George eyed Juniper, watching as she took a swig of Weasliper, standing before him in her red ball gown, bruised jaw and nose, silver and expensive jewelry around her neck, "I think i'll be okay until this is over."

"Keep it on you, just incase." he said, handing her the bottle, "Free charge."

Juniper snorted as her chest heaved. She was nervous, beyond nervous if that was a thing. She couldn't walk into the Yule Ball, though she was suppose to meet Cedric at the entrance ten minutes ago. Instead she threw a hex at George, giving him a tiny shock and waving him over to meet her in the hallway where she was popping her fingers relentlessly.

"Just pretend like no ones looking at you." he spoke, peaking his head into the ball and seeing Alicia looking around for him, a sigh leaving her lips, "You better get in there, he's gonna come looking for you if you don't."

Juniper looked in, seeing Cedric speaking to Harry and Ron in hopes of finding where Juniper had gone to, "No, no, i'm gonna make a run for it and never come back."

George pulled her back after she tried to escape, he laughed at her, earning a smack to the arm, "Why are you so worried? You were just snogging him infront of everyone this morning."

Juniper huffed, "Because it's different now, now we look all nice and fancy."

"So?" he asked as Juniper huffed again, waving him off, "Blaise and Theo are together now then too?"

He nodded toward the pair that were dancing together.

"That truth telling serum worked well, a little too well but at least they're here." Juniper said as she began pacing, "What if I fall on my face?"

"You're not gonna fall on your face." George said, he laughed again as Juniper looked at him in disbelief, "You can't even see your shoes, just take them off."

Juniper blinked at him, "I have cold feet though."

"Do you?" he asked her with a confused expression, "You're warm though."

She was warm, ridiculously warm constantly.

"Weird, I know." she said, stepping out of her shoes. Juniper was tall for a girl, standing a few inches above average. It never bothered her, she enjoyed it actually. Though George and Cedric where both taller then most, she felt small standing infront of him, "This is better, now I won't fall and die in humiliation."

"I'll hold them for you." George spoke with a nod, taking her shoes for her with a grin, "Go get em', Junebug."

"I'm scared, what if he doesn't like me anymore?" Juniper asked worried, glancing through the doors once again with a worried expression after passing her heels to George, "What if I accidentally hang him or something?"

George shook his head at her words, "Go or i'll make you."

She looked at him with a glare, "You wouldn't."

"Go." he encouraged her, Juniper almost did but then became hesitant. George huffed, Juniper let out a scream as she was lifted off the ground, thrown over his shoulder. Her dress was longer enough to not embarrass her, though heads turned at the sight.

"Found her." George said as he neared Cedric, "Arguing with painting in the- ow!"

George yelped when Juniper sunk her teeth into his hip. He then put her down infront of the Diggory boy, spinning her around to face him. Juniper flushed in the face at the sight of Cedric before her, "You look as handsome as a dead apple."

Cedric have George a thankful look as the Weasley boy walked off.

"A dead apple?" Cedric asked her with a odd look, "You find those handsome?"

"They're my favorite, go look at, never to eat." Juniper said, gasping as Cedric grabbed her face and kissed her gently, infront of everyone. Juniper grinned when he pulled back.

"I like red on you." Cedric said, looking at her dress that was long and red with black lace, "It's complementing."

Juniper snorted in nervousness at his words. Cedric grinned, sensing she was nervous, taking her hand and leading her toward where Viktor, Harry, and Fleur were with their respectful dates. Cedric kissed the side of her head, "We won't stay too long."

"Oh, thank merlin." Juniper said as they fell in line. Harry gave her a grin while Juniper returned it, "I don't have enough potions to stay here long."

"Potions?" he asked, "Is that what you and the Weasley twins were hiding from me the other day?"

Juniper looked to him with a embarrassed face, "I didn't want you to think...."

"Think what?" he asked, linking their arms while standing behind Hermione and Viktor, "Whatever you were so worried about you shouldn't be, I like potions."

Juniper flushed as she held his arms, taking a deep breath, "I'm gonna need to set a lot of things on fire after this."

Cedric grinned, kissing her check, "We'll work around it."

With that, the pair began walking quickly alongside the others through the tunnel of students that cheered for each of them. Juniper avoided eye contact with everyone, biting her lip in nervousness as she stared at the back of Hermiones bouncy curls.

"Yeah, June!" Blaise yelled out to embarrass her as Juniper flushed red and hid her smile, Theo knocking him in the back of the head with a laugh and a shake of his head.

Cedric took Juniper by the waist when they made it into the middle of the ball room, she was looking around with a worried expression, "Don't be so scared, it's just us."

His index finger guided her face to stare at him. Juniper nodded her head. Cedric had never seen her so worried, so nervous. He hadn't expected her to have social anxiety, she was the last person he figured would hate a crowd. She was so beautiful, so unique, the exact type of person that deserved to be gawked at infront of everyone.

"I'm okay." Juniper said as the pair began moving into the dance they were forced into learned by Mcgonagall, "Like I took two firewhiskeys and chased people with a knife, but okay."

Cedric laughed at her words, though she seemed serious. He stared into her eyes, encouraging her not to look away and to keep her eyes on him the whole time. When he lifted her she laughed loudly, enough to be heard amongst the students. Cedric grinned as he lowered her back on the ground, getting spun himself by her as he flushed, pulling her closer in again.

"Fun, isn't it?" he teased, seeing her relax when other couples joined in and weren't staring at her.

"No." Juniper said honestly as she stared at him, "But it's better with you."

Cedric smiled, resting his forehead on hers as the pair slowed down, swaying gently together without a care in the world.

"Merlin! That was insane!" Juniper said, dropping the piece of parchment that she set on fire. Cedric and Juniper escaped the Yule Ball rather quickly, running through the forest and finding their gazebo that had even more weeds and vines on it, "So much dancing! So many feet just seconds away from breaking and shattering under dress shoes!"

Cedric leaned on the wall, watching her spin and get all her thoughts out, the burning pile of parchment a few feet away from her. He smiled, smiled because he adored everything about her, even the chaos that was so overpowering.

"And sugar highs! So many sugar highs, so many headaches tomorrow!" Juniper stopped spinning, stumbling with a laugh as Cedric wrapped his arms around her to keep her stable, "What a experience, I have to tell the bees about it."

"Mhm, later." he whined, running a hand through her curls, getting his hands stuck, "Stay with me."

Juniper grinned, coming down from her episode as she inhaled, putting her arms around his neck, "For eternity."

It reminds him of the last time they were here, dancing and talking out of their heads. He barley knew her then, barley adored her to pieces. Cedric held her face, kissing her sweetly as Juniper held his face tightly to kiss him back. When the pair pulled apart, she ran a thumb over his red face.

"I was thinking we could ride together on the Hogwarts Express tomorrow. My stop is before yours so you could wave to my parents through the window when I get off." Cedric spoke to her, he'd planned it in his mind so perfectly. He wrote to his mother and father to tell them about Juniper, neither wanted to wait until the second task to meet her. Junipers face fell as Cedric panicked, "But if that's too m-"

"I'd love to wave to them." she said quickly, her hands tightened on him, "But I won't be on the train, i'll be here for Christmas."

"What? Aren't you going to see your aunt and uncle back in London?" Cedric asked with a worried expression across his face, cupping her face.

"They're off to visit my cousin, she's in Auror training. They said I could come but i'd rather not. Tonks said everyone there keeps asking her about me, I don't want to make a fool out of myself." Juniper said with a small frown, sighing as she played with Cedrics hair, "Ginny said I should come back to the Burrow with Harry but that would be a disaster, her mom would never approve, never."

Cedric frowned, rubbing his thumb across her check, kissing her nose, "Come back with me."

"What?" Juniper asked with bulging eyes.

"Back to mine, my parents wouldn't mind, we could spend the holidays together." he gushed at the thought, face red, "I love christmas."

Juniper couldn't help but laugh at his childish words, "What if I scare them?"

"You won't scare them, they'll love you." Cedric reassured her, giving a spin. He heard her start to mumble to herself, popping her fingers horribly before looking up at him.

"Okay."

•

kylie speaks

the next chapter
was one of the first
chapters i ever put
in my mind when i
first started juniper
so i'm so excited!