So this was it. Everything was packed up and ready to go.  Ringo Cavendar had everything he owned in boxes and trunks for his move tomorrow. When he had been offered the job in the wizarding community in France he was torn. While he did know a lot of people in Hogsmeade, there was a huge opportunity in France. They wanted him to be a full time confectioner at one of the biggest candy stores in France. He couldn’t turn it down.

It was Ringo’s last night in the small wizarding village. And he was spending it wandering the streets at sundown.  this was his favorite time of day. Though, Ringo thought about it, and it wasn’t really day. It was the time between day and night. Dusk. He would miss this time. But Ringo knew that when he was in France, he would still be able to see sunsets. But he would also miss the town, as well as his surprise visits from Astrid. Ringo would definitely miss her too.

Once he was offered the job and accepted, Ringo started learning French.  He knew a little from when he tried learning on his own in Hogwarts, but not enough to suffice. Now, he knew a bit more, and was learning more every day.  Of course, the majority of the other confectioners knew English, but in order to live in the city, it would be better to know French.

Ringo had been helped with finding a place to live, and it was a very quaint little place. It was a bit smaller than his apartment in Hogsmeade, but that is the way French places were built. Some of his items had already been moved, but there was a squad of wizard movers who would be there to get the rest tomorrow.  Ringo was a little nervous about the move, but knew it would be a great experience. Perhaps some day he would return working in a wizarding area in England with his own shop.

Finally heading back to his apartment, Ringo walked slowly, taking in the scenery. He would miss this place. He passed by Honeydukes and paused for a last look at his previous work place. Shaking his head, Ringo kept moving. He walked back to sleep his last night in England (unless he came back to visit people, of course). In the morning, he would be gone to a new culture and job.

When you shut yourself off as much as Astrid had, you couldn’t help but accept the fact life changed and people moved on. Ringo was going to be included in that, and she knew that but she never expected him to move. Astrid had felt comfortable knowing Ringo was going to be in Hogsmeade he wasn’t that far away. She knew she could go visit him at any time, but now as she stared at the picture she drew she knew that was wrong. Astrid was going to lose Ringo, he was moving, or that was what she had interrupted. She had sat with this picture for a few days, and even began to question if he had gone or not. He was standing in home that was not his usual apartment, he looked so happy in the picture and she couldn’t stop him from being happy, but she had to say goodbye. What if she was blowing this out of proportion and he wasn’t moving that far away, in any event she felt the need to say goodbye.

The need to say goodbye was exactly why she had snuck into Hogsmeade, and was sitting on the front steps of Ringo’s apartment. She had buzzed his room only to find he was not there, she assumed he was gone. She sat looking at the picture in her hands as she felt tears roll down her cheeks. “I’m too late,” she said to herself. She brushed the curls from out of her face, catching a few tears in the process. She now felt extremely selfish that the surprise visits to Ringo had started to stop when she was trying to figure herself out, now she regretted not seeing him more. Astrid had definitely taken Ringo’s proximity for granted.

Astrid heard footsteps and looked up, expecting to see a strange who would look at her strangely. She anticipated a professor spotting her before she would ever suspect Ringo to be walking up to her. Heck she even thought it was a figment of her imagination. There was Ringo walking towards her.

As Ringo walked up to his apartment, he was surprised to see someone sitting on his front steps. He walked closer and came to realize that it was the girl he had previously been thinking of.  And also the girl he hadn’t seen in a while, Astrid O’Malley. Ringo gave a small slightly confused smile and he approached her.  He hadn’t expected to see her again before he left. But this was quite a nice surprise, despite the fact that she looked like she’d been crying. Somehow she must have known he was leaving.

“Astrid! How did you... I’m glad to see you. I was afraid you’d been caught sneaking out here and wouldn’t be able to make it out before I left.” This was going to make leaving a bit harder. “I got offered a job in Paris. I leave tomorrow. I’m sorry I never owled about it. It’s been a little crazy lately.”

He pulled her up towards her and into a hug.  “Would you like to come inside for a bit?” Ringo asked as he then pulled out his keys to open the door.  Leading her inside, he turned on the lights. The living room, like most of the apartment, was pretty empty, but his couch was still there at least. Ringo wasn’t sure what to do next. Saying goodbye was always difficult, but he kept in his mind that he could always visit again.

“You can take a seat if you’d like... or would you like anything to drink? I’ve got water... And.. How have you been?”  He was rambling. He wasn’t very good at this whole talking with a girl he liked thing. Ringo just hoped she wouldn’t be mad at him for not owling in a while.

Astrid looked at him in awe for the moment, he was right there she was able to touch him. He wasn’t gone yet just like she had worried. How was she supposed to explain how she knew? Should she tell him she was a seer and explain the picture that was tear stained in her hand. Astrid got up and brushed hair from her face. “Paris really, that is a great opportunity.” Yes, it was a fantastic opportunity for him but the selfish side of Astrid, yes she did have one, wanted him to stay around. True she had not been around a lot to see him, but she still cared about him. “I am so proud of you.”

Astrid followed him inside, she was rather scared to say goodbye to him, what if she started to cry? She couldn’t fault him for not owling, she had been just as distant and had kept things from him. “You know it is okay you didn’t owl,” she mumbled softly as she looked around the empty apartment. As she removed her sweater and tossed it aside she turned to Ringo. “I am sorry I have been so distant, I have had to figure things out lately.” It was true, the whole seer thing was something she had to handle on her own.

“Ringo,” she whispered afraid she might start crying. “I am going to miss you,” she said before dropping the picture she held to the ground and flinging her arms around him. What was the point in letting him go without showing him she cared about him right? She held herself against him in a hug for a bit before moving her head and kissing him. Boy Astrid hoped he didn’t mind the kiss.