Renewed Beginnings

Making her way down the corridor to the room she had arranged to meet her friends in, Catherine scolded herself. "Oh, for Merlin's sake. These are your best friends. Why are you so nervous?"

To ensure privacy, they had opted for a room with locking charms and silencing spells, and so, upon reaching the room, Catherine uttered the password she had been given to open the door. On opening the door, all her doubts fell away, and an intense feeling of nostalgia immediately assuaged her as she saw her friends already awaiting her inside, and she took a moment to simply look at them before alerting them to her presence.

Though they were all much older now than when they were at school together, their appearances had changed little over the years. None of them had yet to show a hint of grey in their hair, and all still wore their hair long, as they had in school. Fianna's (or Fia as she was more affectionately known to those close to her) dark blonde hair stood out in stark contrast to the darker brown shades of Isla's, Ashley's and Erika's, whose ranged from brown to almost black. They all stood about the same height, ranging from Erika, at 5'2" to Isla, at 5'7". The only set of eyes that stood out among the four were Erika's, which were light brown where the other three were varying shades of grey-blue, though both Isla and Ashley wore glasses that often hid their eyes from view, depending on the lighting.

Without realizing it, Catherine must have made some soft sound, for suddenly all four of those sets of eyes that she knew so well were focused directly on her, and then she felt herself being pulled into the room. After a flurry of hugs all around that nearly left her breathless, she found herself seated, and facing a bombardment of questions.

Several minutes passed simply catching up on trivial matters such who was doing what, and where, before Fia, ever the impetuous and impatient Gryffindor, finally blurted out the question they were all dying to ask. "So tell us why we're really here, Cat. You didn't say much in your letter. What exactly is going on with you and Hagrid?"

Catherine flushed. She had known this was coming, expected it, even, and yet, she still wasn't sure precisely how to respond when it was put so bluntly before her. "Well," she started slowly, choosing her words carefully, "to be honest, I really can't tell you much more than I already have. When Hagrid invited me for a visit, I didn't think anything of it, since we've been friends for so long. Once I got here, he told me that his feelings were deeper than that, and, I guess, hearing him put it into words like that, made me realize that my own feelings had changed, as well. That's the short of it, I suppose. I've realized that I love him, and he loves me, also, and, if there's a chance for us to be together after being apart for so long, then I hope to see this through and see where it will lead."

Silence reigned for several moments after she finished speaking, before Ashley spoke up. "Love him? I know we've always teased you about him, but honestly? You're a pureblood and he's a half-giant!"

Catherine laughed at that. "Ashley, love, your Slytherin is showing again. I'm well aware of his parentage. I grew up with him, remember? I've never seen that as a problem before, so why should it be now?"

Isla looked thoughtful for a long moment, before adding her input. "Yes, but have you really thought everything through, Cat? You grew up with him, so you know how he was ostracized for what he is. You'd be subjected to the same, as would any children you had."

Before Catherine could answer for herself, Fia chimed in and answered for her. "Since when has our little Cat been afraid of what other people think anyway? I say go for it, love!"

It was Erika who spoke up next, with a smile. "I'm sure you'll make the best decision for yourself, Cat.... whatever that might be. As long as it makes you happy, who are we to argue?"

Catherine was about to answer when a tapping sound drew their attention to the window. Going over, she opened it to admit a large barn owl carrying a package and a folded piece of parchment. Taking the items from the owl, she looked quizzically at the other girls before returning her attention to the items she now held in her hands. As she inspected the parchment closer, her eyes widened, and she walked back over to her seat before opening it.

"Well, what is it?" This came from all of them in unison when Catherine didn't immediately open the parchment.

Her voice almost a whisper, Catherine finally responded. "A crane. An origami crane...just like the one Hagrid sent me when he invited me for the visit."

Naturally that sent them all into an uproar of urging her to open it. When she did, soft music started to play, accompanied by words.

Intimate scenes, dinner & wine, Saturday girls

I had never been loved

Never had the time in my hustle & hurry world

Laughing myself to sleep

Waking up lonely

I needed someone to hold me oh woh oh

It's such a crazy old town

It can drag you down

Til' you run out of dreams

So you fought it all night

To the music and lights

But you don't know what happen, thus means

I was dancing in the dark with strangers

No love around me

When suddenly you found me oh woh oh

Girl you're every woman in the world to me

You're my fantasy, You're my reality

Girl you're every woman in the world to me

You're everything I need

You're everything to me oh woh oh

Everything good, Everything fine

That's what you are

So put your hand in mine

And together we'll climb

As high as the highest star

I'm living a lifetime in every minute

That we're together

And I'll stand right here forever oh woh oh

Girl you're every woman in the world to me

You're my fantasy, Your my reality

Girl you're every woman in the world to me

You're everything I need you're everything to me

Catherine sat there in shock for a few seconds before she realized that there was a note written on the parchment as well, instructing her to look inside the package. Opening the package, she found a small box, along with yet another note. This one read "Catherine - I'm no good with words and all, so I sent you this song to say things for me. In this box is a ring, one I hope you'll accept and wear saying you'll agree to be my wife. - Love, Hagrid"

Still in shock, Catherine opened the box to find that it did, indeed, contain a ring. She looked up at her friends, who were all looking back at her expectantly.

Isla raised an eyebrow at her. "Well, weren't you just saying this was what you wanted?" she prodded.

Brought out of her daze by the gentle teasing, Catherine smiled, and slipped the ring out of the box and onto her finger with a sigh. "Yes. Yes it is."

She barely had time to get the words out of her mouth before she was being smothered in hugs again, and they spent the rest of the afternoon chatting away about the now-upcoming wedding.