A/N : Obviously I do not own Harry Potter, that belongs to the fabulous J.K Rowling.
Chapter 1 – Prologue
Well, I've been afraid of changing
'Cause I've built my life around you
But time makes you bolder
Children get older I'm getting older too
Yes I'm getting older too
-Fleetwood Mac
"Goodbye Sweetheart, be safe... I love you!"
Hermione Granger let a solitary tear slip down her face as she watched her last baby go off to Hogwarts. Her little Jeanie. That was the lot of them now, her children and the children of her friends. She watched them all grow up, and now they're all gone. She stared wistfully at the old steam train as it pulled away and let out a sigh.
"She'll be fine Hermione, I mean its not like she's going there all alone, She's got all of the family with her!" Ron tried to reassure his wife as he wrapped his arm around her.
"I know...just being silly" she whispered, wiping the stray tear from her cheek. "Now everyone, don't we have a party to get to?"
Back at the Potter Mansion...
Every year, the Potters had a party in their massive mansion for the parents on the day the kids went off to school. It was always a highly anticipated event. The lethal mixture of booze and stressed out parents in need of release (both in high volume) made for quite the wild night.
In the kitchen Ron , Harry, Teddy and a few other guys sat at the table playing a heated game of cards. Harry had taught them how to play Texas Hold'Em a few years previously and they had instantly developed a passion for the game.
"Ha-ha, read 'em and weep boys!" slurred Harry, after playing his winning hand.
"Read 'em and what? What are you on about mate? You must be even more pissed than I am!" Yelled Teddy, laughing hysterically
"Sorry, seen it in a Muggle film once!" replied Harry sheepishly, even now after all these years, he forgot how little his friend knew about the Muggle world.
"What? Anyway listen Potter, I have a bone to pick with you!" Yelled Neville jokingly.
" And what would that be?" asked Harry, smiling.
"Your Son, Albus, making eyes at my August!" he replied, cheeks flushed from the amount of Firewhiskey he had consumed that evening.
Harry nearly choked on the sip of beer he had just taken "Wha?! AL likes girls?"
All the men around the room were howling with laughter.
"Well yes Harry, He is sixteen years old, and she's a very pretty girl!" replied Oliver , slightly more sober than the rest of the men.
"Hey!" yelled Neville
"Oh I don't know, the kids go off to school one day, and the next they're all grown up and liking girls!" pouted Harry.
"I know how you feel mate" replied Ron "It just feels like we miss it all you know?"
"Yeah" interjected Dean "And the worst of it is, we have absolutely no idea what they're up to"
"I don't even want to think about that..."
In the living room , Ginny and the girls were sitting around, drinking copious amounts of alcohol and gossiping.
"And then , she turned right around and punched him in the face!" finished Ginny, cackling, everyone else started giggling , except Hermione.
"Ginny! Astoria doesn't want to hear that!" she was scandalised , and more than slightly embarrassed.
"NO I find it hilarious!" laughed Astoria "I know what a little shit Draco was at school, I can just imagine the look on his face!" she shouted, tears of laughter rolling down her face.
Hermione still felt embarrassed but remained silent.
"So, Hermione, that's your youngest off to Hogwarts now isn't it?" asked Angelina , looking at the younger witch sympathetically
"Yes" answered Hermione "it's just so difficult to let go you know? I'm so used to getting to see her little face every day, to see how she is and what she is up to, but now that's all gone. And its hard" She had to take a deep breath then, the emotion of the day and the wine threatening to overwhelm her.
" Aw don't cry Auntie H, She'll be fine , I know it." said Fleur, hugging the other witch tightly.
"and as to knowing what she's up to ," she continued "trust me, at Hogwarts, you probably don't want to know"
They all laughed in response to her comment, but it got all of the older witches thinking. Thinking about their children, and what they could be doing that very second...
A/N: Okay guys, short and sweet just to kick things off. Just a few things: This is a Next Gen story, The adults at the beginning were just a little interesting idea that I had to start things off. Also, in my story, I will make a few changes to what has happened previously, so this is an ever so slightly AU story.
Okay , now that's out of the way all I want to say is thank you for reading, I hope you enjoy it, and leave a little review! Thanks :)
