Love, Life, Learning

“Yeah, makes sense. As time runs out we can’t help but re-think everything.”

“Yeah. Maybe it’s good though, that we can get a chance to step back for a moment and really try to figure everything out.”

“Yes! You just can’t be unhappy at one. It just doesn’t work,” she said before listening to her other words. “I hope so too. I think if we didn’t cling to good times like these, we wouldn’t make it through the bad times.”

“Hey, I’m not dead,” Newt said. “I’ll just be at Cambridge. Easy to reach,” he told her with a smile. “I’ve always got time for my small group of likable Ravenclaws.”

“That’s true,” she admitted, smiling back at him. “And I am honored to be included in such a small number,” she added with a grin.

“I doubt that will happen to people’s true friends.”  

“That’s true. If you want to stay in someone’s life, you’ll make an effort to do so. I just think it’s sad, some people I’m friendly with but not enough to meet up with after school is over or anything.”

“It is a pretty good way to make sure we get to see everyone and catch up before we all leave.” 

“Yes, exactly! A nice farewell before we all head our separate ways.”

“That counts for something, right?” he said, shrugging his shoulders. 

“Yeah, it does,” she agreed. 

“That’s all you can do,” Luka said with a smile. It was all that any of them could do.

“Exactly. So that’s what we’ll do,” she said.

Justine stroked her thumb across her train ticket to Amsterdam before putting it back in the ticket slot for her wallet. Taking a short break from packing her things to check her list and make sure she was remembering everything, though somehow she always ended up coming home with more than she came with.

“How are you doing, Justine?” Bethany asked softly, not wanting to startle the other girl out of whatever thoughts she was having.

Luka nodded, smiling over at her. “Best of luck, then? Wishing that’s all we can really do for people at this point, I’m afraid.”

“Yeah, but it’s better than nothing,” she said, firmly believing that. “So that’s what I’ll do. Hope and wish for the best and just... keep on going, I guess.”

“No… I’m doing much better,” Laya said. “Just need to figure things out in life.”

“Well, at least you’re in the same boat as everyone else,” she said. “I think we’re all doing that right now. Even if we did have plans before, people are rethinking everything,” she said, referencing herself. She knew she still wanted to go to healing school, but she was questioning a lot.

“Any new place is like that, really. We get really caught up in what’s around us but there’s a lot more out there than that,” Luka explained. He nodded at her words. “Hopefully we can all find it.”

“Yeah, that’s true. Our views can be very narrow,” she said, thinking about how true that as for a lot of people, including herself some times. “Hopefully,” she echoed. 

“Well, the good news is, I think we’ve got some time,” Hannah said softly. “They say time can heal anything.”

“That they do. And if so many people say it, I hope they’re right.”

“I’m not saying that you need to live your life in fear, or be unhappy. That’s not you. But I think you can better avoid those things if you’re really looking at what’s around you,” Newt said. “But that’s just my opinion. You could take it or leave it.”

She smiled at his words. “I think you’re right. Now I’m just worried, who’s going to help me make sense of things when we’re not in the same House anymore?” she asked, mostly joking, but also a little seriously. She had grown to depend on Newt to explain things frankly to her, especially as they had wandered into territory she had no experience with, with the politics.

“Yeah, but I imagine we’ll still see one another from time to time. Even if it won’t be the same.” 

“That’s true. I don’t want to lose touch with a lot of people, especially you and Rory.”

“Yes, of course. You are more than welcome to visit me. It would be fun to share my new life with someone.” 

“That would be amazing! And I’m glad we’re making plans. I’m sort of worried we’re all going to go our separate ways after school and never see each other again.”