ღ chapter one
( the leaky cauldron )
"PUT THAT AWAY," Cordelia scoffed, as her daughter attempted to light a cigarette with her wand. "Smoking kills."
"You smoke," Juliet shrugged, proceeding to light the cigarette and take a long drag. "You're being a hypocrite by telling me not to."
Cordelia glowered at her daughter for a moment, before her features softened. "Do we have everything you need? Just your books left, right?"
The dark haired girl nodded, tucking her wand back into her jeans. "Can we get get ice cream from Fortescue's?" she questioned, picking up a quick jog to catch up with her mother, who had a tendency to walk very fast.
"After Flourish and Botts," Cordelia replied, shooting a look at her teenage daughter who seemed to have turned her gaze elsewhere. "Go along," the mother nodded, after spotting the trio Juliet had laid her eyes on mere seconds earlier, a brunette, a redhead, and her godson chatting outside the ice cream parlor. "Go! I'll get your books, and I'll find Molly after."
Juliet nodded, stamping on her cigarette and making a mad dash across the alley, nearly knocking over a wizard who was the same height as the gangly thirteen year old. Ron seemed to have gotten a ton of freckles over the summer, and Harry looked as awkward and messy haired as usual. Hermione was tan, a blush spreading across her nose and cheeks that looked a bit like a sunburn. "Oi!" Jules called out, tackling Harry in a hug from behind. He yelped, before he smelled cigarettes, and turned around with a wrinkled nose.
"Have you started smoking Jules?" Harry sighed, smacking her shoulder.
"Why, want one?" she teased, slinging an arm over the shoulders of Ron and Harry, Hermione watching the exchange with a scowl. "Mum's been smoking a bit too much over the summer, ever since Black escaped. Snuck a few and she doesn't mind."
"It's bad for you," Hermione stated crossly, before exchanging an awkward hug with Jules that left both girls pulling away with pink cheeks. The Gryffindor girl's vanilla perfume seemed to smother jer a little, but she rather enjoyed the scent. "Have a good summer Jules?"
Jules shrugged. "Harry, did you really blow up your aunt? Mum heard about it, I expect she'll be telling you off about it," she giggled.
"I lost control!" Harry protested, Ron and Jules roaring with laughter. The dark haired girls stomach was beginning to hurt from laughter, and there were tears in her crinkled eyes.
Hermione looked serious. "It's not funny you two. Honestly, I'm amazed Harry wasn't expelled."
"So am I," Harry admitted. "Forget expelled, I thought I was going to be arrested." He looked at Ron. "Your dad doesn't know why Fudge let me off, does he?"
"Probably 'cause it's you, isn't it?" Ron shrugged, still chuckling. "Famous Harry Potter and all that. I'd hate to see what the Ministry'd do to me if I blew up an aunt. Mind you, they'd have to dig me up first, because Mum would've killed me. Anyway, you can ask Dad yourself this evening. We're staying at the Leaky Cauldron tonight too. So you can come to King's Cross with us tomorrow! Hermione's there as well."
Hermione nodded, beaming. "Mum and Dad dropped me off this morning with all my Hogwarts things. Jules, are you and your mum staying?"
"I can ask," she shrugged. "The house elf can surely apparate our things over, I packed most of my stuff anyways, and mum can owl me anything I forgot."
"Excellent!" Harry grinned. "So, have you lot got all your new books and stuff?"
"Look at this," Ron stated, pulling a long thin box out of a bag and opening it. "Brand-new wand. Fourteen inches, willow, containing one unicorn tail-hair. And we've got all our books," he added, pointing at a large bag under his chair. "What about those Monster Books, eh? The assistant nearly cried when we said we wanted two."
"Oh," Jules grimaced, thinking of her mum having to wrestle one of those into staying shut. "What's all that, Hermione?" she asked, pointing at not one but three bulging bags in the chair next to her.
"Well, I'm taking more new subjects than you, aren't I," Hermione explained. "Those are my books for Arithmancy, Care of Magical Creatures, Divination, the Study of Ancient Runes, Muggle Studies-"
"What are you doing Muggle Studies for?" Ron protested, rolling his eyes at Harry and Jules, who offered sheepish grins. "You're Muggleborn! Your mum and dad are Muggles! You already know all about Muggles!"
"But it'll be fascinating to study them from the wizarding point of view," Hermione earnestly said.
"Are you planning to eat or sleep at all this year, Hermione?" Harry asked, while Ron snickered.
"I've still got ten Galleons," she said, checking her purse. "It's my birthday in September, and Mum and Dad gave me some money to get myself an early birthday present."
"How about a nice book? Ron innocently teased, earning a slap from Jules.
"No, I don't think so," Hermione replied, oblivious to the joke. "I really want an owl. I mean, Harry's got Hedwig, Jules has Sable, you've got Errol-"
"I haven't," Ron protested. "Errol's a family owl. All I've got is Scabbers."
He pulled his pet rat out of his pocket. "And I want to get him checked over," he added, placing Scabbers on the table in front of them. "I don't think Egypt agreed with him."
Scabbers was looking thinner than usual, and there was a definite droop to his whiskers. Jules had never liked him much, he seemed to be terrified of her at all times.
"There's a magical creature shop just over there," Harry replied, "You could see if they've got anything for Scabbers, and Hermione can get her owl. Jules, you wrote about wanting a new collar for Juno, right?" he added, referencing the black cat that seemed to follow her everywhere.
They paid for their ice cream and crossed the street to the Magical Menagerie, Juliet struggling to cram the last of a cone of chocolate and raspberry into her mouth. She let the three of them head inside, and lingered outside, slipping a few sickles into Harry's hand to let him pick out a collar.
That was where Cordelia found her, Juliet still finishing her ice cream, which was beginning to melt and make her fingers sticky. "Ron, Harry and Hermione went inside," she explained. "Didn't realize that monster book would be so tricky, sorry about that."
"No big deal. A freezing charm took care of it," Cordelia replied. The books were presumably stuffed in her hand bag, which had an extension charm on it, leaving the young mother free to hold a cigarette in one hand. "Ran into Molly and Arthur outside the Leaky Cauldron- boys!"
Harry and Ron shot out of the shop at dizzying speed, disappearing further down the alley. The two exchanged a look, before laughing. "I'll go get that collar, Scabbers probably ran off," Juliet giggled, entering the shop, which was extremely cramped, and full of magical creatures. There was a rack of pet accessories in the corner, and she picked out a collar that changed color depending on Juno's mood, reaching the register just as Hermione picked up a bowlegged orange cat.
"I thought you were getting an owl?" she questioned, setting three sickles down on the counter.
Hermione simply shrugged. "He's beautiful, and he didn't have a family, so I thought I would take him in."
The cat's ginger fur was thick and fluffy, but it was definitely a bit bowlegged and its face looked grumpy and oddly squashed, as though it had run headlong into a brick wall. "He and Juno will be friends I think," she laughed, petting him gently as the two girls emerged from the shop.
Hermione and Ron proceeded to row about the cat and it's apparent negative effect on a worn out Scabbers.
Hermione was all slender fingers, and unblemished skin, long lashes, and vanilla perfume, and Jules adored her, her favorite memories being of studying together in the library, or their favorite hidden alcove behind a tapestry. Harry and Ron didn't care much about school, and while Juliet did, Hermione often had to tutor her. She was decent at Potions, Astronomy, Charms, and Defense Against the Dark Arts, and excellent at Transfiguration, but Hermione often had to pester her to study.
She'd much rather be running around with Calliope Rosier, sneaking into the kitchens after midnight and dancing to David Bowie in their dormitory, but she enjoyed Hermione's company.
"Hermione that thing nearly scalped me!" she heard Ron protest loudly. Harry fell into step with Cordelia and Jules, curiously glancing at the older woman.
"Uh, aunt Cordelia, do you happen to know anything about that Sirius Black person? Besides the fact he escaped."
Juliet watched with wide eyes as Cordelia froze, her cigarette falling to the cobblestones. Her expression immediately became severe. "Harry, I only know what everyone else does. He murdered twelve people, including Juliet's father, who was part of the group of wizards that attempted to capture him."
Harry seemed to sense that he had touched a nerve, faltering a little bit. He sprinted ahead to fall in step with Ron and Hermione, Jules remaining with her mother. She didn't even get a moment to speak when she entered the Leaky Cauldron, before her face ended up pressed into curly red hair. "Juliet dear!" Mrs. Weasley smiled, before pulling away and wrapping her arms around Cordelia. "Delia!"
"Hello, Molly," Cordelia smiled softly, squeezing the redheaded woman's hand.
"Everyone else is by the bar dear," Mrs. Weasley smiled.
Jules nodded, leaving her mother to chat with Mrs. Weasley, drawing up a seat with her friends and Mr. Weasley by the bar. Percy was shaking Harry's hand rather solemnly when she sunk into her seat, and he offered her a nod, offering her his hand. "Hello, Juliet," he nodded.
"Hi Percy, uh congrats on Head Boy-"
"Harry!" the twins immediately yelled. Fred elbowed Percy out of the way and bowed deeply. "Simply splendid to see you, old boy-"
"Marvelous," George interrupted, pushing Fred aside and seizing Harry's hand in turn. "Absolutely spiffing."
Fred leaned over, his breath tickling Juliet's ear. "I wonder how Percy was made Head Boy, he hasn't even gone to second base yet!"
Jules paused for a second, her nose wrinkling, before she got the joke and let out a shriek of laughter. "Fred!" she snorted after a few minutes, clutching the stitch beginning to form in her side.
"What did he say?" Hermione asked, the three of them exchanging looks before bursting out into laughter due to the offended look on Percy's face. Hermione's cheeks turned pink, and she bowed her head down, attempting to stifle a laugh.
Mrs. Weasley and Cordelia managed to make their way over, the shorter of the two shooting her gaggle of redheaded children a look. "Second Head Boy in the family," she smiled happily, pointing to the badge Percy had pretentiously pinned to his jumper.
"And last," Fred muttered under his breath, causing Cordelia to chuckle, shaking her head.
"I don't doubt that," Mrs. Weasley, frowned. "I notice they haven't made you two prefects."
"What do we want to be prefects for?" George exclaimed, looking revolted at the very idea. "It'd take all the fun out of life."
Ginny giggled, exchanging a look with Jules who was smiling.
"You want to set a better example for your sister!" Mrs. Weasley snapped.
"Ginny's got other brothers to set her an example, Mother," Percy loftily said. "I'm going up to change for dinner."
He disappeared and George heaved a sigh. "We tried to shut him in a pyramid," he told the rest of them. "But Mum spotted us."
( AUTHOR NOTE )
i hope you all enjoyed
the first chapter of
thank you for reading<3