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CHAPTER FORTY FIVE - 🍂 ୧ time goes . . .
by ও🦌

JANUARY QUICKLY REPLACED DECEMBER in the blink of an eye, and the teens all returned to Hogwarts after their holiday break. They all resumed their internships and classes, quickly getting caught up in the hustle and bustle of school life once more.

Though they were all feeling a bit more relaxed after their break and a bit rejuvenated by their time away, the teens were also aware that they were returning to their routine and daily schedule, and that all the demands and challenges that Hogwarts offered would quickly descend upon them once again.

The teens were all aware of the fact that they were headed for adulthood and eventually, a life outside of Hogwarts, and this realization was casting a shadow over the normally carefree holiday season they enjoyed each year.

As they returned to school, the looming awareness that this could very well be their final Christmas as students loomed large in their minds, and the feeling of carefree innocence and youth was gradually beginning to fade, being replaced by a new and more intimidating sense of reality.

James was exhausted after the morning practice, sitting down heavily in his and Autumn's shared common room. Taking off his robes, he collapsed on the couch and let out a groan as he let out all the tension that had built up in him throughout the practice.

Looking around, he saw Raven and Peter relaxing in their ways.

"Where is Sirius?" Peter asked, looking up at James and craning his head to try and spot their friend.

"He was kidnapped by McKinnon and Meadows after practice. Don't know what they are planning," James sighed, his attitude making it obvious that he wasn't terribly concerned about his friend's whereabouts.

"Probably making Sirius do their bidding," Raven quipped, grinning as she looked down at her book again.

"Yeah, most likely," James agreed with a chuckle, taking another deep breath as he relaxed on the couch.

"He'll probably show up later claiming he fought off his captors singlehandedly," Peter joked half-handedly, a faint grin on his lips.

After the jokes about Sirius' fate with Marlene and Dorcas, Peter quietly exited the common room, stating he had plans with Mary to study.

This led to a small exchange of knowing looks between James and Raven, the duo aware of how close Peter and Mary had been growing as of late, but Peter doing all the could to deny it, bashfully avoiding their eyes.

James was intrigued by Raven's sudden shift in demeanour, noticing the serious look on her face as she stared out the window. He was instantly curious, his eyes narrowing for a moment as he was pulled from his meditative state.

"You okay, Raven?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.

She took a moment before sighing and facing him, smiling weakly before speaking. "I'm just wondering how patient Remus will be," she breathed, her soft smile fading slightly as she spoke.

"Remus is usually very patient," James replied, but something in her tone made him think that there was more to this than she was letting on, some deeper thoughts stirring inside her that she wasn't ready to share just yet.

He studied her for a moment, his eyes filled with concern. "Are you worried about something between you and Remus?" James asked, a slight note of concern making its way into his voice.

Raven glanced away at his question and James' eyes widened as the realization sunk in, and he grinned widely as it became clear to him what had happened the night in question.

"Wait, I think he did say something about having finally done what he'd wanted to do for a while," he said, putting the pieces together.

"Oh bloody hell, Raven, did he finally confess to you?" He laughed, unable to contain his laughter any longer.

James couldn't help his excited reaction, his face lighting up with a grin as she confirmed that his best friend had finally given in and admitted his feelings.

"And you're not together? What? Why, I thought you fancied him as much as he fancied you," he questioned, completely baffled that the relationship hadn't advanced as he had previously assumed.

Raven swallowed hard and let out a soft chuckle as she gave a nervous shrug, a slight blush forming along her cheeks. "I do," she confessed.

Autumn quietly entered the common room after finishing her duties and she quickly walked over the couch and settled down beside James, as she had already conversed with Raven about this topic back during their Christmas holiday.

She remained quiet and listened as they continued to talk, an amused smile starting to form across her face as she waited for a moment to join in.

James glanced between the two of them, taking note of the nervous look on Raven's face, and he smiled gently as her body language revealed just how nervous and fearful she was about the situation.

He let out a soft sigh as he continued to speak, trying his best to encourage her in the manner his friend deserved. "Remus will wait for as long as you need, so as soon as you think it's time, run to him and tell him. Don't miss your opportunity," he encouraged gently.

Raven slowly nodded as she heard the kind and affirming words of encouragement, her expression softening slightly, and she looked up at him with a half-smile.

"I won't miss it," she breathed, her voice filled with a slight sense of certainty as she leaned back into the couch, the conversation making her heart swell with a quiet sense of hope for the future.

James smiled as he leaned back and pulled Autumn closer to him with an arm around her shoulders, kissing her on the cheek as he bragged.

"I've been giving some damn good advice recently," he quipped confidently, and the two girls laughed in response, their laughter filling the air of their common room with a light and cheerful ambience.

AUTUMN WAS SAT WITH REMUS, Lily, Raven, and Peter at the Quidditch pitch, watching as James stood before the Quidditch team and was about to name the new captain.

It was early February and the time was nearly here for James to name the new Gryffindor captain, as this would be his final year and he needed to hand over the role to another student.

James had been the captain since his fifth year, and despite his attempts to pass on the role to someone else, his team had refused to let him give up the role. They loved the confidence and leadership skills he had provided, and they were unwilling to lose him as their captain.

But this time, the team had no choice but to accept the change and welcome a new captain, as this would be James's final year and he was going to be forced to hand over the role, one way or another.

Peter leaned back, letting out a deep yawn as he leaned his head on his hand, and Raven noted the visible signs of exhaustion on all of him, Remus and even Sirius down at the field. She raised an eyebrow and asked in a curious tone, "Rough night?"

Peter laughed and responded in a mildly amused manner, "Yeah, James kept all of us up all night."

Remus rubbed his sore neck, letting out a sigh as he shared, "James would not let us sleep until we heard about all of the potential candidates for captain. It took bloody ages," he said, his tone slightly amused as he recalled the night before.

The girls shared a look of pity, knowing that James did not discuss Quidditch with them, as it was not a sport they were interested in. However, despite Peter and Remus not playing nor having any interest in playing, they still gave James the time and day to listen to him talk about his passion.

Lily looked down at the field, where James was still speaking to his team, and she asked in a curious tone, "How long did it take?"

Peter groaned, his tone slightly exhausted as he answered, "All night. We only got roughly two hours of sleep, give or take."

"Did he choose the new captain?" Autumn wondered aloud, and Peter and Remus shared a look before Remus confirmed the information.

"He's going to make the candidates play a mock game," he explained, his tone indicating a slight bit of exasperation as he battled his exhaustion.

"Good thing that's not set until the weekend," Remus added with a large sigh, glad they would have some time to recover before the mock game was held.

James wrapped up his speech to his team, telling them about the mock game that was going to take place during the weekend, and he and Sirius made their way over to the stands where Autumn, Lily, Remus, Peter, and Raven were all gathered.

After the rest of the group had left, Autumn was left behind with James, who was seated next to her. He was looking off into the distance, seeming to have something on his mind.

She looked at him, noticing the slight hesitation that was evident in his expression as if he were debating with himself about something.

She waited patiently for him to speak, letting him have a moment to gather his thoughts as he gazed out at the Quidditch field.

After a few moments of silence, James finally let out a sigh and turned to look at her, an almost melancholy expression in his eyes.

"There's something I need to discuss with you," he said finally, his expression serious as he met her gaze.

The pause in silence before James finally spoke made a thick tension fill the air between the two of them, and his sudden sombre look told her she was in for an interesting discussion.

Her heart fluttered slightly as her stomach twisted with a mix of curiosity and nerves, and she nodded as she replied, "Of course, what is it?"

James took a moment to gather his thoughts as he looked at her, his eyes filled with a slight sense of apprehension as he began to speak.

"I've been wanting to talk to you about it for a while now," he finally said, his voice low and steady as he met her gaze.

She leaned in a little closer to him, unable to fight the tension and curiosity filling her as he began to speak. Her pulse started to quicken, and a slight pit formed in her stomach, not quite know what he was about to tell her, but a feeling deep inside told her it was going to be something big.

"I'm all ears, James" she whispered softly, her voice filled with eager anticipation.

James reached for her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze as he glanced down at their joined hands, his hand slowly making its way over to her finger before pulling it up and kissing her ring finger. His facial expression softened ever so slightly, and his eyes seemed to glow to her just slightly as he spoke.

"Today, it just reminded me that we only have a few months left of school, and with handing off my Captaincy to someone else, it just hit me that this is it. This is our final year," James said softly.

She watched as he gently rubbed her ring finger, a soft smile beginning to form on her face as she realized what he was getting at. James then reached up and gently cupped her cheek with his other hand as he continued to speak.

"I want to be with you until the end of time, Autumn," he said, his tone filled with love and devotion as he looked directly into her eyes. He then took in a deep breath and went on to say, "After we graduate and choose our careers, we'll get married and start a family."

She chuckled softly at his statement, her eyes twinkling with amusement as she playfully rolled her eyes. "Of course, I did think that it would go that way as well," she agreed, shifting ever so subtly and resting her head against his hand.

James's smile expanded ever so slightly at her response, and he gently brushed his hand through her hair as he leaned in closer to her, his voice a mere whisper as he looked down at her.

Autumn's body melted as he lifted her head with his gentle hand, her eyes finding his as she looked up at him. A blush swept across her cheeks when their eyes locked, and her lips gently parted with every breath of his. Her heart raced as she stared into his eyes.

James then leaned in ever so slightly, his hand still cupping her cheek as his eyes fluttered shut, his voice ever so soothingly tender as he spoke again.

"You are the only one I can imagine being with," he murmured.

She felt her heart fluttering in her chest as his hand gently cupped her cheek and his eyes fluttering closed, her breath quickening slightly and her lips parting ever so subtly with every breath of his.

A faint smile danced across her lips as she leaned into him ever so slightly, her mind slowly getting lost in his words.

He was right. She could not imagine being with anyone else, and the thought of forever with him was enough to send chills down her spine.

"Well, good because you are the only one I can imagine spending my life with as well," she replied softly.

He leaned close and pressed his lips to hers, and she melted when their mouths met in a gentle but loving kiss. His lips felt warm and soft against hers, and he gently pulled her slightly closer as his arm around her waist began to tighten.

The moment lasted for only a few precious seconds, and he eventually pulled away, his smile still present on his lips as he let go of her and slowly brought his hand to tuck her hair behind her ear.

A soft sigh escaped him and he brushed his fingers gently through her hair behind her ear, savouring the moment as his lips slightly curved upwards.

"Forever," he murmured as he met her gaze again, and he gently pulled her slightly closer against him, their arms around each other. "With you, I'm going to be with you forever."

She was still feeling lightheaded from the kiss, and when she felt him gently pull her closer to him, she leaned into him and pressed her head into his chest, savouring the feeling of being in his arms and the warmth of his body.

"Forever with you," she replied softly, resting her head against him as she relaxed into his grip.

He ran his hands slowly and soothingly up and down her back as she rested her head against him, and the weight of her head on his body just made him want to hold her even tighter.

"And with you, I'll be the happiest man on earth, knowing that I get to wake up every morning and have you by my side," he gently whispered, leaning down and pressing his lips to her forehead as he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her slowly onto his lap.

Her back relaxed against the touch of his hands as she was slowly lifted onto his lap, and her stomach filled with a warm and fuzzy feeling as she rested her head against his forehead and her body against his.

His gentle and soothing words made her heart flutter even more than before, and she found herself closing her eyes as she relaxed against him, her arms wrapping lightly around his neck.

"Every day with you will be like I've already won the best lottery in the world," he brushed her hair back from her face and gently cupped her chin in his hand, looking at her lovingly.

She smiled gently and looked up at him as her head was gently tilted by his hand, and a soft laugh escaped her lips when she spoke up again.

"That's all I could ever ask for, Just a life with you," she leaned in ever so slightly and pressed her lips to his, her fingers lightly massaging his neck and her head resting against him, feeling completely at peace in his arms.

His hand tightened slightly around her chin, holding her in place as he leaned into the kiss slightly. His hand then moved down her back, eventually coming to rest at her hip, and he pulled her slightly closer against him as his hand slowly slid further around her waist.

Their bodies were slowly pressed against each other as the kiss got slightly more intense, the feeling of his arms around her making her feel utterly adored.

Pulling away only for a brief second, he spoke up in between soft breaths, "This is all I ever wanted."

Her body melted against his as he pulled her close to him again for another kiss and she could feel her heart beating faster and faster as the kiss became more intense and the feeling of his arms around her made her feel utterly adored. This was all she had ever wanted, and her lips found his again, her breath catching with every gentle brush of their lips.

When he pulled away for a brief moment, she looked up at him with sparkling eyes, and she gently placed a hand on his cheek.

"Me too," she whispered.