Hogwarts, Entrance Hall
Second day of exams before lunch, 1952
The effervescent excitement of the last week of class hit Marina like it hit almost every other student at Hogwarts, yet it left a bitter aftertaste. The end of term would mark more than just the end of classes, with several of her friends now days away from graduating. Insides knotted at the thought. Sadness clouded the sunny joy of summer.
Though her stomach growled, Marina’s feet lead her not to the Great Hall at her right, its tables loaded with everything she could dream of munching on for lunch, but to the exit to the grounds at her left. She needed to clear her mind, to breathe in the wild scents of the lake and the forest and all their furry, scaly and leafy inhabitants. Stepping outside, she took in a deep breath when brown eyes caught sight of a familiar flick of blonde hair.
“Sylvia!” Marina called, happiness the gut instinct that followed recognition of her friend. The joy, however, was soon followed by hesitation. Her smile remained but transformed from a full fledged grin to a warm simper that dug dimples into her cheeks.
Another person she would miss. Another person whose company she hadn’t shared quite enough over the past four years. Another person she might never see again - because people always said they would stay in touch, but after three or four letters, sometimes, those promises expired.
Too many melancholy thoughts swirled in her mind. Before she even realised what she was doing, Marina was crossing the gap between Sylvia and herself, arms flung wide open, racing to pull the older girl into a big, friendly, if wistful hug.