When it was time to leave the castle, Charlie had practically raced towards the train. She'd wanted to leave since the moment that they hadn't been physically able to, and now, as she loaded her trunk on with the help of a levitation charm, she let out a relieved sigh. This was it, the moment she'd been waiting for all term: on her way home, to see Tristan, to stay will Elodie and Cat, to visit Paris and work for Tam.

Only, the Ravenclaw thought, pushing her trunk to the back of the compartment and sitting on it, now that the moment had arrived, it was pretty bitter-sweet.

This meant that she was a seventh year, that her last term at Hogwarts was closer than ever. And while she had been ready to graduate since she realised what she wanted to do afterwards, Charlie still felt sad at the thought.

The thing making her most sad, though? Elodie and Cat. Leaving. Forever.

Leaving her in that stupidly big castle. Alone. Right now, Charlie was ignoring the thought of her other friends to wallow alone in self pity. Who cared that she was going to see them during the summer? They weren't going to be on the train with her on her first day, or there for partner reasons in lessons, or for food and lollipops and fruit throwing and cuddles and everything else.

Charlie wasn't ready for this.

Making sure all her stuff was okay and alive and there was no one trying to get into it (yay for locks), Elodie was about to head to sit in the Prefects Compartment with her little hamper of goodies for the ones she didn't want to punch square in the face. Well.... that counted just her in the list. But either way, whatever. They'd all done an okay job with their event and she hadn't yet punched any of them. But on her way out, she had stepped aside to let someone past only to grin when she realised it was Choo.

Instead of saying anything, Elodie leant against someone elses trunk and watched until she'd set her trunk down okay.

"I seem to always find you in here, Choo. I think we officially have a place." And it was the last time one of them would be here. Huh. Ironic.

It was only when the person spoke that Charlie actually realised she'd pushed past someone without a second thought or glance, and she blushed a little and felt guilty for a second, before returning to her wallowing in self pity. If said person had been pretty much anyone other than who it was, she would probably have ignored them, or been short, or asked them to leave, but instead, she turned to the older girl, and hopped backwards to sit on her trunk.

"If this is our place," Charlie managed, with all seriousness, "Then that means you have to come back next year."

That made sense, didn't it? Elodie should stay, just for one more year, to keep Charlie company in their own 'official place'. Because it couldn't be their place without her, and Charlie liked the idea of them having a place.

Arms folded across her chest, Elodie watched her close friend with a wavering smile. It got to her more than it should have that she was going to be leaving her behind, because to her Charlie had always been in the same year. Or that was what it had always felt like. And Elodie knew what it was like to be left alone for a year. Alone, of some sort. She played cautiously with the ends of her hair and shook her head. "You think I'd give up freedom to sit with other peoples dirty underwear for you? Nah." Not that she was trying to insinuate that the boys of this school didn't wash their underwear.

Well maybe she was..

"Besides," she started, unfolding her arms and moving to sit beside Choo, "you have other friends that will be coming back. Vinnie, Delilah, Jun.." All people Elodie didn't like. All people Elodie would gladly punch in the face. "I'm sure they'll find some way of keeping you company with their pathetic dramas and little annoying friends." She grinned, knowing she knew exactly what she meant, and leant her head on her shoulder.

"I'll be around even if some stupid weather keeps us from writing. We'll be okay."

They were Charlie and Els.

Elodies insinuation brought a small smile to Charlies face. She shook and bowed her head a little, peering at the older girl through the curtains her hair made. "I don't blame you." Surveying their surroundings, Charlie shuddered at the thought of dirty laundry being in the trunks she was sat amongst. She didn't put it past some of the boys - especially the younger students. "I wish I didn't have to come back." You know, then she could go to uni and see Tristan and Elodie alll of the time.

Please?

"Yeah." Charlie laughed a little and rolled her eyes in response to her friends grin. "At least I'll have some form of amusement." Because there would be too much drama for Charlie to keep up with. "I'll keep you in the know." With a roll of her eyes, she leant against Els, knowing full well that she wouldn't be even the slightest bit interested. She knew Elodie didn't understand why she was friends with them, but as long as it didn't come between them, it didn't matter.

And it wouldn't, because they were Els and Choo. "You better be. But hopefully the awful snow wont be back. Expect tons of letters, okay."

She sighed. "If you come back you can focus on your exams, ace them and then go to uni and you won't have to worry about being locked away in a castle headed for extinction." That was the truth though, or more so it was what Elodie wanted. She wasn't scared for her friend to be coming back for another year because she knew she could tough it out better than a lot of people, but the situations at the school weren't exactly people friendly anymore and bordering on being a joke.

"Oh, please don't!" She had no intention of knowing what the idiots she was getting away from were doing unless it had anything to do with her, and she was more than glad to get away from the little group that liked to bad mouth her at any given chance they got. It was only a matter of time before she let it affect her more than it had already and she beat seven shades of soup out of one of them. Volunteers? "Let me know if any of them die, miss me or fall in some sort of animal dung. I want pictures of the latter." For an eighteen year old, she knew exactly what she'd want to hear and what she wouldn't and she would take every chance to point out what she didn't give a hoot about if presented with it.

"Cat and I will expect one at least once a week and we'll tell you all the bad things about being responsible adults."

Ew: exams. Charlie grimaced a little more. She knew that Els was right, and that she needed her grades for Uni and all the good stuff that came after school. "One more year," she managed with a resigned sigh. Unless the Castle collapsed or whatever bad thing due next term killed her. The thought didn't exactly make her want to go back any more than she already didn't. It was almost a surprise no one had died from the cold in the last year.

She'd been close, although it would have been from the sheer amount she hated the cold rather than, you know, the actual cold weather.

"I'll carry a camera on me at all times." Charlie promised, laughing. She didn't shake her head for fear of knocking Els' lose and hurting her, but she did it mentally. The chance she herself would be near enough to said dung to catch the moment, however, was highly unlikely. Even if it was to get Elodie her promised picture, she wouldn't be ruining her shoes. No sir-ee.

One a week. "Noted." They'd probably be getting one a day unless Charlie found something better to do than write to them. They were so lucky, getting to live together and be FREE together and whatnot. "Tell me the good things, too." Even if she'd get jealous, she'd live vicariously through her friends.

One year wasn't that bad, in hindsight. It could have been two or three and if things went almost normal for Charlie, then she'd have plenty of visitors waiting for her in Hogsmeade. "I'll send you my notes and stuff when I'm done with them." Sure, Charlie had her own notes, but she didn't have Elodie's little post it notes of encouragement and sweetie system alongside it. Oh, no she didn't. People would have assumed she was going into the education route with the dedication she had in these binders of hers. Little quizzes, mazes, colourings, dot-to-dots. Big kid at heart, she really was.

"At all times isn't necessary, Charlotta. I don't want you to have to carry around some sort of ugly bag to carry it." She really was thinking of her friends fashion choices here. She knew her well enough to know that a bad outfit was her worst nightmare and she wasn't going to play any part in that. Nightmares were the worst, and this year had already been plenty. "You do have to carry a bow on you at all times though. Not always in your hair. That's my thing." The lack of one today was because she'd wanted to wear all of them and hadn't been able to decide and had had Olly rolling her eyes at her. Not fun. So she'd gone without.

"You mean the forever supply of Caterina cooking and nights in with Jane Eyre? Oh, of course. We'll blow a balloon up and draw a face on it and pretend it's you." Ever so inclusive.

Weeeelllll.... Sharky was certainly around here somewhere, right? Cat was most willing to bet she'd find her cat in where there were things to be climbing on and hiding behind and maybe digging into. Sharky definitely preferred to be where the adventure was as opposed to where the people were. Except now that she was there, she found a Charlie and an Elodie and not a Sharky. "Whats this, hmm? Best friend theft? I see how it is." Caterina put her hands on her hips and tried to conjure a great authority figure, but then she grinned and ruined the illusion. "Are you planning on staying here the whole way? Have you seen Sharky?"

No? Her either.

"You will? That's amazing, thanks." It was a shame that the NEWTS had been postponed and Els had to do them during her summer - Charlie prayed that it didn't happen next year, too. But everyone knew that Elodie created the most brilliant notes, and that they were perfectly detailed and organised, and she was honestly so thankful that her friend had thought of her like that. Not that Charlie's notes weren't good, they were, but there was something about the older girls. That, and the fact that Charlie pretty much believed that you could never be too prepared for any exam.

.................................................. ... Yeah. She hadn't though about that. She'd never actually seen a nice camera bag, and wouldn't feel okay lumping it in with all of her other stuff. "I could make it work," she mused, unconvincingly, thinking of the fashion death that would be caused if she was to use her fathers brown boxy camera thing. The thought almost made Charlie shudder. Maybe she'd just have to run back for a camera, or remember the scene and recreate it in a drawing? Elodie would like that, right? "Bow." There were nods. Of course she would. Something that was like having Elodie on her at all times.

Except, you know, not at all anything like the real thing. "I'll remember that."

Caterina cooking. Classics. Charlie pouted a little and groaned inwardly. "You're making me jealous already." And it was basically official now that she was going to be spending a lot of time there over the summer. As if on cue, Cat herself was in the compartment with them, and Charlie offered her a little wave and a small smile. "Hi." Come to make leaving for the summer even harder than it was with Elodie there.

Charlie wasn't actually complaining.

Giggling a little at 'best friend theft', she shook her head. Everyone knew that, whilst she was close to Elodie and close to Cat, no one was ever coming in between Elcat. No one. And Charlie was good with that. She shrugged a little at the notion of staying here the whole trip. "I don't know. S'our place, now." So they should make the most of it, whilst Elodie was here. Even if it was kinda uncomfortable. Sharky got a shake of the head, too. Not in here.

With another smile, Els put an arm around Charlie and cuddled with her. She had already decided right then that she didn't want to leave this compartment for the rest of the journey. Maybe she'd take a few minutes to peek into the Prefect's compartment just to feel like she'd done something and maybe someone was going to be there and she did have a couple of knitted things to hand out. But it wasn't a necessity. She'd rather just stay here with her friend and talk about things that might not have needed to be talked about but would be anyway. "I know very well that you'd make it work, Choo Choo. You work with Tam." And no one that worked for Tam didn't make things work.

Maybe that was just an ego thing because her entire family worked for her though. Maybe it was because she herself was a new addition to the company. Getting paid to wear new clothes and shoes for cameras? Suuuure.

She looked up from her position on Charlie's shoulder and grinned at Caterina. "Come joiiiiin us, Cattycake." Their laps were available for sitting on. She took a peek around what she could see in their immediate surroundings and shook her head. "I haven't seen Sharky, no, but I know Cassia likes to collect cats that are alone." She'd done that with Gem and Meatball.