Dream Unending [Rhys]

[juniper minerva mcgonagall]

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February 25th, 2024

The second task of the Tri-Wizard was done, and Juniper was exhausted. She had barely slept a wink in the past week, and especially not for the past forty-eight hours. Delirium had kicked in almost ten hours prior, and no amount of caffeine or pepper-up potions could keep her body running at this point. There was a point halfway through the task where she had dozed off standing up, before being prodded by her boss to not make a fool out of herself in front of their international counterparts. It wasn’t her fault that absolutely none of this was in her job description! She was supposed to be grading exams and developing new ways for classes to be taught. None of this fell into her wheelhouse at all, except the historical pamphlets that her department made before the first task to hand out to anyone that was interested. Thank Merlin she hadn’t been assigned to that job, having completely forgotten about it until she arrived the day of with Rhys to head up to their seats. But because of that, she was on for the second and third task. Was that really a fair exchange?

The plan was for her to stay at Rhys’s after, because she wouldn’t be disturbed by her obnoxiously loud neighbors that somehow were able to break through her flat’s sound dampening charms. She was going to have to reset them, having been too tired over the last few months to do so. At least at Rhys’s, she didn’t have to worry about too much, and she could make him get her food. She already knew that she was going to sleep all night and for half of the next day. What she wasn’t expecting was to pass out on the couch late in the afternoon, only to jolt awake five hours later. Rhys’s couch wasn’t uncomfortable by any means, but it was no bed. Juniper disliked falling asleep on it immensely, as her neck always had a way of stiffening up and hurting the next morning. Considering how tired she still was, that was bound to happen regardless.

The light on her phone said ten at night. Her body said more sleep. Mouth dry and her tongue feeling like sandpaper, she sat herself up on the couch, only to achieve a dizzying nauseousness as her brain tried to figure out what it wanted. Her glasses felt like they had been pressed into her temples as well, and she adjusted them first while untangling the right side from a knot of hair. Blinking away her equally scratchy and irritated eyes, she looked around the apartment, trying to process the time and what she actually needed to be doing right now. Sitting in complete darkness felt nice, especially because she didn’t think her legs had woken up with the rest of her body yet. She needed water and then more sleep. Yawning, she had completely forgotten that Rhys was supposed to be back by now.

rhys alexander greyback ● 498 ● Song by Artist

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[rhys alexander greyback]

you hold me without touch

you keep me without chains

February 24, 2024
juniper minerva mcgonagall

For the life of him, Rhys couldn’t understand why Juniper would not let him fix the charms on her flat. A simpler solution lingered as a vague thought in the back of his mind. Obnoxious and noisy neighbors would not be a problem if one did not have them. Between Rhys's healing from his accident, Juniper suddenly working all hours of the day on the Tournament, and Rhys's starting his new job, they hadn’t discussed such things. The past week had been rocky at work. His temper lingered just under the surface. But nothing whiskey couldn’t fix.

This past week, however, felt difficult for different reasons. The pestering from his coworker felt inconsequential, and even Ioan’s unnecessary chatter. The runup to the Second Task had pulled Juniper away wholly. And although Rhys was accustomed to not seeing her every day, he moped around a little as the routine broke. Left alone with his thoughts, Rhys’s mind traveled all over the place, although it suddenly stopped after the post arrived. The small golden envelope sat atop a few other letters. He picked it up tentatively, not noticing how his hand trembled slightly. The tightness in his chest recalled a time a few years after his suspension and one of the worst times of his life.

Juniper wouldn’t arrive for some time. Rhys re-read the letter while in his room to ensure he had not hallucinated any part of it. Gringotts cleared him for work. A slight wave of guilt passed over him as he recalled the Museum and his girlfriend. Technically, he had not resigned from the bank as he was on an approved leave due to the previous summer. Technically, Rhys could contact the bank for work and have a portkey by nightfall. It took some time for Rhys to breathe and collect himself. But he picked up the letter again, and it did not shake in his hand. For now, he did not have to deal with this. The bank would not pay him if he did not work, so they would not nag him. Quickly opening his fullest and most unused drawer, he stuck it in the back behind socks, and next to a small black box Rhys had recently purchased. The thought of removing it from its safe little hiding spot made his stomach flip. Whether the feeling was anxiety and fear or excitement was unclear.

The rest of the day passed without incident. Rhys also stepped out for a drink but managed to return at a reasonable time. Reasonable time was subjective, of course. It was dark, but he managed the door open, walking through and letting it close behind him. Though once he waved his wand to ramp up the softer light, his heart more or less stopped for a moment. ”Merlin—“ Rhys hadn’t forgotten Juniper was coming over. It was more that she just appeared like a ghost coming through a wall. He even forgot about the bag in his hand, the takeaway he’d picked up on the way home. Running a hand up and down his face, he exhaled a deep breath. He was fine, he kept telling himself.

Finally, he looked back at Juni. It was clear what side she had fallen asleep on by her hair and the angle of her glasses. They were askew on her face. ”Good morning?” It was common these days for Rhys to startle, and he hated it, but at the moment, he was fine. Or so he told himself. With her crooked glasses, messy hair, and foggy expression in her eyes, Rhys didn’t think a more endearing sight could exist. ”I didn’t wake you, did I?” He asked calmly, knowing what sort of hellish week she’d just endured. Rhys remembered surviving weeks like that.

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[juniper minerva mcgonagall]

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The simultaneous movement of the apartment door opening and the lights around her starting to rise into a soft, yellow glow, made her blink a few more times. Her tired brain telling her that she had somehow subconsciously cast a few spells to do all of it, despite that not making any sense at all. In stepped Rhys though, and everything started to catch up a little bit. A long yawn escaped her as she studied him in her still half-asleep state. He said something about it being morning, and she was once again confused because her phone said ten at night. Unless she misread it, and it was actually ten in the morning? Looking towards the closest window, it was dark out. Definitely nighttime, bar a solar eclipse or some eclectic neighbor that accidentally cast darkness spell on the entire building. She’d seen it happen before.

Rhys asked if he had woken her up, and she shook her head side to side. Unless she had heard him approaching from out in the hallway and the keys on the lock, which was possible. It felt like she had risen naturally, though obviously sore. Rubbing at her neck as it stiffened on one side, Juniper yawned again as she tried to respond to him, ”I don’t even…even know when I fell asleep.” Her voice came out low and dry, reminding her again that she needed water.

Standing up from the couch, her legs remembered what they were used for, and she felt something in her lower back pop as she stretched. Normally waking up was pretty easy for her, but something about reaching total exhaustion and passing out on the couch had her struggling more than usual. Shuffling towards the kitchen, she poured a glass of water and drank it in one go. That felt better. The coldness hurt her teeth, but also instantly quenched her thirst. She filled it up again and returned to the couch, collapsing into it again. She had forgotten Rhys was there. He was holding what looked to be food. Eating and then going back to sleep immediately after sounded so nice right now.

”Only one more to go,” she said sleepily, in reference to the third task of the tournament. Even in her current state, she couldn’t hide the disdain she had for it anymore. Everything about it sucked the energy out of her. After it was done, she was going to seriously start looking for a new job.

rhys alexander greyback ● 414 ● Song by Artist

MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOX 2.0

[rhys alexander greyback]

you hold me without touch

you keep me without chains

February 24, 2024
juniper minerva mcgonagall

She looked confused. But Rhys knew well enough how exhaustion caught up to a person. The sort of rest that rivaled the effects of a draught of living death. Feeling disoriented was not uncommon. Rhys had crashed much the same plenty of times after coming home from abroad and at St. Mungo’s as they forced him to rest. His timing appeared to be just right as well. Rhys had not awoken her. She must have woken up not long ago. Before he could get to the couch, Juniper rose and went to the kitchen. In the meantime, Rhys kicked off his boots and shook off his jacket, leaving the bag in his hand on the coffee table.

”One more to go…” Rhys repeated, muttering his reponse. At least she would get a break before the next task. Though who knew how long that break would last. Earlier in the day, Rhys wondered if this was what the other side felt like. Just waiting and watching. He could see the exhaustion in her face, along with the dissatisfaction with her work. While they had much more time to share together than Rhys ever did while working for the bank, he had days where he was unbearable, even to himself.

Sitting next to her on the couch. ”I figured you’d be hungry.” One of those days when a good idea popped into his head on the way home. Gently, Rhys grabbed her hand. Her skin was warm, probably from the long nap. He pulled her in but let her get comfortable. He’d missed her, wanting to say as much, but stuff like that always felt weird to say out loud. ”When are you due back?” Ioan hadn’t shut up about how that department was being run ragged. And if he was honest, Rhys sort of tuned out the rest. Ioan had gotten the impression they were friends or something, unfortunately.

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[juniper minerva mcgonagall]

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”You’re cold…” Juniper mumbled as she cuddled in closer to him on the couch. To be fair, she only had the warmth that came with sleeping, and in her exhaustion, she passed out without a blanket over her. Rhys asked when she had to go back to work, and the question didn’t process at first. Her focus had shifted to the takeaway box, and what he had chosen for dinner. Literally anything would be good with her right now. She really didn’t care as long as it was warm and would hold her over until she had a chance to sleep herself back into feeling like a normal human again. ”Wednesday,” she answered briefly, before a yawn interrupted her once again. ”And then right back into it again.”

”It was a long day,” Juniper said as she shifted into a better position. ”Way too involved of a task…glad its done with though.” She had no clue what the third was going to be yet, but since it was the finale, she figured it would be over the top and have her running ragged by the end of it. If she had another free day before then, she was going to prep her resignation letter. Sticking around for the stress that the school was going to place on her department for skipping out on so many exams and new lesson plans was not going to be worth it.

A long, satisfied exhale came out of her as she moved deeper into his shoulder and closed her eyes briefly. Eventually it would become uncomfortable and hurt her neck more, but for the time being, she was in bliss. ”What’d you get?” she asked without opening her eyes. It felt like it was teasing her, being locked up in the container and not being eaten by her. She was too tired to reach for it though.

rhys alexander greyback ● X313 ● Song by Artist

MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOX 2.0

[rhys alexander greyback]

you hold me without touch

you keep me without chains

February 24, 2024
juniper minerva mcgonagall

A few days of rest didn’t seem like quite enough. A wave of déjà vu passed over Rhys. Training and work often left that sentiment in his mind and in Juniper’s as well. Juniper had voiced her displeasure far more often than Rhys in the past. This time around, Rhys had opted not to watch the task. Appearing after to see how Elias was hanging in there and to spend some time with Max as well. Privately, Rhys wanted to support Elias, but sitting there wondering is brother would end up maimed, injured, or dead was brutal. The anxiety was paralyzing and left Rhys dazed for days, if not longer. It was the type of spiral that still felt new, and he hadn’t known what to do with it since the previous summer.

”Max said the task was…a lot.” Hearing the details, Rhys wondered if the Champions had not actually been placed in a Cursebreaker training course. Not that Rhys recalled jumping from climate to climate so quickly as such. But, even returning to familiar places always yielded something new. One had to remain watchful. Juniper nuzzled into his shoulder, and he moved his arm around her. With his free hand, he reached for the bag. A few containers inside, no doubt a logo she would recognize. Looking at it once more, Rhys felt pleased with himself. It was her favorite. ”Why don’t you take a look?”

Rhys recalled the times that first summer in the flat. They would lounge on the couch, eat whatever takeaway they could afford, and discuss whatever came to mind. Explicitly ignoring the constant risk of death, instead hypothesizing what interesting places Rhys would visit. Talking about the future like the kids they were at the time. And Rhys eating whatever leftovers Juni never finished (because she always left some) as he tried to put weight on his skinny build. And before one or the other seemed to work too much, and all the other things. ”I can take some days off work.” It wasn’t as if business was booming, really. His supervisor never seemed to mind if they were all working as long as work was done.

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[juniper minerva mcgonagall]

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A long yawn and a few more blinks and her eyes were back open and looking up at Rhys. Max was unfortunately selling it a tad short. From what the audience had seen (and the Champions participated in), it was absolutely just that: a lot. The behind the scenes and trying to get everything working with the applicable parties was maddening. That was why she felt like she could sleep for days right now. Juniper didn’t even know where to begin on her frustrations with her department or what they were currently doing for the tournament, but right now wasn’t the time to get into that. She needed her break over the next few days to not think about it at all. That was the only healthy way to approach any of this.

Rhys brought the takeout bag closer, and she flared her nostrils to try and smell it, defeated by their Styrofoam prisons. That was no fair. Reaching lazily for one, she spotted the familiar insignia of the local place they frequented. So that meant…”Beef and broccoli?” she asked before popping the lid open with its signature squeak. Instantly, the aroma from her favorite dish hit her. This was already starting to look like a great recovery from work. The best part was that there would be leftovers the following morning, because she never managed to eat all of it. ”What’d you get?” she added, hoping she could snag a piece or two of whatever Rhys was eating.

Moving her container onto the coffee table, Juniper straightened up on the couch so that she could be in a better position to eat. The plastic fork that she pulled out of the back was good enough for her too. Before she could dig in though, Rhys mentioned that he could take time off from work. ”Really?” she wasn’t dreaming still, was she? She forgot momentarily that he was working at the museum now, and not for the bank. Merlin, this really was the best.

rhys alexander greyback ● 334 ● Song by Artist

MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOX 2.0

[rhys alexander greyback]

you hold me without touch

you keep me without chains

February 24, 2024
juniper minerva mcgonagall

As soon as the food was close enough to Juni, suddenly, the sleepiness began to leave her eyes. She perked up, probably from a mix of hunger and curiosity. Rhys looked amused, only because he had witnessed this phenomenon before. Maybe it was a girl thing. And he couldn’t help but smile. It would not have fared well for him had he brought the wrong food. Rhys did listen and pay attention at times, whatever people may have thought. He took the bag from her, removing the remaining containers to the coffee table.

”Some spring rolls…fried rice. I wasn’t sure if you were in the mood for orange chicken or not, so I got some anyway.” He wasn’t worried about over-ordering. That meant food for later or more food for Rhys. How many times had they eaten dinner, woken up in the middle of the night with some extra energy, and then gone for the leftovers in those early years? He began with a spring roll before retrieving a pair of wooden chopsticks. ”Look—they even included training chopsticks for you.” He pulled out a pair of chopsticks tied at the top with a rubber band and a piece of a folded-up napkin. The kind he always saw kids using to learn.

He stuffed the rest of the roll in his mouth to avoid laughing. Rhys hadn’t learned to use chopsticks until he was much older, but traveling quite a bit to Asian countries and around gave him plenty of exposure. ”Yea. Won’t be a problem.” He assured her. It wasn’t like the museum had any particularly urgent business. Plenty of employees allowed for leniency on the schedule. Rhys was convinced they could all not show up for a day or two, and everything would be just fine. It was a bit boring in that sense, but he kept that thought to himself, focusing on the rice instead.

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[juniper minerva mcgonagall]

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Now that there was food in play, Juniper felt a smidgen of life return to her. She knew it would only last long enough to eat, talk to Rhys for a bit, and then pass out again, but it was worth it. Entering a food coma while already tired seemed like the perfect way for her to go into hibernation for the next day or two. While she moved the food in her container around with the fork to try and let some of the steam out, Rhys took the remaining ones and started to open them as well. "Orange chicken too?" she said surprised, before immediately plucking one of the spring rolls for herself. She didn't care for fried rice as much, but if there was some leftover whenever she woke up tomorrow, she would probably shovel a spoonful or two into her mouth. For some reason, she enjoyed it more the next day, and cold.

Giving him a soft elbow in the side at the comment about training chopsticks, she took them and set them to the side. "If I wasn't half asleep still, I'd give them a whirl," Juniper said before stabbing through a chunk of broccoli. The plastic tines bent dangerously under the still rather hard broccoli, but she managed. The takeaway place knew it, that was why they gave chopsticks as well. The only problem with that was that she preferred to eat, and not work for, her meal.

"I'm going to be useless tomorrow, you know," she said in response to Rhys being able to take the time off as well. This was made him working domestically so much better. The whole problem they'd had before revolved around the bank's neediness. To her, it felt incredibly wrong to feel jealous of a job. And yet it happened because he was constantly running off to it. But now, things felt better. And so did her stomach now that she was dangling food in front of her face. "You're the best," Juniper added as she planted a kiss on his cheek, before immediately shoving the broccoli into her mouth.

rhys alexander greyback ● 353 ● Song by Artist

MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOX 2.0

[rhys alexander greyback]

you hold me without touch

you keep me without chains

February 24, 2024
juniper minerva mcgonagall

The food definitely had brought her back to life for the moment. At this hour, a full stomach would send Juniper back into hibernation. Maybe Rhys would stand a chance at more than a few hours of fitful sleep. Rhys began with the orange chicken before focusing on the rice. Usually, he would give Juni a hard time about taking the spring rolls, but he cast a blind eye for the moment. In moments like this, he could find the inconsistencies in his behavior. The same action either provoked the most intense reaction or nothing at all. But without knowing what it was all about, he never bothered to bring it up.

”I’ll save them for tomorrow.” The idea amused him, if only because it was one of the few things where he easily excelled, and Juni did not. Who knew chopsticks would spark such competitive behavior? He lightly shrugged. Their overlapping days off didn’t need to consist of endless activities or tasks. Rhys was more than happy to take it easy. Not that working at the Museum required much rest, per se. Unless one counted the mental preparation in dealing with Ioan’s intense personality or the few coworkers who’d been circling him like vultures since the previous year. Natives of the village were probably not much older than Rhys. They remembered, quite vividly, the pain Fenrir Greyback brought to its people all those years ago.

Rhys smiled, happy he was able to help rather than pick a fight. Those incidents always lingered in his mind more than anything else. Moments like this brought him back from whatever spiral he was itching to jump into. ”I’ll need that in writing.” He joked. Hearing her words was enough. ”We don’t have to do anything.” Rhys suggested. They were allowed a rest, after all. ”What about that program you always watch? Wasn’t there a new series or something?” Some television show with names he never remembered. Ask Rhys anything about the Old Kingdom in Ancient Egyptian History, but don’t ask him who was who on this show. Not that he’d ever admit out loud (for now) that the show seemed mildly interesting.

[ end rhys ]

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