Golden Girl; 𝓕𝓻𝓮𝓭 𝓦𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓵𝓮𝔂

Fourth Year: All's Well That Ends Well

"I can't believe we're actually going home again," Fred whistled, standing on the platform. "Feels like this year's just begun- and to think we didn't even get to finish our master list of pranks," he shook his head.

"Real shame," George added, "Suppose we've got all of next year to look forward to."

Students all around were hugging and chatting, waiting for the train to begin boarding. The two remaining weeks of the year passed like a blur. With exams cancelled, Bambi spent all day with her friends doing whatever they felt like. Everyone wanted to hear the story of Ginny and Harry, and it felt like wherever they went they overheard snippets of people talking about it. Gryffindor won the House Cup second year in a row, and despite Alicia's disappointment, it was announced that Lockhart would not be returning to Hogwarts the following year.

"Oh please," Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I've had enough trouble for one year," Harry said adamantly, Ron and Ginny nodding along.

Bambi sighed, not feeling quite as joyful as everyone else seemed. She couldn't help but feel like this might be her last time riding the Hogwarts Express... Moreso, she knew it would be. Her father had made it clear that she simply could not return to a school with such low safety standards.

"You alright, Bambi?" George asked, noticing her distant expression.

Bambi forced a smile, "Yeah, just... thinking about everything that's happened this year,"

"Who isn't?" Ron muttered, looking over at Harry who was staring down at the platform. "I mean, it's been a bit mad, hasn't it? But at least we're finally going home."

"Home," Bambi echoed quietly, the word tasting bittersweet on her tongue. Truth was, Hogwarts felt more like a home than any of the countless countries she had been to.

Fred nudged her playfully. "Hey, don't get too lost in thought. You're not rid of us that easily, you know. We've got a whole summer to annoy you, you'll have no choice but to deal with our charming company every day. No escape."

George grinned, leaning in. "Yeah, good luck hiding from us in the desert."

Students began boarding the train, and Bambi followed her friends who secured the first compartment for themselves. Fred and George were the first to toss their bags into the overhead rack, immediately plopping themselves comfortably down on the red bench seats. George pulled out a deck of Exploding Snap cards, shuffling them with a smug grin, while Fred leaned back, stretching his legs out to save her a spot on their side of the compartment, a playful glint in his eyes as he shot Bambi a wink. Ron, Hermione, and Harry settled in next, with Ron launching into a conversation about the next year's Quidditch World Cup, while Hermione pulled a book from her bag, already immersed in the reading. Ginny meanwhile, squeezed next to George, fiddling with her wand absentmindedly, occasionally stealing glances at Harry when she thought no one was looking.

"Bambi," Oliver called, sticking his head into the compartment right before Bambi had the chance to sit down, "Can I chat with you for a moment?"

"Sure," Bambi smiled, following him to an empty compartment nearby. 

"Oh- should I be sitting with him?" she wondered, "He probably would like me to sit with him-" she glanced back at her friends, but Oliver didn't seem to be focused on that. He closed the door behind them and sat facing her, a huge grin on his face.

"I got signed with Puddlemere United," He said, his face absolutely glowing. "They caught our last game before the team shut down, and they think I have the stuff!"

Bambi grinned, clasping his hands in hers, "That's amazing, Oliver! I always knew you'd go on to be a real player.

Oliver smiled back, his eyes sparkling, "I'm actually going to start some early training this summer, then I'll join the team June next year,"