“Just five more months Josi” He whispered huskily into my straight black hair, I could tell he was holding back tears of his own “Then when I am 18 I can get my own place and you can come home to me for the holidays ok?” I nodded against his chest, wiping my eyes dry.  He gently pulled back keeping his large hands on my thin shoulders and looked at me.  I looked back, my misty, unseeing eyes still slightly watery. 

I closed my eyes again, concentrating on freezing my face so it wouldn’t betray my disappointment. Forbidden tears welled up in my eyes, threatening to spill out from under my closed lids.

I could hear the uneasy whispers come from the crowd.  The hat was taking an awfully long time to decide.  It kept going back and forth between the houses.  My cheeks started to burn as their stares became more intense.

I heard a shrill squeal and snorting, mixed in with the outraged but confused yells.
“Time to go!” I exclaimed to the boys and spun around pulling on Remus’ hand to get him started. We all ran until we couldn’t run anymore and we were breathless with laughter. 

“We’ll stop bugging you if you just do it,” said Alice in a sing-songy voice. 

  “Ugh,” I moaned.  “Fine,” the girls squealed and all the guys high fived.

“I knew you would come around!” James cried, “Now Padfoot you owe me 3 Sickles.” Sirius groaned