It was the winter Hogsmeade trip. The seven friends, all seventeen,
traipsed together merrily. Lily and James were arm in arm, Remus and Hazel
held hands. Arabella had pulled Sirius's arm around her waist. Peter was
starting to trail behind, so Ara and Lily wrapped their arms around his
shoulders, then James linked arms with Hazel. The seven practically skipped
together down the street. They had shopped and explored Hogsmeade together
all day, and though they were bone tired, they were still an energetic
group. "How does butterbeer sound about now?" James called out. His friends
cheered, and they traipsed through the snow towards The Leaky Cauldron.
They all grabbed a booth together, laughing and joshing each other. James, Lily, Remus, and Hazel sat together on one bench, while Sirius, Arabella, and Peter took the opposite seat.
Madame Rosmerta, a kind little motherly witch, walked up to them, "What'll it be, kids?"
"Seven butterbeers, please, Miss Rosmerta," replied James with an innocent smile.
A moment later, the kind witch returned with a tray of mugs. "Here you are, boys and girls. Drink up!"
After everyone had suitably warmed up and was fairly settled down, Lily looked at them all and smiled. "I can't believe it's our last year!"
"Yeah," Arabella said with a smile. "I still remember getting fitted for my first robes at Madame Malkins'!" Sirius whispered in her ear, and they laughed. "You bet I looked good in 'em!" she replied with a laugh and a kiss on his cheek.
Remus smiled half heartedly. "Remember the first time we rode the Hogwarts Express?"
"I recall forcing you into James and Lily's car because you were too busy being polite to ask to go in!" Sirius replied with a evil grin. Lily remembered that too.
Lily smiled, recalling the past. "I remember not being able to figure out where Platform 9 3/ 4 was!"
"And I remember telling some redhaired idiot to run through the wall!" James replied, and they all laughed yet again. Lily leaned over to smack James, and he just pinned her to him with a grin. James put his mouth on hers, then took a swig of his butterbeer. "Butterbeer and a beautiful woman. How much luckier can a guy get?"
"You just want me to not hit you, James Fineus Potter, and don't think I don't know it! You should just-!" she started to add, when another kiss interrupted her.
Sirius snickered. "So THAT'S how to shut 'em up, James. I've been trying to shove a sock in the mouth of mine for a while now, but no such luck-agh!"
Sirius would have continued, but he found himself with a delicate fist in his stomach. "Honestly Sirius Black, after this many years on the same quidditch team, you should know that I'm dangerous!" Arabella said with a haughty laugh.
"That's why I like you so much," Sirius replied with a deep cackle.
All seven had by now finished their butterbeers. Another round was supplied by Madame Rosmerta almost instantaneously.
"Here's to memories!" Hazel cried happily, raising her mug.
The seven nodded to each other, all smiling. "To memories!" They chinked their cups of butterbeer together and took deep swigs.
Then Peter added, "Here's to making a head boy and head girl out of the same circle of friends!"
Everyone hoisted their mugs again, "To James and Lily!" much to the embarassment of both.
"Aw, come on. We don't deserve you guys!" Lily said with a sweet smile. She gave Hazel a hug and patted Peter on the shoulder from across the bench. Peter blushed and grinned, his freckles standing out even more sharply than normal.
"So, now what?" Hazel asked quietly after everyone had settled down again. "Where do we all go from here?"
"I want to get into the aurors," James said thoughtfully.
Sirius nodded, "Me too."
"We all know I'm going to R&R's," Lily said with a smile. Rowena Ravenclaw's University was the most academic of the wizarding colleges in Europe. "Hazel, what about you?"
"I'm not sure yet," Hazel said with a sigh. "I think I might try to get into hands on work, a nursery or preserve somewhere." The whole group knew her best subjects were Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures. "Remus?"
"You guys KNOW where I'm going," he said in a whisper, looking much older than seventeen. They did know. Though lycanthropy could be prevented nowadays, there was no cure for advanced cases like his. Remus wanted to find one, needed to find one.
The silence stretched, and finally Arabella spoke. "Well, I hope to be a professional chaser in a year or two."
Sirius snickered at his girlfriend. "Chasing what?"
Arabella just smiled innocently, examining her nails casually while she spoke. "I dunno, maybe chasing after a new boyfriend...!"
"Oh really?" Sirius asked with a pretense of pain. He began to shout melodramatically, "I couldn't live without you, Ara! Don't leave me! Please, my sweet!" Every patron of the Leaky Cauldron turned to stare, just in time to see Arabella punch him hard on the arm.
They all got a good laugh out of that, and Lily gave Arabella a high-five. "Nice one!" James and Sirius winked.
"Friends forever," James said, and they all toasted together. The future was looking bright, they were all smiling.
They all grabbed a booth together, laughing and joshing each other. James, Lily, Remus, and Hazel sat together on one bench, while Sirius, Arabella, and Peter took the opposite seat.
Madame Rosmerta, a kind little motherly witch, walked up to them, "What'll it be, kids?"
"Seven butterbeers, please, Miss Rosmerta," replied James with an innocent smile.
A moment later, the kind witch returned with a tray of mugs. "Here you are, boys and girls. Drink up!"
After everyone had suitably warmed up and was fairly settled down, Lily looked at them all and smiled. "I can't believe it's our last year!"
"Yeah," Arabella said with a smile. "I still remember getting fitted for my first robes at Madame Malkins'!" Sirius whispered in her ear, and they laughed. "You bet I looked good in 'em!" she replied with a laugh and a kiss on his cheek.
Remus smiled half heartedly. "Remember the first time we rode the Hogwarts Express?"
"I recall forcing you into James and Lily's car because you were too busy being polite to ask to go in!" Sirius replied with a evil grin. Lily remembered that too.
Lily smiled, recalling the past. "I remember not being able to figure out where Platform 9 3/ 4 was!"
"And I remember telling some redhaired idiot to run through the wall!" James replied, and they all laughed yet again. Lily leaned over to smack James, and he just pinned her to him with a grin. James put his mouth on hers, then took a swig of his butterbeer. "Butterbeer and a beautiful woman. How much luckier can a guy get?"
"You just want me to not hit you, James Fineus Potter, and don't think I don't know it! You should just-!" she started to add, when another kiss interrupted her.
Sirius snickered. "So THAT'S how to shut 'em up, James. I've been trying to shove a sock in the mouth of mine for a while now, but no such luck-agh!"
Sirius would have continued, but he found himself with a delicate fist in his stomach. "Honestly Sirius Black, after this many years on the same quidditch team, you should know that I'm dangerous!" Arabella said with a haughty laugh.
"That's why I like you so much," Sirius replied with a deep cackle.
All seven had by now finished their butterbeers. Another round was supplied by Madame Rosmerta almost instantaneously.
"Here's to memories!" Hazel cried happily, raising her mug.
The seven nodded to each other, all smiling. "To memories!" They chinked their cups of butterbeer together and took deep swigs.
Then Peter added, "Here's to making a head boy and head girl out of the same circle of friends!"
Everyone hoisted their mugs again, "To James and Lily!" much to the embarassment of both.
"Aw, come on. We don't deserve you guys!" Lily said with a sweet smile. She gave Hazel a hug and patted Peter on the shoulder from across the bench. Peter blushed and grinned, his freckles standing out even more sharply than normal.
"So, now what?" Hazel asked quietly after everyone had settled down again. "Where do we all go from here?"
"I want to get into the aurors," James said thoughtfully.
Sirius nodded, "Me too."
"We all know I'm going to R&R's," Lily said with a smile. Rowena Ravenclaw's University was the most academic of the wizarding colleges in Europe. "Hazel, what about you?"
"I'm not sure yet," Hazel said with a sigh. "I think I might try to get into hands on work, a nursery or preserve somewhere." The whole group knew her best subjects were Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures. "Remus?"
"You guys KNOW where I'm going," he said in a whisper, looking much older than seventeen. They did know. Though lycanthropy could be prevented nowadays, there was no cure for advanced cases like his. Remus wanted to find one, needed to find one.
The silence stretched, and finally Arabella spoke. "Well, I hope to be a professional chaser in a year or two."
Sirius snickered at his girlfriend. "Chasing what?"
Arabella just smiled innocently, examining her nails casually while she spoke. "I dunno, maybe chasing after a new boyfriend...!"
"Oh really?" Sirius asked with a pretense of pain. He began to shout melodramatically, "I couldn't live without you, Ara! Don't leave me! Please, my sweet!" Every patron of the Leaky Cauldron turned to stare, just in time to see Arabella punch him hard on the arm.
They all got a good laugh out of that, and Lily gave Arabella a high-five. "Nice one!" James and Sirius winked.
"Friends forever," James said, and they all toasted together. The future was looking bright, they were all smiling.