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MadMadamMalfoy · 04-10-2018, 03:01 PM

Text Cut: Vi

Quote:

Originally Posted by Watson

"Darce with Kirk?" repeated Vi as her eyes softened at the thought. That was brave. Darcy was Mel's baby. She had raised Darcy and the fact that she was bestowing Darcy's care on Kirk was a very telling sign to Vi. She loves him. She really does. That very thought brought a smile onto Vi's lips. She had to bite back a comment ~~about the wedding~~. Heh. They were good for each other. She leaned her chin against the palm of her hand as she watched her housemates interact just staying silent to enjoy the moment. She was going to miss this.

Vi felt a pair of lips gently land on her cheek. There he was. She figured he must have been enjoying his time in the castle one last time. She felt the tears begin to build and she blinked her eyes, looking down for but a moment before smiling once more. No tears. Not yet. "Ace!" she said with a grin as he sat next to her. She could feel her hands beginning to shake a little. She balled her hand up into a fist in order to steady the shaking and help her direct her attention elsewhere. Hopefully that would stop hers from shaking. Vi took a deep breath and chuckled at Matt and Mel's reaction. Then her boyfriend led a round of applause for their proud house. What a natural leader. He was an inspiration. The way he just.... A smile crept onto her lips as she watched him. Incredible.... Huh? She paused, glancing down at her hands for a moment, and then just enjoyed the moment. It would be strange not sitting here again in this magnificent castle. "Yes... To an even better victory next year!" she smiled, using her free hand to raise the goblet of water. "Well done."

And the graduates stood and Vi found herself reaching out towards Ace to gently take his hand into hers hoping that the shaking wouldn't betray her feelings. He probably knew better than anyone how she was feeling at this precise moment. She was trying to stay strong.

During the round of applause, she had heard someone else clapping and turned to see Professor Marchand at the table. There he was! He was alright. She was happy to see that he was in a better state than in Dufftown. Phew. A small smile crept onto her lips. Her eyes softened once more and she felt a twinge in her heart. This was goodbye, wasn't it? She paused, listening to her Head of House begin to thank Liv and Ronan for their help in Dufftown. And then he turned his attention towards the seventh years. As he spoke, he mentioned the Gryffindor values. Strength, courage, spirit, and energy.... Acceptance too. Accepting him as their Head of House.

When her Head of House looked at her just for that moment before looking down to hide his head from them, she felt her chin begin to wobble every so slightly. They had been through a lot. Beauxbatons... Which brought back memories both bad and good. Though Marchand had always kept an eye on her there... And when she came to Hogwarts, he had kept an eye on her here too. He had always believed in all of them- all of the students. He truly believed in them... and her. Without another word, she found herself wrapping her arms around him. She would miss him.

After giving him the hug, Olivia took a step back, wiping tear stained cheeks. She hadn't planned on crying. She really hadn't. "Thank you... for everything." Seriously. He had always been there with a helpful smile paired with a chocolate, a cup of cocoa or a cup of tea. "For always being there through thick and thin. Keeping an eye over our reckless family...." Vi felt her throat start to close in and tears well up. She took a deep breath. "But it's not adieu for all of us...." she said, remembering what she had heard at Beauxbaton's graduation. She chuckled, blinking back tears."We say a la prochaine instead! Until next time."

For a few moments, Gaston could only stand with his head down, powerless to stop the tears falling. Then someone was hugging him... Vi. He choked back a sob as his arms wrapped around her. Hawthorne could disapprove all she wanted, but he would never hide his love for his students just to fit her idea of professionalism! Wiping his own tears, he looked back at her as she spoke, and his heart broke to see she'd been crying too. Has he caused that? Good Godric Gryffindor, now he felt awful!

He nodded at her words. The tears had stopped for now, but he still didn't trust his voice not to break. The thanks were appreciated, but didn't she understand? It was his job to care for her, as it was his job to care for every student who passed through Hogwarts's doors. He was glad to hear he wasn't the only one who thought of Gryffindor house as a little family. The words got a small, watery smile, but the thing she said next made his smile grow.

She was right. Maybe it wasn't goodbye forever, at least not for everyone. He once thought he was saying goodbye to Beaubatons when he graduated, but he came back. He thought he was saying goodbye to Vi when he left Beaubatons for Hogwarts, but she came back. Maybe their paths would cross again; at least he hoped they would. "A la prochaine," he replied. Now that he'd regained enough composure to talk, he had a few more parting words for her. "Keep practicing your wandless magic, and if you ever need anything, I'm just an owl away."

He said the last words a bit louder, hoping the other graduates would hear as well. "That applies to all of you," he said. "You can still turn to me if you need anything, no matter where life takes you."

Text Cut: Liv

Quote:

Originally Posted by Govoni

For the most part, Olivia had been in her own little world. Had...the Great Hall always been this spectacular? Did the charmed night sky always carry that many stars? She was filled with wonder, as she thought about all the children she'd babysat for family friends. Like the Gunters. Miss Xaria would be coming to Hogwarts next term, if she recalled correctly. And Chloe McCarthy, too. They'd look at the same sky and feel exactly what she was in this moment. It'd be the start of something magical for them. Seven years of laughter and well-learned lessons. Heartbreak, when hormones finally came into the picture........ But it would all be worth it. Every last bit of it, because when their final feast eventually rolled around, they would also feel the deep sense of pride and accomplishment that she was experiencing. To her, you couldn't have the good without the bad... So, yes. Worth it.

Distracted, Olivia vaguely noticed a small box slamming into the table in front of where she sat. The blonde blinked. What.... was this? Quickly glancing around the massive room, she didn't note anything out of the ordinary....but that wasn't to suggest that she was an easy target. After a few beats, Liv readied her wand, using it to unravel the package; only to see the attached note shortly after... From Dorian? Her bright blue eyes sought him out at the Ravenclaw table. Blessed, had he....levitated that all the way over here?! For her?

Olivia was....touched. Really. She wanted to eat a good meal tonight, but the sweets would be enjoyed at another time. Perhaps on the train ride home. She might even share them with.... Stasya, who'd just taken a seat next to her. Stashing the various boxes and treats into her bag, she finally slung an arm around the younger girl. "Hello, love." It was said super quietly. Words only shared between the two of them, since she could sense that Stas was upset. It hurt Olivia's heart to be leaving her behind, but

Apparently, a lot of people had joined the table while her mind had been elsewhere. Fellow quidditch mate, Beau Montague, the other Olivia, Matt, Rylee (another quidditch mate).... An embarrassed flush bloomed in her cheeks. Good lord, Mel, Ace, and Ronan.... and their house ghost, even. Wow, Olivia Lynn. Had she truly been that preoccupied? "Hello everyone. I hope you guys are having a wonderful end-of-term feast thus far." It might've fallen on deaf ears, given that Gryffindor was always lit this time of year, but... she felt better having said it, anyway. In fact, she could recall her very first feast... When, she, Blaise, and Bentley had started that massive food fight. The Gryffindors had risen, throwing themselves into the fray happily. Memories of the event that marked the beginning of her Hogwarts education had Liv searching for Matt Solo. He'd been in the thick of it with them. As well as Ace, and Torrance. Thank Merlin, Professor Flamsteed had not expelled the lot of them. Wow, this really was like saying goodbye to family. No.... she had to remind herself. Not "goodbye".... More like "See you later".

Stomping down at the sudden emotion swelling in her chest, Olivia gave Stas a final squeeze before releasing her. The Headmistress had stood and that meant a commencement speech was soon to follow. Which in turn, meant that FOOD was about to decorate the middle of the Gryffindor table, and really...it couldn't come soon enough. She was starving, having foregone eating so that she might enjoy tonight to its fullest potential. With all the snacking and tea drinking she usually did on the train to school, she usually never had room for seconds. And that was disrespectful to he house elves that cooked and slaved over this wonderful meals.

When the food appeared, she wasted no time in attacking the potato bowl... Er, she hoped no one else had been interested in those. These were her LAST Hogwarts potatoes. Ever. So.... Oh, and there was her Head of House. It brought Olivia up short, remembering vividly how he'd looked the last time she'd laid eyes on him... Face down on the ground, Professor Stewart viciously attacking him with all her might. Blinking rapidly so that she might push the memory away, the Gryffindor smiled up at the older man. He looked to be in much better spirits tonight, and she was grateful to see it. Even though....he was trying his damnedest to make her cry. Pulling the cloth napkin from her lap, she carefully wiped beneath her watery eyes. The tears hadn't fallen yet, but they were seconds from doing so. Especially when he thanked her and Ronan for helping him. As if looking for confirmation, her eyes sought out the younger Gryffindor boy. She was speaking before she even knew what words she might say.

"Professor, those of us who are able to act, have a responsibility to do so. There's absolutely nothing to thank us for." It was all the Seventh Year could manage, as emotions threatened to overwhelm her sense again. UGH, and she still had a memory book entry to write.

No. STOP. We are NOT crying right now. Absolutely not.

A fresh pang of guilt gripped Gaston's heart as he saw Liv wiping beneath her eyes. Merlin, did he make the entire table cry? Some Head of House you are, he inwardly berated himself. Sorry! So sorry, Gryffindors! He gave her (and the rest of the Gryffindors too) an apologetic look as he glanced down the table, but in a weird way, he felt a little less embarrassed about his own display of emotion. Not that he liked seeing his students cry, because he didn't at all! It broke his heart just as much as seeing his wife or daughter cry, especially if it was because of something he'd said or done!

Her words came as a surprise, and all he could do was stare in disbelief for a second or two. "That's true, Liv," he said when he found his voice again, "but I also know it's true that there are many people in this world who don't think that way." Most people would've just saved themselves and left him for dead. "So I'm still grateful, whether you think I should be or not."

He smiled, but inside his thoughts were racing. He hadn't even considered the danger he put himself in at Dufftown until after the fact. At the time, his only thought was to protect his Hogwarts family, but now he knew that had Liv and Ronan not acted, he would've taken one stunning spell after another from Kaysha. He might've died, Rose might've been a widow, Desiree might've grown up without her father... Holy hippogriffs! He couldn't let himself think about that, or he'd start crying again.

Text Cut: Mel

Quote:

Originally Posted by Optimist.Prime

Melbourne glanced around the great hall once more that night in an exercise for not tearing up. Merlin, this was hard. Harder than she ever thought it would be…leaving, and not coming back was rough but made rougher with the fact that Kirk wasn’t leaving with her. Don’t ask him to finish next year with homeschooling…he needs this place, the thought stung but it was what was right for him…and for her too.

Glancing over she watched for a moment as Ronan Carter walked into the greathall. Ah, next year he’d be going through the same thing she was right now. ”Hey Ronan, you have any fun summer plans? she asked kindly purposefully avoiding the topic of his previous possession.

Nearlyheadless Nick’s voice congratulation her and the graduating Gryffindors only caused her throat to tighten. It felt as if there were an egg caught in her throat. ”Th-thank you Sir Nicholas” she finally coughed out even though it stung. ”Sir Nicholas…keep the kids after us on their toes, they need to keep their wits up to survive Hogwarts” really, wit was what had saved so many of them in the direstraights of the school year.

Eggs. Mel glaced at the oozing cracked egg spilling down Matt’s hair. Right, at least he’d taken it well?

Mel glanced up at Vi once more and grinned, ”yeah summer…and I’m planning on leaving Darce with him so he can at least deal with witty comebacks whenever he wants to play with the Jarvey” really, leaving Darcy might be harder than leaving Kirk…Darcy, she was already family to her. She had raised her from a baby. Right Dufftown…wait food, food was good.

Mel took a hard sip of water – almost gulping the liquid down just as Ace arrived at the table. ”we…did well,” Mel grinned over to him, gosh she was going to miss being in the Gryffindor commons with him especially considering he wasn’t her neighbor anymore. Things had changed over the years and that, that was still one of the most significant parts to her. The inability to simply walk across a little bridge over to her best friends house.

Mel nodded when Matt mentioned the seven minute speech – her little smirk still in place. He was fun, she was going to miss him. Stop missing people she griped at herself before looking at their little group once more. ”guys…we need to do something – like, next year when we’re all in uni and doing whatever life throws at us…we need to meet up and have a fun time in the city? Y’know, get delicious food and chat about the non-deadly things we’re doing?” because she was assuming that it was only Hogwarts that tried to kill its students and not university.

It was a short speech but when the graduates were asked to stand it hit hard. That was her. Shakily she stood up and pressed her fingers against the table before sitting down again moments later. ”We did this, we made it” she gulped and then looked up to see Professor Marchand walking over.

Oh merlin.

No, please don’t say anything touching. She knew that wouldn’t work, he was always touching and kind, it was the Marchand way. ”Professor Marchand,” Mel spoke up as he walked near their gathering group of students. ”thank you, for everything – for, for being a wonderful professor and for inspiring all of us to be better kinder people in our lives.” she smiled softly before handing him a small tin. ”It has an undetectable extension charm on it…and its cookies” smiling up at him for a moment she just felt herself getting choked up again when Professor Marchand thanked her for her spirit…that was, great. ”thank you,” merlin. She was going to miss his classes.

Gaston had to blink several times and bite his lip hard to stop it from trembling as Mel thanked him for inspiring everyone to be kinder. He'd always tried to live his life with kindness in hopes that it would rub off on others, but hearing that it had actually happened... that was more than he could've hoped for! He took a deep breath. No, no, he wasn't going to cry again... at least not until he was alone in his office. He smiled silently. How did he even begin to reply to that? "Thank you, Mel," he said. "I couldn't ask for any higher praise than that!"

Then she handed him a tin of cookies; he couldn't resist lifting the lid and taking a nibble of one. "These are delicious!" he exclaimed after he finished eating. "Best cookies I've ever had!" ~~Don't tell his mother - or worse, his friend Lorraine - that he said that!~~ He would definitely be sharing these with Rose when he got home. Maybe he could liquify one of them and give Desiree a little taste too... sometime when Rose wasn't looking, of course. She'd probably hex him if she caught him doing that!

The cookie only served to remind him that he still hadn't eaten. Now that the sadness of the goodbyes had subsided for now, he realized he was starving! He looked around. Going back to the staff table tear-stained and exhausted was not an option! He thought he would just grab something from the kitchens and head back to his office, but he wanted to stay with his Lions for as long as possible. He nervously ran a hand through his dark hair as he looked around the table at everyone and asked, "Would you mind if I join all of you for dinner tonight?"

04-10-2018, 03:01 PM	#25 (permalink)
MadMadamMalfoy Newbie Mod Alley Proprietor Mackled Malaclaw Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Hazbin Hotel Posts: 11,115 Hogwarts RPG Name: Norman A. Carton Graduated Hogwarts RPG Name: Sydney M. L. Masters Slytherin Third Year Hogwarts RPG Name: Maddox B. Buchanan Gryffindor Fourth Year Diagon Alley Proprietor: Caledon Roth The Leaky Cauldron	*rearranged things a little* Rhibear ~ Madam Solo ~ Dark Brooding Girl ~ Accio Jedi ~ Gryffinclaw ~ Just a doll Text Cut: Vi Quote: Originally Posted by Watson "Darce with Kirk?" repeated Vi as her eyes softened at the thought. That was brave. Darcy was Mel's baby. She had raised Darcy and the fact that she was bestowing Darcy's care on Kirk was a very telling sign to Vi. She loves him. She really does. That very thought brought a smile onto Vi's lips. She had to bite back a comment ~~about the wedding~~. Heh. They were good for each other. She leaned her chin against the palm of her hand as she watched her housemates interact just staying silent to enjoy the moment. She was going to miss this. Vi felt a pair of lips gently land on her cheek. There he was. She figured he must have been enjoying his time in the castle one last time. She felt the tears begin to build and she blinked her eyes, looking down for but a moment before smiling once more. No tears. Not yet. "Ace!" she said with a grin as he sat next to her. She could feel her hands beginning to shake a little. She balled her hand up into a fist in order to steady the shaking and help her direct her attention elsewhere. Hopefully that would stop hers from shaking. Vi took a deep breath and chuckled at Matt and Mel's reaction. Then her boyfriend led a round of applause for their proud house. What a natural leader. He was an inspiration. The way he just.... A smile crept onto her lips as she watched him. Incredible.... Huh? She paused, glancing down at her hands for a moment, and then just enjoyed the moment. It would be strange not sitting here again in this magnificent castle. "Yes... To an even better victory next year!" she smiled, using her free hand to raise the goblet of water. "Well done." And the graduates stood and Vi found herself reaching out towards Ace to gently take his hand into hers hoping that the shaking wouldn't betray her feelings. He probably knew better than anyone how she was feeling at this precise moment. She was trying to stay strong. During the round of applause, she had heard someone else clapping and turned to see Professor Marchand at the table. There he was! He was alright. She was happy to see that he was in a better state than in Dufftown. Phew. A small smile crept onto her lips. Her eyes softened once more and she felt a twinge in her heart. This was goodbye, wasn't it? She paused, listening to her Head of House begin to thank Liv and Ronan for their help in Dufftown. And then he turned his attention towards the seventh years. As he spoke, he mentioned the Gryffindor values. Strength, courage, spirit, and energy.... Acceptance too. Accepting him as their Head of House. When her Head of House looked at her just for that moment before looking down to hide his head from them, she felt her chin begin to wobble every so slightly. They had been through a lot. Beauxbatons... Which brought back memories both bad and good. Though Marchand had always kept an eye on her there... And when she came to Hogwarts, he had kept an eye on her here too. He had always believed in all of them- all of the students. He truly believed in them... and her. Without another word, she found herself wrapping her arms around him. She would miss him. After giving him the hug, Olivia took a step back, wiping tear stained cheeks. She hadn't planned on crying. She really hadn't. "Thank you... for everything." Seriously. He had always been there with a helpful smile paired with a chocolate, a cup of cocoa or a cup of tea. "For always being there through thick and thin. Keeping an eye over our reckless family...." Vi felt her throat start to close in and tears well up. She took a deep breath. "But it's not adieu for all of us...." she said, remembering what she had heard at Beauxbaton's graduation. She chuckled, blinking back tears."*We say a la prochaine* instead! Until next time.*" For a few moments, Gaston could only stand with his head down, powerless to stop the tears falling. Then someone was hugging him... Vi. He choked back a sob as his arms wrapped around her. Hawthorne could disapprove all she wanted, but he would never* hide his love for his students just to fit her idea of professionalism! Wiping his own tears, he looked back at her as she spoke, and his heart broke to see she'd been crying too. Has he caused that? Good Godric Gryffindor, now he felt awful! He nodded at her words. The tears had stopped for now, but he still didn't trust his voice not to break. The thanks were appreciated, but didn't she understand? It was his job to care for her, as it was his job to care for every student who passed through Hogwarts's doors. He was glad to hear he wasn't the only one who thought of Gryffindor house as a little family. The words got a small, watery smile, but the thing she said next made his smile grow. She was right. Maybe it wasn't goodbye forever, at least not for everyone. He once thought he was saying goodbye to Beaubatons when he graduated, but he came back. He thought he was saying goodbye to Vi when he left Beaubatons for Hogwarts, but she came back. Maybe their paths would cross again; at least he hoped they would. *"A la prochaine,"* he replied. Now that he'd regained enough composure to talk, he had a few more parting words for her. *"Keep practicing your wandless magic, and if you ever need anything, I'm just an owl away."* He said the last words a bit louder, hoping the other graduates would hear as well. "That applies to all of you," he said. "You can still turn to me if you need anything, no matter where life takes you." Text Cut: Liv Quote: Originally Posted by Govoni For the most part, Olivia had been in her own little world. Had...the Great Hall always been this spectacular? Did the charmed night sky always carry that many stars? She was filled with wonder, as she thought about all the children she'd babysat for family friends. Like the Gunters. Miss Xaria would be coming to Hogwarts next term, if she recalled correctly. And Chloe McCarthy, too. They'd look at the same sky and feel exactly what she was in this moment. It'd be the start of something magical for them. Seven years of laughter and well-learned lessons. Heartbreak, when hormones finally came into the picture........ But it would all be worth it. Every last bit of it, because when their final feast eventually rolled around, they would also feel the deep sense of pride and accomplishment that she was experiencing. To her, you couldn't have the good without the bad... So, yes. Worth it. Distracted, Olivia vaguely noticed a small box slamming into the table in front of where she sat. The blonde blinked. What.... was this? Quickly glancing around the massive room, she didn't note anything out of the ordinary....but that wasn't to suggest that she was an easy target. After a few beats, Liv readied her wand, using it to unravel the package; only to see the attached note shortly after... From Dorian? Her bright blue eyes sought him out at the Ravenclaw table. Blessed, had he....levitated that all the way over here?! For her? Olivia was....touched. Really. She wanted to eat a good meal tonight, but the sweets would be enjoyed at another time. Perhaps on the train ride home. She might even share them with.... Stasya, who'd just taken a seat next to her. Stashing the various boxes and treats into her bag, she finally slung an arm around the younger girl. "Hello, love." It was said super quietly. Words only shared between the two of them, since she could sense that Stas was upset. It hurt Olivia's heart to be leaving her behind, but Apparently, a lot of people had joined the table while her mind had been elsewhere. Fellow quidditch mate, Beau Montague, the other Olivia, Matt, Rylee (another quidditch mate).... An embarrassed flush bloomed in her cheeks. Good lord, Mel, Ace, and Ronan.... and their house ghost, even. Wow, Olivia Lynn. Had she truly been that preoccupied? "Hello everyone. I hope you guys are having a wonderful end-of-term feast thus far." It might've fallen on deaf ears, given that Gryffindor was always lit this time of year, but... she felt better having said it, anyway. In fact, she could recall her very first feast... When, she, Blaise, and Bentley had started that massive food fight. The Gryffindors had risen, throwing themselves into the fray happily. Memories of the event that marked the beginning of her Hogwarts education had Liv searching for Matt Solo. He'd been in the thick of it with them. As well as Ace, and Torrance. Thank Merlin, Professor Flamsteed had not expelled the lot of them. Wow, this really was like saying goodbye to family. No.... she had to remind herself. Not "goodbye".... More like "See you later". Stomping down at the sudden emotion swelling in her chest, Olivia gave Stas a final squeeze before releasing her. The Headmistress had stood and that meant a commencement speech was soon to follow. Which in turn, meant that FOOD was about to decorate the middle of the Gryffindor table, and really...it couldn't come soon enough. She was starving, having foregone eating so that she might enjoy tonight to its fullest potential. With all the snacking and tea drinking she usually did on the train to school, she usually never had room for seconds. And that was disrespectful to he house elves that cooked and slaved over this wonderful meals. When the food appeared, she wasted no time in attacking the potato bowl... Er, she hoped no one else had been interested in those. These were her LAST Hogwarts potatoes. Ever. So.... Oh, and there was her Head of House. It brought Olivia up short, remembering vividly how he'd looked the last time she'd laid eyes on him... Face down on the ground, Professor Stewart viciously attacking him with all her might. Blinking rapidly so that she might push the memory away, the Gryffindor smiled up at the older man. He looked to be in much better spirits tonight, and she was grateful to see it. Even though....he was trying his damnedest to make her cry. Pulling the cloth napkin from her lap, she carefully wiped beneath her watery eyes. The tears hadn't fallen yet, but they were seconds from doing so. Especially when he thanked her and Ronan for helping him. As if looking for confirmation, her eyes sought out the younger Gryffindor boy. She was speaking before she even knew what words she might say. "Professor, those of us who are able to act, have a responsibility to do so. There's absolutely nothing to thank us for." It was all the Seventh Year could manage, as emotions threatened to overwhelm her sense again. UGH, and she still had a memory book entry to write. No. STOP. We are NOT crying right now. Absolutely not. A fresh pang of guilt gripped Gaston's heart as he saw Liv wiping beneath her eyes. Merlin, did he make the entire table cry? Some Head of House you are, he inwardly berated himself. Sorry! So sorry, Gryffindors! He gave her (and the rest of the Gryffindors too) an apologetic look as he glanced down the table, but in a weird way, he felt a little less embarrassed about his own display of emotion. Not that he liked seeing his students cry, because he didn't at all! It broke his heart just as much as seeing his wife or daughter cry, especially if it was because of something he'd said or done! Her words came as a surprise, and all he could do was stare in disbelief for a second or two. "That's true, Liv," he said when he found his voice again, "but I also know it's true that there are many people in this world who don't think that way." Most people would've just saved themselves and left him for dead. "So I'm still grateful, whether you think I should be or not." He smiled, but inside his thoughts were racing. He hadn't even considered the danger he put himself in at Dufftown until after the fact. At the time, his only thought was to protect his Hogwarts family, but now he knew that had Liv and Ronan not acted, he would've taken one stunning spell after another from Kaysha. He might've died, Rose might've been a widow, Desiree might've grown up without her father... Holy hippogriffs! He couldn't let himself think about that, or he'd start crying again. Text Cut: Mel Quote: Originally Posted by Optimist.Prime Melbourne glanced around the great hall once more that night in an exercise for not tearing up. Merlin, this was hard. Harder than she ever thought it would be…leaving, and not coming back was rough but made rougher with the fact that Kirk wasn’t leaving with her. Don’t ask him to finish next year with homeschooling…he needs this place, the thought stung but it was what was right for him…and for her too. Glancing over she watched for a moment as Ronan Carter walked into the greathall. Ah, next year he’d be going through the same thing she was right now. ”Hey Ronan, you have any fun summer plans? she asked kindly purposefully avoiding the topic of his previous possession. Nearlyheadless Nick’s voice congratulation her and the graduating Gryffindors only caused her throat to tighten. It felt as if there were an egg caught in her throat. ”Th-thank you Sir Nicholas” she finally coughed out even though it stung. ”Sir Nicholas…keep the kids after us on their toes, they need to keep their wits up to survive Hogwarts” really, wit was what had saved so many of them in the direstraights of the school year. Eggs. Mel glaced at the oozing cracked egg spilling down Matt’s hair. Right, at least he’d taken it well? Mel glanced up at Vi once more and grinned, ”yeah summer…and I’m planning on leaving Darce with him so he can at least deal with witty comebacks whenever he wants to play with the Jarvey” really, leaving Darcy might be harder than leaving Kirk…Darcy, she was already family to her. She had raised her from a baby. Right Dufftown…wait food, food was good. Mel took a hard sip of water – almost gulping the liquid down just as Ace arrived at the table. ”we…did well,” Mel grinned over to him, gosh she was going to miss being in the Gryffindor commons with him especially considering he wasn’t her neighbor anymore. Things had changed over the years and that, that was still one of the most significant parts to her. The inability to simply walk across a little bridge over to her best friends house. Mel nodded when Matt mentioned the seven minute speech – her little smirk still in place. He was fun, she was going to miss him. Stop missing people she griped at herself before looking at their little group once more. ”guys…we need to do something – like, next year when we’re all in uni and doing whatever life throws at us…we need to meet up and have a fun time in the city? Y’know, get delicious food and chat about the non-deadly things we’re doing?” because she was assuming that it was only Hogwarts that tried to kill its students and not university. It was a short speech but when the graduates were asked to stand it hit hard. That was her. Shakily she stood up and pressed her fingers against the table before sitting down again moments later. ”We did this, we made it” she gulped and then looked up to see Professor Marchand walking over. Oh merlin. No, please don’t say anything touching. She knew that wouldn’t work, he was always touching and kind, it was the Marchand way. ”Professor Marchand,” Mel spoke up as he walked near their gathering group of students. ”thank you, for everything – for, for being a wonderful professor and for inspiring all of us to be better kinder people in our lives.” she smiled softly before handing him a small tin. ”It has an undetectable extension charm on it…and its cookies” smiling up at him for a moment she just felt herself getting choked up again when Professor Marchand thanked her for her spirit…that was, great. ”thank you,” merlin. She was going to miss his classes. Gaston had to blink several times and bite his lip hard to stop it from trembling as Mel thanked him for inspiring everyone to be kinder. He'd always tried to live his life with kindness in hopes that it would rub off on others, but hearing that it had actually happened... that was more than he could've hoped for! He took a deep breath. No, no, he wasn't going to cry again... at least not until he was alone in his office. He smiled silently. How did he even begin to reply to that? "Thank you, Mel," he said. "I couldn't ask for any higher praise than that!" Then she handed him a tin of cookies; he couldn't resist lifting the lid and taking a nibble of one. "These are delicious!" he exclaimed after he finished eating. "Best cookies I've ever had!" ~~Don't tell his mother - or worse, his friend Lorraine - that he said that!~~ He would definitely be sharing these with Rose when he got home. Maybe he could liquify one of them and give Desiree a little taste too... sometime when Rose wasn't looking, of course. She'd probably hex him if she caught him doing that! The cookie only served to remind him that he still hadn't eaten. Now that the sadness of the goodbyes had subsided for now, he realized he was starving! He looked around. Going back to the staff table tear-stained and exhausted was not an option! He thought he would just grab something from the kitchens and head back to his office, but he wanted to stay with his Lions for as long as possible. He nervously ran a hand through his dark hair as he looked around the table at everyone and asked, "Would you mind if I join all of you for dinner tonight?" __________________ Old voices I had thought long since dead whisper of another life I might have led If I could take that second chance, If I could make my life anew, If only dreams came true...