Clueless {Scorose}

Chapter 75: You Say Goodbye, I Say Hello

There isn't been much for me to do over the next few weeks. I've been trying to write my speech, the one for graduation. Scorpius and I are required to, as head boy and girl, but my paper is still blank. Every time I sit down to write it, I get overwhelmed just thinking about the fact that it's all ending, and don't end up writing anything. I haven't even asked Scorpius how his speech is going. 

Graduation is on July first this year. We have been preparing for it as a class a couple of times a week. I can't even believe it's happening when it does.

Some people have different jobs for the ceremony depending on any number of things. All prefects have special responsibilities, as do quidditch captains and players and members of clubs, things like that. There's a lot to prepare in order to make the ceremony go smoothly, which it looks like it will.

It has been weird without Lily here. I suppose she was never meant to be my roommate at all, but she ended up being a huge part of my day. I miss her.

I know I'll be seeing her soon, but I wish she could be here for my last few weeks. I also wish I could be there to see how it's going with Poppy. I know that both Harry and Ginny have taken some time off from work to help out.

"Should I add jokes?" I wonder out loud, thinking about my essay.

"You have to run them past me," Al says. "To make sure they're good."

"I guess I should write them then."

The four of us are sitting outside, by our tree. The weather has been absolutely beautiful lately. It's getting everyone outside. The beautiful sunny days and end of exams have certainly boosted morale around here one hundred percent. Everyone seems so happy to be here, more so than usual.

"I just feel like all my ideas are boring. Like yeah, they're emotional, but they feel so plain."

"Do you want someone to read it?" Scorpius asks.

"No, I've only got a few sentences."

"I could help too, if you want," Jenny offers.

"We should do something," Al sits up, suddenly full of energy. 

"Like what?" Jenny asks.

He reaches into the pockets of his robes and pulls out something. "Look what James sent me."

"No," I almost can't believe what he's holding. I haven't seen the Maurader's Map in ages.

"Yes," Al smirks. He opens up the map. "There's got to be somewhere on here that we haven't explored yet."

"What about the forest?" Scorpius says. I follow his gaze into the sea of trees that were right beside us. "We've always sat right at the edge of it and have never gone inside."

"Aren't there monsters in there?" Jenny wonders.

"How will we know if we never find out?" Al says. He makes a fair point.

"Let's go," I say, setting my things on the ground. 

"Right now?" Jenny seems puzzled by this idea.

"Yes." I look through my bag, for my camera. I've been carrying it around with me, trying my best to capture everything about Hogwarts while I still can.

Al stands up, leaving his things on the ground too. Without saying anything, he starts walking into the trees, not waiting for us. I start following him and soon enough so do Jenny and Scorpius.

The forest is dark, but there are small bits of light peaking in through the leaves. It's also very quiet, except for the sounds of our footsteps crunching into the ground with each step. So when I heard another sound that I couldn't locate, I jumped.