break my fall | juniper

[rhys alexander greyback]

there is no end to me

or beginning to you

September 2023
juniper minerva mcgonagall

The grim reality had not hit Rhys in the face until the funeral. His face had paled, and some invisible force sat on his chest until he could barely breathe as the room seemed to close around him. The image of Sage Grimstone standing next to a casket that held the body of her deceased identical twin sister was seared into his brain forever. Identical—but without the same fire behind her eyes. Had Juniper not been there to hold his hand, Rhys likely would’ve collapsed then and there or simply run out of the place. But he got through it. They got through it. And like a sad school reunion, so many familiar faces lined the room. Rhys hardly noticed or felt Dolohov’s eyes boring into the side of his head as she eyed Juniper and Nell, who stood with him.

The physical wounds healed, scars lingered where specialized Healers surmised curses struck them, and life continued. Juniper had helped Rhys get home and bugged him to take his potions and eat something that wasn’t whiskey. Archer had a large family, but Rhys didn’t. It was crazy to think they were entering September now with the visible changes to their scenery and weather. Rhys felt guarded but comforted with Juniper nearby, but whatever she felt was a mystery to him. And within that first week, he’d decided not to push it even though all those old buried feelings began to crawl back to the surface. But hardly a week passed before Rhys woke up, a strange new nightmare fresh in his mind as he fumbled for whiskey in the dark. Juniper found him in the kitchen. And without thinking and feeling desperate for some kind of connection, he’d kissed her.

Much to his surprise, Juniper had not cursed him into the following week or transfigured him into an ant. The rest of the summer passed, and Rhys dutifully filled out form after form from the bank’s legal department while completing interviews with the solicitors and other bank personnel. Not to mention the follow-up appointments at St Mungo's and finally explaining to his much younger half-sister that he’d gotten injured but was fine. Days like this one were almost atypical, where he could just sit at home and read. But the post had just arrived, and Rhys examined an envelope in his hands. The logo from Merlin’s Mystical Museum of Magic shifted colors in contrast to the old parchment.

But why would they write to him? Carefully, he tore the top of the envelope and let his finger tear open the rest of the way. Inside were several pages, handwritten, which Rhys began to read through. By the time he got to page three, Rhys had started walking around his flat. First, he went to the kitchen for a drink and then to the bedroom to find one of the potions he took around this time. And then his feet automatically took him back to the kitchen to refill the glass left behind. When he returned to the living room, his front door opened. ”Hey…” He said quickly, still distracted as he finished page six.

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[juniper minerva mcgonagall]

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The last three months had been emotionally charged far more than she had realized they would be when she had offered to help Rhys get back on his feet following the accident. At first it just made sense because he didn’t have anyone else. She felt guilty too, that her warnings for all of their years together had finally come to fruition after they had broken up. And it was also because she needed someone who could understand the pain that she was going through. Juniper knew herself well enough that being on her own and trying to come to terms with Saffron’s death would lead her into an uncontrollable spiral. Making friends was hard for her. Rhys was truly her first, and Saff came as an extension of that through his work. Then it was just Saffron again. And now she was gone. Back to square one of whatever this re-ignited relationship was that she had with Rhys again. Her parents weren’t exactly thrilled when she told them, having been on the other end of her pain from the first time. She suspected they knew she was doing it for selfish reasons. To push off the pain of losing her only friend. Her sister had been quite a bit more cavalier about it, offering to help instead if she couldn’t do it. Juniper shot that down immediately. Because if anyone was going to have Rhys, it was going to be her again.

So that was how things had gone throughout his recovery. While she wasn’t living there with him life before, she had been spending more and more time in the old apartment as of late. For the time being, it felt safer to maintain her current flat. Less as a just in case things went south again and more as a way to have a place to herself to decompress in if she needed it. That hadn’t been needed yet, which was sort of a surprise, but Rhys also hadn’t been working. She obviously didn’t want to get her hopes up because she knew what cursebreaking meant to him…yet she had a feeling like the accident and shock of Saffron’s death would maybe the straw that finally broke the camel’s back. If that was the case and he shifted gears into a different, safer career, well, she figured they could start having certain conversations about the future of their relationship again. That it had to come at the expense of Saff absolutely killed her, but that was how it was always going to be. And she had warned him so many times.

Stopping by after work had almost become routine for her at this point, even if she wasn’t spending the night. Lately, her own work had become hell. Hogwarts was hosting the Triwizard Tournament. She had known about it since the previous spring, as immediately following the exam season, her entire department was forced to shift gears and start working on curriculum for Beauxbatons and Durmstrang as well. Something about having joint educational experiences for all three schools. That meant learning their classes and workloads and trying to apply that with the help of their respective governments as well. The French were absolutely horrid to deal with too. Each and every single one of her counterparts there had their wands shoved so far up their own backsides that it was infuriating on a daily basis. And with the champion selections happening soon, both schools were starting to get on her nerves. As if her department controlled that!

Unlocking the door to Rhys’s apartment and entering in a huff, she looked up as she dropped her bag on the floor to see him pacing back and forth with a rather thick set of letters in his hands. Her immediate thought was something bank related. Gringotts had been sending him legal paperwork for weeks now, but he never walked around reading those. This was something else. ”Hey,” she returned the greeting as she kicked her shoes off and walked over to him, kissing him on the cheek while simultaneously trying to see what he was reading. Now that she was closer, it definitely didn’t look like the stock paper that Gringotts used. ”Someone writing you a love letter?” she teased while trying to figure out what it was.

rhys alexander greyback ● 719 ● Song by Artist

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[rhys alexander greyback]

there is no end to me

or beginning to you

September 2023
juniper minerva mcgonagall

The pair had always created comfortable routines quickly. A few times, one or the other couldn’t suppress their grief anymore, and it spilled over in some fashion. Greif had been the only constant companion in Rhys’ life, but in that regard, he’d grown accustomed to it. But now he had more to carry. Whiskey helped, especially when he couldn’t sleep, and Juniper wasn’t there. The bitterness created by her presence at the hospital had quickly left as soon as she’d shared Saffron’s fate. And it seemed to suit both of them. Merlin knew he needed somebody—her when it all felt like too much, and even attempting to numb it with whiskey had only turned him into a blubbering mess.

They still had their own flats, Rhys finally visiting Juniper’s at one point. Rhys physically healed and became more independent, which worked out with Juniper’s increased workload. She told Rhys about the Tri-Wizard Tournament, and they both shared concerns about that, especially considering the King’s Cross incident over the summer. They occasionally saw Archer and shared stories and memories about their fallen friend. During a separate visit, sans Juniper, Archer meekly shared his concerns about Rhys’ situation, but it was hardly the browbeating lecture from Saffron he was used to. In the end, both Archer and Rhys were trying to find their new perspectives on life.

Putting his glass down, he moved the letter to his free hand, letting his arm slip behind Juniper as she kissed him on the cheek. His eyes finished the page before he could turn his to her, looking pleased she was here but also giving her a look at the mention of a ‘love letter’. Wouldn’t that be ridiculous? ”No.” He responded simply, giving Juniper a quick kiss before he pulled his arm back and drank from his nearby glass again. The whiskey’s burn was so familiar now he hardly even winced anymore. The last page had three sentences and the author's signature. It felt like a waste of a page, though not as much as page eight, which only read ’This page intentionally left blank.’ Furrowing his brow, Rhys turned it over to confirm it was also blank before shuffling the first page back in front.

Rhys paused a moment before holding out letters to Juniper in case she wanted to see them. ”Merlin’s Mystical Museum of Magic.” He spoke, forgetting about the envelope with the shifting colored ink on the coffee table. Picking up his empty glass, Rhys paused momentarily while processing its contents. ”They want me to work for them.” With that, he went to the kitchen for a refill. The idea of leaving the bank had floated around but hadn’t been brought up. Subconsciously, Rhys probably knew it was an emotionally charged subject for them, and he was enjoying this rekindling far too much to derail it. Returning to the living room, he returned to where he previously stood but leaned casually on the edge of his desk. ”They want me to come in next week and see how I like it.” Like a probationary period for the Museum as an employer and Rhys as an employee. Especially while he was out of work. Should the bank deem him ‘retired’, he would already have work at Merlin’s, or if the bank allowed him to return, he could do so. The idea didn’t sound so bad, even if it was a drastic change. The same anxieties that previously plagued him didn’t, or at least not as much.

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It was slightly scary how easily they had slipped back into things. An entire year had passed since the break-up. A whole trip around the sun, figuring out what was actually best for her. And somehow, she ended up right back here. Juniper refused to think that this was just the honeymoon-phase 2.0, because that would mean she was already thinking of an out. So far, it hadn’t come to that, and she quite liked the lack of cursebreaking currently in her life. The job had caused far too much heartache and pain these last few months. She didn’t think it was too much to ask to be happy for a little while.

Watching him finish reading the letter, unable to catch any key words or phrases while hovering next to him, she was surprised at how open he was about telling her. That wouldn’t have happened last year. A yelling match would have ensued, leading to one of them storming out or locking themselves in the bedroom. While feeling hesitant about moving forward was completely understandable, Juniper was fairly certain that she had a clearer head now than she did a year ago.

”Wait, really?” she said, rather dumbfounded by the offer that was being made to him. This was…amazing? Taking the offered letter, she started to quickly skim through them as Rhys walked off towards the kitchen. She almost couldn’t believe what she was reading. If only she had thought about the museum years ago! Their trip there a few years prior had proven that he knew his stuff and would absolutely be well within his element working there instead of as a cursebreaker.

He explained that they wanted him to work the following week, and she looked back and forth between him and the letter. ”You’re going to do it, right?” Juniper knew she had no standing on his choices anymore. Even in this weird, pseudo-rekindling they had going on right now. This wasn’t what they had before, at least not yet. She would be just as frustrated if he came walking in and started to demand she change her job. Last year, it would have been different.

”I mean, I think you’d be great at it. You’ve always loved it there, and there are plenty of different exhibits you could help with. Plus, you have the experience now, and…” And it was safe. Where he couldn’t get himself killed too. She had to take a deep breath to ground herself, as she felt a slight wave of emotions trying to take over. It wasn’t wrong to grieve, but now wasn’t the time for that. ”I think you should try it. There’s no harm in it, and it’s not like the bank is going to call you back just yet.”

rhys alexander greyback ● 463 ● Song by Artist

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[rhys alexander greyback]

there is no end to me

or beginning to you

September 2023
juniper minerva mcgonagall

Rhys hadn’t hesitated when sharing the information with Juniper. A stark difference from their time before. Then again, it was all familiar and nice but without the tension and weight in the air that had lingered so long near the end. They hadn’t fought, yelled, screamed, or slammed doors outside of Rhys with the occasionally snippy or hangry comment, especially in those first few days at home when he really hadn’t felt like drinking the cauldron amount of potions they sent with him. And Rhys bounced between a genuine appreciation he was still here to see the next day and an overwhelming guilt on why he, a nobody, survived over someone with so much life in them—Saffron.

Talk about a small wake-up call. Little by little, certain things in the past didn’t seem to matter. And had Juniper not been at the hospital, Rhys probably would have eventually sought her out because she had always mattered to him. Juniper just about jumped up and down with glee as she skimmed the letter he’d taken his time to read. Finishing this new glass quickly, he placed it on the desk, figuring it was enough for now. He opened his mouth to respond, but she’d jumped in again. So Rhys just watched her with a soft expression.

Stress didn’t weigh him down, not like during his suspension. If anything, he’d tried his best to keep his mind clear these days. It was hit or miss, but Rhys hadn’t realized he’d also worked himself to the bone in the last year as another distraction. Crossing his arms lightly, Rhys’ eyes stared down as he thought. And he gave a light shrug but not to be dismissive. ”Yeah, I mean—I still want to think about it. But you’re right, couldn’t hurt…” The idea of change left that familiar feeling behind. That was expected. ”The letter just caught me by surprise.” And as his eyes had gone through those several pages, he’d also branched out into different ideas and possibilities.

Some of those possibilities made his heart race more than others. But he was tired of standing for now, so he moved to the couch and sat in one of the corners to make himself comfortable. ”I could see my siblings more.” With a flat in London and work in Wales, hopping over to Hogsmeade was hardly a trek. Rhys paused again, wondering if he wanted to share his next thought just yet. Whatever they had rekindled that night when Rhys had kissed Juniper had yet to be defined. And the memory of the breakup and rejection was still painful. But he could already see and hear Saffron yelling and motion, ‘What are you waiting for?’ Moments like this still left him feeling like that scrawny sixteen-year-old boy in the Astronomy Tower.

”And we could see each other more, too—if you want.” Rhys added lightly. It was the best his brain could do for the moment in terms of offering some kind of plan that included a reconciliation. But his nerves were still a wreck since returning home overall. ”We can talk about it later…” He offered up, clearing his throat lightly. He wasn’t usually in the habit of putting people on the spot, and he hated it being done to him. ”How was dealing with the French Ministry today?” Rhys asked, taking a hard right to her work. She’d shared how busy it had been lately.

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She didn't necessarily need to read the whole letter, and after a couple of pages, got there gist of what they were asking for in terms of potential employment. Even if it was a 'step down' from cursebreaking, it was infinitely safer. What was the worst that could happen as an archivist? Maybe watching a school group almost knock some artifacts over? Tell kids not to run in the corridors? Because if he needed the history itch that cursebreaking gave, this place would still have it. She also assumed there was someone sent out for acquisitions, which he'd be great at. Literally everything about this was amazing, and she felt the excitement starting to bubble up. The fact that he had the option to decline said job wasn't registering with her currently, and she was already fully committed to pushing him gently towards the museum. Because that, she could work with.

Then he mentioned how he could see his siblings more, the newly discovered ones. And her. Juniper beamed, forgetting about what getting her hopes up had done last time. Those words had never really been said in that manner before. "Okay," she answered. Just knowing it was a possibility had her feeling like she was in the clouds. There wouldn't be any communication issues if he was doing a normal work day at the museum. How couldn't she be happy about that?

Setting the letter down in his desk as the conversation changed to her day, Juniper tried to not let the intrusive thoughts of her opinions on the French government leak out too much. She still groaned at it as she threw herself down into the couch. "Beauxbatons has been communicating through them, to us, for us to tell Hogwarts how the Abraxan that pull their carriage need to be fed. Apparently they have an extremely specific diet that they can't deviate from." Her frustration over that conversation earlier in the day clearly hadn't dissipated yet. "Why can't they just talk to the groundskeeper, or whoever is watching them? It would save so much time!" Stupid international bureaucracy. And why were they going through her department? That didn't make any sense at all! "I'm already ready for it to be done. The Ministry wants us to put together an educational pamphlet about the history of the Yule Ball too. As if the students are going to read that," she rolled her eyes before sinking further back into the couch. She'd missed this couch.

rhys alexander greyback ● 415 ● Song by Artist

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[rhys alexander greyback]

there is no end to me

or beginning to you

September 2023
juniper minerva mcgonagall

Rhys felt a bit of relief, feeling his shoulders relax a little. He hadn’t realized he’d tensed up. And since Juniper had not outright said ‘no’ or let him down gently, there was that little bit of hope. His relationship hope had always been a tenuous one because of how often the other shoe seemed to drop in Rhys’ life, but he couldn’t help it. Things weren’t perfect, of course. His best friend was still dead, but Juniper back in his life was the closest to feeling whole he could find, and that was something to look forward to. If she didn't, he decided to bring it up again later or tomorrow.

In hindsight, things had usually been better with Rhys home. A steady nine to five seemed to fit that bill. Not that Rhys was even remotely thinking about the nuances of such a lifestyle and how fidgety he felt sitting still for this long. The way Juniper collapsed on the couch told him all he needed to know about the French Ministry of Magic. But Rhys knew he’d visited France a few times for work and wasn’t sure if he should volunteer for another Siberian expedition during a blistering cold January instead. ”Don’t we have diplomats to deal with that stuff?” What did diplomats and ambassadors do if they pushed all this international work to solicitors and the Department of Magical Education?

Or maybe it was some technicality because the schools were involved. ”I had to visit Beauxbatons once. Archer almost got into it with the Potions Professor.” Archer was the calm one on their team. His mood rarely swayed so far one way or the other as Rhys and Saffron’s had, nor was he quick to temper. In a way, he’d been the anchor as much as Saffron had been the heart. Rhys didn’t go into the rest of the details. The story of Rhys holding Saffron back by the back of her cloak before she mauled the Librarian was for another day. But, they’d needed information from former Cursebreakers now teaching at the school.

”I’m glad we never had to deal with that.” Immediately, he wondered what a night of constantly running away from Dolohov wouldn’t been like. Or what kind of fights he would have gotten into with the visiting students. ”Do you all get to attend, or do they just make you do all the work?” Rhys asked, though teased a little. He knew the frustration of grunt work.

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Everything about the Triwizard Tournament was a colossal headache that was being thrust on very specific departments that were perceived to be 'lesser'. Which was hilarious considering what she did determined the education and examination for all students, who would then become the future workforce. But yeah, throw a bunch of diplomatic abraxan shit on her team because they were totally trained for that. At Rhys's comment, Juniper, threw her hands up in an aggressive, sarcastic shrug. "They're too busy wining and dining their counterparts, and so are their teams. So somehow it falls on us." Frustrating wasn't the best way to describe it, because she was positive she was past that point. It was more like an exhausted defeat, which happened to fall on her at one of her lowest points ever.

Rhys went on to tell a story about visiting the school and Archer getting into a tuft with a professor there. She was amazed that they hadn't been invited, because with all of the superfluous fluff Beauxbatons was requesting, she figured they would want to brag and show off a little more. "I'm sure the students will have a great time. Most of them have never even seen another magical school before..." And neither had she, at that. Juniper wished she had though. "Would you have put your name in if it'd happened when we were seventh years?" she asked. Rhys was far different now than he had been during school, even from sixth to seventh year. Obviously the cursebreaker training changed him plenty too.

"I do, actually. And I get an extra ticket too." She hadn't planned on saying anything to him until the First Task got closer, because she wasn't completely sure when his recovery would be 'finished'. Or whether or not taking him to an event that could play host to explosions and other violent magic usage was smart. She still didn't really know what happened, and wasn't sure that she actually did. "So if you want to go...we can."

rhys alexander greyback ● 336 ● Song by Artist

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[rhys alexander greyback]

there is no end to me

or beginning to you

September 2023
juniper minerva mcgonagall

Rhys couldn’t imagine what the Ministry of Magic looked like these days. He supposed even the interoffice memos were fighting for room in the lifts. One of those all-hands-on-deck situations. And now, more than ever, he was very glad he didn’t sit at a desk in one of those nine-to-five jobs. But Juniper’s question caught him off guard. He didn’t have an immediate answer to it. Rhys paused, chewing lightly on the inside of his cheek while he thought through such a scenario. ”No.” It was his honest answer. He didn’t know what the Goblet’s criteria were for a champion, though he doubted it kept track of a student’s detention record.

”The last thing I ever wanted was attention.” The impossible dream he entered his first year with—to blend in like all the other kids, even with the full moon absences. Unfortunately, the target appeared on his back the second his name was called for the Sorting Hat. ”You?” Rhys asked the same question. The whole thing would’ve been chaotic, Rhys felt. The fact that it was still occurring this year after the summer’s events felt chaotic as well.

Before he could stop himself, Rhys inadvertently raised an eyebrow. He was surprised and also intrigued. However, his guard immediately told him not to get his hopes up. ”Really?” He was such a creature of habit, pushing thoughts out of his mind left and right during the pause between her statements. But then Juniper made her offer. Lightly, he nodded in approval. It was sort of a once-in-a-lifetime type of deal. ”Alright.” He agreed. ”I’ll have to double-check my calendar. So many things going on these days, you know.” Rhys teased. Whether he was at the museum or here, he had all the time in the world.

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It was strange. The whole time while working on the tournament, she had never once thought about whether or not she would have thrown her name into the goblet. Juniper paused to think about it as the question came back to her. On one hand, she maybe would have for the chance at being able to actually put her magic into practice. On the other, she was a scrawny little kid at seventeen. Merlin, she still sort of was. There were plenty of their classmates that would have a better shot at representing and winning for Hogwarts. She couldn't very well transfigure the obstacles in every challenge into tea cups and call it a day. Though that did sound sort of fun...

"I don't know..." she answered honestly, mostly to buy a couple more seconds to think on it. "I think I had the right attitude for it, but not the physicality or magical capabilities to succeed in it." She knew she was underselling herself by quite a lot there. Even five years later, Juniper was quite aware of the fact that there weren't many other witches and wizards at the same level as she was with transfiguration magic. "I probably would have debated doing it right until the last moment, driving you mad while talking about it endlessly for the whole month, and then getting cold feet." That sounded about right to her.

She nodded her head that she was serious about having the extra ticket. "Oh really? Lots of meetings to attend?" she joked. Going between the bedroom, couch, and kitchen wasn't exactly difficult work. And for the first couple of weeks, it hadn't even been that due to his injuries. "But it's looking like mid-November is when the first task will be. Even if you do have work, I doubt they'll blame you for going. Not like these things happen often."

rhys alexander greyback ● 315 ● Song by Artist

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[rhys alexander greyback]

there is no end to me

or beginning to you

September 2023
juniper minerva mcgonagall

Giving it a second thought, Rhys also figured that such an ancient event and ceremony would hardly have held a place for a werewolf. Times were changing, and Rhys tried his best to consider how his circumstances might have been a century or two ago, but more could be done. Would it happen? Probably not. Besides, it hardly mattered with a last name such as his. Only so much could be done to change the bias a name brought to one’s mind. He kept such thoughts to himself while Juniper answered the question. Rhys raised a questioning eyebrow. ”You do recall having the highest marks in our class, right?” Juniper would’ve handled herself just fine on the magic front and perhaps made up for her small stature simultaneously.

Lightly, Rhys chuckled. She was right about one thing—if overthinking had been a NEWT level course, Juniper would have aced it with better marks than Rhys. ”I might’ve pushed you to the Goblet myself.” Either that or refuse to speak to her until she put her name in or never speak of it again. In all likelihood it was either Rhys wouldn’t have minded, or he would have grown annoyed and moody by the repetitive topic. It was always a flip of a coin with him. She didn’t seem to believe his excuse, however. Rhys grinned. He missed these lighthearted moments with his close friends. He missed them with her.

”Didn’t you hear? I’m in high demand.” A quick and smug grin appeared on his face. It wasn’t likely Gringotts would want him back before the year’s end and even if the Museum didn’t work out, he would be here. Rhys hadn’t really thought through career alternatives. Before the letter had arrived, Rhys had actively avoided thinking about it. The Museum letter opened a door he had actively ignored for years, but for the first time it was a serious consideration in his life. He supposed they could stay in the village. Rhys honestly hadn’t visited since the breakup the previous year. That left a strange feeling in his stomach—surely Juniper’s family all hated him now. But Rhys didn’t bring up the thought, keeping it to himself for now to bring up at some other point.

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"Yeah, well, doesn't mean I'd be good at it," she mumbled through. Because Rhys was right; she probably would have been stellar if she actually had the chance. But saying that out loud herself felt egotistical to her. Being ashamed of her high marks all these years later was really because she finally knew what she had missed out on in terms of social interactions. Had she spent less time with her nose in books, would she have paid attention to Rhys earlier? Or found that Saffron was actually pretty cool to hang out with? Hindsight hurt a lot, especially now. She would do anything for an extra day, let alone a couple of years with her friend again. Thinking about Saff again made her stomach knot up slightly, and she grabbed one of the poorly fluffed throw pillows and held onto it tightly until the momentary sadness passed once again. It came in waves, only deviating from whatever was going on for a second or two before she could return back to the way she'd been before.

She rolled her eyes at him, knowing that physically getting her to the goblet wouldn't be that difficult to do. "I wish they'd tell us what the first task was. It's not like it's that far away..." Juniper understood the secrecy of it was important, but she wanted to know. That way she could think of how she would complete it. How she would do it better. Merlin, Rhys was right. She definitely had the capabilities of being a champion in their time. Except running around. Her endurance for physics activities definitely needed some work. She climbed less stairs now than she had at Hogwarts too.

"I guess you are." And she couldn't be happier than she currently was because of that. At the same time, she felt stupid for not suggesting this years earlier. All of those fights would have been avoided. A nice, quiet job at the museum sounded so pleasant too. If he didn't take it, she definitely would. Then she could brag about it to him and try to guilt him into joining her there. The safety alone was worth it. "I think you'll like it there. You literally didn't stop talking about the exhibits when we went." Which was obviously a positive. Juniper figured if she could force the career change, she'd win out in the long run.

rhys alexander greyback ● 401 ● Song by Artist

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[rhys alexander greyback]

there is no end to me

or beginning to you

September 2023
juniper minerva mcgonagall

Dwelling in what-ifs was an easy way for one’s mind to travel to dark places. Overall, Rhys supposed he was grateful the Tri-Wizard Tournament had occurred now rather than during their school years. The last thing he needed were bullies or people with a bone to pick with Fenrir from other schools. Whether the taunt or insult was in English or French, Rhys would have lost his temper either way. Avoiding the past was difficult these days, especially with important chunks of time missing in his memory. It stood out when the rest of the year was a blur.

Rhys had worked himself to the bone for the better part of a year. Even taking work without the usual team. It wasn’t about the money (though he couldn’t complain), but he remained exhausted enough to sleep most nights. The sudden jump to empty days left him with far too much time to think. Rhys noted Juniper shift and grab a pillow. Such things always stood out for a few reasons. First, his career made him highly observant of the activity around him, and second, Juniper wasn’t the fidgeting type like Rhys. Casually, he reached out and let his hand sit lightly just above her knee. A year apart didn’t change how well they knew one another below the surface.

”Its part of the experience.” And also to prevent cheating and all those things. Rhys remembered skimming something about it in one of his history books. Cheating was always a concern, whether it was this Tournament or the Quidditch World Cup. There was something intensely competitive about everything in the Wizarding World. It was no wonder Juniper fit right in. Rhys’ drive had a different edge to it. Rhys made a slightly disapproving face. ”I don’t think tour guides are paid that well.” Nor was he interested in such a role. Such a public-facing role had never interested him, nor did he have the patience. ”I think it's just getting exhibits and stuff like that.” Rhys didn’t know, but that was his assumption. Museums needed people to build their collections and not display cursed objects. ”I’ll find out more next week.” He assured her. There wasn’t much else on the topic to discuss, and Rhys wasn’t sure if he felt as excited about it as Juniper seemed, but he kept that to himself. It would be fascinating to see behind the scenes and occupy his time.

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[juniper minerva mcgonagall]

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She supposed not knowing in advance was important. That sort of ruined it, in her opinion. Because she wanted to know. For all the work she was being forced to put in, it only seemed fair at this point. Surely the Department of Magical Games and Sports knew by now. Wriggling the details out of them couldn’t be all that difficult either, especially with the task only a little over a month away. Free tickets was good enough as a payment for her, she supposed. It worked as a good way to make amends with Rhys if things were going to start trending positive for them again.

Such an idea made her entire body buzz when she thought of it. A second chance; a way to improve and build upon the problems they had before. Juniper knew it wouldn’t be easy and that they were definitely in a honeymoon-esque period once again. The only good part being that getting over the awkwardness of newly dating didn’t exist between them. The few attempts at dating she’d made during the past year had only served as a distraction more than anything else. It never went anywhere. It never felt like being with Rhys. His reassuring hand on her leg as she held onto the pillow was the sort of thing she had missed.

Back to his potentially new career path though, and Juniper realized that she had started to push it again. The last time she had focused so intensely on his job, well, it ended up with the total annihilation of their relationship and months of distraught, hermit-like behavior. ”Still, you’d be good at it,” Juniper reiterated. There was no denying that at all. She could wait a week to see how it went. ”I think I might leave the department after the Tournament,” Juniper offered, a lack of seriousness in her voice. ”I don’t really want to keep making exams every year…it isn’t fulfilling at all. This whole business as of late has really made me start to question if I’m actually happy there, or if I only did it because working for the Ministry was an obvious thing to do.”

rhys alexander greyback ● 361 ● Song by Artist

MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOX 2.0

[rhys alexander greyback]

there is no end to me

or beginning to you

September 2023
juniper minerva mcgonagall

Nobody ever would go out of their way to describe Rhys as a people person. And he was okay with that. The people in his close inner circle were enough, plus the more recent additions of two younger half-siblings. And the important thing was that he’d chosen these people in a way, and it was the closest he’d ever get to a family of sorts. However, the downside was evident. The physical pain he still felt at Saffron’s loss felt greater than the physical pain he’d endured since the accident. Still, Juniper’s presence had greatly helped. It mattered to him that the one person who really knew him under the surface was here and had stuck by him.

A glimmer of hope had begun to appear over the past few months. Hindsight hadn’t cleared much about the past as he would have liked, but hadn’t Rhys been able to do anything he set his mind to? Why couldn’t he get this to work this time? Rhys looked softly at Juniper. Her faith in him had always been unwavering in a way. She never cared his father was a monster or that he was a werewolf. The majority of his thoughts would fill with doubts if not for her words. ”Really?” Rhys was honestly surprised. She was a talented witch, so he supposed she could do anything, really. And family connections probably helped. But Rhys hadn’t ever pictured her working anywhere else.

”What about a different department or do you have something else in mind?” She was still a bit young for teaching. Rhys only knew that as he’d considered the profession for all of thirty seconds before passing. Her entire family seemed to work at the Ministry of Magic, so where did one go after that? Rhys didn’t much feel like rehashing the pros of working at the Museum versus Gringotts, so he entirely focused on Juniper’s work instead. And, as Saffron had bluntly yelled at him once, Rhys had never been very good at putting Juniper first. Thinking of Saffron again still hurt, along with his past mistakes. But he supposed he could do better.

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