CHAPTER TWO
✧
-: summer :-

── IN WHICH THEY HEAD
OUT TO THE BOATS

. . .

THERE WAS A SLOWLY GROWING EMOTION sat in August's stomach as they walked together out of the Great Hall and down through the entrance, out into the Quad. It was something similar to happiness and the urge to stop and take it all in one last time, because they were graduating and leaving their home behind and... she shouldn't think like that because Merlin it hurt.

It was an ache and a bubble of excitement and a tidal wave of tears threatening to trickle down her cheeks and ruin the makeup she had painstakingly applied after a morning of crying anyway. The sense of nostalgia was in full-force, and despite her and Bill ensuring that the graduates that year would be following the tradition of taking the boats over the lake just as first years did (the Head Girl and Boy the year before attempted to change it to make it seem like less of an emotional deal), she was beginning to feel like it would be a bad idea.

At the very least she could celebrate that she had lost her hat when everyone threw theirs up in the air as Dumbledore announced that they had officially graduated (and knowing his best friend all too well, Bill had swiped it up and stuffed it in the pocket of his robes so she could keep it) before the seventh-year celebrations turned from cheering and clapping to hugs and crying, tear-stained faces smiling as they followed Hagrid down to the boathouse. 

Madam Pomfrey had patted her shoulder with a smile as the hoard of graduates left the castle, Professor McGonagall following behind the crowd and August glanced back to see her usual strikingly stern expression because despite their age and newest status they still could act like first years. At the front, however, Hagrid was leading the troops forward, and his sniffing could rival the sound of Hippogriffs when they got angry.

"Come on." She turned to Bill, who looked similarly sentimental as they passed. "Hagrid." August added when he looked confused. "Amelia, Henry and Francis are already down there, we should catch up."

"I don't know how we even lost them." Bill didn't stop when she grabbed his hand and began spilling apologies and excuses as they pushed past a group. "Hagrid, how are you doing?" 

"Well, yeh know as much as I do." Hagrid's words were punctuated with a sniff. "I'm a big blubberin' mess... jus' seein' yeh all leave... it feels like yesterday tha' I was watchin' yeh all row over on yer first days." 

"It's been a few years since then, Hagrid." August grinned. "And I'm sure you say that every year."

"Yeah - and next year you're getting the twins to row over." Bill watched from the corner of his eye as August gentle patted Hagrid's elbow - the only part she could really reach. "Then you'll really have to look out."

"And we'll come visit, right Bill?" Louisa smiled, although deep down she knew there was something forced about it; she had no idea how they would manage that, considering she was going to be without him by the time September came anyway. "Come on, Hagrid, you'll get me started again." She pleaded, the bubble of emotion only growing and threatening to pop. 

An arm appeared around her shoulder, Bill having appeared there after leaving the half-giant to only her comforts. "C'mon, Hagrid, you just have to deal with her on the boats. Do you know how much crying there's gonna be then? It'll be horrendous." He said, although the hand resting on her shoulder was moving in circular motions in an urge of comfort.

"' know, I know." Hagrid sniffed. "It's jus' tha' yeh two are all grown up an' goin' out into the world with all the horrible stuff tha's happenin' an' it was only yesterday tha' yeh two were jus' tha' big," he took a pause from the near hysterics he had pushed himself into to hold his large hand closer to the ground, hardly bypassing Bill and August's shoulders, "look at me, I'm a blubberin' mess," he sniffed, "come here." 

The Head Boy and Girl were cut off in their paths as they were squeezed into a hug by the gamekeeper, the type of hug that meant they lost their breath quite quickly from the squeeze and their feet left the ground. 

"Hey - Hagrid." August wheezed. The half-giant let out a sob. "Hagrid - can't breathe - won't be able to visit if six feet-" 

"Alrigh', alrigh'." Hagrid put them down. "Sorry about tha'." He added, looking momentarily ashamed before it became all the more evident that the redness of his cheeks was purely the result of the motions of sadness. He sniffed once more. "I should let yeh two get to yer friends. jus'.. jus' say goodbye before yeh go off to yer train." 

"Of course." Bill agreed. He pulled August away, because it seriously looked like she wanted to hang onto the gamekeeper forever and never leave at all. He didn't blame her, of course. There  was a slight disparity in their outlooks for the future: he had already been offered a job in exactly what he was looking for, providing him with stability for the future. August, however, had faced a continuous struggle in that department. She had never known what it was she wanted to do, nor how to get there. Hogwarts had given her that stability of knowing exactly what she was going to do for the next year. Now she had nothing. "We'll see you in a bit."

He pulled her forwards, arm around her shoulder still as they weaved through groups of Hogwarts graduates as they cried, reminisced and laughed about their days at the school. Bill heard a sniff, and twisted his head to find August blotting away the beginnings of tears with her fingertips.

"Hey." He hummed, pulling her closer by the shoulder, chin resting on the top of her head as he pressed a kiss into her now-pristine hair, once mussed by the hated wizard cap that had been forced to sit there. "You all good?" 

"Yeah."  August sniffed, embarrassed to be caught out. She fell silent for a moment. "Just sadder about missing Hagrid than I thought I would be... sadder about leaving than I thought I would be."

"I know." Bill replied. "I know," he repeated, when he saw her looking up, confused, "really. I don't know how I held it together during your speech."

"Merlin, you can't be a blubbering mess either. This is horrendous, I spent so much time on my makeup this morning." She said, fingertips continuing to brush away tears.

"And you look perfect either way." He promised. "Come on. Hagrid made us fall behind and if I'm not mistaken then that's Henry leading the way, and you know how he is with directions."

"I hardly think he's going to get the entire year lost on the way down to the boathouse." August rolled her eyes. "He's not that bad."

Bill narrowed his eyes at her in pure disbelief. "We weren't paying attention when he was leading us to the Greenhouses that one time and we ended up at the Quidditch pitch and Sprout took thirty-five points off us all together." 

"You would've thought she'd've taken pity on him, being his head of house and all." August hummed, reminiscing on the look of absolute disbelief on Sprout's face as Henry Arnoult, the polygot (he spoke Italian, French, Japanese, Latin, Greek, Portuguese and an odd number of others), the jack-of-all-trades (perhaps the best student Hogwarts had ever seen), prodigal son of Wizarding Explorer Charles Arnoult and former Wizengamot Chief Witch Fernanda Sloane, entered Greenhouse Six, fifteen minutes late with his friends trailing behind him, and the only explanation he may give was that he had gotten lost. Sprout took five points off of them each, and fifteen from Henry for being such an idiot.

And thus, Henry only led the way when no one else took charge - and on those very rare occasions it was simultaneously exciting and bewildering to see how he managed to capture their attention and lead them entirely away from where they needed to be. 

"The entire year, Bill. Someone should step in before it is too late." 

"Lou, majority of the year are already completely wankered, out of their bloody minds, they'll follow anyone in robes right now." Bill reminded her. "People have been drinking since breakfast and I think half of Hufflepuff hotboxed the toilets next to the Great Hall before graduation."

"Well apparently someone has to have faith in the student body, right?" August led the way, weaving through groups of friends down the stairs, excusing the two of them as they went, slipping in between students as they received goodbyes and congratulations on the way. 

Eventually, having passed the many friends created through all houses within the year group, Bill and August reached the front of the masses. The latter's arm slipped in between Amelia's, making her jump out of her skin, as Bill fell into step by Henry and Francis, cheerful. 

"Look who it is, the posh twats who ruined our year with meaningless commitments." Francis rolled his eyes. "Because of you two, how am I supposed to have any upper arm strength to row these stupid boats over the lake."

"Apologies, Francis, for we all know you truly yearned to be lugging barrels over the Quidditch pitch whilst me and Bill tried our best to make you look like a somewhat potential applicant." August rolled her eyes, as Amelia patted her hand in comfort. 

"Yes, my grades are abysmal, but I graduated, did I not? If they were that bad surely McGonagall would've held me back." Francis continued with a wave of his hand. "I'll be hired. I already know where I'm going to end up. Department of Magical Creatures."

"Of course you are." Henry shook his head, almost disappointed. "My dad's gonna love you even more now." 

"Alright, alright." Amelia cut in, leaning forward to see them all. "This is supposed to be an emotional time with nostalgia and everything, nobody cares about what jobs you're getting right now."

"Yeah." August sniffed. "Leave it for the train, at least." 

"Come on guys, you've set her off again." Bill slipped away from the boys and hung an arm around August's shoulder. "Let's leave it, like Amelia said." 

"Please." August replied, reaching to wipe away a stray tear. "I'm a wreck, guys, let me have some dignity left before we get to the boats. They row by themselves, Francis, by the way." 

"Wonderful. Brilliant." Francis shook his head as they came to a stop, stood by the boathouse and the jetty leading out from it. "Just wonderful."

"What, did you want to have to row them?" Amelia rolled her eyes.

They watched as crowds of seventh years stopped behind them and Hagrid made his way through the crowds, unbolting the doors and pushing them open. The group slowly followed him as he went in, tapping his umbrella twice against one of the wooden poles and the boats floated through the air and into the water lapping at the sides.

"Now," He said, sniffling as his eyes darted away from the five of them, "it's a good job you was first in line 'cause I don' want people sayin' I was pickin' favourites here." Hagrid told them, the five leaning in a little closer to hear his low words. "But I watched yeh lot grow up an' it's... I brought yeh all here on these boats in yer first year it's only right I showed yeh off."

"You sure, Hagrid?" August asked, and they watched as he nodded and the boys started jumping down, Francis and Henry getting Amelia down first - she had her reservations about boats... and the lake... and perhaps a certain fear of the Great Squid - and then August looked down, seeing Bill hold out his hand. 

She took it, and stepped down, sitting on one of the wooden slats. 

And Hagrid, the big, blubbering mess he was, leant down and pushed them off.

✧

a/n
so its been quite a while 
i'm v sorry my loves <33