Black [Theodore Nott]

Epilogue

One Year Later

"Oh... don't worry, Teddy, I'll be back at the holidays!"

Carina tried to hush the crying baby in Andromeda's arms. After the war, Carina and Hermione thought of returning to Hogwarts to finish their education, with them were Maisie and Ginny.

"Don't worry, Carina... I'll be fine with him." Andromeda said, "I did raise Nymphadora..."

"I know..." Carina smiled. "Bye, now, Ted!" Carina kissed the toddler at the cheek.

She turned to Charity, who carried Ethan and Elias in her arms. She sighed and went to kiss her two baby cousins at the cheeks.

"You two... behave, while I'm gone." Carina told the twins.

"Oh please!" Maisie said, "It's not like you're always at home anyway!"

Carina turned to say goodbye to Harry and Ron. She brought the two boys to a hug, she'll miss having them at Hogwarts, but she understood why they weren't going back.

"I'll miss seeing you two!" Carina said.

"Don't get to too much trouble." Harry told her.

"It's too late for that." Carina chuckled.

"Hey, Carina." Hermione called her.

"Yeah?"

"There's someone here for you."

Carina followed Hermione's gaze and saw. Carina smiled and went to that 'someone'.

"Hey!"

Carina hugged Theodore. Theodore returned the gesture, he kissed her at the head before he let her go.

"Where were you, I thought you were meeting me at the gate?" Carina asked, "And where's your stuff?"

Theodore was silent. He just looked down at Carina with sorrowful eyes.

"I'm not going back to Hogwarts, Carina." Theodore said.

"What? I thought..."

"It wouldn't work out... people are still pissed."

"It doesn't matter! You fought with us!"

"Carina..."

Carina saw Theodore's begging eyes. Carina sighed.

"Fine... we'll just see each other at the holidays then?"

Theodore said nothing. How could he tell her without seeing sadness in her eyes?

"Theodore?"

He sighed. He has to tell her.

"I'm leaving, Carina."

Carina felt her heart drop. She waited and hoped that Theodore was just joking about it. But Theodore never joked like that... and the joke never came...

"What?" Carina asked.

Theodore got out his papers and showed them to her.

"Passport? Wand application? Country entrance?" Carina asked, confused. "You're leaving? Why?"

"It's better this way..." Theodore said. "I doubt that I'd get a life here given my..." he gestured to his left arm where the Dark Mark was.

"Theodore –"

"Its all right, Carina..." Theodore said. "It's for the best..."

The Hogwarts Express blew its whistle. Carina did not bother to turn to the train or listen to Mrs. Weasley and Hermione calling her.

"It's time for you to go..." Theodore said. "I'm sorry..."

"I'm sorry too..." Carina said.

"For what?"

"I don't know... for not giving you a reason to stay?"

Theodore held Carina by her shoulders and bent down to meet her eyes.

"Carina... the reason why I'm leaving is to give you a life... I can't give you that, not with this..."

"But I don't want you to go... I love you, Theodore..." Carina said in a whisper.

"You are the most important person in my life, Carina... you brought life in to my shitty life – you and Roman – but mostly you... you are the best that has ever happened to me..."

"Carina, let's go!" Ginny called.

"I love you..." Theodore said.

He took Carina's hands with his and brought them to his lips and kissed them.

"Being with you was the best thing that ever happened to me..." Theodore said.

The whistle blew again.

Carina closed her eyes and sighed.

"I have to go..." Carina said.

"I know." Theodore said. "Stay strong."

"I should be saying that to you..." Carina said. "I love you..."

Theodore had let her go. But Carina did not leave, instead, she got on her toes, she reached for Theodore's neck and bent him down to her height and brought him to a kiss. Their kiss was short but enough to say everything they wanted to say.

After their kiss, Theodore finally let go of Carina, and Carina did the same to him. She took one last look at Theodore before she went to the train and got on before it left. Theodore watched as the train left he didn't see Carina in one of the windows that waved goodbye – he didn't expect her to.

After the train had left, Theodore was left with a few people at the station. He turned and saw Harry, Ron, the Weasleys, Andromeda with Teddy, and the Goldsteins standing there staring at him. He nodded their way.
Harry did the same to him.

Carina sat quietly by the window. Hermione, Ginny and Maisie did not bother her, knowing that she had just gone through... Carina held something in her hands, she had not opened them to see what it was, only now.

Carina opened her palm and saw what Theodore had slipped in her hands. It was the necklace that he had given her, to protect her during the war. Carina smiled at the sight of it. She pushed the button that her thumb had grazed on, and the locket opened in three ways. Inside, Carina smiled at the sight. It was the laughing photo of Roman,.

Carina brushed her thumb over Roman's face. She missed him... so much.

"Carina..."

Carina looked up and saw the concerned looks of Hermione, Maisie and Ginny.

"Yeah?"

"Are you all right?" Maisie asked.

"I am. Don't worry." Carina said.

Theodore passed the barrier he went to the platform where he will ride the train to the given Apparition Point by the Ministry. When the train arrived, Theodore went in, he sat down on the nearest seat by the window and door, he placed his things on the ground. The doors closed and the train moved.

It wasn't the first time that Theodore was alone in a long train ride... but it was one of those days when he just wanted to be with the company of his dearest friends... but he knew he couldn't...