Chapter 16

"I'm sorry," was the first thing Landry could think to say.

"No, I'm sorry, Landry," replied Albus immediately. "I shouldn't have tried to interfere. I was just jealous. Really, really jealous."

"It's okay, Albus. I understand. You two are perfect for each other. I don't know how I didn't see that before." Landry said, smiling.

Then she turned to Scorpius. "And Scorpius, I'm so sorry for treating you how I did. Albus was right, you aren't some product I can just sign off on. You're a person, and though you are a pretty great one, I should never have expected so much from you."

"Landry, there's no need to apologize for how you felt. I'm in the wrong here, too. I led you on because I was too afraid to come to terms with my real feelings. I used you, and that was so, so wrong of me."

"I just want us all to be friends again," said Albus, hopefully.

"I want that, too," said Landry, grinning.

Scorpius cheered. "Hooray! The dream team is back together!" he cried.

Albus and Landry laughed.

"So, you two are together now, right?" Landry asked, gesturing to their hands that were laced together.

Albus blushed and nodded, and Scorpius kissed him on the cheek.

"So, how about you and that guy you were with just now?" asked Scorpius. "In the blue suit?"

Landry's face turned bright red.

Albus laughed. "You never were good at hiding your feelings, Landry," he teased.

"I may or may not like him," Landry said. "But you know me. It took me over a year to muster up the courage to ask you out, Scorpius, and, no offense, what I feel for him is just a lot…scarier. How do you expect me to tell him?"

"No offense taken, I completely understand. What I felt for Rose Granger-Weasley was nice, but it was superficial. In comparison to what I feel for Albus, it seems so small." said Scorpius thoughtfully. "I think you should tell him, Landry. If there's anything I learned from our whole experience, it's that, if you like someone, you shouldn't waste any time pretending you don't."

Landry found this to be some exceptionally solid advice. But all of a sudden, she remembered something. "Oh my gosh, what time is it?" she cried.

Albus glanced at the clock that had just appeared on the wall in response to Landry's remark. "Five 'til eight, why?"

"Oh my gosh, I have to go back to the ball right away! I can't miss Miles's announcement!" Landry said, jumping up from her beanbag chair.

She, Albus, and Scorpius ran through the halls, out of the castle, and into the greenhouses. They made it just in time, for Miles was standing on the small stage where Celestina Warbeck had been performing. He was scanning the room, clearly looking for someone, and when he spotted Landry, his expression grew significantly less worried. He held his wand to his throat and whispered a voice amplifying charm. "Sonorus," he said, and then continued, "Hi. Hi! May I, um, please have everyone's attention? Please?"

All heads turned towards Miles. He took a deep, shaky breath. He was nervous, but also very ready. "So, some of you may know me as…Destiny Chester," he started, grimacing as he said his birth name. "But I just wanted to let you know that I'm trans. My name is actually Miles, and I'm a boy. So yeah…thanks everyone. Go back to whatever you were doing."

There was a moment of silence, but then cheers and clapping erupted from around the greenhouse. Nobody was cheering more loudly than Landry. Her heart swelled with pride and love. She loved him. Landry loved Miles, and she wasn't going to sit around doing nothing about it anymore.

Landry pushed her way through the crowd, towards the stage. Miles was descending the steps as he saw her coming towards him with a look of determination on her face. She threw her arms around him. "Miles, that was amazing. You're amazing," she said.

Miles blushed. "Thank you, Landry. You're pretty amazing, yourself."

"Hopefully, this will be amazing too," she said.

Before Miles could question what she had meant, before he could think of anything else, Landry kissed him. And neither of them could think of anything that had ever been so wonderful before in their whole entire lives.

Genevieve squealed as she watched what was happening. Scorpius and Albus walked up beside her. Scorpius took a sip of pumpkin juice and, wordlessly, high-fived Albus. His advice in the Room of Requirement had clearly been adequate.

When Miles and Landry finally pulled apart, all Miles could do was reply to what she had said right before the kiss. "It was," he said.

"So, um…what now?" Landry asked with a giggle.

"I'm in love with you, Landry Beckett," said Miles.

"Thank goodness, because I'm in love with you too," said Landry, with an elated breath of relief.

"So are we…together now?" asked Miles hopefully.

"If you want to be. I do." Landry replied, blushing.

"I do, too. So…would you maybe…possibly…please be my girlfriend, Landry?"

Landry grinned. She couldn't remember ever having been so happy before. "That depends," she said. "I'll be your girlfriend if you'll be my boyfriend."

"I think that can be arranged," laughed Miles, pulling her in for another kiss.

—

At five in the morning the next day, Landry, Miles, Albus, Scorpius, and Genevieve found themselves together in the Room of Requirement. They had changed out of their fancy clothes and had spent all night after the ball just catching up. Landry finally felt like all was right in her world. She had made up with her friends, and she was in love with her newly-appointed boyfriend, Miles. Landry had never been more content. She decided a celebration was in order.

"Guys, wait, I want to show you something," Landry said, rising from her beanbag chair.

"What is it, Love?" questioned Miles.

"It's my favorite place in all of Hogwarts. I go there whenever I'm feeling stressed or upset, and even just for fun sometimes. I've never shown anyone this place before, but you are all my best friends and I want to share it with you," Landry explained.

"Awwww, Landry! That's so sweet," Scorpius said with a smile.

"Well, what are we waiting for, then? Everyone follow Landry!" cried Genevieve.

The five friends trekked through and out of the castle, with Landry leading the way. She took them down a hill, towards the Forbidden Forest. The group twisted and turned through the trees until they came to a clearing. Genevieve gave a confused expression. It was just an empty clearing, but her four friends seemed to be in awe over it. "What's happening?" she asked them.

"Thestrals!" cried Miles, walking across the clearing and holding his hand out gently to a creature that Genevieve could not see.

"Yes," said Landry. "You can see them, too, then?" she asked Miles.

He nodded solemnly as he stroked the nose of one of the large winged beasts. "I was in a car crash when I was a toddler. I was fine, but my uncle didn't make it," he explained.

"I'm sorry," said Scorpius.

"Thanks," replied Miles, with a smile. "Can you all see them?"

"Everyone except me," said Genevieve.

"You should consider that a good thing, Gen," Albus said.

The friends hung out with the thestrals under the first light of dawn. Genevieve even got to pet one, though she still could not see it. Landry was playing chase with a baby thestral when she tripped over something.

"Are you okay?" cried Miles, rushing to help his girlfriend back up.

"Yeah, I'm completely fine," said Landry. "But what's that?"

She pointed to what she had just tripped over. It was a small, black, shimmery stone, glistening out from between the fallen leaves. Landry picked it up, curious about its odd appearance.

"Woah, what is that?" Miles exclaimed. The other three crowded around Landry to see what Miles was referring to.

"It's some sort of stone," Landry observed.

"Well, obviously it's a stone, Landry," Albus laughed. "I think Miles was referring to the fact that it is clearly not a normal stone."

It definitely wasn't a normal stone, that was for certain. It glistened eerily in the early morning light. Landry turned to her friends. "We should take it back to the castle. Maybe it has some magical properties! We can research it in the library later."

Everyone seemed to agree on this plan, so Landry pocketed the stone, and the five headed back to the castle.