somewhere to hide | juniper

[rhys alexander greyback]

running against the wind
with no regrets

Leave behind our innocence

July 2018
juniper minerva mcgonagall

Rhys felt dizzy. So much had happened in the past few weeks. School was over, he signed an employment contract with Gringotts and had a place all to himself for the first time. Fortunately, he still had some time before heading off to training. His nerves added to that disoriented feeling. Juniper had helped him pick out some basic furniture, although a mattress still lay on the floor of his room. He wanted to feel accomplished but couldn’t bring himself to do so. A knot still lingered in his stomach as he thought about starting over as a trainee like he was eleven and waiting to be sorted all over again. And if it weren’t for Nell speaking on his behalf, Rhys would still be living at the Leaky Cauldron, searching for a place to live.

However, along her training schedule, Nell hadn’t seemed excited about searching for a couch with Juniper in tow. Brow furrowed and staring straight ahead, Rhys crossed his arms as a sound finally registered. ”Hmm—what?” His face relaxed, and he turned his head. Clearly, he had spaced out while Juniper was talking. The last thing he remembered was something about picture frames and side tables, but he couldn’t remember the context. ”Sorry…was thinking.” He resisted the urge to rub his eyes. He was tired. Well, Rhys was always tired, but he still struggled with sleep. This was his second week here, and it still didn’t feel like home. And the previous night, he’d kept dreaming awful things.

But there had been good things as well. Juniper was more excited about never stepping foot on the Hogwarts Express than graduation or the letters of what NEWTs they’d received. And she’d offered to help a clearly lost Rhys find items to furnish his place. And she had stayed a few times, to which he did not protest. And attending a social event for trainee Cursebreakers helped soothe some of his nerves about this new career path. Faces he recognized in close friends and other faces he just knew from school, but somehow none of them cared they might have to work with a Greyback. Eyes surveying his living room once more, he spoke, clearly still on his own train of thought. ”Thanks for helping me with all this…I didn’t even know where to start.”

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[juniper minerva mcgonagall]

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"I was saying that a plant or two would fit nicely on the windowsills. Bring some life to the place. Especially while it's still this empty..." Or rather, until she managed to fill it up. If Rhys had it his way, he'd never get a bed frame, which wasn't conducive to literally anything. She didn't mind sleeping on the floor once or twice, but after the Hogwarts dorms and her bed at home, a mattress on the floor wasn't cutting it. Plus, he deserved to have a bed. There was no reason not to have one. Other than that, the flat was slowly starting to get features. The couch had been a task, but she and Nell each had good eyes for that and managed to get it into the apartment without any problems. There was some pivoting in the entryway until they remembered they could simply use a shrinking charm to get it through, before bringing it back to its original state.

But there was still a lot to go, at least in her opinion, and her internship at the Department of Magical Education didn't start until August for whatever reason. So she was bored and needed something to fixate on. Thus, her constant pestering and forcing Rhys to have a livable space. In her defense, she knew she was going to be spending a lot of time here, so making it comfortable was to her own benefit as well. He had to have realized that by now. Numerous personal items had already been placed in finished areas, and she absolutely hadn't been subtle about the number of books she'd offloaded onto a shelf she brought from her bedroom back home.

"Its definitely coming along..." she commented, scanning over the living room in the same manner Rhys was doing. They probably looked silly, because it definitely wasn't done yet. The lamp on the end table already annoyed her, jutting slightly off center enough to make her cross the room and fix it. It probably got bumped while moving boxes from the floor to the couch, and then back down to the floor. "You still need a bed," she added, probably for the hundredth time in the last two weeks. It was hard not to sound stern about it at this point. She didn't mean to be...just that it felt weird rolling off the mattress and directly onto the floor. Sharing floor space with stranded socks and other strewn articles of clothing that still hadn't been placed where they belonged wasn't her idea of what staying at her boyfriend's place would be like, but she could deal with it for a while. He was going to get a bed though. That wasn't negotiable.

rhys alexander greyback ● 453 ● Song by Artist

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[rhys alexander greyback]

running against the wind
with no regrets

Leave behind our innocence

July 2018
juniper minerva mcgonagall

Rhys found that he’d settled in fairly quickly to his new surroundings. But the silence irked him. He was grateful for the time he could spend with Juniper as she helped him find things for his flat. It wasn’t much so far, and Nell had helped as well. Rhys did not have an eye for interior design, which was pointed out to him very quickly. So he let them handle it for the most part. And yet, while Rhys focused on the living room and ample living area, he also waited for Juniper to bring up the bed. It was clockwork at this point. Who needed a watch? ”Yea, that’s fine.” Rhys didn’t need to bring up how taking care of plants would probably be more difficult for him than Cursebreaking.

And just as he’d expected. Rhys side-eyed his girlfriend before looking forward again. ”I have a bed.” He responded flatly, although just mildly annoyed. Rhys was fully aware he did not yet have a bed frame for the mattress on the floor. Plus, it was a little satisfying to watch her twitch a little bit every time he brushed it off. But what was the big deal? He would buy one eventually, just not that very second. His eyes scanned the wall where a bookshelf sat neatly. Most of the shelves were filled by now. Although the book Juniper had gotten him for Christmas those years ago always caught his eye first. A mix of both of their things, which he had noticed eventually. Not that it bothered him.

In actuality, they hadn’t talked about a few things at all. Rhys’ living situation was out of necessity, while Juniper had options. And he was not against spending more time around one another. It was like their school years with an almost identical class schedule. But different at the same time. Things seemed fine, so he didn’t feel the need to bring it up. ”Maybe I should get another bookshelf.” He would probably need more books for his work. Or maybe he would find new ones abroad? He didn’t know yet since his training had not started. Rhys side-eyed her again but quickly before looking forward. His eyes were their usual intense blue. ”You didn’t care about the bed yesterday.” Rhys added matter-of-factly, they were a couple who finally had privacy and space to themselves, which they’d been missing at Hogwarts. And he looked at her with an eyebrow slightly raised in question. Still, Rhys wondered how long he could push this off before Juniper showed up with a bed frame and box spring. But, what she did not know that he’d already bought one, but it wasn’t ready until the following day. Rhys would tell her at some point.

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[juniper minerva mcgonagall]

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She was going to be the one watering the plants, wasn't she? Her suggestion, her problem. To be fair, she did like a bit of gardening in her free time. Her mum had a plot behind the house, though it always got killed off in the harsh Hogsmeade winters. That was assuming anything of value could grew in the soil there. The town was rock and rock. Not much variety unfortunately. Being able to grow a couple of magical plants could be fun though. That was something for later, as she didn't know what a herbologist might suggest the safest plant for a home would be. Especially with someone who wasn't going to be home often.

Speaking of, the cursebreaker thing totally didn't bother her at all. Juniper was trying to not to be that kind of person, and she was pretty sure she'd bottled it up fairly well so far. Shifting between stern reminders of safety and being happy for him happened constantly. But the stories that she heard about the shelf-life of cursebreakers scared her. There was a reason Gringotts always needed more. Those that survived long enough to train the new recruits usually had a screw or two loose. And Rhys wasn't like that at all. At least she didn't think he was.

Those thoughts were interrupted when he responded that he did have a bed, and all Juniper could do was give him the same look she'd been giving him for the past two weeks. A mix frustration at the fact that he knew what she meant, and how a mattress on the floor wasn't a bed. It was a mattress on the floor. It seemed like he tried distracting her by mentioning getting another bookshelf, something she could always get behind, before bringing up the night prior. "You know what I mean," she echoed her thoughts. "A bed would just be better. And when you get back from training, do you really want to lay on the floor?" Falling half the distance into a cozy bed instead of all the way down to the ground seemed way better to her. That and overall comfort.

rhys alexander greyback ● 359 ● Song by Artist

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[rhys alexander greyback]

running against the wind
with no regrets

Leave behind our innocence

July 2018
juniper minerva mcgonagall

Rhys wondered what constituted ‘lively’. He supposed it was just simpler to think of things in functional terms. He needed a couch to sit on in the living room. End tables to temporarily hold things like lamps or a book, perhaps a drink. A dining table to eat meals, though maybe he could also sit on the couch. But it was more likely a mess would be made. And a mattress to sleep on. But Rhys didn’t want to discourage her, and he had to admit it looked much nicer than he’d envisioned. At the trainee social event, more information was shared on their training and other details. Rhys would ship off to Egypt until mid-August, two weeks home. Most of September was training, as well as October. Rhys only made mental notes of the full moons of each month.

It made his stomach churn. Out in the world with only wolfsbane to ensure everybody’s safety. Maybe he could portkey or apparate home. He’d have to figure it out. But while he was away for most of November, Rhys would be home in time for Christmas (and the preceding full moon) and the beginning of January. It was a hectic schedule, and he worried about the other parts of his life. Spending time with Juniper and seeing his siblings at Hogwarts or seeing his friends. And anyone who signed up for this job and didn’t acknowledge the obvious dangers was a fool. Well, at least it gave him one singular goal to focus on—make it home.

All these thoughts had remained in his own mind, however. Much like that memorable potions class, Rhys habitually kept things to himself. He gave a light shrug to her look. He supposed if this was the worst thing to cause them disagreements, their relationship would be fine. Besides, Rhys knew she’d find some button of his to push later. A bit of revenge. Unfortunately for him, she had a valid point. ”No, of course not.” Some of the older Cursebreakers and trainers mentioned the facilities throughout the world. From what they’d described, a mattress on the floor would have been a dream. ”Fine.” With a sigh, Rhys walked over to the far end table. Paperwork was left on top, the stuff he’d meant to organize yesterday. ”The things I do for you, McGonagall.” In a way, he was stating a fact. Although eventually, he would have gotten a bed.

Rifling threw a few scrolls of parchment. One caught Rhys’ eye. He’d almost forgotten. ”Before I forget, you need to sign this.” Rhys held out the scroll for Juniper to grab. It was some standard paperwork, a formality, really. Rhys had listed Juniper as an emergency contact. And really, just wherever he needed to list someone to call or anything like that. The bank wanted signatures, so at least the other party was aware.

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[juniper minerva mcgonagall]

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Finally. She knew she'd eventually wear him down, though sort of expected it to not be until after he got back from Egypt. Which honestly was probably how it would go down because there wasn't a purchased frame yet. Hopefully he wasn't just agreeing with her to get her to stop pestering him, because that wasn't going to work. The second he was out of the country and she felt it was time, she was going out and buying one. No ifs or buts about it at that point. He wasn't going to be around to protest. In a way, it would be one of many housewarming gifts if it came down to it. One that benefited her as well. "Its because you love me," she grinned, not trying to hide her tiny victory at all. She'd take it for now. There were other battles to be fought still, though calling them that wasn't the correct verbiage. Like throw pillows on the couch. With her extreme lack of life experience outside of the McGonagall family home and the Hufflepuff common room, she still knew a couch needed pillows. And for that, she came prepared.

The magical bag she'd hoisted around the entire moving process - in which the books had come out of - was dug through again, this time producing the pillows she'd thought would go best with the couch. There had been a tiff with Nell when they were discussing the scheme of the living room a few days prior, about what colors would go best. While Nell knew wands and wood, Juniper was of the opinion that the third-wheel lacked a proper understanding of color. So like a good Hufflepuff, she went and got what fit best before anyone could say otherwise. It wasn't like Nell would be using it much. The same for the bed. Who was she to give orders about that? Thankfully Ollivander backed down the second Juniper started to reach down towards where the green splotch was on her leg. That solved basically all of the problems.

While she started to arrange the pillows in positions that were only going to end up pointless by the end of the day, Rhys was doing something with paperwork he had on an end table. She wasn't expecting to have a scroll handed over to her, and definitely not one that basically read as an emergency contact for extreme bodily injury or death. It confused her enough that she had to read through it thrice; the last time for good measure. "Are you really sure this is what you want to do?" She'd asked that question probably as many times as she had about the bed at this point, though being permanently magically disabled or dead was far worse than having a stiff back from sleeping on a mattress. "I'll sign it, it's just..." Just that she didn't want to have to ever get that call.

rhys alexander greyback ● 490 ● Song by Artist

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[rhys alexander greyback]

running against the wind
with no regrets

Leave behind our innocence

July 2018
juniper minerva mcgonagall

She gleamed with victory. Rhys wasn’t competitive in the same way, which worked well for both of them. There would never be that conflict to be the one that was right all the time. As far as who had the last word? Well, it was fine for now. Rhys wanted to insist that he would have gotten a bed eventually, but he’d already agreed to it. Plus, technically, the task was already done. With that grin, she continued to gloat but Merlin if she wasn’t right. Rhys grinned. The hold she had on his heart was undoubtedly a factor. 

Walking in the direction of his paperwork, Rhys stopped in front of Juniper as she began rifling through that bag of hers. He had never looked inside of it, wondering if it would simply look like a canyon full of things. ”And because I love you, a bed is arriving tomorrow.” The one he’d already ordered three days ago. He had to admit that it had been a little fun pushing back for those three days. With a smirk, he leaned down to kiss her before pulling back and resuming his original task.

She was doing something with the couch pillows when Rhys handed her the scroll. He had put off this moment since this was given to him. It wasn’t the easiest document to read in terms of legal terminology but also content. It was such a cold and detached way to talk about a person. Turning someone of flesh and blood into just a name on a document and what would happen should they be maimed, die or go missing. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t nervous. Rhys knew the statistics and a thousand ways this could go wrong for him. He supposed Juniper did as well, which is why he had procrastinated. And, not that Rhys had told her yet, but he had lost someone right in front of his eyes—unable to do anything about it. It wasn’t a good feeling.

He’d kept quiet while she read, looking through the rest of his documents. All signed and dated magical contracts binding him to the service of Gringotts bank. It was hardly an Unbreakable Vow, more an old tradition and formality. But he looked up when she asked. The question was not new but probably the first time she’d asked so directly. Usually, it was thrown in the conversation somewhere. Not that Rhys had other job offers lined up, but someone wanted him, so why not try? But her tone changed, and her voice trailed off in a way that hurt him a little. Putting his paperwork down, he walked over to her. ”Yes, I’m sure.” Gently, he grabbed her free hand. ”I know you’re worried.” Some things were not hidden well. The more months that passed, the more they noticed things about one another. Like a new wall fell down everyday to reveal something. ”I’ll be okay.” Rhys wished he could promise it, but he could try and reassure her. Tell her he’d always make it home. And he wished he knew how to explain why he was taking this path.

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[juniper minerva mcgonagall]

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The conflicting distractions - pulling pillows out and Rhys openly admitting there was a bed, and it was coming tomorrow as he kissed her - had her absolutely confused. A brief short-circuit of her brain before she returned to aggressively retrieving the throw pillows from her bag. "I would've shut up ages ago if you'd told me that," she admitted. It sort of made her feel bad now, because a couple of the times she had been needlessly aggressive about it. And like, it was the last major piece of furniture that he needed. Without the constant reminders he was bound to forget about it.

Unfortunately the main part of the conversation was shifting to the document. "Is it even legal for a seventeen year old to agree to this?" She thought it was a good point. Technically she was old enough, having turned eighteen the year prior. The magical world tended to play fast and loose with that, though she figured the goblins would want to be as careful as possible with contracts and legal agreements. Maybe she was getting into the wrong field at the Ministry...

Rhys's reassurance was a comfort, but it still gave her a pit in her stomach. These decisions were way too much for people their age. They literally just left school a few months ago. Why were they being forced to think about potential death and permanent injuries? Juniper wasn't naive to the fact that most careers in the magical world had a level of danger to them, but there was a point where it became stupid. Somehow Gringotts skirted around a lot of that. "Give me it, before I change my mind." She shook a pillow in the direction of the paperwork. Her other hand squeezed Rhys's tightly for a moment. "I better not get the call, ever." Was that childishly optimistic? Sure. But she was barely not a child too.

rhys alexander greyback ● 319 ● Song by Artist

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[rhys alexander greyback]

running against the wind
with no regrets

Leave behind our innocence

July 2018
juniper minerva mcgonagall

Rhys saw the confusion in her expression for only a second. It wasn’t often Rhys could leave her a little unbalanced, at least not in some discussion where she was probably right. For now, he just shrugged. She was right, of course. Rhys could have saved himself the trouble of a few days of prodding. And especially on the days it grated on a not-so-good mood. As long as she wasn’t pushier than usual those days, he just rode out the storm. But there were those days. He eyed the pillows she organized on the couch, knowing it was supposed to look a certain way. But if Rhys wanted to sit, he would move them. She’d probably have a thought about that.

Even Rhys had to agree it was a bit shady to let barely legal graduates deal with the tremendous amount of legal documentation required for trainees. Forms for liability, forms declaring next of kin. Who would take ownership of Rhys’ things should it be necessary. And all things of that nature. Rhys shrugged. ”I dunno. Maybe they figure if we can use magic, we can sign up for this.” He refrained from his occasional comment about signing up to purposefully enter death traps. Even Rhys could see it wasn’t the right time. And his eighteenth birthday was the following month, and the trainees would still be on training wheels for the time being. And it was Egypt. The perfect training ground, so far less likely for anything serious to happen.

Rhys went to retrieve the document but stopped when her hand tightened around his. Juniper was really scared, wasn’t she? Not even two years together, she had to contend with his choice to purposefully run into danger. It gave him pause if only because he fully expected people to just leave, not just because it was a difficult fear to deal with but because they could. ”How about if I promise?” If that wasn’t naïve optimism, he didn’t know what was. And Rhys knew what he felt but not the words. Traveling the world was almost perfect for him or anyone that didn’t have a home base, so to speak. Rhys didn’t have a family. He had his friends, sure, but otherwise, nothing tied him here. No anchor. At least, that’s how it was. Things were different now and for the better.

He picked up the document again but had to let her hand go for a moment. ”You have to sign in two places.” Hopefully, that was the last of the paperwork from Gringotts, but who knew. Cautiously he handed the document to her again. There was a familiar feeling, like when he had asked his legal guardian to sign his Hogsmeade form. Not that he needed Juniper’s permission to do this.

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[juniper minerva mcgonagall]

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Right. The legal age of magic definitely meant one could sign their life away. Juniper knew the training for this took several years - enough to get those that didn't have their heart in it out altogether - and in that time the Cursebreakers would know everything they needed to know about danger and how to counteract it...but still. She was allowed to worry. Someone had to do it, for Rhys's sake. Because she knew he wouldn't at all. At the same time, she didn't want to be one of those girlfriends. The types that were perpetually worried and became nagging witches. They were too young to have their relationship turn into that. The hope was that after a year or so, he would maybe realize that this wasn't actually for him. That the risk outweighed the rewards tenfold. She was allowed to be nervous and anxious about it, but she also didn't want to give so much pushback that it forced her away. That wasn't healthy. And she wasn't going to be like her sister at all.

Rhys was so excited about it too. About as excited as she was to decorate his flat over these last few weeks. "I guess so." She wanted to say more, repeat the conversation about how no one their age wasn't ready for something like Cursebreaking, but it wasn't going to get her anywhere. A promise wouldn't solve anything either. Magic had a way of very easily snapping those apart without a second thought. Juniper let out a long sigh at that, knowing that her points were dead on arrival now. Rhys had his mind up and all she could do was sign the paperwork at this point.

She followed his instructions on where to sign, locating the two lines and scrawling her stupidly elaborate signature across both of them, as well as her contact information. "I should've gotten that promise on an Unbreakable Vow," Juniper groaned as she handed the scroll back over. "You can't get tired of me worrying, okay?" The pillow she had in her hand was tossed at Rhys as she spoke, because they still had work to do with the apartment. Getting settled in would take her mind off of it, at least for the moment. "I think that one looks better on the right side."

rhys alexander greyback ● 388 ● Song by Artist

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[rhys alexander greyback]

running against the wind
with no regrets

Leave behind our innocence

July 2018
juniper minerva mcgonagall

Rhys had been nervous to ask her to sign this. Overhearing other conversations, Rhys knew others were writing in the names of their parents, spouses, or even siblings. The only relative Rhys knew was a second year at Hogwarts. So then he thought about the people he trusted the most he supposed Nell would have been a natural choice for this, and then Juniper, of course. It was a lot to ask of a person. Even Rhys cringed when reading the document. Her hesitation only confirmed what he knew to be true. She worried. He didn’t want her to worry, but assurances only went so far. Finding a new job was the only way to balance Cursebreaking as a career and lowering the risk. He wasn’t going to do that.

The promise was more symbolic than anything. Rhys felt good about the endeavor as a whole, minus the parts where it was always high risk and people worried. And the traveling, Rhys wanted to be home more, but it was a part he would just have to accept. She relented and signed where required, only the sound of the quill scratching the parchment in the temporary silence. He took the scroll back. An unbreakable vow would have motivated him to act a little safer, but it was a little overboard. He shook his head at the comment. The pillow distracted him from answering, not that he knew what to say. It wasn’t up to him if she worried, and she hadn’t tried to dissuade him from going either.

”I believe you.” Rhys placed the pillow on the couch. It was a pillow, so he didn’t care where it ended up. Taking a step back, he let his arm rest on her shoulders. It all looked very nice, even if the rhyme or reason for everything didn’t make sense to him. It was all just furniture in a room at first glance, which was fine for now since it would take Rhys some time to see a home instead.

[ end rhys ]

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