"We're really leaving."
Liza turned back from adjusting her hair, a light smile brushing her lips at the familiar voice. It had been far too long since she and Myra had had a proper chance to catch up.
The Slytherin's dark hair had been pressed into waves that reached her chest, dancing over the top of her robes. The ebony of her skin was highlighted with a golden powder that brushed the top of her cheekbones.
"You look amazing." Liza pulled her friend into a rare hug, breathing in the sharp scent of her clothes. Graduation had made her sentiment rise to the surface.
Myra returned the embrace gently, for once not tensing at the touch. Another way Lily Evans had been good for her. "As do you." She touched Liza's straightened hair, which now tumbled to her waist. "If Black doesn't get his act together and propose, I'll castrate him in his sleep." She grinned at Liza's startled glance. "I would have years earlier if it wasn't for your enjoyment of his—"
Smacking her on the shoulder, Liza turned back to the mirror with a repulsed expression. Her cinnamon-coloured eyes had been deepened by the tinted shadow on her lids. Her lips glimmered with a pink gloss that darkened depending on the light. It had been a Christmas gift from Sirius. Sometimes she swore the Gryffindor was more feminine than her.
"It feels a bit weird." Liza turned to observe the emptied dormitory. The rest of their roommates were long gone, their trunks packed and waiting with their families. Other than a discarded hair tie or spare bit of parchment, there was nothing left to indicate the life within the chamber. No evidence of the girls that had inhabited its walls for seven years. "I wanted nothing more than to start my own life. Now, I'm a bit afraid I'll miss this."
Myra waved her wand and cleared the last bit of rubbish from the floor. "It's only once a time is over that our appreciation begins." Her eyelashes brushed the bottom of her brows, having been darkened by a cosmetic charm. "Rather tragic."
Liza shivered as she stepped towards the door of their dormitory for the last time. After this, she would begin moving her things into James's flat. A process she was certain would take far longer than necessary. "Are you ready?"
Wrapping her hand in the crook of Liza's elbow, Myra offered her arm a brief squeeze. A tear pressed against the inside of her bottom lid, too stubborn to spill down her cheek. "It's time."
Together, they made their way through the less populous chambers of the dungeon, taking their time to linger by Slughorn's chambers and press a last pat against the common room entrance. An occasional Slytherin passed by, but all were too invested in their thoughts to pay heed to Liza and Myra's presence. In the past, Liza had never much paid attention to graduations, but this one felt more somber than most.
It was an odd thought that she'd likely not see most of her classmates again. For a time, Hogwarts had been the one thing that brought them together. Now, everyone would return to their separate worlds.
"What are you and Lily planning?"
Myra turned from where she stood at one of the dungeon windows, gazing into the hazy depths of the Black Lake. No mercreature was there to see them off. Not that Liza was particularly sad. Their sharp teeth still made her feel uneasy.
"Her dad's warmed up a bit, but still wouldn't want us living together in the house." Myra straightened the collar of her robes before poking a golden hoop through her ear. The ring dangled just above her shoulders as she searched for its matching pair. "So, we're living together in London too. An underground place where I can work from home and Lily can still commute to St. Mungo's." A slight smile brushed her face as she adjusted the buttons of Liza's blouse. "I know she'd appreciate your company."
"I'd be flattered." Liza snorted as they both avoided looking at the stairs. Once they walked up the height, they would go back to being strangers. Myra was still doing her best to stay out of notice. "Merlin knows that I'll only have boys for company."
Grimacing in sympathy, Myra shook her head. "I still can't believe you agreed to that."
A long moment of silence sank over their shoulders. Liza scanned over her friend's dark gaze, memorizing the slope of her cheeks and the faint glimmer in her eye. The aristocratic tilt of her chin that spoke of years of propriety and lectures.
"I love you, My."
Liza took Myra's hand and squeezed it tightly. As usual, her friend's skin was cool to the touch.
Finally, the contrary tear dripped onto Myra's cheek. She blinked but didn't reach to wipe the moisture away. "I love you too, Liza. And I'll be here for you." Her hand returned Liza's squeeze. "Always."
Sending Myra a last bittersweet hug, Liza took the stairs two at a time. The muffled corridors were beginning to be too painful for her to bear. All she could think about was what she was losing. About all the memories she hadn't cherished.
"Someone so stunning shouldn't look so depressed."
Liza sniffed as Sirius came into view. He had been waiting for her on the steps that led into the courtyard. His dark robes gleamed in the summer sun, nearly the same obsidian colour as his hair.
Burying her head into his chest, Liza accepted his embrace as the tears trickled down her chin. The collar of his robes was already dampening. "I'm sor—"
"I'm always here to hold your tears." Smiling gently, Sirius wiped the edges of her eyes. His touch was firm and warm against her flesh. "For better or worse, right?"
"Practicing wedding vows?" Liza pulled back just enough to shake her head. "I thought you hated those ceremonies."
Sirius snorted, pulling her waist towards his as he directed her onto the castle grounds. "I had to listen to James's vows on repeat during the peak of his Lily obsession. I think I could still recite the thing from memory."
"There's Pads!" Interrupting their moment, James waved Liza and Sirius over from the Gryffindor line. The students had been directed to organize themselves behind the stage. Small tiles on the grass had been enchanted to flash their last names in the colour of their house.
Turning towards the emerald streak, Liza nodded her head in the opposite direction. "I'll see you on the other side."
"Do you think I'm going to send my girl off without a proper snog?" Sirius laced his right hand through her hair as he pulled his head towards hers. His lips crushed hers passionately as his tongue flickered over hers, savoring every taste. "I love you."
Sirius still said the words as if they were sacred, gently letting each syllable rest on his tongue.
Unable to swallow the lump in her throat, Liza pressed a kiss to his neck, knowing that he would understand her gesture. She turned back towards the Slytherin line and scanned the blades for her name.
"How touching." Rosier's sneer distracted her from her search, and she looked up to see the boy glaring at her. His wizard's hat was comically pressed over his eyes. It made his head appear far larger than it really was. "Did you save a kiss for the rest of us, Prewett?"
Catching sight of her name, Liza pointedly ignored the Slytherin as she headed towards the back of the line. He was certainly one feature she wouldn't miss. Mumbling an apology, she slid past the student in front of her to take her spot.
"You look nice."
The aristocratic drawl made Liza freeze. She looked up slowly, uncertain that even her luck could be this rotten.
Regulus's stormy gaze pierced her side as he shifted beside her. The Black crest on his thumb glittered with inlaid jewels, complimenting the Prefect pin on his chest. All the House prefects acted as escorts during the graduation ceremony.
"Th—thank you." Liza was unsure of how to break the tension between them. How could she pretend that their past never existed? That they hadn't grown to know each other's worst and best?
"How are you?" It was a rather stupid question, but all she could manage.
In other time, Regulus would have smirked before mercilessly taunting her for her manners. Now, he had no reaction at all. "Fine."
Glancing over at his left arm, Liza tried not to think about the future that awaited Regulus once he exited the castle gates. A future that had been chosen for him. One where escape meant death.
A slight breeze blew between them, scattering Liza's hair into a ginger fan. It brought the murky scent of the Black Lake and a sting of gunpowder. She had forgotten about the fireworks that awaited at the end of the ceremony.
"Will you let me know if you need anything?" Liza spoke before she lost the last of her nerve. She faced Regulus, observing the greenish tinge beneath his skin. Dark magic always found ways to leave its mark. "Anything at all."
Regulus stiffened, straightening his shoulders beneath his robes. The fresh cut of his hair exposed the angular features of his face and the emancipated hollows of his skull.
"Aren't you jumping into Dumbledore's precious resistance?" The sneer in his voice was evident. "I have no doubt that brother dearest will be leading the charge."
"No." For the first time, Liza found the certainty she had been searching for over the months. "I—" she swallowed thickly, "I can't fight my friends."
To this, Regulus bore no response. Instead, he just dipped his head stiffly.
A roar rose up beyond the back of the stage, a cacophony of hoots and cheers as Dumbledore evidently opened the event.
The Headmaster's eloquent accent resounded through the air, expertly amplified to be heard over the audience.
"I now present to you—THE CLASS OF 1978!"
Another wave of tears pricked the back of Liza's eyes. This was it. The end of their protection.
The final goodbye.