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SALEM POTTER NEVER thought her life would turn out this way. Then again, the best things in the world are unexpected.
So, let's start. From the top.
It was a real miracle Salem Potter turned out to be a witch. She was named after Winston Salem, a city where her parents briefly fell in love and conceived her, and after the tragedy that was her pre-teen years, the connotation of the Witch Trials had never been brought up again.
In the short time between her schooling at Hogwarts and today, Salem's ideology of family had done a 180. She used to be but a teenager, lost in the world with a question mark for a father and but one friend.
Today, she was surrounded by love.
"Mom!"
A small body collided with Salem's, making the woman let out a light laugh. She bent down to hug her son, properly, and kiss the side of his curls.
"It'll be alright, Harry," Salem assured gently, "We'll see you at Christmas."
Harry Potter— spitting image of his father, but with beautiful and bountiful freckles from his mother. It was a shock when the boy turned out brunet, not a speck of ginger in sight, but James just joked about how his hair was far more unruly than Salem's, therefore overpowering the fiery gene.
Salem and Roman both called bullshit.
"You know, you're acting far different than you were last night— Mr. 'I'm Old Enough To Make My Own Dinner'," James mocked, making his somewhat distressed son smile before the boy tugged his father into the family hug.
"I'm going to miss you."
"We're going to miss you, too," James said, his voice turned soft, "But, don't forget—"
"Hogwarts is home, too," Harry finished for his dad, smiling despite himself.
"Uncle Padfoot would be making fun of both of you," Salem whispered.
"Uncle Padfoot would be crying."
"Well, that's probably true, but you'll see enough of him at school," She smiled at Harry, brushing his hair down gently, "Please stay out of trouble, eh? Don't follow in your father's footsteps."
"Hey—!"
"I want to only hear glowing things about you from your head of house," Salem smiled, ignoring James, "I love you— oh, don't forget Hedwig."
"I won't," Harry smiled, looking to the snowy white owl briefly, "I love you, too."
Salem hugged her little boy tightly, kissing the top of his head once more. But what managed to make her even happier was the sight of James hugging his boy.
Harry and James had a bond like no other. They were two peas in a pod, so much alike it scared Salem now and again. But today was another day that Salem was reminded how much of a blessing it all was— that she'd found someone as wonderful as James and he'd been the one she had a child with, a child who was wonderful and brilliant and hilarious.
"Get into tons of trouble," James whispered, only grinning at his son when Salem lightly hit his shoulder, "I love you, Harry."
"Love you, too," Harry smiled nervously, feeling oh, so small beside the Hogwarts Express.
But he was ready. To take it all on. Because he'd grown up with a wild set of parents that never wasted a chance to tell him that they loved him, and a crazy couple of uncles who raved about their Hogwarts years and gave him tools for trouble since toddler-hood, and he knew no matter what happened at Hogwarts, that his parents were there, as a forever safety-net, a protective shield, and his biggest support system.
"Go on, Harry," Salem whispered with a smile, "You've got an adventure waiting for you."
So Harry smiled and hugged his parents again quickly, before taking off towards the train.
And James wrapped an arm around his wife, who accepted this affection instantly by resting her arm around his midsection.
"Don't worry, Darling," James said quietly, squeezing her shoulder, "He'll be happy at Hogwarts."
"I know," Salem smiled up at James, "I'll miss him, though."
"Oh, I'll be a mess for the next month," James huffed, making the redhead laugh.
Suddenly, Harry's head emerged from a compartment window. James couldn't hold back a laugh at his son, wiggling his arm out to wave to his parents as the train lurched into motion. The couple waved back, with matching bright smiles, until Harry ducked back into the train, and left them in a bustling station.
"Plus, you said it yourself, Sal. He's got an adventure waiting for him."
