Where The Sage Shrubs Grow,

Chapter 90

Get ready to cry.
I'm already sobbing.

Sage's POV:
"I forgot to ask you yesterday. How did your OWLS go?" Hallie asked
"Fine." I mumbled
"What's wrong with you? You've been upset all day." Hallie spoke
"Trust me... you'll find out why." I responded

I had woken up that morning and cried. I had left breakfast and cried. I had gone to the loo after lunch and cried. I had dreaded this day with a passion, but that hadn't stopped it from forcing itself upon us.
"Just because it won't be easy doesn't mean it isn't right." I had told the twins

I regretted my own words desperately. I wish I had told them to keep their arses in school and told them that they were being reckless and stupid. I wish I had crushed their dream. But I couldn't do that to them. Not even for my own happiness. I was letting them leave me.

I had tossed and turned in bed for days. I hadn't slept, I hadn't eaten much. Hallie had noticed but the twins were too busy packing their things to take notice that I wasn't acting like myself. The dark circles only etching deeper into my complexion. I hated this.

I hated that they were going to leave and make a life for themselves without me. I hated that I was going to have to learn to live without Fred. I hated that anything could happen to them and I wouldn't know about it. I hated this whole situation, but more for myself than for them.

It's kind of like when someone dies. You know they're in a better place but that doesn't mean you are. Of course they were going to be wonderful. Of course they were going to thrive. I had watched them work so hard for this, I had watched the fire in their eyes get a little bit brighter every time they got closer to success.

"Sage?"
I quickly wiped the tears brimming in my eyes away. I was determined to keep a good face today.
"Hey Freddie!" I smiled turning around to face him
Fred wrapped me in a tight embrace causing more tears to well up. I sucked them back into my tear ducts and down into the pits of my soul, never to be heard from. I wasn't going to cry.

"Let's spend the rest of today together." Fred spoke
"Ok."
We decided to go to my dorm, since his was all packed away. What an upsetting thought. There was never going to be another game night in their dorm. I was never going to spend the night with Fred there again. Their dorm was going to be empty and cold. It felt like I was watching what little childhood I had left leaving.

Nothing ever stays the same does it? We stayed curled up on my bed all day. I held onto him as long and as tightly as I could.
"Sage we don't have to-"
"Yes you do. We've been through this. You have to go, and I have to stay."

"Promise to write me?" I asked
"Of course I will." He replied tightening his grip around me
"At least once a week." I said
"Everyday, I'll write you everyday. I promise. Even if it's just two words, I will write you everyday." He spoke
"Alright then, everyday. And I promise to reply, everyday."

"When are you going to tell your mother?" I asked
"Um, well she's going to be livid so hopefully after we've bought the lot and everything is mostly secure. Or when she gets a letter in the mail saying we've left. Whichever comes first." He laughed nervously

A knock at the door cutting our conversation short. George opened the door slowly with a sympathetic look on his face. It was time for them to leave...
I could feel a lump in my throat rising as I tried to keep my face neutral.
"You better write to me too, or I will be cross." I said walking over to the door
"Of course." George smiled sadly

"Where's MC?" I asked
"Just outside the portrait hole." George responded
I headed down the stairs and out of my common room. I found MC leaning against the wall trying to fight off sobs.

"I know." I said wrapping my arm around her "But they aren't dying, they're going to live their dream and after we graduate we'll be apart of it too." I said trying to comfort both her and myself
"What- what if something happens?" MC cried
"It won't. They will be fine." I assured her

She was mirroring my thoughts and fears almost exactly. The four of us walked over to the great hall where the younger students were taking their OWLS.
"We better go, George spoke."
I wrapped my arms around Fred's neck tightly as he lifted me off the floor in a tight hug.

"I'm happy I lost the argument over our long distance relationship." Fred spoke pressing a kiss to my lips
"Me too." I said hugging him tightly again
I was trying to take in as much of him as I could before he left me.
"You better not forget what I look like." I said trying to joke away my tears
"I could never." He smiled

"Hey, there will still be holidays. This year is almost over, we will see each other soon. I could even sneak into the school to visit you." Fred said trying to console me
It didn't fix the fact that he was still leaving me. It felt like he was leaving me behind.
"Then after next year when you graduate you could maybe come work with us. Maybe you could live with us." George piped in keeping his arms wrapped around MC
I nodded.

"Well then, you two better be off." I sniffed
They grabbed their things they would need to make their exit, Fred kissed me one last time and they were gone. MC and I walked into the courtyard, where the twins said they would be leaving from. There was a long stretch of silence before the chaos happened.

Loud bands, glass crashing, children yelling. Suddenly smoke was pouring out of the exit as the twins came flying by. Laughing wildly as the students came cheering out from the Great Hall. Everyone was cheering for them as they few off into the distance, away from me. Only a firework in the shape of a giant W was left.

"You knew didn't you? That they were leaving." Hallie spoke
"Yeah. I did." I said
I smiled as I let the tears stream down my face. I didn't have to worry about making them feel guilty when I cried anymore. Things were going to be very different from now on.

I headed back to my dorm room alone, to have a good cry. I walked over to my bed only to be greeted with two of Fred's jumpers, a bottle of his cologne, and a note.
Just for you darling.
-Your Fred
I sat down on the edge of my bed with with his jumpers tightly secured in my arms and cried.

10/5/2022
1203 Words