The Challenge

Chapter 58

Us seventh years decided to have one last party before graduation tomorrow. Seventh years only. Well, other years are allowed if they get invited.
Val and I get ready for the party and head up to the Room of Requirements. We go inside and Val instantly finds Fred and runs off. I roll my eyes and wander around. A bunch of people say hi to me and made small talk. They tell me that they will miss me and wish me good luck with my kids.
I feel arms wrap around me. "You look beautiful." It's James.
I turn around to face him. "Hey."
He smiles and kisses me softly. "Hello Gorgeous. Come dance with me." He doesn't wait for an answer. He pulls me to the dance floor and we start to dance.
After a couple songs, my feet starts to hurt. James and I sit with some of our friends. We drank some punch, ate sweets and talked about our years at Hogwarts.
"These two hated each other." Noah looks at us and smirks.
"Don't worry, there are days where we still hate each other." I roll my eyes and laugh.
"Then I gave you a list." Gennifer smirks at me.
"Yeah. What was up with that list?" James questions. "That was annoying as hell."
"But because of it you two ended up together." Val points out.
"You're welcome." Gennifer winks and walks off to go dance.
"Bloody hell. Did everyone think we'd end up together?" I mutter to myself.
"Apparently." James laughs and pulls me closer to him. He kisses my cheek. "I'm glad Gennifer gave you that list."
I roll my eyes. "That list was hell."
"I'm not doing to disagree." James chuckles.
Around midnight, James drags me out of the Room of Requirements and to the Astronomy tower. I groan and sit down on the ground against the railing. "Bloody hell James. Why couldn't we go to the Black Lake or something."
"This is more romantic." James chuckles as he transforms a table into a couch.
I stand up, "yeah. There's nothing more romantic than being pregnant and climbing hundreds of stairs."
James rolls his eyes and sits on the couch. "Just come here and sit with me." I walk over and sit next to him. I lay my legs on his lap and lean back on the arm rest. James rests his hands on my legs. "I'm going to be at the Weasley's everyday."
"I'll be working at the WWW."
James looks at me. "Are you sure you should be working? Especially there. There will be a bunch of kids running around making a lot of noise."
"Then I'll be used to the noise by the time these two pop out." I touch my stomach.
James chuckles. "I suppose so." He looks at me, "what if I bought you a house."
I give him a look. "James. We just started dating and-"
"I know." He sighs. "I'm sorry." He looks down. "I just really want you in my life. I want to help with Fred and Leilani."
"James, I know. But we should take this slow okay?" I ask quietly. "I want you to be in my life too."
James pulls me onto his lap and rests his chin on my shoulder. "You're so amazing. I don't know how you can put up with everything. The stress. Tom. Your parents. Scorpius."
"You learn how to live with the pain after awhile." I sigh.
He kisses my cheek. "Well you have me to ease the pain."
"I am forever grateful." I laugh and kiss him.
-
I watch as Val runs around our dorm looking for something nice to wear. I'm laying on my bed still in my pajamas. Val puts on a necklace and looks at me. "Sapphire!"
"What?"
"You have an hour to get ready!" She exclaims.
"I am aware." I say simply.
She gives me a look. "Get off your lazy ass and get ready!"
I groan, "do you know how hard it is to pull off clothes for pregnant people?"
"Sapphire Narcissa Malfoy." She says in a voice McGonagall would be proud of.
"Don't use my whole name!" I growl in anger.
"Then get up and get ready!" She says sternly.
I groan and get off my bed. "Fine!" I walk over to my wardrobe.
"You are not wearing pants. You are wearing a dress!" Val pushes me to the side and grabs the dress she picked out for me.
I whine like a child. "I don't want to!"
She gives me a death glare. "Sapphire. Put the bloody dress on so I can fix your hair."
"Damn woman." I mutter as I took the dress. "Sometimes I feel bad for Fred."
Val rolls her head. "Shut up Sapphire."
"I'm just saying." I go into the bathroom and get dress. I look into the mirror and fix the dress a little. Val picked a cream laced dress that barely passes my knees. It was also strapless. James is going to enjoy this dress... I walk out of the bathroom and Val attacks me with a brush. I know not to mess with Val when she's already annoyed by me.
Once she finishes, I put on a pair of black flats Rox let me barrow. Val smiles at me. "You look so pretty!" She touches up my hair a little. She had curled my hair and pinned half of it up.
I put on the necklace James gave me. I put my hand on my stomach. "This isn't exactly how I pictured my graduation."
"It's even better." Val grins. "You're finally dating James and will have a family with him."
I roll my eyes. "Come on." I nudge her and we leave our dorm. I go to the Great Hall while Val goes to the Black Lake where the ceremony will take place. I spot James, Fred and Justin talking to each other. I walk over and smile at them. "Don't you three look handsome."
James looks at me and grins. "Bloody hell Sapph. You look beautiful."
I smile at him. "Thanks James."
"Look at my little Gem. Wearing a dress!" Fred gives me a side hug.
I roll my eyes. "I was forced to by your girlfriend. Scary little thing that one."
Fred chuckles. "Oh I know." James pulls me away from Fred and wraps his arms around me. He kisses my cheek.
Justin looks at us and laughs. "I still can't over the fact James Potter and Sapphire Malfoy are dating."
"Well we are." James says happily.
"Merlin help us," Justin chuckles.
McGonagall walks in and gives a whole lecture about how things will go down. She distributes everyone's cap and gowns.
James grabs mine and holds it out for me. "My Lady." He smiles flirtatiously. I laugh and let him put the gown on me. He puts my cap on my head and pulls it down a little over my eyes. "Beautiful." I laugh and fix my cap.
McGonagall clears her throat. "Everyone line up and follow me to the Black Lake." We all follow her to the Lake where everyone was sitting and waiting.
A few teachers give a speech about how much they learned from us and how they wish us the best. You know, all that cheesy graduation fluff. McGonagall and Slughorn pass out the little piece of parchment that says we graduated to everyone. McGonagall looks at James and I. "Miss Sapphire and Mister James Potter will now say a few words to everyone."
James and I walk up to the podium as everyone claps. I laugh awkwardly, "I thought we'd give our sappy little speeches separately, but this works too." This causes everyone to laugh. "So this is it. We're graduating from Hogwarts. We've all put up with each other for the past seven years." I glance over at James, "well most of us." James rolls his eyes. "But no one has killed anyone, so that's good."
"We've all learned a lot from each other." James cut in.
"Excuse me, I wasn't finished." I playfully push James. "I want to thank every Professor here for putting up with me. Especially you Professor M." I wink at McGonagall. "I just want to say that for the record, I've never blown up a toilet. Although, I have pulled many many pranks but of course none that compares to the Weasley twins." I smile at George. "Except when James and I dumped a sh-"
"Sapphire." McGonagall scolds.
"A butt load of flour in the Great Hall." I sigh, "yes. James Potter and I pulled a prank together. Tragic."
James pushes me to the side. "Okay. That's enough Sapphire. I'm sorry for behavior. We're trying to work on her very hurt sarcasm." Everyone laughs. I roll my eyes and cross my arms over my chest. "Over the years here at Hogwarts I've learned that living up to be a Potter is really hard. Yes I'm James Potter. Yes Harry Potter's son. Yes I'm named after Sirius Black." James chuckles. "But I've learned how to put my own little mark on Hogwarts."
"He peed somewhere on the grounds." I cut in, "not sure where though."
James rolls his eyes. "Hogwarts is our home. Nothing will ever change that."
"It's where grew up," I say. "It's where we've created our own family." I look at Fred and he smiles at me. "We've all had our ups and downs. This year in particular." I put my hand over my stomach. "I got pregnant with a guy I thought I loved. I was disowned by a family I never felt I belonged it. My enemy became an amazing friend," I look at James. "Boyfriend." I look back at the audience. "It's funny how everything can change in a short amount of time."
"Our professors has done every thing they can to help us get ready for the big world out there." James says. "I may not have defeated the Darkest Wizard and save the Wizarding world, but I did win the pretty girl." James winks at me which causes me to roll my eyes.
"Some of us have everything figured out. Some us, like me, have no idea what will happen next, but don't worry too much about it. You have to get lost before you can find yourself."
"But, don't forget to bring your friends with you." James says and looks at me with a smile. I smile back at him.
I look at the seventh years and smirk. "We did it." Everyone claps and cheers. We take our caps off and throw them into the air. I take my wand out and set off the fireworks Fred, James, Justin, Noah and I set up.
James grabs me and kisses me. "Don't worry," I say to James. "I won't forget to take you with me." James smiles at me and kisses me again.