Zackary MacMillan was as ecstatic as someone could possibly be. It was his last day at Hogwarts, as a matter of fact, he had only five minutes left until he and his friends would leave for Hogsmeade station. He looked at his three closest friends: Alex Williams, Holly Wood, and Jack Dawson.
“Holly,” Jack whined, “are you still going to talk to us once we’re out of here?”
“Of course, Jackie.” Holly smiled kindly. “I’ll even send you Christmas cards with pictures!” She knew how much Jack loved showing his cousins pictures of her; they were incredibly jealous that he knew such an attractive girl. Although, that’s not what Holly thought. She thought her long blond hair and blue eyes were too common to be considered pretty. The Dawson family, however, had other ideas,
“Aw, Holly, that’s so sweet.” Alex chuckled. “To think we only have five minutes left together!”
Holly grimaced; she hated thinking about when they would all leave.
“Er, actually,” Zack said, “my mum said you can all spend a week at our place.”
“Even me?” Holly asked, stunned. Normally Mrs. MacMillan was strict about Zack’s friendship with two other boys and one girl; Holly was more commonly than not excluded from the boys’ holidays together. If she was invited, she couldn’t stay.
“Yeah!” Zack grinned. “Because my cousins Maria and Norah are staying with us for that week, so my mum thinks that you’ll be able to control yourself with two other girls there!”
Holly smirked. Zack was joking; she knew full well that Mrs. MacMillan was more concerned with the three boys keeping under control with one girl. She was pretty happy about the arrangement, though. Maria and Norah MacMillan were twin sisters in Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. Holly got along with them fairly well, even though they weren’t the best of friends.
“So you’ll come?” Zack asked.
“I’m in,” Alex offered.
“Me, too.’ Jack smiled widely.
“It’s not a party unless I’m there, so I’ll have to say yes,” Holly said happily. The entire gang, together for an entire week longer! It was an amazing thought.
Throughout the years at school, they had had their differences. Jack only joined the group in the middle of fourth year, when he gave up on trying to fit in with the music junkies. It was a fitting group for him, but it just didn’t work out. In third year, Alex got tired of underage drinking with the older students and migrated to Holly and Zack. Zack and Holly were only friends because Holly didn’t fit in with the scholars, and Zack wasn’t a great match for the underachievers. Jack liked to say that their gang existed because every other gang kicked them out.
Then there had been the fights. Alex and Jack wouldn’t even talk to each other until Zack stepped in as mediator. Jack was annoyed that Alex had made the house Quidditch team instead of him. It had been a constant bickering point until Zack made captain in fifth year and kicked Alex off the team. Then, after his annoyance at Zack subsided, Holly said that frankly, Jack and Alex were never really that great anyway. They enjoyed that.
Alex and Zack had a rocky relationship in fifth year because Alex had a major thing for Holly. He tried everything to get her to go out with him, which resulted in Holly getting so desperate to get him off her back that she kissed Jack, Alex‘s closest friend in the group. Jack didn’t complain about being used, though; he loved it.
Zack wasn’t too happy. He was in love with Holly by then, but kept it hidden so that it didn’t ruin their friendship. He began to have feelings for her in their third year, but thought it was just a brief crush. It wasn’t until fifth year, when Holly kissed Jack out of sheer desperation, that he realized he loved her. There were times when he thought Holly felt the same, but he couldn’t be sure. Now that she was staying with the gang and his cousins for a week, though, Zack figured that he’d know once and for all whether or not Holly really felt the same about him.
“Zacky!” screeched a familiar voice.
“Maria!” Zack yelled back, somewhat less enthusiastically.
Maria MacMillan ran over and catapulted herself onto the couch next to Holly. “So, are you staying with us this week?” she asked the blonde.
“Yeah,” Holly said. Holly’s dad had deserted the family when she was six, and her mum had died in December of that year of cancer. Holly had no one to report to, so she didn’t even have to ask about staying at the MacMillans like Jack and Alex did. Holly had been counting on staying with her neighbors until she had a place of her own. She hadn’t said anything to the family who lived across the street from her beforehand, though, in the case that they wouldn’t say yes. She figured that without a warning, they’d have to say yes.
“That’s great!” Maria squealed. “Zack, that means you can tell her that--” She was cut off as a pillow hit her square in the mouth.
“Tell me what?” Holly inquired.
“Nothing.” Maria looked at Zack and rolled her eyes. “Tell her!” she mouthed.
Zack fiercely shook his head, making it seem like he was a stubborn six-year-old.
“Two minutes left of school,” Alex said, breaking the tension. “We should sing something!”
“Like what?” Holly scoffed.
“Auld Lang Syne!” Jack yelled.
“Merlin, man, you’ve got to stop yelling randomly,” Zack groaned. “It scares the shit out of me. But that’s not such a bad idea…”
“Yeah, but I don’t know the words,” Alex pointed out.
“I know the original version,” Holly said, “because Mum was part Scottish. Her family’s always sung it on New Year’s Eve.”
“Then let’s do it!” Jack exploded in a frenzy of excitement.
“Er, okay?” Holly grinned. She picked up a quill and piece of parchment from the table in front of her and scribbled down the song. Jack could barely read the words as he had always had problems deciphering Holly’s chicken scratch, but he sang along with the others.
Should Old Acquaintance be forgot,
And never thought upon;
The flames of Love extinguished,
And fully past and gone;
Is thy sweet Heart now grown so cold,
That loving Breast of thine;
That thou canst never once reflect,
On Old long syne.
“That’s pretty.” Alex sighed happily. “Since we’re in the New Year’s mood, why don’t we have a countdown for the last eighteen seconds of our school lives?”
“Eighteen?” Zack asked.
“Well, we’re eighteen years old, aren’t we?”
“I’m seventeen!”
“Then start a second later, Jack.”
Holly laughed, and Zack smiled. He couldn’t bear the thought of leaving the gang behind, but for another week, he wouldn’t have to. It would be just like Hogwarts, without the lessons and detentions.
“Eighteen!” Alex yelled.
“Seventeen!” Jack cheered.
“Sixteen!” Zack laughed.
“What comes next!” Holly rolled her eyes. She never could count backwards.
“Fourteen, thirteen!”
“Twelve, eleven!”
“Ten, nine, eight!”
“Seven, six!” Maria chirped.
“Five!” Jack said.
“Four!” Alex whispered reverently.
“Three!” Zack roared.
“Two!” Holly screamed.
“One!” The entire gang erupted in cheers.
In Zack’s family, on New Year’s Eve, the couples would always kiss as the clock struck twelve. As this was starting anew, considering graduation, he leaned over and kissed Holly. Holly’s eyes widened, but she smiled into the kiss and shut her eyes. She put her hand on the back of Zack’s neck and tangled her fingers in his hair. He put a hand on her back, pulling her closer.
Jack shrugged and turned to Maria. He kissed her as well, which she found shocking. “Er, Jack?” she said as he pulled away.
“What?” Jack asked. “I didn’t want to be left out.”
Alex grimaced. That was so like Jack.
Holly pulled away from Zack. “That was nice.”
Zack smirked. “Just nice?”
“I’m a bit too lightheaded to think of any more complex words right now.” Holly rested her head on Zack’s shoulder. “What’s your mum going to say about me staying at your house after this?”
“How should I know?” Zack put his arm around her. “Hopefully, she’ll bypass it and question Jack about his sexuality like she always does.”
“Hey!” Jack yelled. “I say one thing as a joke about Alex looking remarkably attractive one day and I never hear the end of it!”
“Stop yelling, Dawson.” Holly grinned. “You’re scaring the shit out of us.”
Jack rolled his eyes. “So are you two, like, a couple or something now?”
Zack looked at Holly. “Are we?”
“Sure,” Holly smiled widely. “That sounds fabulous.” She leaned up to kiss Zack again.
“Get a room!” Alex yelled. “We shouldn’t be subjected to the mushy-gushy-ness of this all!”
“I’m bored,” Jack said sadly.
“Go play on the motorway.” Alex winked.
“What’s a motorway?”
“Hey guys?” Zack asked, breaking his and Holly’s kiss. “You wanna give us a bit of privacy?”
This earned him a few pillows thrown in his face. “Hey, come on.” Maria stood up. “It’s his first relationship in, like, ever. But as much as I’d like to watch my cousin snogging in the common room, which isn’t much at all, we should go before the train leaves without us. If you haven’t noticed, we’re the last ones left in the tower.”
She was right. Holly and Zack stood up, their hands clasped. Jack mimed vomiting behind the couch before standing, Alex rolled his eyes and threw a pillow at Jack. They ran out of the room together, the gang plus Maria MacMillan, and out front doors of the school, set for the future.
And they didn’t know it yet, but the gang would never part, even when Jack left for America on an Auror mission and Holly traveled abroad as a journalist for the Daily Prophet. Together forever, just like their promise in fifth year. As for Holly and Zack…The beginning of their relationship in that final moment as students would only be the start of their life together.
When you gonna give it up?
You’re giving me such a rush.
Come on, Holly
Would you turn me on?
Just another pretty face
But I want one more taste.
Come on, Holly
Would you turn me on?
Don't Leave Just Yet by ringobeatlesfan4
Chapter Notes: Many thanks to my beta, the fantastic Russia Snow, who gave me as much help as she could! She also contributed the title of this fic, which fits it perfectly. Lyrics in the summary, as well as this chapter title, and at the end of the fic are from All Time Low's song Holly, Would You Turn Me On? Lyrics to Auld Lang Syne are by James Watson.
Chapter Endnotes: I hope you liked it! Leave a review, please! -Becca