Professor Dumbledore once said to me that I had to go backwards to go forwards. Please forgive me if I go backwards for awhile. It seems important to do that now. We'd all gone to The Three Broomsticks to get a butter beer and share some fond memories about Rowan. It seemed a good thing to do. It's what wizards, witches and muggles do when someone dies. Madam Rosmerta had set up a space at The Three Broomsticks for us to be together. All four houses were united by grief. I was naive enough about grief to think it wouldn't matter which house we belonged to, because we'd all be feeling the same. By the way I'm so glad we're Gryffindors. Merula and Ismelda were both being angry Slytherins. I was too sad to be angry. I'm definitely not a Slytherin. Whilst they were having difficulty just being there you were able to stay calm and be caring through it all. I hadn't really given that much thought until now. You have always been kind and generous to me. I thought it was more to do with your personality rather than because it was me. On our date you told me that you had always liked me. " I've always liked you, Sam." The more I think about you the more I realise that I have always liked you too. It's more than just a tendency to like mischief makers. Tonks and Tulip can be quite disruptive. I don't know Fred and George well enough yet, but I think they are going to love going to Zonko's Joke Shop when they are old enough to go to Hogsmeade. I like you because you are so easy going. You didn't say anything bad when I turned up in the kitchens for detention. I hope you think I am easy going too. Can I just say that I'm so glad my feelings have caught up with yours. Don't tell anyone, but I was struggling on the dates I'd had with Barnaby. It was difficult to find something to talk about. Anyway, back to The Three Broomsticks. After Merula and Ismelda left we started to share our memories of Rowan. You were amazing. I can say that now. I struggled to remember the last time I had spent some quality time with Rowan. I had increasingly found myself spread thinly amongst my friends, especially Rowan. You were kind enough to remind me about the last time you had spent some time with Rowan and me and that had helped me. I was able to remember Rowan coming with me to the train station at Hogsmeade. We had gone there to wait for a train and it had turned from something quite boring to have to do into one of the best times I had ever spent with her. The train was late so we talked about everything and nothing at all. That's what best friends do. Just like we have always done. How had I not realised that before my date with you? Rowan and I made each other laugh with a tickling spell. It was unexpected and fun. Such times always are as I'm sure you know from our date. I want to look back to when I first met Rowan. We'd met in Diagon Alley, before we'd even started at Hogwarts. I hadn't known where to start. My brother was missing and my parents upset. They had considered sending me to a muggle school after my letter from Hogwarts had arrived. I told them that was reason enough for me to run away. They were shocked and reluctantly agreed to let me go to Hogwarts. I'd only been to Diagon Alley once before with my parents and Jacob. My mum had promised me ice cream then from Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. We should go there before next term, by the way. Anyway, someone had stopped to talk to my mum and dad near Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasion. I had rolled my eyes and my mum had given me some coins and the list of what I needed to get with a warning not to go near Knock Turn Alley. It was Rowan who told me to start at Flourish and Blotts Booksellers. Rowan loved books and reading. She told me she wanted to be the youngest professor to teach at Hogwarts. My parents were impressed when they found me with her. They liked that she had ambition. I had no idea what I wanted to be after school. Do I now? Well..maybe. Rowan and I promised to find each other on the train. I wanted to look smart like her. I asked my mum for money for a school scarf. My parents seemed a little bit more interested then. They thought Rowan would be a good influence on me. I guess she was. I got outstanding in all my OWLs. My parents had worried that I'd end up getting expelled like Jacob, or worse, but I'm still here. I haven't told them I went on a date with the boy I met in detention. I hope I haven't put you off my mum and dad. Mind you, I didn't tell them about Barnaby. They're going to like you, I'm sure. I think you're the smartest wizard in our year. You might not want to admit it, but I know you got an outstanding in your Defence against The Dark Arts O.W.L. It's good that you know how to duel well. You also knew about the undetectable extension charm that caused Beatrice Haywood to get stuck in a portrait. That's impressive in anyone's book. You knew that we would need a code for our secret organisation, The Circle of Khanna so we could talk to each other without anyone else knowing. Most important of all you know how to make a good sandwich. I'm kidding of course, although it would be fun to take a ride on my broom somewhere and have a picnic. I'll send you an owl!
