The next few weeks, Steven moved through school on autopilot. He spent his days studying for his finals. He tried not to think about the night in the S hallway. He and Tom didn't make eye contact when they saw each other in the corridors or the Great Hall. Whenever Sylvia would ask him about Tom, Steven would shrug and go silent. After a few instances of this, she started to not mention Tom at all. Steven was really glad, because he wouldn't know what to say to her anyway. He couldn't hardly process what had happened himself, he didn't want to bother Sylvia with it too. He decided it was probably better to just leave it alone.

But even avoiding the topic and filling his time with Transfiguration wasn't enough to completely erase Tom from his mind. Steven still hadn't quite forgiven himself for walking away from his friend when it was clear that he needed professional help. At the same time, he didn't doubt that that snake could have swallowed him in one gulp - or worse. And the look in Tom's eyes when he told Steven that he wouldn't be the one killing him… he had been dead serious, in every meaning of the word.

The week of finals came, and Steven got through it mostly unscathed. He had a bit of a mishap during his Charms exam where he had singed his eyebrows from mispronouncing a simple Levitation charm, but other than that he felt he did quite well.

And just like that, it was the end of the year. The night before he left to go home, he looked around his dormitory, making sure everything was packed. Steven felt like he was leaving with much more baggage than he had come with, and not just in the physical sense. He needed a break. And a snack. Steven checked his map. Sylvia had put a charm on it that now showed where people were in the castle. Steven had asked her how she knew everyone in the castle, and she just shrugged and said that she may have figured out the tracking spell that her dad used for his job at the Ministry of Magic.

"Don't tell anyone though, because I really shouldn't even know that the Ministry tracks people at all." She'd winked at him over the top of her book.

Steven looked for Tom's moving dot on his map. It looked like he was in his common room. That was good. That meant that Steven wouldn't bump into him on the way to the kitchens.

Steven packed up his map and headed out, waving at Rina as he passed through the common room. He hated how paranoid Tom had made him. Would this be how his next six years of Hogwarts would be? Checking around corners to try and not bump into Tom? Maybe he should just quit Hogwarts and live a normal life without magic. That wouldn't be so bad, right?

Steven walked up to the portrait of the fruit bowl and tickled the pear to turn it into a door handle.

"Master Steven sir! We has not seen you in an awfully long time, sir!"

"Hello Nibbs." Steven looked up at Nibbs and forced a smile. "I'm sorry it's been so long."

"Not at all, Master Steven! We has missed you is all."

Some of the other house elves smiled and bowed to Steven as they hurried by carrying platters of food bigger than they were.

"Everyone looks pretty busy today… Maybe I should come back another time." said Steven.

"It's time again for the end of year feast. It's a busy time in the kitchens, sir. But please stay! Nibbs always has time for a friend!"

Nibbs ran off and got Steven a kitchen stool and a plate of cookies. Steven smiled. Sugar cookies with buttercream frosting. These were some of his favorites. He took one and offered one to Nibbs, who protested, but took one in the end.

"Thanks, Nibbs. This really means a lot."

"They is just cookies, Master Steven."

"I mean, thanks for being my friend, and taking time out of your work to just sit and share cookies with me. I've had a long few weeks."

"Nibbs understands, sir. It's been a long year for Nibbs' family as well, sir."

"Oh right, how is your family doing?"

"Quite well now, sir. Tibbs is feeling well, and is starting to learn the rules of the kitchens, sir. He may be a fine cook one day, sir."

Steven smiled. "Is he keeping up with his art too?"

"He is indeed." Nibbs sighed. "Although, drawing is no profession for a house elf, sir."

"Well, even if it's just a hobby, he should keep working on it. He's really good at it."

"Master Steven is most kind." Nibbs wiped up some crumbs and threw them away. "But how is Master Steven feeling? Is he ready to go home?"

Steven nodded. "He is. But he's worried about coming back. There's someone who… we used to be friends, but now… I'm just scared of him is all. I wish I didn't have to see him all the time. It makes me feel sad when I see him. And if I come back to Hogwarts next year, I'll remember again and feel sad again. I just… I don't know what to do."

Nibbs nodded slowly. "That is very sad. But… does Master Steven have things that make him happy here?"

"Well… Yes, of course. I have Sylvia, and so many other friends that I've made, and all of you!" Steven gestured around the kitchen.

"Master Steven is too kind!" Nibbs blushed. "But if those people make Master Steven happy, does that not make the sadness go away?"

"Sometimes… Sometimes I feel guilty about it all anyway. I feel like it's my fault we aren't friends anymore."

"And sometimes Nibbs feels bad that he can't help Tibbs do more than cook. But that doesn't mean that both Nibbs and Tibbs won't have a good life. Perhaps we must take the bad feelings with the good ones."

Steven nodded and smiled. "I didn't know I'd get such good advice coming to get a snack."

Nibbs beamed. "Nibbs does his best. But he does hope Master Steven stays at Hogwarts. Nibbs would miss him."

"I would miss you too. I will stay. It will be hard, but I think I can do it."

Steven thanked all the house elves again for the snacks, and even with the end of year feast bustle, Steven managed to hug many of them goodbye for the summer. After about fifteen minutes of goodbyes and thank yous, he made his way up to the Great Hall for the feast.

Sylvia was waiting for him at the Hufflepuff table when he arrived. Many more of his friends were already in the hall as well, and came up to hug him or waved at him as he passed.

"Somebody's popular." Sylvia grinned as Steven sat down next to her.

"It's because just the end of the year." Steven said shyly.

"No, I think it's because you have lots of friends." Sylvia laughed. "And you were worried that you wouldn't have cool friends because you were in Hufflepuff."

Steven smiled. "There actually are really cool people in every house. I think I was just told wrong at the beginning of the year."

"Well, you know that Slytherins can be pretty stuck up." Sylvia smiled sarcastically.

"Every house is kind of proud of themselves, I think. It's not just Slytherins."

"Thanks for bursting my bubble." Sylvia elbowed Steven in the ribs. "In all seriousness though, I think it's really cool how just having you at Hogwarts has made a lot of the different houses come together. I mean, things weren't like this before. Everyone kind of kept to themselves, really. But since you're friends with so many different people, it feels like everyone is just more friendly, no matter what house they're in."

Steven blushed. "That's super sweet, Sylvia. I don't think I did that though… Everyone was pretty awesome before I got here. I was just… nice to people."

Steven looked up just as Casey walked by with Walberga. Casey waved when he saw Steven, even though Walberga looked like she had just licked a lemon. Steven waved back, and they headed over to the Hufflepuff table.

"Hey Steven! Excited to go home for the summer?" Casey grinned. Walberga glared sourly at Steven. Steven just smiled at them both.

"Yes and no. I'll miss my friends here. But it will be good to see my family."

"I feel ya. Black and I are planning on meeting up a few times during the summer, just for fun. My parents haven't really met a lot of my friends from school, so it will be really cool to introduce people to them."

Casey was bouncing with excitement, but Walberga was looking a little nervous. Steven hadn't really seen her since their last encounter in the Great Hall, and he didn't want to trouble the waters. But he did want to help her feel more comfortable.

"That sounds like fun! What are your plans with your family, Walberga?"

Walberga shrugged, and muttered something under her breath to Casey. He whispered something back to her, and she relaxed a little.

"My family doesn't do much, but it will be… interesting… to meet Casey's family."

Steven raised his eyebrows. He hadn't really expected such a civil reply.

"That's great! I bet you guys will have a great time."

"We will." Casey smiled. "We'll see ya later, Steven!"

He waved at Steven as they left, and Walberga even nodded goodbye.

"This is exactly what I mean." Sylvia gestured at Casey and Walberga. "A miracle of friendship! I didn't even know they were together."

Steven shushed her. "They're trying not to let anyone know. But yeah, they are actually pretty adorable together." He smiled.

"I mean, it makes sense that they don't want to broadcast it. Her family is pretty strict about the pureblood thing."

"Right…" Steven hadn't thought of that.

"Hey, maybe we should hang out during the summer! I would love to meet your sisters."

"Yeah, that would be fun! I'll send you an owl and let you know when would be good. If I can find a wizard post office, anyway."

Sylvia laughed. "I'll do some research and find a Muggle post office. That might be a little easier. Then, when I come visit, we can explore and see what we can find around your town wizard-wise. There's probably tons of magic near where you live, you just didn't notice it before."

Steven smiled, and the end of year speeches from the teachers began. Even with everything that had happened this year, things would be okay. He had his friends, he had his family, and he had more adventures to look forward to in the future. Steven was happy.

THE END