Graduation was done, Hogwarts was done. He was going to meet his best friend, Katie Mae.

When he did see her, Orlando was taken aback, for reasons he wasn't sure of. He had never seen her skate. And now that he did, his eyes gleamed. It was, as if, the wind danced with her, complimented her - Orlando wasn't sure how to find words to explain - it had been too long since he had seen her, maybe that was what caused the heartache.

His lips pulled into a smile though, and arms opened wide when she finally saw him.

Landon's dry eyes stared back into Aly's watered ones.

His dry throat failed to form words, his blank mind failed to proceed, and his heart decided to beat an empty tone. He remembered how he had fallen hard for her, remembered how every look she gave him, had taken his breath away, and how every time they had kissed, Landon had wanted to stay in that moment forever. And then each of those feelings had gone away, when she had been with another guy.

Every memory had transformed into a nightmare, and all he could see: was her with him.

He saw her go from boys after boys, crying when they broke her heart. It killed him but he could do nothing, except try and help her pick up the pieces of her heart. Nevaeh passed him all these looks, he avoided them all. Emery was oblivious. Always in love with someone, always someone who was not him.

"Can I crash here tonight?," she asked, and Quill smiled, letting her rest her head on his thigh. He had gotten very good at pretending. His fingers threaded in her hair, stroking gently. Her breathing got slower and he sighed: "Oh Emery .."

This party was boring, and so very formal. He didn't want to be here. Orlando was just smiling and shaking hands, talking about his work - checking his watch for the time again and again. There was restlessness in him - a restlessness with a reason.

His wife was that reason. His eyes searched for her and then realized, she was just there, smiling and talking to people. His eyes followed her as she walked around the room, unable to resist. While everyone there marveled at his photography pasted all around the room, he marveled at how beautiful she was.

"I don't think I have ever found the right words to explain how much I love you, Maria. I have tried and tried, and it just never came out right. But now I think, I have the right words," Maria's brow rose as she watched her now husband take the stage, mic in hand, at their reception.

The music came on and Maria hid her face in her hands - "Oh God, Landon!" Emery Renaldi, cheered on very loudly - along with people who hooted. And the singing began: "I believe in miracleeees, where are you frooom? you sexy thiiing!"

It was just some silly twirling, because KT did not dance. Or did she? He didn't know. And Orlando just ... it was all warm. In the end the moment staying and subsiding within itself as music felt like to be playing somewhere far. Orlando just held her .. moving even when their feet were not. "I miss you .." his lips moved to say and blink.

KT was gone. The fire was gone. The trip was gone. Orlando remained though, making sense of reality as his eyes tried to understand the moving images out a glass window.

Oh.

He had been dreaming.

"How long are you going to do this, Mr Renaldi," Maria asked, as she once again accepted the lilies, Landon brought her. He had been doing this for a while now - every day, since he had figured out she was working at the Ministry, as well.

"Until you let me take you out for coffee, Miss Brown." he said, following her as she walked ahead. "Why do you insist?" she asked, and he smiled. "Because I think I have fallen in love with you, honeybee."

Maria rolled her eyes, "how long have you known me, now?"

"Three perfect weeks."

Quidditch captain, popular and a very proud Gryffindor - always running, always doing something, that was Reginald Renaldi. The teachers were either fed up of him or patting him on the back for being utterly ridiculous. At the time, Hogwarts was life. What was to come after, he didn't know and part of him never wanted to find out.

He didn't want to play Quidditch professionally, he didn't want to settle he did not have a plan, he was clueless about the future.

That was until, a certain Hufflepuff finally said yes and went to have a butterbeer with him.

They had come so far. Sometimes, Orlando just liked to sit there, trying to understand how did this happen exactly? This mess, that they both were right now. From the Gryffindor Common Room to a table in a corner of Leaky Cauldron with the glasses of fire-whiskey.

She was suffering more than him, of course. He was not much of a help. He did try to be around her whenever he could. Orlando didn't really like leaving her alone. He could not tell if it was for his own sake or hers.

"Another one, Lex?" She nodded and he poured.

Her eldest kid was so shy, it made Emery roll her eyes - was that bad? It probably was. And ever since Griffin had come into their lives, Quinten was disappearing more and more into his own world.

Emery poked his cheek, when she found him sitting all alone, at his own party.

"You know, I am probably too old for you and will probably ruin all this swag that you have going on over here, but would you like to dance with this old lady of yours?"

The seven year old's cheeks flushed and Emery batted her lashes: "Pleaaase?"

They were suppose to be getting married, Maria remembered. Her eyes, lips, throat - everything felt dry. She had cried too much, she had forced herself to breathe properly for too long. It was only a matter of time, though.

Landon would open his eyes and her world would be right again. Their world.

It had been fourteen hours, forty three minutes since he had opened his eyes, called out for her, and gripped her hand.

So she sat there, holding his hand, waiting, hoping - until, he opened his eyes and looked at her like he didn't know her.

"WE ARE NOT STEALING."

"It's not stealing, Quilly, it's avenging your best friend's honor," Nevaeh explained slowly - like talking to a child. Emery, on the other hand, giggled uncontrollably.

"When does the plan go down?" she asked, practically bouncing on her feet.

"When the sun goes down and Landon is fast asleep." Nevaeh said, as they all spied into Emery's big brother and supposedly the villain-in-her-life's room.

"But what if we get caught?" Quill asked.

"Then you run, Quilly. You run for your life, and not look back." Emery replied, in a dramatic tone.

Quill sighed and shook his head.

Alana was sure this will change a lot of things. The passing of her dad was not a surprise but what she was not prepared for was how real it would become, the moment everyone left her house. She sat on the steps of her porch, not sure how could she go in a house that was now so alone - so empty. Ever since she remembered, her dad had always been there. But now it was just her.

"You want to stay at my place tonight?"

Alana looked up, a small smile pulling at her lips. "You didn't leave."

It had been a while since he had laughed this much, and over a silly muggle movie. The credits rolled up, and Orlando wiped a tear from the corner of his eye – a smile lingering on his lips. When he turned, he found Lydia’s eyes were on him. It left him a little taken aback, and for a second, he wondered, how long had she been watching him. It didn’t seem like her attention had been at the movie.

He blinked and she looked away, another small pause and he said: – “I had a good time,”

She smiled, “Me too.”

Quill’s hand was on Emery’s mouth, not letting her squeal and another hand stayed on Nevaeh’s back patting her awkwardly as she shed a tear of joy.

He was getting too old for this. And try as he might, he couldn’t avoid looking – he was practically being forced to, because of Emery and Nevaeh’s need to spy. He only wondered what Noel will think of this, when he figured out that this is what the three of them were doing; watching him stand on the porch of neighbor’ house, holding the neighbor’s daughter’s hand.

Noel’s very first date.

Definitely too old.

“Just stay like that, yes,” Orlando said, not being able to help himself from smiling when the girl so shyly looked away from the camera. “Can I please get a smile?” he asked, watching as the girl looked up and smiled. Click.

“You are good at this, you know,” he heard Lydia say from behind him.

“I don’t have to do much, they all are just wonderful kids,” he said, turning to look at her. “I am glad you asked me to do this,” he added, re-setting his camera on the tripod in her direction. “Now smile,” he grinned.

Click.

Maria stared.

“Why does he look so happy?”

Emery had been looking the other way but the moment she saw who Maria was referring to, she rolled her eyes. “Because that’s Aunt Edna”

Maria gave her a look. “Isn’t she a little too young..” and a little too provocatively
exposed. “..to be your aunt?”

Emery shrugged, before whispering: “Watch this.” She marched over to where Landon was standing with the young aunt and elbowed him. “Why Aunt Edna, did Landon tell you he is getting married?” The young aunt gasped and pinched Landon’s cheek, “Really Lan Lan?”

Maria laughed hysterically.

It was the first time, he was letting himself feel anything. For the first time, Orlando was actually recalling the memories of his time in Hogwarts with Ryden; memories of seven years ago.

It wasn’t because he had changed, and he didn’t remember how he had fallen for her. Loved her. It was because he knew how empty she had left him when she had broken up with him. And so he was fighting against every instinct and hurting her. He was forcing himself to hate her.

But with each drink it got harder to hate, and easier to breathe.

“She actually looks scared, Ryden,” the seventeen year old Orlando laughed, watching as his girlfriend scared off a third year.

“Good. I don’t understand why she was looking at you like that, does she not see me?” The ravenclaw complained – still eying the now very uncomfortable girl standing near the book shelf.

“I think she does, can you please look at me now?” he tried – using his fingers to turn her face to his. Seeing how annoyed she really was, the Gryffindor smiled and leaned down to place a small kiss on her lips. “Now she knows I am taken.”

This was such a familiar scene for Alana. Maria’s head rested in her lap, like Landon’s usually did when he was stressed and in need of comfort.

The girl had been reluctant at first, standing by Alana’s bedroom door – with tears in her really red eyes. “You are my daughter too, Maria,” Alana had said and pulled Maria into her embrace – leading her to lay down and rest.

Alana felt sad, not only for his son but for the girl. She didn’t deserve this much pain, neither did Landon.

“Don’t you worry, sweet heart,” she whispered, “all will be fine,”

“You did it!”

“NO! YOU DID IT!”

Four year old Orlando watched as his brother and sister fought. His eyes shifted to the broken vase, and then back at them. He contemplated crying, because that usually had mama running to him and everything else in the room stopped.

“It was her favorite vase, Landon,” Emery panicked.

“That’s why you shouldn’t have done it,” Landon retorted.

“DON’T LIE. YOU KNOW YOU DID IT,”

“I DID NOT! YOU PUSHED ME!”

“YOU PULLED MY PONY,”

“Okay. How about we say Orlando did it?”

Emery’s eyes widened. “She won’t believe us!”

Orlando started crying.

Emery wasn’t really the beauty queen. She was a wild child, or so she believed. But she had always had those dreams: to be noticed, to walk into a room and look the prettiest. Despite her claiming it wasn’t so, in some part of her heart, Emery had always wished to be that popular girl everyone knew, liked and loved. It never really happened.

But then Nevaeh was suddenly her best friend. She had realized why she never fit in with others.
Suddenly, Quill had wanted to kiss her. And she had been glad no other guy had wanted her.

It was the aftermath of one of Raine’s dinner nights.
Orlando was engrossed in talking, and while Lydia washed the dishes, he dried them.

He had been talking a lot lately. He watched as Lydia shook her head at something he said – smiling all the same. “I am telling you, it really happened!”

“I don’t believe it,” she said, handing him another plate.

There was a pause then. Orlando looked around the empty kitchen, actually enjoying the simple task at hand. Something inside pushed, and he simply asked: “Go out on a date with me?”

“Okay,” was Lydia’s simple reply.

“Yes but Legend is really cool, mum!” The eleven year old explained to his mother. “And KT, she – she is pretty cool, too,”

Alana smiled, helping her son unpack. “So you like Hogwarts then?” she asked, knowing the answer.

“Oh it’s the best, mum!”

--

“They graduated, mum,” Orlando explained, as he set the framed picture of his two best friends on his side table. “I don’t really feel like returning,”

“Orlando, you will see them again. Besides, you only have one term left,” Alana Renaldi consoled, taking a seat beside her son.

“Yeah but, Hogwarts won’t be the same,”

“Get over here, Landon!” Emery pulled her big brother to Maria’s side.

“Yes, but I don’t think my profile looks good from this side,” Landon said, slipping his arm round Maria’s waist. Emery just rolled her eyes.
“No Mama, you go in the middle okay!” she directed, and Reginald quietly took his wife’s side before being told where to stand.

“Emery! Griffin will start crying soon,” Quill Grey warned.

“Orlando? Do we look fine?” Emery asked, hurrying to stand next to Quill.

Orlando grinned. “Perfect,” he said, setting his camera on a timer, taking Lydia’s hand and joining his family.