juniper && how ever you want to

[TABITHA JANE WINTERS]

OUTFIT

Tabitha's least favorite part about being a prefect were night rounds. The castle was fairly creepy at night, but it was her job to make sure students were in bed. Granted, she didn't have the whole castle to check, just the lower levels, but she had already gone to sleep after a long day and had to pop back up for the last round before midnight. After that they were supposed to sleep. Tabby didn't feel like changing into her robes again and figured she'd go in her pajamas. She slipped on a sweatshirt and her warmest slippers with a tough sole to keep out the cold of the dungeons and such. Maybe she'd stop by the kitchen for a midnight snack. Tabby loved doing that, but it had caused her to get a little chubby, but it added to her curvy charm.

Tabby was supposed to go roaming the lower levels with a sixth year Slytherin prefect by the name of Juniper Willow. Tabitha was sure she must have met her before but couldn't be sure. In any case, they were supposed to meet by a statue of some famous ghost. Tabby decided to read the plaque while she waited.

This statue is erected in honor and memory of Sir Cornelius Fay who started a campaign to protect centaurs after a herd destroyed his village out of fear.

"Hm," Tabby said with a little shrug. She patted Sir fay on the shoulder and leaned against the wall beside him, waiting for her companion to arrive. hopefully she wasn't too cranky and Hufflepuff hating like most Slytherins she knew. And hopefully she wouldn't care that she wasn't in her robes.

[JUNIPER DAHLIA HOLLOW]

outfit

Juniper had taken a bath between rounds. There wasn't enough time for her to really sit down and concentrate on homework, and she didn't want to do absolutely nothing. Juniper took a bath everyday, because the prefect baths were the most incredible things she had ever come across. The hot water, the gazillion taps and effects. And the best thing after a bath was wearing comfortable clothing - Juniper couldn't bear to go back to wearing her uniform. She figured whoever would forgive her.

She was feeling happy. All clean and comfortable, smelling simply wonderful thanks to all those scented foams and bubbles. She let her hair loose, and it was still damp, but because it was long and thick, it surrounded her like a curtain, also scented. She was just surrounded by pleasant fragrances.

As she got closer to the meeting place, she noticed the the girl already there. It had to be her, since Juniper had seen her before. Juniper took in the colorful attire. In comparison, Juniper looked rather plain. Granted she bought all her clothing herself working minimum wage over the summers, so it was mostly from clearance racks. The mocassins she got a good deal on though at a yard sale. But also she looked rather skinny compared to her more attractive, curvy companion.

There was nothing she could about her petite frame and the clothing thing didn't really bother her, though. There were certain obvious disadvantages to being an orphan, but that was her life and she was used to it. She had some nice things, though. Like the necklace she always wore, given to her by a street vendor for free because he thought she was pretty.

Juniper smiled as she approached her fellow prefect. "Glad I'm not under-dressed." she said, trying to be friendly. Things were so much easier when everyone was friendly.

[TABITHA JANE WINTERS]

OUTFIT

Tabby looked up at the sound of the voice, pleased to see they had both chosen the pajama route. She smiled. This girl seemed nice, and that was a relief. Tabitha let out a musical laugh. "I'm glad we both went the comfy route." She said, holding out a hand to the other girl. "I'm Tabby." granted, she might know who she was, but it was always better to be friendly and cover your bases.

The girl was pretty and thin. She had a very picturesque face and nice hair. Tabitha liked brunettes, of course she wasn't about to say that out loud. "Nice necklace," She added with a smile. It was pretty cool, looked like it was maybe made of glass.

Tabby pulled her hair up into a ponytail and looked both ways down the hall. "So, which way shall we go first?"

[JUNIPER DAHLIA HOLLOW]

Juniper extended her hand, "Juniper. Or June, you know, whatever suits your fancy." but she was actually thinking up ways to make Tabby laugh again, because she liked the sound. This was going very well so far. Juniper had always felt she was thrown into unpleasant circumstances because she was a Slytherin. People always assumed they were going to hate her. Half the time Juniper tried to be apathetic, because some people's minds wouldn't be changed, so there was no use trying. But for circumstances in which there was hope, Juniper put in the friendly effort.

She touched her necklace, smiling. It was nice when other people said your nice things were nice. It was all so nice. "Thanks."

Juniper pretended to seriously consider Tabby's question. She scrunched up her face and studied each direction carefully. It didn't really actually matter, but again, she was trying to make Tabby laugh and be likeable. With a sweeping motion of the arm, Juniper pointed dramatically to the right. "That'a way." she declared.

[TABITHA JANE WINTERS]

OUTFIT

Juniper. It was a nice name, as was June, and Tabitha liked nicknames. Few people even knew her name was Tabitha as she went by Tabby, or even sometimes Tabs, all the time. Professors knew of course but to them she was just Ms. Winters, which always seemed so adult. "Nice to meet you." She said, and it was true. June seemed like a nice slytherin and she appreciated that.

Next Juniper made a show of picking a direction, scrunching up her face and pointing dramatically. Tabby couldn't help but laugh. She was the kind of person who laughed easily. tabby figured life was better if you could see the wonder and humor in anything at all. "Well, alright, off we go!" She said, coping June's dramatic pointing. And with that, they went off down the hall, their feet shuffling against the stones.

A little mouse ran across the way and Tabby jumped out of surprise and chuckled. She wasn't afraid of mice, she rather liked them... but so did her cat.

[JUNIPER DAHLIA HOLLOW]

Tabitha laughed again, and Juniper couldn't believe that this was going so well. She almost felt like a mastermind who's plan was working out perfectly. Minus the evil scheme and penchant for desiring world domination.

They walked and Juniper tried to match her steps to Tabby's. June was a bit taller at five foot eight, and had longer legs. She tended to take long and quick steps. Tabby had an attractive way of walking, and June tried not to blatantly appreciate they way her hips swung as she moved.

Juniper was looking at the ceiling, contemplating possible conversation topics when Tabby made her jump. June looked around for the cause and saw a mouse. She had to stop from laughing. She didn't think those girls actually existed - the kind that jumped at mice. Juniper bit her lip and looked away, silently chuckling. When she composed herself, she said, in attempts to console her, "Don't worry. I'll sick my cat on him."

[TABITHA JANE WINTERS]

Tabitha laughed and shook her head. "No, no, mice are cute." She said, "He just surprised me." Little animals darting from nowhere and running in front of you would scare anyone, right? Tabitha didn't really mind if Juniper thought her ridiculous, life was too short to worry about that. Tabby tried to walk a little faster to keep up with the much taller and leaner Slytherin. Tabby was more the short, plump and curvy type, and she had a slow way about her. She liked things low key.

"What kind of cat do you have? I have one too." She said with a smile, hoping she hadn't killed whatever friendliness they had worked up to this point. Tabitha jokingly pointed at her sweatshirt and chuckled lightly, since it seemed to her that June liked her laugh, but maybe that was all in her head. "I have a gray tabby, his name is Turnip." She laughed. "Its a long story." And the story referenced obscure muggle movies, so really there wasn't much of a chance of making sense here.

[JUNIPER DAHLIA HOLLOW]

Juniper thought about the question as they walked, also checking for any trouble-makers. So far, all was calm. "I don't know, honestly." This, she could sense, would require explanation. "I wasn't into cats - I mean, I liked them and all, but I never planned on getting one so I never bothered looking into them, you know?" Juniper glanced over at Tabby, who had really shiny hair (the slightly ADD part of Juniper noticed.) "But I found Phallis, and he was so little and sickly out in the streets. Clara warned me that I shouldn't take him in because he could be carrying all sorts of diseases, but I did anyway, and somehow nursed him back to health." Juniper suddenly winced and laughed at herself. "Sorry, sorry. Sappy story I know." She said, with an apologetic glance at Tabitha.

Turnip, Juniper decided, was a perfectly acceptable name for a cat. Cute, even. Although turnips had to be her least favorite vegetable. Although the word was still cute. Juniper smiled knowingly. "You know, I find when people say something is a long story, it never really is." Juniper thought for a moment, looking at the ceiling, trying to come up with an example of a long story.

"War and Peace, now that's long. So unless your cat fought in the Napoleonic Wars, it can't be that long of a story." In her mind, Juniper was imagining cats in uniform, charging into battle. She had to stop herself from laughing aloud.

[TABITHA JANE WINTERS]

Tabitha listened politely to her story with a smile. "No thats so sweet!" She said. Nursing a cat back to health, it was noble and dear and totally restored her faith in the Slytherin house. But she didn't say all that out loud. "I grew up with cats, my guy was a rescue... I didn't rescue him, but I adopted him. He must have been abused because if you get mad he hides. Sweet little thing... Our cats should have a play date." She suggested with a laugh. She imagined their cats strolling along beside them patrolling the halls like much cuter versions of Mrs Norris.

At her comment on War and Peace, Tabitha let out a loud giggle, covering her mouth as her face turned pick. But the delivery of an already funny line proved too much for her. "No, he did not fight in any wars. The name is just from a muggle thing called a movie, which would take a long time to explain... I didn't even believe it until I saw one. It was based on the book, but theres not cat in the book as far as I know... I haven't finished it." She was a pureblood, but muggles had always lived nearby and she was pretty up on Muggle things; for a pureblood anyway. "Anyway, this princess had a little gray cat named Turnip and I thought it was hilarious and adorable."

[JUNIPER DAHLIA HOLLOW]

Juniper listened to Tabby speak. What she was saying was only mildly interesting, but it was more of her way of speaking that was contagious. So bubbly and spirited - Juniper couldn't but grin. The comment about cats having a play date made her laugh for another reason. Back at the orphanage, Juniper didn't exactly hang out with people who were well-off. She imagined her acquaintances back home would think about playdates for cats - they'd probably laugh and say how that was the sort of silly thing rich people did, since they had no actual problems to think about. Juniper tried not to be biased.

At the comment about those muggle things called movies, Juniper looked at Tabby with an eyebrow raised. If Juniper knew what War and Peace was (a Muggle book) wouldn't Tabitha just assume that she also knew what movies were? Or did she not make that connection? June chuckled a little, "I know what a movie is. I'm muggleborn." She didn't like calling herself that, because she didn't actually know for sure what she was, but it was the quickest explanation. Then Juniper looked thoughtful, "I may've seen that movie, actually." Although the title escaped her because it was definitely something obscure.

[TABITHA JANE WINTERS]

Tabitha blushed a little and sent Juniper a grin. "I'm a pureblood, but I grew up around a lot of muggles and i just mush things together." War and Peace she realized was a muggle book, but books were easy to swap, it was clear what world movies fell into. tabby wasn't sure why she knew so many Muggle things really, or why they always seemed to work into conversation. "The Princess and the Goblin. Silly, and weird but fantastic." Tabby shrugged. She was a little worried she was boring Juniper, and she rather liked her. She was nice... and she was pretty.

Then there was a little crash from down the hall and a look of concern crossed Tabby's face and she sped up her pace a little. It could be a mouse, or someone's cat who'd escaped--- or it could be a student out of bed after hours. Either way, it was their job to figure it out. Tabitha took out her wand just in case-- she wasn't fearless and honestly, it was creepy and dark down here. Her common room was warm and cozy but the rest of the lower levels never saw the sun.

[]

[JUNIPER DAHLIA HOLLOW]

Juniper wondered what it was like, growing up like Tabitha did. It was actually easy to imagine - she heard people talk about their summers and share family stories. And not to mention practically all advertising directed towards the family always painting a picture of what having a home was like. On most commercials, billboards, and cereal boxes, Juniper was shown what she didn't have. No one catered to her situation; her's wasn't the life that anyone wanted. "That must be nice." Juniper said. "Getting the best of both worlds." Not to mention being a pureblood, but she didn't say that aloud. She nodded at the mention of the movie. It sounded familiar but may've been a bit too old to really constitute her childhood. She'd probably seen it though - the orphanage still had a vcr.

At the sound of a crash, Juniper immediately took out her wand. Slytherins had a penchant for self-preservation, after all. Juniper looked at the direction of the sound for a moment, and then cast Lumos, brightening the corridor. "All right, come out." she called, not really being brave, but practical. Although the castle was large and mysterious, there wouldn't actually be anything dangerous roaming about. Besides, they were prefects. Who would rise to the occasion, if not they?

[TABITHA JANE WINTERS]

Tabitha shrugged a little. It was weird not being totally in the wizard world but she felt all the smarter and more ready for the real world knowing about muggles. They controlled most of the planet anyway and were therefore important to know about, and that was that. She lived like a half blood, but without the benefit of really being with them. Her mother loved muggle studies and her father was an auror, so when she was home with mom they didn't always live like wizards.

But the crash had distracted them both. She too cast lumos, their wands glowing side by side as they peered around the corner. It was so dark now in comparison to the brightness of their wands, that she had to squint. Pieces of a suit of armor were on the ground, one still rocking from the impact.

Juniper called out for the culprit to show themselves, assuming it could understand them and was a student or something. Tabitha felt it was her duty to pipe up as well. "We know you're here." She added.