Closed This Isn't Goodbye, It's a See You Later PV Mikey Forville

The breeze tugged at the hem of Mikey’s shirt as he stood next to his trunk. It wasn't a strong wind but enough of a breeze to cool down the warm day. He was in no hurry to leave Hogwarts for the summer. Not because he didn’t miss his family, but because this place, this year had changed something in him. He had gained a level of independence and self-reliance as well as friends and comradery. He just didn't feel ready to leave it all yet.

Everyone around him was talking about their plans for the summer, trips, Quidditch camps, visiting family. He wasn’t thinking about any of that. He was just stuck at the moment. It felt weird, honestly. Leaving a place that had started to feel more like home than home ever had. He has people here now. People he wanted to come back to. KodoPodo was curled up inside his travel basket, twitching in his sleep, paws kicking at whatever dream ferrets had. “I know,” Mikey murmured, crouching beside the basket and brushing his fingers over the ferret’s fur. “I’m not ready either.” Mikey stood for a moment with his hands in his pockets, watching the swirl of students, professors, and house elves weaving in and out of the noise and commotion.

He stood again, dusting off his pants and squinting toward the horizon. Just as he took a step forward, he heard something. His name called out above the noise. It was soft and quiet, but he was sure he heard it. He turned, scanning the crowd, looking for who had called out to him. He was beginning to think his mind was playing tricks on him, but then he saw her. It was Avery Gray.

They had so much fun at the ball and saw each other a few times later, but it wasn't the same as that night. At the ball, everything seemed to come easily, he was able to just be himself and confident. After that night, though, he would get choked up every time he saw her. It wasn't like he was afraid of her, he enjoyed talking to her more than talking to almost anyone else. There was just a funny feeling like he was going to mess things up, and she wouldn't want to talk to him or hang out ever again, and that he was afraid of.

Mikey turned his attention back to the present moment, back to Avery. She skidded to a stop a few meters away, looking like she had just run a full marathon, hands on her knees and breathing heavily. "Are you ok Avery, you look like you're about to pass out?" Mikey said, now thinking about whether she was running to or from something. He inwardly hoped it was the former and that the former was him. "Take a minute to catch your breath." He continued trying to think of a way to help.

Interacting with: @Mikey Forville Mentioning: N/A Date: 06/31/25

Word Count: 224

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Avery laughed a little once she had gotten her breathing somewhat normal again. "It's funny that I just ran from the Great Hall entrance to here and I'm out of breath. I even play Quidditch, yet I can't run for very long!" She knew her sentence probably didn't make any sense, but her nerves about going to her home in Wales with her cousin and best friend were beginning to take over everything. On top of that, her heart was beating fast and her stomach fluttered as she straitened and looked at Mikey's worried face. Avery took a deep breath when she remembered why she had come to find him. "Oh! I just remembered. I'm so glad I found you! I found this in the corridor, and it looked like the ring you had on at the ball." Avery held out the ring for him and hoped that it was his that she had found. It would be very embarrassing if it wasn't, and she would probably never live that down. She also didn't want Mikey to think she was crazy, so she waited to see what his reaction would be. She glanced quickly at someone as they yelled across the Grounds to whoever they were talking to, but she quickly turned her attention back to Mikey when she realized she wasn't being called.

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Mikey blinked at the ring in her hand. For an instant, he could only stare. The silver band caught the sun just so, flashing in a way that made it unmistakable. His ring. The one his dad gave him when he left for Hogwarts. He had given up hope of ever seeing it again. He looked at the ring, then at Avery and his heart sank, then sprang back up just as fast. "That's," he started to say, voice caught in his throat. He reached out slowly and pulled it from her hand and cradled it in his fingers as if it were precious. Probably because it was. Not only the ring, but the moment itself. The fact she'd found it. The fact she'd run all the way from the castle just for him.

Mikey looked up at her, his expression a mix of excitement and disbelief. "You just made my summer," he said to her, smiling more genuinely. "This. it means a lot to me. Thanks, Avery. Thanks.". He hadn't put the ring back on yet. just cupped it in his hand like he wanted to take a minute to savor it. His eyes flickered back up to hers. She was still flushed from running, hair a bit disheveled, the red sweater sleeves tightly clinging around her like armor. And yet still looked like the loveliest person he had ever met.

"I was hoping I'd run into you before we left," he added. "Didn't want to go home without a goodbye." Then, with another glance down at the ring again. He added “you know Liverpool shouldn’t be to far for an owl to fly.” He stumbled over his words a bit trying to sound confident. “If you want, we could write each other over the summer.” It still wasn’t coming out right and it took a small effort to not just turn around and walk away in embarrassment. “If you want.” He said again blushing just slightly.

Interacting with: @Mikey Forville Mentioning: N/A Date: 06/31/25

Word Count: 335

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Avery watched Mikey with a smile as he cradled the ring in his hand. She was relieved that it was his, and that she hadn't made a complete fool out of herself. She also was surprised that she had even noticed the ring. She had never done something like that before. It was as if something inside of her shifted when she was with Mikey. Like she was happy for the first time in her dark world. Avery blushed and looked at the ground when he said that she had made his summer. She was glad that she was able to at least make someone happy before she left and stepped into a world where she would have to tread carefully. "I'm glad I found it." Avery said with a smile on her face as she looked into his beautiful blue eyes. Avery smiled and the blush across her cheeks became a deeper red when he asked if they could write to each other over the summer. She didn't want to sound too eager because she didn't want to scare him so she said, "Of course! I would love that! I don't know how my summer will end up since I'm going back to Wales to stay with my grandparents. Actually, I'm terrified to go. If my mother finds out. . . well, owling back and forth to you may be the only way I can stay sane over the summer." She smiled warmly at him. She knew their meeting was going to be short, but she didn't want it to end too soon. She really enjoyed his company. That's when an idea popped into her head. "If you want, we could ride the Hogwarts express together? I'm meeting my dad and best friend in London, so we can group up before heading to Wales, so we could actually spend the entire ride together. If you want, of course." She blushed again and looked down before she built up the courage to look at his face again.

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It seemed to Mikey that the entire world had been enchanted with a charm. All of the surrounding noise, including the thump of trunks and student chatter became indistinct. At the moment, it was just Avery, standing there with her sleeves gathered, wind in her hair, and that expression in her eyes that made his heart race like a snitch with nowhere to go.

When she mentioned how much she would love to write, his smile grew until it reached his eyes. A rush of something warm blossomed in his chest, and he blinked incredulously for a moment. "Really?" he asked, as though he needed to hear it twice. "Yes. That would be... incredible." He noticed when she mentioned Wales and her voice faltered at the part about her mother. He didn't have to press. Like a small fragment of her story that she had allowed him to possess, he simply put it away in silence waiting for the right time to ask her more about it.

With a up beat tone, he said, "I'll write more than you'll probably want." "Random stuff, even from a distance, I'll make an effort to make you smile." Then she said it. We could take the train together if you'd like. He froze in surprise, not fear. The train ride hadn't even crossed his mind. He assumed he would simply locate a peaceful area, take a nap, read, and be left alone. Now, though? She was giving him more time. "Yes," he replied quickly and confidently. That would be really nice.

His hand was still wrapped around the ring she had returned, as if it had been a piece of him he had lost. He rubbed the back of his neck, sheepish now. With a lopsided smile, he joked, "I mean, if you don't mind sharing a compartment with me. However, I would rather create one more memory with you than regret it during the journey." The train whistle echoed in the distance. Mikey shifted slightly, nervous but grounded, eyes still on her. "Oh, can I help you with your trunk?" he said after a pause.

Interacting with: @Mikey Forville Mentioning: N/A Date: 06/31/25

Word Count: 224

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"I don't think you could write too much to me. It would make the summer a lot easier to bear if you wrote a lot." Avery smiled at him. She was happy that they were going to write to each other. She hadn't really had any friends left before she came to Hogwarts, so she couldn't wait to stay in contact with people she enjoyed being around. Especially Mikey. Avery smiled again when he said he would like to share a compartment with her. "Great! It would be nice to have one last memory together as first years before we go our separate ways for the summer." Avery heard the whistle of the train in the distance. It was then that she realized where they were and what they had to do. She groaned inwardly. Why did time speed up whenever she was enjoying herself? She knew that actually wasn't the case, but whenever she enjoyed spending time with someone, time seemed to speed up. She also realized at that moment that she still needed to grab her trunk and her cat Jasper before she could even board the train! How in the world could she have forgotten? "If you want to. I just remembered that I still needed to grab both my trunk and my cat, Jasper." Avery laughed at her own cluelessness.

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Mikey laughed, not at her forgetfulness, but at the way she laughed at herself, it was just one more part of her charm. He’d never met someone so easy to be around and still somehow full of surprises. “Jasper’s going to be so mad at you,” he teased gently, already taking a step in the direction of the castle. shoulders brushing just slightly as they moved through the throng of other students starting to make their way toward the train. “Of course, I’ll help. You’re not getting rid of me that easily,” he added with a small nudge of his elbow. “Besides, I’m pretty sure it’s a Ravenclaw’s sacred duty to carry Gryffindor trunks down too many stairs. Ancient Hogwarts tradition. Definitely in a book somewhere.”

There was something light about the way he moved now with less of the nervous shifting from earlier, more like someone who felt at ease and maybe even a little proud to be walking beside her. And there was no hiding the way he glanced at her when she wasn’t looking, just a flick of his eyes now and again. He hoped she didn’t notice or think he was weird but he couldn’t help it.

As they neared the edge of the grounds, Mikey slowed for a second. “Hey… you know when you said we’d go our separate ways for the summer?” He glanced over at her, blue eyes sincere. “I’m really glad we aren’t actually doing that. I mean, technically yes, different places but I’ll be looking forward to your letters more than… well, anything else this summer.” He said cheeks slightly reddening again. “I will wait here while you get Jasper and your trunk and I will happily carry your trunk down to the train when you get back."