▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

CHAPTER TWENTY - 🍂 ୧ what happened. . .
in summer? ও🦌

AS THE SUMMER SEASON OF 1977 slowly drew to a close, the lives of Autumn and her friends had been significantly affected by numerous events. For Autumn, the summer began as she spent time with her family members before joining friends, specifically Raven, Elliot, and Lily, on subsequent adventures.

During the final stretch of the summer, Autumn kept in touch with her other friends through letter exchanges, communicating the most with James on a daily basis. She had unwittingly agreed to uphold a pledge to offer a hug to the Potter upon their reunion. Despite this, excitement and trepidation seized her, suspecting that her anxiety would be overwhelming at the exact moment the promise would become reality.

James' summer seemed to be full of action, with plenty of exciting events happening right from the start, leaving him little time to rest. Throughout the rest of the season, he faced a variety of situations, as he and Sirius lived together. This led the two to engage in quite a bit of mischief and adventure.

The letters exchanged between James and Autumn left him feeling utterly smitten and lovelorn. He would often eagerly await the arrival of her owl, and on one amusing occasion, the bird mistook his unruly hair for a nest and landed on his head, much to Autumn's delight and subsequent amusement.

Raven, despite having made plans, had a different summer experience than she had anticipated. Though she was fortunate to spend time with her parents, she found it less than enjoyable as they favored outdoor activities, something Raven dreaded. Nevertheless, she was somewhat fine with it due to her genuine affection for her parents. However, she did not share their exuberant energy.

Raven's exchange of letters with Remus mirrored the frequency with which Autumn wrote to James. While the two were quite engaged with each other through their correspondence, there was still little progress on discussions regarding their feelings. Both were preoccupied with their academic pursuits and companions, focusing on other matters. Despite this, their affection for each other was definitely there, but neither was in a hurry to reveal it openly.

Raven had her focus set on pursuing a career as a curse-breaker, which demanded her full attention and dedication. When not with her companions, she immersed herself in her studies.

Remus harbored reservations about love due to the complexities associated with his life as a werewolf. He wasn't keen on the idea of enmeshing someone else in such a complicated lifestyle.

Remus Lupin's summer had been complex, as he had witnessed firsthand the growing hatred towards werewolves. Various articles in the Daily Prophet had been published during the season, highlighting the number of werewolves joining the dark side. This showed how easy it had become for them to make the choice of being accepted, even if it meant choosing a despicable path.

Remus felt envious of the understanding that muggles had towards werewolves, as opposed to the wizarding community's portrayal of them as abominations. While muggles had only written tales about werewolves as folklore, they did not outright label them as monsters. This contrasting depiction made Remus envious.

It was evident to Remus that the discrimination faced by werewolves in the wizarding world was significantly worse when compared to the mistreatment they endured in the muggle world.

Elliot mostly stayed at home during the summer. His parents had accepted his refusal to follow in their profession, curse-breaking, and thus didn't include him much in family activities, though he didn't mind. Raised in an environment of things he didn't enjoy, Elliot found relief when he chose to become a Slytherin and reject his studies in curse-breaking. This ultimately freed him from their constraints.

The second half of Elliot's summer involved him traveling to America with his family due to a job opportunity. He had a great time thanks to Lily's company, as Raven was elsewhere.

Lily and Elliot have been friends for a while, but there was a particular incident that made them pause and reflect on their relationship. The depth of their connection and whether it was just a casual fling or something more meaningful remained uncertain.

Lily's summer was quite slow due to being left with her family, her sister, and her sister's fiancé. This made her feel uneasy, as her sister and future brother-in-law did not enjoy her presence. The discomfort they caused prompted Lily to escape and seek solitude to evade these negative emotions.

Lily's usual method of escaping her uncomfortable situation was no longer an option after the events involving Severus. However, she still had her other close friends who could help ease the void that he had left. Deep down, she hoped that one day he would come back, and her heart would allow her to forgive him, as she longed for their past relationship.

Lily hadn't expected a connection to form between her and Elliot while accompanying his family to America, but the feelings were undeniable. Their brief relationship was deeply satisfying to her, yet the ending was left unspoken. Upon returning home, the pair did not exchange letters as they had done before, leaving their future uncertain.

At first glance, Peter's summer appeared typical, but upon closer inspection, it was rather different from past ones. For starters, he received a letter from James that granted him time to reflect. Feeling heard for the first time, a subsequent meet-up with James further helped him gain clarity about his thoughts and emotions.

Peter greatly admired James and Sirius and aspired to reach their level of reverence. However, after his conversation with James, he discovered that James was not the flawless person he had thought. Despite his popularity, excellence in Quidditch, and academic achievements, James faced similar uncertainties about his life and future path as he did.

Armed with his newfound perspective, Peter resolved not to be like anyone else but instead to be his authentic self. He was determined to uncover his true identity beneath the layers of self-masking he had practiced.

Sirius experienced a chaotic early summer as he grappled with being regarded as the black sheep of his family. It took a significant toll on his mental health, leading him to finally decide to escape the household he had endured for too long. Fortunately, the Potter family welcomed him with open arms, and although his official name remained unchanged, in his heart, he was unmistakably their honorary son.

Sirius had a fantastic summer after moving in with the Potters. The pair caused plenty of mischief and chaos, but nothing compared to hearing James enthusiastically gushing about Autumn. Despite this, Sirius refrained from discouraging James' behavior in the least.

Sirius' summer was made more memorable when James asked him about his wildest dream - to travel the world. Sirius grew even more excited as he listened to his friend's encouraging words, fueling his desire to make this dream a reality.

The summer had been filled with numerous events, and as the vacation drew to a close, a range of new days and nights was on the horizon for the group. The nature of these upcoming days, encompassing whether they would be joyous, emotional, or negative, remained to be seen. However, there was one undeniable certainty - the end of summer signified the beginning of a new chapter.

As the days elapsed, the memories of this summer would either fade, or come back, when the need arose.