The Threads That Bind Us

Chapter 38

Fidelity snapped her trunk shut with a soft click that seemed louder in the quiet room. She exchanged a look with Penny, both of them mirroring the sorrow in each other's eyes. This was it-the last time they'd stand in this room that had been theirs for the past seven years. The familiar beds, the soft glow from the windows, the little personal touches they'd accumulated over time-all of it would soon belong to someone else.

Neither of them spoke, but tears slid silently down their cheeks. Fidelity could feel the weight of everything they were leaving behind-the laughter, the late-night chats, the comforting presence of her friend just a bed away. Without a word, they linked arms, drawing strength from each other, and together they stepped out of the room for the last time.

As they descended the stairs, the familiar creaks of the wooden steps beneath them, they found Cameron waiting at the bottom. His usual easygoing expression was replaced by a quiet sadness. He opened his arms and hugged each of them in turn, his embrace as much a comfort as it was a silent goodbye to the way things had been.

Fidelity's gaze drifted around the common room, now buzzing with energy from the younger students. First through sixth years were laughing and talking excitedly, eager for the summer ahead and oblivious to the gravity of the moment for the seventh years. Fidelity had never really noticed them before-the faces of students she didn't know well, those she'd passed by countless times without much thought. Now, seeing them carefree and filled with excitement, she felt an unexpected pang.

She realized with a lump in her throat that she would miss even them-their presence, the life they brought to these familiar spaces. Hogwarts wasn't just her friends or her classes, it was these everyday moments, these people she barely knew, but who had been part of the fabric of her life here.

The common room had never felt so alive, yet Fidelity was hyper-aware that this would be her last time standing here as a student. Soon, it would be just another memory, one she would cling to when the reality of the outside world felt too distant from the magic she'd known for so long.

Brushing away another tear, she squeezed Penny's arm, feeling the weight of everything that was coming to an end. It was strange how final it felt-like they were leaving not just a place, but a part of themselves behind. And though the future loomed ahead, full of excitement and opportunity, there was something sacred in these last moments, something she knew she'd carry with her forever.

The evening before, during the farewell dinner, the seventh years had been given a proper send-off. The air was thick with a bittersweet mix of happy and sad tears, laughter breaking through moments of quiet sobs. It was a rollercoaster of emotions, a final celebration of their time at Hogwarts, and a reluctant goodbye to the place they called home.

Slytherin had won the House Cup this year, a disappointment to many, including Fidelity. But in the grand scheme of things, it barely registered. As much as she had cared about House points over the years, this moment was far bigger than any competition. What truly mattered now was the friendships, the memories, and the bittersweet reality that this chapter of their lives was closing for good.

Fidelity and her friends boarded the train for the last time. The last time. Every moment felt weighed down by those words. She was sick of last times. But deep down, she knew that even these "lasts" would become something she'd miss one day-because soon, they would be nothing more than memories.

Noah didn't sit with her on the train. She hadn't wanted him to. As much as she loved him, this moment wasn't for him. This was for her friends-the ones she had shared all her firsts with. Noah would return next year, but for her, this was it. He couldn't fully understand what it meant to say goodbye to it all just yet.

They tried to act normal, to pretend this wasn't the end, but it was impossible. Especially as Hogwarts disappeared from view for the last time. The beautiful highlands rolling past the window-another last. Everything was a last.

When the train finally pulled into King's Cross Station, Fidelity tried to hold back the tears, but she couldn't stop them. It was over. The place that had been her home, the life she had known for seven years-it was all behind her now. And there was nothing she could do to change that.

As she stepped off the train, she spotted Noah chatting with his friends. Their eyes met, and in that moment, she glimpsed her future-a life with him, a life beyond Hogwarts. A wave of calm settled over her. Somehow, despite everything, she realized that it was all going to be okay.