Dumbledore stood in front of the whole school, that was gathered outside at the ground of Hogwarts, to celebrate the graduation of a new generation. All the students and all the professors were there, to celebrate us and our achievements. We were all sitting in our house tables, and us, the graduates were sitting close to one another at the front. Dumbledore was smiling at us as he moved his wand towards his neck and opened his mouth to speak.
"Today has come yet another day when we celebrate the immense success of our wonderful students. We have known you for seven years now, and during those seven years a lot has happened," he began.
I smiled and looked at Lily, while squeezing her hand a little. She already had tears of happiness in her eyes, which made me chuckle. "Magic is something we all share and will always share. Magic has everything you could ever dream about and more. It's something we have been blessed with, something we have to use to causes that are good. With magic you can achieve everything you have ever dreamed about and graduating from here is just a part of it. But as we all know, a war is upon us. With magic and the skills you have learned from here, you will defend those you love. Do not ever give into the temptation of the dark side," Dumbledore said while looking at all of us.
"So enjoy this time before the real dark times. Do the things you have dreamed about after graduating and live...that's the most important thing of them all. So without further ado. Class of 1978, please stand," he ordered, and we did as we were told.
"Wait...where's James?" I whispered to Lily, who also seemed to notice his absence. "And where's Remus?" Alice also muttered.
"Oh no..." I sighed, realising that the four Marauders were missing.
"Are they planning something?!" Lily asked panicked.
But before any of us were able to continue Dumbledore began again. "Congratulations, you have now graduated from Hogwarts, the school for wizard and witches!" he announced. This made every attendant rise up from their seats as well and start to clap at us. But this non-chaotic moment could only last for so long.
Soon enough a voice cleared their throat, gaining everyone's attention. We all looked to the back of the tables and saw a familiar figure standing there, with a suit on. "Oh my god," Alice said shocked.
"Dear fellow graduates!" Sirius started while also having his wand on his neck. He then continued to jump on one of the table, gaining some excited shouts. "Since we are now graduating and leaving Hogwarts, hopefully for good, me and the Marauders though that we should present you with a parting gift!" he smirked and looked to the side. "So enjoy! Hit it Peeves!"
We all looked as Peeves put on the record player and soon music echoed around us. Some professors were shocked when three other figures appeared to their stand. Dumbledore was amused while McGonagall looked like she could faint from anger.
"They are not going to sing!" Lily said while holding her hands over her eyes, too embarrassed to even look. I laughed and looked at James who also had his wand close to his neck. With the right beat of the music, he started to sing the lyrics to ABBA's song; When I kissed the teacher. Students around us started to cheer and clap, enjoying every part of their epic performance.
They were doing ridiculous dance movements, while escaping from McGonagall, who was eventually held by Dumbledore, who was having more fun than anyone else. "This is amazing!!" Alice laughed, while the rest of us joined her and moved closer to the stand.
The boys sand the song best they could, having the energy every goof performer needed. They hyped us up, acting like they were a real band. Everyone went crazy and enjoyed this amazing moment, knowing that it was something that they would never get to see again.
"Ready boys!" James shouted.
"Ready!" they shouted, and all made their final poses by surrounding McGonagall, and giving her a kiss to the cheek.
Everyone started to shout and cheer and clap, and with that the moment became even more epic when fireworks exploded on the sky above us. For the first time in forever, McGonagall held back her anger, and just shook her amused head at the four boys, pushing them away with a small smile on her face.
The Marauders moved to the edge of the stand and looked at the crowd. They all bowed, while the audience erupted into massive cheers. "Thank you everybody! Our time here has ended" they all shouted, genuinely meaning it.
I saw how James looked at Lily and winked at her, making Lily shook her head amused. She just cheered his name, making James laugh. I laughed at their cuteness and also send a thumbs up to James. My eyes then moved to Sirius who was standing next to him. He was already looking at me.
My smile froze and my heart started acting all weird.
I quickly moved my gaze away and started acting normal again. Whatever that was...this was the best graduation anyone could have asked for. Happy tears were on everyone's faces.
**
The tears had stopped a while ago now, and I was just enjoying the warm feeling I was having after the graduation ceremony, that had been so sentimental and memorable in every single possible way. I couldn't believe this would be it, that I would never spend another night at Hogwarts, that I would never attend any of the lessons again or do magic here.
All this also meant that I wasn't the same little girl I was when I began my school journey here seven years ago. I was still the same person, but with completely different thoughts and feelings. I was better version of myself and just now...I was pleased with everything that I had.
Well almost everything.
My hands squeezed the locket against my chest, where my heart ached like never before. But I knew what this feeling was. Only a person who truly cares about another person can go through something like this. And this feeling was caused by heartbreak.
Even though I was happy right now and felt blessed to be here right now...I couldn't help but ache at my own emotions, for I couldn't get rid of them no matter what I tried...well at least it was all real. Why on earth did it take so long for me to finally realise what it was? How could I have been so blind and naïve all those years? It was right in front of me the whole time. He was right in front of me the whole time.
And I loved him. I truly did...and I still do. Even if he was with someone else.
But because of my mistakes, he will never be mine, and already belongs to someone else entirely. How can I take it when someday they announce that they are engaged as well? How will I endure the day when I have to witness them getting married? How can I take all that pain and not show it...I guess I just have to learn how.
I could swear him to be the one. There's no one else.
"Aurora? Are you still there?" A quiet voice called out my name, making me swipe away the small tears that had rolled down my cheeks all of a sudden.
"Yeah what is it?" I mumbled and tried to collect myself to face the person that the voice belonged to.
And quiet honestly I was surprised to see Marlene being the one to walk inside our dormitory bedroom. She smiled rather awkwardly as she walked further into the room. "Havin a last goodbye?"
I nodded my head slightly. "Yeah...a lot of memories here."
Sure is. Hah, do you remember that one night in first year when we got the older students to buy us candy from Hogsmeade and we would eat our stomachs sick during that night?"
I laughed gently at the bittersweet memory. "Yes I do, and the next day we were too sick to even go to any lessons and got detention from McGonagall for skipping classes."
And then we both laughed, remembering those times when we were still so young and innocent. When we were still the best of friends, not letting anything come in between us. I miss those day.
"Look Aurora," Marlene began again, making me look at her. She doubted a little, but gathered all her courage and formed a gentle smile on her face. "I know what Sirius means to you."
I was rather taken aback by what she had just said, but quickly took action, for I didn't want to start anything. "Marlene it's not what you think-"
"Yes it is...and it's alright," she chuckled gently, completely silencing me. Her already teary eyes studied me carefully. "I have always known it, even before you did. At first I though he meant the same as James does to you, but after studying the way you looked at him...I just knew that this wasn't the case. Sirius has always been very special to you...so when I finally figured it out, it didn't surprise me that you loved him."
My mind was in such a state that I didn't know what to really say. "Marlene you don't have to say all this to me. I know how things are between you and him and I don't want to ruin anything between the two of you. My feelings for him are what they are, but he chose you, not me and-"
"But you are wrong about that," she quickly interrupted me.
I furrowed my eyebrows slightly. "What do you mean by that?"
She smiled through her tears in a very beautiful and vulnerable way. "He didn't choose me...he chose you."
What?
"Wh-what do you-you mean?" I stuttered out in utter confusion.
Marlene then quickly walked over to me and took my hand into hers, staring into my eyes. "I'm so sorry for being so mean to you. For once in my life I decided to be selfish and it turned two friends against each other. And that's not what I wanted at all. You are a dear friend of mine Aurora, and I'm so sorry for causing you such pain. And I don't expect you to forgive me...but I will try, by telling you that Sirius and I are not together. He doesn't love me in that way...the way he loves you."
"Marlene," I breathed out speechless.
She sniffed and chuckled gently. "So will you even consider forgiving me-"
But I didn't let her finish, when I already pulled her into a tight and forgiving hug. And the two of us just laughed and cried at the same time, happy that we were back to being the way we used to be. And after a while we pulled away from each other, and smiled at one another. "I do forgive you Marlene. We both did and said things we didn't mean."
"That's all I needed to hear. And as much as I would like to continue having this conversation with you, you are running out of time."
I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion as she giggled at my expression. "You need to find Sirius before it's too late."
"But-"
"No buts!" she laughed and squeezed my hand in a meaningful way. "I won't let you waste this opportunity. Sirius Black loves you Aurora Blue, and you love him! Now go and tell him how you truly feel!"
**
The hallway echoed with my steps as my feet hit the floor every step I took, as I wan forwards as fast as I possibly could.
Funnily enough, even after all those years doing Quidditch, I was already out of breath. But even funnily enough, I didn't care about any of that at all. It was almost as if my feet were working on their own, and my body send enough adrenaline for this whole state of my body to not give up.
I was feeling mixtures of all kind of feelings, and I definitely couldn't think straight at all. I was feeling the same way I felt during my first Quidditch game. I was feeling nervous, thrilled, excited and even nauseous. I was also feeling fuzzy, brilliant, confused and just my whole appearance was a compete mess at the moment.
But one thing was for sure...I knew exactly where I was going and what I was looking for.
"Aurora why are you in such a hurry?"Lily asked in utter confusion near the main entrance, while holding hands with the very confused looking James at the same time.
But I just laughed breathlessly. "Sorry, no time to explain!" And ran right past them and the many more students waiting there to get to the carriages.
I was now running through the grounds of Hogwarts, my feet meeting different surfaces, as my eyes were focused on what was in front of me. And while I was completely out of breath, I couldn't help but smile, when I finally saw the entrance part to the wooden bridge of Hogwarts.
This time the sound of the ground was replaced with wood, as my feet finally reached the bridge. But not even then, did I stop to rest for a second, and continued to race against time.
I huffed and huffed, but was determined to do what my mind was already set on. And finally, I found what I was looking for.
And finally my feet hit the breaks, making me stop abruptly and just stare at the figure further away from me. But this time my heart worked before anything else, and I moved my hands around my mouth, taking a deep breath, and letting my voice out into the air.
"Sirius!!"
He stopped right there, immediately after hearing my voice. My chest was rising up and down as I was catching my breath after the most insane run of my life. My eyes were glued to him, his back still facing my direction. And just when I was about to shout his name out again he finally let me out of my misery by slowly turning around to face me.
It was like all the noise disappeared from around s, and the only thing I could see was him. And the distance between us continued to shorten, as our eyes finally met each other.
"Aurora," he began in a very confused manner. "What are you doing here?" he asked, taking a few steps closer to me.
I beamed into a small smile and took a deep breath. "I came to look for you."
This somewhat seemed to confuse him even more, which made me chuckle just a little bit. "For me, why me-"
"Marlene came to talk with me," I quickly cut him to make some sense out from all of this. His eyes studied me in surprise. "I know, I was as surprised as you are right now. But she was soon able to clear out a lot of things to me."
I also started walking towards him, not taking my eyes off of him. "And wh-what were tho-those things?" he stuttered carefully.
"At first I didn't really know whether to believe her or not, since we haven't been the best of friends for a while now...but there was just something in the way she talked, that was so genuine. And even though I know she was and still is heartbroken...I know that she was telling me the truth."
"The truth about what?" he asked carefully, and stopped right in front of me.
We were so close already, and if I were to move my hand just a little, I could touch him. For a long time now, I haven't been able to touch him, for I thought he belonged to someone else, and I would only watch him from afar. It's somewhat amusing, that I have had the opportunity to touch him almost all my life, and then I thought I couldn't do so, I felt like my life depended on it. His skin against mine...that feeling that I got right afterwards...I have missed it more than I though I could ever miss anything.
And his eyes were so beautiful against the light of the sun. His grey eyes were the ones to always cause me so many emotions. They were the eyes in which I felt the most at home. For he was the one.
"That you actually do love me."
**
*SIRIUS' POV.*
I couldn't believe what my ears had just hear her say out loud. It took me a while to even register those simple words, for my body to literally stop working. My mind was running in circles and my heart was skipping beats like this was something fun to it.
And I guess this was. For as long as I can remember, it has always shown me just how much she truly makes me feel, but it just took me too long to finally figure it all out.
Thinking about it now, I have always known it, deep down in me. She was always there for me when I needed her or didn't need her. We became friends when we were young, and ever since then, she has been a part of my life, being a very important person to me. And when I thought I lost her, when I betrayed her, I felt like I couldn't breathe. And that's when I think I fully figured it out.
She wasn't just a girl to me. She wasn't just a friend to me. She was my best friend, my better half, that always supported me no matter what stupid ideas I had. She made me love myself more than I thought I could after everything I have been through. And so I realised, that even after all those things, she was truly the one.
The one that I love.
"And while it came out from her mouth...I would still want to know the truth from you...so," she began carefully, still not taking her beautiful glowing eyes off of mine. "Is it true? That you love me?"
Was this even really happening?
But as I saw the faint tears forming in her eyes, I finally started to work again. I finally reached for her with my hand, and took her hands into mine, holding them like they were the most precious thing in the whole wide world.
"Yes, it's true. I love you Aurora."
**
*AURORA'S POV.*
"Yes, it's true. I love you Aurora."
With these words, it felt like I was finally able to breathe again. And without even realising it, the small tears formed into my eyes, finally letting themselves loose, and they gently rolled down my cheeks.
"And I'm so sorry that I was too much of a cowards to tell it to you earlies, messing things up so many times, but I just never knew when the right time would be," he chuckled gently, looking down at our hands.
"When I saw how heartbroken you were, it almost killed me to know that I had been the one that had caused your pain. And I would do anything to take it all back...but if it's not too selfish of me...I need to know. Aurora, I need to know," he breathed out heavily and finally looked at me again.
"Do you really have feelings for me?"
And with that my whole body burst into a beam so special that I felt like I would break half with happiness. My other hand slowly squeezed his hand. His grey eyes studied mine, eagerly waiting for my response.
"I don't just have feelings for you," I began, letting myself blush in a kind way.
"I love you, Sirius Black."
And for the first time in forever, I witnessed as this person in front of me, shed the purest of tears of happiness. His hand freed itself from mine, but instead went to my cheek and caressed it ever so gently. "Do you really?"
I let out a happy giggle and nodded my head. "I do," I promised.
"Merlin...you don't know how much you mean to me," he began again.
"Well I think the feeling is mutual then."
And once more a total silence filled out surroundings, as we just stood there, so close to each other that we could feel each-others heartbeat that were beating in the same rhythm. "Well then," he lifted up my hand and kissed my knuckles, while keeping his eyes on mine.
"Well then," I repeated.
With that, both of his hands reached for my cheeks, gently pulling me even closer to him and his face, as his eyes landed on my lips and mine to his. And slowly, yet meaningfully, our lips finally met each other.
It was as if we were pieces of a puzzle that just fitted perfectly together. Not once in my life had anything felt so right and perfect than this moment happening right now.
And I wasn't dreaming anymore.
He truly loved me. And I loved him.
And all was well.
**
*Author's note:*
Sorry I just couldn't help it!
Honestly, this was probably my favourite chapter to write so far! I always had this imagine in my mind about the Marauders performing when I kissed the teacher in front of the school when they graduated and then giving kisses to McGonagall. Like that was so funny to me.
Well anyway, I hope you enjoyed this lovely chapter!
See you later!
Lot's of love!
-E