Goodbyes Don't Last Forever

One week left, it was impossible to believe it was almost here. He had known all year it was coming, he had been talking about it a few months ago but now that it was upon him it seemed unreal. Sawyer wished he could truly say it was unreal but it was all too real. One week left before everyone went home for the summer before coming back for their next year of school, everyone but him and the other seventh years. So many of the people in his year were so excited to graduate but he wasn't, not really. Sure there was the fun idea of having your own place and that was fun, getting to do all of the things that adults were allowed to do, and of course being able to use magic whenever. All of those things definitely interested Sawyer, and when he wasn't thinking about everything he would be losing he was even excited about those things, but this close to summer he wasn't thinking of the fun stuff.

The almost adult had decided to look around the palace before he never saw it again, he had already explored most of the inside of the palace so he headed outside. Instead of actually walking all around the grounds at first he decided to sit in the courtyard and look out over the grounds first, it was such a beautiful site when you looked at it in this big picture kind of view. Sawyer sat on one of the stone benches closest to the edge of the courtyard and watched all the younger students enjoy the nice weather and talk about their summer plans with a sad smile.

There was only one week left of school until summer. Only one week left for Noah to have his brothers with him in school, guiding him and giving him advice. Sure he had made a couple of friends over the few years he had been here, but it just won't be the same without his brothers within a ten minute walk whenever he would need them. At least he still had them with him for the rest of the summer. But after that they'd be gone, and Noah would be stuck having to figure things out on his own. Being the next oldest, although still youngest, Johnson meant he had a lot to live up to once his brothers graduated. He had to make sure to keep their family name notable at Beauxbatons, but how? The young boy could feel his stomach moving uneasily and decided a nice walk and some fresh air would do him well.

The warm breeze outside made him feel a little better. He walked over to the courtyard to look for a place to sit down and rest for a while. Once there, he noticed a familiar face. Sawyer seemed to have the same expression as Noah imagined himself having. He walked over and sat down next to his brother. "Hey. Whatcha thinking about?"

While he was sitting outside on the stone bench a soft breeze started blowing across the grounds. Sawyer closed his eyes and enjoyed the breeze across his face. He wasn't sure how long he sat there like that with his eyes shut but he wasn't in a hurry to open his eyes and see how close summer was. His eyes shot open when something jumped into his lap, it was heavy. He looked down to see a mess of fuzzy, chocolate fur and laughed. "Hey Artemis, you come to see the grounds too?" He asked his big cat. He liked having her company but even she reminded him of his leaving, when he first started school she was big enough he could fit all of her, fluff and all in just one hand. Now she was taking up his whole lap and that was a perfect way of showing him exactly how much time had passed and reinforced that he would have to be leaving soon.

Sawyer sat there a while longer gently stroking the thick chocolate fur of his cat, he could sit there like that forever and never leave. Just as he had that thought someone plopped down next to him, he was glad to see that it was just his little brother and not someone from his year coming to talk about how exciting it was to be leaving soon. "You know I was just thinking that the only thing that could ruin this is if a pesky little brother could come bug me." He said with a wide smirk. He reached over and ruffled the boy's hair and smile. "I guess it wasn't as bad as I imagined."

Noah smirked at his older brother, then looked down at Artemis. He was so fluffy and soft that just petting him could brighten anyone's mood. "Hi Artemis," he said softly to the cat, petting his furry coat. "I think Artemis will miss it too much here. This has been his home for most of his life. I think you should just leave him with me and Alfie when you leave." The boy hoped that his teasing might lighten the mood, but it may have just made it worse. Not only was Sawyer leaving his home of seven years, poor Artemis was leaving his home that he has lived in since he was just a kitten.

"It's gonna be strange not having you and Pay Pay here next year. At least we still get to spend all summer together, right?" Noah felt bad for being sad about his brothers growing up. He should be happy for them. They were finally able to go out into the world and do whatever they want. "Are excited for adult life?" he asked, trying to sound as enthusiastic as he could manage.

Sawyer smiled down at his big girl as Noah greeted her, she loved the attention. Artemis had always been an attention hog and lucky for her the Montagnard loved to give her attention. Brushing was a pain sometimes but she always looked so pretty afterwards and so happy. "You wish I'd leave Artemis here with you, you think she'll leave me? Impossible I'll permanently have this chocolate chunk following me." He said laughing. While it kind of made him sad to even consider leaving his girl here and moving on without her he wasn't about to make his little brother as sad as himself, the poor boy didn't deserve to be upset just because he wasn't ready to move on with his life like his classmates.

"After a few weeks you'll barely notice that we aren't around." Sawyer assured Noah, "Well actually there might be less ickles running around with random ailments that they don't know how they got." He said with a chuckle remembering all the first years who took his chocolates and ended up sorry they even saw the box. "We'll wait until you get on the carriages for school before we find a place of our own." He promised the boy. "I wouldn't use excited per say but I'm not dreading it, I'm ready that's how I'd explain it."

Noah felt much better hearing Sawyer joke around with him. He seemed much like his normal self, so he must not be too worried. The young boy would just have to suck it up and accept that his brothers were moving away in just a few months. It made easier that they weren't the first siblings to move out, but it was still rough on him. He should be happy for his brothers, getting out of the mad zoo they call home. But it wouldn't be as mad of a zoo without them, and Noah liked the craziness around his house. He still has a few more months with his brothers. He just has to keep telling himself that and make the best of the short time.

"Beauxbatons just won't be the same without the first years running around with swollen tongues trying to tell people what happened to them. Who knows, maybe someone might step up and take your place as the school prankster." The boy smiled up at his brother. "You'll always be the best though." Noah hoped he was making things better instead of worse. "Thanks for waiting to leave until after I leave for school again. You'll write me right?"

Sawyer looked out over the grounds again as he stroked Artemis, he was really going to miss this place. He just hoped Noah couldn't see how upset he was by the idea of leaving the beautiful place forever. For his little brother's sake the almost adult had to suck it up and pretend like he was fine with leaving Beauxbatons. The last thing he wanted was the hear that Noah was not getting along well in school because he was too upset over the fact that Payton and Sawyer weren't there anymore. If he could fix most of the right here and right now there would, hopefully, be less problems for Noah later .

He remembered when Teddy graduated, no one seemed particularly upset which was odd. They loved Teddy as much as any of their other siblings but for some reason no one, not even her seemed worried about her leaving the palace. Perhaps she was just better prepared and everyone knew it while it was probably obvious the twins weren't exactly prepared. "Don't you think about taking up that vacancy you let some cocky little ickle take that spot, you hear me?" He said as a warning with a hint of teasing. "Of course I'll write you I always did before you came here and it will be the same only we're in different spots."

Noah laughed at the idea of taking Sawyer's place as the school prankster. He would be completely horrible at it. First of all, he would never be able to come up with things as crazy as him. If he were to do it, he would probably just use Sawyer's old tricks. The professors would immediately know it was a Johnson's doing, and he, now being the only Johnson, would be caught almost immediately. Second, he would never even get that far. He would be caught without anyone recognizing his tricks. Third, Cherry and Opal would kill him if he were to ever get in trouble. "Yeah, I don't think you have to worry about me taking your place. I'm not cut out for that kind of work. I would never make it."

Sawyer simply laughed at his little brother conclusion that he wasn't cut out to take up the vacancy he was leaving behind. "You got that right, and that's exactly why you're not to even think about doing it." He told the boy with a wide smile. "Go start a knitting club or something and be a good little boy, or join quidditch that seemed the keep Payton occupied enough not to get involved in pranks." Now that he wasn't at school he didn't think his brother joining quidditch would be a bad idea, he didn't have to worry about the sport distracting his brother from him, and better yet he didn't have to compete again his bother anymore. "Whatever you do don't take Arthimancy, that sounds fancy but its just math, math at a magic school how boring?" He asked with a chuckle, he had taken the class because he needed to take something and it sounded cool.

Noah laughed at the idea that Sawyer thought there was ever even a chance of him taking up pranking people. He couldn't even come up with good pranks on April Fools Day. Plus, he was far too worried about getting caught or punished. Even with that aside, the hobby just wasn't for him. He liked bringing people up and making them happy, not taking them down and embarrassing them. "Trust me Big Brother, I won't follow in your pranking footsteps. If I'm going to follow in your footsteps at all it will to become a prefect." The boy smiled. "I like helping the younger kids, not scaring them." Knitting? Noah had never knit a day in his life. It looked hard and he didn't really care to master it. "If I start up a club, it will probably be a book club or something."

It made Sawyer happy to hear that Noah thought the idea of him following in his footsteps with the pranking was just a completely ridiculous idea. While he loved doing it and didn't care in the slightest if people didn't like him for it or if he got detention he didn't want his little brother doing that because he was just too innocent for all for all of that. "You know I still have no idea how come they picked me to be a prefect, I would tell you to work really hard in school and stuff to get it but I'm proof that not always do you have to do that, though I'm sure it helps." He said with a wink. "Start you a book club and get straight O's in every class and you're a shoo in for a prefect badge." He assured Noah.

"So how exactly do you start clubs anyways? Not that I'll actually be able to start one. I'm not very good at talking to a lot of people you know." It would be fun to run a club, but Noah didn't really think he has the confidence and leadership skills for it. What exactly do people do in book clubs? How could he start a club and not know what to do in it. Do the members each bring in a book, or does the leader bring in a bunch of copies of one book and have everyone read it together? The boy loved books and reading, but he had know idea what goes on in clubs for it.

"You better write me all the time. Even if my big brothers aren't here with me in person, I want to know that you guys will always be there to help me out when I need advice or anything.

Sawyer laughed out loud at Noah's question. "Sorry that wasn't laughing at you that was laughing at me. I have no idea how you go about starting a club. In case you hadn't noticed I'm not exactly the most socially active people in the school. I would go and ask your favorite professor if you're serious about starting a club." He said getting more serious near the end. He wasn't sure if Noah could handle leading a club, but it never hurt to try new things. Who knows maybe he'll finally find his voice if he lead a club.

"I will write you every week, at least maybe even more than just once a week. You will know exactly what's going on with us at all times, I'll tell you what we have for dinner every night and everything." He said with a smirk.

"Thanks for your help Sawyer. You're the best." Noah gave his big brother the biggest, tightest hug he could manage. He only had a few months left with his brothers, so he had to get in as many hugs as they would allow him before they were to leave in the fall. He felt a lot better knowing that they would write to him a lot, even if Sawyer was exaggerating a bit. As long as they kept in touch, everything would be alright. However, they only had a few months left to see each other in person before they left. Noah decided to make it his goal to make the most of that short time.