Back To The Streets

Greg and his friends were growing up. He couldn't immediately tell by looking at them during their weekly visits to their old, shared penthouse, but when his younger brother got married, he felt the age. When he started seeing his quidditch players graduate college, he felt the age. And when he got his invitation to go back to Beauxbatons for a reunion, he felt the age, yet again. But one thing was for sure: he'd be returning to Beauxbatons and reconnecting with his school days.

Beauxbatons was always home. His old house didn't exist anymore, but everything else did. His professors and classes, his favorite haunts, his name on the long list of Head Boys and Girls, and his favorite, the quidditch pitch, where his whole quidditch career began in the first place.

It was nice to sit up in the tall box seats without a game going with his friends. The weather was warm and sunny, like the third quidditch match of a Beauxbatons' quidditch game, and the breeze was light blowing across his face. He felt like he was seventeen again. Like he was just getting ready to start his life outside of school. Like he was still planning it all.

"I can't believe I've been out of school for this long," he commented, breaking the silence.

Age is certainly something complicated, maybe even abstract. You do not know whether the years which pass actually bring great changes and wisdom or if they're merely a number which we usually keep in mind when we have to introduce ourselves. For Apollo age didn't really hold any particularly important role in his thoughts. He did exactly what he wanted in life, he was the person he wanted to be (himself), he was surrounded by people who truly cared about him and he was happy. Authentically and truly happy. Being a prank shop owner certainly helps with that. What else really mattered? For him, nothing.

However, as much as Apollo adored living in the moment, he cherished his past. The past was definitely not who he was, but it was what led to his current self. The Beauxbatons Academy had succeeded in filling a really important part of his life with beautiful memories and even more beautiful people and experiences. Needless to say that when he received the invitation to return back to the Academy for a reunion, he was more than excited. He was ecstatic. Greg had to actually prevent him from going to Beauxbatons before the reunion was set to happen for about a week. It was not always easy to be Apollo's roommate.

Walking around familiar hallways and classes was certainly sentimental. As the cheerfully confident wizard and his cool, calm and collected roommate entered inside the Quidditch pitch, a tidal wave of memories crushed onto his mind. Oh, how much did he love to play Quidditch. The Greek young man rested his hands in a laid-back manner behind his head and walked towards several figures of people, which he could not discern properly.

The recognition of familiar faces led to a rather expressive reaction as his hands extended towards the air and waved in an almost aggressive manner. The shop owner was about to run to his former classmates, but one mere shift in Greg's expressions was enough to help him realize that he had to relax a little. He kind of hated pretending to be calm when excitement had literally taken over his body.

When they finally approached their former classmates an awkward silence had prevailed. Thankfully it was Greg who eventually broke the silence and Apollo felt like he was able to voice his excitement. "I agree Greg! I'm so excited to be here, seeing you all makes me so happy! How is life, everybody?!".

"Life's good. This is better, though." Aidan said nothing but the truth. Life had been slowly settling in during the last two years, when he even got a job offer from the Academy (to which he responded that he would first revolutionize spellcasting as we knew it, before he would be ready to take that position), but eventually decided to form a small company with three other of his former university classmates, where they were trying to actively create new spells and where they were also researching how to hypo- or hyperpolate the effects of spells. Of course, that wasn't anything they could make money with, so they also ran a small magic item enchanting shop, where they would enchant a wide variety of items with a wide variety of spells. They were pretty good at it, and with the most succesful prank shop in Paris being a frequent visitor, they had gotten enough attention to really get a big start.

Then, he learned that everyone was invited for a reunion day at the Academy, and he learned quickly after that that Iz had already taken a day off. He put in some extra hours the week before, and got up early today to be here, but it was, without any doubt, worth it. Seeing Boux again and being able to talk about all the different theories in the field of quantum-enchantments was fascinating - they quickly decided that they had to talk more often - but having everyone around was so much better. So much had changed in the last ten years, but everything was still so recognizable.

"So, a little birdie told me that pretty much everyone here but me has been Quidditch captain when they were here, but somehow we're just sitting in the stands. And, truth be told, ever since I saw you guys play I've kind of been nervous to start, but maybe I might have a secret desire to do that? Well, at least I can catch myself if I fall off my broom now. I think."

Isobel didn't feel older until her niece graduated. Her brothers' children were both old enough to be out of school. She had no problem with feeling old, however. She had Aidan and her career.

Lieutenant was her new title and with it, came more respect and responsibility. Respect and responsibility that she had earned. She was trying to get a spot in Cheval so she could be one of the guardians of the Beauxbatons Castle, but she had been rejected this year. She would try next school year and get it for sure.

But now she was the lead guard of the Ministry of Magic premises. So far, it had proved to be boring, though not like the prison, since she got to roam a bigger area and there were no dementors whatsoever.

She was loving being back on campus again. The weather was warm and the slight breeze elicited a smile to form on her lips. "Can't complain," she answered, lacing her fingers through Aidan's. She giggled at her boyfriend's observation. She, Greg, and Kayla had been captains and Apollo had played on the team, so he wasn't wrong. "Well, we could absolutely teach you if we ask Bowen. After all, how could she say no to the best captains and co-captains? Sorry Apollo, but Oulett was much better than Casavant." She was joking, of course. She deserved to brag about her former team.