You never know when a lunatic will come along & give you a sadistic choice to make -- Early Winter 1997

I knew there were worse things then death, Aunt Bellatrix was showing me that. I took slow, shaky breaths and between that and the pain, I knew I was still alive. Death couldn't be this painful. I was on the ground, too weak to move or open my eyes for long. She kept torturing me but the only difference being not being tortured and being tortured was pain and intense pain. She cut my hand or my wrist, I couldn't tell, I could only moan,in protest. When nothing happened for a few moments, I used the last of my energy to squint my eyes open and I saw she was gone. I hoped she wasn't going to tell Draco. I wasn't going to tell him who had hurt me. I didn't want him to worry about me anymore then he already did and I didn't want to rush him in finishing this task. I finally allowed my eyes to close and the blackness to take me.

I was headed back towards the castle; I really did not see the point in staying in Hogsmeade any longer than what I had.  I restocked some supplies I used when I went to view and care for different magical creatures to aid Hagrid.  I was stuffing some of the stuff back into a bag since I had pulled it out to examine if it was the correct type of feed for the millionth time when the breeze blew it out of my hand.  I chastised myself and went after it.  I picked it up and made sure it made it into the bag.  When I went to head back towards the path, I saw what looked like a foot coming from the behind the bushes.

"What the...?" I muttered, my words trailing off as I went to investigate.  "Hello?" I wanted to announce my presence so I would not get attacked.  These were getting to be dangerous times nowadays with You-Know-Who on the rise.  I could not believe my eyes when I saw who it was.  "Juniper!" I cried out, dropping to my knees and gently putting her head in my lap.  "June?  Can you hear me?" I started to visually assess the damage that appeared to have been done.  I needed to get her up to the castle.

I reluctantly came out of the darkness when I was moved slightly, the pain was still present but I wasn't sure how long I had been out anyway. Someone was saying my name, it was a male voice, Aunt Bellatrix hadn't come back and it wasn't Draco's voice either, for which I was grateful. I squinted my eyes open and saw Jetty looking down at me. "Jetty," I said weakly with a sigh as I closed my eyes again. I allowed myself to relax slightly when I saw it was him. I knew he would help me, he was my friend. I took slow shaky breaths to get my energy back up, "Don't tell....Don't....D..Don't tell Draco." I sighed again, "I'm o...I'm okay." Whether I was convincing myself or him, I wasn't sure.

My left forearm was itchy so I gently scratched it and felt a bit of sticky liquid go onto my figures. I opened my eyes again and saw it was blood. I remembered that my back had quit a few welts on it and I didn't want his cloths to get ruined because of it. "Blood...there's..there's blood on...." I attempted to point to my back but felt like I was more tapping my shoulder. I decided to show him. I reached up a put my hand on his should to pull myself up, I could only imagine how weak my grip must've been. I started pulling myself up when I coughed a couple of times. Using my free hand, I covered my mouth but when I pulled it back, it had some more blood on it as well.

Relief flooded me when Juniper opened her eyes.  I knew it was still bad, but at least she was somewhat coherent.  I could not believe everything that I was seeing done to her -- and that was just what was on the surface not including what was beneath her clothes or what was done mentally.  "Shh," I said to her softly, knowing that there was no way she was going to be able to do anything to help me get her back to the castle.  She was far too weak.  I found my bag and pulled out some of the gauze that Hagrid told me to get to help wrap wounds on the creatures in the forest, but if I were to get Juniper back to the castle, I was going to have to stop at least some of her wounds from bleeding all over.

"Hey, just lay down and focus on breathing and staying awake, okay?" I said to her, softly laying her head back on the ground.  "I'm going to try to cover some of these that are visible so we can make it back into the castle without too much of an issue."  I knew that what I was going to do would be nothing compared to what Madam Pomfrey could do, but it was at least something.  I gently wrapped some of the gauze around her forearm and tried to clean her up the best that I could.  "Alright, June, I'm going to lift you and carry you into the castle to the hospital wing.  I'm sorry, but I'm gonna guess it'll hurt."  I wondered if any more pain could even be caused to her right now, though, but I wanted to still give her a heads up.

I nodded, closed my eyes, and did as he said. I concentrated on my slow, shaky breaths and staying awake. I wanted to go back into the darkness, I wasn't in pain there, but at least with the pain, I knew I was alive. I felt him wrap up some of my wounds and I kept bitting my lip to prevent myself from vocalizing the agony I was in. It wasn't what he was doing that was painful, it was a constant thing over me and I didn't want him to think it was his fault. I was hardly aware of the fact that I had started shaking.

I wanted to protest, to walk back to the castle, but I knew Jetty wouldn't let me and that I was far to weak to even think about it. I nodded and braced myself for more pain, not that I thought it could get much worse. I wasn't sure how much more pain I could take. I felt like I was going to go back into the darkness but I forced myself to stay awake, because Jetty said so. I needed to say something to keep me awake and my mind somewhat off the pain. "Draco can't...he ca.....he can't find out." I shook my head. I had to make sure Jetty wouldn't tell Draco. Somewhere, in the small part of my mind that wasn't occupied by the pain, I knew Draco could never find out who did this to me. I could only imagine how I looked.

"I won't tell him," I assured her.  "But word is bound to get around, June... you're a mess and Pomfrey may just want to tell him."  I held her in my arms and tried to take paths that normally were not taken by many students.  I wanted to avoid as many people as possible.  It was a long walk back to the castle and that was where I knew things would get tedious with the other students and professors.  "Only a little longer, June," I told her making my way to the Hospital Wing, thankful most students were still in the village.

When he lifted me up, all the pain I had be able to suppress came back suddenly and I gasped. I immediately bit my lip to prevent anymore out bursts and the nausea that had suddenly came over me from coming up. My head rested against his chest and I could fairly hear his heart beat. I forced on that to take my mind back off the pain and to sync my breathing. I was relived when he said he wouldn't tell my brother but I knew Draco would find out. A small part of my mind that was still in working order tried to figure out if Jetty had seen any of the attack. When did he find me? Had Aunt Bellatrix still been there? Did he know it was her who did this to me? I couldn't take the risk. "Don't tell them...don't...tell...who did this." I continued to focus on my breathing.

I was thankful he said we were almost there, my eyes had been closed the whole time and in my current state I had no idea where we were or how much time had passed. I wasn't sure how much more I could take, how much longer I could stay awake. I felt like I was becoming weaker. "Jetty?" I asked, turning my face towards him, "Can I sleep again?"

"Try to stay awake a little longer..." I whispered to Juniper.  I had no idea who had done this to her, so I had no clue what she was going on about.  She was injured and probably delirious, but I saw Pomfrey and I did not want to wait to get her attention by answering Juniper when she was growing more and more weak as the minutes passed.  "Madam Pomfrey!  I need your help!" I called out, laying Juniper on the closest bed.  Pomfrey bustled over quickly and I stepped back slightly.  She was looking her over when I heard a voice from the doorway.  Of course he would show up without being told -- Professor Dumbledore strode to our sides.

"Madam Pomfrey," I said, having seen Mr. Pettigrew walking up the grounds with Miss Malfoy in his arms.  "Is she able to be spoken to about what happened?" I walked forward and was extremely worried.  Was Hogsmeade no longer safe for the students to visit?  Had this happened within the boundaries of the school instead?  Were other students in danger?  I knew of the task that Draco Malfoy had to handle; I had an inkling that this was a way for Voldemort and the Death Eaters to show Draco they were watching.

<< We could do a time lapse if you'd like... that way June isn't bombarded right now?  Like, Juniper could wake up and it be 2 days later or something? I'll follow your lead  >>

<<time laps works for me....pretty sure Junes to out of it right now to talk to anyone...lol...let me know if you need me to change anything >>

I heard Professor Dumbledore talking. He wanted to know if I could talk to him about what had happened? I was so tired I just wanted to sleep. I had nothing to focus on now, my mind just filled with the pain. I couldn't take it anymore. "I can't....don't tell." Were the last words out of my mouth before the blackness took me once more and I was finally asleep again.

My eyes fluttered open. I was confused, I knew where I was by taking in my surroundings but why would I be in the hospital wing? The memories suddenly came flooding back and I felt like I was going to pass out again just from the memory of the pain. Aunt Bellatrix attack, Jetty saving me. I realized I wasn't in pain anymore, just a dull throb all over my body and a slight burning sensation in my left forearm. I could think clearly again. I sat up and saw Professor Dumbledore reading the Daily Prophet sitting in the chair next to my bed. "Hello Professor." I remembered that he wanted to know what happened but I couldn't tell him the truth. No one could know what really happened. I just hoped Jetty hadn't seen anything. I had to find out something's before he asked me any questions. "Professor, how long have I been out? Has Draco come by? Did Jetty say anything about what happened?"

I peered at her from atop the paper in my hands and the spectacles on my nose.  I smiled at her, glad to see that she seemed to have some spunk back in her already.  Poppy could do remarkable things.  I folded up the paper and set it on the nightstand and leaned forward slightly.  "Please, don't get too riled up... Madam Pomfrey will have me kicked out," I said, a twinkle in my eye.  "You have been out of it for a handful of days.  And of course your brother has come by -- your parents were notified as well, though they have not stopped by.  And all Mr. Pettigrew told us was what he knew, which was very little."  I knew I could have gone into more detail about what Jetty had told me, but I did not.  I looked at her and asked, "What is your account of what happened, Juniper?"

I gave a little laugh at his first comment, after that though, my face fell slightly. Draco had see me like this, I just hoped that I had been slightly cleaned up before he came. I could only image what I looked like when I first got here. I sighed, "I didn't think my parents would come, I don't think they will at all." I was going to start making excuses for them but I didn't feel like think of any. Jetty had said something's but he wasn't going to tell me. I took a shaky breath, I couldn't tell anyone what really happened. I bit my lip, thinking of a believable lie. "I don't remember much," I stalled, then decided that forgetting would be a good cover. "I don't know who did this to me, only that I was targeted but I think I should be okay now." I knew he must be worried about the school and other students. I though I could at least easy his worries slightly. "Did Jetty see who did this to me?" I asked as casually as I could manage.

I looked at her with my piercing gaze; I knew there was much more to the story, but I also knew that she was not going to tell.  "No he did not," I told her.  I was going to say more when Draco walked in with a small bouquet of flowers; I thought it was a sweet touch.  I did, however, notice the color drain from his face.  "Mr. Malfoy, I was just double checking on your sister's well-being.  As you can see, she is wide and awake.  I do believe she will make a full recovery."  I stood up and put my hand on his shoulder as I left the two to themselves.

I had wanted to visit Juniper and I had brought her some flowers, too.  It was just some mixed flowers and I was not entirely sure if she would even be able to enjoy them before they died.  I walked in and saw Professor Dumbledore speaking to her.  I was happy to see that she was awake, but I stopped dead in my tracks.  I felt like I was going to be sick; I was frozen in place; a cold sweat started to break out on me.  I had not been this close to the headmaster since I knew what I was going to have to do.  I was barely able to nod at him when he spoke to me, placing his hand on my shoulder as he walked by me.  I knew he had left, but I still could not move.  That man - and he truly was a remarkable man - would either meet his end or become the end of me by the end of the year.