as we go on, we remember

"This is going to be our Last Spring Break, " Wini lamented as she scooted the bowl of plates in Marin's direction. As of late, the Hufflepuff seventh year had been noticing and mentioning the Last of everything they were doing. And because Marin didn't seem to find their last events that noteworthy, Wini felt the need to call attention to them even more. The Last Breakfast in March, the Last First Spring Quidditch Match they attended, probably the Last Time she would break a quill and ask him for one of his spares. It all seemed very significant for her and she was desperate to hold onto each moment.

Currently, they were out on the grounds, completing another item on their bucket list that Wini had added: A Spring Picnic on the Grounds at Dusk. No offense but Marin's ideas were a little lame, but she had come up with more than enough ideas for both of them and had completed a lot of them so far too. Thanks to Marin keeping track of the list. Wini kept losing the one she had updated.

She had sweet talked some of the house elves into giving her some picnic food and ushered her best friend out here instead of eating in the Great Hall like usual. So it was quiet and peaceful, a perfect atmosphere, she thought, for reminiscing. She took one of the sandwiches from the basket after making sure Marin had picked something he liked. "Let's play favorites," she suggested as she tucked some of her blonde hair behind her ear. "What was your favorite... year in general?" she asked first. An easy question to ease him in.

@Marin Clare

"Yep," Marin answered, nodding.

He probably should have predicted how sentimental and nostalgic she'd be this year. He should have at least guessed it from the start of term; on the first of September, Wini had cried on the train, blubbering about something-something last-trip-to-Hogwarts, last snacks-from-the-trolley et cetera. Marin marvelled a little at how well she could rewrite the past in her head — one time she'd been reminiscing on how they'd first met and he'd had to remind her it was during one of the Carrow's Dark Arts classes. She'd gone quiet for a beat, then swapped to some other Marin-Winifred story, untouched by Death Eaters.

Favourites. Sure.

Well, first year was off the table for obvious reasons, Marin thought rather cynically, picking at a loose thread on his trouser knee. How they’d all come out of that as ELEVEN year olds and not been utterly messed up psychologically, he had no idea. Then again, he thought, reflecting on the social landscape he shared with some of his yearmates… And on his own anxieties... Well, maybe they hadn’t all come out unscathed.

Second year? Was fine, but he still didn’t really have any friends. Alida and Wini had been his friends, but he’d been so socially maladjusted that year that he didn’t really have any idea about what was going on. Marin skipped a few years ahead, to fifth year. Another notable one, he thought, thinking of The Dome and The Fight and how he’d gotten prefect that year.

He was definitely taking too long considering all of this, and could feel Wini’s impatience building. “Probably this one,” Marin said, looking up at his friend. He gave a small shrug. “Furthest from the worst ones,” he added. “What about you?”

She nodded at his answer. It made sense. He was Head Boy and she was Prefect, the year had gone relatively well if you didn't count all the studying and worrying over NEWTs (which she didn't because she was actively trying to avoid all of that), their circle of friend seemed solid, they had a bit more freedom outside of school to go to concerts and hang out whenever they wanted (thanks to Marin passing his apparating test). "Yeah, this one's been good for me too. Well, mostly," she said as thoughts of Phillip's break up and her family not wanting to come visit, Ezra ignoring her earlier in the year for another girl, and-- "Yeah, I would pick this year too," she said hurriedly in an attempt to distract herself from the line of thought she had been going done.

Wini took another bite of her sandwich, wiping a thumb at the corner of her mouth while she crossed her legs at the ankle and gazed out across the lake. She felt like a completely different person than when she had first seen Hogwarts all those years ago, but at the same time, she felt like she hadn't changed at all. It was a weird spot to be in. She glanced at Marin and felt very grateful that he had mostly been there through it all. "Alright how about favorite professor?" she smiled a bit at this, already thinking of her answer - handsome Professor Trickett -- and then "And favorite class?" Again, an easy answer for her since Charms always came easiest.

Then she gave him a big smile. "Favorite friend?" Wini batted her lashes at him and tilted her head to the side.