𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐂𝐊𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐄
chapter thirty; You & Me Got A Whole Lot Of Memories
" Like you're not just making it through the day, you're risking it all, and I suppose running the risk was worth it. "

  THE SEVENTH YEAR of Salem Gerard was coming to an end. In all honesty, when Salem realized she had a mere three more nights inside Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardy, she was terrified.

  But she didn't let that fear control her, anymore.

  "Alright, Sal," Sirius clapped, hopping over the back of the common room sofa and finding comfort beside Remus Lupin, "We have an end of year tradition, and this one is very, very important."

  "Because it's the last one?"

  "'Cause you're a part of it."

  Salem smiled lightly, turning her head when the stairs to the boys' dormitory creaked just slightly. Down came James Potter, joining his chosen brothers, Dottie Fitzgerald, Lily Evans, and his girlfriend whose beauty consistently shocked him.

  "That time already?" James asked, kissing Salem's cheek before perching on the chair of the arm she occupied.

  "Well, we ride those boats in three days," Remus cleared his throat as Sirius sunk into his side, "Hogwarts graduates— how about that?"

  "I always knew it was coming," Lily spoke over her steaming mug of tea, "But it doesn't feel real, now that it's here."

  Salem agreed silently, before outstretching her hand towards the girl. Lily laughed, but sipped the tea before passing it to Salem, who smiled and followed suit.

  "Alright, so," Sirius began, grinning wildly, "Every year, we go around and tell our favorite memory."

  Dottie furrowed her brows.

  "It seems boring, but it's not, swear."

  "Here, I'll start," Peter offered, sitting up fully, "My favorite memory this year was surely Dottie and I's first date. I was terrified to ask her, but, um, I'm glad my friends encouraged me to do it. We were nervous at first, but soon enough, we were talking long into the night."

  Dottie smiled, squeezing Peter's hand.

  "Mine was easy," James grinned, leaning back as his smile oozed charisma, "When Sal kissed me the first time."

  "That's all we get?"

  "Yeah, you perve!"

  "Share, you prude!"

  "She's a bloody peach to kiss," James shouted back at Sirius, whose grin read pride, "It— I dunno, it was like magic— like, beyond any kind we've know. Like pure magic. Better than flying. Better than casting a Patronus, or drinking Firewhiskey, or scoring a goal! Just. . . magic."

  Salem blushed. She was nearly as bright as her hair, but James was too flustered to notice. 

  "Thank you," Sirius nodded, crossing his arms, satisfied.

  "My favorite was probably James' brilliant idea," Remus cleared his throat, "Letting Filch catch us out of bed so we could slip our best creation into a drawer. Leaving our memory for future troublemakers to find."

  "Ah, and who came up with that one?" Lily questioned, grinning, "I swear, Remus Lupin, you're the worst out of everyone— just as bad as Sirius, but with the impression that you're all good."

  "Best of both worlds," Sirius smiled proudly, "Now, my turn— I have to say, it was a long, up-hill battle, but Sal finally gave me her top-secret jam pancake recipe."

  A sea of offended shouts spilled over the common room. Sirius ate it up, laughing as James whined to Salem about not knowing the recipe himself.

  "Alright, alright," Lily raised her voice, waving her hands briefly, "Mine was Valentine's Day. James reminded me of the same day in our second year, when he gave me a gift in every class, and didn't stop because I kept giving them to other girls."

  "Marlene appreciated my chocolates, at least."

  Lily rolled her eyes as James stuck out his tongue, her expression softening as she turned to Dottie.

  "How about you?"

  Dottie's posture melted slightly, pulling her knees to her chest as she let thoughts linger. Her seventh year had been the most memorable one, easily, filled with many moments she'd reminisce upon in her older days.

  But one stuck out. One that meant everything, and nothing, and she decided this was it.

  "Alright. . .I suppose it'd be Sal and my's special Christmas celebration before break."

 "Oh, no."

  "Sal likes to keep Firewhiskey in her trunk, for emergencies only," Dottie smiled, "So, on the night before Christmas break, she decides it's time to break it out. We got drunk, absolutely sloshed, and sang Christmas carols for so long our dormmates had to tell us to shut up, and we fell asleep in my bed, in our clothes from the day, but it was just one of those times it was just us. No drama or arguments or anything, just me and Sal and our Christmas spirit."

  Salem didn't have any words, but that was alright. Because Dottie knew her, even though they were no longer best friends, Dottie knew that the fact alone that despite it all, Salem was still her favorite memory, meant nothing short of everything.

  "Anyways, it's your turn," Dottie cleared her throat, leaning back into her chair. "The floor's yours, Sal."

  "Mine is really hard. . . every moment that involves this prat is my favorite. . ." Salem mumbled, elbowing James who could do nothing but smile, "But I suppose the one that trumps all the others was the day after James knew I was the one playing him in chess."

  "You've got to explain it a bit more, Sal, we're on the edge of our seats here."

  Salem laughed at Sirius, shaking her head.

  "For the first time in my life, it felt like someone listened to me. Not just heard the words I was saying, but listened. And he wasn't just looking at me, he saw me. It was scary. To be seen and heard. But, at the same time. . . being vulnerable like that, having your entire heart laid out in front of someone who could do anything they wanted to it, I suppose it makes you feel like you're really living. Like you're not just making it through the day, you're risking it all, and I suppose running the risk was worth it."

  "Oh, you suppose, do you?"

  "It was worth it," Salem spoke softly to James, whose teasing expression melted into a genuine one.

  "We get it, you're both sickly in love with each other!" Sirius waved with a dramatic hand, letting out a faux gag when James left a wet kiss on Salem's cheek.

  "You're both still children," Lily sighed lightly, though the hesitant smile on her lips said otherwise.

  "Ah, but you love us."

  "Sadly, I do."

  The rest of the night was filled with otherwise unimportant chatter. Remus and Sirius argued about the best sweet sold at Honeydukes, while Salem and Lily shared their tea. Dottie had fallen asleep on Peter's shoulder amidst the chaos, and James Potter sat quietly.

  He sat quietly, with his legs crossed and his glasses inching down the bridge of his nose, and his forever unruly hair tumbling on his forehead.

  Because she was there.

  Salem was right there, but not just that. Sure, she was a few steps away, easily reachable, but what really mattered was that Salem Gerard now had permanent residence in James Potter's heart, and when she looked up as if she simply knew she was the apple of his eye and smiled, James Potter knew he, too, could forever find home in Salem Gerard's heart.

( AUTHOR'S NOTE. )
I won't lie I think I procrastinated
writing this because I don't
want it to be over :( but
I missed Sal so much, and
sadly, all good things must come
to an end. The next chapter
will be the last (there maybe
an epilogue, but there won't
be a sequel in the foreseeable
future) and I KNOW I'm just
as sad as you are, but their story
is just coming to a close, and 
I don't want to drag it out further
than it should be.