Cleverly

Back to London

After collecting her things in her dormitory and silently saying goodbye to the Gryffindor common room, Cleverly carried everything down to the first floor (with magic of course). The other girls in her dormitory had already brought their things down while Cleverly had gone with Breccan to the Owlery. She was too confused to be sad about leaving.

"Cleverly! We were wondering where you were," said Athalie, "You were gone awhile."

"Goodbye first floor corridor, goodbye stone floor, goodbye portrait on the wall," Vivian waved to a trio of witches in a portrait and they waved back. "Solong!" They cheered.

Students of all ages were milling around in the courtyard as they exited the castle.

"Hey Breccan," Genevieve waved as he approached. Cleverly's heart sped up as she turned around to see him standing there with his trunk. She had just seen him not 20 minutes ago but still she was nervous. She had, in fact taken a different route down to the first floor than usual in order to be alone to her thoughts--and avoid him for the time being.

"Hi," he said looking right at Cleverly. She gave a weak smile. Had she really kissed him an hour ago?

"I'm going to take a carriage down with them," she said to Breccan, gesturing to the girls.

"Oh...yeah, okay." He was surprised--and possibly hurt.

"I'll see you on the train," she said, then added in,"We can sit in the same compartment." Even though she didn't really want to. This made him smile.

"Okay."

Maybe she should tell him. He might understand. He could help. Could he? Would he? Surely he would be upset that Cleverly had hidden this from him. I've already thought this through, I can't tell him now for the same reasonsI have never told anyone before.

As their carraige pulled away and started down to Hogsmeade, Cleverly looked up at the castle.

No more Care of Magical Creatures class, no more Transfiguration. No more feasts in the Great Hall. No more evenings spent by the Gryffindor fireplace. No more Hogwarts. That chapter of Cleverly's life was done.  What came next...she wasn't for sure.

"Goodbye," she whispered. At that moment the wind picked up and the trees stirred. Their branches blowing in the wind as if they were waving farewell. And then the carriage snuck between a few trees, and the castle was out of sight.

...

In the compartment was Cleverly, Breccan, Athalie and Vivian.

"Would you rather go sit with Ken or Hansel?" Vivian asked Breccan.  It seemed odd to Athalie and her that he had insisted on sitting in their compartment. Cleverly knew why. Breccan politely declined.

"No, no. You girls are much more fun."

When the trolley pulled up Cleverly didn't want anything. She needed to save her money as much as she could. When Cleverly shook her head Breccan said, "Oh, come on! You've got to be hungry.  It's a long train ride. And it's your last chance to buy something off the trolley!" He was right, but Cleverly didn't need to spend her spare change on sweets. Throughout the seven years years at Hogwarts Cleverly had rarely gotten food off the trolley. "Here, I'll buy. My treat," he insisted. "Let's see...we'll take a box of the Every Flavour Beans, two Chocolate Frogs, and two Cauldron Cakes." Breccan handed the old lady the money and she handed him the Honeydukes candy.

"You didn't have to do that!" Cleverly claimed.

"I wanted to." He winked at her and Cleverly's face reddened. Like clockwork. Breccan chuckled, seeing her tomato red face.