Chapter 3

SPOV

I don't know where to start. I don't even want to if I'm being honest. Does he just want to hear about me or everyone? Telling just about me would be a long story. Telling about everyone would be about fifty times longer. I could be over exaggerating just a bit, but it'll still be long.

"Tell me everything," He says softly. He sits down next to me on the bed, our legs touching.

I nod. "Okay...so you left January...sixth." I act like it takes me a minute to remember, but I remember all of it so well.

He frowns. "I left on the sixth? That's the day before-"

"Our one year anniversary would have been, yeah. When I went to Grandma Molly's crying telling everyone you left they all thought they would be able to find you, or that you'd come home in a few days," I frown. "After a few days they realise you weren't coming back." I bite my lip. "James I really don't want to talk about this."

"Please?" He asks glancing over at me. "I need to know… I want to know."

"Okay…" I start the story. "Not long after it got out that you had run away. The Prophet was crazy. They made up so many ridiculous lies, but after awhile we all realized that they could be right and we would have no idea. Everyone was devastated. No one was happy for months. Then June rolled around and everyone perked up because Albus, Rose, Scorpius, Lysander and Lorcan were graduating."

He smiles slightly. "Do you have pictures?" He asks timidly. I don't think he knew if that was an okay thing to ask after everything.

I shrug. "I'm sure you can. The rest of June and July we were relatively happy. Well, until about the middle of August. We celebrated my birthday, but it wasn't the same. We always celebrated our birthdays together, ya know? School started again and Lily and Hugo were excited because it was their last year." I smile. "That November was a very memorable one though. It was a good distraction."

"Why?" James asks curiously.

"Louis asked Katherine to marry him and Fred and Mandi started dating."

"I wish I was there," he murmurs.

"It was so cute. The kids got out of school and we had a little celebration for both of the couples. The kids were upset when they had to go back," I say slowly, remembering how excited everyone was. Even Ginny and Harry. It was nice seeing them happy. "December rolled around and during holiday break Louis and Kat got married at the Burrow. It was all pretty quick, but they didn't want to wait."

"Obviously."

I ignore his comments, getting frustrated at him for interrupting. If he kept that up I wouldn't be able to get myself through telling him the story. "At Christmas Teddy and Vic announced they were having twins. Then January was sad as usual. March was exciting because Kat and Louis announced they were having a baby as well. Then Lily and Hugo graduated. Teddy and Vic had Dora and Remus on the seventh of August." I say, skipping a huge chunk because there wasn't much to tell.

"What are they like?" he asks, looking over at me.

"Well, Nymphadora Serena Lupin looks a lot like Tonks." I remember all of us comparing their pictures when she was first born because she had bright pink hair.

"Nymphadora Serena Lupin?" he asks, slowly.

"Yes, I'm their godmother," I beam proudly. The twins were what kept me going up until Ophelia's birthday. I watched them all the time. "Remus James Lupin looks more like Teddy, he's adorable and he can change his hair colour too."

"His middle names is James?" he asks slowly, looking kind of confused.

"Yes, after his godfather," I mumble. I wasn't too pleased with the choice, but they had planned for us to be the godparents before James left.

"I'm a godfather?" He asks, still looking confused.

"Yes," I groan, getting tired of his questions.

"Why?"

"They said they had decided a while ago that you were going to be their children's godfather."

"Oh. I can't believe they actually went through with it," he mumbles to himself.

I pretend not to hear him and continue. "They are also both metamorphaguses and absolutely adorable. Then in September Roxy and Lucy went back to school and Lily and Lysander got together."

He frowns. "Did Albus tell him we'd kill him if he hurt her?"

"Of course," I say quickly, not wanting to get into that right now. "Then in November Louis and Katherine had Ophelia. Nothing really happened until June when the last Weasleys in Hogwarts graduated."

"No more Weasleys at Hogwarts...that's just wrong."

"It does seem weird." I agree. "So that's pretty much it up until Ophelia's birthday a few days ago."

"Nothing happened between last year at graduation until now?"

"Nothing really exciting." We sit for a few minutes and I know he can tell I'm holding something back, but he lets it go.

"So um," he speaks softly. "Now what?"

"Do you want to go through the boxes I have of your old stuff? See if you still want it or if it fits?"

He shrugs. "I guess."

I pull out a few boxes and we quickly go through the clothing ones. He kept most of it. Then we pull out a couple more and find some of his old school things. There was one box filled with pictures in albums and frames.

"Awww," I say pulling out a picture of us and our friends at graduation. Louis has his arm around Kat's shoulder. Fred and Mandi have their arms linked and their free hands are making thumbs up signs. James has his arms wrapped around my waist with his chin resting on my shoulder. I can't help, but coo at the picture. I'm trying to be mad at James, but seeing these photos brings back so many memories. Too bad it's all different now.

"It seems like so long ago," James says quietly.

I open another box and look inside. I don't recognise any of it, but James does. He looks in it and starts blushing. Then I realise it's the box I pulled out of his closet and never opened.

"What's in here?" I ask, pulling out a smaller box.

"No don't-" he says, but I already opened it.

Inside were pictures of me. From when we first met until he left. I didn't even know some of these were taken. "Woah..." I say, as I flip through them. That's so sweet! Stop it Serena. He's an asshole remember?

"Why did you open that?" he groans.

"Because you told me not to," I say honestly, closing it and pulling out an envelope. Inside was a picture of me and James. He had his arms around my waist and was spinning me in circles. He put me down then kissed me. In the background was the Black Lake and a beautiful sunset. "They took a picture of that?" I ask quietly.

"Yes. The boys gave it to me for my birthday." I can tell he's hesitant to tell me. Obviously he never thought he'd have to. Since he left and all.

I carefully slip it back into it's envelope. I put the envelope back in the box and close it.

"You aren't going to look at the rest?" He asks, he sounds surprised, but generally relieved.

I shake my head.

"Huh. I thought you would've."

"It's private. I shouldn't have looked in the first place." Plus, if I look I might forgive you.

"I don't really mind."

I shrug.

"You know, you didn't really tell me anything that happened with you while I was gone," he points out.

"That was the point. It's not really any of your business."

He frowns. "But I want to know and it is my business. You're my business."

"Not anymore James."

His face turns bright red. "I want you to be…"

I rub my face with my hand and sigh, knowing he won't give up. I ignore his last statement and just ask. "What is it that you want to know?"

"I want to know what you did while I was gone."

"The usual," I answer, not wanting to talk to him about this. I've had enough talking for the day.

"Serena..." he sighs.

"Fine! I didn't do much of anything for a while, I barely left the house," I say. "Well until Oliver and Wes Wood came banging on my door telling me I needed to go to practice..."

"So you still play for Puddlemere then?"

"Obviously."

"Continue..." he encourages.

"After I started practise again, I would box your things up whenever I had free time. I hated looking at any of it, ever. So everything was put in boxes and shoved into the back of my closet." I look at the ground and draw designs on the wood with my finger. "Not much else happened, it's been tough, especially January and August, but other then that..."

He leans over and pulls me into a hug. I reluctantly hug him back. The feeling of his arms around me again is comforting and familiar. A feeling I've missed, even though I know I shouldn't.

He pulls back a few minutes later and kisses my forehead.

I watch as he puts the boxes away. He hasn't changed much. His hair is longer and shaggier, his muscles look a bit bigger, but those are really the only differences.

I stand up and walk over to my bed. I fall onto it and bury my face in my pillows.

"Hey," he says.

"What?" I ask without looking up.

"Is this the giraffe pillow pet I bought you in America when we visited your family?"

"Probably," I reply sitting up.

He's standing there hugging it tightly. "I always liked this guy."

"You're weird."

"Am not!" he says, tossing it to me.

I catch the pillow pet with ease. "James?" I ask, clutching the pillow pet to my chest.

"Hmm?" He plops on to the bed next to me.

"Have you told your family that you're back yet?" I ask, maybe he can stay with Al. If he stays here I'm not sure what will happen.

"No, not exactly..."

"You need to."

"I will... eventually."

"Oh yeah?" I ask raising an eyebrow. I don't believe him for a second.

"Yeah!"

"How about we get dressed and go then?" I challenge.

"Well...I...Can't we do it tomorrow?" he whines.

"No. There is no time like the present!"