Chasing Freedom {Book 3: Chasing Butterflies}

Chapter 34: The Platform

Alright everyone! This is the last chapter for this story! It's been a long time coming, for sure, but here we are! After this is the alternate ending in which Draco makes his return. Also, since I technically only have one canonically correct pairing (Harry and Ginny) left, I thought it would be fine to have this chapter this way.

And again, if you absolutely hate the direction I have taken- please skip this chapter. Draco will be back in the next chapter. If you're waiting for his return, it will be then. It's an alternate ending, picking up right before he died so NONE of this stuff afterwards would've happened.

Anyways, I hope you all enjoy!
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"I know the cost of tears and trouble; some get lost, some make it through. Me, I made it, 'cause I always knew that you believed in happy endings too." ~ I Believe In Happy Endings, Neil Diamond

Years passed, and before Audrey knew it, they were standing back on Platform 9¾ again. Time passed by so quickly; it  seemed like only yesterday that Audrey was bringing Scorpius home from the hospital. And now she was finding it hard to believe there was an 11 year old boy standing in front of her ready to be whisked off for his first year at Hogwarts.

Scorpius stood in front of his mother, stepfather, and younger siblings- Artemis the Third and Claire- an anxious but excited look upon his face. He tapped his fingers impatiently on the trunk by his side, trying to keep his thoughts straight between his younger brother and sister playing and laughing between their parents and all the general chaos of the train station. "How much longer before the train leaves, mum?" he asked.

Audrey swore as time went on that his mannerisms, not to mention his looks, were exactly like his father's. She had seen the same look on Draco's face so many times, and it was so hard to forget at times that it wasn't him standing in front of her. Scorpius was so much like Draco it almost hurt. She missed Draco dearly, but having Scorpius certainly helped ease that pain. She had only wished one of her children had taken after her and not their fathers; just as much as Scorpius looked like Draco, little Artemis and Claire looked like Artemis. Jet black hair, sapphire eyes, pale skin... Audrey wasn't sure how she lost the genetic lottery, but here she was. Not that it mattered; all three of her kids were perfect in her eyes- even if they didn't resemble her in the slightest.

"Not much longer, Scorpius," Audrey assured, remembering she had been asked a question. "The train always leaves at 11. So only a few more minutes, and then you can be off on your next big adventure."

"Am I going to know anyone at school?" her eldest son inquired.

Audrey looked to Artemis who just gave her an unsure look. "I'm not sure, Scorpius," was her eventual answer. "Your father and I had you pretty soon after we left school, and I'm not sure if any of my classmates had any kids around the same time. I'm sorry, love."

A frown formed on her son's face. "When does Bella get to come to school with me?"

Bella was Ron and Nicole's daughter and eldest child, and was just a year or so younger than Scorpius. Outside of his siblings, Bella was probably Scorpius' best friend. They were inseparable when they had get-togethers. Nicole often joked that the two of them would get married one day, and while Audrey surely wouldn't be surprised by that she didn't dare say it out loud. Nicole and Ron had one other child, a boy around little Artemis' age named Hugo. A lot of their closest friends had children now- Harry and Ginny had three: James, Albus, and Lily; Hermione had Rose after reconnecting with Krum; George married Angelina and had Roxanne, while Fred met a girl and had a son named Fred. Audrey was so happy all of their friends had found happiness and had families too. There was never a dull moment when all of them got together; they were all practically family now.