“The applause was deafening. Dozens upon dozens of people - each as inspirational and as a part of this era as the next - surrounded them, cheering, smiling through their tears.
Emma was the one to grab at their sleeves and pull them in. The golden trio, which had hugged so often in the past, was now locked in an embrace so loving and so desperate that suddenly all else seemed to melt away. They separated only ever so slightly to look at one another, to exchange within seconds all the words, love, and memories that ten years had made.
Dan was blinking rapidly. On his left, tilting her head up, Emma swallowed as her chin trembled. But it was Rupert who, with a distinct and seldom-used ferocity, told them, “Thank you,” before a single tear danced down his face.
The roar around them rose in their ears again as they all broke down, melting into one another, now weeping freely, feeling so much happiness and despair at once that it threatened to overtake them. When they finally pulled away, their hands remained tightly linked; they stood there, in a triangle, staring at one another and at all of the friends - the family - that continued to clap on every side.
Like phoenixes, they would have to embrace these ashes and rise from them once more. The prospect was both thrilling and terrifying.
But one thing was for sure.
In this instance, at the very heart of the flames, they knew deep inside - the magic would never end.”
