It was time to leave. The end of the year vibes were always great, the buzz of excitement in the air and people rushing about trying to find their misplaced and borrowed stuff that they hadn't bothered to collect before. I entered the corridor and people were rushing up and down and in between rooms like a herd of cows.
"Chloe, have you got my blue dress?"
"Emily, where's my trainers?" Shouts filled my ears, merging into a mess of voices. Someone ran into me and muttered a sorry before disappearing into a room. Yet, amid this chaos everyone had a smile on their faces, ready for the summer and somehow happy that this year was not our last year and that we'd still be coming back here if just for one more year. I didn't have to worry about packing because I had already done it - two weeks ago, and they used magic to put it on the train.
I made my way downstairs and entered the dining room, remembering not even a month ago I feared this place because of the ridiculing laughs. I remembered Ron storming out of the place after we got into an argument, that then reminded me of what a bad place Ron was in at the start of the year.
"Hey baby, what are you thinking about?" I heard a purr in my ear and a set of hands wrapped around my waist. I hugged them and leaned back on his chest.
"Just about how everything's changed." I shrugged. I felt his lips on my cheek and then again further toward my neck and then on my neck and then the kisses became deeper. I laughed and turned around, pulling away and facing him.
"Ron, we're in school."
"Your point?" He dived in for another round but I pushed him back. I giggled and he groaned.
"I don't think I can go a whole summer without seeing you."
"We can always write to each other." I shrugged but sighed because I too, didn't think I could do it. Not having him just across the tower is going to be hard. He hid his face in my shoulder, pulling me close.
"It's not the same." He pouted.
"We'll work something out." I told him but we were interrupted when we heard a voice behind us.
"Come on lovebirds, let's get some food."
* * *
I felt eyes on me and I turned to the right to see they were Ron's.
"How are you now?" He almost had to shout over the loudness of the dining room, last day excitement. I assumed he was speaking about the place I was in about a month ago with the thing that happened. I shrugged.
"Okay I guess." His hand tightened around mine.
"Are you going to be okay this summer?" He asked concerned, basically he's asking 'am I going to be okay alone?'. I nodded.
"It'll be fine." I offered him a smile.
"Just remember, I'm just a pen and paper away." I sighed and leaned into him and he landed a kiss onto my head then rested his on mine.
* * *
People hugged and laughed, smiled and cried. For some it was the last year and they wouldn't be coming back here. We all shuffled onto the train in large group, getting pushed from in front and behind. Ron grasped my hand so we didn't lose each other and we pushed our way onto the train.
Ginny, Ron, Harry and I sat down in the carriage in exasperated sighs. It was always a struggle.
"Oh my god." Harry sighed as he leant back on the red cushion of the chair. I looked to my right out the window and looked at the castle towering over us. Home.
"Only one more year of this." Ron's sigh full of nostalgia.
"Promise we're all going to keep in contact over the summer." Ginny voiced in, reminding me of when I said that to Ron and Harry, I didn't need to say that of course, we'll always stay in contact.
"How can everything change in the matter of a year?" I asked in a hoarse voice, really, to no one in particular.
I was answered with silence; nobody really had to say anything. I knew what all of us were thinking; one thing hadn't changed, we still had each other.
I wasn't sure where life would take me, I wasn't sure where life would take any of us, but if there was one thing I was sure of as the train departed and as the building outside my window shrunk, was that I would never be scared of the future. Because I had Ron. And Ron had me.
THE END.