Engraved Love | J. POTTER

24 | goodbye's and new begginings

O P H E L I A L O V E G O O D

It was surreal leaving a place that had become a second home to you for seven years. Or in Ophelia's case, her only home for almost a year now.

She hadn't the slightest clue as to where she was going to end up once they left Hogwarts officially in a week. All she knew was that she didn't want to leave.

"Aren't you glad you won't have to see us everyday?" Sirius asked the girl and she raised an eyebrow. Classes were over and NEWT's were finishing up. They had finished their last test that morning and were hanging out by the lake.

She looked over at him from where she laid on the floor, "It's one thing to look forward to."

His eyebrows furrowed in thought, "Have you talked to James?"

"I'm going to need you to be a little more specific."

"Have you talked to him since we finished testing," he explained.

"No," she shook her head. "I don't know where he is."

"Go find him," he suggested. He pulled something out of his pocket, "Take that with you, he'll know what to do with it."

Ophelia took the map from him and looked down at the map in confusion, "When did you add 'Loony' to it?"

"As soon as you joined us," he shrugged as he stood up. "We did have to manipulate you into using your magic but I don't think you noticed."

She rolled her eyes before standing up as well. The two parted ways and Ophelia opened the map. She scanned it until she found 'James Potter' and saw that he was in the library.

She closed the map and stuck it into her pocket before making her way toward him. As soon as she entered the room, she joined him at the table.

Ophelia slid the map across the table toward him and he looked up in surprise, "Sirius said you'd know what to do with it."

J A M E S P O T T E R

James nodded as he moved the map to the side, "We're leaving it here."

"You are?" she asked in surprise.

He shrugged, "We have no need for it once we leave this place."

She watched him for a moment, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," he nodded, "It's just weird leaving is all."

"You're not ready to go home?" she inquired.

"I'm not going home," James informed her and she raised an eyebrow.

"Where are you going?" she asked in confusion.

"I'm renting an apartment," he answered. "I can't go back to an empty house."

"Oh," she replied. "That makes sense."

"Did you-Have you figured out where you are going to go?" he inquired and she bit her lip.

"I mean, I thought about it but I'm not sure yet," she responded.

"I want you to move in with me," he blurted out. That hadn't been how he intended to ask. Primarily because he hadn't even asked her, more just yelled it at her.

Ophelia shook her head, "You what?"

"I know it's kind of a big step for us," he explained. He ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head slightly, "But it just feels right, at least to me. And if it feels right to you, I want you to move in with me."

"You do?" she asked and he nodded. Maybe it hadn't been a good idea. Maybe it was too soon. They hadn't even been together a year and- "Yeah, I'd like that."

He relaxed, "Really?"

She nodded, "Like you said. It feels right." She reached across the table and placed her hand over his, "I want to go wherever you go."

He smiled, "Good, that's good."

"Were you really that worried I would say no?"

"I wasn't sure if you were ready," he explained, "And I didn't want it to feel like I was pushing you."

"Hmm," she replied before leaning across the table and placing a kiss on his lips. "I love you."

He smiled, "I love you too."

O P H E L I A L O V E G O O D

The next week came and went before Ophelia was ready. Before she knew it, it was the morning they were to board the Hogwarts Express for the last time and be sent home.

Home. Had you asked her a week ago where home was she would have told you she hadn't the slightest clue but now she knew exactly where it was. Home was wherever James was.

"And to think," Sirius tutted, raising his hand so that his thumb and forefinger were an inch apart. "You were this close to getting rid of us."

"She would have missed us too much," Peter pointed out.

"Touché," Sirius nodded.

"Would you both shut up before she changes her mind?" James requested as he started up the steps of the train.

Ophelia reached forward and grabbed his hand, "If it was that easy to get rid of me, I would have changed my mind a long time ago."

James looked back at her and placed a kiss on her lips resulting in a groan from Sirius. "Would you two move it along?"

Ophelia rolled her eyes as James opened the door of a compartment for them to enter. They all settled down and a moment later, Remus joined them.

"Why are you guys so eerily quiet?" Remus asked as he plopped down next to Sirius.

"We were waiting for you to join us so we could tell Ophelia that you and I are going to be her new neighbor," Sirius explained.

Ophelia's face dropped, "Wait, what?" She turned to look at James who was looking everywhere but her, "You got a place that was right next to him?"

"We've lived together the past three years," James reminded the girl. "It would be weird to go from that to rarely seeing each other. We get separation anxiety."

"You two are far too codependent for your own good," Ophelia huffed as she pulled away from James and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Oh, come on," he rolled his eyes. "He probably would be there everyday anyway. This way, when you and Remus grow tired of us, you two can take one apartment and we take the other. We thought it out."

Ophelia narrowed her eyes, "And if I'm already tired of you?"

"Hmm," he replied, "Then you're in for quite the ride."

She rolled her eyes but couldn't fight down the smile on her face. He smiled back at her and Sirius spoke up from the other side of the compartment, "I knew she had a soft spot for me."

Ophelia had no idea where life would take her but she was certain it didn't matter. Because now, even though she had lost quite a few people this year, she gained a family she never knew she had needed.

James pulled her toward him, "You okay?"

She grinned, "Never better."