mahogany ; d.m

52 - mysteries

By the time late June arrived and examinations were long in the past, the students of Hogwarts had earned themselves a lot more time for relaxation.

Everyone was preparing for the summer holidays, some excited to see their families again and others disheartened to be leaving, even if it was just for a short period of time in comparison to the rest of the year.

All except the 7th years of course. Athena felt it was strange that she wouldn't be seeing Cedric around Hogwarts again. Catching him strolling down the corridors, or in the Three Broomsticks with his amiable group of friends. To say the least, she would miss him.

Despite the fact that they were no longer together, and that Athena hadn't possessed any kind of romantic feelings for him for months now, there had always been something about Cedric's presence that brought a certain comfort to Athena.

So she would miss him. It wouldn't be the same at Hogwarts without him, and it certainly wouldn't be the same without Fred and George with their many pranks.

With the weather getting progressively warmer, it meant an abundance of time spent outdoors under the heat of the sun.

Athena, Harry, Hermione, Ginny and Ron were sitting by the Black Lake on a grassy lawn, surrounded by various groups of other students. Ron was sunbathing, Harry and Ginny lying side by side, Athena was reading one of her novels, while Hermione was flicking through one of her compact textbooks.

Athena was laying on her front, resting up on her elbow to read, letting the sun reach her back. They had been outside for hours now, forgetting about the time with every hour that passed.

"Right," Harry let out a long exhale, him and Ginny both sitting up from their laying positions. "We're gonna head off."

Athena peered up at them, her focus torn away from her book and reality fading back to normal.

Harry and Ginny had been together now for a few months. It took Ron some getting used to, but he had confirmed that he'd rather it was Harry than anyone else in Hogwarts.

It didn't come as a shock to any of them. Hermione and Athena had always held a certain precognition that they would eventually end up together. They suited each other, and it was great to see Harry glowing with radiant happiness for once.

"Good idea," Athena said, sitting up, clutching the book to her chest.

"Wanna go to the pub?" Ron asked, still laying under the sun with his eyes restively shut.

"Oh yes! I'd die for a butterbeer right now," Hermione piped up, scrawling the last few notes on the page of her textbook and shutting it. Harry and Ginny also agreed, but Athena didn't make any reply.

"What d'you say?" Ron smiled at Athena, all three of them now standing, looking down at her.

"You lot go ahead," she replied, with a nonchalant smile.

"Oh right, yeah. Gonna ditch us for him again I reckon," Ron added with a light hearted chuckle. Athena looked up at him, rather stunned.

"Come on," Hermione sighed, shoving her fist against Ron's shoulder, and once he turned around, Hermione looked back at Athena and rolled her eyes jokily, giving her a smile.

They said their goodbyes before departing to Hogsmeade, and Athena made her way back up to the castle, with the fancy of going to the Room of Requirement.