Keep Breathing ♢ James Potter

32 | Entry 22 - A Love to Last

June 20, 1978

Dear Diary,

This is it. This is the last time I will sit in this room, the last time I will walk down these halls, the last time I will ride the train.

When we were all 11, we all thought that 7 years seemed like a lifetime to have to stay in Hogwarts. But now that it is over and down, I don't think there was ever enough time for it all. I don't think any length of time would have been enough for us.

A.B.

-

Astrid was sitting on the couch in the Room of Requirement, curled up with her journal in her hand. She had finished her journal entry, keeping it short as she found it difficult to put all she felt into words. Harry noticed her graduation robe that was thrown across the back of the couch, which was long forgotten as Astrid stared into the fireplace.

The door of the room creaked open revealing James who was also dressed in his graduation robes, looking ready to face this world head-on.

"Astrid!" exclaimed the boy happily, as a grin broke out on his face. "I had a feeling you would be here."

James sat next to Astrid, wrapping his arm around her shoulder, and pulling her closer so she was by his side, leaning against him.

Astrid smiled at the gesture, scooting closer to his side, and leaning her head against his shoulder. "Yes, and not because you tried looking for me on the Marauder's Map and couldn't find me."

James scoffed playfully, "well I would be able to find you if you let me add the room to the map. It would be so much easier to find you when I need you." He rolled his eyes playfully as Astrid reacted by nudging him to the side.

"You know the rules," Astrid teased. "This is our spot, no one else can know. Especially not your little boyband of misfits."

"Misfits?!" James exclaimed, faking shock as he brought a hand to his heart. "I can't believe you feel that way about us."

The pair laughed it off, the raven-haired girl rolling her eyes at the hazel-eyed boy as he cackled and nuzzled his head into the crock of her neck. They both stared into the fireplace, enjoying the peacefulness of the room one last time before graduation until Astrid broke the silence.

"I don't know if I am ready."

He needed no further explanation to understand what Astrid was referring to.

"I don't think anyone of us could ever truly be ready for this," explained James with a sad smile. "But time waits for no one, as much as we wish it did."

Harry's heart sank as he watched the Gryffindor boy pull the Slytherin girl even closer, giving her a small kiss on the forehead before encasing her in his arms as if he was shielding her from the outside world.

The war was here and no one, not even Dumbledore, can protect them from it.

-

The memory blurred before shifting to a scene on the Hogwarts Express. Harry saw himself standing in the middle of the compartments with Astrid walking down towards the typical Slytherin section of the train. However, as Astrid walked down the alley, her wrist was taken by a figure before being pulled into another compartment.

As Harry quickly followed, he heard his father's yelps as he was attacked by Astrid defensively hitting him across the head.

"Ow! Blimey women have anyone ever told you to quit being so bloody violent all the time," whined James as he rubbed his head.

"Has anyone ever told you to stop kidnapping people randomly, Potter?" Astrid complained as she crossed her arms. "You're lucky I didn't hex you when you pulled me in here. Honestly, I think you would have deserved it."

James rolled his eyes, pulling the girl towards him and wrapping his arms around his waist. "Bloody violent one, aren't you? No wonder the hat placed you in Slytherin."

That statement allowed earned James another smack across the head, and James started to cover his head in defense. "Ouch, okay okay, I get it!"

"Why did you bring me here?" questioned Astrid. "I thought we already said our goodbyes earlier so no one would see us?"

"We did, but I wanted to do something with you," James explained as he pulled out a tiny pocketknife from his robe. "I wanted to crave our initials into the wall. This something muggles do, you know. To create this long-lasting symbol of one another. I saw it in this muggle movie Remus showed us once."

Astrid looked puzzled. "Why here though? We could have done it back at the Room of Requirement."

"Well," James drawled out. "I wanted to do it where we first met, you know? The first day on the train?"

Astrid quirked an eyebrow at him. "James, I didn't properly meet you until that one time in 3rd year when you knocked over my books, remember?"

James blushed. "Well, technically I did meet you before then, I just didn't know who you were. You were leaving the compartment where Sirius was sitting when we bumped into each other. I just didn't know who you were at the time."

Astrid smiled at the gesture, not realizing how early their paths did cross each other before she grabbed the pocketknife that James held.

"Okay, but I am carving my own initials! Merlin help us if you were the one to do it, with your chicken scratch for handwriting."

James rolled his eyes playfully, nudging her as they laughed. Together, they carved their initials for future generations to see their love. A love that would last even after they both were gone, with no one to know their story.

JP + AB

1978