DOORWAYS || MARAUDERS ERA

ϟ86: GRADUATIONϟ

The weeks went by with alarming speed, as though Time was eager to put them out there in the outside world. Their Quidditch victory was short lived, since the seventh years soon had to dive back into their studies. 

And after a painful, strenuous month, they'd all written their N.E.W.Ts.

(Rhea was quite certain nothing could compare to Lily's and Remus's tempers, Peter's panic attacks, Severus's unhealthy study sessions and Marlene's stress eating during those times).

However, all those chaotic days were over.

Today, they were going to graduate from Hogwarts.

They'd all come to the Room of Requirement one hour before their graduation, to spend time with Caelus. Of course, he'd been pretty grumpy about it, but they all knew he just didn't want them to see him sulking because of their departure.

And throughout the hour, they'd reminisced about the old times: how the Marauders met, how they'd made an enemy out of Severus and Lily (Severus participated in this discussion enthusiastically), how James fell for Lily (Marlene made sure to add the most embarrassing details), how Rhea and Luna suddenly entered their lives out of nowhere (Sirius and Severus had a lot to complain about that), how they'd all formed the FOTT club (Lily took great pride in naming the club) and finally, how Remus and Rhea were a close second to being the most oblivious couple ever (after Lily and James, of course).

They had been having such a good time that they hadn't realized that they'd have to go downstairs for their graduation until Mary, in a hesitant voice, had told them that it was time to leave.

Which was when, realization hit them that this was it.

Everyone had hugged Caelus (much to his displeasure) and had shaken hands with him, thanking him profusely for everything. Caelus had gruffly clasped Peter's shoulder and had told him in a low grumble to never underestimate his worth, to which Peter smiled widely, and James looked at Caelus gratefully.

Then Caelus had given Remus a death glare, roughly threatening him that he'd blast the boy into tiny shards if he ever hurt Rhea, which caused Remus crack a smile despite his fear.

And then, one by one, they trickled out of the room, leaving a gloomy silence in their wake. Remus gave Rhea a reassuring glance, before exiting the room as well, letting Rhea and Caelus have a moment.

"If you're going to cry," Caelus said finally when Rhea did nothing but stand silently in front of him. "Do it outside this room. Zeus only knows handling emotional teenagers is not in my to-do list.

She smiled faintly at him, and rocked back and forth on her heels, her fingers fidgeting with her black robes. Truth was, she was bloody scared. Every time she thought about the war or the Order, her stomach would lurch unpleasantly, and she'd have the distinct urge to throw up.

Caelus had called it war jitters, but to Rhea, jitters didn't really cut it. 

"Y'know," she said quietly, "I was always tempted to ask you about the future. Just to see if we win this war or not."

He didn't reply. She couldn't blame him.

"Do you know what happens?"

Caelus looked at her intently, before responding, "I see flashes of it from time to time. Unclear, hazy...but flashes, nevertheless."

Rhea could sense his underlying tone of fear. He was scared; scared for her. For all of them.

Did she still want to know what would happen? Obviously—she'd have more chances at preventing catastrophes if she did know. Was she scared of what she'd find out? Definitely—the future was both a scary and a beautiful thing since the very word was left to one's imagination.