Pragma // s.b.

46

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I thought about Sirius Black throughout most of finals week, almost all of the train ride home, and the majority of the summer. When I waved goodbye to Lily and hugged Remus goodbye on the platform, he was nowhere to be seen. I assumed he would be going home with James for the summer. We had spent late nights talking about our plans for the future. How he could come visit the farm over the summer and work with my dad and Ro. Something told me that might not be happening anymore.

    I had flung my arms around Skye and Amber, kissed Maggie on the cheek, and sent a wink in Olivia direction. "See you next fall ladies", I had said. The bittersweet moment lingering in the air. Then, I linked arms with Ro and we made our way towards our waiting parents. The summer was as good as it could be. I woke up before the sun, milked the cows, collected the eggs from the chickens. Jesse was back in America, and I secretly thanked the heavens. I couldn't take him saying "I told you so".

I wished that things were different, but I knew there was nothing I could do. And that's what hurt the most. We sat around the table one evening, the roast chicken steaming in front of us. My mind was far away. "Bri", Ronan's voice sounded soft. I looked up at him. His eyebrows were drawn together. "Look", he lowered his voice, glancing at our parents. They sat in deep conversation about who they thought would win the World Cup.

"Look, I don't know what happened between you and Black", I bit my lip at the mention of his name. Black. Sirius Black. I had let him get under my skin. Had let myself fall madly in love with him. "I don't know what happened between you too, but I don't think you should wait around for him. You have so much life to live. So much more to do with yourself". Ro's words hit me like a ton of bricks. And, so I took his advice.

I stopped thinking of him. When I wrote to Remus over the summer, I didn't ask if he had seen Sirius. When I met up with Olivia in a neighboring village, we talked about school and food and how she couldn't wait to go on holiday. When Ro and I helped Mum and Dad cook or swan in the pond, my mind was far away from the boy I had come to love so much.

But before we knew it, we were boarding the train back to school. I sat wedge between Amber and Maggie, my legs extending towards the center of our very overcrowded compartment. "Ladies, ladies! Listen up!", cried Liv, miming the action of clinking a knife against a glass. We all looked at her grinning face. "We have officially made it to 7th year. This is our last chance to make our mark on the hallowed halls of Hogwarts!", she smiled.

"Let's make a pact now", her tone turned serious, "That we will never break the bond we have, never leave each other or forsake this glorious friendship we all share". Skye reached over and flung an arm around Olivia. "Five forever", she smiled sweetly. My heart glowed. We all nodded and Amber threw her hand into the middle of the moving compartment. Piling our hands on top on one another's, we glanced around at each other. All so different, yet so much the same.

The feeling of belonging filled the air. Buzzing bees floated outside my window, and I looked to see the outline of the train station at Hogsmeade approaching. "Home sweet home", Maggie whispered. The magic in the air was tangible. Pushing open the front door and filing into the Great Hall, alive with people and laughter, felt unreal. I was more content with life than I had been in quite a while. Until I saw him.

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Author's Note

I know this chapter is short and sweet, but I think it really shows Briony as a character and who she truly is. Keep the comments coming!

CCC