Juniper opened her eyes groggily, vaguely registering the calm flight attendant's voice over the intercom. She blinked, peering at her surroundings. Her limbs acted with the soreness of being cramped in the small plane seat, and the undoubtedly uncomfortable position she had spent most of the flight in. It was a miracle she'd been able to sleep at all with James snoring his arse off next to her. It had been that or risk Vanessa's pointy elbows or Cali's imminent motion sickness. She shook her brother awake, probably more harshly than she needed to, but that was what he got for keeping her up half the time. He was just as bad as Rory.

"James!" Juniper flicked open the window shade, letting the bright light attack his closed eyes. "James you little shit, wake up!" She poked his face annoyingly.

"Oi!" James batted her away indignantly, ducking for cover, "Wassamatterwityou." At least that's what Juniper thought he said, his voice was rather muffled and he was speaking in the garbled way he always did when he had just woken up. Juniper was 99% certain that James did not regain full function of his brain until at least four hours post-sleep.

"We're here you dumbarse." Juniper yanked him out of the seat with impatience, jumping to try and get their things from the overhead compartment. "Merlin's balls, why are these things so high." She reached unsuccessfully upwards, straining for the handle of her trunk.

James rubbed his eyes, rising from his seat, all six feet of him comically disproportionate to the narrow aisle. "Ouch." He muttered, wincing as he hit his head on the ceiling, stretching a lanky arm up to pull down their stuff. "Here", he handed Juniper her bag, "why are we even on this bloody Muggle contraption in the first place?"

"Because mum's gone batshi- hi mum!" Juniper stopped mid sentence, her mother and father walking over to them. Her mother raised a stern eyebrow, as if she knew exactly what Juniper had been about to say. Oops.

Oops is right Junebug, but luckily for you I'm in much too good of a mood to reprimand you right now

Miranda kissed her son on the cheek, "Go help Nessa would you? She can't reach her luggage." She directed James down the aisle where a perturbed Vanessa stood.

"It's not my fault she's so god damn short." James grumbled lowly, earning himself a nougie from his father and a murderous look from his little sister.

"I FUCKING HEARD THAT JAMES!" Vanessa shouted, blonde hair whipping around so fast it could've slit someone's throat, and Juniper thanked her lucky stars that they were some of the last few still aboard the plane. She grimaced, an invisibility cloak would be really fucking useful right about now.

"Are you embarrassed to be seen with us Junie?" Her father noticed her expression and took full advantage, gasping dramatically. Harry couched his heart with hurt, very loudly sniffing, "I'm wounded."

"DAD!" She hissed, slapping a palm to her forehead, "Please don't!"

"You used to like your mad family Junebug" Harry reminded her, ruffling her hair. Juniper dodged his hand, hiding her face with her hand. "You're mad too, or at least you used to be. Remember when you made that ice cream pool?"

"Dad," Juniper's cheeks reddened at the memory, "I was six!"

"It's a shame you grew up, her dad shook his head with mock disappointment, you were so much more entertaining when you were younger. Now it's all, Dad you're embarrassing me, dad don't, dad I can't be seen with you in public, dad-"

"DAD! Please!" Juniper begged, eyes widening. Her dad clearly enjoying getting a rise out of her. "Between you, James and Nessa, mum, and my lack of sleep, I cannot physically handle this today."

"What's mum done?"

"Are you joking? Have you seen her? She's so unnaturally cheery, look at her dad she's humming!" Jade eyed her mother warily, utterly convinced she had never heard her mother hum before in her life, "And she dragged us to California of all places, totally out of the blue. Don't you think that's weird?"

Harry shrugged, smiling at his happy wife, "I've learned not to question her."

"Maybe you should." Juniper suggested, "What if she'd been swapped out by aliens or something?"

"I am not an alien, Junie." Miranda rolled her eyes, taking Harry's arm, "James do you think I'm an alien?"

"Mum please! You're so loud." Juniper hushed as her mother's voice echoed in the empty aisles.

Miranda bit back a laugh, exchanging a look with Harry, "Did you hear that love? I'm loud."

"Don't I know it." Harry replied cheekily, Miranda swatting him. Juniper just stared in horror, ears burning

"Oh for the love of- did the flight attendant not cut the two of you off? Godric's sake is it your life mission to pain me?" Juniper cried, wishing she was anywhere but here.

"Big shocker Junie, but not everything's about you." James teased, coming up behind them, followed closely by Calista and Vanessa.

"It's not about you either." Vanessa retorted snippily, obviously still holding a grudge from James's earlier comment.

"Hate to break it to you Ness, but you're far too short to be the main character. What would the plot even be? You and a stepping stool?" James grinned, and Vanessa narrowed her eyes.

"I swear to all the fucking gods, if we weren't near Muggles I would take my wand and shove it so far-" Vanessa began threateningly, giving James a stare that would send any grown man packing, shaking in his boots.

"Guys, guys, Harry pacified, this isn't a fair argument. We all know who the main character is. C'mon now, I'm the-"

"If you say the Chosen One I will hit you." Juniper's mum threatened in the exact manner that Vanessa had. "And you wonder where James learnt it."

"You were the only one I ever cared about choosing me anyways, Mandy." Juniper's dad pulled their mother in for a sweet kiss, and the kids groaned.

"Ugh."

"Gross."

"My eyes!"

"Someone Avada me quick!"

"I'll do it!"

"Your tone is far too eager Nessa."

"If you can't take my wrath, don't make short jokes. It's simple James."

"I'm definitely reporting this airline for over serving passengers."

At long last they made their way out of the airplane and into the inexplicably blinding light of the California sun. James whined, shielding his face from the sun, "Why is it so bloody sunny?"

Vanessa's fair skin was already starting to burn, Harry handing her a baseball cap and securing his over his identical complexion. James was profusely sweating, and Juniper wondered if she'd ever felt this hot in her life before.

"This temperature should be illegal." James mumbled into her ear, glaring up at the vivid blue sky. Their mother however, was thoroughly enjoying herself, tilting her face upwards to the sunlight seemingly unaffected. "Stupid America, stupid California, didn't even get to say goodbye Teddy."

Juniper sighed wearily. That was the other thing James had done on the plane ride besides snore. Complain about how he was unfairly separated from his best friend, despite the fact that the second half of summer was to be spent with the McGonagall, Granger-Weasleys, and other assorted family and friends at the World Cup. The Holyhead Harpies were playing of course.

"Give it a rest James." Vanessa elbowed him, "You can survive without your boyfriend for a week or two." James flipped her off, scowling.

"I'm not sure he can, Juniper smirked. "Have you ever seen him go through Teddy withdrawal? Last time he cried."

"Shove off!" James stuck his tongue out at both of his sisters, who were currently giggling. Vanessa and Juniper rarely teamed up unless it was to make fun of James, but when they did they never failed to impress.

"It's okay, James," Calista patted his arm comfortingly. "I miss Alice too. It's normal to miss your best friend."

"Thank you Cali!" James frowned pointedly at Vanessa and Juniper, "Take notes. That's called being a nice sister."

"But it's so much more fun the other way." Juniper snickered, nudging Vanessa, who nodded in agreement.

"Mum can we please put Ness and Junie up for adoption?" James called up ahead to his mother, who was walking at a brisk pace. "Mum? Mum why are you walking so bloody fast?" Miranda didn't respond, only beckoning them onward impatiently.

"Are we on some sort of schedule I don't know about?" James whispered to his sisters, striding forward more quickly.

"Where are we even going?" Calista asked, "I doubt there's a Floo network nearby."

"I'm telling you mum's gone off the deep end." Juniper added, eyebrows raised.

"Do the three of you know nothing about mum's childhood?" Vanessa said incredulously, exasperation ringing in her tone, "Honestly do any of you read?"

"Nope." James replied cheerfully, and Vanessa sighed.

"She grew up here, you thick prats. She hasn't been back in ages."

"I knew she lived in America, Juniper was surprised at this information, I didn't know she lived here, I thought she lived in Massachusetts."

"That's where she went to school." Vanessa condescended, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. To be honest, Juniper hadn't really thought much about her mother's life pre-Hogwarts, hell she didn't even know that much about her life while she was at Hogwarts.

Her thoughts were interrupted when a shrill squeal of joy emitted from two voices. She followed the high pitched noise and saw her mother running headfirst for a pretty dark haired woman, the owner of the other squeal. The two women embraced, Juniper looking at her siblings with equal confusion. She watched, bewildered, as her mother started speaking rapid fire Spanish? Was that Spanish? It sounded like Spanish. Juniper hadn't even known her mother knew how to speak another language. Yet there she was, words flying out of her mouth at the speed of light while she chattered animatedly with this unknown woman.

"Ven aquí, ven aquí!" Her mother was saying, leading the woman over to Harry and the children.

"Dad," Juniper queried, "who is that?"

Her question was answered for her, when her mother introduced the lady, "Harry, kids, this is Isabel Lopez-Johnson."

"Ah," Isabel corrected, smiling, "just the Lopez now."

"What happened with Henry? I'll kill him." Miranda started, taken aback by this revelation.

"Ay, later, later. I have to get to know your beautiful family first." Isabel appraised Harry up and down, nodding approvingly, "Bien hecho, chica, muy bien hecho, muy guapo, no?"

"Sí, pero no se lo digas," Miranda and Isabel shared a secret smile, while Harry looked a bit bemused.

"You talking about me, Mandy?"

"Maybe."

Juniper's father chuckled, holding out a hand to Isabel, "It's so nice to finally meet you, I've heard many stories."

"I'm going to have to get you back for that one, Mira." Isabel said warningly, wagging a finger at Juniper's mum, "Just look at these gorgeous children. I can't believe you had four."

"Neither can I." Miranda pursed her lips at Harry, who grinned sheepishly.

"Don't tell me," Isabel tapped a finger to her chin, viewing them all with scrutiny. "Calista, Vanessa," she pointed to each of the girls correctly, "and you must be James and Juniper." She smiled, "The two of you have certainly grown, my son is your age too."

"Where is that sweet little boy of yours?" Miranda asked, searching the airport.

"Not so little anymore, Mira," Isabel laughed. "Alex is waiting in the car. He's my personal chauffeur."

"He drives?" Juniper was the slightest bit shocked, most wizards she knew either thought they were above driving or simply had no interest in learning. Her and James fell into the second category.

"Henry, my ex- husband," Isabel clarified, "was born No Maj so he insisted Alex learn."

"No-Maj?" James furrowed his brow as they followed Isabel out the door. The hustle and bustle of travelers crowding around a revolving metal thing.

"Sorry what do you guys call it over there? Miggles?"

"Muggles." Miranda giggled lightheartedly, swinging open the door to the sweltering heat of the outside. Juniper stood dumbstruck, mouth agape as she gazed at the scene before her. Cars and trucks of all sizes and shapes whizzed by her, the smell of exhaust overpowering her nostrils. People walked brusquely, some rolling suitcases, others carrying duffels. She'd been to London of course, and Paris, she'd seen cities, but nothing like this. It was slightly overwhelming, just the sheer amount of people in the vicinity was enough to make her jaw drop.

A blue car honked loudly a few feet away.

"There's Alex." Isabel gestured, waving to the figure in the drivers seat, "Coming, mijo!"

Juniper went round the back of the car with her brother, helping to place all their luggage into the awaiting trunk. She stumbled on the sidewalk, hefting the weight of Vanessa's suitcase in her arms. Jesus fuck what was in here? Probably a whole stack of books, and a bunch of shoes she wouldn't wear.

"Here, let me help." A smooth voice said, gripping the opposite end of the suitcase. Juniper looked up, grateful for the helping hand.

"I'm Alex. You must be Juniper." The boy said, and Juniper nearly gasped. Because holy mother of merlin this boy was gorgeous.