The secrets of Rowan Khanna (Y6 spoilers)

The end of the year (Chapter 17)

The year was almost over. Today was the last of the seventh years NEWTs exams. It was Care of magical creatures.
Rowan was happy that it was finally over. She had always liked to study, but recently it had been a little much.
And everybody was so stressed that even the Hufflepuff girls were constantly at each other's throats.
Sharing a room for months at a time fights were bound to happen, but usually it was only sometimes...
Recently, every little thing provoked a fight. The other day, Tonks had just borrowed Penny's hairbrush and that had been a big problem.
Chiara got into an altercation with Nonie about a story she was writing. There was a werewolf character in it and Chiara wasn't so happy with it.
Even Rowan had clashed with Penny, over something very stupid.
"I didn't know you Hufflepuffs could be so catty." Merula had laughed when Nonie had told her about it.
So to curb all the fighting, they had decided to relax and have some tea together before their last exam.
It seemed to be working, they were actually having fun.

"Can you believe it..?" Chiara asked. "Only two more weeks, and we'll be graduating... not coming back here..."
Nonie sighed. " I'm gonna miss you guys... I'm going to miss you so much..." She was going back to Germany after graduation. That was another source of the fighting. All of them knew that things would be different, so different.
They wouldn't see each other that much anymore, Nonie especially. She would be so far away from everyone else, it... it really hurt.
All of them had grown into a bit of a family over the last seven years, the idea of being separated was really weird and it did indeed make tensions run high.
"Have you told the others yet?" Penny asked Nonie.
She sighed, saying that no she hadn't. The others had no clue that she was returning to Germany after graduation, she hadn't known how to tell them... her roommates knew, because she had to talk to someone and they truly were her closest confidants. The only other person aware of it was Merula, and she had been acting weird ever since Nonie had told her.
Rowan lent over to give her a hug, assuring her that all would be fine. If their friendship could survive year long betrayal and espionage, it would survive being in different countries as well.
"You can apparate after all, can't you?"
Nonie sighed. "Not cross-country... it's too hard, I've tried..." and with that, she just started to sob. "I don't want to go!"
Rowan understood what she was feeling, to a small degree. She did not want to leave Hogwarts either. The idea of not returning here after the summer... She didn't want to believe it...

Shortly before the last exam, Rowan went to talk to Barnaby.
They were in somewhat of an odd place. While not officially being a couple, they did often hold hands when one needed support, or just when they felt like it. Often they were also found kissing in... the oddest of places. They tended to hide because they did not mean to get found.
"You are going to do great!" Barnaby assured Rowan.
She laughed and thanked him for saying that. He knew that she worried before every exam, even though she really had no need to.
"And you will do amazing." Rowan then added. Of course he would. He loved creatures and knew every single thing about them.
It was quite clear that he would score an O.
The exam began. Rowan quickly squeezed Barnabys hand for good luck, and then got started.

"We are done! That was it!!" Tulip cheered, cheerfully tossing her wand in the air and catching it again. Everybody was in quite a good mood now.
Even if it meant that leaving Hogwarts was creeping ever closer, everyone was glad that exams were over and that they could relax now.
Madam Rosmerta did not look very happy as she saw a horde of screaming and cheering seventh year students flood into the three broomsticks.
But a cold butterbeer was just what was needed to celebrate the end of their NEWTs.
The general mood was great, everyone was having fun, until Barnaby asked one dreaded question. He asked if Nonie was going back to Germany for a while, after graduation.
Everyone fell quiet, looking at her.
Merula, that had previously been enjoying herself too, rolled her eyes. "Of course she will, because Star doesn't give a shit about any of us it seems."
Nonie looked at her. "You know that's not true... all of you do..."
She explained that her parents wanted her back home, now that she didn't need to be away anymore. She had tried to argue, had tried to say that she did not want to, but in reality she had no where to live in Britain, so she really had no choice...
That question really put a damper on the celebration... Merula left soon after and Nonie ran right after her, because she was worried about having hurt her feelings with the entire thing.
Soon the others left too.