"
"Yeah we did," a third voice said, and Fred appeared from the back. "Hi, June," he added, walking up to her and giving her a tight hug. "I knew you started to miss us."
"Of course I did," June said, grinning, as she pulled back. "Is that a grey hair I see, Freddie?"
For a second, pure panic crossed Fred's face. Then he realized she was joking.
"Juniper Lyra Black!" he scolded, as she began to laugh uncontrollably. "You almost gave me a heart attack!"
"Y-you should have s-seen the look on your face!" June couldn't stop laughing and neither could George.
"Shut up!" Fred said, but soon enough, he was laughing with them.
—
The time to return to Hogwarts had come. June stood on Platform Nine and Three Quarters with Dawlish. The others were already back at Hogwarts, patrolling the borders to see if any spell had been broken during the holidays.
Students streamed into the train and it didn't take long for the platform to be empty. June Dawlish checked to see if everyone was inside before Apparating to Hogsmeade. They they trudged along the path up to the castle and were met with Alaska and Nymphadora who had been patrolling the grounds near the wizarding village.
"How was everything at King's Cross?" Alaska asked June as she fell in step beside her.
"Peaceful," June said. "How's Hogwarts?"
"Peaceful as well," Alaska said. "Every enchantment was still where it was meant to be."
"Great," June said, smiling as the four of them headed inside. Her stomach grumbled. "Jeez, I'm Hungry. I hope the students arrive quickly."
Alaska laughed. "You know what, let's go to the kitchens. You, me, and Cedric."
"That sounds like a plan," June said, grinning.
They said their goodbyes to Nymphadora and Dawlish (their shift was over) before heading out to look for Cedric. They eventually found him in his chambers and the three of them set off towards the kitchens, talking about how their Christmas holidays had been.
"Mum says they're quite content with us," Alaska told them. "Don't tell her I said that though, I don't think it was meant for us to know but I overheard her talking to my dad."
June beamed. "Good to hear that all the hard work seems to pay off."
"I'd love to see some action, though," Cedric said. "Don't get me wrong, being in Hogwarts is great but it's kind of boring from time to time."
"Isn't it almost time for Apparition classes for the sixth-years, though?" June questioned. "Dumbledore will have to lift the enchantment in the Great Hall. Maybe we get to play a roll in that?"
Turned out June wasn't wrong at all. The Aurors thought it would be good for them to arrange the security for the Apparition classes. The enchantment in the Great Hall would be down for one hour and they'd to make sure nothing happened. June knew it would be very rare if something were to happen—that's probably why they allowed the trainees to take matter into their own hands—but she was glad they finally could do something themselves.
—
The snow melted around the school as February arrived, to be replaced by cold, dreary wetness. Purplish-grey clouds hung low over the castle and a constant fall of chilly rain made the lawns slippery and muddy. The upshot of this was that the sixth-years' first Apparition lesson, which was scheduled for a Saturday morning so that no normal lessons would be missed, took place in the Great Hall instead of in the grounds.
June, Alaska and Cedric had been working and planning for days to make sure everything was like it should be.
Rain lashed against the high windows and the enchanted ceiling swirled darkly above them as the students assembled in front of Professors McGonagall, Snape, Flitwick and Sprout—the Heads of House—and a small wizard whom June took to be the Apparition Instructor from the Ministry. He was oddly colourless, with transparent eyelashes, wispy hair and an insubstantial air, as though a single gust of wind might blow him away.
June wondered whether constant disappearances and reappearances had somehow diminished his substance, or whether this frail build was ideal for anyone wishing to vanish.
Alaska, Cedric and June each took a side of the Great Hall and patrolled it up and down. They did not want to interfere with the lesson, but needed to be close by if something were to happen.
"Good morning," the Ministry wizard said, when all the students had arrived and the Heads of House had called for quiet. "My name is Wilkie Twycross and I shall be your Ministry Apparition Instructor for the next twelve weeks. I hope to be able to prepare you for your Apparition test in time—"
"Malfoy, be quiet and pay attention!" Professor McGonagall barked.
Everybody looked round. Draco had flushed a dull pink; he looked furious as he stepped away from Crabbe, with whom he appeared to have been having a whispered argument.
"—by which time, many of you may be ready to take your test," Twycross continued, as though there had been no interruption. "As you may know, it is usually impossible to Apparate or Disapparate within Hogwarts. The Headmaster has lifted this enchantment, purely within the Great Hall, for one hour, so as to enable you to practise. May I emphasise that you will not be able to Apparate outside the walls of this Hall, and that you would be unwise to try.
"I would like each of you to place yourselves now so that you have a clear five feet of space in front of you."
There was a great scrambling and jostling as people separated, banged into each other, and ordered others out of their space. The Heads of House moved among the students, marshalling them into position and breaking up arguments.
June's hazel eyes darted over the students and frowned when she saw Harry standing with Draco. They seemed to be in some sort of argument, when the four Heads of Houses shouted, "Quiet!" and silence fell again. Draco turned his back to Harry.
"Thank you," Twycross said. "Now then . . ."
He waved his wand. Old-fashioned wooden hoops instantly appeared on the floor in front of every student.
"The important things to remember when Apparating are the three Ds!" Twycross said. "Destination, Determination, Deliberation!
"Step one: fix your mind firmly upon the desired destination," Twycross said. "In this case, the interior of your hoop. Kindly concentrate upon that destination now."
Everybody looked around furtively, to check that everyone else was staring into their hoop, then hastily did as they were told.
"Step two," Twycross said, "focus your determination to occupy the visualised space! Let your yearning to enter it flood from your mind to every particle of your body!"
June saw Ernie Macmillan contemplating his hoop so hard that his face had turned pink; it looked as though he was straining to lay a Quaffle-sized egg. June bit back a laugh and hastily looked at someone else.
"Step three," Twycross called, "and only when I give the command . . . turn on the spot, feeling your way into nothingness, moving with deliberation! On my command, now . . . one—"
June looked around; lots of people were looking positively alarmed at being asked to Apparate so quickly. But she knew this was the best way to go.
"—two—"
June saw Harry concentrating as hard as he could.
"—THREE!"
Harry spun on the spot, lost his balance and nearly fell over. He was not the only one. The whole Hall was suddenly full of staggering people; Neville was flat on his back; Ernie Macmillan, on the other hand, had done a kind of pirouetting leap into his hoop and looked
momentarily thrilled, until he caught sight of Dean Thomas roaring with laughter at him.
"Never mind, never mind," Twycross said dryly, who did not seem to have expected anything better. "Adjust your hoops, please, and back to your original positions."
The second attempt was no better than the first. The third was just as bad. Not until the fourth did anything exciting happen. There was a horrible screech of pain and everybody looked around, terrified, to see Susan Bones of Hufflepuff wobbling in her hoop with her left leg still
standing five feet away where she had started.
The Heads of House convereed on her; there was a great bang and a puff of purple smoke, which cleared to reveal Susan sobbing, reunited with her leg but looking horrified.
"Splinching, or the separation of random body parts," Wilkie Twycross said dispassionately, "occurs when the mind is insufficiently determined. You must concentrate continually upon your destination, and move, without haste, but with deliberation . . . thus."
Twycross stepped forwards, turned gracefully on the spot with his arms outstretched and vanished in a swirl of robes, reappearing at the back of the Hall.
"Remember the three Ds," he said, "and try again . . . one—two—three—"
But an hour later, Susan's Splinching was still the most interesting thing that had happened. Twycross did not seem discouraged. Fastening his cloak at his neck, he merely said, "Until next Saturday, everybody, and do not forget: Destination. Determination. Deliberation."
With that, he waved his wand, vanishing the hoops, and walked out of the Hall accompanied by Professor McGonagall. Talk broke out at once as people began moving towards the Entrance Hall. Alaska and Cedric pushed their way through the crowd towards June.
"That went well," the blond haired woman said, looking around. "Don't you think?"
"Yeah," Cedric said, nodding. Then, he turned to June, smiling. "Did you see Ernie?"
June chuckled. "He was trying so hard. It's cute."
Alaska frowned. "You mean the guy with the red face?"
Cedric laughed. "Yeah, that one."
☆ ☆ ☆
Published 04.06.2022
I hope you enjoyed it & tell me what you think of it!
Exactly three months after my last update. I'm sorry for the long wait. I was unmotivated and kind of stuck as to where I wanted this story to go to but I'm back now and I am nearing the end of book six so that's great! :)
Any predictions towards the end?? 👀
Anyway, I hope you are all doing great :)
— Laura