Originally Posted by MeredithRodneyMcKay

Lori looked on the verge of tears as well, and it was all making Sarah feel really bad. Wesley was acting weird, and they were all...Ohh, there just were no words to describe it.

Nodding as Lori filled her in on what she knew, Sarah vigorously shook her head when she said the last bit. "Nooo, no. She's not - dead. Right Wesley?" Although she certainly wasn't good. Why did these situations have to be so hard?....So - neck-crunching? Reaching across as they were both hugged by Wesley, Sarah gripped Lori on the shoulder and smiled weakly at her. "We'll get through this," she whispered.

From her perching position, Sarah looked back and forth between Lori and Trixie as the brunette spoke to her as well. She was so totally wishing she had bought presents now.


Wiping her eye with the sleeve of her robe, Sarah sniffed and blinked at Trixie. She had something for them both? Awww, this day just got worse and worse. Not that a present was bad - that was the sweetest thing ever - it was the fact she knew it was going to make her bawl like a baby in front of everyone.

"Oh Trixie," Sarah smiled, reaching up and rubbing her on the arm. "You've been a great friend for us too, right Lori?" Looking across at her fellow 'Puff, her attention was drawn back though, when the Slytherin continued to talk.

"Oh my goodness..." She was actually speechless for the first time in a long time. A bracelet. A beautiful bracelet. Bottom lip wibbling, Sarah put her hand forward and took her gift from Trixie, examining it, before slipping it onto her wrist. "It's beautiful. THANK YOU!" Now it was her turn to fling herself forward and hug someone. Gripping Trixie around the neck, Sarah sobbed into her shoulder. "I'm going to miss you. I'm going to miss so much about this place and the people...and my friends who are staying. It's not fair." Not. Bloody. Fair.

Originally Posted by imaginarynumb3rs

"I'mmanawdea," the Hufflepuff managed to say through a mouthful of tears and messed up hair, nodding her head up and down. She tried to laugh, but it came out like she was choking.

"Y-you c-could f-flunk your N-N-NEWTS, and r-retake y-your s-seventh year. A-and f-fail again, and then I-I could catchuptoyou,andwecouldbeseventhyearsforever," Wesley offered, stutter-sobbing before dropping into a fast mumbled response. She knew it wasn't a good suggestion. She wanted Sarah and Lori to do well, not fail. And, the idea of them all being fifty-something-year-olds among tweens and young adults, well, even Wesley had to admit was a little rediculous. Besides, the tests were over, and the fifth year just knew Sarah and Lori had done terrific. They would graduate for sure. And she couldn't stop them.

Wesley hugged the two girls tighter, as if by doing so she could stop time and keep them close forever.

"M-me, too, T-tall!K-kid. I-I'll miss y-you too," she replied to Lori. Wesley knew it was the truth; she could feel it under her ribbones, in the little cave where her crushed up, ripped-open heart lived. She was missing Lori already, and school wasn't even over.

"Promise?" Wesley asked, looking up at Sarah through blurry eyes, only to see the older girl crying.

Oh no, no, no. "Sarah - d-don't cry!" she pleaded, reaching a hand towards her in a poor attempt to wipe off her wet cheeks. Handkerchief! Where were Wesley's handkerchiefs? The short Hufflepuff fumbled for her pockets, only to realize her robe was, as it had been for quite some time, inside out. Detangling from the hug around the same time as Sarah pulled away, Wesley brushed back her tangled hair and pulled her robe off, flipping it around and digging inside her pocket.

But the handkerchief wasn't there. In her distress, the Hufflepuff had forgotten to slip one in. Wesley's bottom lip wobbled. She couldn't even remember the last time she'd been without a spair tissue. Not in the last 3 years, at least. Today was just, not a good day.

Shaking her head, loosing her untied tie in the motion, the Hufflepuff looked up and watched the scene unfold. Wesley had never seen the Slytherin girl before, and yet, she felt like she knew her. In her red eyes and sad smile, her shy offering, Wesley understood, connected by mutual sorrow.

She liked the girl - and her creativity. Any guilt over having not prepared a present (and, Merlin knows, there was a lot of it) was overpowered by the appreciation of what this older student offered. It was more than the pretty little gift, it was the love she gave with it. And as hard as it was to listen to Sarah sob, Wesley remained seated, determined not to ruin the moment.

Instead, she turned to looked at the boy and gave him a sad, but never-the-less friendly, smile. Maybe he had a handkerchief.

Originally Posted by Zoerawrr

"Well, shaking implies I, like, grabbed her and flailed her about. But since I only jostled, it's more of a cajoling series of faint nudges," Alex explained, not quite understanding that this was neither the time nor the place.

When he got a charming frown from the Head Girl, Alex nodded solemnly with serious eyes, before cupping his hands around his mouth and mouthing widely, 'Told ya!'

Okay, so maybe he was just trying to inject some humour into the situation by this point.



He was... probably getting a look right now.

Yeah.

Time to diffuse... something. Alex grinned stupidly and offered the Prefect a double thumbs up.

Did you get that?

Double. Thumbs. Up.



"I flunked my NEWTs!" Alex pointed out, maybe a little too brightly. He was trying to integrate himself into the conversation now, because... well... it didn't feel right to just sit there and watch and listen. "I could hang around with ya, Wesley... oh, but... no, actually, my dad will probably get me into work. But you know, it's too late to fail exams and anyway..." Alex had the feeling he was digging himself into an even deeper hole. "The time comes where everyone must leave Hogwarts, but you'll still see everyone. Maybe not everyday but maybe one day it will be like that. You've probably been this upset every last day of term, but you know that you do feel better. You have the whoooooooole summer to go, yet. Then you come back here and it'll be awesome and you can owl people and have friends here. I've been in your situation loads of times. You'll get through, kid."

He tried to give the girl an encouraging smile as he drew his wand. The young man wordlessly conjured up a handkerchief, before passing it to Wesley. It was a fancy one, too, with her name embroidered on the corner in gold stitching. As if to say 'I didn't flunk because I don't know magic'.

Eyeing everyone else, Alex waved his wand a few more times, conjuring up three handkerchiefs. 'Prefect', 'Head Girl', and 'Trixie?'.

He thought that was her name. She could change it later should she need to.

With another wave of his wand, the handkerchiefs flew out to each girl.

There. Now they all had their own snot rag.

Originally Posted by Shanners

Ah, Brielle. She was so adorable, actually. She really was. And that wink, ohhh, Lori knew what that meant; and nodded in response. "I'll miss you." She mouthed, deciding not to say it outloud to alert anyone else to the emotions she was covering up. Saying it aloud meant... well it meant the worst.

What did he just DO?! Did he just GRIN, and give her TWO thumbs up. At this time?! At this distraught, disasterous -- HE WAS PURE EVIL! "... You deserve a slap." The brunette scowled as she turned her attention back to Wesley with a frown before speaking up at him. "Do you not know what time it is? How thin the layer is on my emotions? Don't give me a double thumbs up and a grin, I'd much prefer a hug, thank you very much." Yep. Hugs were nice, and they were pretty and gave reason to cry. They really did.

OH THANK MERLIN! WESLEY WAS ALIVE! SHE WAS REACTING! PHEWWWWW.

The hug between Lori, Sarah and Wesley was probably the most important hug Lorelai had found herself a part of, and she was now sobbing. The thing was, really.. all this term, in her common room, all she'd had was Sarah and Wesley, then Brielle whenever Lori caught her. But she'd known Sarah and Wesley, and knew they both missed Miranda like she did. They'd became what you could call, Miranda-Messengers. They'd talk about her, what they missed and stuff.

It was all so emotional.

Then when Trixie joined them all there, Lori had hastened to use the hanky the male kid person had conjoured, and wibbled as she read what was embroidered on it. She was a prefect still, wan't she? Or did... like.. had she lost that title now that she was graduating? Oh. Merlin. She was so keeping this forever. "Th.. Thanks, kid." She hyperventilated her response, and caught the end of Trixie's speech thing, and took the present in her hands, before wailing again, turning to squish Trixie and sob onto her shoulder.

"I.. It's BEAUTIFUUUUUUUUUUUL." And she loved it, but now she was crying, and there wasn't much she could do about it.