Author's note: If these love stories appear at all too perfect to be true, owing to the coincidences and such in it, just remember that this is all thought up in the mind of a child who is simply staring at these carvings and making up stories in his head.
In Hogwarts, there is a tree. Not a special tree that moves, nor one that talks. It's just a tree. Many students sit under it, some even carve their names onto it. There are many carvings on the tree, most proclamations of love. This will be the story of some of them. As one student sits under the tree, they begin to think about the carvings, about the stories they tell. They sit there every day, without fail, making up a new story about one of the carvings each day. As they look at the tree now, their imagination runs wild and a new one forms, as they look at the carving 'J.T+A.J'.
Josh Townsend had just begun his time at Hogwarts and he was fairly scared about going there. As he was, he was sitting on the Hogwarts Express with a girl whose name he did not know. She was a quiet girl, she had not spoken once through the entire journey. She had dark brown hair and that's all Josh could see. She barely seemed to notice Josh staring at her. Josh turned his attention back to the window, though he couldn't help wondering about her, about her name. He found nothing but boredom staring out of the window and so he turned to her and, gulping down what nervousness he felt, said quietly. "Hi." She turned to him and Josh could see the full extent of her features. She was very beautiful, with soft, pleasant features and sapphire blue eyes that you could very easily get lost in. "Hi!" She said brightly, with a voice like silk. Josh bit his lip but smiled at her.
"My name's Josh Townsend, what's yours?" He asked, watching her carefully.
"Abby Stevenson." She replied, smiling. "Nice to meet you, Josh."
"Nice to meet you too, Abby." He said, smiling back. So her name was Abby, that much he had found out. He still didn't know if she was first-year, like him, or older. He still hadn't found out anything about this girl. Josh tried to be satisfied for now, with knowing her name, finding himself hoping that she was a first-year. Josh's parents had always told him about Hogwarts, both having gone there. They always said that it was the most magical place on Earth, in many ways. They had met there, they had fallen in love there and they had left there with love in their hearts and a smile upon their faces. Two years after they had left Hogwarts, Josh's mother, Rachel, had fallen pregnant. She had fallen pregnant with Josh, who was now sitting in the very compartment his parents had first sat in, though he didn't know it. He heard several people running about the train corridors and he stuck his head out of the compartment door, with Abby watching him, he ducked back in, seeing nothing of interest. He sat back down, opposite Abby. He smiled softly, with her smiling back soon afterwards, a look of amusement in her eyes. "You okay?" She asked and Josh blinked.
"Yeah fine. Why?"
"You just seem a little... Flustered." She explained, the look of amusement growing in her eyes.
"O-Oh. Just erm... Nervous, I guess." He said, biting his lip.
"Well, you shouldn't be. The test for getting in is just a hat." She smiled and Josh felt his heart drop.
"You've been here before, then?" He asked, sighing.
"No, my brothers both go here. One's in third-year and another's in fifth-year." She said, eyebrows raised. That was it for their conversations as Josh ran through scenarios in his mind, trying to untangle his thoughts, as he so often did. About half an hour later, Abby looked out of the window. "Well... It looks like we should start getting dressed, we're almost here." She said and brought her trunk out from under the seat, pulling out her robes.
"Oh, yeah. I'll go and find a toilet to get dressed in or something..." He said, blushing slightly. He left quickly, robes slung over his arm.
About ten minutes later, Josh arrived back into the compartment to get his coat, just as they were entering the station. Abby was nowhere in sight. Oh well. He thought, before grabbing his coat and leaving the train. He looked out among the bustle of students, getting caught in what seemed to be a never-ending mosh of students. He was shoved, pushed and stood on several times. He was close to crying when someone grabbed him and pulled him out from the pit. He looked upon the face of an older boy, with the same eyes as Abby. "Are you one of Abby's brothers?" He asked and the boy nodded.
"Yeah! My name's Alan!" He shouted over the noise. Josh could see the scarlet and gold on his tie and automatically knew he was a Gryffindor.
"A Gryffindor, huh?" He asked.
"Entire family has been! You're a first-year, aren't you?" He asked and Josh nodded.
"Well, I hope you'll be in Gryffindor." He said and walked away, before Abby ran up to him from behind. "Josh?" She asked and he turned. "Oh, good. We have to get in the boats." She said and walked towards the lake, leaving Josh to follow her. He quickly caught up and walked beside her. "I met your brother." He said and she looked at him.
"Alan or Adam?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Alan." He said and smiled. "Nice guy." She rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, to you. To me he's a prat." She said, inspiring a laugh from Josh. They walked to a boat and sat in the nearest boat, watching it row itself up to the castle. They sat in silence until they got out of the boat. After they got out, they talked about their families as they walked up with the other first-years to the castle. Abby's family was Half-blood, like Alan's. Alan's mother was a muggle-born, while Abby's father was a muggle-born. All of Abby's family had all been in Gryffindor, much like Alan's. This meant that they would both probably be in Gryffindor, much to Alan's delight. As they got up to the castle, they were stopped at the main hall doors by an old witch. "Hello. I'm am Professor McGonagall. All of you will wait here until you are allowed to come in." She said and walked into the Great Hall, leaving them all watching the doors anxiously. There was a general murmur of chatter around them, with Abby talking to another girl behind her. Josh was just watching the other people, while glancing at the door. After the general discussion had reached silence, the doors opened and the Professor stood there. "Everyone, welcome to Hogwarts."
As they all filed towards the front, there was a definite atmosphere of nervousness. Everyone was looking at the hat upon the stool. Suddenly, it opened its mouth and began to sing a song.
Oh you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
if you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folks use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!
As the hat finished, the hall exploded with applause. This only caused an increase in nervousness for the first-years. As Professor McGonagall called out names, Josh wasn't really listening, knowing his would we a way down the line. He zoned in a while later, after hearing the name 'Abby Stevenson'. His attention snapped to the girl sitting in the stool. It took barely five seconds before the Sorting Hat declared her a Gryffindor to rapturous applause. Josh watched Abby leave and went back to not listening. Another while later, someone tapped him on the shoulder "You're up." He whispered and Josh felt his heart flutter. He closed his eyes and walked up to the stool, sitting down. A furious blush was on his cheeks as the Sorting Hat was placed on his head. Josh felt every second go like a minute, worried out of his mind, before the hat loudly declared "Gryffindor!" And he felt a weight leave his chest. He walked over to the Gryffindor table, almost running. He sat beside Alan who had cleared a seat for him. "Thanks." He said quietly as the rest of the names were called out. After the names had been called out, the headmaster, an old man with a long, white beard stepped up. "Hello. Welcome to Hogwarts. Now for a few quick words: Don't go wandering where you shouldn't. Now let's eat!" He said and massive amounts of food appeared on the platters. Josh licked his lips and began piling food onto his plate, as did everyone else. As he searched around for Abby, his eyes locked with hers across the table, only a little away. He smiled softly, with her returning the expression immediately. They looked at each other a moment longer, before breaking contact, slightly awkwardly.
The feast went on for a few hours, before they ventured to their Common Rooms. Josh found Abby and walked with her, as they looked about at the various portraits, all waving and greeting them. Josh couldn't help but smile as he looked at the portraits, now able to see it as nothing more than his best dream come true. He looked at Abby, just as she was looking at something else. He had gained something else, too. A friend. He had gained a friend. He smiled at this thought, just as he stopped at the portrait hole, the prefect in front of him. As the prefect explained about the Common Room, Josh was making up a small tune in his head, smiling. As they were allowed to enter, Alan found himself sharing a dorm with a few other boys, none of whom he knew. After he unpacked, he went downstairs to find many people there, with Abby sitting on a chair alone. He walked over to her and stood in front of her "You look lonely." He said, raising his brows.
"Just because someone's alone doesn't mean they're lonely." She said and Josh turned to leave. "But in this case, yes I am lonely." She added and Josh turned, smiling. He sat on the chair opposite her and looked around, catching Alan's eye. He winked and turned back to his friends, leaving Josh confused. He turned back to Abby, who had seen the same thing "Ignore him, he's annoying." She told him, inspiring a laugh from Josh.
"He's not so bad..." He said, smiling "Just a little... Presumptuous." She raised an eyebrow.
"Presumptuous?" She asked and Alan blushed a little.
"Erm, yeah... I think he presumes... Never mind." He said. Their conversation carried on until nine o'clock, where they talked about their lives before Hogwarts, what they were most excited about and what they weren't looking forward to. At nine, they went to their separate dorms and Abby slept, though Josh was up until ten meeting his dorm mates. Their names were John and Jim Possiter, who were twin brothers, Daniel Toplar, James Jones and Gordon Ethbridge. It was a strange dorm, owing to the fact that all of them, bar Josh, were muggle-born. Josh talked to them until ten, when he fell asleep, looking forward to the day ahead.
When he awoke the next morning, he jumped out of bed and quickly got dressed, making sure his Gryffindor robes looked smart. He put his tie on, almost strangling himself at one point and rushed out of the door, heading down to breakfast. He sat beside Alan, who smiled at him in greeting. "Hey." He muttered, turning back to his food. Josh smiled back, before turning to his other side, where another boy was sitting. Alan automatically looked at the boy. "Hey Adam." He said and Adam looked at him.
"Oh, hey Alan." He replied, face impassive. Josh knew who the boy was, Abby's other brother, Adam. Josh felt a little awkward and was about to stand when Alan turned to him. "Going somewhere?" He asked, causing Josh to gulp.
"Oh... Just going to the lake." He said, truthfully as he wanted to see the lake.
"I'd go at dinner, it's best then." Adam chipped in and Josh smiled.
"Oh, ok." He said and sat back down, finishing his breakfast. He tried to remember his timetable, only resulting in confusion. Abby past him and muttered "Charms first." Josh smiled at her.
"Thanks." He said and ate the rest of his breakfast, before getting up and walking to the Charms class, where the small Professor Flitwick was waiting. The small professor was looking jolly, smiling and chatting to a few students who Josh didn't know. Abby walked over to him, smiling. "Hey." She said, causing Josh to look up.
"Oh, hey!" He replied happily.
"How are you?" She asked, eyes seeming to be happy.
"Erm, fine. You?" He asked, a little flustered. That look of amusement reappeared in her eyes as she watched him getting increasingly flustered.
"Fine, thanks." She replied, her eyes never leaving his, which only caused him to get more embarrassed. Soon enough, a small blush dusted his cheeks. Abby noticed this and couldn't help smiling. She turned away, leaving Josh extremely relieved. He looked at the other people in the room, before he heard a thud next to him. Someone had sat down next to him. Josh turned to see who it was, finding James Jones, one of his dorm mates, there. They smiled at one another, before James looked at the front of the class, as did everyone else. Josh turned his head to find Professor Flitwick at the desk, obviously standing on a box. Fltiwick talked about charms and what they did, before telling them to get their wands out. Josh got his out, a maple, unicorn hair wand that was ten and-a-half inches long. Flitwick waved his wand and a feather dropped in front of all of them. "Today, you will be practicing a levitating charm. The incantation is 'Wingardium Leviosa'. The motion is a swish and flick. Everybody try!" He finished, leaving the class to practice. Josh still hadn't tried, terrified of if he'd get it wrong. Nervously, he aimed his wand at the feather and closed his eyes, quickly ridding himself of the nervousness. He swished his hand, then flicked, muttering "Wingardium Leviosa!" Much to his surprise, the feather began to float in the air and Josh found he had complete control over it. Most of the class watched as Josh moved it over James and back. Even Flitwick seemed surprised. Josh blushed slightly, closing his eyes. James whispered "How did you do it first time?"
"I don't know." He whispered back and broke the spell, the feather landing in front of him. Flitwick looked at him, frowning slightly.
"Are you Josh Townsend, by any chance?" He asked and Josh nodded "I thought so. Your parents were exceedingly good at charms, the both of them. You should go far."
"Thank you, sir." He said quietly, mortified. The rest of the class passed without drama, though Flitwick kept glancing at Josh, as if trying to decipher some puzzle. As they left, Flitwick nodded to Josh who nodded back and left.
As Josh walked towards their next class, Defence Against the Dark Arts, he pondered the Charms class. Was it an irregularity to be that good? Josh shook these thoughts off, sighing heavily. He entered the classroom and sat at a desk near the back, with James sitting next to him again. "Mind if I sit here?" He asked and Josh shrugged.
"Don't see why I should mind." He replied, smiling softly.
"Thanks." He said and looked to the front, along with everyone else. The Professor's name was Tunbridge. He was a tall, lanky man with short black hair, with black eyes. He talked about defensive spells. The teacher seemed to have a mischievous air about him, as he often had a twinkle in his eye when he discussed certain spells, giving students the feeling he was telling them things he shouldn't be. Josh turned his head to James, who was looking at Tunbridge intently. The boy was clearly engrossed in the lecture and Josh had to stifle a chuckle at the look of concentration in his eyes. James snapped his eyes momentarily to his, before looking back to Tunbridge. Josh raised his eyebrows but turned back too. In the next hour, he listened intently to the lecture, the demonstrations that wowed them and the spells he described, with many writing down several of them for later reference. The teacher was definitely liked among them, with even Josh admitting he wasn't bad. He was friendly, sometimes asking students their opinions and asking what they knew about spells. He was a very free teacher, wandering about the classroom, making gestures with his hands to accentuate what he was saying and even once doing a little jig after demonstrating a spell. That hour was one of the most amusing Josh had ever had and afterwards he talked excitedly to James about the teacher and the class.
After Josh's next class, Potions, they had dinner. Nothing had really happened in Potions and Josh had spent most of the time doodling in his textbook. The Professor, an old man named Slughorn had talked about general herbs, infusions and mixtures. He once mentioned a potion named 'The Draught of Living Death', which caused a little excitement in the room, until he told them they would only be studying that in Sixth Year. The excitement ceased almost immediately. Josh could remember no more about the lesson, he may have fallen asleep. Anyway, as he was, he was sitting eating his lunch, rather hurriedly. He wanted to get down to the lake and it was an unseasonably warm day. He finished eagerly and jogged from the Hall, when Abby walked up to him, stopping him in his tracks. She smiled at him "I'm going to the lake, you want to come?" She asked, inspiring a laugh from Josh.
"I was going there myself, actually." He said and Abby raised her eyebrows.
"Really? Hmm..." She said and Josh swore he could hear her say "Destiny, I guess." Josh smiled at her and they walked towards the lake. On the way, they talked about their classes, even though they had both been in the same classes, the exact same. They both had enjoyed Defence and both had been bored in Potions. Abby also admitted that she had been surprised when Josh had succeeded in his first attempt at Charms. They talked about the spells that they had been told about in Defence, along with the few potions they had accidentally heard. By the time they reached the lake, they were chatting away like they had known each other for years, not just a day. This bond would continue for many years to come, though we'll get to that later. They talked for their entire free time, before they walked up to the Herbology gardens, as that was what they had next. Many people were nervous about this class, as they had all heard the rumours about the terrible plants that they would see and be taught about. Josh looked through the windows and smiled, looking at the various plants and herbs. They were let in and their lesson commenced with them being told about several of the many herbs that inhabited the world, Wizarding and Muggle. The class passed quickly, as they listened intently to their professor, a woman named Sprout.
After this day passed, the time seemed to fly over and, before they could believe it, it was December. The date, in fact, was December 19th. Everyone was getting ready to leave for the Christmas holidays, apart from the few who decided to stay, such as Josh. He was sitting in the Great Hall, dressed in a woolly Christmas jumper, with a moving reindeer emblazoned on the front. He looked about at the other few people there, chatting excitedly with their friends. Suddenly, three people came in the Hall. Josh turned to looked at them, quickly recognising them. Abby, Alan and Adam all walked over to him. "Come to say goodbye?" Josh asked and Abby smiled.
"No. We heard you were staying and that no-one else was, so we thought we might." She said and Josh blinked. Were they really doing this for him? Were they really sacrificing a Christmas with the rest of their family to be with him? No, it must be some kind of joke.
"Really?" He asked, slightly fearful of the answer. He didn't know why so much of him wanted it to be true, whereas a part of him, the modest part, wanted it to be a joke, so that they weren't sacrificing their Christmas for him.
"Yeah, really. We wrote to mum and she said that it was ok, that her and dad would go away somewhere." Alan said, smiling at Josh.
"O-Oh." Josh said, his heart fluttering in his chest. He was so happy, yet felt so guilty at the same time. James was going home for Christmas, even though he had told Josh that he would rather have stayed.
"Yeah. You're stuck with us." Adam said and smiled. "Now, let's go outside before the snow melts. I haven't had a good snowball fight in a while." He said and Josh grinned. He stood up quickly and Alan declared to the rest of the students in the Hall: "Everyone outside! Snowball fight, right now! Gryffindors and Ravenclaws versus Hufflepuff and Slytherin!" After this, everyone stood up, even the older students, and went outside. Alan, Adam, Abby and Josh followed on and arrived outside, where a crowd had gathered at the courtyard. Abby explained this to Josh, saying "There's always a snowball fight and, for the last few years, Alan and Adam have always started it." Josh nodded, understanding.
"Right. This years teams are Gryffindor and Ravenclaw versus Hufflepuff and Slytherin! Lions and Ravens start in the east of the courtyard, Snakes and Badgers in the west of the courtyard. After the signal is given, go where you will." Adam said and Alan added "Whatever you're wearing, change the colour to your house colour. If you can't, ask an older student." The students set about doing as he said and Adam turned Josh's jumper red, with Alan doing the same to Abby's cardigan. As the teams moved to their respective starting positions, Adam and Alan stood in the middle, hands up to show counting. As each of their fingers went down, there was a buzz of excitement as people both readied snowballs and got wands to enchant them. As the final finger went down, Adam and Alan both ducked under the immediate onslaught of snowballs, heading back to the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff lines, who were already throwing snowballs. Everybody was laughing, there was no real sense of rivalry, just fun. There was no difference who you the snowball at, it was just plain fun. Before they all knew it, they had outsourced to all over the grounds and, much to the students surprise and amusements, a few teachers had decided to join in. By the time an hour had passed, the 'battle' had reached its climax, with everyone unable to stop laughing and everyone freezing. Josh and Abby had stuck together until the end of it and, when they were running back to the castle, fell atop one another, rolling down the hill. They couldn't help laugh, before getting up quickly. Josh smiled at her broadly, Abby returning the expression, a twinkle in her eyes. Josh had joy in his heart when they went back up to Hogwarts, getting a few snowballs from students and teachers alike. When they finally joined Alan and Adam at the Entrance Hall, they both seemed very pleased with themselves. "So... How did you like your first Hogwarts Snowball Fight?" Alan asked, looking at the two.
"It was great!" Josh said, grinning. Alan and Adam both looked at them both, then shared a look, with them both smiling knowingly. Abby rolled her eyes and dragged them both to the hall, saying to Josh "Stay here." Josh blinked but did so, sitting on the thankfully dry step. He didn't know how long he would be waiting, nor about the conversation that was commencing in the hall.
Abby pushed both of her brothers onto a seat and looked at them. "What is with you two? Why do you keep giving me those looks?" She asked, raising her eyebrows.
"Oh, come on sis. Anyone can see that you and Josh have a massive crush on each other." Alan stated, keeping his eyes on her. Abby blushed deeply.
"Wh-What?" She asked, unable to meet either of their eyes. "I don't fancy Josh." She said quietly. The blush on her cheeks was slowly getting redder.
"Yeah, you do. We can see it. We may be two years apart, but we're still brothers. He likes you too." Adam told her, smiling slightly. Abby gulped and sat down.
"No, he doesn't." She almost whispered, her voice was so quiet.
"Yes, he does. I can see it, even if you don't." Alan said, smiling slightly. "Ask him or something. Make a hint or whatever you girls do to get someone to go out with them."
"What? No!" She said, looking down.
"When I was eleven, I had a girlfriend. She was sweet and beautiful. That lasted until fourth year." Adam told her.
"Yeah, but that's you." She said quietly.
"Just ask him..." He said and, after a while of thinking, she nodded and stood up. She walked back over to the door, but stopped when she saw Josh facing away from her. He wasn't doing anything, but she couldn't move any further. She fought an internal battle with herself, trying to get her legs to move forward but, in the end, found it futile and began to walk back towards the hall. Just then, Josh turned, looking at Abby. "Abby? Are you ok?" He asked, looking at her in concern.
"Erm, yeah. Fine." She said quietly and Josh stood up, walking over to her.
"Hey, you look... Upset. What's the matter?" He asked softly. She shrugged.
"Nothing." She whispered, looking up at him. Josh opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. He sighed and looked down, unsure of what to do. "Kiss her!" A shout came from Alan nearby, with Adam leaning on the wall beside him. Josh moved backwards immediately, stumbling and tripping, hitting his head off the floor. Everything went blurry for a few seconds. When his eyes finally readjusted, Abby was leaning over him, along with Adam and Alan. "He's hit his head pretty hard. Must've tripped on his robes. Can you stand?" Alan asked. Josh groaned at tried to stand, grabbing onto Alan and Adam for support. "Come on. Let's get you to the Common Room. You need to lie down." Josh nodded feebly, allowing them to guide him upstairs. At one point, at a mild attempt at humour, Josh muttered "This is your fault, Alan." Alan gave a small chuckle, before leading him into the Common Room, where they lay him on the couch, a cushion on his head. Josh felt dizzy as he was laid down and winced slightly at the throbbing pain in his head. Alan said to him "Try and rest, you'll be fine." Josh nodded and began to drift to sleep.
He woke up a few hours later, finding most of the pain in his head gone. He winced slightly but got up, looking about. Abby, Alan and Adam seemed to have gone. He wandered down the stairs shakily, heading towards the hall. When he got there, they were sitting at the Gryffindor table, eating some lunch. When he approached, they all turned to look at him. Alan looked relieved, Adam just nodded and Abby was smiling. "Look, it's the walking wounded." Adam said, then smiled at Alan "Sit down, it's lunch." Josh did as told, sitting next to Abby. He piled some food on his plate, then began eating, not noticing Abby glancing at him. He ate hungrily, meat, bread and vegetables alike. When he finished, he turned to Abby. "Have I missed much?" He asked curiously.
"Not really. Adam and Alan got a few Slytherins with snowballs." She said. Josh nodded.
"I see. How long have I been out?"
"A few hours. You hit your head pretty hard. Are you ok?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." He reassured her and then stood up, smiling. They all looked at him "I'm going for a walk. Any of you want to come?" He asked and they all stood up.
"Sure, got nothing else to do." Alan said and Adam nodded, walking ahead with Alan. Josh looked at Abby, smiling at her. She smiled back and walked with him. They quickly caught up to Adam and Alan. They were talking about Quidditch, a subject that James kept talking to Josh about. Josh wasn't interested in Quidditch, though. In the time that had passed, Josh had excelled in Charms, done well at Defence and tried his hardest at Potions. Herbology was a fun subject for Josh and he acknowledged that he was fairly good at it, though he focused on Charms. The other subjects they took: History of Magic, Transfiguration, Astronomy and Flying, were all fun, apart from History which was boring to say the least. One thing he was not looking forward to, like many others, was the end of year exams, which would decide whether he got into his second-year. He tried not to let his worry show on his face but sometimes, and he would do this more in time to come, he found himself despairing about them. As he was in his own world, he hadn't noticed that they'd arrived at the Transfiguration courtyard. Alan and Adam left them, going over to an older boy, striking up a conversation with him. Josh and Abby looked at each other and smiled. They sat on a bench and talked for a while, until they went to get dinner, still chatting away. After dinner, they parted ways. Josh went to the Common Room, while Abby went to the library.
So the next few days, with much social interaction between the two students. Alan and Adam seemed to distance themselves from the friends, though Josh and Abby had no idea why. Before they knew it, it was Christmas Eve. Abby and Josh were sitting close together in the Common Room, chatting the night away. Adam and Alan were with them, joining in with the conversation, both sitting in the comfy armchairs either side of the couch. Adam and Alan kept glancing at each other, sometimes just listening to Abby and Josh talking to one another, always with a smile. They were up remarkably late, as they had decided that they would see Christmas in, though it had taken some persuading for Abby to agree. It was about eleven o'clock at night and Josh felt ecstatic, no thought of sleep in his mind. Abby seemed to be fine with not sleeping, though Josh sometimes caught her eyelids slowly dragging downwards, though she immediately blinked the sleep out of her mind. It seemed odd to Josh that his first Christmas at Hogwarts, he had become part of a 'family'. The Stevensons were so nice to him, yet they had only met him a few months prior. He was not ashamed to admit that Abby was his best friend, though he didn't know if he was hers. As they were chatting, it was only Alan's cry of glee that they were alerted to the arrival of Christmas. Adam, the older brother, had placed a few silencing charms on the Common Room, so they could talk without waking the students still in bed. They all laughed and went to their respective presents. Abby, Adam and Alan all had a pile of presents, rather large at that. Josh's wasn't too meagre, either. He ripped open his presents, among them a brand-new charms book, though Josh had no idea who sent it. It contained many complicated charms that Josh couldn't wait to try out. He also got several chocolate frogs, several Honeydukes' boxes and, from his parents, a black wallet that would only open for him. Josh grinned at Abby and the others, holding it up. "Look at this!" He exclaimed before opening a jumper from his aunt Valerie. That Christmas was spent laughing and playing with his friends.
Four more Christmases passed in a similar fashion. Every year when he went home to his parents, they were always eager to hear about their adventures and mishaps, their conversations. Adam left the school after his seventh year. It seemed weird without him there, now that it was only three of them. Abby and Josh grew closer and closer as the years passed, with affection and mild attraction growing into mutual love. In four years, they had never confronted their feelings for one another, though they had always come close to it, both of them. In those years, Josh grew to become a strong, skilled wizard, with Abby becoming just as skilled. By fifth year, they were joined at the hip forever and rumours were strife about them. Finally, their feelings spilled over one day close to the summer holidays, when they were in their fifth-year.
Josh looked out upon a rainy day at Hogwarts. It had been pouring down for close to an hour and Abby was nowhere to be seen. Truth be told, Josh was getting worried. Suddenly, Abby came bursting in. Josh sighed in relief and grinned at her "You look a little wet, Ab." He said.
"Maybe that's because it's bucketing it down out there." She replied but grinned back. "You love the rain, don't you? Surprised you aren't outside."
"I was waiting for you to get back, so we could both go together, if you like?" He asked and she nodded.
"Alright. No point drying myself off if we're just going back outside." She said and Josh walked over to her, smiling at her. She smiled back and took his hand. This was no oddity, they usually linked hands to lead people places. This only strived to increase the intensity of rumours about them. He smiled and led her outside, where a few students were. He looked at her "Where to?" He asked and she smiled.
"What about that tree by the lake?" She asked and Alan nodded, already leading her there. He had always loved the rain, it felt like it was cleansing his soul. He looked up at the sky, the stormy clouds not dampening his spirit. Through the years, he never had many rivalries with anyone, his friendship circle had been too isolated. Also, it helped that he was probably the best dueller in his year. They reached the tree they had mentioned, leaves sparkling green in the downpour. They both stood underneath it, the foliage blocking out most of the rain. Josh looked at Abby with adoring eyes, opening his mouth to speak. She turned to him, looking confused. "What is it?" She asked him, but he gave no answer. She sighed, "I'm going for a walk." she said, before walking off, leaving Josh feeling stupid and guilty. A little while later, a few minutes at most, Alan came running up to him. "Josh!" He yelled, covering his head from the still on-going rain. "Abby's crying her eyes out! What have you done?" He asked and Josh blinked.
"She's what?" He asked, unsure of what he had done. "I haven't done anything!"
"Well, she's just wandering about the grounds crying!"
"I don't know what I've done. Merlin, what's going on?" He asked the heavens.
"Have you said anything to her? Concerning... I don't know, love?" He asked and Josh blushed. "You were going to, weren't you?" He asked and Josh nodded.
"I... I love her." He said, looking at Alan despairingly. Alan ran a hand down his face.
"You idiot! She loves you too! She's just been too afraid to tell you!" He almost yelled, looking around hurriedly. "Go and find her!" He demanded and Josh complied, sprinting off almost immediately. He felt no weariness, no tiredness, just pure energy. He ran for what seemed like hours, though in reality it was only a few minutes. He silently thanked his sense to keep fit. He found her walking towards the entrance hall and his speed increased. "Abby!" He yelled, stopping her in her tracks. She turned and Josh ran up to her and she opened her mouth. He put a finger to her lips. "No words." He said and she looked at him, confused. He took a deep breath, before pressing his lips to hers. They shared a long, loving kiss, only stopped when Josh pulled back, smiling at her. "Abby Stevenson... I love you." He whispered and she smiled, a small blush on her cheeks.
"I-I love you too, Josh." She whispered back and they hugged, a long, tight hug. After they broke apart, something had changed in Abby's eyes. A sadness that Josh had never noticed, until it had gone, had disappeared. She was happy and so was he. They smiled at each other, completely lost in the moment, both of them getting drenched in the rain. They didn't care about the downpour, their eyes and minds found only each other. They stood there for a long time, before they wordlessly walked up to the Common Room. Their hands were linked, though not for friendship this time. This time it was a symbol of love, of affection. The wandered through the halls with a graceful smile upon their faces. They entered the Common Room together, smiling. They plonked down on the couch, sitting closer to each other than ever before. Alan wandered in a little later. He saw them and immediately his face split into a huge grin. "Finally!" He said gleefully and left without another word. Josh swore he heard Alan muttered "Adam owes me five galleons."
As the weeks passed, the OWLs passed and summer approached rapidly and, before they could keep up, it was the last day of school. Abby exchanged a long farewell on the station, before promising to write to each other and Josh promising to visit and to let her visit him. They kissed one final time, before hugging for a while. They broke apart and said 'Goodbye', then left the station. Josh couldn't stop talking to his father, John. He listened politely, smiling. Josh had always been a talkative person, more so in the past few years. Josh's mother wasn't there, she was at home, waiting for them. Josh's father asked about his exams, to which he replied: "I think I've done really well! Especially in Charms, as you could probably guess!" Their conversation carried on like this until they reached their home, a large farm. Josh ran into the house and hugged his mother tightly. "I missed you!" He exclaimed and she patted his cheek, smiling.
"I missed you too!" She said and indicated the table. "There's cake and things there for you."
"You know me so well!" He joked and grabbed a cake, eating it quickly. His father looked at him.
"I know you only just got back but I could use some help on the farm." He said and Josh nodded, heading to the doors. Josh helped his father tend to the farm for the following days, coming in only to sleep, eat or to reply to Abby's daily owl. The next week, Josh got an owl inviting him to stay at the Stevenson's house. The next day, his father had side-along apparated him there. Abby was there to greet him, running up to him and hugging him. He hugged her back and chuckled. "Miss me?"
"Yes!" She said, smiling at him. He kissed her quickly and took her hand, letting her lead him up to the house. She smiled as they entered, Alan and Adam on the stairs. The grinned at him "Hey, Josh. Heard you were coming." Alan said and chuckled. Josh nodded to them and was led to Abby's parents. They were both jolly looking people with a wide smile on their faces. Josh smiled at both "Hello, Mr and Mrs. Stevenson. I'm Josh." He said politely.
"We've heard a lot about you, Josh. And please call me Annie."
"Indeed we have. Call me Anthony." They told him. Josh smiled a little wider.
"It's nice to meet you." He said and they nodded.
"Nice to meet you to... Abby, why don't you show Josh around?" Anthony asked and Abby nodded, leading him outside.
When they were walking around, the passed a friendly dog. Abby looked at it and then said "That's Alfie, our dog. We've had him a long time." They walked on for a while, hands linked together, a bond of eternal trust. They wandered the grounds of the house for a while, before Abby led him back to the house, where they went up to her bedroom. Josh felt slightly sheepish but she smiled at him. "Don't worry." She said and opened the door, revealing a large room, furnished with a double-bed and a leather couch. Abby sat on the couch, Josh sitting next to her, smiling. They kissed a moment before Abby pulled out a book. "This is a muggle book I rather like... It's called Les Misérables. It's a great book, a bit long and tedious at times but it's good." She said and put the massive book down. She got up and smiled, looking out of the window. Josh watched her, smiling. She turned and sat back beside him. "I've always loved this place in summer." She stated, with a contemplative smile upon her features. They sat and talked a while, before they were called downstairs to eat. Josh sat beside Abby at the table, while the family and him talked. Soon enough, the time to sleep was upon them. Josh was going to sleep in the guest room, while Abby was in her room, next door. Josh and Abby spent most of the night in each others company, talking. They enjoyed each others company without the need for too many physical relations, they didn't need them. They didn't need to reassure each other of their love with kisses and hugs, they had words. They had words to say that which needed to be said. They did kiss, though. They kissed many a time and always broke apart to tell each other of love and of companionship. This carried on until the late hours, when Abby left him to sleep. Josh lay awake for hours thinking of her, thinking of them. He fell asleep without knowing it, waking up refreshed.
Josh left the next day, going home. He tended his duties on the farm for the remainder of the holidays, in constant correspondence with Abby and her family. He never went a day without writing to her, or without receiving a letter from her. It was always his favourite part of the day, opening her letter, reading it and writing back. He kept them in a drawer and liked to read them when he got bored. If he wasn't tending to the farm or writing the letters, he was reading on his bed. He had decided to follow Abby's advice and was now reading Les Misérables. It was a good book, if not long and complicated. Josh enjoyed deciphering the book's many riddles and phrases, rolling them around in his head. He somehow managed to finish the book in a few weeks, a feat in itself. After he had finished, he laid his head back on his pillow, contemplating the book, reflecting the story. Before he knew it, it was time to get ready for school.
When he asked his parents about the matter though, they had planned something. They had already bought his supplies and had planned a trip to Hogsmeade. When they arrived at the small inn, Josh immediately set off to Honeydukes, having been granted a few Galleons to spend there. He whistled a small tune as he entered, the kind faced attendant smiled at him and asked him what he would like. Josh told her that he didn't know yet and perused the shelves. The shopkeeper watched him, waiting for him to buy something. After he had got all he wanted, he headed to the counter, paying for it and carrying it home in several paper bags. He got back into their room and gave his parents the sweets they had asked for, sitting on his bed with his own. After devouring all of the sweets, he lay back on his bed, looking forward to the next day, when he would be going to Hogwarts. He had told Abby that he wouldn't be on the train tomorrow through owl. She had sent back that she would miss him, but she would try to get by without him.
At Hogwarts the next day, Josh waited patiently as students from the train filed in. He saw Abby and waved her over, knowing that this time they were alone. Alan had spent his final year at Hogwarts and it was just them. Josh found this a little weird, because he couldn't imagine the school without at least one of them there. Abby sat down and they exchanged greetings and kisses. Soon, they were eating at the feast, after the Sorting Ceremony and after Dumbledore had told them of the rules and the oddities he expressed. They ate for a good few hours, talking all the while. Underneath their cheerful exteriors, a deep-set fear was residing within them, owing to the absence of Alan or Adam. They had no idea what Hogwarts was like without them and, truth be told, they didn't want to find out. They talked and ate for a good while, until the feat was stopped and they were ordered to bed. They left and wandered to the Common Room, chattering away all the time. Despite their happiness, they were cautious, always looking around for Alan and Adam, purely out of habit. They had spent five full years at the school, all of them with at least one of Abby's siblings. Now though, they were alone and it didn't feel good. It felt odd, as if the spirit was partially gone. They felt no different about each other, though, they still loved one another.
Abby and Josh had passed their OWLs with remarkable ease, getting mostly Os and Es. Now, they were onto their NEWTs and, through the following months leading up to Christmas, they felt the strain on their minds and their relationships when they had loads of classes, having no free lessons that coincided with the other's. They had almost completely different lessons and they were slowly drifting apart. No-one else could see it, though. To everyone else, they seemed all the perfect couple they had been before. The only time that they visibly struggled under the strain was Christmas. Abby had left and Josh had stayed at the castle and was talking to Elsey, a friend of his from his Charms class. They were talking in the Great Hall and they were smiling and laughing at the other's jokes. They talked for two hours straight, never getting bored of the conversation. They wandered back to the Common Room, as Elsey was also a Gryffindor. They sat opposite each other and talked, before the conversation trailed off, with both of them staring into the other's eyes. Elsey had liked Josh for as long as she had been friends with him, though he didn't know it. She could see where it was going and she wasn't going to stop it. She leaned in, him mirroring the action. Their lips joined in a kiss, though not for long as Josh shot back and fell off his chair. "No!" He said to himself. "I can't. I love Abby. I'm sorry, Else." He said and hurried up the dorm in which he resided. Elsey sat there and sighed, a small tear falling down her cheek.
Josh lay in his bed, thinking what he had just, what he'd almost done. He hated himself and growled, grabbing at his hair. He loved Abby, he was sure of that. He had acted in a blind fit of lust, nothing else. He felt nothing but friendship for Elsey, but he had sort of contradicted that when he kissed her, however short it was. That, however was not the main thing on his mind. The main thing was the regret that he had betrayed Abby. He knew that it might not have seemed such a big deal to some people but he had loved her since first-year and now he had betrayed her in one second. That one second would, in weeks to come, become the one second he regretted most. He didn't know that yet, though, nor of the suffering he would be subjected to because of anger and hatred over the act, though not from Abby or himself.
When Abby came back, she was smiling. Josh still felt tremendously guilty and could barely look her in the eye. It was only one kiss but, to Josh, it felt like the worst possible thing he could have done. Abby, of course, had no idea. They spent a few hours, though it was mostly Abby who spoke. Abby had spent the holidays in France, learning to ski. Apparently, Alan had broken his arm trying, though it was healed quickly, due to magic. Abby laughed at that, with Josh giving a healf-hearted attempt at amusement. Soon, she was able to tell that something was wrong. "What's happened?" She asked, looking him straight in the eye and he found himself unable to lie. Before he could tell her the truth though, a voice rang out, mocking and hateful.
"He snogged me!" Josh felt his insides churn. He turned to see Elsey stood there, laughing with her friends. He felt a flash of rage, followed by a feeling of profound guilt. He knew she was lying, that it had been nothing but a small kiss and a quick one at that. He looked down, unable to meet Abby's confused eye. She looked at him.
"Did you?" She asked quietly and Jos felt a sudden urge to fight back.
"No! She kissed me, I didn't kiss her!" He protested.
"Liar!" Elsey said, a sly smile on her face. "He snogged me." Josh held back a growl, hating how much attention they were attracting.
"She's lying!" He almost shouted, standing up. Abby was just sat there, eyes sad, with just a tinge of anger. Josh sighed. "I kissed her, I'll admit but it was one kiss! One! It lasted less than a second!" He said, sounding desperate. Elsey simply rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, right. Believe what you want, Townsend. You kissed me." She said and stalked out. Josh sighed and finally met Abby's eye.
"I didn't, I swear." He tried but she simply shook her head.
"I-I'm sorry. I can't believe that... Maybe we should take a break, Josh." At this point, he could almost hear his own heart break and he could see Abby's hurt. Josh simply nodded.
"A-Alright." He said, and watched as she left. He sat there a while longer, until only he remained. He sighed and fell apart on the bench, crying and regretting everything he had done those holidays. He had no idea when he fell asleep, but he awoke the next morning, somehow in his bed.
When he woke up, he stayed there a long while, tear tracks fresh on his face. He lay there for ages, time passing either quickly or slowly, he couldn't tell the difference. He only knew that he had missed the day's events when the sun went down. He saw his dorm-mates enter the room and hid under his blankets. All of them ignored him, apart from James. James sat on his bed's side. He looked at where Josh was hid under the sheets. "Josh." He said, causing Josh to try and become smaller. "Josh, talk to me." He said and Josh put his head over the top of the covers.
"Why? What's the point?" He asked and James smiled sadly.
"Josh, I know you didn't snog Elsey." He said, causing Josh to frown.
"What? How?" He asked, confused.
"One of two reasons. One, I know you love Abby with all of your heart. Two, I was there." He said and Josh blinked.
"What do you mean you were there?" He asked and James gave a small laugh.
"When she kissed you, I was just coming into the Common Room. I saw it and I saw your reaction." He told him and Josh felt a small relief. At least one person knew how it happened.
"But what can I do? Abby'd just think you were lying for me." He said, sighing with sadness."I just thought you'd be happier if someone knew the truth and was on your side." James said softly.
"I-I guess I am. Thank you, James." He said and gave a small smile. Maybe this wouldn't be so hard, after all.
The rest of sixth-year passed slowly, with Abby and Josh never speaking once to each other. In fact, it was near the end of their seventh-year before they spoke again. Their exchange started off as cold and indifferent, but quickly changed to joyful and friendly. Their exchange was mostly uneventful, but ended with Abby finally accepting that it was not Josh's fault (That was done with a bit of help from James.). So, they became friends again and everything was well. A few weeks before they were destined to leave Hogwarts for the last time, Josh began thinking about Abby in a romantic way again. He wondered about whether he should ask her out, but decided against it. No, she deserved something of a bigger magnitude. So, he began to formulate a plan. It was destined to be carried out on the very last day of school. This is how it went:
So it was the last day of school. Josh and Abby were talking, Josh having led her to the lakeside discreetly. They were now sat underneath the very tree they had talked under those few years ago, just before they had got together. Josh looked up at the carvings on the tree and smiled. He took out his wand and carved their initials on the tree. Abby had no idea of this, as her eyes were closed, her head laying on Josh's shoulders. They were still just friends but they were very good friends. Abby woke up and looked at what Josh had carved and then at him. "D-Do you want to go out with me?" She asked and Josh smiled sadly. This was all part of the plan. He shook his head.
"No, Ab. I don't. I'm sorry." He said quietly. She nodded slightly.
"Excuse me." She said and stood, walking off the way she had just before the had got together. Josh couldn't help but smile. This was all going to plan. He looked around and let out a whistle, after Abby was out of earshot. James and Gordon walked over to Josh. "Everything ready?" Josh asked them and they nodded, grinning. "Go on, then." He said, nodding towards where Abby had disappeared. "Hurry!" He said and smiled. They ran off. He sat there a while longer, before walking towards where they had ran off.
While he was walking to his position, James and Gordon were talking to Abby. They led her towards the courtyard where Josh and Abby had first gotten together and kept talking to her, keeping their glances behing them to a minimum. Soon, Abby finally asked them what was going on. They just smiled and walked off. Due to a silencing charm, Abby could not hear the footsteps behind her. Three pairs. Three pairs of feet, two heavier than the other. Abby finally turned, intending to go back to where she thought Josh was. She turned, only to find Josh, Alan and Adam facing her. All three was smiling. Alan and Adam stepped back, leaving Josh stood directly opposite Abby, only a few paces away. "Abby. When I said I didn't want to go out with you, it was only because I was planning something much more. I was planning this. Everything you've done today, from walking off to talking to James and Gordon, has been planned for the last few weeks. I know you, you see. I knew that you'd walk off that way, because you did a few years ago and people tell me you do still. I knew you wouldn't look behind you until they were gone because you're so polite that you give people your undivided attention. I know you want to go out with me, because I know your looks. I've known them for almost seven years. I've grown to love each and every one of them. I've grown to love you so much that I can't imagine not having you around. I don't ever want to lose you like I did last year. I never want that to happen again so..." He said and pulled out a small box, while getting down on one knee. "Abby Stevenson... Will you marry me?" He asked and Abby stepped back, speechless. Josh smiled nervously at her. She finally nodded, a tear falling from her eye. They hugged a long while, before breaking apart, Josh sliding the ring onto her finger. They kissed and hugged a while longer, before Abby realised that each and every one of her family, friends and even professors were there, standing behind her. Then, the year ended.
Josh and Abby lived to a ripe old age, never leaving the other's side. They both got good jobs and found that they were able to make it work, despite their work. They loved each other until the day they died, a long time after they had gotten married, a year after they had left Hogwarts. It was a lovely wedding, with friends, family and professors there. They had exchanged their vows, with nary a dry eye in the house and they had joined together in marriage eternal. Despite it not being an Unbreakable Vow, they never would break the promises they made that day, never once. There was no hatred between them at any point, only love. They died at almost the exact same time, both of old age, both succumbing to the afterlife, where they were free to be with one another forever. That is how the story of Josh and Abby Townsend ended.
The student who is under the tree, who has just made this tale, stands up. They are pleased with themselves for making something so beautiful from four initials on a piece of bark, though they know it is something much more than that. They leave, going back to eat in the Great Hall, leaving the tree for another day, to return tomorrow, to make another tale.