~ We are running out, it's all gonna end

We are running out. End of time. ~

***

"I can't believe the monstrous fifth year has come to an end," Alicia turned over to Felicity and remarked.

She nodded, "same here. But you should better turn forward because if you don't you'll crash headfirst into the armored knights. Ah, that was a near miss."

Students were lined up and being led to the school grounds where the horseless carriages awaited which would take them to the Hogsmeade station from where they had to board the Hogwarts Express.

"Term ended up really fast," Alicia spoke up when the crowd had cleared a little and the procession stopped so that now both the girls were standing side to side.

"I guess so too. But it probably went off faster than before because we had so much work to do in so little time," Felicity replied, "I'm so glad the tension is over for now. There's nothing I look forward to doing more in the Summer Break than simply resting and catching up all those hours I missed of my sleep time."

The carriages had arrived and people had started to get on board, however the two of them stayed behind in order to let the crowd clear up a little before making their way to the carriages.

"I bet you're more glad that James Potter won't be bothering you anymore," she remarked playfully nudging her.

Felicity took in a deep breath and slowly exhaled, "well... He's not that bad."

Alicia who had just climbed up the first step of the carriage nearly toppled back out, "excuse me, what?"

She pushed her in and climbed up herself, "what so surprising?"

"You hated him, Felicity," Alicia remarked after they had settled down and she had sort of grasped the meaning of what Fel had said earlier, "you absolutely despised him to the point of roasting his eyeballs out on a stake, and yet here you are now, stating he's not that bad. What did you expect? It was quite logical of me to be so surprised. In fact you're lucky I didn't get a heart attack."

She shook her head in a nod as if agreeing with her friend, "I know I have a lot of explaining to do so why don't we wait till we board the train? I'm certain we'll have plenty of time then."

In a short trip through the stony pathways at the edge of the forest, the carriages one by one at the Hogsmeade Station. The scarlet engine was already waiting at the platform, white steam sprouting out from its chimney. 

Hoards upon hoards of students climbed abroad the steam locomotive and then began the hustle of finding a cabin. Felicity and Alicia found a cabin with two Hufflepuffs at the far end of the train and settled down.

"Now start explaining," she remarked soon as Fel had stowed away her trunk.

She shook her head, "alright, have a little patience. As I was saying, he might be an annoying toadstool but he's not that bad at heart."

Alicia was looking at her with a meaningful look in her eyes, "so to what do I owe this great softening of your merciless nature? Did he present a foot long apology in your honor or is there something that I'm still missing out on?"

"That's not the case. What do you take me for? A prison guard?"

"From my perspective, I expect you to do even worse than that."

She pretended to be mildly offended, "Heaven's sake, Alicia, I don't even know why we're still friends."

"You know in that case I am kinda like James Potter," she remarked.

At that statement, Felicity eyed her closely, "and what do you mean by that?"

"Both of us are stubborn little gits who won't leave you alone."

She marveled at the stark honesty of her remark, "fair enough."

"The only difference is that you gave in and befriended one of us but in the present circumstances it looks like that difference won't remain for much long as well."

"What can I say? Perhaps?" she replied tilting her head to the side as if reflecting on the possibilities that came with Alicia's proposition, "but if he starts behaving like an inflated egghead again then I'm sorry, I'll have to take back my words."

Alicia smiled in agreement, "ah of course... That's my girl."

***

At the expected time, the train came to a smooth halt on Platform 9 3/4 at King's Cross station. From the window the sight of parents awaiting their children was visible and inside the locomotive everyone was busy in dislodging their trunks in order to get going.

Felicity hauled her trunk out of her cabin and placing it conveniently by the door, she turned back to help her friend get hers out as well. However, when she turned back, she saw that the trunk wasn't visible. "Al diavolo! Where the heck is my luggage?"

"Right here, ma'am," the familiar voice caused her to step out seeing that both James Potter and Sirius Black were standing in the corridor.

"Were you trying to steal it?" she asked raising an eyebrow skeptically while eyeing them both as if they were convicts on the loose.

"Why would we steal your trunk? For all we know it's full to the brim with books and I don't see any instance where that could be of any benefit to us," James remarked.

Sirius nodded as well, "exactly, why would we want to steal books? It's not like we study and all, not in the least like bookish nerds..."

"To donate them off to Remus, I suppose?" she remarked dubiously.

"Now that is something which I had clearly not thought about earlier. What do you say, Prongs, won't he be delighted?" he immediately piped up.

"Hey you, put it down this instant," she spoke up when she sensed they had taken the sarcastic comment pretty seriously.

James remarked, "easy there, Latvia, we were only going to help you get it down from the train. No strings attached."

She was still suspicious of their actual intentions but let them help her with it, "oh... If you two have really decided to be helpful then do give that favor to Alicia as well."

"Ah, I feel such a lot like an elf," Sirius mumbled under his breath but took her friend's trunk and climbed out of the locomotive followed by them both.

Alicia was looking over at the boys diligently unloading their trunks rather appreciatively, "oh my, that was clearly unexpected yet helpful. Both of them are too sweet, if you ask."

"They aren't sweet in the least," she huffed in reply, "though I do wonder why in the world they are offering their limited edition services to us today. Hey, James, you aren't running a fever today, are you?"

James dropped the trunk and turned around in alarm, "James, huh? So we are on first name basis now? I hope you are not running a fever either, Felicity. But I appreciate the sudden change."

She rolled her eyes wearily, "as if... But thank you for helping us today even though your motives were pretty much unknown. I just hope it's not any godawful prank of yours."

"Don't worry, we told you; no strings attached," Sirius elaborated.

After getting the trunks placed down on the ground safely, James came up to them, "all we ask for in return is to be part of the photographs we are taking. We were thinking of making a school photo collage and we're snapping them off today. And all you have to do is be part of it. Half of them are already done as we were rounding those people we would clearly like to remember after school as well. I'll send you your pictures later on when they get developed."

"That's really sweet of you. And who's your photographer?" Alicia asked, mildly curious.

"Why, Peter, of course," Sirius spoke, "hey Pete, they said yes."

Peter came up with his camera clutched tightly in his hands, followed by Remus close behind. "Huddle around and say cheese," he positioned himself to capture the photo.

The three boys stood by with Felicity and Alicia and soon enough the photograph was taken. 

"Thank you so much," Peter spoke after the pictures were done, "I hope these get developed well."

"Don't worry these are going to be perfect," Sirius patted him on the back, "nothing can go wrong when we have a photographer as brilliant as you, right?" He returned a slight smile at the compliment.

The photographs being done, James spoke, "that was very considerate of you both. Now we must get going. Hope you have a great summer."

The four of them bid their farewell and soon enough Felicity spotted her mother coming over towards them.

"Five minutes from now, you sure?" James turned to Sirius and mumbled but Felicity heard him anyway.

"What are you talking about?"

"Five minutes till his Dad comes to pick us up," Sirius added quite immediately.

She had a gut feeling that there was something going on in their heads which they were trying to hide badly but failing at it. But thinking that it must be one of her pessimistic judgments, she left the matter for later to ponder at, "alright. You have a great summer too."

"Good day Mrs Latvia," Alicia greeted as soon as Esther had approached them.

Felicity turned to face them both trying to subdue the feeling of something awful about to happen at the back of her head, "morning, Mother."

"Fel, how was your fifth term? I'm sure the exams went great for both of you," she seemed to be in a brighter mood than when Felicity had last seen her at the first day of term.

She nodded, "sure, they did."

"The OWLs were a nightmare," Alicia added, "I'm so so happy term is finally over."

Esther smiled which made Felicity think when was the last time she had seen her mother smile like that, racking her brain for an answer, "I'm glad it's over too. How's Dad doing by the way?"

"He got a promotion," she replied as Alicia had bid her farewell and joined her parents on the other end of the platform and they were too headed for the exit, "his company offered to send him on a trip abroad so he won't be at home."

Felicity realized instantly why her mother looked so relieved that day, she knew Stefan's absence meant there will be no more rows for at least the time he was away for and both mother and daughter would have more time to themselves. "And when is he going to be back?"

"Hopefully not in the entire Summer Break of yours. But he said he wasn't certain about that."

"Oh... I see," she replied vaguely.

They hadn't crossed the barrier yet when she felt an odd whizzing sensation in her pocket. "What the hell...?" she stopped and Esther too halted.

"What happened, honey?"

"I... I don't know?"

Before she could put her hand in her robe pocket to see what was there, an eerily loud alarm went off as if someone had winded an alarm clock the wrong way. 

"Che cazzo è?" And true enough an odd looking alarm clock fell off from her pocket clanging and making a horrible noise, while spinning in circles.

"Per favore mente la tua lingua," Esther remarked under her breath wearily, in an attempt to rebuke her daughter for using severe language.

Felicity stomped on the clock shutting it at last, "how can I keep in mind to use polite language when this godawful alarm clock is clanging around? Honestly...?"

She put her hand in her pocket and found a note. Surprised she took it out and after reading it, her rage sparked even further. The note held the same flamboyant cursive writing that was quite a distinct characteristic of Sirius Orion Black: 

Merry Summer Break, Latvia.

Hope our gift was not too alarming.

Sincerely from your most favorite annoying toadstools.

Potter and Black.

***