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- O N E L A S T T I M E -

"Time's up," Professor McGonagall cleared her throat, stopping the ticking golden timer on her desk. Juniper set her quill down, hand aching from all the frantic scribbling she'd been doing.

The woman moved around the room, gathering the pieces of parchment in a tight bundle. When she had collected all of their exams, she stood at the front of the room, "Congratulations. You're free."

There was a collective cheer from the class, which Juniper participated in excitedly. Her last N.E.W.T. She was really done. No more school, no more tests, no more essays. It was just like Professor McGonagall had said, Juniper was free.

She practically skipped out into the courtyard, summer sun shining on her face. Hogwarts was always so pretty this time of year, trees blossoming and rolling hills greener than Juniper's eyes. It was a pity they got to see so little of it.

Her whole future was in front of her. Last week, they'd found a sizable flat in the city. Just enough space for the four of them. It was right near the Ministry, where Rory had accepted an internship in the Department of International Magical Cooperation. Close enough to Weasley's Wizard's Wheezes, where James and Teddy were working for the summer, and in a prime position to get ice cream daily from Fortescues.

The place was cute too. Lots of windows, and there was even an open field a little ways behind the building, perfect for Quidditch. There was actually a pretty decent kitchen, which James liked. It wasn't a huge selling point for the rest of them, seeing as Teddy would happily eat dry cereal for every meal, Rory lived off of smoothies, and Juniper could probably burn water if she tried. One of the only things she had in common with her mother, she couldn't cook for shit.

Juniper could picture it now, the four of them in the flat. James making pancakes in the morning, staying up late watching movies, getting takeaway at one in the morning, and throwing parties. Summer was going to be awesome. All of them were moving forward, looking ahead into the bright bright future.

Victoire was taking some time to travel with the band, playing all over Europe. Henry was also destined for a year abroad, helping out with the family business. The Scamanders went all over the world in search of endangered animals, and Henry was no exception. Leo would be tagging along, though Magical Law Enforcement had offered him an entry level job when he returned.

Charlie— well, Charlie didn't have many plans, as far as Juniper knew. Maybe he was returning to Romania, or working with James and Teddy for the summer. It had to be something. There was no way Hermione Granger would let her son skive off with no direction to his life.

She felt a tug on her ponytail, and was promptly hoisted in the air. "Teddy!" she shrieked in delight, struggling in his grasp. "Put me down!" she commanded, squealing when he began to tickle her.

"Lupin, what on earth are you doing?" Rory came up behind them, rolling her eyes.

"Kidnapping you," James said, slinging a protesting Rory over his shoulder like she weighed nothing at all.

"James!"

Both girls giggled, glancing at each other conspiratorially. They knew something the boys didn't. This year, Rory and Juniper had chosen one similar elective. Taught by Alicia Spinnet. They had learned some very valuable lessons. "On three," Juniper mouthed, and Rory nodded.

"One, two, three!" Juniper twisted out of Teddy's strong grip, courtesy of a helpfully placed knee and elbow. Rory followed suit. And soon enough, both boys were lying flat on the ground, wheezing.

The elective had been Practical Self Defense: Using Your Opponent's Strength Against Them. Evidently, Rory and Juniper had both aced the course. Though they technically weren't supposed to practice on their boyfriends. But hey, what else were they good for?