Too Little Too Late

Chapter 24 | Edited

"Wow Teddy, can you believe that we're going to be graduating today?" Layla said excitedly, looking up at her best friend with pure joy in her expression.

"Yeah... it's uhm.. it's going to be great." Remus replied slowly. He felt somewhat awkward even talking to Layla anymore, after she had been ignoring him in favour of Sirius. He knew that their new relationship must have been taking up all of her thoughts, but he still felt like he had been forgotten by the people that he cared about most in the world. It wasn't a nice feeling. Despite this, he was still reluctant to leave Hogwarts. This had been the place that he had first been accepted into wizarding society, the place where he had first made friends who accepted him for who he was, and even the place where he met the girl who he loved, not that she knew this or ever would know this.

Layla seemed to sense this, or at least the part about Remus not wanting to leave Hogwarts. "It'll be alright Teddy, we're all going to see each other all the time. You're even going to be living with Sirius. And you'll see me at all of the order meetings. And, we'll all meet up at different times anyway." She reassured him. He just smiled slightly, not quite reassured by her words but not wanting to tell her this. A small sigh escaped his lips.

James, on the other hand, was more than excited to finally leave Hogwarts. While the school was near and dear to his heart, the changing atmosphere in the school was making him itching to get out there and start making a difference. For someone like James, staying cooped up in a school while he could be making a difference was not good. It would have driven him insane.

Sirius, similarly, would not have been able to stand not being a part of the action to stay in the safety of the school. Thus, he too was excited to graduate.

For her part, Layla couldn't wait to start doing missions for the order. Especially now that all of her friends had joined up. Dumbledore had approached the rest of her friends individually and given them a similar offer to the one he had given her, without the housing. They had all accepted within an instant, eager to finally be doing something to help the war effort.

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"And now, I present to you, the graduating class of 78." Dumbledore announced, as the whole of their year stood at the front of the Great Hall, having just accepted their certificates from the same exact spot where the sorting hat is put at the very beginning of the year.

Layla squeezed Lily's and Sirius' hands a little tighter, expressing how happy and excited she was. She couldn't believe that they were finally here, about to start their adult lives. She caught Remus' eye and beamed.

That night the new graduates partied until the sun rose again, all of the houses mixed into the great hall for their party.

It was the next morning when the last event that would seal Layla's date occurred.

"Miss Reid, would you mind joining Professor Dumbledore in his office before you catch the train home please?" Professor McGonagall asked her.

"Of course professor."

She made her way there, excitement coursing through her veins. She thought that this was likely to be her first ever mission for the order. Despite her excitement, she hadn't told any of her friends about the meeting, waiting until she had more details to let them know.

She knocked quietly on his office door, bouncing excitedly on her feet.

"Enter."

Layla entered the office and sat down in the chair that Dumbledore beckoned her in to. He smiled in a grandfatherly way, making Layla feel more comfortable.

"Miss Reid," he begun softly, "you may, of course, refuse... but I wanted to ask you to partake on a dangerous mission for the order."

Layla's eyes lit up with excitement. "Of course, Professor. What is it?"

"Well, Miss Reid, I may have to explain the things that you will be giving up before you accept my offer. And, you must know that I will not ask you to start this mission for another year, to ensure that your absence is not deemed suspicious." Dumbledore began to explain.

"My absence?" Layla questioned, beginning to understand what Dumbledore meant. What she would be 'giving up'. 

"Yes, Miss Reid. Your absence."