Juniper's only 'friend' at the Burrow, Arthur Weasley, was at the Ministry for 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. Molly rarely spoke to her, as expected, but was surprisingly civil. Ginny kept to herself, constantly sending and receiving owls from boys. And Ron straight up didn't like Juniper, which she already knew. So despite being in a full house with regular visitors and constant ministry surveillance, Juniper spent most of her days alone.
While it was light outside, she laid in the grass, soaking up the summer sun, until her skin darkened a few shades, and swatting away garden gnomes. She counted all of the steps in the house, as she usually did when she was bored, she sneaked some of Mrs. Weasley's yarn to knit a sweater, and she finished her holidays worth of homework, plus her extra reading.
And at night she curled up in the red covers of Fred's childhood bed, much happier with his own natural lavender scent they had retained. It didn't help with the sleeping, though. She continued to wake up every few minutes, thrashing and heaving as though she was being drowned. No one ever mentioned that they could hear her, so she thought it would be fine. It's not like she was sharing a room or a bed with anyone.
Members of the Order came to visit, acknowledging Juniper's presence, to her surprise. She grew to like Tonks, who occasionally used her metamorphmagus-ness to change her hair to match Juniper's bright pink, but only on the days when she wasn't upset. Remus visited too, always staying a bit longer than he should, not that Molly would ever complain about it.
Fred visited as often as he could, once every two days or so, always with flowers or snacks for her, trying desperately to win their bet. He also brought back some of his old bedroom decor, mostly quidditch posters and CD's of wizard bands Juniper had never heard of. He promised a few times to take her to the shop, or at least bring her back a few things, but Molly had denied it each time. Insisting that it was too dangerous for Juniper to go to Diagon Alley, and that the twins products were banned in her household, as they were too disruptive.
So the most disruptive thing that entered the Burrow, was Fleur Delacour.
The sight of Fleur was enough to make Juniper stumble down the last few steps of the stairs, as she ran down to find some breakfast. Plus Bill Weasley standing beside her, his long, red hair pulled into a gracious ponytail. It was enough to make Juniper forget that she was angry about living in the Burrow.
"Ah! Another Veela!" Fleur chirped when she saw Juniper trip over her feet. Her French accent was still thick, making it hard for Juniper to fully comprehend what was being said.
"Uh... Of course, hi?" Juniper stammered, completely awe-stricken by Fleur's beauty from up-close. She couldn't believe that another part-Veela could turn her into a blubbering mess, but here she was, unable to tear her eyes away.
"Bill and Fleur will be keeping us all company for a bit," Molly said with a forced cheerfulness, though her irritation was clear. "Juniper and Fleur, you two will have to bunk up in Fred and George's room. And please, share the bathroom mirror with the rest of us. Otherwise, it'll be chaos."
"I've never been one to rely on a mirror, I'm quite confident in the way I look." Fleur replied with a hint of amusement, though her patience was wearing thin. Juniper let out a suppressed giggle, quickly quieting down as Mrs. Weasley shot her a fiery glare, cheeks burning red.
"Bill, could you please show Fleur to the twins' room?" Molly asked sharply, shooting Juniper another warning look. "And keep it strictly platonic, okay?"
"Of course, Mum." Bill gave his mum a kiss on the cheek, before whisking Fleur up the stairs, passing Ginny as she came down.
"Eugh, Fleur?" Ginny turned her nose up as she walked into the kitchen. She grabbed two biscuits off a plate, handing one to Juniper. "Does your kind just multiply or something?"
"Ginny!" Molly gasped, whacking her daughter's arm. "'Your kind'? I thought I raised you better than that."
"What?" Ginny shrugged, looking to Juniper for an answer. Juniper was still in shock by Molly defending her. "It's not a common thing to have one Veela in the house, let alone two."
"Sounds like a bad omen." Juniper laughed to herself, getting a wary look from Molly. "Joking, sorry."
"Did you hear..." Molly started, stepping in closer to the two girls to whisper. "They're engaged."
"What?" Ginny choked on her biscuit, genuinely caught off guard. "Already? I didn't even know they were dating!"
"That's what I said!" Molly raised her eyebrows, enjoying the little piece of gossip, it made her feel young. She looked to Juniper one more time. "If I hear in a few weeks that you and Fred are engaged..."
"No... no!" Juniper waved her hands. "Absolutely not."
"Why? What's wrong with my brother?" Ginny asked.
"What's wrong with my son?" Molly asked, the two of them sharing the exact same expression.
"I'm still in school! You-Know-Who is back! Now is not the time for a wedding." Juniper defended herself, forgetting a key reason. "We aren't even together anymore!"
"Hello, my princess!" Fred sung, as if on cue. Ginny and Molly took a sip from their mugs in unison, raising their eyebrows at Juniper, who was cringing to herself.
"Hello, Fred." She replied bluntly, swivelling in her chair to look at him. He was standing at the entrance of the kitchen with a bundle of tulips in his hands. "What are you doing here?"
"Am I not allowed to visit my darling mother, sister and future girlfriend?" He strolled in, plucking two flowers from the bunch, handing one to Ginny and Molly, before kneeling down on one knee, giving the rest to Juniper.
"Future girlfriend?" Juniper asked, looking at the tulips in her hands. "Aren't we getting ahead of ourselves, now?"
"It's not like I said future wife." Fred said. Molly let out a frustrated groan, tipping out the rest of her tea into the sink. "Should I have said future wife?"
"No!" The three girls shouted together.
"Bill and Fleur Delacour are here." Ginny grinned. "They're engaged."
"Good for them." Fred smiled, walking around to make his own tea, kissing Juniper on the head as he walked past. She hid her smile deep, deep down, keeping her eyes on the flowers to hide her blush. "We need something good at the moment."
"No we don't!" Molly argued. "We need clear, logical thinking. We don't need anyone- anyone," she repeated, looking between him and Juniper. "rushing into a marriage!"
"Is it because she's a Veela?" Juniper asked curiously.
"Of course not!" Molly defended her position on the marriage. "It's because they've only been dating for a year or so! They've clearly rushed into it since You-Know-Who is back."
"Trust me, You-Know-Who was the last thing on his mind when he proposed to Fleur." Fred laughed. "He was probably like 'shit, I need to put a ring on it before someone else comes along and takes-.'" He trailed off, noticing the glares he was receiving from each of the girls.
"Trust me," Juniper turned to Molly. "We aren't getting married anytime soon, if ever."
"Good, let's keep it that way for a while, please." Molly huffed, wandering out of the kitchen and up the stairs.
Ginny cast a look between Fred and Juniper, her nose scrunched up.
"I'm also going to leave, before this gets too... yeah." She muttered under her breath, following after her mum.
"Would you look at that?" Fred gushed leaning his elbows on the kitchen bench, leaning in toward Juniper. "We're alone in a house full of people. Is it fate? Chance? Destiny, perhaps?"
"Don't go using fancy words like 'perhaps', now." Juniper tutted, leaning in teasingly. "I think it's because your mum doesn't want Fleur screwing your brother under her roof."
"I'm going to call it destiny, then."
"Call it what you want, Fred." Juniper replied, taking a sip from Fred's tea. The two locked eyes for a moment. Fred drew in a deep breath, glancing down at her lips, now shiny from the drink. She nudged closer, testing him.
"How have things been with her?" Breathing in deeply, Fred pulled away slightly. "It looked like you guys had a little gossip circle going on."
"She's fine. Everyone is fine. No one really talks to me." Juniper shrugged, disappointed that he didn't try to kiss her, but also appreciative that he took the initiative to talk instead. "Could be better, could be worse."
"Ron and Ginny aren't talking to you?" Fred frowned.
"Ron has never liked me, so I'm not surprised. And Ginny's too preoccupied with owls from boys to talk, so I don't blame her."
"Boys?" Fred's eyes widened as he stood straight. "Plural? Have any come over? If I catch one here I'll put him in the ground- Ginny! Ron!"
"What?" The muffled sound of Ginny's irritation echoed through the house.
"She's allowed to flirt with boys!" Juniper smacked the back of his hand. "And no, none of them have come over. Moody isn't letting anyone other than the Order in.And Fleur, I guess."
"Good." Fred grumbled, elbows back on the table. "Which boys are they? Ugly ones?"
"You really think I know who they are?" Juniper laughed, her eyes rolling. "And so what if they're ugly? That didn't stop me." She teased, stealing another sip from Fred's cup.
"Ouch, June." Fred clutched at his heart, pretending to be wounded. "While I'm pining for you? Trying to win you back? Attempting to anchor my place in your heart?"
"I'm sure you'll live." Juniper patted his arm, biting back her grin.
Despite her best efforts to resist, Juniper found herself drawn back to Fred like a moth to a flame. His ability to have heartfelt conversations, discreet yet irresistibly cheesy gestures, and his signature brand of silliness had won her over in a heartbeat. Now that he was trying his hardest to win her back, she could hardly keep still when he was around, knowing that whatever move he pulled next, it would be as ridiculously romantic as he was.
And bless his oblivious heart, Fred remained absolutely clueless to all of Juniper's subtle advances, mistaking her playful flirting for nothing more than her usual banter. He never noticed the way her cheeks flushed with every coy smile or the sparkle in her eyes that only returned when she caught his gaze. His attention was always focused elsewhere. On her bubblegum pink hair whenever she flicked it over her shoulder, on her delicate hands as she accepted whatever he offered her, or on her legs when she walked around in shorts, he skin getting some colour back thanks to the summer sun.
⚘
Hermione arrived at the Burrow that night, and Harry the night after. As expected, they shut themselves in a room with Ron, discussing whatever life-altering scenario Harry was stuck in the middle of now, with Ginny wandering in and out, constantly on the cusp of the group. Whenever Fleur wasn't with Bill, or working or Gringotts, she was talking to Juniper. Her accent was still impossible to understand, but she was way too beautiful for Juniper to care.
Fleur didn't seem bothered by Juniper's inability to sleep peacefully. At night she made sure Juniper always had water nearby and kept her blankets neatly tucked in make Juniper's bed as comfortable as it could be. On particularly restless nights, she would cast a silencing spell around herself to block out Juniper's panicked breathing. When the breathing escalated to screams, she extended the spell to cover the entire room, ensuring her nightly struggles remained their secret.
One night, after everyone had gone to bed, Juniper had to ask to Fleur to help her make a calming potion to gift to Harry for his birthday the next day. She took the private opportunity to ask her about the slander Mrs. Weasley had been very obviously throwing her way, giving Juniper a break for once. But Fleur was more than happy to roll with the punches Mrs. Weasley was throwing.
"I've heard her talk about me when the doors are closed. The other two girls too." Fleur said, an almost mischievous glint in her eye. "They really don't like me. But I suppose I'm used to it."
"Ginny and Hermione aren't too bad, once they consider you a friend." Juniper shrugged in response, laying her back on Fred's old bed, watching Fleur do all the work. Juniper's hands were too shaky from sleep deprivation and she was unable to sit still, anyway. "Mrs. Weasley though... man, have I had problems with her."
"Bill told me to give her some time. Mothers tend to be a bit crazy when their sons get engaged."
"Yeah, and she just doesn't like our-."
"Like, I know it's only been a year." Fleur had a habit of interrupting, which Juniper learnt very quickly. "But when you know, you know. You know?"
"I know."Juniper smiled back. "I could imagine how red she'd go if Fred and I got engaged now."
"You and Fred?" Fleur's eyes widened in shock. "This is one lucky family, with two Veela dating their sons."
"I know, it's-"
"Did they ever call you names?" Fleur asked, picking up a glass bottle to pour the completed potion into. "I can hear the little one call me 'Phlegm'. It doesn't sound like a good nickname."
"I don't think they ever did. I'm not very observant, though." Juniper said, wary of saying anymore, in case Fleur jumped in again. "My circumstances were a bit weird, too. I had to have Veritaserum and someone tried to use Legilimency on me, I think."
"Oh, I'd rather the name calling over either of those." Fleur screwed her nose up. "They're quite cruel to us, aren't they?"
"Yeah." Juniper nodded, lamely trying to make her feel understood. The Weasley family's treatment of Juniper was still a bit of a touchy subject for her. "But if Bill is anything like Fred, then you'll be fine."
"Oh, there's no doubt about that," Fleur gleamed, her face lighting up with pride. The two of them sat in a moment of shared contentment, reveling in the joy the two Weasley boys brought them. Fleur paused, a puzzled expression crossing her features. "It's strange, isn't it? Even though he's we're in the same house, I miss him so much. It feels as though we're oceans apart, not a few rooms away."
"I won't tell anyone if you leave this room for his." Juniper shrugged, a mischievous smile tugging on her lips. Fleur mirrored it, before exhaling a deep sigh, corking the potion bottle that Juniper had forgotten about. "Plus, you won't have to listen to me wake up in the middle of the night."
"No matter horrible she is to me, I'm only a guest in Mrs. Weasley's home, I can't be disrespectful." She said sadly, handing Juniper the bottle.
"Sucks being civil, doesn't it." Juniper frowned as Fleur climbed into her bed. The mood had dropped significantly, awkwardness looming in the air. Juniper looked at the clear bottle in her hands, swishing the shimmering, lilac potion around. "I'll put your name on the card for Harry, if you want."
"I don't think he's expecting a gift from me, anyway." Fleur muttered, still facing the wall. "Goodnight, Juniper. Try to get some sleep."