Like A Sister *COMPLETED*

Chapter Thirty-Four - FInishing Up EDITED

34. Chapter Thirty-Four - Finishing Up

For the next two weeks James had to stay in hospital to recover, and then an extra night for observation. Finally he was pronounced healthy enough to leave, so he returned to the dorm. The boys dorm that is – no more late nights, nearly two month long sleepovers and three hour discussion at 2 am for us. I would miss them, but I had assignments and stuff to catch up on and before we knew it, it was November 23rd. Since school was going to end on November 29 and we would be on the train going home on the 30th, I had only a week left with my friends. That week would be a very reflective one I could tell, but knowing my friends we would make the most of it.

And we did.

We had massive dorm clean-up that lasted the best part of three days and included moving furniture, using magical vacuum cleaners and discovering long lost personal items.  On the third day, Hermione had the Ghost Buster (magical vacuum – instead of Dust Buster) and Tiana and Tania were using their wands to levitate the beds so that she could vacuum under them. Layla and the triplets were polishing windows, Georgie, Sasha and I were cleaning out the Puppy Room (Libby was going to look after them because I did not want them anywhere near Derek) and Rupert was hanging around being annoying.

Hermione screamed because Tiana was attacking her with the bed – literally making it nudge her every two seconds.

“Hair tie anyone? No? Lost property pile,” Layla called, tossing a cute glittery hair tie into the ever growing pile of random stuff that we had found around the room. Since everything was going to be moved around next year, for the first time, we would have to completely clean and clear the room. We each had three suitcases (huge ones) and a trunk. Teenage girls– we need a lot of stuff for a year! Everything we wouldn’t need went in the trunk and the largest suitcase; we had one that we would keep until the night of the 28th when they wanted to pack the train (because then they had loads of time) and a smaller one that would be carry on for the 30th.

We continued cleaning, chattering the whole time and yelling at Rupert to go away. When the windows were sparkling, Layla and Tracey joined us in the Puppy Room while Macey and Stacey went with our bedsheets to the laundry and returned with sleeping bags. We still had the beds and mattresses to sleep on though.

“RUPERT. Go AWAY!” I yelled again.

“Whatever I’m leaving,” he replied. Again. Grabbing my wand, I followed him to the boys dorm. There happened to be a pillow fight going on.

“Join in, Elle!” Yeah, that was my new nickname.

“I have to clean. Can you make sure he stays here because he is really irritating all the girls,” I snapped. Dan came over and I saw him and Rupert go over to a corner, where there were beanbags. Because the boys always had random stuff in their room.

Finally we finished cleaning, in time for lunch. We had been given a four day weekend, and today was the last day of that because we used the first day to pack. It had been interesting going through the trunks, seeing things from at the start of the year, and a bit emotional. Hermione found a note her mum had slipped into her luggage on the first day. Layla found a hairbrush that she had been searching for all year. The twins found ancient matching purses in the very bottom of their suitcases. The twins found magical mirrors they had gotten from a joke shop at the start of the year. Georgie found a lolly that her baby brother had apparently put there. Everyone found something sentimental and innocent, something from home, from their family; except me. I found nothing, because there was nothing. I wasn’t expecting anything though. Wait – I did find one thing – a heart shaped I luv u candy that I remember James had given me in Third Year. I held it tight in my fist, clutching it to my heart; this was my family. The school was my home, the students my very large, very extended family. I loved this place. It was scary to think that I had only three years left; that I was fifteen. I would come of age in two years. The boys would come of age next year. We were graduating next year. Hardly anyone remembered my words on the first day. Admittedly, they were only heard by two people.