LUNAR (A Harry Potter Universe Fanfiction)

Thirty Five. The Presentation.

On the morning of her presentation, a whole host of owls arrived for Caiti at breakfast. Amelia had been in the middle of a long diatribe about the pros and cons of studying with a boyfriend around, but she stopped mid-sentence to stare as they dropped four letters and two small packages in front of her.

"Oh my god, this is all about your presentation, isn't it?" she asked with a gleeful smile, sliding over to see what had arrived.

Caiti flipped through to see who they were from. There was a letter from Sean and Evelyn, a letter from her parents, and a small parcel from her grandparents. Even Mr. and Mrs. Finnegan had sent a letter of well wishes. Marlowe had sent a letter and a package.

"Well, aren't you going to open them?" asked Amelia.

"Yes," said Caiti, but she wasn't sure she wanted to. She had been oddly serene all that morning, knowing what was coming, and she was nervous that if she read their letters, it would get her all stirred up, however well-intended their words were.

She opened Evelyn's first (Sean had signed at the bottom, but the rest was in Evelyn's handwriting) and she had written a couple paragraphs about how proud they were of her and how she would do great. Her parent's letter and Mr. and Mrs. Finnegna's were very much the same. Her grandmother had sent a package of very fancy quills and a short note saying they couldn't wait to hear all about it.

All their words were very sweet and thoughtful, but they stirred up the butterflies in her stomach. There was no more putting it off. The presentation was today.

She saved Marlowe's for last. It was the one she was the most simultaneously eager and afraid to open.

Amelia was on pins and needles next to her.

Caiti opened the envelope first, unfolding the bit of parchment inside. Marlowe had not written very much, and her nerves relaxed again as soon as she opened it up.

Kick ASS today! he had written in very large print.

Then in smaller writing at the bottom, he'd added a parenthetical PS: (Sorry your gift is cheesy. Love you and can't wait to hug you later.)

"I'm gonna cry," said Amelia, peering at the letter beside her.

But Caiti didn't feel like crying. She felt like laughing. She opened the little box he'd sent, found a large cauldron cake inside, and her smile grew.

—-

Marlowe's stomach was a mess. Sean and Evelyn kept trying to talk to him, but he was too jittery to answer. They were seated in one of the first few rows in the large hotel ballroom where Caiti's presentation would be happening in just a few minutes. He kept turning around, looking at how many people had come in. It was a much larger audience than he'd expected. He wondered if Caiti knew.

If he'd had to speak in front of a room this packed — for an entire hour, no less — he'd have been sick.

He had already picked out where the judges who had selected her were sitting. He'd caught on to the fact that sitting just behind him were several notable potion makers who were interested in mentoring her. All around him, the conversations were academic and technical.

"Her bio in the program looks so professional," Evelyn was saying.

Marlowe nodded. He'd already read it six times.

Her dad leaned across his wife to say something to the three of them, but at that moment, a woman walked up onstage and he sat back quickly. The entire audience went silent almost at once.