Closed We’ll always be team yellow

[Geovanna Adler-Cade]

Geo had barely slept at all since finding out that she’d been invited to Austin’s graduation. She knew working in Scotland was the best thing for her career and the experience she was gaining in the country would be prove useful, but that didn’t mean she didn’t miss her friends more than anything. She’d tried to keep in contact as much as she couldn’t but it wasn’t the same as being able to see them everyday. She didn’t even care about the grudge she had on Jess any more, she just hated the fact she couldn’t make things right from so far away. The day of her travels, the Hufflepuff had been up early, a full plan in action to get back to New Zealand.

Thirty seven hours later, the former prefect was stood in the Great Hall which was accurately dressed for the occasion. She’d not been in there since she’d last seen Flavio graduate, which felt like a lifetime ago. She stood stationary, taking in the faces she recognised but eyes eagerly darting around for someone in particular. After watching her boyfriend receive his diploma she was a bundle of nervous energy as she waited for him to come across to meet her, a reunion that had been on the cards for over a year. The girl, bright pink hair falling around her shoulders, lifted her hands to her face as she caught sight of him. He looked older than the last time she’d seen him, yet she felt like she was instantly back home in his comforting familiarity.

 

[Austin Branning]

Austin couldn't believe the day had actually arrived. Somewhere out in the crowd his sister was wallowing in self pity after not getting her guest list in on time to invite her girlfriend to the ceremony. Thankfully Austin hadn't been so forgetful and he knew Geo was somewhere in the crowd. Once the formalities of the ceremony were over Austin pulled away from the graduating class and fought his way through the crowd of family and friends until he found the one person in the world he wanted to see. It had been almost a year since they last saw each other, she looked different and no doubt she thought the same of him, but she looked more beautiful than ever. "I'm glad you came," He said softly as he approached her, not wanting to completely give into the joy of seeing her, but that didn't; last long. Austin smiled and threw his arms around Geo and pulled her into a hug which lifted her slightly off the ground. "I missed you."

 

[Geovanna Adler-Cade]

“I wasn’t going to miss it for the world,” she grinned. Between everything going on and the travelling, Geo was exhausted but that had never stopped her doing anything before. As she was pulled into a hug, she quickly wrapped her arms round his neck, planting a kiss on his cheek. “I’m so proud of you,” she said quietly, not wanting to deafen him while so close to his ear. She knew despite his graduation it would still be a while before they actually had some real time together that wasn’t going to be broken by school work and family, and the Hufflepuff prefect was going to do anything she could to savour the time they did have.

 

[Austin Branning]

After a year apart it was almost strange being in Geo's presence once again, he knew it would be a while before they could spend any significant time together. Geo had another year of school left and he still needed to figure out what he was going to do now he had graduated. "All I did was graduated," Austin said, "though hopefully whatever I do next will make you proud," He beamed at her. "So how are things at your new school? You haven't updated me for a while,"

 

[Geovanna Adler-Cade]

“All you did?” She grinned at him, “that’s huge Austin!” She could only imagine how busy she was going to be next year with her NEWTS and it was only so much harder when she didn’t have her closest friends around with her. Geo only had a brief idea of what he had planned for after Hogwarts, but she wished not for the last time they were the same year so that she could have come with him. Then again their lives were already headed in different directions, so the Hufflepuff was glad to just take it all as it came. “The school is, fine.” She said, considering how else she’d describe it. “It’s not the same as here though,” it was a sad contemplation to realise what she’d left behind and only hoped her career would make it all worth it. “I just have to stick it out, right?” She gave her boyfriend a reassuring smile, half trying to convince herself too. “How’s Autumn?” She asked. Austin’s twin sister must have graduated this year too, and even if she wasn’t particularly fond of the Gryffindor, family was still everything.

 

[Austin Branning]

Austin shrugged his shoulders, he didn't find graduating to be anything special in the accomplishment department, he had got what he needed and not much more. He knew what came next would be the hardest part. Austin nodded as Geo told him a little about her new school and that it wasn't the same as HNZ. "You were missed here, that's for sure," Hogwarts hadn't been the same without her, part of him had wished he could have followed her but he knew that hadn't been an option for him. Hopefully once her final year of school was done she could come back to New Zealand and they could be together, hopefully. "Just one more year, then you get to be a bad a$$ auror," Austin was looking forward to seeing Geo finally get to live her dream, she had worked so hard for so long to get there and he hoped he could be there when it all fell into place. "Autumn?" Austin said awkwardly. Geo and Autumn had been friends at one point but that all seemed to go to hell when Austin and Geo started dating, something about Geo was good enough to be Autumn's friend but wasn't good enough to be Austin's girlfriend it seemed, at least in Autumn's eyes. "She's fine, you won't believe this but her girlfriend is pregnant," Austin shrugged his shoulders, he was still fuzzy on all the details but what he did know was he was gonna be an uncle.

 

[Geovanna Adler-Cade]

Geo wasn’t sure how well her leaving had gone down with her friends in New Zealand. She hadn’t had time to tell everyone before she went, the opportunity to do some work experience in the UK popped up quickly and it had been too good of a chance to pass up. Geo still had another year though before she could be reunited with Austin and planned to spend as much time with him before lessons started again. She grinned when he spoke that one day she’d be a auror, it had been her dream since she could remember and now it was so close to actually being a reality. Her jaw dropped though when she heard Autumns girlfriend was pregnant. She didn’t exactly know how that had worked within their relationship but she didn’t feel it was her place to ask. “You’ll be an uncle?” She asked, would it be the first new child in their future generation?

 

[Austin Branning]

Austin could see a little hint of confusion on Geo's face, he recognised it so easily because he was just as confused by the whole situation. Autumn hadn't given him many details and truth be told he wasn't sure if he wanted any. All he knew was they were having a baby and Autumn was happy about it, so he was happy for them. But it must have been planned, that had been his take away. "I will be an uncle," He smiled. It was a something that hadn't really dawned on him at first but the more he thought about it the happier it made him. He briefly wondered how Geo would factor into the life of his niece or nephew, would she consider herself the child's auntie? Only time would tell, the baby would be around for a few more months, there was plenty of time for them to figure that out. For now Austin wanted to savor the time with his girlfriend before they went separate ways again.

 

[Geovanna Adler-Cade]

It didn't look like Geo was going to get a whole lot of information, but it was still pretty cool that soon Austin would have a little niece or nephew. "Awh, Uncle Austin does have a good ring to it," she teased a little, pleased for him and his sister. After what had happened to their parents, she could only imagine bringing up children would be harder still, although very rewarding to increase their family size. She peered at the guy beside her, he seemed so much more grown up and mature now that he was leaving to start his full career. It did make her sad that she couldn't join him, but after everything she'd done she couldn't just give up on it now. "You''ll have to show me some of the things you've written this year too," she added. She knew perfectly well he wanted to be a writer, and she would have adored it if he left some of his work to keep her company through her NEWTS.

 

[Austin Branning]

Austin laughed quietly as Geo told him 'Uncle Austin' had a nice ring to it. He had to admit he agreed, he couldn't wait until the little nipper called him as such. "Yeah I guess it does, honestly the whole situation came out of no where, I knew nothing about it until Zoe was pregnant, I don't know what the situation is but I assume they planned it," Austin shrugged. It sounded like he was being vague but frankly he was baffled by the whole situation. Austin smiled as she suggested sharing some of his writings from the previous year, "Honestly its not much, there was the article I wrote for Hogwarts Monthly but other than that I only filled two notebooks all year with the usual musings, but I'd be happy to leave them with you, if you'd like," Geo was the only person he knew who took a genuine interest in his writings, not just what he wrote for magazines or speculative articles he wrote but the scraps of otherwise meaningless thoughts and drabbles. He loved her for that.

 

[Geovanna Adler-Cade]

It seemed to the Hufflepuff that Austin had known as much as anyone until Zoe was pregnant. Geo still hadn’t been introduced to the future mother of her future niece or nephew, but she hoped she’d get a chance to soon. Having a family was one of Geos top priorities under becoming an Auror, and while she knew it wouldn’t be the right time for them any time soon, she loved the idea of playing with kids.

“Id love to see,” she smiled sincerely. She loved reading what Austin wrote, it calmed her down when she was stressed, and they were always an interesting read. Geo looked up to her boyfriend, pondering as to whether to let on her new plans for the year or if they would interfere with his own. “You know, I still have to decide whether to have a one or two year exchange program,” she mentioned, wondering if he knew where she was going with this. Being away for one year had already been hard and cost her a lot, but she wasn’t sure how much longer she could really stay away.