Coming Back....

[Autumn Gwin]

Autumn sat alone on her ride back to Hogwarts with her mother. The older version of the petite girl had gotten train sick and was locked in the lavatory. She had been for the last twenty minutes. The train stopped to pick up the mail about an hour from school - owls swarmed the windows looking for their recipients. A honey colored pygmy pecked her window and she quirked a brow, wondering who would be sending her mail. The only person who wrote her from school knew she was on her way there today. What could be so urgent that it couldn't wait? She slid the glass aside for the little bird and untied the letter carefully, rewarding the cutie with a corner of her sandwich before watching it fly away. It wasn't too long before Cooper leaped to the rescue: smelling feather, fowl and - most importantly to the over-sized cat - food. He of course was too late to play hero and settled for another bite of her packed lunch before settling into her lap and snoozing instantly.

She unrolled the parchment - the leaf of paper shook in her trembling hands as she read the news from her dear friend Luna Paramore. The older girl feared pregnancy and had to see Autumn as soon as she got to school. She would fill her in on the details then. Autumn's stomach turned and her appetite dissipated as she reread the word over and over. What else had she missed in her long absence from the rest of the world? What else had her depression caused her to do, other than not be there for her friend to talk to the moment doubt crept into her mind?

The moment the train pulled into the station and she was loaded into a carriage - having said good-bye to her mother - her heart began to pound at a ridiculous pace. She folded the letter and tucked it into her jeans pocket before watching the castle loom closer and then soar above and out of her line of vision. When she stepped out of the carriage her things were miraculously - no, magically - unloaded and Cooper was sitting on top of her blue trunk with his saucer sized yellow eyes fixated on her. It was as if he were saying, 'What are you waiting for?' as he blinked at her once and hopped off, leading the way into the entrance hall. They were supposed to have sent a stronger certain someone from her year and house down to meet her during class time so that the corridors wouldn't be as busy. She had trouble remembering anyone fitting that description other than Thomas, the other person she'd been writing with over the last year and a half of home schooling. The fact that he was now a PREFECT was also indicative of his qualifications for helping students settle in. She levitated the objects for the time being and carried them in behind the cat's fluffy banner tail, waiting to see who would be coming down the stairs with baited breath. Not only was she freaked out about seeing Luna later, but this reunion was just as nerve-wracking if it was going to be who she thought. She and her fellow 6th year had been through a lot together, and had finally rekindled their friendship through letters. She hoped she could keep up the front of normalcy in person.

 

[Thomas Smith]

Thomas had found the start of the second semester like the start of most every other semester that he had experienced at Hogwarts New Zealand so far – exciting at the start but slowly going into its usual monotony of lessons, essays and with being a 6th year he now had the added work of apparation lessons. Albeit he found the apparation lessons rather enjoyable with the knowledge of what the outcome would be. Learning to apparate and obtaining ones apparation licence was one of the biggest things that a wizard could accomplish while still in school. It allowed them a freedom that they couldn’t experience beforehand and like most of the students in Thomas’ year it was soon followed by turning 17, becoming an adult in the Wizarding World. While there was still a full year of school to go through while being an adult it didn’t matter as it allowed for so much more freedom while being outside of school grounds such as being able to do spells without getting in trouble, it was all so exciting and Thomas for one couldn’t wait. Of course with becoming an adult came great responsibility and he knew that come next year he would have to sit his NEWTS, one of the most terrifying things known to Wizarding students and after that he would have left Hogwarts forever and would have to go out into the big bad world of full time employment. In a way it was an exciting prospect but it was also a scary one, Thomas would be an adult, not able to reply on the help of Professors or older students anymore – in a way he would be on his own. Although he knew that he would never fully be on his own when he had his friends with him and he was lucky to have good friends like he did. Sure like many friends they had shared their ups and downs but they always seemed to make up in the end of it all.

There was no greater rollercoaster ride of a friendship than the one he shared with one Autumn Gwin. Those two had gone through a lot in the short time that they knew each other. Autumn was so many things to Thomas, most of which included many ‘firsts’, his first best friend (or friend for that matter), his first girlfriend, his first kiss, his first love (or so he thought but they were both only 11 at the time so it was hard to tell). That had all been the good parts but after everything that happened between Thomas and one Isabella Chaos things had changed immensely and not for the better. Although that was all in the past and after much hard work Thomas was glad to say that they were now on good terms again and it felt so good. With all the friends Thomas had and had lost there was none he tried harder to get back and keep than the friendship he shared with Autumn – the two had gone through so much together that it would be a shame for them to not remain friends. Although things had been a little different as the friendship for the most part had to be repaired via owl with Autumn unable to attend school for various reasons. That was until today. Thomas was never so happy to be out of a class early than he was today as he had been asked to help a student with getting settled back into school – Autumn. He was so happy that she was returning back to school today because he hadn’t seen her in what seemed liked forever and he couldn’t stop thinking about her, seeing her again, her smile, her chocolate brown eyes – he wondered if she had grown anymore. Granted she wasn’t as small as she was back in first year but she was still small compared to Thomas.

Making his way down through the corridors after leaving his things back in his dorm room he smiled at the thought of seeing her again, it was going to be great. He made sure that he had his Prefect badge in its place of honour as it was one thing that Autumn and Thomas had talked about before and after achieving his dream of becoming Prefect he knew Autumn would be happy for him. It was that fact that allowed him to be doing this right now. The Head felt it appropriate for someone in Autumn’s house and year was the best candidate to help her get settled in today and with Thomas being the only Prefect in his year in Ravenclaw he was chosen. Not before long he reached the top of the staircase leading down to the Entrance Hall and he couldn’t help but beam as he saw Autumn standing there. Making his way down the steps with an obvious jump in his step he ran up to Autumn wrapping his arms around her in a hug, “You have to stop leaving me!” he exclaimed as he lifted her easily off the ground, he didn’t realise just how much he missed her until he saw her again.