Finally it was the end of the year but then again there was a feast. The brunette looked around at all of the house tables and then over at the staff table. She had a very horrible first impression of this school, of the house she was sorted into and lastly the Prefects in her house then last time she had attend a feast.

The seventh year really hoped that this time around would be different. She wanted it to be different but she knew that she didn't really want to be at this table, these people didn't welcome here when she has transfered here at the beginning of term. Larissa was trying not to be bitter about being sorted into Gryffindor but there were some days when she just couldn't help it.

She wouldn't say anything bad about Gryffindor out loud. It was mostly just in her thoughts. She rarely even talked about what happened at the start of term feast. The Gryffindor lioness wanted to be positive about this feast. With everything that had happened to her a few months ago she wanted to forget about those events and attempt to enjoy herself here. Larissa took a seat at her house table and waited for more people to file in.

Okay so... she had survived her first year at Hogwarts mostly unscathed. Aside from getting TIED UP AND TORTURED TWICE IN ONE YEAR it had been pretty decent considering how homesick she was the whole time. Plopping into a seat she propped her elbow on the table and looked around. She wasn't going to be like most kids and pine for the place while she was gone, but she was going to not HATE the thought of coming back next term. Heh.

Now. The hard part of this feast? Knowing that her Papa Bear and her BFF Weren't going to be here with her next term. Like... what a suck fest. True, she would make new friends and have new people to dote on her and stand up for her, but not THEM. Not. Them. And that gave Dora some sads she hadn't been expecting, to be honest. So yeah. POUTY DORA WAS AMONGST YOU, GRYFFINDORS!! COME FORTH AND LOVE HER!

When Benny stepped into the Great Hall, all the feelings that he had been trying to keep at bay hit him. This was his last end of term feast...this was his last night at Hogwarts. His schooling and life here was soon to be over. He froze in place to take it all in, trying to seem happy about it all but inwardly wracked with sadness and a touch of fear. Granted he knew where he was going but that didn't help the swarm of butterflies at the thought that he was moving on.

He'd no longer be a seventh year...but a full blown adult.

Swallowing, he headed towards the Gryffindor table. One foot after the other with as much confidence as he could muster. As much drama and avoidance of his house table he had had at the start of term, for obvious reasons, he couldn't stay away this time around. Benny wanted to be surrounded by his housemates for one last time.

SPOILER!!: Benny! <3

Quote:

Originally Posted by Holmesian Feline

When Benny stepped into the Great Hall, all the feelings that he had been trying to keep at bay hit him. This was his last end of term feast...this was his last night at Hogwarts. His schooling and life here was soon to be over. He froze in place to take it all in, trying to seem happy about it all but inwardly wracked with sadness and a touch of fear. Granted he knew where he was going but that didn't help the swarm of butterflies at the thought that he was moving on.

He'd no longer be a seventh year...but a full blown adult.

Swallowing, he headed towards the Gryffindor table. One foot after the other with as much confidence as he could muster. As much drama and avoidance of his house table he had had at the start of term, for obvious reasons, he couldn't stay away this time around. Benny wanted to be surrounded by his housemates for one last time.

Adi had spotted his Benny when he joined the Lion table but he himself had been occupied by conversations so it took him a while to get away. He happily bounded over to the Lions, wedging himself down next to his boyfriend.

"Benny!'' he said and reaching for one of the other boy's hand. See, Adi knew what Benny was feeling. He could try to cover it but this Badger knew him too well. "It'll be alright,'' he said, giving the hand in his grasp a reassuring squeeze. The Puff was there to help him through.

Zander hadn’t even had the chance to say goodbye yet. Hadn’t said goodbyes to most of his professors… Hadn’t said goodbye to the house elves, even Toddles. Of course there’d be some time tonight to run to the kitchens and eat a midnight snack. There’d still be some time to run to the treehouse and appreciate it’s glory. There’d still be some time. But there wouldn’t be enough of it.

In reality, maybe that’s why Zander felt so uneasy about graduating. There wasn’t enough time. Not enough time to get his future together. Not enough time to amend his past. Not enough time to enjoy the present. He felt like he was running out of time and it was suffocating. Though uh, he didn’t want anyone else to see right through him… So he put on a smile.

After having dropped Sophie off at her table, the Gryffindor finally made way over to his. Noticing Larissa first, the Head Boy walked over to her with his weak smile in place. ”Congratulations,” he nodded. ”Surviving even a year at this place is kind of a real accomplishment,” Zander would know. He got a kid killed in his Fifth Year. These things happened. Survival was rare.

But he didn’t sit down yet, instead moving a little further along the table, waving over at Benny and Adi. ”Congrats, boys.” Fellow Seventh Years. Why did it feel like everyone was a Seventh Year? ”We did it,” he didn’t sit with them either, however. Instead, he found himself walking over to a lonesome first year. Dora Umbridge. An interesting character. One Zander had first been very weary of… But then came to see as almost a sort of younger sibling. As he slid onto the bench in a spot across from the girl, he gave her a small sort of smile. ”Hey, why the long face?”

Dressed in his Gryffindor uniform, Yoongi loosened his tie a little as he walked towards the Gryffindor table. As he found a place, he sat down on the bench and grabbed a goblet of water. He drank it in two gulps and poured in some more. Next year would be his final year.

Taking out the lipbalm from his pocket, Yoongi applied it as he looked around. His eyes gazed to the Hufflepuff table every now and then. Drinking the water again, the sixth year tapped his fingers on the table and waited for the food to appear. He knew he should congratulate them but they seemed to be busy with others so he waited and looked over at the Hufflepuff table again.

GRYFFINDOR TABLE it was. He probably looked so silly with a basket on his arm, full of FLOWERS. His blue eyes were misty, though, and he had tissues hidden in almost every pocket currently stitched into his clothing.

Merlin.

Lots of seventh years over here! He made his way towards Larissa, first, one of his more quiet students. He smiled at her and handed her a flower. "Here you go, m'dear. I hope your endeavors after Hogwarts will continuously bless you fruitfully!" he nodded at her and then approached the other couple, Benny and Adi. Ahh. He smiled at them both and held out flowers for each. "Here you both go--thank you so much for being great students. You're both very bright and will do wonderful things!" He nodded and spotted Zander, again. Well...he'd already given him his flower! YOU CAN'T HAVE TWO, ZANDER.

Gosh.

He quickly sped off to another table.

This was the last feast. The end of his time at hogwarts, the end of his student career... For now, unless he decided to actually go the track of his classmates and peers and head off to University. The thought of more school only made him feel slow, heavy, like he was wading through molasses wearing a pair of anvils for shoes. His robes, he'd spent his whole time at Hogwarts hating the things, but now he wore them with affection, pride and a hint of melancholy that was clear in the boy's large eyes as he sat amongst his fellow lions.

He found himself taking in everything about the Great hall, every tiny detail from the threaded tapestries, to the feeling of the smooth would table under his fingers. This place had been so much a part of who Damien had grown into. He had fallen in and out of love here, gotten into trouble, nearly died, but merlin had he lived. Damien knew, without a thought that he wouldn't be who he was without Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and he would always be thankful for every second he had spent in these classrooms and dorms.

But.

But there was something missing.

The hall was as colorful as ever, but it all seemed grey to him without that bright blip of pink at the Slytherin house table. Rowena Hazelwood had left Hogwarts last term and Damien Anderson-Belfort had never ached more for the presence of his always best friend and occasional (when he'd been lucky), girlfriend. It stung, not just his eyes but his overwhelmed heart to know that Rorie wasn't here to send him off. That she wasn't back home waiting to congratulate him in her nonchalant way...

He missed her more than he could put into words, but still. He stayed seated, even as his vision blurred with tears he choked down. Tonight was abut beginnings. He needed to remember that and stop thinking of endings.

Merlin, he wished Amelia was here.

Ellery's skin shone with the kind of radiance that could only come from uncontrollable excitement, but also a PURPOSE. A kind of pursuit of happiness, one could say, and that happiness was a bit bittersweet. It was weird how emotional everyone was, but the bittersweetness Ellery had was more focused on one person: Ethan. Ethan, aka one of her FAVORITE PEOPLE EVER, was leaving this weird school forever, and she wanted witness to that. At the same time, however, she was heading home to her daddies and to Colin and to having Olly a wall away for an entire summer, so that was very exciting.

Ellery sat down primly, folded her napkin into a crane, and let out a HUUUUUGE YODEL. New tradition, perhaps?

Hellllloooo Gryffindors. Hellloooooo Ellery.

Oliver ran over to the Gryffindor table as soon as he'd seen his sister sat down. It had been pretty impressive too, considering the Gryffindor table was all the way on the other side of the Great Hall. Who made decisions like that? They should petition to change it. Or he and Ellery could just sit at each other's tables. That was a better solution.

Olly took the seat right next to Ellery and immediately squished himself against her and wrapped his arms around her in a squishy Borzekowski-Thomas sort of hug. Then he linked their elbows together. His right in her left.

He forgot that he had not actually said anything yet as he surveyed the Gryffindor table. None of his other Gryffindor friends were there yet. No Blaise. No Noelle. And no Charlotte Kettleburn which was just fine thank you very much. There was Zander. Olly offered the Head Boy a smile, but he was probably busy or whatever. There was Professor Myers too, who just got a sort of confused blink. Weren't the staff members supposed to be up at their table being all important and stuff? Whatever. Olly turned his attention back toward his sister and grinned.

"We're gonna see Colin tomorrow."

Angel sat down at the Gryffindor Table, she looked around and waved at a few people... she was a bit upset because a few of her friends were leaving this term. She looked up to see if she could see anyone she knew but alas it seems her sister AJ was running a bit late, though there was Larissa there and she got a nice smile of Angel.

Norah had only lingered at the Hufflepuff table for long enough to wave at all her badger babies (they WERE her babies, okay? She was 16 now AND a prefect, it was only fair) before heading towards the Gryffindor table. She'd never sat at anybody else's table before, but if anybody asked she could blame it on Yoongi. It was his fault, after all. Even the short amount of time she'd been by her table had been long enough to see him look over like a bazillion times. Or twice. Same thing.

She sat down right next to him and gave him a soft nudge with her elbow just in case he hadn't noticed her presence (you never can tell with boys), then leaned over the table to get a good look at everybody who was there. Adi got a smile and a wave--she'd have to give him a good hug later--and cutiepie Olly got one too. His twin sister got a smile too, but nothing more just in case she took it as a cue to do another back flip and break her head open or something. It was a wonder Norah had gotten through the entire year without accidentally burning the entire school down, the last thing she needed was a broken Gryffindor on the very last day of term. Plus, it'd probably stink for Ellery to be broken. Very bad idea, clearly. Very very bad.

Professor Myers got a thumbs up for being AWESOME, and Zander did too, but there was no telling if he'd notice. He looked awfully pre-occupied, but sometimes talking to a first year could do that to a person. Not that they weren't lovely or anything, but y'know. Maybe Sophie Brown would show up TOO and make everything better, 'cause apparently she was good at that.

End of term feast. Kaycee was not prepared. Her two favorites were leaving her today and she was honestly completely distraught about it. Would the feast cheer her up? Not at all. But a girl had to eat.

She took a seat at the table and immediately looked for Cinna. Hopefully the older girl had no plans because Kaycee totally planned on taking up her entire dinner.

HER FIRST END OF TERM FEAST

Except Noelle wasn't feeling up to it.

She wanted to go off to the treehouse and just stay there until it was over. She still had packing to do. She was dreading it though. Every day closer meant one more hour, minute, second to being locked up and thrown away the key. Not to mention, she would miss her Sabbie.

Those two were inseperable. Best friends. Amigos. They saw each other everyday. Spent most of the day together. And now, in just a few short days, she would be packed on the train and sent off to the grounding of a lifetime.

Hence, the not feeling the /end/ of term feast.

Noelle slipped into an empty seat and forced herself to eat a bit. She needed to. She looked around at all the students looking sad and feelsy. She knew their pain, but not for the same reasons probably.
Sigh.

This. Was. It.

The last end of term feast. The last night at Hogwarts. The one thing she had been waiting for for months was here. Now that it was here she was starting to dread it. But it was here and tomorrow she'd be on the train on way home. This thought made going to the end of term feast easier to get ready and go to. A bit anyway.

Cinna was dragging herself from the Gryffindor tower all the way down to the great hall. It was a slow walk all the way down. Finally after talking to just about every portrait she was heading to the great hall and over to the Gryffindor table. Now she was really dragging her self to the table. She thought about visiting the other tables later. Then there was the memory book something that she had no plans on doing and visiting the staff table if she had time.

Finally she was at the Gryffindor table. Larissa was the first person she seen. She walked right by her and give her the friendliest smile she could give out at the moment to her anyway. On down from her was Benny and Adi they both got a wave and a better smile then Larissa got. "Hey, guys. Last end of term feast." Her smile turned into a frown as she heard what she had said. It was the first time saying in out loud.

Hearing what Zander had said perked her up a bit. "Yes, we did. We all made it. Congrats, guys" also looking at Damien, too when she spoke up. She felt a little but better now. They had made it and this was the last time they'd be here to. It was hard to believe that this was it. Their time at Hogwarts was ticking down. She finally picked out a place to sit right between Kaycee and Noelle. She honestly couldn't say anything to them right now. She didn't want to leave them. She leaned over one at a time and give them a hug.

She was hungry and ready to eat. One thing she'd miss about this place was the food. The hous elves always out did themselves every start and end of term feast and everyday really.

She looked at around the great hall. She was not going to cry tonight. She was not going to cry at all.

Ellery was feeling a bit sick for some reason, anxiety or SOMETHING, but when she felt a familiar pair of arms -

"'lo, Ol," she said with a slight smile, returning the squish and leaning against him. She was a girl of few words at the moment, for some reason. Very thoughtful.

"I know. I can't wait. And I can't wait to see you again." As in, quality time. He'd get what she meant.

Cutty gave a passing glance to the Hufflepuff table, but only just once. When he reached his destination of gold and red he made sure to find Adair for the expressed purposes of squeeezing into the seat on top of/IMMEDIATELY next to Zander...

Leading with his backside, of course.

Once he'd swung his long legs into the seat he turned to face Adair. A look of perfectly replicated surprise washed over the boy's dark features. "Oh...Ey, Zander. I didn't see yer there." He said casually.

Yes, you did, Cutty Mordaunt! YES. YOU. DID. >__<

Gyrffindor table ROUND TWO!

Paul spotted a Mr. Anderson-Belfort right away. The boy had seemed so sad lately, so out of touch. He hoped he was all right...so as he approached the boy he was gentle in his motions and spoke softly. "Damien? This is for you--for graduating--" he smiled as he handed him the flower. "If you have only learned one thing from me--that the flesh eating fir is not a REAL flesh eater--then I am happy." He chuckled, hoping his little teasing gesture at least got a flicker of a grin? maybe? "I hope in whatever you decide to do, you are happy!" He nodded and patted his shoulder a bit before moving towards Cinnamon Bayless.

"Ah, Cinna--" he smiled and handed her a flower. "May your zeal and your sense of humor carry you on through your journey, making it more enjoyable for you!" he nodded at her and...well.

Before his feels could get the best of him, PAUL WAS OUT OF HERE. AGAIN.

Slowly but surely, more people started trickling in. And Zander was actually quite relieved because well, it would’ve been a miserable feast if no one showed up. Though… He wouldn’t have to worry about sharing the food? But no, he was glad people were coming. People including Professor Myers because Professor Myers was a people. Who was running over from table to table. Zander just chuckled to himself. What a man.

Kind of disappointing that he only got a year of Myer’s. Zander had actually grown kind of fond of the guy…. Sort of.

Then there was Damien Anderson-Longname. Zander simply gave a small nod in his direction, knowing quite well that they’d have the chance to bro out tonight in the dorms. Speaking of which, Zander still had to pack. Maybe Damien could help? Or maybe they could just spend the night staying up and laughing about stupid things that didn’t really matter. Hopefully the latter. Zander didn’t want to sleep tonight. He wanted to soak everything in for the last time. Hopefully Benny wouldn’t mind.

As others came in, Zander smiled. Taking note of all the familiar faces. Man, it’d be so different not seeing these same people everyday. It was surreal.

Though, one thing did catch his attention. And that one thing was a Hufflepuff. Uh, Norah did know her table was over there right? Zander curiously let his eyes follow her as she made her way to a seat near— Oh. AHA! He had seen that one coming. Of course. Seeing her thumbs up, Zander just gave her a knowing grin, making sure to nod over at Yoongi too. Ah yeah. Sixth years, HE SEES YOU. HE SEEEEEES YOU. Ahem. Interesting match up though. All Botros’s doing, probably.

Again he turned his head, hearing a familiar voice approach from behind. Cinnamon Bayless. One of his first few friends here. ”Yeah, we did.” he smiled. Man. Yet another person he’d miss. This wasn’t fun. They promised fun. WHERE WAS THE FUN???

Speaking of fun.


Um.

He was being sat on.

By Cutty Mordaunt, no less.

How is it that every time Cutty was around, Zander seemed to be ten times more uncomfortable than normal. "Uh," blink. The Gryffindor's own face perfectly mirrored that surprise that the Slytherin wore on his. See this is where Zander forgot how to communicate momentarily. Because how the heck does one go around addressing this situation? Um. "Cutty?" uh. "What brings you to the Gryffindor table?" And also to Zander's lap?

"Joost checkin' in on yer, Adair. Makin' sure yer got yer last paycheque and that yer don't go owt 'n spend it tall on soomthin' foolish." He said stroking the lion's mane. "Yer gotta vault at Gringotts."

H'mm. Mysterious absence of a question mark. That was because Cutty had opened him one specifically for the money made off of the reality show he'd made Zander the star of without the knowledge or consent of Adair. Zander had a career and was going places, even if he had not realized. "Yew oughtter put it in there fer safe keepin'." Exploitation...with heart.

Oh. Uh. "Oh yeah, I uh, did get it, thanks," But some bad news... Zander did spend it all. Again he felt the object in his robe pocket get a little heavier. It wasn't a foolish buy though. Or at least, he didn't think it was. He'd have to wait until the end of the feast to find out for sure though, it sort of... Depended.

And though the hair stroking was incredibly strange, Zander was pretty impressed that Cutty came all the way over to make sure Zander had gotten his paycheck. See, and people had been worried when they found out he was going to work for the Slytherin! All nonsense. Cutty was completely trustworthy. He'd never do anything without telling Zander about it first.

......Right?

Except Zander didn't exactly have a vault at Gringotts, but the fact that Cutty kind of assumed... Made Zander feel embarrassed to admit otherwise. So he just nodded. "Oh good call, I will!" Ahem.

Also, ummmm... "Thanks for setting me up with the job, Cutty, it's been a lot of fun." Y'know, while it lasted.

Rising up ceremoniously through the middle of the Gryffindor table, Sir Nicholas puffed out his chest and appreciated the colour choices of this evening. Precisely the colours he liked best seeing this time of year.

"GOOD EVENING, GRYFFINDORS! I DO believe congratulations are in order."

He did indeed!

Marsha wasn’t ready for this. At all. Ever. Nope.

If she didn’t go to the feast, did that mean it wouldn’t happen and that term wouldn’t end? Not likely… it would just mean she wouldn’t get to say goodbye to her favourite people who were leaving tomorrow. Leaving for good. Biting her lip as she made a slow descent towards the Great Hall, Sha tried to reign in her heart and her potential tears from falling. She hadn’t even made it to TALKING to said favourite seventh years who were leaving yet.

This was going to be a mess.

Sighing internally, Sha pushed her way through the Great Hall doors and towards the Gryffindor table. Aunt Xandra. Cutty. Adi. Logan. Puck. Zander. Benzi. Sophie. She didn’t want any of them to leave but she knew that that wasn’t how it worked and that you had to move onwards and upwards, just like everyone else.

Not ready to sit next to someone that could make her cry, and unable to see Rusty or Lance at the feast yet Marsha sat down on the other side of Yoongi and gave both him and Norah a small, mostly depressed wave. Almost nothing of the excited, vibrant daily Marsha remained right now as her stomach flipped and she tried to remember that she had a lot - A LOT - of friends who remained at Hogwarts with her next year. AJ, Suri, Lance, Rusty, Yoongi, Dot, Norah, Aunt Alyssa... and Mels was starting next year too according to Uncle Thunder. This wasn’t something that was completely horrible, it was just horrible.

Sighsigh.

Slowly, she lifted her eyes up so that she could look around the hall trying to find the people that she needed to talk to before the end of the feast. It would be a long night.

Yoongi stopped looked over at the Hufflepuff table when he couldn’t find a certain Prefect. He would have time later, maybe he could ask her his question in the train or at the platform. He drank his water and looked at Zander who suddenly nodded at him and the Gryffindor figured it was just a greeting when he felt a soft nudge against his arm as someone sat down next to him.

Seeing the girl he had been searching for sitting there, Yoongi smiled. Did she have like a radar or something ? Because she walked up to him or sat next to him most of the times when they were in the same room. No matter how big the room was. And then he remembered what Professor Myers had told him and he quickly drank some water again. “Hey Norah” he said, glad that he sounded normal.

A distraction came in the form of Marsha and he watched her sit down on his other side. She didn’t look happy and you didn’t need to be a genius to figure out why that was. He knew she had a lot of friends, especially seventh years and they were all leaving and never returning after this night. “Don’t be sad, Marsha” he grinned and poked her head a little. “We won the House Cup, come on, smile~ “ he said before he looked at Norah again.

“Hey, can I ask you something?” he asked. It was now or never.