Forever and a Day ~ James Potter

The Last Day

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Friday 9th July 1976 ~ 10:03 ~ waxing moon

Just as everyone in Hogwarts thought things were getting back to normal, the fifth year Gryffindor boys and girls had stopped speaking to each other almost altogether.

Remus still checked up on Lily and Rosie but was always going to be on the Marauders' side of an argument, so he couldn't hang around with them too much, seeing as James felt so awful about what he had said, he was avoiding Rosie at all costs.

Snape had tried relentlessly to apologise to Lily, but eventually, she cut him off as a friend completely and told him that he'd picked his side and there was no way in hell she was ever going to forgive him. Seeing as James was so focused on how he'd upset his friends, he couldn't concentrate on the final Quidditch match of the year, and so the Cup went Hufflepuff instead.

The Wizarding War was also becoming more prominent every day, so Muggleborn students were terrified for their own safety, and some had even left school early at their parents' request.

So, all in all, Gryffindor house was absolutely miserable.

It was the last Friday before everyone went home for the summer holidays the following Sunday. So, all of the fifth years had to go and speak to Professor McGonagall about what careers they wanted to pursue after leaving Hogwarts.

Rosie walked into McGonagall's office and took a seat when instructed, crossing her ankles neatly as the Professor began to speak.

"Sit down, Miss Artois," she said briskly. "As you know, this meeting is to talk over any career ideas you may have and to help you decide which subjects you should continue into the sixth and seventh years here. Have you had any thoughts about what you would like to do after you leave Hogwarts?"

"Well, I think my parents'll want me to marry rich and stay at home for the rest of my life," she chuckled but coughed uncomfortably when McGonagall didn't react to the humour. "Erm, but I want to become a Healer."

"A Healer, hm? You'd need top grades for that," she said, taking out a small, dark leaflet from under the piles of paper on her desk and opening it. "They ask for a minimum of six N.E.W.Ts, and nothing under 'Exceeds Expectations', I see. Then you would be required to undergo a stringent series of knowledge tests at St Mungos. It's a difficult career, Artois. They only accept the best, in fact."

Rosie nodded politely, her stomach lurching at the thought of receiving her marks during the summer holidays.

"You'll want to know which subjects you ought to take. I suppose?" she went on.

"Of course," Rosie nodded politely. "Potions and stuff like that?"

"Naturally," she said crisply. "I would also advise Alchemy because it relates very closely to medical Potioneering. Then you ought to do Herbology, Transfiguration and Potions as definites. You don't seem to be having much trouble in those areas. What I would suggest is showing real passion and ambition in your subjects to set you apart from other students."

Rosie nodded again, unsure of what to say, so the Professor continued, "Why is it you want to be a Healer, may I ask?" she tilted her head and waited for Rosie's reply.

"Erm... well, my friend Lily's always wanted to be one because her dad's a Muggle one... and probably because..." she hesitated for a moment but continued nevertheless, "I've had to care for a lot of wounds before, and it seems like something I'd be good at."

Rosie spotted the woman's eyes flicker towards her cheek for a fraction of a second before she replied, "Of course, of course. Well, I don't see any issues with the subjects you'd like to take, so you're free to go. I will speak to you again at the start of next term."

"Thank you, Professor," she smiled, standing up. "Have a nice holiday."

"You too, Miss Artois," she said warmly as Rosie opened the door.

She jumped as she almost walked straight into someone, apologising as she went to move past them. But when she looked at their face, she saw it was none other than James Potter. "Sorry," she mumbled, lowering her head and going to walk away.

"Rosie, wait," he said, turning around and quickly darting in front of her blocking her path. "You've not spoken to me in weeks."

"I've got a lesson to go to, Potter. Please get out of my way," she said confidently, standing up straight.

He groaned but moved out of the way, looking at her longingly as she walked away. "I'm sorry," he said desperately, causing her to turn back.

"Oh, you're sorry?" she said sarcastically. "Well then, all is forgiven."

"I don't know what came over me. I was just-"

"You were just trying to show off, as usual. Lily was right. You are just an arrogant, egotistical prat," with that, she turned on her heel again and began to walk to her next lesson, refusing to look back at James when he called after her.

*

13:57

The girls sat in the common room, discussing their plans for the summer holidays while finishing off any last homework before their last weekend at Hogwarts.

"...It's just a nightmare!" Alice was complaining. "Frank's been begging for me to visit him over the holidays, but Mum's forcing me to visit our family in London for ages and then I have to work shifts at Florian's bloody shop."

"I wish I could spend my summer at an ice cream parlour," Marlene said dreamily, almost drooling a the very idea of it.

"I'm sure you'll find at least a couple of days you can meet up with him," Lily reassured her. "At least you don't have to spend the summer with Vernon Bloody Dursley."

"What, has he moved in now or something?" Mary asked, grimacing. Petunia had sent Lily a photo of the boy, which the girls had seen and spent a good amount of time laughing at it.

"Pretty much," she said, rolling her eyes. "Tuney's obsessed with him. Whenever she walks into a room, he just creeps in after her. He's more disgusting than Charles."

"Hard luck, Lils," Marlene said, putting down her quill and shutting her book. "I'm in for a summer of pure relaxation."

"I'm gonna have a bloody baby in the house for six weeks," Rosie groaned, pretending to be sick at the very thought of it.

"So we're just all gonna shit summers then?" Lily said, looking annoyed.

"Looks like it," Marlene said smugly, leaning back in her chair.

"Come on then," Lily said, standing up and tucking her chair in. "I'm not doing the packing for all of you on Sunday, I'd like to enjoy my last weekend of freedom."

The girls all nodded and stood up, meandering over to the dormitory staircases to get their trunks ready.