Clifton’s parents didn’t even ask questions when he’d asked for a ride to the train station that morning. They didn’t do the usual pay-part-with-your-allowance routine with the ticket. They simply handed it to him, gave him a hug, and told him to be home before supper so they could get an early start tomorrow.

It wasn’t right. He was supposed to be getting excited for visiting Diagon Alley. He was supposed to be making plans with his friends and trying to make heads or tails of his weird magic school supplies list.

Instead, he was skipping through song after song on his phone, trying to simultaneously gather and escape his thoughts. Instead, he was wearing what clothes hadn’t been packed away yet and forcing a smile as he stepped off the train and onto the platform. Instead, his eyes stung from a long night of accepting the fact that he breaking his promise to her. He was leaving.

Alina was there, just as they’d agreed in their letters. There was concern in her eyes, but she didn’t ask any questions yet. Just slid her arms around him and kissed him, long and sweet.

He almost lost his resolve then and there. She didn't deserve this and he felt himself scrambling to come up with some other reason for why he’d wanted to meet up, but he knew it wouldn’t change anything. And she’d probably see right through it anyways.

So Clifton took her hand and led her out of the station. He didn’t go toward the hall with the floo powder entryways, but out toward the city. Alina already had too many sad memories in her own home. He wanted to find somewhere less significant. Somewhere neither of them visited often so that they wouldn’t have to see it all the time and be reminded.

He spotted a park and they wandered through, filling the silence with uneasy small talk until he found a secluded bench. They sat down and she looked over at him, expectantly. He only managed a quick glance.

“I’m...I’m not going back to Hogwarts this year. I don’t know when I’ll be able to.”

She stared at him, stunned. Maybe even hurt. Clifton slid his hand over hers and hurriedly explained.

“I only just found out about it when I got home from Alexa’s. The Ministry caught Leo and they’ve been investigating him. As usual, he’s been holding information back and I guess they found some big puzzle piece to a lot of other crimes. Some of it’s related to my parents’ enemies and they think my family might be in danger.”

He rubbed the back of her hand, though whether to comfort her or himself he wasn’t sure.

“So they want us to leave Rye for a little while so they can protect us better and so that they can do more investigating. They said I might be able to help with some of it. And that they’d provide me with enough things to keep up with studies if I decided to stay.”

“Because...I guess it’s my choice to go back to school if I want, but they don’t want me jumping back and forth between magic and muggles right now, so...I guess I have to pick one.” He shook his head, already trying to fight back his emotions. “I can’t just leave them, Alina. This world...it scares my parents. Especially right now. And I’m the reason they have to drop their jobs and everything and move in the first place. I can’t just…”

He scowled. Clifton hated this. All of it. He hated feeling so helpless and knowing that no matter how real his feelings were for Alina, it didn’t change the fact that he was still a kid. He still needed his parents. He was lucky to have a second set of them and no matter what lousy ‘choice’ the ministry had given him, Clifton knew he couldn’t abandon them.

It made him wish he was older so that he could do something about it. So that all these adults would stop trying to dictate his life. So he wouldn’t have to avoid the same gaze he longed to get lost in.

"All I know is that I was right about what I said. At the gala." He tried to look at her, but the tears started welling up, so he turned away again. "Love is the right word, otherwise it wouldn’t hurt this much.”

There was so much more he wanted to say but for now he waited. He was expecting her temper. Craving it, actually. He wanted someone to shout at him and tell him he was dead wrong in leaving, even when his own gut told him he was right.

Alina had been excited when she first read the letter asking her to meet him at the train station. She had spent a week at his home along the coast in Rye where she got to know and love his family, search for sand dollars, make seashell necklaces, spend time at the beach, participate in water fights, and go to an amusement park. He had spent a week at her place where they build an incredible pillow fort, went to a professional quidditch game, shopped in Paris, danced old traditional dances at her father's charity gala, and then swam in their super expensive attire. Then together they took a trip to the Scottish Highlands where they visited their friend and fellow Hufflepuff, Alexa Mackenzie on her farm. It was a wonderful Summer.

It was also filled with drama here and there with snatchers of sorts, a man who wasn't what he claimed to be, learning truths about family members, a grandmother being exiled, and reuniting lost loves.

She had been glad that he didn't want to see it end just yet and wanted one more encounter before they surely would meet up in Diagon Alley for school supplies; one more encounter before they sat together on the train back for another year at Hogwarts. Their second year. It was something that she wasn't sure at one point she would get - having once dreaded what her father would think of her being sorted into Hufflepuff. It was something that they weren't sure he would get - with his parents being hesitant of magic.

But as she read the letter again and again (as she did with all his letters), she couldn't help but feel something was off. She wasn't sure what it was, but there just seemed to be something in the way it was worded. Something was wrong. Normally he told her everything no matter how small, no matter how crazy but something big was missing.

Part of her hoped that when she met him at that train station she would see that she was just being silly and she kept trying to convince herself of that even as he stepped off the train. Her heart leapt in the way it always did when she saw him but then it fell all at the same time. Something was off. He approached her and she watched him carefully. Before even saying a hello, she brought her arms around him and pulled him closer to her, bringing herself up the way she needed to meet his height and kissed him.

It was sweet and long, but not long enough. He took her hand and he lead her out of the station. "It's good to see you again," she whispered. "I missed you." He nodded, managing out what she thought was maybe a soft "me too" but she couldn't quite tell over the sounds of others nearby on the streets.

There was a park nearby and they headed there where he found a bench for the two of them and they sat down. She watched him. What on earth was he wanting to say? Did something happen to him? Did something happen to his parents? Real parents? To Josh or Esme? Little Clover? Did something happen to Clifton himself because if that Leo did something, so help her she would do everything in her power to destroy that man because he had done QUITE enough...

She watched him. Waiting. He only glanced to her. Maybe he didn't want to be with her anymore. Maybe one of those girls in Rye finally caught his attention and this was him breaking it all off. Maybe he was finally growing tired of her.

“I’m...I’m not going back to Hogwarts this year. I don’t know when I’ll be able to," he finally broke the silence. Taken aback, she didn't know how to process the sudden information. They had both worked so hard on ensuring that both would be there for their Second year and beyond but he seemed so sure of his words.

His hand came over hers and she closed her eyes as he continued. He told her about with Leo being caught that there was more investigation at hand and his family might be in danger. They needed to leave Rye for protection.

"But Hogwarts. Hogwarts is supposed to be one of the safest places that..." but she cut off because he already said he couldn't leave his family. The magical world scared his parents, now more than ever and Hogwarts would only be there to protect him and not Josh or Esme or little Clover and Alina cared about them very much as well.

She closed her eyes again because she didn't want him to see her cry. She hated to show her weakness to anyone, even if that included him. She tried to let his words set in, reason set in. She didn't need to play the irrational girlfriend here. ...Was she still the girlfriend?

Her eyes opened and she knew they were red and filled with tears. "No," she told him softly and stood up. She then just looked at him...that blonde hair that fell on his face and warm brown eyes, that face she loved so much. "NO! YOU don't get to do this! You don't get to say HEY, I'm going away and oh, I don't know IF or WHEN I'll see you again." She wanted to shove him. To hit him, but having a physically abusive grandmother restrained her from doing that because while she wanted to hurt him, she didn't want to really hurt him.

"Am I supposed to be supportive? Is that what I'm supposed to do here because I don't know what I'm supposed to do right now!" She hated not being in control, even when it was her emotions. "Am I supposed to be the supportive girlfriend? Am I even still the girlfriend? Or is this a breakup too?" How could it not be? It didn't sound as if he so much as even planned on writing to her anymore.

She was being selfish. He was worried about his family and she was so worried about them and him. In an attempt to sort of try and console herself, she crossed her arms over her chest and turned away from him, knowing she could no longer contain the tears that were falling and she began to shake as she failed miserably at trying not to cry.

Feeling lost with @Alina Rosier

It was one thing to see Alina cry. Quite another to know he was the cause. Everything in him wanted to take her in his arms and comfort her. To kiss away the hurt. But he knew that wouldn't work. Not this time. So he watched helplessly, unable to remember a time he'd ever felt so miserable. Finally, he too had to turn away.

"...I don't know," was his quiet answer to just about everything she'd said. "I don't know what you're supposed to do. I don't know what I'm supposed to do. And I don't know if this is a breakup. I sure as heck don't want it to be. But..." he shrugged. "I mean, is it fair for me to ask you to just wait for some uncertain time? They won't even let me write, Alina. Since that's what got me into trouble to begin with. I...I think you deserve more than a ghost boyfriend."

Even if Clifton would want punch the next guy in the teeth. Because there would be a next guy. Alina Rosier was too amazing. Too beautiful. Clifton was not ignorant to what he was risking, and the idea that someone could get as close to her as he was felt like a knife, so he shoved it aside.

Then, through the weariness and sadness, he felt a surge of anger and his fists clenched. It was all so stupid! He wanted to love his biological parents. To be proud of them. But it was hard when their mistakes kept landing punches in his gut and screwing with his life.

"I almost did it, Alina. I almost just left all of it and showed up at your house at like three a.m. I sorta got in trouble for mouthing off to one of the Ministry officials and my parents sent me to my room. So I shoved a bunch of stuff in my backpack and I was going to run. But when I got to the door, I could hear my mom crying. And my dad trying to comfort her. And I...I just couldn't do it. I couldn't make things worse for them."

He shook his head. "I don't think I can keep running from this. It's just going to keep following me--and anyone I love--until I fix it. For good this time."

Clifton leaned forward and rested his arms on his legs with a sigh, hanging his head and burying his fingers in his hair in defeat.

"So no. I'm not asking you to be supportive, Alina. I'm asking if you can ever forgive me."

Couldn't she just wake up and try this day over? Maybe if she didn't come meet him at the train station, he'd have to stay around because he'd never get his chance to say goodbye. Then they'd still be together and things could make sense because he always made things better for her.

But this was reality and she couldn't attempt to ignore it. This was her last moments with him. "I can forgive you because I know your heart is in the right place - but I'll never forgive myself for being so close to someone." She had give him too much of herself, of her heart, of her thoughts, of her feelings. And for what? He could have asked her to wait and she would have; he knew that. He had to have known that...but he didn't ask.

"Send my love to your parents and Clover and please, be safe," she whispered. It was her way of saying she still cared when anger wouldn't allow her to say it clearly. "You should go. I'm sure there are people that don't want you talking to me right now."

Her eyes, greener than they ever had been from her wild emotions, watched him as she stepped closer to him. How could this be goodbye? Alina came closer and took her hands, placing them up against his chest. Her plan had been to kiss him but the anger took over and she shoved him as hard as her little self could, pushing him back a little. But then she stepped forward again and this time raised herself up to kiss him with all that she had.

When she pulled back, she took a step back and knew that she needed to let him go so that he could be safe and his family could be safe. This was much larger than them. "Ravi d'avoir fait votre connaissance. Bonne continuation et J'espère vous revoir," she said in French, hoping he either knew enough to know what she said or could remember it enough to translate it later. It meant 'it was a pleasure to meet you. Wishing you all the best and I hope we'll meet again.'