Author's Note:
This is the second to last chapter. The next one will be an epilogue-ish kind of thing for "Life Like This". I'm planning on continuing with this fic-verse I made onto another story. I haven't decided the title yet. Anyways, I'm building a foundation for the next story with these last two chapters. Hope you enjoy! Thank you so much for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and alerting. Please continue to support me. Thank you! Love you all lots. I'd give you hugs but...IDK how that'd be possible haha. And it's almost New Year!
Chapter 24 – It's Not Really Goodbye…
It was quiet in Albus Dumbledore's office, even with the four people and vermillion colored phoenix inside. Dumbledore sat behind his desk, his elbows rested on the table as he was deep in thought, his eyes shifting between the empty air and the eyes of the three former students facing him, from clairvoyant dark green eyes to thoughtful almost black and to scarred but recovering grey. The three former students now adults and his equal, were all waiting for an answer from him. Dumbledore let out a sigh as Sirius shifted in his stance, growing impatient. Sirius began walking up to the headmaster first, just as Tonks blew a strand of her hair out of her face with a bored expression on, while Alexis tried to stifle a yawn. Dumbledore had nearly forgotten how long he'd been thinking and making them wait there.
"Professor, can we please have an answer?" Sirius pressed, wondering if his godson could come live with him or not.
Dumbledore sighed. "I'm afraid the answer is no. Sirius I'm sorry," he finally answered.
"But why?" Sirius replied hastily. "He's my godson, James and Lily trusted him to me. It would make sense for him to come live with me."
Before Dumbledore could answer, one of Sirius' cousins backed him up, the one with brilliant pink hair that he always liked. "And we can no doubt treat him better than his muggle relatives ever could," she added.
"Besides, Harry really wants to live with us and away from his muggle relatives," said the girl with raven black hair that Dumbledore always thought knew more than she let on, even if she already does let on that she knew a lot.
He sighed again, thinking that perhaps it was time he told them yet another fact of what had happened on Halloween night about twelve or so years ago. Dumbledore stood up from his seat, facing them with a completely serious expression on his face. "I'm afraid, it still wouldn't be best for him to leave his muggle relatives," he told them. "Twelve years ago when Lily Potter was killed, she had sacrificed her life to protect Harry. That in turn had placed a protection spell over the boy, protecting him from the greatest evil…"
"Voldemort," Sirius spoke solemnly.
"Yes. And I may seem paranoid, but I feel that we should use this protection given to him for as long as we could. And to keep the protection that Lily had sacrificed her life to give to him he must stay with his muggle relatives."
Sirius huffed while Tonks and Alexis remained quiet. "When will the protection be broken?" he asked in a low voice.
"There are two circumstances when the protection will be broken. One is when Harry no longer calls Number Four Privet Drive his home, and two is when he turns of age, seventeen. So if he comes and lives with you, the protection his mother gave to him would be broken. I know you want what's best for Harry, but his safety is above all."
"But Voldemort's gone," Tonks interrupted. "You've put an end to him…"
"They never exactly killed him," Alexis spoke up, her arms crossed, her face thoughtful.
Dumbledore smiled. "Yes, some say he died, but there's a possibility that he's simply hiding away," he told them. "And I don't want to put Harry in any danger."
Sirius nodded, succumbing to the headmaster's decision. "Alright, Harry's safety is above all," he grunted in a low tone much like Mad-Eye Moody's.
"However," Dumbledore suddenly spoke as he thought of something. Then he saw the hope appear in Sirius' grey eyes as he awaited his words. "Harry would still call Privet Drive his home, but he can come and stay with you for several weeks during the end of the summer. It would save him the trouble of having to find a ride to King's Cross to board the Hogwarts Express for the next school year," he smiled.
A grin danced across Sirius' expression while a bright smile appeared on Tonks' lips and a subtle smirk showed itself on Alexis' face. "For several weeks?" Sirius asked, jumping at any chance he got to spend time with his godson.
"At the end of July," Dumbledore nodded and smiled.
"And we'll still be able to visit him during Hogsmeade weekend?" Sirius continued.
"If, as his godfather, you give him permission to go," Dumbledore replied with that familiar twinkle in his eyes.
Sirius nearly jumped. "Of course!" he yelled. "Thank you professor."
"It's Albus to you, all three of you. You're adults now, remember?" he chuckled kindly.
"Thank you though, Albus," Tonks and Alexis smiled and spoke together, sounding so much like the Weasley twins that they glanced at each other and raised an eyebrow. They both smiled however because they knew well and clear that if Albus Dumbledore hadn't casted that confinement barrier over Hogwarts a while back, Peter Pettigrew would have probably escaped through some small hole in the school ground. They had to thank him for that, and so much more that were too much to mention.
"Help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who need it," he smiled and winked at them. "Now I'm guessing you three have some more farewells to bid."
"Goodbye headmaster," Tonks, Alexis, and Sirius all spoke together.
"It's not really goodbye, I'm sure we'll see each other again in the future," Albus Dumbledore smiled at his former students. "Stay out of trouble."
Sirius was looking for Harry around the entrance hall. When he visited Remus to tell his old friend to take care, Remus had told him Harry should be hanging around there since it was his free period after all. He walked down the large grand stair case that led to many others. Sirius was breathless at being back in Hogwarts again, not to mention being back as a free man. He couldn't help recalling memories everywhere he turned, memories that would sometimes even prick his eyes with tears. When Sirius stepped off the last step on the grand staircase, he could see the day when the four Marauders first met. A small tear formed in his eye when he remembered the way they were following Remus Lupin up the stairs in their first year, the bloke with his face buried behind a book who seemed to be the only one who knew where they were going. Sirius remembered how James was teasing Peter about something, and the plump little kid tripped and fell onto Sirius which caused Sirius to knock Remus over. A ghost of a smile passed Sirius' lips when he remembered James bending down and trying to help them, only to trip over his own untied shoelaces and stumble into a mess of the future Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs. Sirius had thought his cousin Tonks was clumsy, but remembering how the four Marauders first met, he too had a reputation with bad falls.
"Feeling sentimental Black?" Severus Snape's dry, sneering voice pulled him back into the present reality as Snape noticed Sirius standing there, looking at the stairs thoughtfully.
"Of course, remembering good memories with my good friends, something you wouldn't understand Snivelly," Sirius retorted.
"Friends who have betrayed you?" Snape sneered, beginning to stride up the stairs.
Sirius scoffed at the way Snape glided like a looming black ghost up the stairs. "James never betrayed me, and neither did Remus, and he's still alive."
"Good luck with your friend then," Snape replied, not looking back.
Sirius turned around and was about to leave when something inside of him suddenly held him back. "Hey Snivelly," he called, and surprisingly, Snape stopped in his glide and turned his head partially back. "Thanks for the testimony."
"Don't ever expect me to testify for you again," Snape simply replied and strode off.
He chuckled at the expected reply from old Snivellus and Sirius turned around and called back, "Wouldn't count on it."
Turning back around, Sirius continued looking around the nearly deserted entrance hall for his godson. Within a few minutes, the large entrance doors to the school suddenly opened and in walked Harry Potter with an old and ragged broom slung over his shoulder while his robes were marred with grass stains and his face was covered in dirt. Sirius raised an eyebrow at the way Harry so proudly walked with his broom while he was covered in dirt. He sighed, marveled at how like James Potter Harry was.
"Sirius!" Harry called and dropped the old broomstick, running over to hug Sirius.
"Hey there kiddo, trying to squeeze some practice in during a free period?" he smiled, ruffling Harry's unruly messy black hair.
The kid beamed as he pulled apart from Sirius and tried to wipe the dirt off his face but to no avail. "I'm trying to get used to the school's broom. My old broom got murdered by the Whomping Willow," he replied.
Sirius made a face. If there was one thing he knew about the Potter was that their broom was like an arm to them. "I remember your dad would be so depressed if something happened to his broom, even if it was a small scratch."
"I was depressed a while back, but it's alright now," he replied, simply beaming because his godfather was there, the man so close to his dad whom he can call family as well.
"How about this, when I get the money, I'll buy you a new broom?" Sirius suggested, knowing he wasn't bloody likely going to use money from the Black family vault, no matter how filthy rich in gold it was.
"You don't have to…"
"Nonsense," Sirius cut him off smiling. "A Potter's gotta have his broom."
Harry smiled. "Are you here to stay?" he suddenly asked.
Sirius shook his head, holding the boy's face to take a closer look at him. He had his father's every feature from the crooked, mischievous grin to the unruly messy black hair, but Harry had his mother's eyes, Lily's eyes. And boy did Sirius miss those eyes, even if the only times he ever bothered to look in them were when Lily was raging mad at him for something stupid that he'd done.
"I'm here to ask Dumbledore a few things, and to say bye to you, until the next Hogsmeade weekend," Sirius replied.
"I can see you at Hogsmeade?" Harry asked, excited. "But I'm not allowed to go."
"I'm your godfather and I've already spoken with Professor Dumbledore about it. You can go," Sirius told him with a smirk. "I won't be in Hogsmeade though. I'm living with my cousins for now. But I'll visit you during those weekends, so write to me. And I've tried asking Dumbledore about letting you come live with me…"
"Really? What'd he say?" Harry asked with hopeful eyes.
"Well, it was sort of like a compromise. He said you still have to stay at your aunt and uncle's since they're your real family," Sirius told him, not sure whether or not he should explain to Harry about his mother's protection spell over him. "But you can come stay with us for the last few weeks of summer. We'll pick you up right around your birthday."
"That's most of summer! Yes!" Harry grinned optimistically.
"Until then kiddo," Sirius laughed. "And I sound like an over-worried parent for saying this but write," he told him. Harry simply grinned and hugged him again. Sirius held the kid tight, for a moment feeling like he was hugging James again after they'd done something they were extremely proud of. He sighed and patted Harry's head, glad that at least James' boy was happy, despite Sirius' failure to fulfill his role as a godfather for most of his life.
With her bag hanging over her shoulder, Alexis walked slowly down the empty corridors of Hogwarts. All the students were in class right now, and only a few had free periods. She looked around, gazing at the beautiful architecture of the school that as a student she'd failed to appreciate. Now looking back at them, they seemed so beautiful. Walking by, she glanced quickly into the full classrooms, wondering who else she should say bye to. She'd already bid farewell to Ginny and Hermione, both girls sounding much like Andromeda when they made her promise to write and keep in contact. She ran into Harry already, and she even stopped to give Ron a hug, much to his delight as his cheeks turned bright red looking back at her. Alexis stroked her cheekbone, walking down the empty hallway as she pondered.
"Why hello there," Fred and George Weasley suddenly greeted her.
She looked up, realizing she was shorter than them both despite her age being older than them. Alexis looked up into the brown eyes of the boys and smiled at their flaming red hair and brilliant mischievous grins that reminded her so much of her own.
"Hello boys," she greeted, sounding more her age than ever before.
"For the love of Merlin," George sighed. "We're not boys, we're sixteen you know."
"And in our books, sixteen makes us dignified adults. We're only one year away from being of age," Fred finished.
She laughed softly. "I'm guessing you've heard about our mission already?" she asked, knowing that Ginny had known and surely the twins wouldn't have missed out on the news.
"Of course we've heard," George smiled. "Ron can't keep a secret to save his life."
"We swear he's not our brother," Fred added. "He's way too daft."
She laughed again. For some reason, Alexis realized she was going to miss these boys, especially how though they were two they were like one. Rarely did she find one without the other, and when she does, they usually turned out to be pretty sweet and sentimental blokes despite their infamous track of pranks and mischief.
"Maybe we should have a proper introduction then," she suggested. "I'm Alexis Black, Unspeakable, and definitely not a sixth year heartbreaker," she smiled, remembering what Hermione Granger had once playfully called her.
"I'm Fred," George grinned.
"And I'm George," Fred added.
Alexis raised an eyebrow and smirked at them. "No, you're George," she spoke to George. "And you're Fred," she told Fred.
They seemed happy that she could tell them apart. "Fred and George Weasley at your service, the best troublemakers in the whole school," they grinned identical grins broadly at her.
"Alright, seeing that I'm an adult, it would be normal for me to wonder, shouldn't you two be in class?" she smiled.
"We have History of Magic now, and ever since Professor White or Auror White left, we're back to being stuck with Binns." George made a gagging sound.
"So seeing how that class is completely useless, we thought we'd go and try out a new invention of ours," Fred added, holding up a box of questionable mischief making materials.
"Do you want to join us?" George asked.
"I'd love to, but I really have to get going. I just returned to speak with Dumbledore about a few things and to say goodbye, after all, it's rude to leave without a word," she smiled.
"Alright," they both sighed together. "Will we see you again?"
"I'm not sure, not likely I'm guessing," she told them easily but her smile was sad.
"Well you're going to see us again anyways…somehow," George grinned.
"Alright, I promise you I'll see you two troublemakers again, somehow," she smiled and played with the leather bracelet they'd given her only a week or two ago. "And thanks again for this," she smiled, holding up her wrist with the bracelet that Mad-Eye finally returned to her after the trial. "It'd been a great help."
"Our pleasure," they smiled broadly. "And remember," Fred spoke.
"You promised," George finished that time and Alexis nodded, smiling at them once. She ended up succumbing to all the other farewells she'd given that day and hugged them both, fleetingly but tightly, just like she'd done with Ginny, Hermione, Harry, and even the clueless Ron Weasley. When she hugged Fred, he easily hugged her and patted her back like a simple good friend. But when Alexis hugged George, she felt him tense and relax under her arms, and almost shyly he brought his arms up to give her a tightly and nearly longing squeeze. Somehow, that boy, one half of a twin, gave her the most memorable farewell…somehow.
Again she found herself standing outside his door. Tonks sighed to herself, her vivid pink hair turning violet for a fleeting moment, and then back to bubblegum pink. She wondered when it would be time for it to turn around a bit. She wondered when Remus would be at her door instead, knocking on her door, waiting for her. She sighed again, knowing it wasn't going to happen. They were friends and it seemed like he wanted to leave it at that. The kiss they had, it probably meant absolutely nothing to him.
Tonks held her hand up and drummed her knuckles on his door. As she stood there waiting. She heard soft noises inside, knowing it was Remus. As she waited she couldn't help but think about him, and them. She wondered if that kiss had meant anything to him, anything at all, like how it meant so much to her. She'd realized that she'd entirely fallen in love with him after that kiss, because she'd never felt anything quite the same. Tonks suddenly placed a plastered and rehearsed grin onto her face as she heard the creaky doorknob turn, greeting him with a brilliant Tonks-like smile.
"What'd you forget to insult me with this time Padfoot?" Remus spoke as he opened the door, thinking she was her cousin, his best friend who had been there earlier no doubt. "Oh, Nymphadora, hello," he smiled weakly, surprised to see her.
"Wotcher Remus," she smiled, pulling on her heavy bag that hung over her shoulder.
"Sorry, I thought you were Sirius. He uh…he came to talk with me a bit earlier and managed to threaten me several times about what he'd do if I don't visit him often," Remus told her, managing a very weak laugh afterwards.
"Oh," Tonks nodded. She suddenly didn't know what to say. "Um…well I came to say goodbye," she told him, still searching for the right words. "Since my mission is over, I guess it's about time I leave and not be a nuisance to everyone around me," she joked, but her heart wasn't in it as she stood before him.
"You're not a nuisance," Remus spoke blankly as if those words had slipped out of his mouth. He cleared his throat subtly and looked away from her for a minute. "Um…I guess this is goodbye…Dora," he told her unsurely, searching for the right words as well.
She nodded and smiled. Her smile was sad however, he noticed, and he also saw that her bubblegum pink hair wasn't as brilliant as it always was, and in fact it seemed a little down, a little bit darker. Remus watched quietly as she slowly, hesitantly turned around to leave, fixing her bag around her shoulder. He gripped the wooden doorframe. Watching her go, he wanted so hard to hold her back. Ever since their kiss, whenever he found himself anywhere near her, he always wanted to hold her, to be with her, but he knew he shouldn't. Remus sighed inwardly to himself, watching her leave. Perhaps, like what was best, that kiss had meant nothing to her, nothing at all, despite how much it meant to him. He'd never felt quite the same like he did with her and any normal bloke wouldn't have let such a woman walk away from them. But Remus Lupin wasn't just any normal bloke, he was a cursed man, a werewolf, and he loves Nymphadora Tonks, yes he loves her. But he loves her too much to allow himself to burden her.
As he watched her go, all the memories of them in the past short months began to replay in his mind. He remembered how they met, how he was skeptical of her and how she greatly disliked him. Then he remembered the Boggart, how he'd spoken with her and they sat together under the great big oak tree in the East Wing courtyard. He remembered how she ended up stuck with him for a full moon in the Shrieking Shack, and how she had helped him and willingly spent the night with him during the October Blood Moon. Remus could still hear her soft words of comfort she'd tell him, her ways of ardently reassuring him. He wanted to live them again. He wanted to be like that again. But somehow, it seemed that after that kiss, it had ruined them. He'd misread her, and he'd made a move she wasn't ready for and won't ever be.
For Remus Lupin thought that Nymphadora Tonks didn't love him and that he had ruined them with the kiss. He thought he wasn't worthy of her, that she deserved so much more, someone who could actually take care of her and not burden her. But little did he know, the girl with the pink hair that was walking away from him, felt the exact same way.
As Tonks reached the door to exit the classroom, something suddenly held her back. Her hand was on the doorknob, but she didn't turn it. Instead she stood there and pondered for a moment. Then without thinking, she turned around to face Remus who stood on the other side of the classroom, watching her with surprise in his eyes.
"Remus…" she spoke across the room, just loud enough to be heard. "The kiss…"
He looked at her with soft but piercing eyes. "The kiss…"
She was scared to ask. Tonks wondered when she'd ever been mindful of her words before she spewed them out of her fast mouth. She was Nymphadora Tonks and all throughout school, she was never like that with any bloke. So what made Remus so different? Tonks suddenly felt like she'd found an answer, by looking into those soft, gentle blue eyes.
"Did…did it mean anything to you?" she asked in a soft voice, barely above a whisper.
Remus seemed shy almost. He stood there, his one hand rubbing the back of his neck while his other was stuffed into the pocket of his shabby but comfortable trousers. Remus licked his lips and looked up at her, as if debating what he should or shouldn't say. Tonks only hope he'd tell her the truth and not make up some lie to keep her happy.
"Yes…" Tonks could feel herself beam. "I…I…kissed you too…didn't I?"
"And I kissed you too…" she added, her heartbeat rising. She was flustered and had she not been born a metamorphmagus, her cheeks would have turned deep red. "What do we do now?" She was getting more nervous and more flustered by the second.
"Nymphadora, I'm not worthy," he told her slowly.
"What?"
"The kiss…I'm not worthy of it, of you…" Remus tried to explain. "You deserve someone far better than what I am. I'm far too old for you. I'm dirt poor and I'll only be a burden to you. Not to mention I'm a werewolf and you're an auror."
Tonks took a step towards him. He was giving her excuses, and Tonks understood why he was trying to push her away, but it didn't mean she'd take those excuses of his. "Remus, we're friends, aren't we?"
He nodded.
"I may sound foolish and naïve, but we kissed. Tell me if I'm wrong but I felt something in that kiss, something that tells me together, we could bring this friendship into something more," she told him and wondered if they'd already done so without realizing it.
"But we can't Nymphadora," he cut her off, trying to reason with her and himself. "Most people won't even look at me or admit I exist knowing what I am. I'm already grateful enough that you are my friend. Moving any further…I'm afraid…"
"Afraid of what?"
"Many things," he told her, thinking his past few attempts at romance. "I'm afraid I'd burden you. I'm a werewolf and you're an auror. I would make you an outcast. I'm such a troublesome friend. I don't want to trouble you with every little thing. And…I'm afraid that less we reach some troubles while moving forward past friendship…I'd lose you as a friend." He looked at her with honest eyes.
Tonks could ignore his many other excuses. She'd always been an outcast her entire life and didn't mind it. He wasn't troublesome at all. But there was one excuse she couldn't ignore. He was right in saying that they could possibly lose each other as friends if they didn't work out in a relationship beyond friendship. It'd happened to her much too often before, and losing Remus' friendship was the last thing she wanted.
"I understand…" she sighed. "But…it still doesn't mean we can't try," she suddenly added and decided that she was reckless after all.
He shook his head, looking at her with eyes that spoke. Remus looked like he really wanted to try, but his many fears were holding him back. "I don't want to lose you as a friend."
She was quiet for a long time, and then laughed a humorless laugh softly and quietly. "So…we don't want to lose this friendship?" she asked him.
"We don't. We can't lose this friendship," he told her, their friendship being above all.
Tonks nodded. She didn't know what more to say to him. Tonks was happy to hear that she was of some importance to him, so important that he cared about their friendship and worried he'd lose her if things didn't work out. But Tonks was sad as well, sad that he wasn't willing to give it a try as she was so open to the idea. However, Tonks reminded herself that it wasn't the end of them. Surely she would see Remus again, more often than not. She'd have time to explore their relationship and which direction the feelings they have would take. She then felt glad—at least the surprise and emotional rollercoaster-like kiss they shared hadn't ruined them.
"Nymphadora, I hope you understand."
She smiled a Tonks-like smile with her newfound optimism. They'd have more time to develop whatever feelings they had, and maybe with time she and Remus could decide on a mutual direction they could go in.
"I understand. So…I'll see you again soon Remus."
Remus smiled when he saw her own smile. He was glad as well. Unknown to him, he was glad for all the same reasons she was. "Very soon."
"Better or I'll get Padfoot to come and annoy you until you come visit."
He chuckled and Tonks was glad that the things that came naturally to them, the laughter, the endless conversation, the inevitable closeness, hadn't disappeared. "Please don't. A letter would be enough to bring me over."
"A howler then," she joked and slowly parted from him.
Slowly stepping back, Tonks imprinted the image of his smiling face and took it with her. She constantly reminded herself that it wasn't the end for them. Tonks even dared to think that maybe, with time she could get Remus to change his mind and give them a try at a relationship, no matter what the outcome would be.
Arriving at the large, grand iron gates of Hogwarts, Tonks immediately spotted her two cousins standing there, waiting for her. Her smile that had grown subtle beamed again when she saw the sight of Sirius Black, now a free man, waiting for her. She never thought she'd see the day. A surge of pride rippled through her when Tonks realized she'd been of some help in bringing him his freedom back. Tonks felt like she wasn't a complete fail as an auror after all.
"Ready to go home Tonksie?" Sirius asked and she shot him a mock glare.
"What's with the face Tonksie?" Alexis added with a smirk similar to Sirius'.
"You know what, if you two keep calling me Tonksie or Nymphadora, I will disown you myself." She then turned to Sirius and stuck her tongue out at him. "Oh I forgot. We've already disowned you."
"She's a feisty one ain't she?" Sirius told Alexis and they laughed together. "So Tonks, Lexi and I were simply wondering—how did saying farewell to my dear old pal Moony go?"
"It's not really goodbye," she told them. "So I just told him to come over soon."
Sirius nodded, seeming like he wanted to say more but chose not to. Tonks noticed him give Alexis an unreadable look. He then turned around and walked towards the large iron gates with them behind him, taking long strides almost as if he was strutting.
"You aren't at all sad that you won't see him as often?" Alexis asked in a softer, much more purposeful tone of voice.
"A bit," Tonks admitted. "But Sirius will bother him and make him come visit us right?" she added and Alexis nodded.
"What about your…very little crush on him?" she asked, making a great understatement.
"I talked to him…he said he's too old, too poor, and too werewolf for me. And he said he's afraid to lose me as a friend."
"Typical Moony," Sirius suddenly scoffed, having overheard their conversation. "He'd been recycling those excuses ever since second year when girls decided they like him. Tonksie if you don't give him a right side slap in the head and knock some sense into his thick head, I swear to god I bloody will."
Tonks laughed softly. "I'll take that to mind Padfoot, thanks."
"So what do you plan to do now?" Alexis continued to ask.
"I don't know. What can you do once you have friendship?"
"Quite a lot actually. Good luck making your choice."
"I'll make a good decision with time."
They heard Sirius scoff again and Alexis said, "Better make one fast cuz. I think Sirius is seriously debating whether or not to give you and Remus a little…push." There was a knowing look in Alexis' face and Tonks suddenly wished she could read minds. Lexi was always the one in on inside jokes and Tonks feared that whatever her two cousins had in mind would make things much more difficult for her.
"You know Tonks, if you and my best friend Moony are in love with each other—as oddly as it is with you being my baby cousin and him being Moony—you two should just dive right on forward recklessly and then see where you end up. Usually, it's a lot more fun than you'd expect. Don't let fear hold you back," said Sirius thoughtfully.
A few more steps and they were finally out of Hogwarts. Sirius, Tonks, and Alexis were about to leave but they turned back to take another glance at the marvelous castle. It'd once been their home. In it held so many memories that they couldn't even list or gather into proper, understandable thoughts. They each looked at the castle longingly, feeling a familiar feeling to one they'd get when they were leaving home and heading out into the big, big world. Somehow, everything always seemed to start in that castle—in its very walls. Everything from their life, their knowledge, their love, and even their own personal story, all seemed to have a beginning there. They sighed and turned away, looking at each other now with three different smiles. As they walked away, they left the castle peacefully in their wake.