Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus
~Epilogue~
Early mornings at Hogwarts had always been a time of especial significance for Ariadne Rutherford. They were reminiscent of some of the happiest times of her life, and some of the saddest.
From the entrance to the tent, she surveyed Charlie's sleeping form – the hazy red stubble on his chin and the long eyelashes that fluttered against his cheeks.
'I won't be long, Charlie,' she whispered to his unconscious form. 'There's something that I need to do.'
She felt in her pocket to check that it was still there, and smiled grimly as she felt its familiar presence. Confidently, she strode away from the campsite and towards the school itself.
She was conscious of every detail of her surroundings, and at the same time, blissfully unaware of them. She was a woman with a mission, and her focus was solely on completing it. Reaching the lake, she felt into her pocket once again, and this time she pulled out something small and glittering.
Aiden's ring.
She had kept it in spite of herself, unwilling to let go of this final reminder of the folly of loving. Being back at Hogwarts, though, seemed to give her some sort of strength and resolve. She was finally ready to break free from the constraints of the past. Clenching the ring in her fist, she took great delight in bringing her arm back and flinging it into the seemingly infinite depths of the murky water. She watched the ripples of displacement, devoid of emotion. The final link was gone, and the chains of her history could bind her no more.
With a smile of satisfaction, Ria turned around and made her way back to the campsite. She stopped outside the school entrance and surveyed Hogwarts' coat of arms. Intellect. Honour. Ambition. Loyalty. The four pillars of the magical world. And, underneath them, the motto:
Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus.