The Hogwarts Express pulled steadily out of Hogsmeade station, and James Sirius Potter glanced back at the castle through a distant window, as if to say a silent goodbye for the last time.
It felt strange, he thought, as he stumbled down the aisle in the search for a compartment. He was leaving Hogwarts for the very last time in his life, yet he didn't feel particularly sad or melancholy about it. He never had, really. He supposed, with a family as large and as lively as his, going home never really felt like leaving.
Eventually he found a compartment and sat down. Opposite him, his younger brother Albus was slumped against the window, with Scorpius Malfoy curled up in his lap, asleep against his neck.
James snapped out of his own head momentarily and looked up at the two boys curled around each other. He was happy for them, truly - he knew that both his brother and Scorpius deserved to be loved as much as they loved each other.
His chest constricted slightly as he remembered that his own love was going to be absent from platform 9 and 3/4 today. Teddy's work as an auror meant that he wasn't going to be able to see him off the train today. Still, he'd see him tomorrow - until then he'd just have to get by on his mum's famous chocolate chip cookies.
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"James? James!"
James opened his eyes to see Albus, who had grabbed him by the shoulders and was shaking him up and down rather vigorously.
"Alright, alright, I'm awake - how far away are we from the platform?"
"We're already here, you plonker! Can you not feel that the train has stopped? Just hurry up and get off the train, or it might take you back to Hogwarts with it!"
James pushed himself up and made his way to the train doors, summoning his luggage and hopping down the steps to the platform. He spotted is family and started to weave through the crowd towards them - and then his heart skipped a beat - or two - possibly even three - as he caught a glimpse of blue hair amongst his family's mass of red, ebony and platinum.
James all but dropped his trunk and sprinted into Teddy's waiting arms, wrapping his legs tightly around Teddy's waist as Teddy lifted him up.
"I thought you were at work?" He muttered into Teddy's neck.
"I finished early - thought I'd come and surprise you," came the whispered reply.
Teddy kissed James softly, before setting him back down on his feet and turning to face his family. He sensed that a rather long conversation was in order, if the confusion etched across the adults' faces was anything to go by.
