The End Is Nigh {Open}

[James Potter]

How many times had James sat and wondered about how awesome it was going to be when he finally finished school? How many times had he wondered how great it would be to get on the train and know he was never going back to school? How many times had he thought about how amazing it would be to be graduated and no longer a student? And now, that day was here.

All those thoughts he'd had in the past..? The 'awesome' and the 'amazing' and the 'great' and stuff? Where were they? Truthfully, his stomach was in knots and he felt a few twinges of regret and loss already, and the train hadn't even left Hogsmeade station yet.

Now that the time was here, James didn't want to leave school. He positively hated the thought that this was the very last time he was going to board the Hogwarts express and that he wasn't going to be walking through the doors of the school again in just a few short months' time. This was it. This was the end. And he couldn't believe just how reminiscent it made him feel.

Students were still bustling around and chattering happily as they boarded the train and found where their friends were sitting, but James wasn't paying all that much attention, just wandering slowly up the train, heading towards the back of it. He didn't want to go...

[Deleted]

Holidays, the stuff dreams were made of. Or so it use to seem. This holiday was no ordinary holiday for Bran; this was the holiday before his last year at Hogwarts, before a lot of changes. Thinking back upon thoughts he had of the upcoming year, the excitement, plans and all the fun he was going to have, most of those thoughts were still intact, but some had faded. He realized quickly that he had to be more responsible, that growth in himself was needed, what he lacked though was the answer to the question "How?"

He boarded the train with a couple of friends, laughing about ideas for the holidays, memories of the year. It was always fun on the train, he use to go mad with the candy just like his friends, but this time he wasn't exactly in the mood. Honestly, all he wanted was to sit, look out the window and think, process and gain some understanding; he kind of even wished he had someone to talk with who would understand.

As if some deity listened he saw an opportunity he knew he wouldn't get again, and as his friends entered where they’ll be for the entire trip he decided he’ll grab it by the horns. "I’ll be right back..." he said half minded, not even sure if they heard him and not really caring. He just raced to catch up, pushing through the crowd with a "sorry" and an "excuse me" uttered every so often. Small halls in trains can be such an inconvenience.

"James!" he called out just loud enough to grab his attention until he was near enough to talk in a normal tone of voice "Uhm, hey..." he greeted with a smile, bit out of breath as his eyes were looking around for Remus, Sirius and Peter. "Mind if we talk for a bit?" intruding wasn't what he was aiming for, he had to consider the possibility that James wanted to be alone, or that he was simply waiting for his friends.

[James Potter]

James wasn't paying the slighest bit of attention to the faces that were around him, and they just seemed to pass by in a blur as he made his way along the train. Voices chattered all around him but not a single world reached his ears, just the muffled noise and the awareness that it was happening. It was actually as if he wasn't really 'here'. He mind was drifting somewhere else. Physically, he was on the train, but mentally, he was still at the school.

Voices continued, some louder than others, but it took a few long moments before James caught on to the fact that there was someone next to him, talking to him. He snapped back to reality and shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts and focus on what was happening around him.

"Mind if we talk for a bit?"

Brandon, a fellow chaser, stood beside him, and of course, his thoughts tried to drift back to the Quidditch pitch and all the amazing times he'd had there, but he battled to push those thoughts away. "Sure, there has to be an empty around here somewhere."

[Deleted]

Kari settled into her seat on the train and looked out the window. She was sad that school had ended, but she was also excited to be going home. She had said her goodbyes for the holidays last night, she didn't like doing anything last minute. She looked out the door and saw her friends laughing and saying their goodbyes, making plans to meet over the summer.
Lots of people came and went in front of the compartment shouting greetings, and rushing to find a free compartment to sit with friends. Kari enjoyed watching the activity but she couldn't wait for the train to reach London. She knew her brother and sister would be waiting for her, her parents would probably meet her at home when they got back from work, but Eedie and Caden were sure to be there. Kari missed her brother and sister, she started making plans about what they might do first after she got home. 
Kari snapped out of her wandering when she heard someone shout "James", she looked out the door and saw that the voice belonged to Brandon Collings, one of the Gryffindor Chasers, a year older than herself. He was talking to James Potter who was in the compartment across from Kari. Kari smiled and waved at the Gryffindors "Hi Brandon, James, hope you have a good summer." 

[Deleted]

"Sure, there has to be an empty around here somewhere."

Honestly, Brandon didn't even want to imagine how James must be feeling. He caught up and even though he wasn't paying much attention he could see James’ mind was somewhere else, but so was his. With all the voices, laughter and the sound of the train getting ready to leave made the seconds feel like they were passing by slowly, especially since he knew he wouldn't have a chance to talk to his teammate and captain like this again. It all brought up memories, but he soon realized he needed to come back to the present.

"Over here," he said after a few seconds, nodding towards the empty compartment in the back of the train. Bran lead the way and bit his lip nervously, thinking about the next few words that would leave his lips. Like said, this was the last time in a while he might be able to talk to James like this, but how do you start a conversation like this... how exactly do you say that you’re worried about something as simple as 7th year, and of course, how do you say goodbye?

"Hi Brandon, James, hope you have a good summer."

A new voice appeared from his side just as he was about to speak, but he stopped in his tracks and smiled when he saw who it was "Hey, Kari," he greeted back with a small wave "And thanks, I hope you have a good summer too." he said for what felt like the hundredth time, but he still meant it. He looked to James, waiting for him to say something and then turned his eyes to the empty compartment before focusing on the conversation again.

[James Potter]

"Over here,"

James followed Brandon into the empty compartment when he spotted it, and flopped down onto the seat, running one hand through his hair and letting out a long sigh, his mind still trying to focus on what this day meant.

"Hi Brandon, James, hope you have a good summer." 

The words barely registered in his mind until he heard Brandon respond, and snapped out of his daze. What has she said? His mind had been elsewhere. "Er, yeah, you as well." He looked at Brandon with a sort of 'did I answer that right?' look. He needed to try and keep his head in the right place and not let his mind drift anymore.

James yawned and stretched before sinking further into the seat with a sign. "God, this is the craziest day." He scrubbed his hands over his eyes. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt anything even remotely like this. "So... you wanted to talk about something, right?" People still moved past the open doorway, chattering and laughing, and James could still see the Ravenclaw opposite, too.

[Deleted]

Brandon: "Hey, Kari," "And thanks, I hope you have a good summer too."
James:  "Er, yeah, you as well." 

Kari returned Brandon's wave with a smile, she liked Brandon, he was nice, "he's also cute" a little voice in her head said as she twirled her hair absent mindedly. Kari shook her head, and focused back on reality. She smiled at James, but noticed his answer seemed too distracted, she wondered if something was wrong. Kari realized that this had been James' last year at Hogwarts. She wondered, "it must be strange to get on the train knowing you weren't coming back." 
Kari looked back on her own year; it had been a good one, she had passed her OWLs with flying colors, her family was proud, and she hadn't even got herself into that much trouble. Caden had teased that she was becoming too tame. She wondered how she would feel when it was her last time to take the train to Hogwarts, it was a very sad thought indeed. Kari liked school, she liked walking around the widing corridors to get to class, digging through the library books, relaxing on the grounds next to the lake in the afternoon, and sitting around the common room fire. Most of all she would miss the holidays at Hogwarts (she hadn't spent all that many there, but the ones she had she had really enjoyed). 
Kari's eyes focused back on James and Brandon. She would miss the people too. Kari started to feel a bit sad, so she pushed the thought aside and decided she's enjoy her time her while she had it and think about leaving when she had to. She looked over at the two Gryffindors talking, and wondered if she should talk to them a bit after they were done, they didn't really know each other,
Should I? Kari wondered.

[Deleted]

James sat down, his mind clearly elsewhere, but Brandon understood why. It was hard to think this was the last time James would be on the train, but then again, this was the start to his future. Stressful, but exciting... Right? Honestly, Brandon didn't know what was going on in James' mind right now, he barely even knew what was going on in his own.

"Er, yeah, you as well."

He gave a small, barely noticeable nod to James once he saw his questionable expression and smiled toward Kari before he took a seat, leaning back with a soft sigh. The train would depart soon, there were still people rushing by but he took little notice of it as he leaned his head back and stared at the roof for a second. How to start...

"God, this is the craziest day. So... you wanted to talk about something, right?"

He puffed up his cheeks with air before he blew it out, nodding as he looked at James "Yes," it was difficult to start a conversation like this, but he had to "I don't really know how to start, it's weird to say... Goodbye." he shrugged, smiling as if he's not sure of his words "I guess I just want a bit of advice for next year, especially in Quidditch."

[James Potter]

Well, regardless of what had been said, Brandon's nearly unnoticeable nod made it clear that his answer worked, even though he didn't have much of a clue what he'd just replied to. He was trying to keep his head focused but his mind was just all over the place and he couldn't focus on what was happening around him for long.

"Yes, I don't really know how to start, it's weird to say... Goodbye."

Wasn't that the truth! There's been loads of people saying 'good luck' to each other all morning, but thinking about it, he didn't think it was a particularly positive thing to say, really, was it? Good luck... In something like a Quidditch or an exam, then sure. Those were things that were meant to be challenging and you had to try hard in them. But 'good luck in life'? That just played off the idea that life was going to be hard. And life was a lot bigger than a Quidditch match, which implied it was going to be really hard. Well, with all the fighting and prejudice going on right now it wasn't so hard to believe, but still... Though, now he thought about it, he didn't think much of those people who chose the 'have a good life' line, either.

"I guess I just want a bit of advice for next year, especially in Quidditch."

James turned his attention to Brandon again, thinking of his fellow Chaser and all the great matches they'd played on the pitch at school, and especially the last one where they'd won the Quidditch cup. "What's to worry about in Quidditch? You find yourself a few new players and beat their asses until they can play in their sleep." He managed a grin then, looking across at the guy who didn't even know he was going to be the team captain next year.