The compartment rattled as the train continued chugging its way home to London. I had just woken up, my head bumping against the glass window where it leant against. In front of me Dominique, my sister, was reaching up to pull something out of her trunk. Her shirt had ridden up, barely skimming the top of her jeans and with her head tilted back to squint into her trunk, her long red hair tumbled against her back.

Outside the compartment Mathew Glover, a Fifth-year Claw walked headfirst into Jennie Dean.

I smiled and closed my eyes again for a brief minute. Dom always had this effect on people. Though both my siblings and I had inherited our mother's Veela good looks, Dom had been the only one to get the characteristic dark red hair, and Weasley temper to match it. My hair was a strawberry blonde, and Louis' was blonder still making both of us still beautiful, but in a classical sense. Dom had the dangerous dark beauty associated with the more volatile side of the Veela. Something she often felt she had to live up to.

When I opened my eyes again, Dom was back in her seat, scowling out the window, and my cousin Roxanne was pulling on a sweater. She huffed when the sweater finally slid over her head and Molly, my best friend and cousin, suppressed a giggle. Molly was reading, as per always, her body sliding low on the compartment seat and her legs propped up on Roxanne's. The compartment was silent, dust motes sparkling in the air, and the only noise coming from turning pages in Molly's book and slight shifts of fabric as Roxanne tried to nod off on Dom's shoulder.

And I, Victoire, was once again propped up against the window studying the compartment. Now I am not usually this maudlin but today I was in a contemplative mood, a mood full of lasts. The last time I would sit with Dominique and Roxanne on the Hogwarts Express. The last moments in which I was still considered a student. Hell, the last minutes of my childhood. I would be out in the open world once I stepped down, for the last time, onto Platform 9 ¾. I would no longer be protected within Hogwarts walls. For seven years Hogwarts had been my home away from home, my family. And for the last two years it had been a refuge from one Teddy Lupin.

A frown sketched it's way across my face, and Dom smirked at me, a glint in her eye letting me know that she knew exactly who, and what, I had been thinking about. Before I could open my mouth, the train jerked to a halt causing Roxanne to jolt forward. Molly's legs, and her book, fell with a thud. But Dominique, graceful as always, was already standing, tugging her trunk off the overhead. With a last shudder the train came to a complete halt. Suddenly the corridors were swarming with students. I soaked it in, the madness and confusion, knowing that it was the last time I would be a part of the mob. Next year, and the years after, I would be an outsider, on the platform waiting to say farewell or anon to my sibling, cousins, and any other member of the Weasley clan in the years to come.

Reflex caused me to jump backwards, raising my hands to catch the edge of Molly's trunk as it fell from where Molly was trying to hold it.

"So-sorry!" she blubbered, the apparent cause for her clumsiness the fat tears rolling down her cheeks. She rubbed at her face frantically with one hand, making the trunk teeter precariously closer to my face before Roxanne and Dom stabled it.

" Need help loves?" Lysander, Lorcan's twin brother, stuck his head round the door, his tawny hair falling into his wicked green eyes.

" No thanks Scamander," Never one to accept help, Dom grumbled before Roxanne could gasp yes. She braced the trunk against her upper body, putting its weight on her propped knee, before letting it tumble to the floor. She rubbed her side before grimly exiting past Lysander, parting the sea of students, and tossing a "I'll see you on the platform, yeah?' over her shoulder.

Lysander rolled his eyes at her back before helping Roxanne with her trunk. After she left he crouched to where Molly sat huddled on the compartment seat.

" Oh Molls, it's not the end of the world," he offered her a hanky.

Molly replied by wailing louder and blubbering to the effect that it was the end of Hogwarts. Lysander looked at me blankly and I couldn't help but smile at his expression.

"I don't really think you could help, you still have another year at Hogwarts," I offered as he easily pulled my trunk down.

" Another year of sharing a common room with your sister," Lysander winced, he and Dom had both been Sixth years, now Seventh, and Lysander, as the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain had to put up with Dominique and all my other relatives on an almost daily basis. He got along fine with most of my relatives, but whether it was the age closeness in age or the fact that they were both very intense people, he and Dom were at constant odds. Not like my relationship, if it must be called that, with Teddy, but a rather more dangerous one between them.
" Bleeding hell." He gave me a manly clap on the shoulder and moved to the door, " I'll see you tonight." And he slipped back into the stream of students moving off the train.

I turned back to Molly, who had almost composed herself, hiccuping slightly. With all the confusion surrounding the trunks, I had forgotten she was upset.

" It's okay Victoire," Molly smiled wetly, no doubt seeing by ashamed face, " Just being silly."

"It has been a wild ride hasn't it?" I suddenly realized how much I really didn't want to get off that train, but as the students in the corridor started to thin, I pulled my trunk behind Molly and stepped down from the train.

It seems to me now that there should have been more pomp and display the way we stepped out. But it was simple, a couple steps and a hop. And suddenly we were blinking in the bright London sunlight, underneath cloudy skies. Molly looked stunned, and I knew my face must have looked similar because it felt so surreal that life was going on in this brand new world of mine.

And life was most definitely going on, even as I stood there, trunk in one hand Thalia the owl in the other, I heard the unmistakable sounds of my family coming closer.

"You've grown-"

"Mum! Rose said th-"

"It's not true I tell yo-"

" About five inches, I swear-"

"Molly! Victoire!"

And suddenly, arms were around me, and I was engulfed in a cloud of fresh-baked cookies and home.

'Oof," Molly's face collided with my neck as Grandma Weasley's other arm corralled her into the embrace. Apparently, having the two of us, her oldest grandchildren, as Teddy does not count to me, in her arms was too much for her, as she promptly started sobbing. I have always thought of my Weasley grandmother as a strong person, she killed Bellatrix Lestrange after all, but I have never realized just how strong until, even in the throes of her despair, she still would not let go.

"She eez my daughter. I vill hug 'er!" My mother. With a cloud of French perfume Maman swept me up, my chin jutting out awkwardly over her shoulder as she cooed, "Ah ma petite Victoire, your Maman eez so proud of you."

Likewise, I was shunted from relative to relative, if I had never felt the overabundance of Weasleys and Potters, I certainly felt it now. Last was Aunt Ginny, after my hug she held me out in front of her scrutinizing my face. Embarrassed I broke eye contact, looking at my shoes. They were Dominiques, made of black dragon skin, with just enough heel for comfort, but not to fall on my face. The number of times I had stolen them…

"You'll be fine" I looked up, Aunt Ginny was grinning at me, " I think the world is ready for Victoire Weasley. I opened my mouth silently. How does one reply to that? But luckily Aunt Ginny's attention was already diverted, turning to Molly as she took her turn with the hugs. I divested myself of the adults, not realizing that next year I would be one of those who waited on the platform, and escaped to my cousins.

" Reckon we should remind them that we'll be seeing each other tonight." Fred came up behind me watching Molly get her cheeks pinched by my Maman. I always felt bad for Fred for being named after his father, George's, dead twin, and having to live up to that. But I suppose that we all from the first generation after the war had something to live up to. James and Lily for being named after the parents their father never had. James having the added burden of his dad's dead godfather too. My name, which meant victory. Poor Al had to live up both Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape, the "bravest men his father ever knew."

Before I could answer Fred turned, his attention elsewhere, "Oy Potter, you're coming to the store with me right?"

James turned from Lucy, his arm around Dom, " Of course, Scorpy'll be with Al at our place." He winked at Scorpius Malfoy who smirked back.

Rose turned pointedly away. She disapproved of Scorpius, though precisely what about him no one really knew. I don't believe she herself knows really. " Do you mind if I come with you then Dom?"

"Me too," Roxanne cut in, "I don't much fancy having my own family's products being turned against me." She eyed Fred and James. Everyone laughed when Fred and James had the grace to act embarrassed.

" Well, Molls will be there too." I said, Molly had always come to my house before the party at the Burrow since we were First Years. Another last.

" Alice, would you like to come with me then?" Lucy asked Alice Longbottom. James looked crestfallen. " How about you Jean?"

"Not bloody likely, Jean is going home with me." My brother exclaimed impatiently brushing his blonde hair out of his eyes. My brother, though he inherited our mother's Veela blood, did not look at all feminine. The attractiveness had manifested differently in Louis and many girls at Hogwarts had fallen prey to his flashing blue eyes and Quidditch honed body. Despite all of this, his best friend turned out to be a girl, though Jean had enough sense not to get involved in any of the rumors surrounding Louis. Jean was practical enough to be the perfect foil to my brother's French dramatics, and she was intelligent enough to see past them.

"I don't see why where I spend a few hours is all that important, we'll be together tonight." Jean cut in, her gray eyes twinkling.

James grinned, " Oh be with Louis Jean, otherwise he'll be a prat all night."

Jean laughed and linked arms with Louis. James winked before continuing, " And I suppose Lils will go with Hugo, so that's settled. Better hurry up though," he turned to Al and Scorpius, " Looks like mum and dad are looking to leave."

Al glanced over and picked up his trunk, "Cheers." He left with Scorpius and the rest of my family followed suit. Fred and James were acting drunk, falling all over Dominique and Lucy and Louis was whispering something in Jean's ear. Roxanne was talking to Frank Longbottom and I saw Lucy eyeing them over Fred's back.

"Victoire, are you coming?" Molly stood waving at the barrier.

I took one last look at the platform, the crowds were already thinning as friends and family said the welcomes and good-byes. I though of all the memories Hogwarts had held for me and how I was closing a chapter of my life. With one last breath of the smoke filled air, I turned to follow Molly into muggle London.

After all, how was I to know that a new chapter of life came with new complications?