If We Make It Through December [Rhys]

[juniper minerva mcgonagall]

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December 21, 2028

Only a few days had passed since she had last seen Rhys, yet it felt like it had been so much longer. Each day had been long, taken up by her need to finalize all of the grades for her two classes. Surprisingly, the easier course, Advanced Transfiguration, was taking far longer. They had both a mid-year exam and an essay. Most had failed the test, a frustrating realization occurred that she may have given them too much work crammed into the final few weeks of the term. In her defense, she thought most would be working on the essay throughout the fall, as she’d given all of the requirements back in September. The previous year’s class hadn’t had any difficulty with it. Then again, they were in her Human Transfiguration class now and were killing it there as well. It was starting to look like a bit of a fluke, and her courses were unnecessarily hard for anyone that wasn’t committed.

With that being said, she only had some of the papers for the Advanced course left to read. Those were going a lot smoother than the exams, which was a bit of a surprise. She still had a hefty stack though and had already received an angry owl on her desk that morning from a disgruntled parent that needed to know how their child did. Juniper ignored it and kept working. She had more important things to do today, like being with Rhys. That didn’t mean she left the ungraded essays behind though. No, they were stuffed in her bag right next to two presents: a copy of Charlie Weasley’s book on dragons, which she knew Rhys didn’t have yet, and a plushy of one of the Vertic Alley characters for Amelia. Juniper had toyed with the idea of getting a ‘signed photograph’ for her instead, but that felt too impractical for a two-year-old.

Sitting on the oh-so-familiar couch in Rhys’s apartment, she had just finished pulling both out, holding his out to him. ”Since I made you wait a week,” she grinned. It was strange being back in the flat after all these years, with some things like she’d never left, and others drastically changed. There were moments of sadness mixed with guilt, remembering what had once been and everything that had happened since. But she was back, and it was hard not to feel a little giddy over it. ”Merry Christmas.”

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[rhys alexander greyback]

i'm gonna break my rusty cage

and run

December 21, 2028
juniper minerva mcgonagall

Sometimes, time didn’t feel real. Rhys still felt like he was recovering from that brawl earlier in the week, and he felt positively annoyed Sage was still ignoring any of his calls or messages. Normally, that meant Rhys would have marched over to Sage's flat, but since he was due to pick up Amelia the following day, Rhys left it alone for now. Plus, bothering her when she was no doubt annoyed at his behavior was not the best idea. In these moments, Rhys remembered how few people he had to speak with about such things. Most of his friends could never get past the part of the story where he was in a fight yet again.

The image of Juniper on his couch felt like déjà vu. She had visited here and there since the summer, but even as the nature of their relationship changed, it still felt different. They were still friends, still having fun, but now exchanging Christmas presents? Rhys accepted the gift she handed him, opened it, and examined the cover. One of Rhys’s quirks was he loved receiving books as a gift. One would never assume if they merely saw him. Nothing about him really brought bookworm to mind immediately.

”Thank you—I would’ve picked this up eventually.” Extra knowledge on magical animals never hurt a cursebreaker, especially if they entered parts of the world with higher dragon populations. Merlin knew the dragons of South America were not known for being nice. Seated next to her, Rhys leaned over to kiss her before returning his attention to the book. Examining the first few pages, he skimmed the table of contents. Anyone else would not have received such a warm welcome that day. Since his night in the cell, Rhys had defaulted to a somewhat prickly state. Although for Juni, he did his best to remain agreeable.

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”I’m doing my best at promoting my colleague’s work,” she grinned at him. There hadn’t been many conversations with Professor Weasley, but over the last few years she had gotten to know him a little better. He seemed like the cool uncle sort that also happened to have an insane knowledge of dragons. To her understanding, there weren’t too many people out there like that. In a way, she was sort of high up in her own field, so it sort of made sense how as professors they’d gravitate into the same circles. That was one of the nice aspects of the way Hogwarts was set up now. Allowing for further education meant bringing in actual experts and acknowledging parts of the magical world that the basic Hogwarts classes never could have dreamed of getting to in a regular seven years.

Juniper watched Rhys flip through the pages, stopping on what seemed to be the table of contents. She had perused it a bit herself, mostly interested to see how up to date it was. Seeing as it had only been published a few years prior, it was relatively accurate on studies of most species. And for as dense as the book was, it wasn’t a difficult read by any means. ”I think he uses it for his class,” Juniper mentioned. ”Apparently, it’s pretty comprehensive.” She hoped that if there wasn’t anything Rhys could use professionally, at least it would be an interesting read. And anyways, who didn’t like dragons?

Shifting on the couch slightly, she held the second present out, the one for Amelia. ”Since she’s such a big fan of Vertic Alley…” Juniper hoped it wasn’t too presumptuous of her. It would have been one thing if she and Rhys were dating again and she’d met Amelia more than once. ”It’s fine if you want to say it’s from you too. I’m not really sure how Sage might view it…” She knew there really wasn’t anything between those two anymore, but she also didn’t want to make it weird either. That was sort of the problem with being all tangled up with another like this.

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[rhys alexander greyback]

i'm gonna break my rusty cage

and run

December 21, 2028
juniper minerva mcgonagall

”I’m sure he’s grateful.” Rhys had caught a glimpse of the author during his time at Hogwarts but never had a chance to speak to him. Truthfully, there had never been a convenient moment. And anytime Rhys found himself with free or downtime, he wasn’t exactly in the mood to socialize. Years later, Juni knew exactly the gift Rhys would want—a book. Something useful, especially in his field. Cusebreakers were not often focused on learning much about magical creatures. Those with Rhys’s level of seniority knew it only took one event running into something unintentionally to change that. Nobody who lasted this long liked feeling unprepared.

Again, Rhys nodded as he perused the table of contents and mentally noted where he wanted to begin when he had a moment. ”I finally picked up one of his books the first time we saw a Vipertooth.” To date, that was perhaps the only time Rhys, Archer, and Saffron had all been speechless at the same time. Fortunately, they had been a distance away and not immediately in any of the dragon’s crosshairs. ”Thank you.” He reiterated, smiling in return.

Juni held out another item for Rhys. He set the book down on the coffee table and grabbed it. ”She’ll love this.” Of course, nothing—absolutely nothing would ever replace the giraffe, but Amelia had a habit of walking around with her hands full of items. He paused, eyes returning to Juni as she brought up Sage. Internally, Rhys winced. While Juni’s concern was valid, his annoyance toward the mother of his child left Rhys feeling spiteful. ”No—I’ll say it’s from you.” At the moment Rhys didn’t care what Sage thought of it or his life and who he chose to be around. ”Everyone else brings gifts for her, don’t worry.” Amelia was undoubtedly the most spoiled child in the UK as far as Rhys was concerned. ”Besides, I asked you to spend more time with us.”

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The Vipertooth were the extremely venomous dragons, right? She remembered fretting about them once upon a time when the crew ran off to Peru, where those dragons were endemic. That had always been one of those points of contention that she had about Cursebreaking when she was younger. Juniper would be lying if she still wasn’t a little worried about everything, especially now that Saff was gone, and Rhys had a child. The stakes were way higher than they used to be. She still didn’t know if she could fully trust Archer to keep him in line on jobs. The two of them seemed to work perfectly together when it came to professional carelessness. Then there was throwing Dahlia into the mix…things were more of a headache now than they ever were when the two of them were officially together.

”You’re welcome,” she maintained her smile. Things were different now. She was older and understood that the level of control that she would have once enjoyed was not reasonable nor was it right. Rhys wasn’t hers and he never had been, at least not in a possession sort of way. Juniper liked to think that she had gotten much better at voicing her wants, needs, and concerns as she went through life these last few years. While she wouldn’t hide her displeasure, she also wasn’t going to try to force a change that was never going to happen. She had learned that after the last two times. If that was ever going to occur, Rhys would have to do it himself. In which she would gladly be there to help him on to whatever came next. It was what she should have always done from the beginning.

She felt a little more at ease as he explained that others had gotten gifts for Amelia as well. Obviously, there wasn’t anything between him and Sage in that sense still, aside from their daughter. Juniper had always felt things were weird around her though, especially after Saffron passed. The times she had reached out immediately after hadn’t been smooth, and there were plenty of words between the two of them regarding the fact that Sage was not her twin. Which of course was not what Juniper had ever implied. Their shared grief was instead spent suffering each on their own. It was probably better that it had turned out that way in the end.

”I know you did. It’s just…” she trailed off, looking away from Rhys for a moment to try and collect which words she wanted to use. Sometimes she still felt like she should be careful, even though she knew she didn’t have to be. ”It’s that I know what my being around you looks to a lot of people, and I don’t want to step on any toes. If that makes sense. For the record, I don’t care what others think about me, but if it impacts you and Amelia, I want to be careful.” She didn’t think Sage was the type to try and get custody changed just because Rhys had an active dating life and career that sent him overseas frequently, but she also realized she knew less and less about her the more time went on.

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[rhys alexander greyback]

i'm gonna break my rusty cage

and run

December 21, 2028
juniper minerva mcgonagall

Rhys saw the doubt in Juniper’s face and how she seemed to twitch a bit regarding this topic. How many times had Rhys sat here and watched Juni internally battle the urge to say something to him, especially when he’d been away from home for so long? And how many times had he been oblivious or chosen not to notice? Now, he felt like it was hard not to notice. Maybe his anger toward Sage raised Rhys’s awareness. Still, Rhys waited for Juni to finish her thought. It bothered her enough to bring it up despite his assurances. And he might as well listen. It may have taken years to learn, but Rhys knew he could do that much.

Leaning back, Rhys looked up as he absorbed her words. She had a fair point, but nothing incredibly turbulent happened around his daughter. Well sans the incident at The Three Broomsticks earlier in the week. But Juni certainly had nothing to do with that. It also reminded Rhys about the lack of label on their relationship. 2Labeling it risked ruining the delicate balance or whatever this was. ”Sage knows you’re in my life.” Rhys assured her again. They’d done a terrible job trying to sneak around. Besides, they were consenting adults who happened to have a history. The bigger shock to his friends had been the fact that Rhys had gotten Sage pregnant, they’d done pretty well at keeping that fling pretty private.

He leaned back forward, this wasn’t something that concerned him greatly. Amelia was his daughter as well, regardless of how Sage tried to control the situation at times. And he did his best to show up as a father—even if it was just a response to his own lack of a childhood. ”I appreciate the concern.” Merlin, is this what it was like for people trying to date and single parents? ”You’re important to me.” Rhys gently grabbed her hand. ”And she needs to deal with that.” Rhys made a mental note to see how Sage was feeling toward him the following day, maybe he’d mention something about Juniper. Despite all of Rhys’s rights as a father, Sage was rightfully Amelia’s mother as well.

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Navigating a relationship in general often felt like trying to sail in choppy waters. The positives and prospect of endless clear, sunny days always far outweighed the miserable ones that were necessary to fight through. Juniper had a feeling that she occasionally made things harder for herself than they needed to be, whether it be by failing to communicate her true thoughts or by assuming too much of a situation. Like what they were talking about, for example. Rhys, despite being basically the same as he was a few years prior, now had a new level of responsibility on his plate. She knew that, he knew that, everyone knew that. Amelia wasn't some secret, unlike what the two of them were trying, and failing, at.

That also brought up another major roadblock that she was worried about. Her concerns regarding Sage also had a lot to do with the fact that Juniper was not an authority figure. She just happened to be sleeping with Rhys again. Frequently. Whatever this evolved into, which she was sort of hoping it might again at some point, would drastically change dynamics. As horrible as it was, she often realized she was asking herself how Vasilia had managed it. They were wildly different people, but the more this became less of a silly fling with an ex, the more she started to internally freak out a bit.

The reassuring weight of Rhys's hand on hers brought down some of the fear that had started to bubble up in her. The holidays were a time of charged emotions to begin with. Being here, in his flat, had brought quite a bit back, and no matter how much she tried to keep the best memories at the top, occasionally some of the horrible ones appeared. How couldn't they, though? Almost every important point of her adult life had derived from here, the good and the bad. She couldn't pin all of her concerns on Sage's assumed behavior either. At the very least, it was nothing short of a miracle that Juniper was able to communicate what she was actually feeling for once. That was more progress than she had ever managed before whilst here.

"You're right," she said after her moment of self-reflection. Exhaling through her nose, she felt her shoulders relax a bit and she started to sink into the back of the couch. It had a lot more give to it than when they'd first brought it into the flat all those years ago. "I know it'll be fine. It's just different than what I'm used to and that freaked me out a little."

rhys alexander greyback ● 440

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[rhys alexander greyback]

i'm gonna break my rusty cage

and run

December 21, 2028
juniper minerva mcgonagall

The overlap earlier in the year, where Rhys was dumped by Vasilia and the physical relationship with Juniper starting back up again, had worked out, he decided. It was far better than sitting and letting his brain spiral on the breakup, just as he'd done with Juniper. The explanation was simple—Vasilia hadn't wanted to be with Rhys anymore. Who wanted to hear that? Sometimes, he felt it wasn't fair with her workaholic tendencies because her free time seemed to line up with Rhys's worst days.

Rhys would never go so far as to call Juniper a distraction, but she was someone he felt close to and comfortable with. Their chemistry was undeniable, which led to unavoidable parts, but what were they if they were not close friends? And friends helped one another through troubled times. In any case, after more than a decade, it was clear it would be impossible to stay out of one another's lives. Nell might have been Rhys's oldest and closest friend who knew him better than anyone, but platonic relationships only dug so deep. She would never understand Rhys on the same level that Juniper did.

Seeing the thoughts flying around in Juni's mind wasn't difficult. She seemed to relax now, though Rhys kept his hand with hers. "Sage and I…" Rhys let out a soft sigh as he collected his thoughts. At the moment, she was the most frustrating woman on the planet, but sharing his woes would not ease Juni's mind. "If not for Amelia, we likely would never have spoken again." All their encounters had been happenstance. Nothing was planned and was merely a product of timing and location. And the stars really aligned that day Amelia was conceived. Rhys couldn't remember, but he was fairly sure he had mentioned that he and Sage never dated or anything of the sort.

"We both want her to be happy, of course, so we make it work." He paused a moment to think. "She knows…a little bit about my childhood. Not much, but…well, she knows I would never want Amelia to feel like I did." Rhys admitted. Sometimes, he thought about sharing more with Sage. She was the mother of his child, but it was like his entire being would not let him. Sage knew Fenrir killed his mother, and he was turned shortly after. Then, the orphanage and school, but that was probably it. And the more she nagged Rhys about this or that, the less he wanted to tell her anything.

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It was funny. For all the time that she had known Saffron, Sage rarely popped up. Even in school, there was a clear divide between who the twins interacted with. Obviously, Juniper didn’t with either of them, which was why her friendship with the late Grimstone had come as such a surprise. It was all Rhys’s doing, of course. A friendship of proximity that started as being nice to his colleagues and turned into a genuine, meaningful relationship until the day she died. Assuming Sage would ever want to be involved with any of them after was understandable. She was sure in the other woman’s eyes; they were the lucky ones. Getting into the why and how she and Rhys decided to sleep together didn’t take much imagination, because it was Rhys after all. But here they all were, still messed up and moving on as best as they could.

Rhys continued to explain the extent of his relationship with Sage, mother of his child aside. She understood that there had to be certain things told to her simply because of Amelia. So much had changed in his life in such a short period of time. Whereas Juniper had spent it doing what? Developing a children’s tv show about puppets? Life really came fast and in unexpected ways. When she tried to think about it too hard sometimes, it gave her a headache. Mostly because she was back in the middle of it all again, of her choosing of course.

Needless to say, there was still a little voice that occasionally tried to whisper ’homewrecker’ at her, despite never doing that in the first place. Rhys had been free and available when all of this started back up again. The only difference now was that he had obligations towards his daughter. Juniper certainly didn’t think she was intruding on that all, especially not after last week.

”I’m glad you’re able to be open with others about it a little more now,” she said quietly about his childhood. She made sure to give his hand a reassuring squeeze. That had always felt like a terrifying gift back when they were dating the first time and he’d randomly bring it up. She had always welcomed anything he wanted to share, just that it never came easy. And then there was guarding about work…regardless, she reminded herself that this was how it was now. They were actual adults and knew how to communicate as such.

”What are your plans over the next few days?” Juniper asked after a moment. He was going to have Amelia at some point, obviously, and she knew there was always some kind of Greyback sibling get together around the holidays. Fortunately, she was free. After dealing with the usual McGonagall Christmas dinner. Holly was bound to bring someone new, as per usual.

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[rhys alexander greyback]

i'm gonna break my rusty cage

and run

December 21, 2028
juniper minerva mcgonagall

Rhys often let his mind linger on many of the ‘what-ifs’ in his life. What if he had met Vasilia earlier? Would he have found those opportunities with Sage? What if he had not left after his brother died or taken Saffron’s death as a sign to switch careers truly? What if Fenrir had left him and his mother alone? But it only ever made Rhys spiral. Cursebreaking had a certainty as much as it was full of risk and surprises. And it was far easier to prepare for this sort of work than facing the complexity of everyday life at times.

Amelia was the sort of grounding force Rhys didn’t know he needed—that little spec of light when his world felt dark. Despite how well the last few months had gone for Rhys, he still felt the tension in his body, as if braced for whatever was coming next. Because it always did—no matter what he did. Maybe that was why he didn’t bring up whatever this was with Juniper. She had seemed so hesitant before, and honestly, Rhys wasn’t sure how he would handle rejection at the moment. As much as he told himself he had moved on from Vasilia, the truth was always there in the back of his mind, nagging for his attention.

Juniper squeezing his hand brought Rhys mentally back to the present. Halfheartedly, he smiled before clarifying. ”Well—I hadn’t planned on it…” His past was something private, especially the parts that still haunted him. Rhys had never understood the point of sharing until he finally let people get close to him. And still, only a handful truly knew the deeper details. Over the years, Rhys had managed to tell Juniper everything in pieces. She never demanded nor pried, letting Rhys share at his own pace, much like these tidbits of information regarding Sage. He paused a moment, remembering that particularly intense conversation.

”She gave me an out.” Rhys let his gaze linger forward, not focusing on anything in particular. ”Said I didn’t owe her anything, and she’d be fine on her own. And I considered it…” Rhys admitted, letting out a sigh. Truthfully, Rhys had pretty much given up on the idea of a family after Juniper, which had factored into that consideration. But he kept that tidbit to himself for now. He ran his fingers over the thick stubble on his face, one of those things he did to keep his hands busy while trying to say something. ”But then I wondered what my child would think one day—would they think I didn’t want them?” Even now, the thought had the same effect of triggering something awake in him. ”I think she really thought I would take the out—so, I told her a bit like how old I was when my mum died and…how I was sort of alone after that.”

He didn’t know why he was telling Juniper all of this. Well, he did know, but acknowledging that fact meant really admitting to himself that this wasn’t just sex anymore. Despite everything, Rhys trusted Juniper, and that comfort returned quickly. Maybe that was just the thing with exes. Just like Rhys figured, if he walked into the Violet Hound one day, Vasilia would not turn him away, and they could coexist cordially. Explaining that bit reminded Rhys of his current situation, which he kept to himself. He needed to find a way to bring Sage around, if only so he could see Amelia on Christmas. She had needed a day or two to cool off in the past, though she knew very well how Rhys reacted to being ignored.

Sitting back, Rhys tried to get comfortable on the old couch while he thought about his schedule and an answer to Juni’s question. ”Erm—not a lot at the moment.” Rhys was supposed to get Amelia for Christmas, but his gut told him perhaps not. ”I’ll have Amelia for New Year’s Eve.” That felt like a safe answer, considering everything. And plenty of time for Sage to cool off.

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There had always been times where she couldn’t figure out what was going on inside Rhys’s head. That went back as far as she could remember. The hiding of thoughts and feelings. She knew why he was the way he was – his life had led him through a gauntlet. Collecting all of her own trials and turmoil together and she probably barely scratched the surface of what Rhys had dealt with in a fraction of the same time. Juniper never wanted to beat the answers she wanted out of him though, even if years later he’d relent, and things would start to finally piece together. The trickle of information from him when she felt like she had always been a relatively open book was difficult to stomach at first. Now, she knew that was just how he was. If he wanted someone to know, he would eventually tell them.

When it came to Sage, and by extension, Amelia, she sort of assumed there were parts that had to come out. He couldn’t hide the fact that Fenrir Greyback was his father, and that the murderer sometimes came calling. Juniper quietly listened to him talk though, about how things were at the start and what he was feeling. She wasn’t too surprised that Sage would think that way; Rhys was the way he was. But he overcame that this time. ”Well, I think you made the right choice.” It was painfully obvious he had made the correct decision too.

As for Christmas, Juniper wasn’t sure what his prior arrangements were. Her question was mostly the probing sort. The kind where she wanted to see if both of their free time would line up. Once the next term started up, she was going to be back to the grind until the end of the school year. It would make things difficult, especially with how she had been thinking of everything as of late. Rhys’s answer was a bit perplexing, though she immediately assumed by having Amelia for New Year’s, he simply meant that there was an alternating tradeoff for the major holidays. ”Aside from Christmas Eve and Day, I’m free. So…you know…” Juniper didn’t even know why she felt the need to imply these sorts of things anymore. Rhys had to have known what she was getting at from the second she asked the question. ”But if something pops up, no worries,” she added quickly. A sudden Amelia acquisition was never out of the question now, and something she had to be more mindful of.

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[rhys alexander greyback]

i'm gonna break my rusty cage

and run

December 21, 2028
juniper minerva mcgonagall

Rhys nodded wordlessly. He told himself the same thing. But the past few days had left Rhys wondering if his presence wouldn’t do the opposite for Amelia. It felt like every other week or visit, Rhys did something to annoy or upset Sage. Not that she ever told him what the problem was as if he was supposed to know already or read her mind. It was frustrating, to say the least, but Rhys played nice so he could see and spend time with Amelia. In the bag of his mind, that nagging guilt from Saffron’s death also lingered. Sage knew neither Rhys nor Archer remembered the incident, but sometimes it felt like she didn’t believe them.

Without Sage's return of calls or messages, it was difficult to solidify important holiday plans. If Sage ignored him through Christmas, it would hurt Rhys, but he would settle for a few hours on New Year’s Eve before the full moon over nothing. Naturally, Rhys expected Juni to spend time with her family for Christmas. As per their annual tradition, he was formally a part of one. ”I’m sure we’ll find some time…” He looked at her softly, though smirking a bit.

Reconnecting with Juni over the past year reopened old and strong feelings. But, despite his natural vulnerability with Juni, the recent breakup with Vasilia left Rhys unable to move past particular walls. The risk of that pain and heartbreak felt high, and with this sensitive situation with Sage and his daughter—Rhys wasn’t sure he could handle both. Plus, they were both having fun and enjoying their usual intense physical relationship without the fights or arguments. Why ruin a good thing? ”We always manage it.” Rhys leaned in and kissed her softly before intensifying the kiss. There was much on his mind he didn’t want to focus on, even if Juni was possibly one of the few people who would understand.

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Juniper wasn't sure if it was wrong to want just a little more out of this without officially making it a relationship again. Because everything right now she deemed 'perfect'; in a way that it could only be without slapping a big old label on it. Unfortunately, there was still that tiny little thought that bubbles up every now and again, where her brain told her trying it for the third time would lead to utter disaster just like the two previous times. There was a lot that had changed since the last, for both of them, which made the dynamic different as well. She had more worries about his more important commitment, Amelia, and not wanting to intrude and inject herself fully in even if Rhys was saying it was fine.

Having this on repeat when all she wanted to do was spend her time with him was not the comfiest feeling the world. That part of her had never changed. The same had happened when she had concerns during their previous relationships. Maybe the only good part about it now was that she knew how to put her thoughts into words, and in a constructive way too.

But Rhys was right. They did always manage to find the time, no matter what the occasion. Even in the worst throes of their old fights, there were still brief moments of normalcy. Working around the holidays was stupidly easy in comparison. As long as her work allowed her. Getting through the remainder of her students' papers was sort of important though, especially if she wanted to keep her job at Hogwarts. "As long as you don't mind watching me grade," she said quietly in between his kisses. To be fair, she probably needed to take the time off during the holidays. No parent would he that horrid, would they?

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[rhys alexander greyback]

i'm gonna break my rusty cage

and run

December 21, 2028
juniper minerva mcgonagall

In hindsight, Rhys had always struggled to exist at the moment. Even sitting in his flat, his mind was typically elsewhere. It traveled more than he had for Gringotts over the years. Not only traversing the globe but also throughout time. But, for a while, it had gotten better. Saffron’s death had provided perspective, though not nearly as much as the birth of his daughter. And then finding love again. And for a brief moment, Rhys had simply existed and happily so—at least until he didn’t. But somewhere along that downward trend, Juni reappeared. She wasn’t the same anchor as in the past, but damn near close enough.

And as he mentally decided to fully distract her from the work she still needed to complete, it also felt like déjà vu to when they were teenagers. Juni intently focused on an assignment while Rhys thought of different ways to distract her while in the library or her common room during the winter break. There was that same anxious excitement and flutter in his stomach. And nearly complete disassociation from his problems. ”Of course not.” Rhys mumbled in response. ”I’ll keep myself busy.” He had a new book to read, after all.

”But, you can’t distract me like you always used to do.” Rhys teased, pulling back slightly. It was most certainly not true. Rhys was always the instigator when they should’ve been completing homework assignments or doing something serious. He couldn’t help himself, feeling a little like he was seventeen again and even ignoring his anguish over this recent disagreement with the mother of his child. What would her students say if they knew their professor would sneak into the Slytherin Boy’s dorms? It was any wonder they focused at all on academics their seventh year.

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Somehow, Juniper knew that getting any amount of work done around him would be difficult. That was just how it was now. Whenever she was back here, in his flat, it was hard to concentrate on anything. Rhys had proved to be an excellent distraction for her, not matter how hard she tried to stay on track and keep focused. When it had really mattered back in school, she had somehow managed course correct him as well and go in the right direction. That sort of thing didn’t really matter anymore now. If she happened to turn all of the final exam grades in on New Year’s Eve, then so be it. She had just as much of a life as her students and their families did. Her stubbornness only reminded her that her own happiness and needs far outweighed that of everyone else.

”Fortunately, not all of the papers are as terribly boring as the ones we had to write,” she said in return. Even though she was the one assigning them, she absolutely would have been pulled away by Rhys had they been in school to write them. No matter how compelling Transfiguration was to her, it was still coursework. Despite it paying the bills now, she was just as easily led away from it all if presented with the right opportunity. Like right now. Realistically, she probably should have been working on the grading.

”And anyways,” Juniper continued, ”You would have done horribly if I hadn’t been there to make sure you got everything completed on time. I’m sure some of the professors thought I’d written a paper or two of yours.” Academic fraud was the one thing Juniper had refused to commit, but she did a damn good job of laying out the groundwork for essays if Rhys needed it. Sometimes having a sounding board was all someone actually required to get the work done. She was still fine with being that.

Letting out another deep exhale, she realized that this level of contentedness was something she had been craving for a while. While there had always been a guaranteed level of excitement whenever a new relationship felt like it was about to blossom, it never lasted the honeymoon period. And yet here she was once again, back to Rhys like things hadn’t changed. The comfort in it all was terrifying. She was fine with that now though.

rhys alexander greyback ● 402

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