September 1st, 2016

The Hogwarts Express was at the station, ready to be boarded. Harry and Ginny Potter had arrived with James Sirius for his first ride to school. Remus and Dora had met them in the station with Teddy and Chloe. This was to be Teddy's last year at Hogwarts and Chloe's fifth year.

Remus and Dora had listened to Teddy's instructions to his sister for days. Teddy was not impressed with her choice of friends or her study habits. Nor was he thrilled with her current flirts.

"Ted, go easy on your sister. You are not her keeper," Remus said.

"She has no sense, Da. She runs with the Slytherin girls and the boy from Durmstrang is hanging around her as if she were covered in treacle. I don't know how two such sensible people as you could produce such an airheaded daughter."

"Dora, has Ted been to Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes recently? I think he must have ingested an aging potion somewhere. Doesn't he sound just a tad too stuffy to be just seventeen?" Remus was trying very hard not to laugh.

Dora Tonks Lupin rolled her eyes at her husband's words and replied, "Remus, you know he has been spending a lot of time with Percy and Audrey and their children. I think he has decided to emulate Percy. However, it really isn't funny. You are being cruel and insulting to your sister, Teddy."

"Mum, she embarrasses me," Teddy muttered.

Chloe just grinned at her older brother before speaking, "The fact that you are in Gryffindor and I am in Ravenclaw has always irked you, hasn't it, brother dear?"

Teddy rolled his eyes, and turned his back on his sister. If he could have, he would have walked away from his whole family at that point. Harry and Ginny had been witness to the whole exchange and commiserated with the Lupins about it.

"James and Albus do the same things. I'm not sure it isn't worse with two boys than with a boy and a girl," Harry quipped.

Dora laughed and said, "These two are going to turn my hair grey," as she scrunched up her face and her hair turned multi-coloured.

Teddy, who was looking at his mother at the time, wailed, "Mum! Don't do that, please! It is bad enough that Chloe annoys me, but do you have to turn your hair different colours in public? And Chloe won't stop teasing me about Victoire!"

Remus grinned at his overwrought eldest and replied, "Ted, you are not to talk to your mother like that. Chloe can't help it if Victoire is the first student removed from one house and assigned to another. We are all sure she will be much happier in Hufflepuff. Your mother was a delightful Hufflepuff." Now his laughter threatened to bubble over.

Dora looked at her daughter and asked the most pertinent question of the day, "Chloe, who is this boy from Durmstrang your brother is going on about? I wasn't aware that there were any transfer students."

"Mum! It is Nikolai Krum. His mum is our Potions teacher and his father…"

Remus perked up, finishing his daughter's sentence. "His father is the Quidditch coach, Dora. The boy is Viktor and Hermione's oldest. Teddy, if you aren't careful, you will alienate the greatest Quidditch player of the last eight hundred years. Viktor takes great pride in his children and I am thoroughly convinced the boy is an acceptable companion for your sister."

Dora quickly understood the problem. Teddy was angry with Chloe because she was teasing his girlfriend, Victoire. The girl was truly a beauty, but just not quite as smart as Chloe. Victoire had been taken out of Ravenclaw and put into Hufflepuff, where, to all accounts, she was much happier.

Harry and Ginny were giving James last minute instructions as Teddy got on the train. Chloe was hanging around the platform for no apparent reason except, perhaps to help James Potter find new friends on the train. Suddenly, a dark-haired young man ran onto the platform followed by his parents. Remus and Dora waved at the Krums as Chloe ran to talk to their good-looking son.

Once the children had been put on the train and the adults were left on the platform Harry suggested they all go back to Grimmauld Place for breakfast.

Once in the house, Ginny asked one the house-elves to bring breakfast for the six adults to the dining room.

The adults sat around laughing at the seemingly tragic problems of their offspring. Harry and Ginny asked many questions and as the Krums and Lupins recounted stories of the children approaching teen years, they were almost overcome by mirth.

"Once the boys reach a certain age, they are sure of vhat they vish in a mate. I think Niki has found his future vife. I think our families are to be connected at some future date, Remus," Viktor said.

"I have a feeling you are correct, Viktor. Chloe has never before even looked at a boy as she looked at your son today. In addition, quite frankly, I think Teddy is going to ask Victoire Weasley to marry him as soon as they graduate. The Veela heritage concerns me a bit, but Bill has always been the least outrageous of the Weasley boys."

Harry told them about what he had overheard James and Albus talking about only weeks before.

"They were discussing the possibility of another Triwizard Tournament and wondering if they could learn enough magic to Confund the Goblet like Crouch Jr. did. I was absolutely appalled. Were Teddy and Niki like that?"

"Teddy most certainly was. He used to do the most awful things to Chloe. He was so proud that he had inherited my Metamorphagus powers and she hadn't. The things he did to her when they were small were devastating. I hope he gets over this snit about Chloe teasing Victoire."

Ginny Potter clapped her hands over her mouth and giggled. Hermione was reminded how Ginny had loathed Fleur before Bill's wedding.

"I went through the same kind of thing when Bill married Fleur. I was afraid she was going to take my brother away from me, but it turned out that we became closer after they married. I am quite sure that is what Chloe is going through."

"Oh, I hope so, Ginny. That would be lovely. Chloe adores her brother, really. But she can be a handful at times," Dora murmured.

Meanwhile, on the Hogwarts Express, Chloe had chosen to sit in the cabin with Victoire Weasley and four other girls. Teddy had not been thrilled but had gone to find a seat of his own.

Swallowing her teasing words, Chloe spoke softly to Victoire, "Do you want some advice about my brother? Don't tease him about his hair. I used to do that until it drove him crazy. Don't get upset when he does his drama llama routine. It is to get attention; he doesn't really mean anything by it. In addition, if you would, please, let us be friends. I don't want to lose my brother by fighting with you."

Victoire's face lit up with a happy smile. "Oh, Chloe, thank you so much. I have wanted us to be friends and was a bit scared that you didn't like me. I know I am not as smart as you, but I do love Teddy."

"That's good enough for me. Friends then?"

"But, of course. We will keep him off balance this year, won't we, Chloe?"

They giggled a bit as Teddy glared at them through the glass door, but neither girl noticed.

In the end Chloe and Victoire were very good friends, much to Teddy's relief.