""Let's see, " said Lily cheerfully, "Ainsley, why don't you go next?"
"Before I reveal my entry, " said Ainsley clearly, "I just want to let you all know that I drew a second picture just for my own personal pleasure. I'm going to show it to you all but I'm going to reveal my entry first."
"Very well, Ainsley, " said Lily warmly.
Next nanosecond, Ainsley flipped over her entry drawing to reveal a picture that had a drawing of a sunset on the left hand side and a rocket launching on the right hand side.
It wasn't a bad picture by any means. By the same token it had more imperfections than any of the entries they'd seen yet. The shape of the rocket was a bit off and the sun in the sunset was actually a little too dark.
"Not that great, " said James bluntly, "The sun is too dark, the rocket is the wrong shape, and there are little imperfections everywhere."
""It isn't my best work, " admitted Ainsley, "The effect I was going for was to represent the duality of my feelings between leaving Hogwarts and starting at the Ultimate University of Wizarding Healing. "
"The sunset was supposed to represent your sadness at leaving Hogwarts behind at the end of this school year while the rocket launch was supposed to represent your excitement at taking up your place at the Ultimate University of Wizarding Healing this September, " piped up Devon in understanding.
"Exactly, " confirmed Ainsley, "I wanted it to be a refection of my simultaneous feelings and emptiness and fulfillment. "
"Not total emptiness though, " Hugo reminded her kindly, "You're still going to be part of our circle. We just won't see you all the time or every day anymore but there will still be opportunities for us to be part of your life."
"I'm extremely grateful for that, " said Ainsley softly, "But I still can't help but feel sad at the prospect of leaving Hogwarts behind."
"Honestly, " said Samantha thoughtfully, "I think EVERY Hogwarts student has those kinds of feelings as the end of his or her Hogwarts career approaches. While I strongly disapprove of people becoming emotionally attached to other people, even I have to admit that in some cases, becoming emotionally attached to places is inevitable."
"That's exactly it " said Ainsley briskly, nodding her head, "All the same, I'm really excited about starting my career at the Ultimate University of Wizarding Healing. The sun will soon set on my Hogwarts career while my career as a student at the Ultimate University of Wizarding will soon be launched."
"Look, " said Lily, trying to sound supportive while not giving Ainsley any false pretenses, "Your drawing really isn't that bad. It has no shot of medaling but from an O.W.L. standpoint this would be on the E/A border. Besides, you drew something that means something to you and that counts for as much as anything."
Lily always knew, somehow, which buttons to push.
Ainsley smiled at Lily and said, "Thank you, Lily, you know what? Maybe I should try to appreciate my work here. Speaking of my work, let me show you all the drawing I made just for my own enjoyment of drawing it."
A nanosecond later, Ainsley had retrieved a second drawing from under her seat.
The difference in how much better this drawing was from the first drawing Ainsley had shown them was striking.
The picture Ainsley had just exposed them to was a beautiful, gorgeous, splendid drawing of a beach setting.
The water was a sparkling light blue. To the south of the water lay a fine white sand that gave off an aura of warmth, the water was surrounded to the east by lots of lush green palm trees, the sky was mostly clear and blue but had a few small scattered white clouds.
Everything about the drawing of the beach setting, the water, the sand, the palm trees, the sky, was simply perfect. The colors were vivid, precise, and breathtaking. The scenery gave off a soothing vibe of relaxed warmth. The drawing of the beach was so stunningly rich that you could look at it and feel as though you were on the beach yourself.
"Honestly, Ainsley, " said Samantha, "You should turn in the beach drawing as your entry. it is far superior to your other drawing and entering the beach drawing instead would give you a legitimate chance at medaling."
"I can't, " said Ainsley regretfully, the longing to do so in her voice obvious, "I promised Lily when the process of all of us entering the Hogwarts Drawing Competition started that my entry would be of a sunset and rocket ship. I owe it to Lily to keep my promise."
"Good for you, Ainsley, " said Stephanie approvingly while Courtney nodded, "A promise is a promise. I'm glad to see you have the character to keep your promises even when it's not in your own best interests to do so."
"You should NEVER hold your hostage to things you've previously said, " countered James in a firm and fierce voice, "Because the beach drawing both gives you a better chance of medaling and even more so because it's a truer representation your true work, that's the drawing you should enter."
"James is EXACTLY right, " agreed Devon, "You shouldn't make yourself a prisoner to something you said months ago."
"People do reserve the right to change their minds you know, " said Samantha encouragingly, "Remember, a promise is not a contract, more like a plan."
James and Devon nodded while Stephanie and Courtney groaned at those words.
Ainsley herself was looking longingly at the awestriking beach scene she'd drawn. She REALLY wanted to enter this picture.
"You clearly want to enter the beach drawing, don't you Ainsley?" piped up Lily while giving Ainsley a serious look.
"I won't break my promise to you, Lily, " said Ainsley flatly, "I promised you when we started that I would enter a sunset and rocket launch drawing. Therefore, I will enter the sunset and rocket launch drawing."
"Ainsley, " said Lily clearly, now looking Ainsley eye to eye, "Don't make the decision for me, make the decision for yourself. If you really want to enter the beach drawing, then you should enter the beach drawing. If that's what you want to do and you don't do so, then you'll come to regret it later."
"I want the picture I produced of the beach scenery to be my entry, " admitted Ainsley.
"Then enter it, " said James fiercely, "If that's the drawing you want to enter, then that's the drawing you should enter."
"It would be awesome for the entire school to see the masterpiece you've manufactured, " Lily told Ainsley, "Medal or not, your beach drawing has a 1000% chance of being selected for display if you enter it."
"Is that what you want me to do?" Ainsley asked Lily hopefully.
"I want you to do what YOU want to do, " said Lily firmly, "Sometimes being true to yourself is more important than trying to please others."
"It wasn't about trying to please you, " said Ainsley calmly, "It was about keeping my promise. But, if you're okay with me making the change-"
"Go for it, Ainsley, " said Lily in a crisp and decisive voice, "Enter the beach drawing. Give yourself a chance to medal, represent the best of your work, and stay true to yourself."
"Maybe the sunset and rocket launch drawing was too emotional for you to pull of the way you wanted, Ainsley?" suggested Gordon.
"Right in one, " acknowledged Ainsley, "I was too amped up when I drew the rocket, resulting in the off shape. I was too sad when I drew the sunset, resulting in the too dark sun."
"There's no shame in that, Ainsley, " said Lily in a comforting voice, "Sometimes your emotions get the better of you and that's okay. That's just part of being human. Humans are naturally emotionally creatures and we shouldn't try to deny or suppress that. Sometimes being emotional is part of being human."
"Well said, Lily, " said Albus proudly.
Lily gave Ainsley an encouraging smile and Ainsley finally announced, "I'm submitting the beach scene drawing as my entry for the Hogwarts Drawing Competition."
"I knew we'd get there in the end, " said Lily happily.
Ainsley and Lily gave each other happy looks with a realization that the correct decision had been made.
With that decision finalized, everyone smiled.
For the next several minutes and the next several nanoseconds, Devon, James, Hugo. Albus, Miles, Todd, Gary, Fred, Gordon, Pamela, Rose, Roxanne, Rachel, Courtney, Stephanie, Samantha, Ainsley, and Lily just sat looking at and admiring Ainsley's beach scene drawing.
Naturally, the others were all immensely proud of the work Ainsley had done on her scenic beach drawing.
But this moment was about more than that.
It was a pure moment of a group of people who had all become great friends simply soothingly enjoying something that represented the beauty of nature.
For that time, Devon, James, Hugo. Albus, Miles, Todd, Gary, Fred, Gordon, Pamela, Rose, Roxanne, Rachel, Courtney, Stephanie, Samantha, Ainsley, and Lily all felt as though they themselves were on a calm, beauftul, peaceful beach.
Art had truly brought nature to life.