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"Harry, hurry up! We're going to be late!" Hermione called across the station.
They were walking down King's Cross Station towards the divide between platforms nine and ten. She was moving awfully fast for a woman who was seven months pregnant. It was so typical of her to think they were going to be late. They had arrived at the station a quarter hour early.
Harry looked back to call to his children. "James, Sirius, Rosie come on we had better catch up to your mother."
Harry pushed the cart with James' trunk towards the invisible barrier that gave way to reveal a scarlet train on platform nine and three quarters. Hermione was already waiting with an impatient look on her face. Strolling towards them across the platform strode a tall red headed man with a beautiful woman that seemed to glide rather than walk.
"Bill! Fleur! Good to see you!" Harry greeted Bill with a handshake and Fleur planted a kiss on each of Harry's cheeks. "'Arry! Eet is so good to see you!" As she bent down to see the children, Harry had to laugh at their different reactions. Rose simply strode up and took Fleur's hand.
"Hi! My name is Rosie Potter! My mum has told me all about you!"
Rosie was certainly her mother's child. James meanwhile was attempting to push his sister out of the way, clearly hoping to be greeted with a kiss as his father had been.
"Ah! And I bet 'zees is James!" James blushed but unabashedly stuck his cheek out. Fleur planted a kiss that sent James red cheeks to scarlet. Bill laughed and asked what James thought about his first departure to Hogwarts.
"It's going to be great! I'll meet lots of new friends and I'm going to be on the Quidditch team as a first year! Just like my dad!"
With that he ran his hand through his hair to send it further into a mess than it already was. James had definitely been appropriately named. Meanwhile Sirius had attempted to climb the cart and trunk and had knocked it off, spilling its contents everywhere.
"Sirius Potter!" Hermione picked up the young boy by his wrist and gave him a withering look.
"Sorry mum. Just wanted a spot of fun. After all it's not like I'm going to Hogwarts this year…" Harry gave his son a smile. "Just one more year Sirius."
At that moment Hermione used her wand to return James' trunk to working order and began to fuss over him as Harry bid goodbye to Bill and Fleur. Their daughter Victoire had already boarded the train.
"Now remember no dueling in the halls. And no being out after dark. Pay attention in class. I packed a homework journal for you to keep track of your assignments."
Harry had a distinct feeling his son's homework journal would end up in the same place as the one Hermione had given him all those years ago. At that moment the whistle blew and Harry gave his son a fierce embrace as James grabbed his trunk and headed for the train. In her rush to continue giving him advice, Hermione nearly forgot to kiss her son goodbye.
"Don't worry mum! Let go you're embarrassing me!"
Hermione released her bone crunching hug and watched as her oldest son boarded the Hogwarts Express. The final whistle blew, and as the train pulled out of the station James stuck his head out of the window to wave a final goodbye. Harry and Hermione both waved back until he was out of sight, Hermione brushing a tear from her eye. Harry grabbed her by the hand, picked Rose up into his other arm and lead his family back out towards the car.
"Don't worry about him Hermione, he'll be fine." Harry said soothingly.
"I know, I'm just worried he's going to get expelled. That boy has no sense when to stop getting in trouble." Hermione had an exasperated look on her face that Harry knew all too well. James was definitely a handful.
"Don't worry Hermione." Harry looked at her with a devilish grin. "It's going to be pretty hard to catch him when he has the Marauder's Map and the Invisibility Cloak."
"HARRY JAMES POTTER!!"
Harry simply laughed. He knew his wife thought it irresponsible. Then again, he had been called that plenty of times in their 14 year marriage by his wife. In the end she always forgave him. He needn't remind her of the many rules she herself broke in all her years at Hogwarts. For her part, Hermione blamed the messy haired boy with a scar that always seemed to need her help getting out of trouble.
Harry changed the subject. "Is Ron still coming over for dinner tonight?"
"Luna called earlier and said they'd come as soon as he got off work. They said it nearly broke Fergus' heart to have to wait one more year for Hogwarts."
As the kids loaded into the car Harry and Hermione stood together for a moment of quiet before the drive home. They could hear the kids giggling in the back seat. They were both smart enough to know when Mum and Dad were "being romantic" in their words.
"How are you feeling?" Harry asked his wife.
"Like I always thought I would feel watching my first child leave for Hogwarts. Happy, yet a little sad and nostalgic." Hermione wrapped her arms around Harry's shoulders. "But I always knew that I would have the best man in the world standing next to me, and he would make me feel alright."
"So you always knew you were going to marry me?" Harry teased as he wrapped his arms around Hermione. Hermione simply smiled and planted a kiss on his lips before they both climbed into the car, the children collapsing into fits of giggles in the back seat.
As Harry drove home thought about all the times growing up he had wanted to be someone else. All the times he would have happily traded places with almost anyone. Looking at Hermione next to him and his children, Harry knew there were nowhere and no one else he would rather be.