Title: Introspection
Author: Knife Hand
Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated
Spoilers: All books/movies.
Rating: M
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
Summary: Harry muses on things as he sees his children off to Hogwarts. One shot and sequel to Indiscretion.
Platform 9 ¾ was hectic, as it always had been, since well before the parents dropping off their children had been children themselves. Harry Potter was walking down the platform with his wife, Ginny, and three children in tow. James Sirius Potter was returning for his second year at Hogwarts and Albus Severus Potter, who was named by his mother, was about to enter his first year. The 'baby' of the family, Lily Luna Potter was still two years away from attending Hogwarts. The Potters made their way over to stand with Harry's best friends Ron and Hermione Weasley and their two children Rose and Hugo.
Rose loved her Uncle Harry, giving him a huge hug, and began talking a mile a minute, excited to be attending her first year at Hogwarts. Hugo was not as friendly as Rose to his Uncle, getting more on with his Aunt Ginny. This did not really surprise Harry that much. After all, in all the time since they had started, Harry and Hermione had only missed one of their three monthly Rendezvous, and that had been the day that Rose was born.
Hermione had never hidden from Harry the fact that Rose was his daughter. She had Hermione's eyes and everyone assumed that the red hair had come from Ron, even though it was not the lighter red of the Weasley clan but rather a much darker auburn colour. The same shade as Lily Potter nee Evan's hair. Harry enjoyed these brief moments when Rose treated him almost like a father than an uncle, but he was sure she had no idea about her true parentage.
Harry and Ginny stood with Hermione and Ron as they watched the Hogwarts Express pull out of the station. Harry was just a proud of Rose being aboard the train as he was of James and Albus. No one really paid much attention to the four of them standing there. Sure they were all War Heroes and Harry and Hermione had important jobs, but today they were just another group of parents seeing their children off to school.
Harry did not look at Hermione as he felt the back of her hand gently brush the back of his own, but a part of him was happy that she made the gesture of love and support in such a public setting, even if no one else would even recognise it as such.
Once the train was gone the two couples went their separate ways. The next rendezvous for Harry and Hermione would be in another two months. A part of Harry wanted nothing more that to run away forever with Hermione or shout from the rooftops that he loved her, but for now that was impossible. His life had never been his own. When he was a child he had been a pawn, moved by Dumbledore to 'save' the Wizarding World, but even now, so many years after the old man's death, he was bound by something far more constrictive than one man. Public expectation. The public had wanted them to be one big happy family, and they had got it, even if it meant that two of the Heroes of the War were unhappy with their lives, apart from one secret to keep them sane.
As Harry and Ginny exited the train station, Harry was already counting down the hours until he could see Hermione again.
The End.