･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. .**.☽ .*
"You okay?"
Caroline looked over at Farrrah who was writing a letter at the desk in the dorm near Caroline's bed. Caroline was just sitting by the window, gazing out at the Quidditch pitch where she could see the Gryffindors practicing from a distance. They were tiny figures on the broomsticks but she could just make out the two beaters. She had been focused on them, trying to figure out which one was Sirius.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Caroline forced a smile.
"You're an awful liar, you know that?" Farrah snorted, coming over to sit opposite her, "what's up?"
She shook her head, "it's nothing, just...boy trouble."
"Whoever it is, I will drag him to the bottom of the black lake and I swear down I will leave him there to d-"
"No, no please it's fine," Caroline laughed.
"Come on, who is it?"
"Promise me you won't go and commit a murder?"
Farrah sighed, "yes, fine."
"It's Sirius Black."
"Oh, really?? Come on I've been through this with Sarah already I don't need another one."
"Sarah?"
"Oh yeah, remember they were a thing for a bit last term, but he lost interest apparently," Farrah shook her head.
Caroline frowned, "poor Sarah."
"Anyway, what did he do to you?"
"Well I thought-"
"Evening!" Sarah came through the dormitory door, "you guys ready for dinner?"
"Yeah, we'll be ready in a sec," Farrah said.
"Ooh, what are we talking about?" Sarah raised an eyebrow, realising the girls were in the middle of something.
Farrah cleared her throat, giving Caroline a look before saying, "Sirius Black."
"Oh what a bastard," Sarah shook her head, going to the bathroom to wash her hands, "insanely amazing shag though."
"Alright," Farrah looked out the window, scrunching her nose up in disgust.
"Why were you talking about him?" Sarah asked.
Farrah turned to Caroline, raising an expectant brow, "well?"
"Just, um, an argument we had in Astronomy," Caroline lied, "nothing major."
Farrah snorted, shaking her head and getting up to slip on her shoes before going to dinner. She knew Caroline was lying but it was probably just because she didn't want to detail her relationship with Sarah's ex in front of Sarah. It was fair enough.
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At dinner, Caroline ate with her eyes going anywhere but the Gryffindor table. She sat with Archie, Tyler and Jane on the Hufflepuff table.
"How was Quidditch practice today?" Caroline asked Jane.
"Mm," Jane swallowed her mouthful, "it was good thanks, bloody freezing though."
"The finals coming up, isn't it?" Tyler asked.
"Yes it is! Gryffindor for the win!" Archie cheered.
Jane nodded, grinning as she looked over at the Slytherin table, "yeah, we're gonna kick those slimy gits' asses."
"And then have another party where Caroline will get drunk off her head again?" Archie asked, smiling teasingly at Caroline who rolled her eyes.
"I was just tipsy!"
"Sure, babe."
"Tipsy people don't jump about like a mad man with Sirius Black," Jane snorted.
Caroline shook her head, glancing at Sirius briefly before looking away and going to her food again, trying to blink away the memories of their last conversation.
"What was that?" Tyler asked.
"What?"
"That look."
"Yeah did something happen?" Jane asked.
Caroline shook her head, "no it's fine."
"Caroline..."
She groaned, "why does everyone have to always know what's wrong? Why can't I just be sad on my own?"
Silence
"Woah."
"Okay, okay we won't pester you about it," Tyler said, raising his hands up.
"Sorry," she sighed, "I promise I'm fine...um, so how are you guys? How's the whole..."
"Relationship?"
"Yeah," Caroline nodded, a smile growing on her face now because she was so happy that her two best friends had finally found each other.
Tyler grinned too, "yeah it's going great."
"It's surprisingly easy," Archie said, looking at him, "I feel like I've been with you my whole life, it just feels right."
"That's so cute," Caroline said as Jane gagged, making Tyler nudge her.
"And how's your love life, Janey?" Archie asked Jane who had just finished pretending to be sick at the couple.
She laughed, "oh, uneventful. It's just hard...no one's good enough."
Caroline giggled and nodded, "yeah, no one deserves you Janey."
"Oh Merlin," Archie rubbed his face, "I just remembered we've got those careers meetings this week."
"Don't you know what you're gonna do when you're older?" Caroline asked
He shook his head, "not a clue...I mean, I guess I like writing?"
"Like book writing or newspaper writing?" Jane asked.
"I don't know, both?"
Tyler chuckled, "well I know what I want to do, it's whether it will actually happen is the question."
"What, magical portraiture?" Caroline asked, to which he nodded, "I think you've said that since about third year."
"You're good enough at art, I think you could do it," Jane said.
"Really?"
"Love, you're so talented, seriously," Archie said, nudging him fondly, "don't doubt yourself."
"Oh," Tyler turned pink, "well thank you I-Jane stop pretending to be sick I swear to God..."
･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽
"Miss Rutherford, please come in."
"Thank you, Sir."
Caroline entered Professor Flitwick's office, shutting the door behind her and sitting at his desk. She wasn't nervous for this, she knew exactly what path she was going to go down.
"So," he sifted through some parchment, "your grades are looking great considering you're doing nine NEWTs. How has that been for you?"
"Well it's a high workload...but I'm managing."
"I'm glad to hear it," he smiled, "you know you are one of our highest achieving students we have here. I am interested to know if you have any plans for the future?"
"I'm hoping to become a healer," Caroline said.
"Oh! Well at this rate you'll be more than qualified."
"I was actually thinking of applying for the Advanced Magic Medicine course in Russia," she said meekly.
"The Koldovstoretz one?"
She nodded, "I read that they've just updated the programme so there are now three international spots."
"Well I've never had a student be interested in it before, you know it's viewed as almost...unattainable, right?"
"Yes, Sir. But I think I could do it."
"Do you know what the application process like? " He asked.
Caroline shook her head, "I've been trying to read up about it but there's not a lot of information available, all I know is that you have to apply in your sixth or seventh year of education."
"Well you'll need a few references, maybe you should start asking round?"
"Who I should I ask?"
"Well," Flitwick sat back in his chair, "I'd recommend getting one from Slughorn as he's your potions master and Medicine is very potions-based, and then potentially even one from Professor Dumbledore...he is incredibly well-known throughout the Wizarding community."
"Do you think he'd write me a reference?"
Flitwick nodded, "I do think he would, it'd be daft not to really. Having a Hogwarts student accepted into a course that prestigious would be great for our reputation."
"And his reputation."
"That too," Flitwick chuckled, "alright, I think we're done for now, but remember my door's always open."
"Thank you, Sir."
"And remember to keep me updated on the process if you do decide on applying for Koldovstoretz in the end."
"I will," she stood up from the chair, giving him a final nod before leaving the room.
As she walked back to the Ravenclaw common room her mind was buzzing. There was a huge part of her that just wanted to get out, move to Russia, move away from all the mess and complication and rubbish that had come up in her teenage years...but then there was the part of her who wanted to stay. There was that part of her that knew she could never, ever leave him.
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A/N:
Hey guys,
I know this is a bit shit so I'm sorry and also I hate when writers say their work is shit at the bottom of a chapter because it kind of ruins things for the readers idk?? I'm kind of in a rough patch at the moment, a lot of rubbish in my personal life, and of course the fact that we're in our third lockdown and I'm injured so I can't even go on walks with one other person to socialise.
But honestly wattpad and this community really does keep me going. I'm so grateful to my readers who are so kind and loyal to me and my characters and my stories, really it means so much.
I'm always here for any of you, my messages are always open for anything ❤️
That's it for now, sorry for the ramble,
Amber xx