By the time Fred reached the top of the stairs, Juniper was already waiting for him at the door of the boy's bedroom. Leaning against it, she smiled at him, daring him to come closer. The creak of the floorboards as he walked reminded him how sneaky they had to be
"You're going to get me killed, June." Fred murmured, his hand resting against the peeling paint of the wall for balance while he walked on the cracks of the floor. "First I'm found in your bed, and now this."
"We haven't been told off for that yet," Juniper's voice lured Fred closer. "What's the harm of doing a little bit more before we do."
Fred let out a small laugh of disbelief, almost dropping to his knees then and there. Everything he had ever wanted was standing there, a few feet in front of him, and he was too mesmerised to move. He briefly considered asking Juniper to slap him across the face, just in case he was dreaming.
"Are you going to continue staring at me, or are you going to come and kick your brother out of his room?" Juniper asked, waving her hand around to bring Fred back down to earth
"Yes ma'am." He breathed, only an idiot would wake himself up from this dream. Marching over to the bedroom door, Fred desperately bashed his closed fists against it, tempted to scream 'fire' to speed things up a bit. Ron grumbled from the other side, prompting Fred to swing the door open. "George needs you right now, it's an emergency."
"Then why are you here and not with him?" Ron groaned, sitting up anyway, he had been woken up by Fred enough times to know he wasn't going to be going back to sleep now.
"We have the same thoughts, he needs younger brother insight." Fred lied seamlessly.
Ron raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. "Urgently." Fred growled through gritted teeth. Ron left immediately after, leaving the room empty for Juniper and Fred.
"After you." Fred bowed, extending his arm to guide Juniper in. He followed close behind her, closing the door.
"Should I be concerned by how easily you lie?" Juniper asked, walking in. Unwanted flashbacks from the past few days hit her, seeing the corner she sat in, wet, for 24 hours straight. She tried to push the bleak, dull, feeling down as far as she could, determined to stay playful for Fred. She turned back to look at him, unsurprised by the natural twinkle in his deep blue eyes.
"That's just Ron." Fred shrugged, tentatively placing his hands on Juniper's hips, guiding her backwards to sit on his bed. "You don't have to worry, as long as you always cover for me."
"Always." Juniper affirmed for him, rolling her eyes sarcastically. She held her hands out for him to take, watching his giddy smile grow larger.
His eyes laid on hers for a brief second, that felt like it was ages, before he decided to take a chance. Unlinking his hands from hers and using them to cup her face, he brought himself to her, bending down to finally kiss her.
Her hands remained resting on the backs of his, holding him close to her as she let herself go, kissing him back without a worry holding her back. Her eyes stayed closed once he pulled away, her lips pulling into a pout. The last time they had kissed was the morning after the Yule Ball, and she had shut things down before they could progress any further, the danger of Draco finding out ruining it for them.
But they didn't have to worry about that anymore.
Junipers eyes fluttered open to look up at Fred, who was gazing down at her with complete adoration. Without another second wasted, Juniper reached her hands up, hooking them around Fred's neck and pulling him down closer to her, hungrily kissing him as though they'd have another eight month hiatus after this. Without breaking the kiss off, he leant her back on the bed, his hands planted beside her head to hover above her. Fingers intertwined at the nape of his neck, she pulled him closer to her, trying to get lost in the feeling of the kiss.
She and Draco had tried making out a total of three times. And it had Juniper convinced that she could live her life completely affectionless, without ever needing, or wanting, to be with a man. But now that Fred had kissed her, with the heart and longing that he just didn't have last time, she could never go back. She was now plagued with need to yearn for someone's touch.
'This is going to hurt when it ends.' Juniper thought to herself, the uneasy feeling popping straight back into her head when she needed it least. She continued to try and shove it as far back in her mind as she could, concentrating on the way Fred's fingers felt against the skin of her stomach as he tugged at the bottom of her top, signalling to her where he wanted this to go.
She lifter her arms up, helping Fred strip her top off of her, the thoughts creeping back, and uncertainty clouding her judgement.
"Can we-." Juniper started, getting flustered as he dropped her top to the floor, kissing along her now exposed collarbone. As ashamed and embarrassed she was to admit it, seeing, and experiencing, how casually skilled he was at making out, intimidated her. And intimidation wasn't helping with all second guessing happening in her head. "-go a bit slower?"
"What's wrong?" He stopped, instantly pulling back to look at her, concern washing over his face.
"Nothing..." She struggled to find the way to tell him. "I just think it would be... better. If we go slow. At least... for me." He stood, giving her space to sit up on the bed. The sheepish look is what gave her away, as he very slowly connected the dots.
"A-are you a... You are!" He said, a mischievous grin playing across his face. He struggled to believe what she was suggesting "Oh my g-. Not even with Malfoy?"
"Don't make fun of me!" She playfully hit his chest, trying to distract him from her blush.
"I'm not!" He defended, still laughing at her. "But seriously? Malfoy didn't even try?"
"Have you seen me? Of course he tried." She flicked her hair jokingly. "But gave up after the first few rejections, and the punch. I didn't like dating him, do you really think I'd want to have sex with him?"
"No, of course not. It's just that by the time I was in fifth year, well..." He trailed off, watching Junipers face turn sour. "We won't talk about it. Let's go slow." He dismissed, leaning back down to kiss her, only to get dodged.
"How many girls have you had sex with?" She stood up, silently telling him that they weren't going anywhere until this was sorted out.
"Are we really going to have this conversation?" He whined out of frustration, standing in front of her. Juniper was almost distracted by the bare skin of his abdomen between his t-shirt and sweatpants trying to lure her in, but she remained strong, avoiding looking at the defined V-shape.
"Or guys. I won't judge. I just want a number." She shrugged, staring straight up into his eyes.
"Really?" He asked, running a hand through and lightly gripping onto the nape of her white-blonde hair. She nodded, her arms still crossed and her eyes still focused on his. He rolled his in response, then started to count in his head. He used his grip on her hair to tilt her head back, so she was facing straight at him. He leaned in to give her a kiss on the forehead.
"One." He said,
"Two." A kiss on the cheek.
"Three." One on the other cheek.
"Four." On the lips.
"Five." He whispered, angling her head so he could kiss right on her jawline, almost at her ear. Juniper breathed deeply, trying to hide her shiver.
"That's quite a few girls. Or guys." She turned her back on him, her arms still crossed. If she kept her eyes on his any longer, she'd begin to squirm, and she wouldn't want him to think he won.
"I don't even remember them whenever you're around." He confessed. "They're nothing compared to you, June."
"And when I'm not around?"
"I'm still thinking about you." He said, sitting where she had been on the bed, resting his palms behind him. She struggled to breathe, let alone think of something to say. So she just froze in place, trying to think of something.
"When was the last?" She asked, not prepared to turn around just yet.
"What? Why are you even-." He began to complain.
"When was the last time you had sex and who was it with?" She turned around suddenly, resting against the dresser. She looked at the way that his legs were spread, almost inviting her to stand between them.
"Do you really want to know?" He raised his eyebrows, already knowing her answer.
"Yes." She said, almost stuttering. "And don't spare the gritty details."
"It was the night of the first Triwizard tournament task, with Angelina Johnson."
"Who?" Juniper asked apathetically, trying to think back to the first task, the dragons. She spent that night... covered in Hermione's vomit after seeing Fred make out with Angelina Johnson.
"Do you really need me to clarify?" He asked smugly, also thinking back to that night.
"No. But I want the details." Juniper said, slowly making her way over, stopping just out of his reach.
"Honestly? I don't even remember it. I was too preoccupied by the thought of you. I was thinking of you the entire time. Once I saw you at the party, after the party, before the sex, after the sex. During the sex." He emphasised with a wink. "I haven't stopped thinking about you. And I don't want to stop."
Somewhere during his little confession, Juniper had made her way between his legs, draping her arms across his shoulders and her fingers lacing through his hair. As she thought about his words, his arms wrapped around her waist, taking her in his arms and onto his lap, her legs straddled over him. She slightly lowered her head, resting her forehead against his, just about to give in and kiss him.
"Hang on." Another thought sprung into her head. Fred let out a deep, frustrated growl. "Isn't she your girlfriend?"
"Hm?" Fred muttered, too dazed by Juniper think. "Who?"
"Angelina."
"What? No.... I don't think so."
"You don't think so?" Juniper almost yelled, breaking away.
"I-I don't know. It was never official." Fred stood up with her, trying to keep her close.
"I'm not the person you're going to cheat on your girlfriend with, Fred." A chill ran down his spine as she said his name.
"She's not my girlfriend. We just had sex a couple of times."
"A couple?" Her eyes widened in anger. "You said it was once."
"No I didn't. I've had sex with five different people, but I've had sex way more than five times, probably-." Fred began clarifying, not easing the deep pit forming in Juniper's stomach.
"You guys went on a date. Don't deny it." Juniper objected before he made her sick. "I was there and my grandmother called you a two-timer. Ha!"
"I'm glad I made a good impression then?" Fred pulled his eyebrows together, confused by the direction Juniper was going down. He looked at the way she was chewing the inside of her lip, deep in thought. "Are you jealous?" Fred stuck his bottom lip out in a pout, mocking her.
"No! I'm not jealous." Juniper walked slowly towards the door and crossing her arms slowly. "It's just something to think about and consider. I don't want to be just another notch on your bedpost."
"You seriously think you'd only be a notch?" Fred asked, walking over to her slowly. "You'd be the entire bedpost. All four of them."
Juniper looked up at him through her eyelashes, not convinced in the slightest. He took her hands in his, holding them up so he could press his lips against her knuckles.
"I want you to be the last, and only, person I'm with. For the rest of my life. Fuck the notches, fuck the bedposts. Fuck the bed. Just you."
"Fred..." She drawled, swooning and sighing, ready to collapse into his arms. Throwing her arms around his neck, she pulled in for a kiss, another realisation hitting her before they could connect. "You went to the Yule Ball together."
Fred let out a deep groan, his knees buckling out of frustration. He stared dead straight at her, her eyes torturing him.
"You went with Malfoy. Are you his girlfriend?" He asked, his head tilting to the side.
"N-no?" She had to stop and think. They never officially broke up, their 'relationship' kind of just came to an understandably natural conclusion, thanks to his dad killing her grandmother. "I don't think so. But that is totally not the same!"
"Did you care on the night of the ball if Angelina was my girlfriend?" He fought back, raising a good point. Juniper couldn't even walk away to think about her rebuttal, Fred still had her in his arms and wasn't planning on letting go.
"You said she wasn't your girlfriend." She argued, pointing her finger at him. "Plus, that night doesn't even count. I was too drunk, I can barely remember it."
"That's too bad. It was a really good night." Fred teased, thinking back. "Can I try and help you remember?" He placed a soft kiss on her temple.
"Mmm." She cooed, thinking to herself, trying her hardest to relax into his arms. Only moments ago she was convinced that this is what she wanted, but after hearing about his past and experience, more and more bad thoughts began popping into her head, making it difficult to want to have sex.
Sensing her mood change, Fred placed his hand on the small of her back, ducking down to look in her eyes.
"What's wrong?" He asked, cupping her face with his hands. He looked down at her, her eyes threatening to well with tears.
"Nothing." She whispered, her voice wavering. The fear and embarrassment of disappointing him, on top of the pile of emotions she had shoved to the back of her mind, had her emotionally exhausted. Her head hurt from holding back her tears for days, and she was ready to let go.
"Wait no, why are you crying?" Fred panicked, leading her over to sit on the bed. He squatted down in front of her, trying to move her hands that were clamped over her face to hide her tears. "Did I do something?"
"N-no." Juniper tried to reassure him, her voice not convincing him in the slightest. "I-I just feel bad." She stuttered, trying to catch her breath.
"Why do you feel bad? You haven't done anything."
"Exactly." She sighed, wiping her cheeks. She caught a glimpse of the worry on Fred's face, and began crying all over again. "I got us all excited... and now I don't want to."
"You're crying because you don't want to... have sex with me?" He whispered to her, unable to stifle a laugh. "I'm ecstatic to just be in the same room as you. Even if you never, ever want to touch me, your presence is enough."
"Why?" Juniper croaked, trying to not cry even harder after that. "All I do is be mean and cry."
"You've had a rough few months, and the past few days have been worse. I'd be scared if you didn't cry. " Fred sat next to her, rubbing small circles on her back to try and soothe her. "Plus, you're hot when you're mean. It's a win-win for both of us."
Juniper let out a very quick laugh, trying to blink away the tears. She wiped her cheeks again while Fred reached down to grab her top off the floor. He helped her put it back on, pulling her into his chest for her to lean on, placing a kiss on top of her head.