Towering over most of the other students made spotting his deliciously adorably short girlfriend much easier. Especially when she was on the arm of the Head Girl. While he had shot up another couple of inches over the last few months, he was still lanky and could easily maneuver his way through a crowd. With a disarming smile and apologies, he finally caught up to the short legged companions that he had been trying to catch up with after stopping in with the lads at the joke shop.

“Good morning, ladies, right fine day to run into you both.” His arm easily slid around Neely’s shoulders as he naturally stooped in his slow walk, now that he’d caught up. There was no need to outpace them, after all. His dangling hand over Neely’s shoulder reached out and lightly flicked Jordyn’s upper arm before settling back where it was. “Can’t you stuff some fourth years in the bins so the walkway isn’t so crowded?”

It seemed easy enough. She had the power, after all. Even if she didn’t abuse it as much as Julian thought she should. It was their year to shine, and she hadn’t helped put enough children in their place as he had hoped.

Once they reached their destination, Julian pulled his arm back long enough to get the door for the girls, letting it close behind him. He didn’t pay attention to the fifth year who asked for him to hold it, focusing instead on the rows of candy. And all the bobbing heads in the way. A not-so-silent groan escaped. “They should have seventh year only days.” Julian had been trying to make it a thing all year. His face morphed into a grin as he saw another friendly face, turning away from the girls to greet his mate.

Jordyn tried to be as quiet as possible, which was not exactly Neely’s strongest skill.  But, arm hooked with her best friend, she kept her head close, hushed tones extremely hushed.  “I have never been late like this before…” she hissed, eyes darting around the walkway to see if someone was listening in on their conversation.

“I’m going to have to drop out,” she moaned helplessly, her shoulders dropping with disappointment, “my whole life is over.”  This was, of course, the only explanation for everything going on in Jordyn’s life and the solution would obviously ruin her life.  Her parents would never allow her to come ever again… not that Jordyn particularly wanted to, but with another person?  What choice did she have? 

And the way she had sort of… ended things (she assumed she’d ended things) with Jai… “And how am I going to tell him?”  Neely had been privy to the freak out of the century[1] via letter so, four days later, everything was starting to collapse on itself and Jordyn was not prepared for this. 

A tiny shriek of terror escaped her when an unexpected guest entered their private party and she glared at him with pursed lips.  She hated when people sneaked up on her, not to mention the embarrassment of that sound still sat on her face in a shade of red that could rival Neely’s favorite lipstick suggestions.  “I could stuff you in a bin,” she tilted her nose up with a prim expression, “but I like Neely, so I won’t.” 

She bumped shoulders with her friend, expression softening before turning with them down the road to Honeydukes.  It was Jordyn’s favorite shop, after all.  When they arrived, she let out a deep breath, relief flooding through her as he was distracted.  “You didn’t mention anything to him, did you?” she whispered, grabbing a package of pepper imps to examine and appear as casual as possible. 

1.	Going Postal, March 15 letter.

“How late is late? Maybe you have PTSD from Jai leaving school,” Neely pointed out. “Or it’s your anxiety about NEWTs.” Two acronyms in one list. They were pulling out the big wands for this. Plus, Neely had been dying to use the term PTSD in a conversation after they’d learned it in Muggle Studies (and it had started to come to play in wizarding culture, too).

“Have you been on any brooms?” She asked, knowing that Jordyn wasn’t big on flying. “I hear if you fly too high it can totally mess up your cycle. It’s like… the sun’s rays make your uterus shrink back or something.” Much like Neely avoided wrinkly sunburns on holiday. “But it is weird. Yours always starts with mine.” Their periods had always synched, the BWFs that they were. Neely couldn’t remember a week of cramps and ugly underwear that hadn’t involved sharing supplies with Jordyn— not since Jordyn had finally got hers some months after Neely had. She squinted, trying to do the math in her head even before Jordyn supplied the answer of how long.

Gone were the glory days of their virginity. The adulthood Neely had so craved had come swooping in, Dementor style— still taking its sweet time on her chest— and had ushered them along to a chapter far more dramatic than the development of Jai’s facial hair.

“You are not leaving me,” she added, a threat as much as a promise. “He’s like, practically healer. He won’t freak out. He knows how babies are made, Jordyn!"

But anything else Neely might had about the education they’d received at Hogwarts was cut short as Julian swooped in— much pleasanter than the dementors— offering the security and bragging rights of his lanky arms.

“No one is stuffing anyone in a bin unless it’s that shopkeeper at the robes store,” Neely insisted. But really, she wouldn’t mind if the children disappeared. It might put Jordyn at ease, not having to look at babies. “Or that first year that tried to steal all the tamp—” She caught Jordyn’s eye and stopped, wondering if this was too close to their previous whispered conversation. She looked up at Julian and grinned huge and koala-cheeked. “You’re too fit to end up in one of those, anyway.” Her hand slipped down between them, brushing over his trousers, near the back of them. “It would be nice if they recognized our achievements though. Seven effing years in that castle, and we don’t even get letterman’s jackets yet.” The outrage.

Neely reluctantly let Julian go for a minute (not before making another pass at him, just because she could and loved to do it in public). Her fingers hovered over a huge jar of sour worms, but she cocked her head at Jordyn. “Of course not,” she hissed back, looking hurt. “I don’t break girl code, Jordy!” As if. “Julian doesn’t need to know you might be pregnant. He would freak out.” She fished out a worm and dangled it at her friend like the smallest, saddest of… Welp. "Could be worse. At least you didn't have off with a sixth year." Neely offered a comforting smile and shoved it into her mouth before reaching for a plastic bag and candy scoop.

If there was one piece of advice Julian would give to Jordyn, it would be to lighten up. Not that he had any clue what the two were gossiping about prior to joining them. Would he like to know? Probably. If he thought about it too much, he would bug Neely to tell him. It would drive him a little insane. So instead of getting that deep into it… he ignored the dagger eyes and laughed off her jokes. Because they were just jokes, clearly. No one wanted to stuff him in a bin. He wouldn’t fit!

Neely understood. Eyebrows shot up as he glanced to the side at Jordyn and then gave Neely a flirty wink. He didn’t catch her near slip, and frowned slightly. “What did the first year try to steal?” She was good at distracting him. Her fingers were always eye opening. “They might not be able to make one that’ll satisfy our little fashionista.” His free hand came out of his trouser pocket to bop her lightly on the nose.

“Yeah, mate, totally gutted.” He laughed, sarcasm evident, shaking his head before giving his friend a pat on the back. “I just want to skive off the rest of the year, really.” After a few more back and forth comments of classes and mates, Julian promised to catch up later with a drink. “Cheers mate.” He turned back around and pushed himself up on his tip toes, glancing along the rows of candy until he found his girlfriend’s head, again.

He stooped down behind her and wrapped his arms around her. “We need to get a few of those butterbeer chewies, they’re brilliant.” And simple. Julian kissed Neely’s cheek and pulled away, standing up and stretching. “What else looks good?” They needed snacks for the dungeon later.

Jordyn was mortified.  She couldn’t believe what Neely was saying.  PTSD?  That was ridiculous! And brooms?!  The incredulous look on her face probably conveyed everything that Neely needed to know: honestly, when was the last time she’d been on a broom?  First year, probably.  Not in recent memory anyway.  Though, she could put aside her horror for a moment and give Neely a look.  “I don’t think the sun does that,” she furrowed her brows in concentration.  “Maybe you should ask at that panel,” she could hardly hide her distaste for the whole thing.

But, she supposed given that her entire life was over the panel didn’t even matter.  She wouldn’t have to go because she was already suffering from the worst consequences possible.  It was official.  She was never ever going to have sex again.  That would probably easy to accomplish since she’d essentially AK’d her relationship.  It was easier to not say anything and let Neely and Julian flirt for a little bit. It would certainly distract Neely from the fact that she thought Jai was the healer – not the boy she’d… at Gracie’s… Ugh! 

Turing her eyes upward, she took a deep breath through her nose and hoped she could just keep it together.  “Just girl issues, Julian,” she could at least address his question – and protect the privacy of said first year.  It had been… what an afternoon.  It didn’t seem he cared all that much anyway, so she could turn back to her conversation with Neely.

She was relieved that her BWF hadn’t exposed her secret – though knowing that Julian would freak out too didn’t help her.  The entire castle would probably freak out.  “I’ll be a complete laughingstock,” she looked at her with big, sad eyes and fiddled with the pepper imps in her hand.  “Do you think Healer Sage… would…” she didn’t know how to say what she thought they could do – but Jordyn knew there was a way to make sure it didn’t ruin her life…

It had never been a real thing to think about before and most people didn’t even discuss it… but maybe it was worth at least thinking about.  She’d just keep thinking about it anyway, because Julian was back and asking about snacks.  To deflect from the seriousness of her last comment, she shoved the Pepper Imps at him and then grabbed up a box of peppermint toads as well.  “Your treat?” she smiled at him, perhaps a little too enthusiastically.