Chapter 17

It was their last day in Hogwarts. All of the seventh year students had finished their NEWTS and were anxiously waiting for tomorrow: their graduation. Some were happy and couldn't wait to graduate and some were upset. The Gryffindor gang, however, had mixed emotions. They knew they would miss school terribly, but on the other hand, they wanted to be independent in the big world.

Alice and Frank wanted to move in together as soon as they finished Hogwarts. During their last week in school, they found an apartment in London. They wanted another person to come live with them. "It has another room, so if anyone wants to live with us, they're more than welcome to." Alice presented the case to her friends.

Sarah, who had nowhere to go after school, took the offer gleefully. "I'll live with you guys!" Sarah grinned at the couple. They grinned back at her.

"We saw our apartment on our last trip to Hogsmeade and as a matter of fact, it's pretty cozy. I love it already." Bo said while smiling at Sirius.

"And what about you, Lils?" Genevieve asked Lily.

Lily raised her eyebrow. "What about me?"

"Where are you after Hogwarts?"

Lily shrugged "I guess back to my parents' house."

"Are you mad?! Live in that dull world?" Natalie exclaimed.

Lily chuckled "It's not dull to me; I've grown up there, in the muggle world, which reminds me…James, you promised you'd come and meet my parents!"

She turned to James. "I did promise, and I will come. Just say the day and I'll be there."Lily nodded.

"Alright. How about the day after tomorrow?" James led out an awkward laugh, and mumbled something she didn't understand.

"What was that?" She asked him. James cleared his throat and said that he'll be there. Lily grinned and kissed him.

"Thank you! I'm off to bed, everyone. Night!" And with that, she left the others smirking at James.

James, who didn't understand their looks, asked "What?"

Remus snorted "It's obvious that you're nervous."

"Yeah, what's wrong with you?" Alice asked. Sirius looked at him worriedly.

James ran his fingers through his hair and sighed "I'm going to meet the parents of the girl of my dreams. It's getting serious."

"Aww, Jamesy-poo is nervous!" Natalie cooed at her cousin.

"Knock it off, Nat." James snapped.

"Aren't you happy it's getting serious?" Bo asked James.

"Of course I am. I got everything I wanted! I consider myself a lucky man. But, you know, it's her parents." James replied.

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, her parents are very nice." Genevieve smiled. James smiled back at her.

On the following morning, they were nervous and excited. The graduation ceremony took place by the lake. Many tables of food and beverages were placed there. A huge stage was grounded, and in front of it were hundreds of white chairs. The students were dressed in graduation gowns and a pointed hat on their heads. The Marauders, being a cunning group they were, added a bowl of fire whiskey, to the staff's unawareness. Bo, who wanted to get a drink, accidently poured herself a cup of the fire-whiskey, and to her surprise, Sirius was after her. He took the drink away from her and drank it.

"Are you crazy? You can't drink!" Sirius said to her, almost yelling.

Bo retorted "I thought it was pumpkin juice! I didn't know you put in alcohol!"

Sirius shook his head "I'm sorry, I should've told you." He hugged her lightly and gave her stomach a soft pat.

She giggled "It's almost time."

"Four months" He smiled at her. "We should get ready and prepare the baby's room." She whispered to him.

"After the graduation, we'll head home." He replied back to her. She kissed him and rested her head on his chest 'Home is with you', she thought to herself.

Natalie and Remus were sitting down on the chairs. They held hands, and his thumb caressed her hand. "I'm nervous, Remus. We're finishing school and we're about to start a new chapter in our lives." Natalie cried. Remus wiped her tears and kissed her cheek gently. "Everything will be alright. You're moving in with Genevieve in London tomorrow. But tonight, I'll have you for myself." He said huskily. Natalie sniffed and giggled at his comment "You're naughty!" He grinned at his girlfriend. "I love you." "I love you too, Remus."

The ceremony was about to start and the guests sat down. Professor Dumbledore got on to the stage and started his speech "Welcome students, soon to be former students! Every year, I see excited and anxious students finish their years at Hogwarts, and I can't help but be happy for them. Today is just that; I'm pleased to say farewell to you, wonderful students! You have finished another chapter in your lives, and are about to start a new one. Good Luck!" The guests applauded him as he went back to his seat. McGonagall rolled down a large scroll of parchment and called out "When I call your name, please come to the stage to receive your diploma and your NEWTs." And she began.

"An 'O' in DADA! Awesome!" James grinned and high-fived Sirius.

"'E' in Herbology." Alice said flatly.

Frank comforted her "At least you passed."

They were satisfied with their marks. The Gryffindors said their last goodbyes to fellow Gryffindors and friends from other houses. Alice asked one of the Ravenclaws next to her to take a picture of them, with the castle being their view behind them. They gathered round so that the boys were behind the girls. They were hugging their girlfriends from behind, and Genevieve and Sarah sat down in front of them and made silly faces. The gang laughed at the photo so hard.

"You should've changed to your animagi!" Sirius laughed.

Genevive giggled "Are you nuts? Here?!" They laughed even harder. Alice, Sarah and Frank parted from everyone.

"So, tonight at the 'Three Broomsticks'!" Natalie called out.

"What time again?" Frank asked her.

"At 8:30 pm." Frank nodded at her and disapparated with Alice to their new home.

James came to her direction and and asked her "Where did they go?" She answered

"They wanted to get a head's start by decorating their house." James nodded.

After the ceremony, Sirius and Bo disapparated with their luggage to their apartment in Hogsmeade. Genevieve and Natalie left to London, leaving Remus, Lily and James together by the lake.

"I'll never forget the day you were making fun of Severus here." She emphasized the word.

"And he called you a 'you-know what." James seethed.

Remus tried to calm him down "Prongs, it was ages ago. You've changed."

"You're right, Moony. We'll miss you, Hogwarts."

In the evening, they joined together to celebrate in the "Three Broomsticks". They shared a few drinks (excluding Bo, who couldn't), and shared experiences from school.

"Remember the time you stuffed worms in Snape's underwear, and he took them off to get rid of the worms?" James snorted at Sirius, who was laughing so hard, he turned deep red. The others were laughing hard too.

"Poor Snivellus." Remus wiped a tear from his eye.

"Poor him? Poor me! I was the one who had to clean trophies without magic, for two weeks! And with Minnie!" Sirius said dramatically.

"Who's Minnie?" Natalie asked.

James grinned "Why, McGonagall of course!" They laughed at their nickname for their former house professor.

Lily calmed down and said "I haven't laughed like this in a while."

Bo laughed softly "Yeah, you were pretty stressed with the NEWTS, brainy."

Lily turned red "I am not brainy!"

Remus chuckled.

"Sure you aren't." Sarah said, disbelievingly.

Changing the subject, Genevieve asked Bo "Remember the time in second year, when you just started to like Sirius-" She was cut off by a 'don't go there' look, but Genevieve resumed "-and you wanted him to notice you, so you signed letters as 'Mrs. Black' on the Gryffindor common room walls?"

Bo groaned. "That was you?! I thought it was my mother!" Sirius asked Bo. The gang laughed loudly in the pub.