...
heavy petting and sex references.
Chapter 19.
Nice to meet you, Squidy.
June-July.
Things were not better the next day. In fact, everything seemed a whole lot worse. All the students resembled zombies as they ate breakfast, staring blankly at the walls or pushing their food around their plates. Everyone was strangely quiet, even the Weasley twins, and Lara couldn't help but glance towards the top of the Hufflepuff table, where Cedric usually sat. He was, of course, not there, but his friends were and they looked utterly shell-shocked. Halfway through the meal, Hannah Abbott broke into sobs and ran out of the hall, her friends trailing after her.
Cho Chang didn't turn up at all.
Lara spent her time in the Gryffindor common room, mostly sat in silence as she played Gobstones with Erin or Exploding Snap with Fred. She had merely six days left at Hogwarts, but, suddenly, that barely seemed to matter. At least she could leave; she was going to graduate and move on, get a job, see her family…Cedric would never do any of those things, and it was a difficult thing to comprehend. Lara felt very, very lucky.
A few days later, Harry Potter was released from the hospital wing. Dumbledore stood up at breakfast and told the students to leave him alone and, under no circumstances, should they ask questions. So when Harry appeared that night with Hermione and Ron flanking his sides, nobody bothered him. He didn't even look at anyone as he ran up to his dormitory, whispers and mutters following his departure.
A second year student sent for Fred and George at one point, asking them to go to Dumbledore's office. They looked confused as they obliged, disappearing out of the portrait hole together. Their friends said nothing in their absence, though they glanced towards the door, awaiting their return. After half an hour, Angelina straightened like a curious meerkat. Lara knew before she had even looked that the twins were back.
"What happened?" Lee asked eagerly. "You haven't done anything for ages, if you're in trouble that's just bogus—"
"Nah, it was our mum," George said, collapsing onto the couch. "She'd come to see Dumbledore and wanted to talk to us for a minute."
Fred slipped onto the floor behind Lara, his legs resting either side of her. "Is she okay?" Alicia asked from opposite Lara, where she'd sat as they played Gobstones.
"Yeah, she's fine," replied Fred, resting his hands on Lara's thighs. "Just wanted to know how we were handling everything."
Erin looked relieved as she said, "Oh, that's sweet."
But the twins exchanged a look; a long, sombre look that Lara was the only one to notice and she felt, for the first time, that the twins weren't being entirely honest about what was going on.
Other Gryffindor's returned from meals and walks around the castle, sitting around the couches and sparking up conversations. People tried to make jokes and have a laugh, but everything seemed rather strained and half-hearted. Even the twins weren't as bubbly as they usually were, and their jokes were said with less mirth, their eyes sparkling a little less than normal. Fred's goofy grin didn't quite reach his eyes and, not knowing what else to do, Lara grabbed his hand and stroked the back with her thumb.
Erin soon wanted to go to bed, so Lara loyally followed, bidding her friends goodnight. The other seventh year girls were already upstairs; Alexa and Allison were sat on Alexa's bed talking, while Fiona laid in bed reading a book. Erin rushed over to her bed and collapsed onto it, letting out a heavy sigh. Within minutes, her eyes had closed and she seemed to have drifted off to sleep.
However, once Lara had changed into her pyjamas, she had nothing to do. Erin was already asleep and she wasn't tired, nor did she want to talk to her other roommates. Fiona would probably bite her head off, and Alexa and Allison were best friends, much like Erin and Lara, so joining their conversation would be just be awkward. Laying on her bed staring at the ceiling, Lara wondered if the boys were still awake.
She glanced over at Erin again, who was now snoring lightly. Figuring she had nothing to lose, Lara got up and padded out of her dorm, down the stairs, across the common room and up the boys stairwell. Coming to a door that said 'Sixth Year Boys', she gently knocked on the door. For a moment, everything was silent—then heavy footsteps pounded across the floor and the door swung open, revealing George, who was dressed in pyjama pants and an old t-shirt.
"Lara!" he said in surprise. "What're you doing here?"
"I'm bored," she replied simply. "And Erin's asleep. Can I hang out here?"
"Of course you can," he grinned before pulling her into the dorm. She stumbled slightly in her socks and banged into a trunk, knocking her knee against the lock on the front. "We're playing Exploding Snap."
Rubbing her injured limb, Lara glanced up and saw Lee and Fred sat on a bed together. Fred's t-shirt was slightly singed and Lee was sucking at a burn on his right pointer finger. They both grinned at Lara in greeting as she walked over to them, perching herself beside Fred.
"Where're the others?" Lara nodded towards the empty beds of their roommates.
"Stuart and Copper have gone to see their girlfriends," Lee answered, his voice mumbled as he continued to nurse his finger. "Towler's…Merlin knows."
"Who cares?" shrugged Fred unconcernedly.
"Fred," Lara reprimanded, rolling her eyes. "All because he said you're not funny."
"It was mean," Fred said, "And not to mention untrue."
"Plus, he called Harry a lying prat earlier on while he was arguing with Lee," George huffed. "So I offered to repeat the itching powder incident and he hasn't been seen since."
"Probably plotting how to take us down with Filch," Fred scoffed, and then added, "Prat," for good measure.
Lara shook her head, but she couldn't be bothered to tease them, so she rested her head on Fred's shoulder and watched them play with the cards. Every now and then, Fred would cover her face with his hands as they exploded, and at one point her socks caught fire.
"How did that even happen?" Lee yelped as Lara ripped off her burning clothing, throwing them to the floor.
"Who cares?" squealed George. "PUT IT OUT," he added as the flames got larger and began to spread towards the bed beside them.
Fred quickly grabbed his wand from the bedside table and pointed it at the socks. "Aguamenti," he said, waving his wand, and water shot out from the end.
Smoke swirled from the clothing and Lara coughed, waving her hand in front of her face. Fred quickly cast another spell, sending the socks flying into the bathroom to de-smoke.
"And on that note," Lee announced with a grin. "I'm getting pretty hungry. Fancy a trip to the kitchens?"
"Sure," shrugged George. "Beats burning down the Gryffindor Tower."
Fred glanced at Lara and she stared back. "I think we'll stay here," Fred said, turning towards his brother and friend. "Keep an eye out for…stuff."
"Or get reacquainted with each other's mouths," smirked Lee. "Sure, whatever."
George laughed, and for the first time in days it sounded real. "Well, have fun, love birds," he said before he and Lee disappeared out of the door.
Once they were gone, Fred moved to clean up the Exploding Snap cards before settling on the bed again. Instead of kissing her as Lara expected, he looked down with furrowed eyebrows and asked, "Are you okay?"
"Getting better," Lara replied quietly. "You?"
"I…I'll be alright."
"I just feel sorry for his friends and family," whispered Lara. "If I feel like this, how must they feel, y'know?"
Fred nodded solemnly. "He was his dad's pride and joy…you should've heard him talking about Cedric. I thought he was a git at the time, but…he was just proud. Really, really proud."
"Yeah," Lara murmured as she felt a lump come to her throat.
They lapsed into silence. After a minute or so, Lara looked over at him and saw he was half-propped against his headboard, rubbing his face with his hands. In his old pyjamas, his muscles were clear to see, thick and rounded under the thin material. How she hadn't noticed his good-looks before Stan's party, she'd never know, because staring at him now she felt like she was going to lose her mind.
He looked at her, then. His brown eyes were clear and bright, sucking her in, making her stomach churn. Her own eyes roamed his face; his thick eyelashes, his long, freckled nose, his arched lips…lips she hadn't tasted properly for weeks. A flash of orange brought her attention to his hair, which was short, messy and slightly burnt from his previous game.
"What?" Fred asked, and his lips stretched into a grin.
That grin. The one that was big and goofy and Lara's favourite thing in the world.
"You know we said we'd take it slow," she murmured, her mouth dry. "And see where things go?"
"Yeah."
"Would you…" she paused and took a deep breath. "Would you be terribly offended if we just, like…forget about that?"
"What do you—mmphf."
He was cut off because she kissed him, crushing her lips to his, throwing her legs either side of his thighs. She ran her hands through his hair, over his shoulders, down the front of his body; Fred moaned and grabbed her hips, his grip tight and strong. Something about the way he held her, the way he made her feel safe after days of uncertainty and chaos, almost brought tears to her eyes.
Ripping her lips from his, she reached for his t-shirt and pulled it over his head. Wide-eyed and looking like he couldn't quite believe his luck, Fred sat up straighter and his hands flittered up to her waist. Smiling at his surprise, Lara kissed him again, sucking on his bottom lip, her hands roaming, her fingertips greedily absorbing the feel of his muscles.
He reached for her pyjama top and tugged. Pulling away slightly, their foreheads still pressed together, Lara panted, "Are you sure?"
Fred let out a barking laugh. "Am I sure?"
"I kinda just pounced on you," she grinned, flushing. "I don't want to pressure you."
"Trust me," he murmured, licking his lips. "I don't feel pressured at all."
And so, her top was pulled off, as were the rest of their clothes, and Lara lost herself in the feeling of him. They probably laughed more than they should have and they had to stop mid-way so Fred could cast a locking charm on the door in case, "The prat, Towler, walks in and gives us bloody detention or something," but it was fun and it was exciting and it was perfect.
Afterwards, lying there, gasping for breath and slightly dazed, Lara turned to Fred and said, "That was so not what I planned when I came up here."
"You know what that means?" Fred asked, grinning as he looked at her.
"What?"
"Animal magnetism is definitely a thing."
She groaned and hit him in the chest, but he just kissed her again and she laughed, holding onto his hair, and she knew she'd never regret the day Fred Weasley became her one.
...
Lara returned to her dorm hours later than she intended. Lee and George had turned up around an hour after her and Fred had finished…eh, having fun, with arms full of food and jokes on their lips. They sat on Fred's bed without hesitation, oblivious to what had happened moments before. Lara could barely hold back her laughter, because she knew if she told them they'd completely freak out; in fact, she was pretty sure George would burn the sheets.
She didn't say anything; she didn't know what to say, nor was it really her place to say it. She counted George and Lee as friends, but they were ultimately Fred's best mates and if he wanted to tell them, he could, and if not, then that was fine, too. Erin Goodwin, however, was Lara's best friend, and she definitely wanted to tell her. So, bidding goodbye to the boys (and sharing a secretive smile with Fred), she left the room to head back to her dorm.
Erin was awake now, revived from her nap. She was chatting with Alexa and Allison, a small smile on her face. Seeing her slightly relaxed, slightly normal after days of misery, made Lara feel even more giddy. This meant, when Erin finally spotted her in the doorway, Lara was grinning so widely her cheeks ached.
"Where did you go?" Erin asked, though she sounded more curious than angry. "Alexa and Ally said you walked out without a word—"
"I, eh…" Lara glanced at the two girls Erin had mentioned, both of whom weren't really her friends. "I…"
"Oohh, she went to see a boy," grinned Alexa, wiggling her dark eyebrows.
"Which translates to; she went to see Fred Weasley," Allison giggled. "Did you have fun?"
Lara's whole body turned red, she could feel it. "Yeah," she breathed, unable to help the smile on her face. "Yeah, I did."
"Oh my God," Alexa squealed and covered her mouth with her hands. "You didn't."
Erin's eyes widened. "Didn't what?"
"She had sex with him!"
Five pairs of eyes turned towards Lara, for even Fiona now seemed interested in the conversation. Her book was in her lap as she stared at Lara, eyebrows raised in question and curiosity.
"I, eh…" Lara stumbled again. She hadn't planned to tell her whole dorm about Fred. "I…don't know what to say…"
Erin let out a laughing gasp, covering her mouth with her hand. "You actually did?" she squeaked. "Lara."
"I didn't plan it," Lara said, clearing her throat and realising for the first time just how much she said that phrase when describing her and Fred's relationship. "He was just…he was really cute and sweet and…well…"
"Ready to bang your brains out?" Allison nodded slowly. "I understand. Plonk yourself down, my friend."
Lara sat down at the place Allison had patted. Realising four out of the five girls were on the same bed, Lara turned towards Fiona and motioned for her to come over, just because it seemed like the right thing to do. Smiling sheepishly, Fiona placed her book onto her bedside table and hurried over, sitting beside Erin, who threw her a smile.
"So, first things first; how was it?" asked Alexa, looking positively delighted by the change of events.
Lara groaned and tugged her hair, "Are we really going to do this?"
"Yes," all the girls answered together and then gigged brightly at each other.
Looking around, Lara realised this was the first time since Cedric's death that her dorm mates seemed…normal. They were giggling and nudging each other, Fiona was rolling her eyes but also smiling a little, and even Lara herself felt lighter than she had all week. If her having sex with Fred gave them a respite, just an hour of being teenagers again, she'd take it.
"It was…a good laugh," Lara replied with a sigh, shaking her head. "Which sounds weird, but…honestly, it was so bloody funny. My bra got stuck on my wrist and he had these stupid rubber ducky boxers on that I couldn't stop laughing at…but it was great. Really, really great."
"Well, it was always going to be different with Fred, wasn't it?" Erin shrugged, a bright smile on her face.
"I'm surprised he didn't let fireworks off at the end," Alexa giggled.
"He probably would have if we'd planned it," Lara said and the other girls laughed.
Fiona smirked, "Maybe next time, huh?"
"Probably!" Allison chirped and Alexa sniggered into her hand. "And what was…it like?"
"Yeah," Erin whispered as if they were sharing an elaborate secret, even though there was no one else in the room. "Does Amanda's theory have any merits?"
"What theory?"
"That it's as big as the rest of him," Erin wiggled her eyebrows. "Think about his shoulders, girls, and then think about it being in proportion."
All their noses scrunched. Alexa even reached over and patted Lara sympathetically on the knee.
"It was fine," Lara awkwardly fiddled with her hands. "It…hurt, but y'know. First time always does, so…"
Allison's lips pursed in thought. "Hmm…maybe I need to set my sights on George…"
"We've got three days left," said Fiona. "Good luck with that."
"Don't crush my dreams, Gerald," Allison huffed and threw a pillow towards Fiona. "Oh, Merlin, my dreams…"
Alexa rolled her eyes at her friend. "Ignore her. She's sexually frustrated."
"Aren't we all," grumbled Erin and the girls fell into laughter again.
Lara shook her head and leant back against one of the posters of the bed. For the first time…she realised just how much she was going to miss her dorm mates.
...
The night before the last day of term, Lara spent packing. This time, she was packing not just for the summer, but forever. She wouldn't be back here next year, throwing her things around the dorm, chatting to Erin, shouting over to Alexa and Allison, smirking as Fiona rolled her eyes at them. This was it; her final night at school, her final feast, her final time in her four-poster bed, looking out onto the Quidditch Pitch from the tower window, Erin sleeping soundly in the bed beside her.
Lara sighed and placed another pair of shoes into her trunk. She tried to focus on the positive things about leaving school; she got to work with Walter and see him all the time, she got to spend time with her parents and extended family. She'd decided not to go for the Auror positon as McGonagall had hinted, as she wanted to be close to her brother. She had a feeling things were going to get difficult—very difficult—and she wanted to be with Walter as much as possible, even if that meant not reaching her full potential just yet. After all, she could become an Auror another time, years from now…but she only had one brother.
Seeing Walter all the time was only a small comfort, however, for she was leaving so much behind. Hogwarts was her home, the place she had grown and learnt so much, where she had met her friends, where she met Fred…there were more bad parts about graduating than good, and she just couldn't seem to shake that off.
"We need to head down to the feast," Erin announced, breaking Lara from her thoughts. "You ready?"
"I guess," Lara got to her feet and followed her friend down the stairs.
Fred was waiting with the others, including Stan, who grinned at Lara in a sad sort of way. She smiled back as Fred rumbled over, enfolding her in his arms and rushing her towards the portrait hole. She was laughing, truly laughing, into his shoulder as they stumbled out and she sighed as they made their way down the stairs together towards the Great Hall.
The group sat at the Gryffindor table, waving to Amanda and Omar, who remained with the Ravenclaw's, as they always did for the Leaving Feast. Lara sat with Stan on one side and Fred on the other, alternating between who she rested her head upon. After Erin, Stan would be the friend she missed the most once they left; he was a constant source of laughter and entertainment, and after seven years together Lara could honestly say she saw him as an honorary brother.
The Leaving Feast was quieter and more subdued than those of the years before; the Hufflepuff table, in particular, seemed sombre. As the last of the students flittered into the hall, Dumbledore rose from his seat. The hall fell deadly silent.
"The end," he said evenly, his eyes scanning the solemn crowd. "Of another year."
Lara saw her Headmaster's eyes wander over to the Hufflepuff's, who looked unusually pale and sickly-looking. "There is so much that I would like to say to you all tonight, but I must first acknowledge the loss of a very fine person, who should be sitting here," Dumbledore said, motioning towards the Hufflepuff table. "Enjoying the feast with us. I would like you all, please, to stand, and raise your glasses, to Cedric Diggory."
Every single person in the hall stood with their goblets raised. In low voices, everyone said, "Cedric Diggory," and sat down again. Some people were freely crying now, others were trying to show a brave face. Lara reached under the table and grabbed Fred's thigh, mostly to anchor herself to him.
"Cedric was a person who exemplified many of the qualities that distinguish Hufflepuff House," Dumbledore said once everyone was settled. "He was a good and loyal friend, a hard worker, he valued fair play. His death has affected you all, whether you knew him well or not. I think that you have a right, therefore, to know exactly how it came about."
The Great Hall held its breath. Lara gripped Fred's thigh so tight, he reached down and gently pried her fingers off of him, instead holding her hand. She smiled sheepishly and he squeezed her palm.
"Cedric Diggory was murdered by Lord Voldemort."
Lara flinched at the name, while the rest of the hall broke out into hissing whispers. Most of the hall stared at Dumbledore in complete horror, and down the table, Trent Angel put his head into his hands. On the contrary, Dumbledore looked calm and pensive as the students talked themselves back into silence.
"The Ministry of Magic," the Headmaster continued once everyone was quiet again. "Does not wish me to tell you this. It is possible that some of your parents will be horrified that I have done so—either because they will not believe that Lord Voldemort has returned, or because they think I should not tell you so, young as you are. It is my belief, however, that the truth is generally preferable to lies, and that any attempt to pretend that Cedric died as the result of an accident, or some sort of blunder of his own, is an insult to his memory."
Fred and George nodded along heartily at Dumbledore's words. This all but confirmed what Lara thought; the twins knew more than they let on, because the rest of the table seemed utterly stunned by Dumbledore's words, including Lee.
"There is somebody else who must be mentioned in connection with Cedric's death. I am talking, of course, about Harry Potter."
Every head swerved in Harry's direction. Most of them looked scared, some angry, but all Lara saw was a young boy, his green eyes tired and resolute as he stared up at Dumbledore. His eyes held a knowledge and intelligence that no fourteen-year-olds should. Lara's stomach twisted; that poor, poor boy.
"Harry Potter managed to escape Lord Voldemort. He risked his own life to return Cedric's body to Hogwarts. He showed, in every respect, the sort of bravery that few wizards have ever shown in facing Lord Voldemort, and for this, I honour him."
Dumbledore raised his glass, and the students followed his lead, murmuring Harry's name alongside the action.
"The Triwizard Tournament's aim was to further and promote magical understanding. In the light of what has happened—of Lord Voldemort's return—such ties are more important than ever before. Every guest in this Hall will be welcomed back here at any time, should they wish to come. I say to you all, once again—in the light of Lord Voldemort's return, we are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided. Lord Voldemort's gift for spreading discord and enmity is very great. We can fight it only by showing an equally strong bond of friendship and trust. Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open."
"It is my belief—and never have I so hoped that I am mistaken—that we are all facing dark and difficult times. Some of you in this Hall have already suffered directly at the hands of Lord Voldemort. Many of your families have been torn asunder. A week ago, a student was taken from our midst. Remember Cedric. Remember, if the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, remember what happened to a boy who was good, and kind, and brave, because he strayed across the path of Lord Voldemort. Remember Cedric Diggory."
There were very few people that didn't cry. Lara wiped at her wet cheeks and sniffled, and even Stan seemed to have watery eyes. The silence that followed Dumbledore's speech was haunting and tense, but also sort of beautiful, for it paid homage to Cedric perfectly. The Hufflepuffs, at least, seemed humbled by the reminder of their fallen housemate and many were huddled together in groups, comforting each other.
Lara leaned forward on the table and sighed; she would try to do as Dumbledore said. When times got hard, when everything seemed pointless, she would remember the kind boy with the crooked smile, and remember to fight for him.
Cedric was on Lara's mind the next day as she dragged her trunk down to the Entrance Hall. Usually, the seventh years would have a graduation ceremony before they headed back towards Hogsmeade, but, with everything that had happened, it was cancelled this year. Lara was actually relieved; she couldn't stand to sit there with her housemates, thinking about Cedric, who should be sat there next year, a seventh year, a graduate, alive.
So, instead, the seventh years waited until Hagrid appeared, and he took them to the boats they'd arrived in years before. Lara climbed into one with Stan, Erin, Amanda and Omar, the boat rocking dangerously at their combined weight. At one point, Omar lost his footing and slammed into Amanda, almost sending them both into the lake.
"Sorry, sorry," he laughed as they settled down, Amanda shaking her head amusedly.
As they set off, Lara glanced down at the lake beneath her and gasped.
"The Giant Squid!" she squealed, throwing herself to the opposite side of the boat and leaning over. The squid was basking in the warmth of the day, his massive body just visible against the darkness of the water. His thick, long tentacles wiggled upwards and one was poking out, squirming in the air. "Oh my Merlin, oh my Merlin, oh my Merlin," she whispered, reaching forward excitedly.
Her hand touched the glistening red limb. It was slimy and squishy beneath her fingers, as cold as snow. She expected it to retract its tentacle the second she touched him, but instead he wrapped the end of it around her wrist, almost as if he was trying to shake her hand.
"It likes me," she hissed gleefully. "Nice to meet you, Squidy."
The boat began to move. Sighing dejectedly, Lara let go of the squid and sat back down on her seat, a bright smile on her face. Her friends were looking at her in a mixture of amusement and befuddlement. Omar was slowly shaking his head.
"Oh, shut up," Lara snapped half-heartedly.
They slowly floated across the lake, the castle getting smaller and smaller in the distance. Lara stared up at the turrets and the mismatched corners and the dark stone, her heart aching in her chest. She had to grab her stomach to stop herself from letting out a sob.
"Come on, then," Stan said as they came to a halt on the other side of the lake. "Time for the real world."
Lara stumbled out of the boat. The rest of the students were appearing from the carriages, most of them sixth years. In the distance, Lara could see two heads of ginger hair walking towards Hogsmeade Station. Glancing at her friends over her shoulder, all of whom were talking amongst themselves, Lara rushed forward and didn't stop until she'd wrapped her arms around one of the twins' waists.
"You will never guess what!" she grinned, popping her head around the side of the body. "I shook hands with the squid!"
"That's great, La," the twin reached down to ruffle her hair and Lara realised it was George. It was half-expected; she hadn't really took notice of who she ran to. "About bloody time, too. I thought we'd have to break you in next year to see him."
"I mean, you can still do that," she let go of him, stepping towards Fred, who was stood a little in front with an amused smile. "I'm sure you've never snuck a student into Hogwarts before."
"Never had a reason to," Fred replied and enfolded his arms around her. "But I suppose I can break the rules for you."
"Thanks," Lara retorted sarcastically. "Much appreciated."
The others turned up then, saying their hellos to the sixth years. Once they got to the train, they all squeezed into a compartment together; Lara ended up on Fred's knee, Amanda on Stan's, Erin on Omar's. But then Alicia and Angelina turned up, too, so Lee, Fred and George moved to the floor, and the two girls squeezed onto the same bench as Erin and Lara.
Lara sat for most of the journey making conversation with everyone, Fred sat against her legs, her fingers running through the front of his hair. When the trolley lady turned up, everyone bought a few things each, and the twins leapt to their feet to properly inspect the treats. As they were stood looking at some chocolate wands, George spotted something along the corridor and nudged Fred, who look up and scowled.
"Eh, we'll just be a minute," Fred said to the compartment, and then he disappeared with George.
"What're they up to?" sighed Angelina.
"Who knows?" Erin shrugged as she opened her Bertie Botts Beans. "I've realized it's best not to ask too many questions."
The twins were gone for more than a minute; in fact, they were gone for the rest of the train ride. As the train came to a screeching halt in King's Cross, Lara wandered onto the platform with the others, looking around for any sign of Fred. Her gaze was broken by Angelina and Alicia, who hugged her goodbye before rushing off to their respected families. Lee followed soon after.
"We'll see each other soon, right?" Omar asked, his eyebrows knitted as he stared at his friends.
For a moment, Lara almost laughed and said; it's only a couple of months, Omar. Will you really miss us that much?
But she stopped short—they wouldn't be here in September, boarding the train for another year at Hogwarts. No, September 1st this year would come and go without drama. They'd all be off doing their own things. Lara might not even be in the country.
"Holy shit," Lara whispered as the weight of moment bared down on her. Looking at her friends one-by-one, she felt herself get choked up. "I'll—I'll miss you guys."
Lara wasn't big with voicing her affection, at least not to anyone but Fred, who made it seem so simple and easy that affection came naturally. She would always be there for her friends and they knew that, but she didn't go around declaring her love all the time or saying how much they meant to her. She hoped they knew that anyway, without her having to say it, from her quick hugs and teasing grins. But, suddenly, she wanted to yell it from the rooftops, she wanted to sit them all down individually and tell them how great they all were…and…and—
"I'll miss you all, too," Erin said, and a small sob bubbled from her lips. "God, guys. I'll miss you all so bloody much."
Lara took her into a hug and Erin wept into her shoulder. Hogwarts was everything to Erin; it was where she felt she belonged. The prospect of going home to her parents, who were scared of anything to do with magic, was probably utterly terrifying.
"Come 'ere, the lot of you," Stan said, sounding a little choked as he brought the group into a large hug. "This isn't the end, guys. We'll see each other again."
"But not every day," Amanda sighed sadly. "Not like we used to."
"Send me owls, okay?" Omar demanded, pointing at each of his friends in turn. "All the time. Even if it's just to say hi."
The friends laughingly agreed. They could have stood there all day together, reminiscing and laughing and joking, but Stan's two brothers suddenly appeared with a banner that said 'THE YOUNGEST, THE UGLIEST, THE STUPIDIEST—HE'S ONLY GRADUATED HOGWARTS! CONGRATS, YOU LITTLE SHIT' and ran towards him, throwing him onto their shoulders.
"Bye guys!" Stan yelled as they marched him away. "I'll send owls!"
The others were laughing as they watched him disappear into the crowd. Then, with a sigh, Erin said, "My parents are waiting in the muggle world. I'll see you later," she hugged each of them and rushed off, dragging her trunk behind her.
"I better go, too. My parents are having a graduation dinner at my house," Omar didn't look excited by the idea. "Live long and prosper," he grinned, making Lara laugh, before he left.
"And I better find Walter," Lara sighed, turning to Amanda. "And you need to find your parents."
"Yeah, they'll be around here somewhere," she glanced behind her. For a moment, she almost looked nervous, but when she looked back at Lara she was smiling as if nothing was wrong. "See you later, La."
They hugged before parting in opposite directions. Lara walked towards the barrier, where instead of spotting Walter, she saw two identical heads bent together as they whispered to each other. George saw her from the corner of his eye and nodded towards her. Fred turned and smiled, but they both looked dazed, like they'd been whacked across the head with a beaters bat.
"Where did you get to?" Lara asked once she was close enough to them.
"We found Ferret Boy and his minions ribbing on Ron and the others," George replied. "So we hexed them, then stayed to make sure Harry and that were okay."
"I was going to find you when we pulled up, but…eh…" Fred glanced at George, who shrugged, grinning. "Well, we got the surprise of our lives."
George shoved something towards her. It was a bag of something. She eyed it suspiciously, thinking it was another one of their joke products. Seeing her face, they both laughed before Fred said, "It's nothing that can maim or drench you in water, I promise. Harry…well, Harry gave us his winnings."
"His Triwizard Champion winnings?" gasped Lara, her mouth dropping open. "But—but—it was about a thousand galleons—"
"We know," George grinned.
"He said he didn't want it," Fred shrugged. "And, well, we do want it. He actually said we could all do with a laugh nowadays."
"Well," Lara let out a disbelieving snort. "I suppose he's right. That's really great, guys. Your shop might be open sooner than you thought!"
Fred looked positively delighted at her proud tone. He began to stare down at her in a way that had George sniggering and lifting his hand in a sort of 'I'll leave you to it' motion. He walked back towards his family, who he brought into a lively conversation. Over his mum's shoulder, he winked at Fred and Lara.
"He's giving us a minute to…" Fred trailed off.
"Yeah, I know," Lara smirked. "So kiss me."
He instantly wrapped his arm around her waist, pulled her towards him and kissed her. It barely lasted a few seconds, but it was enough to send Lara's heart hammering against her chest. He pulled away with a pained expression, like he didn't really want to, and Lara went back onto the flats of her feet, letting go of his t-shirt.
It was just in time, too. Mrs. Weasley was beginning to make her way towards the wall. She hadn't noticed Fred was missing and walked off with her other children, George motioning wildly to his twin to catch up.
"Shit," Fred hissed, his jaw setting. "I have to go."
"Yeah, I know. Go quick before your mum gets a leash."
"I'll see you during the summer?"
"Yeah, of course."
He went to run towards his family, but stopped short and stepped back towards her. "I'll miss you," he said, his ears turning red.
"I'll miss you, too," Lara grinned widely. "Don't forget about me."
"Never," he grinned and went to kiss her again—
"Lara!"
The duo jumped apart and looked towards the barrier, where Walter had turned up, panting and red in the face. He waved towards Fred and Lara enthusiastically, his sparkling eyes darting between the two. "Sorry I'm late!" he chirped loudly. "Got caught up at work…although, I see you've kept yourself busy."
Lara glared at him before looking back at Fred. "Sorry about him," she said, coughing awkwardly. "Let's go, yeah?"
"Yeah," Fred said, squeezing her shoulder before rushing off to his family, who were already through the wall, and throwing a small wave towards Walter.
Lara slowly walked over to her brother, who was grinning widely. "Don't say a word," Lara sighed.
"I wasn't." He replied happily. "Except, you know…Fred and Lara sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G, first comes loves, second comes marriage—"
"I'm going to punch you."
"Does that mean you don't like my singing?"
"Nobody likes your singing," she said as he took her trunk and they walked towards the wall together. "I missed you, though."
"Missed you, too," he grinned and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, bringing her into a side-hug. "And now you're coming to work with me."
"Yeah," Lara smiled, for it was the thing she was looking forward to the most. "Yeah, I am."
Hey...it's been a while! Won't bore you with a long explanation, but life kind of got in the way. But with everything that's going on, my works been shut down so I had a little time to write. I hope it provides people with a bit of a distraction like it did for me. Stay safe guys.
Also the reviews for the last chapter were amazing. You're all so sweet. Thank you thank you thank you.
we're moving onto the Order of the Phoenix next chapter, hope to see you guys there!