Brett couldn't help but smile as he woke to her gently touching his cheek. He grabbed her hand and pulled it to his lips, kissing each finger softly. She smiled back at him, joy evident in her eyes.
Smiles graced the faces of everyone they saw as the two meandered down to the Great Hall. Josi laughed when Sirius jumped form his seat and yelled, "I knew it!" pointing his finger at the happy couple before turning back towards James and saying, "Pay up," his hand stuck out in front of him. Brett seemed to be embarrassed at his friend's behavior but laughed none the less.
Lily and Ashley instantly bombarded Josi with questions as the two joined the group.
"When did this happen?"
"Why didn't you tell us before?"
"What happened?"
"Did you finally kiss?" and so on and so forth, to which Josi always answered, "That's for us to know and you to not."
And yet the questions continued as they all walked to Transfiguration, though how there were still more questions, none but the two asking could have answered. None but the two who would not stop talking could have answered.
"What are you two going on about?" McGonagall asked in the middle of class as she got tired of the whispers in the back of her class room. The whispers coming from her best students.
Not really paying attention, Ashley said, "Josi won't tell us anything about her and Brett, they got together and that's all we know. I'm sick of it. You better tell us something." Everyone looked at her in surprise, Lily more than the others.
"Excuse me?" McGonagall replied, fury evident on her face, "You are disrupting my class just because your friend won't elaborate on a relationship? My word!" there was a short pause before she, suddenly, laughed, throwing her hands up in the air, "Well, go on then, Miss Lillion, tell all. And while you're at it, maybe something fake to keep her occupied a while, will you?"
Everyone stared at their Professor with the utmost horror upon their faces, none more so than Josi and Brett, this was their relationship after all. But, Professor McGonagall just laughed again before sighing sadly, "Well, I must give you detentions tonight, it is unacceptable to talk during a lesson unless directed otherwise. 20 points from Gryffindor and see me after class for your detentions Miss Evans and Miss Washington. Now, back to what I was saying…"
Josi couldn't help but thank Merlin for her teacher returning to the front of the class. Lily was totally shocked and so kept her mouth shut for the remainder of the class. Ashley just smiled smugly to herself, knowing that she would figure it all out eventually. Hopefully.
"I still can't believe we got detentions," Lily complained as the two slowly made their way back to Professor McGonagall's class room, to help grade papers. Such a drag.
"Well, if Josi would have told us then we wouldn't have gotten detention," Ashley surmised. But Lily shook her head and replied gently, "But it is her relationship, shouldn't they be allowed to keep that to themselves? I mean we never told her how we each started our relationships, so why should she? Ours should make her more curious, because we have such different situations. Hers was inevitable, we all saw it coming. And besides," she continued as she opened the door to the classroom, "it's not her fault we can't help but want to divulge every secret and so we were talking in class.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Ashley mumbled as they sat down and awaited their detention.
"So," James began as he tossed a ball into the air, lounging on his old bed in the boys' dorms, "are you going to elaborate, or do we get no details?"
Laughing Brett said, "Well, I'm not sure she'll let me," his arms wrapped around her body as they sat in the window seat.
"Go ahead, I really don't care, I just wanted to tick Lily and Ashley off, but I was gonna tell them tonight anyways, but then they went and got themselves detention. So I guess I'll have to tell them tomorrow."
Sirius couldn't help but smile at her, glad he had given her up so many long months ago. Her eyes were a bright blue, shining with bliss, and her body seemed so much softer, as if a burden had been lifted from it. His eyes moved to look at the man whose arms wrapped around her. The man, her best friend for so long, seemed so elated to have her in his arms, which every so often constricted slightly as if to reassure himself that she was still there. That this wasn't a dream: this was real.
He barely heard the quick rundown of the previous night that had led to this unreality for the man. He couldn't help but wish he had this unreality. He wanted it so much, but could never seem to find, the way the rest of his friends had. And yet, he couldn't seem to resent them for it, he was happy for them.
Remus looked at the two lounging on the window seat, her situated between his legs and using his chest as a back. His arms were wrapped protectively, lovingly around her waist, hugging her to him. He couldn't help but wish that Kali, the woman he loved, was sitting with him, that he could hold her the way Brett was holding his love.
He knew that they wouldn't get every detail, hell, he didn't want every detail. He couldn't help but think it didn't matter how they got together, all that mattered was that they had gotten together. Some might have said it was inevitable. But it wasn't, they could have danced around each other for years without one ever making a new move.
James smiled as the words buzzed in his ears. Sure, he had been the one to ask, but it didn't really matter to him. He liked watching her face as she heard his voice, she seemed so much better than before. Her lips were curved in a soft smile as his arms tightened so slightly around her every now and then as he wove the words.
His eyes shifted to the face of the man speaking, and he couldn't help his envy. These two had something together, something he wished so desperately to have with his Lily. Yes, he was going to marry Lily and she was going to marry him. But the connection wasn't nearly as deep, she had hated him for years. It had taken a deadly battle to unite them. And these two only had each other. That was what had brought them together, what would keep them together. That was the only way, he knew, his relationship with Lily would succeed, if they believed that they would always and forever have each other. Nothing else in the world would hold them tighter than that.
Peter was watching the couple, his arms crossed over his chest, a smug smile across his lips. A smile he couldn't seem to conceal. Soon, he thought, it wouldn't matter their happiness now. No, soon they would be dead, exactly as the Dark Lord wished it. Only now, now the two would suffer more. More for their love of each other, than they would have of being simply what they were: an all powerful (Seemingly) Mudblood, and a Muggle-loving powerful witch that would not join the power cause. They would not seek power: they would not survive this.
He couldn't help but think of finally giving them to the Dark Lord, of the benefits he would have for not only handing them over, but for telling of an easy way to make them suffer the most. Their stupid love for each other.
Gently shaking Josi awake, Brett whispered in her ear, "We should head back to our rooms." Nodding softly, she leaned forward so he could move from behind her. Too tired to actually walk the whole way, she stretched her arms up to him, inviting him to carry her back. Chuckling softly, he swept her into his arms, called goodnight to his dozing friends, and carried her to his room.
He flicked his wand to change them into their pajamas before laying her down on the mattress. Smiling delightedly as he watched her sleeping, he gently lay on the bed himself. The moment he lay down, she curled her body into his, laying her head on his shoulder as his arm somehow came beneath her body.
The next evening Josi told, in sparingly great detail, what had occurred between her and Brett to Lily and Ashley, who squealed delightedly quite often. And the weeks wore on, each preparing for N.E.W.T.s exhaustingly. And only Sirius spent every night alone as Peter would often visit his Ashley late at night.
And although the N.E.W.T.s were extremely difficult, they all knew they had passed those classes that were simply necessary, and they spent their free time with each other, waiting for their graduation, dreading as much as praying for its coming.
Everyday the news grew exceedingly worse, deaths scribbled all across the Daily Prophet, so much that the printed words began to loose their meanings. Losses no longer existed to the friends, as most all who could have been lost, out in the world, already had been lost. The world seemed to have already lost its hatred for this small group of friends. But lost hatred can be found again, simply for a small reason that seemed so simple, so inadequate a reason to renew an old hate.
That simple reason, you ask, what was it? It is simple: they were entering the world anew.
They would find death and destruction seemed to return, as they had known it would. It would be hard, as people who had lost so much to this war, but they would succeed. The whole of them had joined the Order of the Phoenix, to do the most they could against this world. A world which they hoped to save.
Each knew that lives would be lost among them, and each knew it would hurt, but they couldn't help but imagine who would leave them for forever. But, hopefully, life would go on and they would start families, and continue to love each other for the rest of forever. And if they were the ones to be held in that oblivion, then the most they could do, to wait for all those they loved in this life, would be done.
They would never fully leave each other, for they were bonded for life no longer as friends, for that was an understatement for what they had, but as a family, because they were all the others had as one.
Sometimes they would delve into memories of all those that they had lost, whether because of death or choice, and smile at some, often finding that life was better, happier, when death was present. For death made them realize how precious life was, how much good life should be. And although the only ones who had loved their family for simple want to love had lost their family, those who had given up their family soon found a refuge in the fact that theirs was still living, no matter how much pain they had caused.
Mr. Potter, the man whom they all had adored, had died just days before graduation from a cancer that had come so suddenly into his life there was no chance of survival. They had all cried, devastated at the loss of such a man. But though times were hard, though times were definitely not what they wanted, they tried to think only of the goodness that they were fighting for, this goodness that they knew was out there.
Somewhere.
"Breathe Lily, breathe," James whispered in her ear as they walked onto the stage to receive their diplomas. Today was their last day at Hogwarts, tonight their last night. And tomorrow, tomorrow they finally say goodbye to this place where confusion and chaos had become enlightenment and energy, where hatred became love and love became the one thing they depended upon. The one thing they could.
Taking a deep breath she stepped onto the stage, followed by Josi and James, gently pressing Brett in the back to let him know she was ready. It seemed to take forever to reach the row of teachers, where they would give short speeches if they felt the courage to. Lily couldn't seem to hold herself together enough so she let Josi and James make the speeches, her heart pounding in her chest.
"Today, for some of us, couldn't come fast enough. And I include myself in that," Josi began, "But for others, you don't want to leave any more. No matter how long you've been here, the few shorts months I have, or the many years for most of you. It doesn't matter; this place has become the home you can always rely on being. We've all lost so much to this war, and Hogwarts is the only place we know that is safe.
"The place I had called home wasn't safe from Voldemort, death hangs over the walls as a permanent fixture, blood seeped into the ground. Many of you have your blood seeped into that defiled piece of land. You have fought in this war we are throwing ourselves back into. And we can't help but think, is it worth it? Is it really?
"Look around you, see the smiling faces, see the tears that are rolling down near every face, and tell me it isn't. If we don't fight, many of us won't last, all of this life we show today, five years from now, won't exist.
"Come back here, if we let ourselves fall to Voldemort, and you won't see life, you'll only see death. Worse than we are today.
"And yes, I know many of you are wondering what kind of graduation speech this is. When you think of a graduation speech, you think of cheery, Yay, go us speech. So, yes, go us, we have finally succeeded in finishing school. But school is over with and I think that we all need to be prepared for is coming, rather than what has gone. We all know we have done it, we have won. But I'm hoping that we aren't satisfied with winning only a small piece of paper. I'm hoping that we can win this war, and in turn, win the future we have worked so long for, we have prepared for. If we can't win that, then what was the point of us even coming to win this piece of paper?"
And with that, she moved away from the podium to sit in her chair on the ground, followed by Brett and Lily. James stood frozen on the stage, as the audience sat frozen. And then, as if her words had finally hit them, everyone stood and cheered, thunderous applause echoing across the grounds.
After a minute or so, Dumbledore cleared his throat and the noise slowly died down. James took a deep breath before moving to where Josi had stood moments ago, her words still ringing in his own ears.
"Ok, I'm not sure I can compare with that, but I'll try. Josi is wonderful with words, where as I'm good with only pranks. She can do those too. I guess that's one of the reasons women are so much better than us, guys. So just admit it now, they are better, always will be, and it will be much easier on us if we can admit it. Merlin, this is odd.
"Here we are, all ready for the world that we should live in and I can't help but think she's right, we aren't prepared for the world we do live in. yeah, we know how to fight, the most basic fights. We only know the good fighting ways, where as the people out there fight dirty. But the again, evil isn't more powerful, just easier to use.
"Me, I really don't think I'm ready to be in the world, but I'm throwing myself into it anyways. I am grateful though, that I don't have to do it alone. I have my friends, people that are my family. I'm sure most of you know what it's like to have only your friends as family. And I guess what I'm trying to say is, hold onto them, keep them close. Cuz, really, if you don't, you'll only suffer the more.
"It will be hard to survive through this war, but as along as you can hold onto the people that mean the most to you, you can get through this, you can get married someday, have beautiful children, and hopefully, by the time they're ready to live in this home of ours, the war will be over. They can grow up happy and loved, and with fewer deaths to darken their hearts. So, smile at your friends, keep going, and live life. Don't be afraid to fall in love, don't be afraid to raise children, eventually, and most of all, don't forget this home we all shared."
Applause greeted the end of his speech as he stumbled his way off the stage. And the ceremony continued, each person receiving their diploma, and laughing when Sirius shouted "Don't forget us Marauders!" as he waltzed across the stage.
The night was spent partying for those who were finally leaving and the train ride spent reminiscing on the better moments of the time spent there. Tears were shed, of laughter, of pain, and of happiness throughout both the evening and the ride.
And as they group left the platform, they moved aimlessly, not really sure of what to do. They were all going to James' house, the one his father had left him, but they didn't want to go just yet. They lingered on every step they moved, pausing at every doorway, scared as to what lay ahead in their lives, but knowing, in the end, it would all come down to one more death.
