Her lips were blue.

That was all Teddy could think when they pulled her out of the lake.

Juniper's lips were blue.

She wasn't moving. Juniper wasn't moving.

Juniper was always moving. Always. She tapped her fingers and wrinkled her nose and rolled over in her sleep. She ran like a gazelle and laughed with her whole body and tripped every two steps. Juniper was always moving.

And now Juniper was still.

Unmoving.

Limp.

Lifeless.

Juniper was lifeless.

And Teddy was numb.

Everywhere people were moving, rushing, running. Screaming, yelling, crying in fear. All around Teddy people moved, racing to the scene. James and Harry and Vanessa and Cali. Rory and Leo and Charlie. Professor McGonagall. There was a stretcher. All around him was chaos. Everyone was moving.

Everyone except Junie.

Those lips he'd once kissed with such care were blue as her veins. The lips that spoke and teased and laughed that wonderful laugh he loved so much. Her beautiful green eyes were closed, lashes he'd admired for hours damp and sticking to her pale, clammy skin.

He'd never kiss her again. He'd never hear her laugh. The blush of her cheeks when he teased her.

Juniper wasn't moving.

Teddy reached out, in a daze, as they carried Juniper frantically up to the school. He felt the brush of her fingertips when he did, and for a moment his heart spiked with hope. Hope that she might squeeze his hand. Hope that she would spring up, revived, giggling and telling him she fooled him. Making fun of him for falling for it and worrying so much. That it was all just a prank. Hope that she would show some sign that she knew Teddy was there.

But Juniper was cold to the touch.

Everything faded away, Teddy's head sent into tailspin. People ran into him while he stood stock still in the middle of the rain. He couldn't hear anything, like he was underwater. But Juniper was the one who had drowned.

Say something! Teddy wanted to shout at her. Wake up! Wake up! Please don't-

"Teddy!" A voice, very far away.

Teddy felt someone shaking him, a pair of hands guiding him forward.

"Teddy!"

"Teddy!" Rory snapped her fingers in front of his face, taking him firmly by the arm. Her expression was pained, grave as Teddy had ever seen it. "We have to go to the infirmary, James said that they're- she might-" Rory couldn't finish her sentence, but Teddy knew what she meant, and let the girl drag him to the castle.

Thunder rumbled overhead, the air sticky with dread. She might die. Junie might be dead. Gone.

What if she was gone?

It was his fault. She needed to know he was sorry, she needed to know that he- she might die and Teddy never got to tell her-

"Teddy-" James hugged him with such force it nearly knocked him over, his usually bright eyed and cocky best friend looking worried and drawn. The black haired boy clapped him on the back solemnly, "She's in here."

Rory flew into James' arms when he released Teddy, and he embraced her gently, lacing their fingers together. They drew on each other's strength.

Teddy opened the double doors to the infirmary, eyes locked on the bed at the far end of the room. Juniper lay there, motionless, raven hair splayed out on the pillow like a midnight halo. She looked so tiny. Well- she was tiny- but Juniper had always been larger than life.

But lying in that bed, against the crisp white sheets, lips still a purply colour, Juniper looked very very small. Teddy wanted to scoop her up and hold her close to his chest, stroke her hair and tell her everything was going to be okay. And then maybe she'd wake up, and flash her brilliant smile and he'd kiss her. He'd kiss her a thousand times and tell her he was so sorry, and that he-

Burt he couldn't do any of that. There were people standing on every side of her, Harry, McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey huddled and discussing something in low voices. Vanessa was curled up in a plastic chair, knees hugged to her chest. Cali was with the McGonagalls and the Weasleys. SO instead, Teddy settled for this: He knelt by her bedside, taking her hand in his own, trying his best to deflect the looks of surprise from the adults.

"Please wake up," he murmured into the bedsheets, rubbing his thumb along the back of her hand. "Please be ok. Don't do this to me Potter."

But Juniper didn't wake up. He could barely hear her breathing, unsure whether she was breathing anymore. Breathe, Juniper. Teddy begged silently. Please breathe, breathe for me, Junie.

Madam Pomfrey bustled in, arms laden with various magical remedies and potions, "There are too many people in here." She chastised, "Family only, please. We can only have so many visitors at once."

But they were all Juniper's family, blood or not.

Teddy moved to relinquish Juniper's hand, mumbling, "I'll go- I'm not..."

Harry stopped him in his tracks, putting a solid hand on his shoulders, "You're just as much apart of this family as anyone here, son." He sighed, pushing his glasses up on the bridge of his nose, "I'll pop out for a second, I need to get in contact with Miranda anyways. Gin?" He gestured to the red head, also spouse-less. Ginny nodded, beginning to follow Harry out the door.

"I should really get back to the ministry." Hermione said worriedly, wringing her hands. She kissed Ron on the cheek, "Keep me updated."

"So," Ron clapped his hands together, staring at the teenagers left behind, "snacks anyone?" He asked, ever trying to ease the tension.

"Dad-" Rose groaned, "Read the room."

James shrugged, arm still secure around Rory's shoulders, "I could eat."

"Seriously James?" Vanessa shot him a look.

"We're not doing any good just sitting around here waiting for her to-" James trailed off, his voice dangerously close to breaking. Rory squeezed his hand gently.

Ron smiled sadly, reminded of the countless hospital visits and deathbeds he'd been to, nothing he could do but wait, "I'll get some stuff from the kitchens." He said calmly, "Be back in a moment."

Without Ron in the room, silence fell over them. Rose curled up in the chair beside Vanessa, Ethan and Evie sitting across. James and Rory stood at the foot of the bed with Leo and Charlie, and Teddy remained in his spot beside Juniper.

"She's going to be okay, right?" Rory whispered into the quiet. "I mean, she's going to- she can't..." A single tear rolled down her face was she buried her head in James' chest.

"She's going to be okay, " James comforted, stroking the top of her head. "She'll be okay," he repeated, but he didn't look as though he believed its himself.

They waited for what seemed like hours, sun sinking and rising. Time wasn't real. People went in and out of the infirmary, everybody except Teddy. Teddy never left. He wasn't leaving until Juniper was okay. He refused to leave her here. Though many tried to coax him to eat something, sleep, get some rest, walk around, he staunchly refused.

"Teddy..." James and Rory pleaded, "You haven't left- you need to sleep or eat, come to the great Hall with us. Just for a minute."

"No. I won't- I'm not leaving her," Teddy told them, circles under his eyes. "What if when I'm gone she-" he couldn't finish the sentence, None of them could. Because that would make it possible. And as long he didn't say it he still had hope.

The doors to the infirmary burst open with a crash, "Where's my daughter?" Miranda rushed into the room, followed closely by her husband. A fresh scratch was on her hand, which she quickly covered with the sleeve of her cloak.

"She hasn't woken up...yet," Harry filled her in, slipping a hand around Miranda's waist. "Poppy says she just needs time. She- er- her lungs were filled with water, and she's in severe hypothermic shock."

"So she might never wake up?" Miranda questioned bluntly. "Is that what you're telling me, Harry?" Her tone continued a hint of anger, like she wanted to say more about it but couldn't in front of present company. She took deep breath, "Sorry for my appearance everyone, I've just come from a mission." Harry's expression darkened ever so slightly.

Miranda viewed the scene, eyes passing over Teddy clutching Juniper's hand with a slight raise of her eyebrow. Her gaze landed on her son and the girl tucked in his chest, she looked oddly familiar, and Miranda noted that the pair was holding hands. Did her son finally have a girlfriend? She thought he'd never get over that girl he mooned about. "And you must be...?" She directed her query towards the girl, tilting her head.

"Oh-!" Rory flushed, realizing she was holding James' hand. She leapt apart from him in an instant, "Er- I'm Junie's friend. Rory. Rory Wood."

Miranda's eyebrows shot up so far they nearly disappeared into her hairline, "Rory? As in-"

"Okay, Mum!" James practically shouted, Rory blushing red as a tomato.

"Erm- I'm gonna go- I- Junie should be with family..." Rory ushered herself out of the infirmary, cursing at the impression James' and Juniper's mum must have gotten. She was getting much too close to James for her liking. Desperately, she tried to remember how annoying he was. The countless times he'd bothered her in class asking stupid questions that Rory had now learned he already knew the answers too.

Why would he do an irritating thing like that? The idiot.

"Because then I get to talk to you..."

He did all that to talk to her. He pretended he was stupid, he risked his life on a Qudditch field, he- NO! Rory was not falling for James Potter. She couldn't be. He was her enemy, only newly turned friend. A thorn in her side since that first year on the Hogwarts Express. He was reckless and cocky and full of himself, no regard for rules, and- and he was sweet and adorable and told her she was beautiful. He comforted her when she broke down over Transfiguration and held her hand and let her lay next to him. He gave her his jumpers and the perfect Christmas present and he looked so bloody good in a Quidditch uniform.

And she'd stopped telling him no.

Because she didn't want to anymore, and because he hadn't asked her out in over a year. Dared her to kiss him. Made a crass joke about flustering her. He didn't ask her to dance at the ball. What did that mean? And what did it mean that Rory sort of missed it? What did it mean that she wanted to stab Lydia Bones whenever she saw her? And now Miranda probably thought she was James' girlfriend. Even though Rory wasn't sure James even liked her that way anymore.

Lost in her thoughts, Rory didn't notice when she bumped into someone else.

"Watch where you are walking please." The girl tossed her dark hair with disdain, turning her nose up at Rory.

Rory scowled when she saw who it was. "And where do you think you're going, Selene?" She spat. How could Teddy have chosen this girl? Over Juniper? How? And how could Viv have chosen her too?

"I need to talk to Teddy," the girl replied smoothly. "Do you have a problem with that?"

"I have a problem with you," Rory retorted, mouth set in a tight line.

Selene rolled her eyes, "You know where he is, yes?"

"He's busy," Rory said flatly. "In case you hadn't heard our best friend might be dead."

"Juniper?" Selene barked out a derisive giggle, eyes maniacal. "I assure you, Rory, Teddy does not care for that thing. He will come for me."

Rory ground her teeth together, refraining from punching the girl in the face, "Fine then, " she agreed, marching towards the infirmary, "let's see." She knocked on the door, poking her head through the opening.

All eyes turned towards the entrance, a soft smile on James' face when he spotted her, which Rory did her best to ignore and not swoon on the spot. "Er-," She cleared her throat, "sorry to bother, but, Teddy your girlfriend is looking for you." She sucked in her cheeks, distaste dripping from her words when she uttered 'girlfriend'.

"Go ahead, son. It's alright. Stretch your legs a bit." Harry nodded along with the other adults, oblivious to the feelings towards Selene from their children. And all surprised by the fact that Theodore Lupin had a girlfriend, though none as surprised as Miranda.

Nothing thus far had been able to move Teddy from his place next to Juniper, and Rory waited with bated breath for his response. Teddy was torn, head foggy with enchantment from Selene and the tug in his heart to stay with Juniper, "Oh- I..."

"Darlinggg." Selene's lilting call echoed from outside the room, harsh and commanding.

Stiffly, Teddy rose, walking robotically to the exit. He passed Rory, who had never been more disappointed.

"Really, Teddy?" She shook her head at his retreating back. She'd really thought he cared about Juniper. And Rory was usually right.

"Darling!" Once Teddy was in the corridor where Selene was waiting, she flung her arms around his neck, basically mauling his neck with her mouth

"I only have a second, " Teddy said, mind a mess. "Junie- she..."

Selene's eyes flashed red. How was he still resisting? She was using one of her most powerful enchantments. "Oh I know darling."

She twisted her lips into a cruel smile, "Don't worry, she'll be gone soon. I did it for you, darling."

"What?" Teddy dropped her hand like a hot stone, heart stopping. "You- you did this to her?" Selene laughed, proud of herself.

And in an instant, all of Selene's enchantments were broken. His mind cleared for the first time in months, and he saw everything as it truly was. He saw Juniper after he kissed her that first time, glowing with promise. He saw her laughing and teasing and the look on her face when he told her she drove him crazy. He saw the curve of her waist pressed against his own body, the soft rise and fall of her chest. He saw her heartbroken and crying and screaming and angry. He saw everything. He saw Juniper. And he knew, with everything inside of him, that he loved it all. He loved everything he saw. And everything he saw was Juniper.

Juniper, his beautiful beautiful Juniper. Who'd endured Selene's taunts and every girl he'd gone through before, for him. She did that for him. How could he have been so stupid? And now she was lying in a hospital bed and she might never wake up. And he'd never get to tell her how much she meant to him. Because of this girl he'd chosen instead of Junie. It was his fault. It was all his fault. He was stupid enough to fall in love and he messed it all up, just like he knew he would.

It was all his fault.

"She might die." He clutched his head in denial and disbelief, turning away from the conniving Selene. "You killed her- how could you-"

"I told you." Selene pouted, "I did it for us. We can be together now without her butting in. That's what you wanted, darling."

"That's what you wanted!" Teddy's voice shook with a combination of anger and anguish. "I would never- I'm not like that. Why-"

"Teddy!" Leo launched into the hall "She's awake." He said, breathless. "Junie's awake." Leo didn't wait for Teddy to come with him before racing back to the infirmary.

Selene's face contorted in fury, "That wasn't supposed to happen." Her fists clenched, red claws digging into her palms. She clenched her jaw, "No matter. We can still be together, darling. Come with me. I can't stay here anymore, it's not safe for our kind. You can join the pack, we will be our true selves. She will never understand. Not like I do. I know you know it too. I saw you on that full moon, free. Every day can be like that, Theodore. You will never be accepted if you stay, never loved, you know that. Leave her behind. Come with me, Teddy. Come with me." Selene reached out her hand in question, "Choose freedom. Choose me."

Teddy stared at her hand, then at the direction in which Leo had gone.

"Junie's awake."

"Choose me."

"She's awake."

"She'll never understand."

"I'm in love with her."

"You are unlovable."

"She doesn't care."

"You're a monster."

"Choose me."

"Choose me."

Teddy opened his mouth, "I-"

who will teddy choose?

cliffhanger alert ;)

junipers awake, but will she stay that way?

love you lots,

colleen