chemistry of a car crash | juniper

[rhys alexander greyback]

Just go and say

what's in your head

December 25, 2018
juniper minerva mcgonagall

Rhys tried to recall everything that had happened that night. It felt like some story someone made up that merely linked all these unlikely events together. Though all in all, Rhys was glad that he wasn’t quite in the center of it. And even with the unexpected events, Rhys felt he’d made a decent impression on her parents and at least her brother. Well, the glare didn’t seem as harsh as the one Ewan sent to his older sister’s latest boyfriend. But he could see where Ewan got it from, well, where all of them got it from since Minerva McGonagall eyed the boyfriend with such incredulity Rhys was convinced she forgot that he was even there.

He shook his head as he took off his jacket and threw it on one of the dining chairs. ”Did you know that the Hea—your aunt was going to be there?” Half of Rhys wondered if she left it out to save his nerves or if she really didn’t know. Either way, all the bits of stories Juniper had mentioned over the past two years all made sense. It was far different to see it in person, almost fascinating. He immediately went to the kitchen to fetch a glass of whiskey, which he immediately drank down. Despite it being over, Rhys still felt his nerves and needed to settle them. But then again, he’d pushed through his exhaustion from the full moon.

Leaving the glass in the kitchen, he returned and dropped himself on the couch. Merlin, he was exhausted. ”That Graham was quite a character.” He was loud, very loud. Even interrupting when Rhys was briefly answering Juniper’s father’s questions on Cursebreaking when everyone separated shortly after dinner. And Rhys had never seen anyone use a fork like that before, he wondered if maybe he had dreamt it all.

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[juniper minerva mcgonagall]

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Juniper didn't know if she was to be embarrassed or elated about how Christmas dinner went this year. The former because of how her sister and her new toy, Graham, acted, and the latter because Rhys had done splendidly around her family members. With the surprise arrival of her Aunt Minerva, things absolutely could have gone worse. But they were home now and it was time to decompress. She could tell Rhys had been nervous all evening, the instant run to the kitchen for whiskey signifying that he was in a hurry to wind down from it all. "Had no clue. Apparently my mum did, which doesn't surprise me that she forgot to mention it. I'm sure she had her reasons," Juniper responded back before collecting his jacket from the chair it had been slung over. She placed both it and hers on the coat rack before deciding anything else that was kicked off or in the wrong place could wait until morning. It was still Christmas after all.

The real reason her aunt had been invited was definitely to instill fear into both Rhys and Graham, though Juniper wondered why this had never happened with previous boyfriends of her sister. Hopefully this guy wasn't a serious consideration. Rhys not only blew him out of the water on all fronts, but by simply being a normal person he was better. She could see glances of jealousy every so often coming from her sister. It was too bad her personality drove all of her beaus off eventually.

While Rhys fixed himself the drink in the kitchen, Juniper switched over to her loungewear and met him back on the couch, immediately crashing down beside him. "He was horrid. I'm glad we won't have to see him again at the next family dinner." The only certain things in life we're death, taxes, and her sister's ability to rotate through new boyfriends as casually as one would make a sandwich. And her choice in fixings sucked. "I was really hoping my parents would buy her Blishwick's services for Christmas. It would prevent so many headaches." Supposedly the way they did things, the service matched people perfectly with their partner. She'd thought about it in the past, prior to knowing Rhys, mostly because she knew her personality would make it difficult to do on her own. Somehow she'd managed to get lucky.

rhys alexander greyback ● 397 ● Song by Artist

MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOX 2.0

[rhys alexander greyback]

Just go and say

what's in your head

December 25, 2018
juniper minerva mcgonagall

Rhys thought about Juniper’s older sister. The rapid changes in her expressions and her eyes darted up and down upon meeting him. The judgment was there. Rhys felt that. And the comment here and there that at least Graham never had to take sick time. And Rhys had to remind himself that this wasn’t some bully in the hallway at Hogwarts or Bagman taunting him, so he kept his mouth shut. Drinking quite a bit of water, if only to stop himself from responding. While he didn’t quite get the full description, her sister explained (in excruciating detail) how Graham had a very important position within the Ministry. He often worked in the Minister of Magic’s office. How else would the Minister sign decrees if the ink pots and quills were not restocked?

The pained expression on Ewan’s face told Rhys that some details might be missing. But the eye roll only confirmed that maybe Graham wasn’t as important as she made him out to be. And Graham went along with it until their Aunt joined them for dinner. She’d hardly sat down before launching questions to her niece’s boyfriends. Rhys was surprised but wasn’t that she knew exactly who he was. It was probably fair to say that as Headmistress, she kept an eye on all the werewolves in the student body. Every once in a while, he’d feel Juniper’s hand on his hand or on his leg. An act of encouragement or to try and calm him a bit. But as far as Rhys knew, his responses didn’t elicit any eye rolls or strange looks.

”What did he say he did again?” Rhys wasn’t well versed on all the Ministry positions, but maybe Juniper or Ewan could shed some light as employees. Juniper sat down next to Rhys, and he stretched so he could move his arm behind her. The further it had gotten in the night, he realized that if he’d gone straight from work to the full moon to meet her family, he would have absolutely had a more difficult time. ”You think that’ll work?” Rhys looked skeptical. He wasn’t sure how all that worked, nor did he know much about Blishwick, actually. With a sigh, he paused and closed his eyes for a moment. ”I think you were taller than him.” Rhys stifled a small laugh. It was hard for him to say since he was considerably taller, though not as tall as her brother or father. But before sitting for dinner, he could’ve sworn Graham’s shoes looked like they were designed to make him look taller—or maybe they were transfigured?

With the adrenaline leaving his system, the exhaustion felt a little heavier. Rhys pulled Juniper a little closer to him. It was nice. It was just them again. He found interactions with larger groups draining. ”I…I thought they would ask more questions.” Rhys admitted, just like Juniper asked him a lot of questions. The scenario he’d built in his mind was far more stressful than what he just went through. Or maybe the Headmistress of Hogwarts had already told them all about him and the amount of time he spent in detention rather than class.

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[juniper minerva mcgonagall]

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She hadn't realized how tired she was until she hit the couch. There was a lot to keep up with at McGonagall family dinners. Her sister being an exhausting terror was never a surprise but at least she had someone from outside of her immediate family to talk to about it now. There were points over the last two years where she didn't know if Rhys believed her or not, because there were plenty of stories that didn't make sense at all out of context. "Office supply coordinator in the Maintenance and Supply department," Juniper responded as she sunk deeper into the couch and Rhys. The weight of it all lifted away when they had moments like this afterwards. With the bustle of Christmas done now, it finally felt peaceful. To say she wasn't nervous about introducing Rhys was an understatement. Everything turned out alright though.

"But I know for a fact he's barely higher up than the interns in the department. I bet his superiors hate him." The Ministry had all sorts of nepotism and suck-ups, most relying on their namesakes to get a leg up. Graham was not a legacy name from what she could tell, so that left him with his passion for paper products and obliviousness towards his own annoying personality. "I am taller than him," she added quickly, shifting Rhys's arm all the way around her. He made Graham look like a child. It was hilarious.

When it came to her sister's future prospects in love and romance though, Juniper was positive that Blishwick was the only way for her to move forward. There was always an infinite supply of idiot boyfriends for her to pull from at the Ministry, but there was going to be a point where even she realized it wasn't working out. She wasn't that stupid. "If she wants anything serious, then yes. Blishwick's advertisements make it sound like it's flawless once he pairs people up."

She paused before immediately responding to Rhys's next comment. The obvious reason that they didn't ask much was because Graham had dominated everything even when he wasn't involved. The other was that Juniper had told them a lot already, and her parents knew when not to pry. Mainly because she was sure they feared alienating her when she finally managed to pull off what once seemed like the impossible. "If you want, I can give them a questionnaire for next time," she teased.

rhys alexander greyback ● 408 ● Song by Artist

MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOX 2.0

[rhys alexander greyback]

Just go and say

what's in your head

December 25, 2018
juniper minerva mcgonagall

Rhys cringed. Not for himself but for the other guy. The things people did to feel important, he wondered how many of his fellow trainees were there for that same reason. Sure, Cursebreaking had its glory due to the gold and the adventures, but for Rhys, it was just work. But the more he learned, the less he felt out of place. Maybe it was the right place for him. Respect is earned through ability and merit, and Rhys could certainly hold his own in the field. Merlin, he would simply die of boredom if his only job every day was to manage office supplies.

And he was so…short. Rhys had once been that height, and he wasn’t anymore. Though with his genetics, it was probably impossible. Fenrir was said to have been this large beast. It made sense Rhys was so tall. ”If he wasn’t so…happy I’d say he was one of the goblins from the bank.” They were short but hardly known for being happy or cheerful. This individual walked around like he was floating on a cloud. Or at least Rhys thought so, or maybe someone jinxed him to help make dinner more pleasant. He hadn’t thought of that till now.

”I’m glad your Aunt stopped him before he tried to stack all the dishes, silverware, and whatever else was on the table.” Apparently, he had a “gift” for stacking things, so everything fit efficiently. He’d learned because of how many office supplies the Ministry went through. While Juniper’s sister beamed with pride, the rest of the table stared. Not in wonder or amazement, but probably wondering if this was happening. Maybe she would have better luck with Blishwick. ”Do you think she wants something serious?” For a short while in Rhys’ life, before he got to know Juniper, he had approached the notion of casual dating. At the time, he had not considered the idea of something serious simply because he was who he was.

But here they were. They had made it through two years and past meeting her family. ”No. Please don’t.” His reaction was immediate but light. He was used to all the random probing questions from classmates and even the few he got from his trainers or trainees. It just felt odd that of all people to not pry, it would be Juniper’s parents. Today it had occurred to Rhys that he really wanted Juniper’s family to like him. Moments like this he felt lucky that he wasn’t so alone in this life. But then he always wondered why? Rhys would never share that he almost asked her that question in that potions class earlier that year. But then Rhys realized he was afraid of the answer as much as not knowing.

Either way he was glad for the lack of questions, he wasn’t accustomed to talking about himself much as Juniper would note. Rhys often didn’t share without prompting. It was no wonder it took two years to discover he’d never decorated a Christmas tree. Did he trust her? Of course. But Rhys wouldn’t be able to stand it if she just pitied him after hearing about his life and the things he’d seen and grown up with. For now he tried to settle his frayed nerves and sitting with her seemed to help. ”At least there’s no veritaserum involved.” Rhys spoke wearily.

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[juniper minerva mcgonagall]

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"I didn't think it was appropriate to ask...but he might be part-goblin. His ears were slightly pointed i think." Add that to the shorter stature and his quirks about stacking, which Rhys reminded her of again, and it sort of made sense. Orderly plates and papers were similar enough to stacks of gold, right? Not that there was anything wrong with demi-humans. She was quite literally sunk into the shoulders of a werewolf right now. If her sister wanted to shag a part-goblin, vampire, veela, whatever - it didn't matter to her. That sort of thing didn't carry a taboo anymore thankfully.

As for her sister's proclivity to moving through men at lightning speed, that she wasn't sure of. Juniper hesitated as she thought about the best way to answer it. "If she doesn't, then I don't really understand why she talks so much about each one and brings them around to meet the whole family. I'd say it's jealousy, but she's been doing this way longer than we've been together." The two of them had never competed before in anything either, so it couldn't be that. Unless she was completely oblivious to her sister wanting that sort of relationship with her. Juniper knew neither of them had the time for that sort of crap though. And Rhys was honestly a better catch than any of the poor guys her sister had shown off before and would definitely continue to be for the foreseeable future. Literally all of them were losers like Graham. They were all cut from the same cloth. At least she had a type.

"Are you sure?" she continued to tease. "With what's his name gone, next time should be easier." Even if it was just the two of them and her parents. They didn't need to make a habit out of it, but going for dinner every once in a while would be nice. As it stood, she occasionally did that when she was on her own for the weekend. Why eat alone when she could see her parents?

Rhys added that he was glad veritaserum wasn't involved. She snorted at that. "The McGonagall scowl has been said to be stronger. Thought you'd know that by now," she leaned up to kiss him on the side of the face. The glare came from her aunt, and the mannerisms definitely showed in each family member. Even her sister on occasion.

She wasn't sure what part of their conversation reminded her, or if it was her eyes wandering onto the lit Christmas tree, but she suddenly hopped off the couch and ran to one of the presents that was sat there. They hadn't exchanged gifts yet, as she had wanted to get the family stuff out of the way first. And with that over, it was finally time: the ugly sweater. A gag gift mostly, but she also wanted to see him wearing it because it was hilarious. Watching him open it, she had to contain her laughter, as the first thing she saw as it was unfolded was the image of the two knitted dogs humping one another. "Please, you have to wear it," she pled through a fit of giggles. "At least once. I had to get it for you. I'll do whatever you want if you do."

rhys alexander greyback ● 552 ● Song by Artist

MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOX 2.0

[rhys alexander greyback]

Just go and say

what's in your head

December 25, 2018
juniper minerva mcgonagall

Sometimes Rhys’ physical reactions were quicker than any verbal response, and this case was no different. He wouldn’t put it past Juniper to create a list of prepared questions for another interaction. They’d seemed fine with him, from what he could gather. Years of interactions with strangers taught him to note when someone didn’t want him there. But it also had the effect of letting his mind run wild with such a thought and spiral into the worst scenarios. If anything, he’d feel the glare from Juniper’s brother now and then. But Juniper’s sister did Rhys a favor when he thought about it. It hadn’t been difficult to appear presentable against Graham.

Hopefully, his grimace gave Juniper her answer. Maybe he’d feel more comfortable with stuff like this one day, but that day had yet to arrive. Rhys agreed with her, the Headmistress simply had to look at a student, and they were compelled to admit their transgressions. Fortunately, Rhys never had been in that seat. At most, his Head of House had gotten involved in whatever trouble he’d found. A slow grin crept onto his face when she kissed him, and he lazily turned his head to see her from where she’d nestled into his side. She had so much faith in him he felt lucky. The calm of the moment made Rhys want to bring her closer to just enjoy it. Training kept him away for various lengths of time, it wasn’t easy on them, but they managed.

Juniper had other ideas, however. And she leapt off the couch and toward the tree. Rhys watched curiously as she grabbed a gift, but he saw the look in her eye and raised an eyebrow. And then he confirmed his suspicions. A sweater with two dogs humping one another. Rhys looked at Juniper, who was giggling but looking at him intently. Asking him to wear the sweater. When she asked again, Rhys was ready to protest but didn't. She always had those big blue eyes when she wanted him to do something, but she also offered an incentive. With a sigh, Rhys stood up and began to unbutton his shirt. ”Fine…” He mumbled as he slipped the sweater on. This was ridiculous, he looked ridiculous. But he’d done the thing. Rhys approached Juniper, confidently puffing his chest out a bit to better show the dogs as if she would doubt he’d done what she asked. ”Whatever I want?”

[ end ]

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