Graduation was two hours away. Hayleigh stood in the common room, helping Oliver straighten his robes. She stepped back, and smiled.

"I think you look good," she said. He laughed, as he looked at her hair. "What?"

"Turn around," he said. She turned, and he lifted the brush off the table, running it through her hair for her. She turned back around, to face him, and he placed her bow back in her hair. "There. That looks better." She straightened her own robes, and clapped her hands together.

"I am so nervous!" she exclaimed. He smiled.

"Me too. But, at least after this, we are DONE!" he exclaimed. Hayleigh laughed, clapping again, and threw her arms around him.

"I love you…" she said.

"I love you, too, Hayl." Professor McGonagall entered the common room, and all the seventh years flooded down the steps, crowding around her.

"Graduation is less that two hours away. If you wish, you may head down to the Great Hall, greet those who have come to see you, and have something to eat at the refreshment table we've had set up." Hayleigh reached out, and took Oliver's hand. "Now, so long as everyone remembers their manners, and their place, things will go off without a hitch." She turned, and the students followed her downstairs, to the Great Hall. Hayleigh walked in the door, and looked around.

"Hayleigh!" She looked up, and smiled, seeing Mrs. Weasley running over with the family. She giggled.

"Hi, Mrs. Weasley! Mr. Weasley! Guys!" She hugged each and every Weasley (even Percy, who had just joined them), and turned around. Oliver was motioning to her from the wall, and she turned to Mrs. Weasley. "I will be right back. I need to go see Oliver," she said, and ran to the wall.

"Hayl? You remember my mum and dad, right?" he asked. She nodded as they hugged her.

"Of course. How could I forget?" she asked, smiling brightly.

"Hayleigh, oh, it is so good to see you again, dear," Mrs. Wood said.

"You, too, Mrs. Wood," she said, smiling. "I should get back to the Weasley's," she said, pointing.

"See you in a little bit," Oliver said. She kissed his cheek, and went back to her "family."

Professor McGonagall rounded up the seventh years, and smiled.

"It's time. Get into your rows, find your partners," she said, and headed up to the podium. Hayleigh turned around. Her partner was Percy Weasley. She wasn't too far from Oliver in line, but was glad she wasn't partnered with him. She loved him dearly, of course, but sometimes she felt so possessive over him, since they were always together.

The names were read off, one by one, and each student went up, took their diploma, shaking Dumbledore's hand, and then proceeding to go off and sit down. She slowly advanced to the front of the line with Percy. She was nervous, but she was able to hear her name being called, as though it was amplified in her mind.

"Hayleigh Gryffindor!" She headed forward, and reached out, taking the diploma in one hand, and taking Dumbledore's hand in the other.

"Congratulations," he whispered.

"Thank you," she replied, smiling, waved slightly to the Weasley's, and went ahead to her seat, to relax, finally. She listened as they went thru, calling off the names.

"Percy Weasley!" It seemed as though they called him not too long after they called her. She watched him take his diploma and sit, as they called off two more names, and she smiled.

"Oliver Wood!" She clapped as he took his diploma and headed to his seat.

The entire class was done. She smiled brightly as she hugged the Weasley's.

"Congratulations, dear!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed, hugging her. Hayleigh smiled.

"Thanks, Mrs. Weasley." She turned, and smiled at Percy. "We're done!" she exclaimed. He smiled, and they hugged.

"Hayleigh?" She pulled back, hearing the young voice behind her. She stopped, and looked up at Percy. "Hayleigh?" the voice called again. She turned, and looked around…only to see the girl in the doorway, with long black hair, and eyes that were a deep shade of blue.

"Melissa?" she asked. Melissa looked up, and smiled.

"Hayleigh!" She ran across the room, and grabbed her sister around the shoulders.

"Oh my God! What are you doing here!" she exclaimed. Melissa hugged her sister, smiling.

"I came to see you graduate! You think I would miss this?" she asked.

"But…how? I mean…how?" She turned, pointing to Twombly, the little house elf behind her.

"He showed me the Floo powder cup beside the fireplace, and he brought me to Hogsmeade. We came from there…" Twombly smiled.

"Twombly wouldn't miss Miss Hayleigh's graduation. Twombly knows Mr. Gryffindor would have gotten upset." Hayleigh smiled, and took her sisters hand.

"How are you holding up?" she asked.

"I was actually staying with the Weasley's, because I'm supposed to live with you. They sent me an owl, but I arrived at the Weasley's about an hour after they left…Twombly pointed out the Floo system." Hayleigh smiled, and turned around. Mr. Weasley walked up.

"Thought we would surprise you," he said, smiling. Twombly tugged on Hayleigh's shirt, and she turned around.

"Mr. Gryffindor asked me to give you this, if he should miss your graduation," he said, holding out a small package. Hayleigh opened it, and found inside the ring he'd always worn. It was a golden band, with a single red diamond-shaped jewel in the center. She gasped, hand over her mouth, as she looked at it. After a second, she slipped it onto her finger, and smiled.

"Thank you Twombly." Twombly nodded.

They all went outside and, since there was a chill in the air, Hayleigh had pulled on her jacket. Twombly, Melissa, the Weasley's, Oliver and his parents, Hermoine, and Harry were wandering around the grounds, talking, and Hayleigh turned her attention to Twombly, shivering slightly beside Melissa. She jammed her hands into her pockets, and felt a pair of gloves in one of them. Pulling them out, she looked at them. She'd bought them a few months ago, but they had been too small, and she cleared her throat, pausing. Twombly stopped, and glanced up at her.

"Twombly?"

"Yes, Miss?"

"What's the one thing you want more than anything?" He shook his head.

"Miss Gryffindor does not wish to know that."

"Yes I do. Come on, Twombly…what is it that you really want?" Twombly sighed, and looked at the ground. He closed his hands behind his back, and dug his toe into the ground.

"Freedom…" he whispered. Hayleigh smiled.

"Let me see your hands." He looked up, wide-eyed, afraid. "I won't hurt you…promise." He stuck out his hands, and closed his eyes. She opened the wrist of one glove, and snapped it over his hand, and did the same with the other. "Did I hurt you?" she asked. He opened his eyes, and looked down, staring at the gloves.

"You…have given Twombly clothing?" She nodded. "You've…set Twombly free!" he exclaimed, hugging himself. Hayleigh giggled, standing up.

"Yes, I have. You have been faithful to helping my sister after our father died and our mother was imprisoned. She's sent me letters, all speaking kindly of you, of how you helped her cope after father died. How you tried to explain why mom was placed in Azkaban. And for that, I free you." Twombly was very giggly, jumping up and down, hugging himself. Then he froze. "Twombly?" she asked.

"But…now that Twombly is free…what will Twombly do?" She smiled, looking up at the sky.

"I heard that Headmaster Dumbledore is looking for another house elf to help in the kitchens…" He smiled brightly.

"That way?" he asked, pointing. Hayleigh nodded.

"That way." He smiled, and ran inside, giggling. Hayleigh laughed. "It's so cute!" Oliver placed his hands on her shoulders, and squeezed.

"That was nice." She nodded.

"I know. But so was he, and I had to pay him back." Mrs. Weasley glanced upwards, and gasped.

"Hayleigh, dear, we must be going…"

"We should head home, too, Oliver…" Hayleigh looked up at her boyfriend, and sighed.

"Why don't you head on home? I'll meet you there. I still need to pack everything up," she said, and smiled. Mrs. Weasley nodded, and the Weasley's, and the Wood's, headed back into the building, to head back to their homes. "Melissa, go on with the Weasley's." Her sister hugged her, and ran off. Hayleigh smiled, shaking her head.

"Hayleigh, come on, lets get going…" She reached up, placing her hands on his cheeks, and pulled his head down, kissing him. She slid her hands around his shoulders, and pulled him closer. He kissed her back, smiling.

"I love you, Oliver." He looked down at her, into her eyes.

"I love you, too, Hayl. Come on, let's head inside," he said. She smiled, and put her arm thru his, taking his hand with both of hers, and dropping her head against his shoulder. "You alright?"

"It's going to be so weird, not seeing you everyday." He smiled.

"I'll visit you…or, you'll visit me. Or…we can talk thru that mirror thing your dad gave you last year…" She smiled.

"I know. But it's not the same…" He reached up, running his hand over her hair, and lowered his head, kissing her forehead.

"But it's better than nothing." She looked up, and widened her eyes. She hadn't realized they'd already arrived at the painting, so she paused, thinking. "Astrology." She smiled as Oliver pulled open the picture, and pushed her in ahead of him.

"I can't believe I forgot that. I was just in here this morning…" She followed him up to his dorm, where she dropped onto his bed and watched him finish throwing his things into his trunk. After a minute, Oliver dropped down beside her.

"I'm gonna miss you too, Hayl, but its not going to be forever. We made it thru summer, we can make it thru graduating too." She smiled, and put her arms around him, eyes closed.

"I love you…"

"Love you, too…" She stood up, and smiled.

"I should go pack up my things, too…" He nodded, and dragged his suitcase down the steps.

"I'll be right here when you come down," he said. She nodded, and jogged up the steps.

Hayleigh and Oliver came down the steps, pulling their trunks along behind them, and climbed aboard the train that was taking the graduates who DIDN'T have a ride home to the station. They headed down the train, thru the cars, and approached one that held Percy.

"Percy? Thought you were going home with your family," she said, closing door behind her.

"Was going to, but heard you were riding the train back, so I decided to ride it with you," he said, smiling. She and Oliver pushed their cases up into the compartment above their heads, and dropped down near the windows.

"That's cool, Percy. That was nice…" He smiled and nodded, and dropped his head against the back of his seat.

Hayleigh sighed as they looked up at the Weasley's house. They'd apparated from the station, so they wouldn't have to worry about transportation. She looked over at Oliver as Percy headed up to the house to give them a moment. He'd said goodbye to Oliver, but she felt a tear stinging at her eye.

"I'm gonna miss you…"

"I'll come see you, Hayl. Promise," he said, picking her up in a hug and kissing her. She smiled, and felt the tear fall down to her lips. He pulled back, and smiled at her. "I love you…"

"Love you too…Bye, Oliver."

"Bye." She lifted her trunk, and headed up into the house, glancing back at him nearly every step. She paused at the door, and waved. He waved, then disapparated. Sighing again, she pushed open the door, with Percy right behind her, and walked inside.

"Bout time you arrived," Mrs. Weasley said, smiling. She stood at the end of the table, with everyone else sitting around with, two open chairs between Harry and Ron. Hayleigh closed her eyes for a brief second, smiling, and set her trunk down beside the door.

"I didn't wanna say goodbye," she said, pulling out the chair beside Ron. She dropped down, and Mrs. Weasley passed out plates with pieces of cake on them. Hayleigh looked down. "Wow…what's this for?"

"Graduating," she said, smiling. Hayleigh looked over at Percy, and smiled, lifting her fork.