Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. If I did, Harry and Hermione would be married right now.
A/N: My take on the challenge "Secrecy" by reptilia, you can find the requirements here: http://talk.portkey.org/index.php?showtopic=26369 . Hope you'll like it, and if you read, please review to let me know how I'm doing, ok? Thanks!
Secret Wizards
Chapter Fourteen: Epilogue
"Alexander Brian Potter!" a shout was heard at seven o'clock of September 1st in the Potter household. "You get up this minute!"
The raven haired teen sighed, and finally stepped out of his bed. He groggily walked to the door of his room and shouted back down the stairs, "I'm up now Mum!" then he walked inside the bathroom.
He didn't know why he should get up at seven o'clock, four sodding hours before the train left, when his trunk was already packed.
Downstairs, Harry Potter was sipping his coffee while scanning the newspaper, while his wife was putting dishes with breakfast in front of their daughter Caroline Julie. The eleven years old smiled nervously at her mother, her green eyes sparkling with both excitement and fear. It was her first year at Hogwarts, and hearing Alexander boast about it made her eager to go, but she was also a bit nervous about being away from her parents.
Sensing her discomfort, Harry smiled at her, mussing her brown curls, that she inherited from her mother.
"You've nothing to fear, munchkin" he said, in a soothing way. "Of course, you'll have to wrestle your way in against a troll and a dragon, but apart for that it's ok"
His wife glared at him, but her look was immediately softened by the sight of their youngest giggling.
"Oh, Dad, you're so silly. They can't have us wrestle a troll and a dragon the first day, we haven't learned enough to do so yet" little Caroline called Harry on his lie and he laughed heartily.
"You're too smart for your age, you know that, right?" he teased her, his coffee forgotten as he tickled her on her sides, making her squeal.
Hermione watched them fondly, feeling happier than ever.
Finally, their eldest came into the kitchen, and sat in front of his plate of eggs and bacon.
"You're too active at this hour, Caroline" he said, wondering how could his sister be so energized when he wanted nothing more than go back to sleep.
"You're all packed, Alex?" Hermione asked while sipping her tea.
"Yeah, Mum, I'm ready" he said, yawning. "I just can't see why I have to be up so early if we don't leave in another hour and I'm already packed"
"Because it's better to be early than late" Hermione replied, giving him a mock glare.
Alexander said nothing else and sipped his tea.
"So, son, are you ready for your fifth year?" Harry asked, finally settling back at the table with a still giggling Caroline.
Alexander immediately grinned, his mood making a sharp turn to the brighter side. "Yeah, I am. I'm so happy Kathleen is a prefect too!" he said, his brown eyes warming at the thought of his best female friend.
"Alexander is in lurve!" Caroline said in a singsong voice, earning herself a glare from her older brother.
"I'm not"
"Are too!"
"Kids," Hermione chided, "be quiet"
So, the four of them finished their breakfast quickly, then when almost an hour later everyone was ready, Harry loaded both Alexander and Caroline's trunks into their BMW 535i Touring, and the Potters started their drive to King's Cross.
It took them a bit more than an hour and a half to get there, even if Harry wasn't certainly a slow driver, and another forty-five minutes to park. When they got to Platform 9 ¾, however, they still had more or less half an hour spare.
Alexander helped Caroline load her trunk on the train, and then they were back on the platform to say hello to their parents. As they walked back to Harry and Hermione, the platform started to fill with families accompanying their kids to the Hogwarts Express.
Soon, the red hair of no one else than Ron Weasley appeared, an arm around his wife Luna's waist, and three equally red haired boys running to get on the train.
"Don't run, Fred and Bart!" Luna admonished them. The two were twins, and it seemed that every couple of twins in the Weasley family was meant to create trouble. Well, their uncle George's influence must have had something to do with that, too.
The other boy, Darius, was trying to catch up with his older brothers, and it was clear he was a first year too.
"Look, Mum, it's the Weasleys!" Caroline said, and soon enough the two families were exchanging greetings.
Ron and Harry started chatting about Quidditch, as usual, while Hermione and Luna pleasantly chatted.
Alexander was laughing at something Fred had said, while Caroline and Darius were wondering what Hogwarts would be like.
"Alex!" a feminine voice exclaimed, and the raven haired boy groaned. It was Heather Ponberg, a blonde fifth year Gryffindor who had always had an huge crush on him. Well, she wasn't the only one, as at least 80% of the female population of the castle was smitten with the boy, including some sixth and seventh years, but this girl was adamant that she and Alexander were soul-mates and were meant to be.
"What is it, Heather?" he said, bored.
Hermione looked at the girl and was strongly reminded of Lavender Brown. So, it wasn't a shock for her when the girl, after being more or less given the cold shoulder from her eldest, went back to her own parents and Hermione spotted no one else than one of the Gossip Queens of her and Harry's Hogwarts years as her mother.
"Lavender had a daughter?" Harry asked, bewildered, following her line of sight.
"Seems so, and the girl doesn't seem so different from her" Hermione commented, before turning back to the kids.
As she did, an huge grin spread on her face, as she felt Harry sneak his arms around her waist.
"They are cute, aren't they?" he whispered in her ear, as they stared at Alexander, hugging tightly a brown haired witch, who was hugging him as strongly.
Hermione nodded. "Kathleen is really a nice girl" she admitted, watching them chat and Alexander smile at something she said.
"And she can keep him in line" Harry added. "I've a feeling those two will be Heads in two years time" he predicted.
"Taking up Divination again?" Hermione teased him, and he stuck his tongue at her.
"Mature, Potter" she said, deadpanned, then turned again to look at the two youngsters. They were now walking toward Harry and Hermione.
"Mum, Dad, me and Kathleen are going on the train now, we need to get ready for the prefect meeting" Alexander announced.
His parents nodded then turned toward the girl. "Pleased to finally meet you, Kathleen" Harry said. "Alexander has told us lots about you"
"Dad!" his son protested, blushing madly. Hermione smiled softly at him. "There's nothing to be embarrassed about, dear" she said.
Kathleen was blushing, too. "I hope he told you good things then" she finally whispered, and Harry grinned.
"Good? I'd be hard pressed to not suggest you for next Minister of Magic, the way he goes about you" Harry said again, enjoying to tease his son. He was sure his father would have done the same with him, if he had the chance.
Alexander was now almost-tomato like, and Kathleen was more or less the same, but her blue eyes betrayed the fact she was pleased nonetheless.
"Thanks, Mr. Potter" she said, and Harry waved his hand dismissively. "Call me Harry, dear" he said, smiling.
When the two teens finally parted, few moments later, Alexander automatically put an hand on her back, and both Hermione and Harry could see her relax into his touch. "They are so much like us" Hermione commented softly, and Harry nodded. "That they are"
"They are going to be together by the end of the year. Wanna bet?" Harry said then.
"I say they are together for Christmas" Hermione challenged him. "Five Galleons"
"Agreed" he said, shaking her hand, smirking. She smirked too, before both dissolved in a fit of giggles.
It wasn't much later than the train whistled and started to move. From a window, Caroline waved at them, and they waved back, looking the red train speed away from the station, till it wasn't visible anymore.
"They are going to be fine" Hermione said, hugging him from behind.
"I know" he said, smiling proudly. "They are our kids, after all"
Hermione chuckled, and he did too. As he turned and softly kissed her, he wondered what else could he ask life for.
He had a wonderful wife he was madly in love with, two great kids that were making him proud, and no mad Dark Lords on the horizon. All was well.
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