What If..?

Chapter 35

"I can't believe it."

"Our last day of Hogwarts..."

"...Ever!"

People around the common room sobbed and sobbed. They were to become adults now, no longer kids at Hogwarts.

"What are you guys gonna do after Hogwarts?" Ron asked Drarry while holding Hermione in his arms, who was crying harder than anyone else.

"Well, I was hoping to become an Auror, or the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor in a few years." Replied Harry.

"Same here, except I'd like to teach Potions." Draco said.

"I was hoping to be an Auror too," Ron smiled. "But 'Mione wants to be Minister, so that would be... Ya know."

"Awkward?"

"Weird."

They laughed, then stopped to look at all the people crying. Draco started laughing again at the sight of Dean and Seamus, but Harry quickly nudged him.

"I still can't believe there's a good chance we won't be coming back here," Blaise trailed over. "It's kind of disappointing."

"We all know you want to break down, Blaise. Come here." Pansy took him in her arms, and he immediately started to cry. "It's okay, dear."

Harry smiled, lacing his hand with Draco's. He looked around at everyone. Some were on the floor, others were dramatically walking around while crying, and some just stood by blankly.

Eventually, that had to end, for it was time to leave. Possibly for good.

Everyone went back to their rooms to get their trunks, say goodbye one last time, and then came back out and onto the fields of the castle.

They made it to the station, where the doors of the train opened for them.

"Are you ready, darling?"

"Ready as I'll ever be, Dragon."

They boarded the train home, for what could possibly be their very last time.

Who knows what lies in the future ahead?

...

"It still feels like it was yesterday, when you boarded that train for the first time." Lily greeted Harry and hugged him as she cried on Platform 9 3/4.

James stood by a little awkwardly, joined by Remus and Sirius.

"Mom—"

"My baby boy has just grown up so much!" Lily hugged Harry tighter, making his ribcage feel like it was about to crack.

"Lily honey, loosen your grip a bit, will you? He looks like he's being suffocated." James put a hand on Lily's shoulder.

"Mom, it's okay!" Harry's voice was strained.

"He's finally graduated! I swear he was just two and—" Lily sobbed even harder and squeezed Harry tighter.

Meanwhile, with Draco and his parents:

"My little boy has finally become a man." Narcissa said calmly, looking at Draco with a sense of sweetness and sadness.

Draco smiled, and opened his arms. His mother hugged him tightly, but not to the point where she was suffocating him. He was significantly taller than her now, he realized. Then she started to cry softly in his arms.

"Do you have any plans for your future?" Asked Lucius curiously.

"My only current plan is to get a house with and marry Harry," Draco smiled at the thought. "But both Harry and I are stuck between whether or not we want to train to become Aurors or study to become professors at Hogwarts."