Hey guys... this is my first fanfiction, and I'm really excited to share it with you. I'd love for you guys to comment, review, and all of those things, as I'm hoping this will morph into a story. (Maybe even a long one.) And now I give you... my version of the epilogue. You can call it the prologue. Hehehe. Enjoy!

Thank you so much to my betas, Don-Jam and dawn54321 for scoping out my mistakes. Much appreciated, guys! :)

THE PROLOGUE

Scorpius smirked noncommittally. His father was pointing out the redheaded girl across the steam-filled platform to him under his breath while simultaneously nodding at her uncle, a black-haired man with an odd looking scar on his forehead. So that's Harry Potter, he thought. And Granger and Weasley, too... And Granger and Weasley's daughter... Wait! He did a double take. Was she...worried, or something? Her pretty face was creased and her teeth were clamped around her lip and... Merlin! Why do you even care? he chastised himself. But he still couldn't help looking back just once more.

Rose bit her lip as she made eye contact with who her father had pointed out to her as her mortal enemy countless times that morning, hell, that summer. Huh, she thought impetuously. So that's the infamous Malfoy smirk. Kinda cute, actually... Wait! Mentally slapping herself, she focused instead on the next few hours. She was Hermione Granger's daughter after all- and Ron Weasley's, at that.

She had never been this nervous in her life, not for anything, not even for the first meeting of her muggle grandparents, who mum had said were "a wee bit strict" and "somewhat jumpy." She had found that, although they were a bit jumpy, they were quite lovable. Though not as busy as the Weasley patriarch and matriarch, they lived happy lives in their home in Australia, which they had never really given up after the magical feat her mum had performed on them in her last year at Hogwarts. (Altering their memories so that Lord Voldemort wouldn't find them was not only mentally, but emotionally scarring. Her mum always said she survived the guilt only on the sheer fact that they were okay.)

Scorpius, on the other hand, was excited for his first year at Hogwarts, promises of Quidditch and potions and charms, and the excitement that came with his wand (he was determined not to lose it) was rivalled only with the fierce satisfaction of being in the air. His first toy broomstick, given to him when he was less than a year old (to the dismay of his mother), was an early birthday present from his father, who had whispered to him that he hoped he would turn out better at Quidditch than himself and Scorpius's mum. Besides, he already knew most of the kids his age- at least, those who were expected to be sorted into Slytherin House.

His cousins, the children of his mum's sister Daphne and her husband Gregory Goyle, relaxed as they took refuge from their parents' ridiculous rules about fraternizing with muggles and muggleborns with their aunt Astoria, who winked and enveloped them both with warm hugs. Mathias and Adrianne, the Goyle twins, briefly exchanged hugs with their uncle too, before almost tackling Scorpius in a bear hug of their own. Adrianne chattered about how she couldn't wait to find another girl her age to talk to, while Mathias tried to convince Scorpius once again to let him have a go on his new broomstick, the Corkscrew 17. They weren't too worried about their houses, as they were already pretty cocky about being in Slytherin. Despite that, Scorp had always secretly yearned to be sorted into another house. His mother, Astoria, had been a proud Slytherin as well, so it probably wasn't very likely.

Farther down the platform, Rose and Albus meet up yet again after a summer nearly inseparable at the waist, both eager to just distract each other from their imminent debut into Hogwarts' halls. Their lighthearted conversation doesn't last long though. James rudely interrupts them just to agitate poor Al even more about the subject. He has been incessant about it since he learned from his father that Albus was named after a Slytherin. Ginny, overhearing his snide remarks, pulls him severely to the side, muttering something into his ear all the while, which makes him go white.

Harry eyed his wife approvingly and muttered something to Ron under his breath, making him glance at Hermione and respond, "Wouldn't I know..."

Albus, meanwhile, is seething. He's still angry because his dad told James about the 'Severus' in his name. He was promised that it would be kept secret, but it still got out anyway. Rose had patted him sympathetically on the shoulder, but had already moved away to greet their cousins, Roxy and Dominique. She turned back to make sure he was okay, and he waved at her half-heartedly and went off to find his dad.

In the middle of recounting a successful Auror raid to Ron, Harry felt a tap on his shoulder and turned. Judging by Albus's stormy expression and what he had seen earlier, he put two and two together and guessed what his eldest had been up to. Harry leaned down, and listened to his younger son's silent plea. Harry murmured, "Won't be a second, mate," and followed his son to a secluded corner close to Ginny.

"Al, you were named after two headmasters of Hogwarts..."

Ron had waved them off, continuing to load on Rose's several book bags. Just like her mother, the avid reader,he chuckled to himself. Little did he know that his little Rosie was just as in tune with her uncle George as she was with her mum.

Meanwhile, something had caught Hermione's eye in the direction of Harry's nod a while back, and her face lights up. She hurries away, calling out to Ginny, who has returned from reprimanding James, "Gin, I just saw Astoria, I'm going to go say hello!"

Ginny smiles conspiratorially and waves her off, missing Hugo and Lily as they creep away from under her nose.

Harry and Ron had just finished loading up their children's trunks together, intent on finishing their little conversation in peace, when Ron, frowning suddenly, says, "Where's Mione off too?" Harry squinted at Hermione's recognizably bushy head, and responds, "Relax, Ron, it's only Astoria. Have you been keeping an eye on Lily and Hugo? I swear they were just with Ginny!" Ron's face tenses up yet again as the two men scour the platform with their eyes.

"Oy," says Ron, wide-eyed for a second, "You don't think they'd pull off what Rose and Al did last year, do you?"*

Harry's eyes widen, and then narrow just as quickly as a flash of brown and red disappear behind one of the many barriers. He nudges Ron, and the two rush over to the place where their children had disappeared. On their way there, Ron guffaws, "And here we thought..." Harry joins in his laughter. They reach the pillar, and their faces morph into expressions of pure shock.

It was indeed their ten year olds behind the pillar. But they'd never have guessed what they were doing. Faces screwed up, the both of them fire-engine red, with both their arms fisted tensely at their sides, but still... their lips were locked! It bothered their fathers to the point where...

"Lily Luna Potter," Harry exploded, having the grace to keep himself from bellowing. "Just what do you think you're doing?" Lily leapt a foot away from Hugo, and it would have been hilarious, apart from it being her father who had just caught her. Her eyes darted up to meet Harry's, then Hugo's, who, she thought with satisfaction, looked like she felt, and was redder than she'd ever seen him in his life

"And you Hugo, what's gotten into your head?" Ron snapped furiously.

Hugo and Lily glanced at each other, still plainly very red in the face.

Before either could answer, James stepped out from behind a pillar. And then he started clapping nonchalantly. As if this didn't shock Harry and Ron enough, James continued, "Well, you guys sure proved yourselves. Nice going, Lils," he said, smirking at his younger sister.

"I didn't think you'd have the guts. You too, Hugo- although if I ever see you do that to her again, I'll hex you. When I said you guys had to prove yourselves as 'grown-up,' and in less than thirty seconds..." He shook his head, stupidly oblivious of Harry and Ron.

"Wait just a minute, though," he asked, curiosity getting the better of him, "who suggested it?"

Both Ron and Harry were eyeing James bemusedly if not unpleasantly, and even Ron was starting to go pink in the face with shock. Harry was staring daggers at his eldest, and cleared his throat loudly to get his attention. James took one passing glance at his dad and his eyes widened. "Erm, hi dad," he said, trying for nonchalance. At the look he received, he rushed on.

"Okay, okay, I put them up to it, but I swear that it was their idea to snog. Oh wait, I think I know where they got it too... You can blame Vic and Teddy for this dad. Remember I told you they were snogging-"

But with one glance at his father's narrowed eyes... "Alright, I should probably..." He took off in a sprint for the nearest sliding door, but veered back to give his father a quick hug. Next, he barrelled straight into his mum, who hugged him back with equal force. He knew his mother would not only give him a Howler, but curse his arse back to his grandmother's, and for a haircut no less, if he didn't give her a passive farewell, especially now that his father knew about Lily and Hugo.

Ron stood with his hands on his hips glaring at his son, while Harry crossed his arms and locked eyes with his daughter. "So that's what this is about, huh? Growing up?" He told her, while she defiantly stared him back.

"Yes, dad, It was a stupid spur of the moment thing, I swear," she said emphatically, "nothing more, nothing less. Hugo is my best friend. Okay?" And with that, she marched off to find her mother, Harry trailing behind her. This left Ron to deal with Hugo as he pleased. Ron eyed his son, and his face morphed from a look of bemusement to one of disappointment.

Hugo stared back, a mix of guarded pre-teen rebel and open remorse.

"Son," he said to him, "Don't ever let me see you doing that again, unless you really love Lily Potter that way."

Hugo sighed with relief. "I know dad, and it didn't mean anything—"

But his father wasn't finished: "I mean- I know how it is, but if you break her heart, I know for a fact you'll break yours twice over." Ron certainly knew where he was coming from, having suffered the same ordeal decades ago, when three Hogwarts students, barely of age, were cramped in a tent like fugitives.

Hugo, whose head had been hanging down until now, looked up. "Were you and mum like that da?" He asked pointedly, using their pet name for their father. Ron glanced at Hugo, put an arm around his son's skinny shoulders, and walked him back towards the train, and his mother. His voice went soft, and Hugo was the only one who heard what he said next.

"Smart-arse, your mum was. No, I take that back," he chuckled, "She still is. But I made her cry the first day we met, and no-one ever thought we'd end up here- together, I mean." At this, Hugo looked stricken, and Ron appeased him by saying with a grimace, "Off with that look. I'm not done yet. She was Harry and my best friend you know? She understood us like no-one else... and she stuck with the cause- any cause, really- if she thought it was right. I don't know who's more stubborn, me or her or Harry, and I guess we'll never know. For a while, I didn't know if she really..." Hugo coughed pointedly, guessing what was going to come next.

"Right, dad, alright! I got it! Anyways," he said to his father, looking up to meet his eyes, "the point is, you and Mum and Rose are special, and I've got nothing except the old Cleansweep," he mumbled.

Ron wrapped an arm around him consolingly and told him, "I'll have you know that that Cleansweep was in our family for more than five generations. I was considering making it an heirloom, but then, you were born. As for that nonsense that you've not gotten anything, I beg to differ. You're extremely good looking, you get that from me, and your mother's perfectionism is getting to you, and that's a good thing, because you've never stopped trying at anything, And," he took in a gusty breath for emphasis, "Both me and your mother passed down our stubbornness. Although we curse each other sometimes about it, it's not all bad. Besides," he murmured out of the side of his mouth, "I felt exactly like you when we were in school, but look how I turned out!"

Ron ruffled his son's hair as they looked around the platform, who magically expanded itself to give its patrons room as they came. "Good thing I said bye to Rosie early," he said sadly, as the scarlet steam engine started to move. "You did say bye to your sister, right?" he said menacingly, and Hugo managed to giggle out a yes before his father gave him a 'noogie,' a muggle male's way of annoying the hell out of his mates. "Oh," said Ron, "I almost forgot. Give me a glower and for heaven's sake, walk slower. You don't want Uncle Harry thinking I didn't at least flatten you over assaulting his baby girl, now do you?" Hugo guffawed and worked at keeping said glower on his face as they walked solemnly back to their little group.

Harry and Lily were already there, just in time to find Hermione and Ginny waving goodbye to the lithe figure of Astoria Malfoy and her darkly cloaked husband, Draco. Ginny called out, "Don't forget, tea and something tomorrow!" Astoria turned and grinned in return; morphing her face into something a bit more girlish than the usually stoic expression she used to endure others. Draco put an arm around his wife, pulling her close and dipped his head in farewell to them all before they both vanished through the platform barrier.

Hermione sighed and said, "I don't believe it, she is smarter than me... Just in potions, of course- but still, very knowledgeable... I'm glad Draco's turned out a good eye." Ginny clapped her hands in delight and turned to face her husband and daughter, Hermione following suit. "We've invited them to tea tomorrow," She said, exchanging triumphant looks with Hermione. "You two," she said, referring to her husband and brother, "better not have any grudges or else Hugo and Lily," Hermione said with a gleam in her eye, "Will get to see exactly what Ginny's famous cursing is like, up close." Hugo and Lily grinned and high-fived as their fathers exchanged anxious gulps and nervous expressions.

"Right then," Harry said, clearing his throat acceptingly, "Whose house for dinner? Let's celebrate!" And with a wink towards Ginny, who beamed back, and a smirk towards his two best mates, they strolled towards the barrier together, with Lily between them. "Floo then," Hermione said, with Hugo in her grasp as she hurried to catch up with them. Ron was lucky enough to grab his son's hand and was content to be dragged along by the captivating forces that were his wife and son.

Hey, I almost forgot one thing! Do you remember the little asterix that I've put beside the line about what Rose and Albus had done 'last year?' Well, James, being the lovable yet cocky person that he was, taunted the two about never getting into Hogwarts. So, they both jumped onto the train the year before their first. Teachers only discovered them at the end of the Sorting. LOL. At least, in this fanon, they did ;)

Okidoki, tytyty so much for reading, and if you have the time, would you leave me something that would make me smile? :)