THE TRAIN WHISTLE WAS ALL TOO FAMILIAR TO THE MERMAID AS SHE WALKED THROUGH THE BARRIER THAT SEPARATED PLATFORM NINE AND TEN. Three quarters had always been an odd number in her opinion because she never understood its importance when she was young; now, she understood the number was only odd because it was never said when one counts normally. That's what made it special--its oddity.
Lorelei was an oddity when she was eleven-years-old.
She had no idea about anything in the magical world, nevertheless how to board the Hogwarts Express. With only a few helpful words from Molly and Arthur and encouraging nods from Charlie, Fred, and George, Lorelei managed to overcome the anxiety she felt about running through a wall to get to a train.
In year three, she met a boy who had the same anxiety; though he may have been the same with wizard blood running in his veins, he came from a different world than Lorelei. Harry Potter was an oddity, too. The Boy Who Lived. The Chosen One. Or as Lorelei had been saying recently: A big pain in her arse.
"Where is that bloody twat?" Lorelei growled out, her eyes changing colors from blue to black quickly.
"Mum!" A young boy called out with a laugh, his hand tightening around hers. She turned to face him, his wild ebony, curly hair all over the place as he stared at her with his brown eyes. "I'm sure Uncle Harry's here somewhere."
Well, at least her children knew to whom she was referring.
George snorted from next to her, his own hand wrapped around a little girl's smaller one. The small girl also shared the Black gene of wild, unruly ebony hair. Her eyes, however, were blue like her Mum's. She was a spitting image of Lorelei. "Embry, you know your Mummy doesn't like to be called out when she goes into 'beast mode.'"
"George, you better shut it!" Lorelei threatened, eyes scanning ahead where another one of her children walked ahead to familiar faces. "At least Cedric knows where he's going. There's Ron and Hermione." Suddenly, the little girl holding hands with George took off, grabbing Embry's hand to pull him from their mother. Both trunks were loud, alerting every witch, wizard, and muggle that the twins were on their way. "Edith! Embry! Don't run... oh, why do I bother?"
Ophelia walked hand-in-hand with Teddy as the pair finally caught up to their parents. "We'll never know, Mum," Ophelia teased, blue eyes twinkling in mischief like her father. "Teddy and I are going to find Uncle Fred. You know how he gets lost."
George grinned, taking Lorelei's now empty hand. "Go for it, Lia." He looked to his stressed wife. "All right, sweetheart?"
Lorelei and George did end up moving into Remus's old cottage after their wedding night. Of course, as their family grew, the house grew with them. Lorelei had no intention of living anywhere else due to the strong love she still felt for Remus. In the nineteen years that had passed, Lorelei and George had four children total. Ophelia, obviously being the first, was the least trouble, in Lorelei's opinion. She liked to believe it was because of the war, and the fact that every waking moment Ophelia was with her mother, but in reality, Lia was just a good child. She did have the mermaid gene.
Now, the next one was a bit more. Cedric Remus Weasley was born five years later. He took after his grandmother, having blonde hair and blue eyes. His mer-gene was strong. He was now going into his third year at Hogwarts, a proud Ravenclaw unlike his older sister who was a proud Gryffindor. Lorelei and George were shocked that Cedric ended up in Ravenclaw but happy nonetheless. He was incredibly smart. Lorelei liked to joke that he was smarter than Hermione, the brightest witch of their age only rolling her eyes at the comment.
Their final time trying for one child, they were lucky in the Weasley genes to produce twins. George grinned, being a twin himself and his uncles Fabian and Gideon Prewett being twins as well. Embry Regulus Weasley and Edith Sirina (yes, named after Sirius) Weasley were born two years after Cedric.
In that time between Ophelia and Cedric, Lorelei was getting her job as an Auror together. She had been longing to do something besides take care of children, and although Neville tried to persuade her to teach and Hermione tried to persuade her to join the Ministry in a normal department... Lorelei didn't want to just sit around. She enjoyed adventure... and she wouldn't lie saying she enjoyed keeping an eye on Harry and Ron while she was in there.
"I'm fine," Lorelei breathed out a sigh of relief when she caught Ginny's flaming red hair. Harry was somewhere around. "Hello," she greeted when she reached the large group forming. People stared and whispered, but Lorelei could not care after all of these years.
Hermione pulled her into a lasting hug. "Ron told me how you saved his arse last week at work. Thanks for that."
"Mum!" Rose said, eyes wide at the language.
"Sorry," Hermione squeaked, Ginny snorting a laugh when she walked up. James Sirius Potter immediately walked to Cedric, both in the same year and great friends even if they weren't in the same house. Lily Luna Potter was sitting on his trunk, hopping off to hug her favorite aunt (Lorelei, obviously).
Rose looked to Embry and Edith, both nervous as well. Lorelei looked around, Ginny smiling gently when she saw it. "He's with Albus over there. The kid is going crazy worrying over being placed in Slytherin."
"Well, there is nothing wrong with that house," Lorelei said gently. "Any house would be perfect. Look at Cedric in Ravenclaw. If you don't end up in Gryffindor, it's no big deal." She was stating this to mostly her children but Rose as well. All three nodded gleefully.
"Unless you're my child," Ron said, looking at Rose with a grin. Hermione gently nudged Ron's stomach with a laugh. Hugo, Ron and Hermione's second child, was sitting now with Lily, both grinning about something.
It was quiet as Hermione made sure Rose had everything and Lorelei looked at her own twins.
"Now, you both listen well," she started, Ron, George, and Ginny taking a step back with wide eyes. She sounded all too similar to Molly. "I really don't need you both sent home in the first week of lessons. Can you try to behave yourselves?" Embry and Edith gave each other a look before grinning and turning back to their mother. "Oh, Good Godric help McGonagall," Lorelei mumbled with a heavy sigh.
Embry smirked. "Chill, Mum. We'll be perfect angels."
Edith nodded in agreement. "Absolutely perfect."
Lorelei looked to Rose. "I'm depending on you. Let me know everything." Rose smirked at the twins and nodded to Lorelei.
Embry and Edith shared looks of outrage. "You can't keep tabs on us!" Embry shouted.
George grinned and moved forward again. "Remember to get the map from James if you need to sneak out-- OW!"
Lorelei stepped on his foot.
James and Cedric walked forward grinning. Cedric said, "Yeah, Mum. We'll just send a toilet seat like you, dad, and Uncle Fred did. Wouldn't it be nice to receive in the mail?"
"I heard my name!" Fred called loudly, Ophelia and Teddy in tow. "I have arrived with my offspring and wife!"
Angelina shot him a look as their eldest, Roxanne walked toward Cedric and James with a smile. She was in Gryffindor with James, but the three were stuck together like glue. She was in their year. Behind Angelina stood Roman, who like his cousin was also in Ravenclaw. He was in his second year.
George grinned at Fred. "Just telling my terrible, troublesome twins about the map James not-so-secretly carries around."
Fred grinned even wider. "Ah, the good old days. Where is The Chosen One, Ginerva?"
Ginny rolled her eyes at her brother before pointing in a direction to see Harry and Albus Severus Potter walking over to them, Albus looking more relieved than anything now, but the children teased him.
"Well, well, isn't Albus looking rather nervous?" Cedric teased, Roxanne laughing with James at the statement. Albus stuck his tongue out at Cedric. "Spoken like a true man," Cedric said wisely as he rolled his eyes playfully.
Harry finally reached the group, hugging Lorelei first. "How many are going in this year?" Harry asked breathlessly after hugging everyone in the large group.
Hermione smiled. "Rose, Embry, Edith, and Albus, right? Oh, Lor, this is your last first time!"
Lorelei and George grinned. "Well, we have at least seven more years of this unless the pair get expelled first."
"Hey!" both twins shouted, both grinning, however.
Lorelei tuned out the conversation as one started, looking around the platform. Her eyes finally found who she was looking for, his platinum hair sparkling in the mass of people. "I'll be right back," Lorelei said loudly, not trying to be rude but knowing time would be short. "Don't leave without saying good bye." She hurried off, finally smiling when his eyes met hers.
"Lorelei," he announced, his wife and son looking up with equal grins. "How are you?"
"Draco," Lorelei greeted with her own grin. "Astoria... I'm fine. And yourselves?"
Astoria smiled softly. "Well, very well."
Lorelei leaned down in front of the small boy who looked eerily like his father. "And my godson, how are you feeling?" Scorpius shrugged, looking around at the stares. "Hey, don't worry about them."
He smirked slightly. "I'm not."
"Ah, yes. The fake Malfoy smirk. Your father did that a lot," Lorelei whispered, causing Draco to scowl, Astoria to laugh, and Scorpius to chuckle lowly. "Don't put too much of a front on, okay? Make good friends, loyal ones. Albus, Rose, Embry, and Edith are starting this term as well." Embry and Scorpius got along purely for their love of mischief, and Scorpius was always very kind to Edith.
Scorpius nodded. "I'll make friends, Lor, I promise."
Lorelei smiled brightly as she pulled him in for a hug. "Do good. Send me a letter or two once and a while, okay?"
"Okay," he breathed, glad to feel a bit of a weight release from his chest.
When Lorelei stood, she smiled again at Draco and Astoria. "We'll need to chat later, okay? I have to see my troublesome children off."
Astoria giggled again. "Go ahead, Lor."
Lorelei grinned and walked back just as the train blew its whistle. Calling her children, she gave them a sad, loving look. "Please, look after each other. Not just you three, after your family as well. Don't forget to go into the water, Ced. I'll lose my mind if I hear you've prioritized Quidditch over your swimming again. I love you."
He rolled his eyes with a grin. "It was one time, Mum, but I promise. I love you." Pulling Cedric into a hug first, Lorelei kissed his cheek before he hugged his father and took off with James and Roxanne to find their compartment.
She pulled Embry and Edith into a hug next. "I love you two, but please, don't give old McGonagall a hard time." George let out a laugh at that. "Send letters."
"Promise, love you," Embry said quickly, seeing Albus and Rose waiting. He hugged his father and ran off as Edith followed in his footsteps. Only Hugo, Lily, Ophelia, and Teddy were left of the children standing next to their parents.
Teddy and Ophelia hugged each other tightly as Lorelei locked eyes with Harry. He grinned at her saying, "They'll be all right."
"With your son around them, I'm worried," Lorelei said with a teasing smirk.
Fred grimaced. "They are so much like George and I, it's sort of frightening... but hey! We didn't get expelled!"
"No," Ginny said with a shake of her head.
Angelina scoffed. "You three just left the school on broomsticks."
"In their final year, may I add," Hermione said exasperately. "How could you not just take your exams!?"
George shrugged. "Life's worked out, though, hasn't it?"
Lorelei held George tight as she watched the train begin to peel off. She finally saw the compartment full of her children and family, smiling even more when she saw Scorpius sitting among them. The large Weasley and Potter family waved at their children, knowing no where was safer than Hogwarts.
Lorelei never could shake the thoughts that something bad would happen with a child with the last name 'Potter' was there, but Harry and George always seemed to ease her nerves. As the train finally left the station, the parents knew they had jobs to get to and places to be, but no one ever enjoyed leaving the comforts of family. After all, after the war, every person was shown the love they deserved. Every child grew up loved and well cared for. Every adult watched their child grow in a world rid of Voldemort.
That was the goal when they fought the Dark Lord. They wanted their children to be free.
Lorelei leaned further into George as he sighed heavily. He didn't want to go to work. As if his twin read his thoughts, Fred called out, "Who wants to skive work today? We've got a new shipment of Fever Fudge if your boss needs proof."
Everyone let out a laugh as Hermione answered, "You know what, Fred? That sounds perfect."
"Who are you, and what have you done with Hermione?"
t h e • e n d