The Keeper

Chapter 54 (final)

"One last goodbye," I sighed as the train pulled away from the school, the imposing towers fading into the distance.

Aleeza opened her mouth but closed it immediately after. Responding to my quizzical expression, she pointed at the door. Oliver. I grinned and let him inside.

"Hey," Louise said, pushing Aleeza off her lap, "wouldn't this be a great time to buy some sweets for the rest of the ride? Good idea, right? Okay. Let's go."

She dragged both girls into the corridor, shutting the door behind her. She threw me a wink before disappearing out of sight.

A little startled at Louise's abrupt exit, Oliver sat down opposite me. I couldn't keep the smile off my face as I made eye contact with him.

"I'm going to miss you, you know that?" I blurted.

Oliver chuckled. "I'm going to miss you, too."

"Promise me you'll write," I said, moving to sit next to him. I put my head on his shoulder while he wrapped both his arms around me.

"Of course," he replied. "And we don't live too far apart, either. We could organise a time to meet up, maybe practice some quidditch." He paused. "Scratch that, definitely practice some quidditch."

I swatted his arm. It always ended up there, didn't it? "Medical question. Is it possible for you to have a conversation that doesn't lead to quidditch? Asking for a friend."

He pretended to ponder the question for a while. I smiled at how cute his face looked.

"I don't think so, no. I have no other interesting things to talk about."

"Fair enough."

We didn't speak for the next minute or two. Instead, I focused on the little patterns Oliver was tracing on the back of my hand. His fingertips were warm and calloused. I kissed his jaw, enjoying the way he leant into my touch. I snuggled in further after pulling away.

"I wouldn't be surprised if your friends are waiting outside for us," Oliver said gingerly.

"That's true. You have your friends to get back to as well," I said.

Slowly, Oliver stood up. He slid open the door and stepped into the hall. I thought he was going to leave, but he turned around suddenly, his arms folded across his chest. I heard faint giggling and knew exactly who it was coming from.

Oliver beamed lopsidedly, and I blushed. "I love you. Really."

I chuckled, quickly looking out the window to hide my red cheeks. I turned back. "I know, Oliver. I love you too."

After another few moments of eye contact, he finally left. My friends burst in less than three seconds afterwards. They all had wild looks in their eyes.

I was subjected to teasing and squeals of delight for the remainder of the journey, which I managed to ignore by devouring the sweets that Sasha had so kindly bought for me. That proved to be a mistake when I felt the butterflies in my stomach upon our arrival in London.

It was always odd to step onto the platform; a sudden reminder that we were back in the real world, far from the strong walls of Hogwarts. I retrieved my suitcase and waited by the entrance to the muggle world for the others.

One by one, they joined me. We all hugged each other for far longer than what would be considered normal. The rest of their families all waited for them on Platform 9¾, presumably to see their children earlier. My parents, however, never liked the inevitable crowds and prefered to wait outside. So I had to bid a solemn farewell to Sasha, Louise and Aleeza before pushing through the barrier into King's Cross.

"Y/N, wait!"

The voice stopped me in my tracks, despite the fact that I knew my parents would've spotted me by now.

"Oliver?" I exclaimed, watching wide-eyed as he too pushed his trolley through the barrier. "What are you doing?"

"I had to say a last goodbye!"

And he certainly did.

Disregarding the staring from onlookers, Oliver enveloped me in his arms and hugged me tightly. He pressed firm kisses to the top of my head. I buried my face in his jumper, secretly loving the affection he was showing me. Any thoughts of my parents' opinions were at the very back of my mind.

When he released me from his grip, he wasted no time in bringing my mouth to his. It was the most romantic thing that had ever happened to me. I didn't know if I could trust my legs to carry me through the station.

Panting, Oliver looked me in the eye.

"I'll write, okay?" he said. I nodded. "I love you."

"I love you."

With a final kiss, Oliver took his trolley and crossed back onto Platform 9¾.

My parents had rather intimidating expressions on their faces when I met them. But those quickly turned into laughter and smiles when I hugged them both.

I always found it rather redundant how, even though we lived in Scotland near Hogwarts, we had to take the train down to London anyway. But it made my return home just a little more special.

The first thing I did when I came home was flop onto my bed. It gave me time to just relax.

The year had been a whirlwind of ups and downs, that's for sure. I had lost a friend. But in the process, I became closer with my best friends and I gained a friend who thankfully became more than that. I loved Oliver and he had helped make my year into the wonderful experience it was. I internally thanked all of my friends for what they had done for me.

I lay awake thinking about Sasha, Aleeza, Louise.

But the person I fell asleep thinking about was Oliver. My Keeper.