Disclaimer: I am not J.K Rowling. I do not own the rights to the Harry Potter universe or make any money from writing this story. The characters have been borrowed to fit my purpose and the plot … well most of it is mine, and you'll know if it isn't.

Year 7: Chapter 1

"Oh come and stir my cauldron, And if you do it right, I'll boil you up some hot, strong love To keep you warm tonight."

Frank watched as Victor twirled his mother around the floor. They looked so happy together. Watching them he realised that he had never truly seen his mother happy before. He had always assumed that she was and he knew that in the past she had been. But this was the first time he could see the happiness written over her face.

He had always hoped that he was enough to keep her happy. But that had been a childish thought. As he had grown he had come to understand the truth, you can only be so much for someone. He was his mother's son that would never change. He would always love her and she would love him. But he couldn't spend forever with her. He had his own life to lead. She needed somebody that would dedicate their life to her. And that was what Victor had done.

He had underestimated Victor to begin with. He had thought that the man was a passing fling. But watching them together he could see how much they loved each other. Frank couldn't help but wonder if his father had once made his mother look like that. If she had smiled so much when they were together. But it was a question he would never ask.

"Do you think I'll have to stop calling her Mrs L now?"

Frank turned to look at his best friend in the world Joseph Wild. They had known each other for seven years, been through the ups and the downs. They had started Hogwarts together, been placed in the same house and spent seven long years in each others constant company. Now they were both men, no longer students out in the real world. And Joe was still his constant companion.

"Well she is Mrs Cooper now."

"But Mrs C doesn't sound anywhere near as good as Mrs L!"

Frank grinned at his friend. Maybe Joe wanted to have something remain the same in the sea of ever changing life. They had learnt early on that things couldn't and wouldn't remain as they once were. They had both lost their fathers to death, and Joe's mother had been missing presumed dead for ten months. They had watched as their friends had lost loved ones and had even lost a close friend themselves. Now it felt like something else was being lost, but really Frank thought something was being gained.

The two boys watched as Victor and Augusta finished their first dance as a married couple. The ceremony had been a small event held in the local church near the Longbottom residence. Frank had walked his mother down the aisle before taking a seat next to his girlfriend Alice and Joe. After that they had gone back up to the house where the garden was transformed into the reception and they had happily eaten.

Frank had been rather surprised by the lack of formal arrangements. He had always thought that his mother would demand him to have assigned seating at his wedding. But she hadn't at her own. Although he had to admit that there weren't that many guests. His Uncle Algie and Aunt Enid made up the brides family along with himself and Victors sisters Gloria and Sharon were his only family members.

There were non-family members there Alice of course along with Joe and his two brothers Anton and Kyle. A small group of his mother's friends and Victors. Then there were the people who worked in 'Little Red Books' publishing with Victor. In all there were about thirty five people. It was small and intermit, which Frank thought made it nicer.

For Frank though it also meant he didn't have to worry about going around and speaking to people. He saw Algie and Enid on a daily basis and he didn't know the others. So his mother was more than happy to let him sit on a table with the three Wild boys and Alice.

"Miss Scott would you care to dance?"

A faster song was just starting up and Anton was tapping his foot along to it. Frank hadn't been paying attention to Alice's hints that she wanted to dance. She looked at him for a moment before offering her hand to Anton. Frank watched them move up to the make-shift dance floor and start jumping around as if they were possessed.

"Anton could never dance."

Kyle was laughing as he sipped on his nettlewine. Frank watched as Anton slipped and slid across the floor before jumping to his feet as if he had meant to do such a thing. While Kyle was laughing Frank turned to Joe. His friend looked down.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Don't lie Joe its written all over your face."

His friend just picked up his drink. His eyes were locked on Alice. Frank followed the gaze. His girlfriend looked as stunning as ever in his eyes. She had chosen to wear a soft lilac colour dress robe that was fitted to her figure. It was a nice match that complimented her, and didn't clash with his mother's robes (which were offset white with a pink tinge). He thought that the colour also suited his dark blue robes and made them look perfect together (not that he knew much about colour schemes, but Anton had claimed that Alice matched with both Frank and Joe's blue robes).

As Alice turned and grinned at him he begun to wonder if that was what was wrong with Joe. Was his friend once more suffering from girl trouble? It had been a running joke in Hogwarts. Joe was the kind of guy that stopped girls in their tracks. He was tall, almost six foot, with a slim figure. Yet his slim frame didn't make him look to thin. It actually made him look like a guy that a girl could take home and feed up. It was something his mother always claimed that a good girl would want to do to him. His dark hair set off his natural tanned skin and his sparkling grey blue eyes set girls gossiping. And yet Joe had always been terrible around girls.

Frank had lost count of the number of times that the boy had gotten tongue tied around girls that he found attractive. It had become accustom for Joe to run away as if someone had just called him for some ultra important reason. But Frank had honestly thought that Joe was getting better. He had managed to ask Ginny out a number of years back and ever since then the occasions of him being scared off by a girl had become less and less. It was true that only a few months earlier when he had tried to ask out Lesley Hopkins he had gotten tongue tied and ran off, but that had been the first time in about two years.

But then Frank considered that the girl his mate had fallen for this time was different to all the others. Branwen Ddraig was getting over the loss of her grandfather. Tad had been killed back in May in a horrible attack in Hogsmeade village. They had been there. Frank would occasionally have nightmares about that attack, all those injured, people killed and the Death Eaters. He had collected them that action had helped to get him onto the Auror training.

Frank glanced at Joe. He was lost in his own thoughts. Branwen had been invited to the wedding as Joe's guest. But she hadn't chosen to attend. Frank knew that they would be returning to Hogwarts in the morning but he was still surprised. Maybe the two had had a fight. He knew that they weren't dating. He also knew that they had kissed whilst in Hogwarts, at the train station after Hogwarts, and countless times during the summer. But there was no dating involved.

"So what was her excuse then?"

Joe didn't seem to be listening. Frank threw an olive at the man. He shrugged and looked at him.

"What was that for?"

"I asked you a question."

"Wasn't listening."

"Well that was obvious. I asked what Branwen's excuse for not coming was."

"They're putting up the headstone for Tad today. She wanted to be there with her father for that."

"Oh."

Joe just nodded. Frank though moved his chair closer to his friend so that Kyle wouldn't hear.

"So what's going on with the two of you?"

"We're just friends."

"And where have I heard that one before?"

They both grinned remembering another two people who had always claimed to be 'just friends'. Joe though picked up his glass and took a sip before answering.

"She's going back to Hogwarts and I'm not. Let's be honest here it can't work out."

"Alice is going back to Hogwarts."

"Yes but the pair of you are practically married already. It's different for me and Branwen. Our relationship is still new, that is if it's even considered a relationship. How can it work?"

Frank looked over to where his mother and Victor were sitting with his sisters. They looked so happy together. With a sigh Frank spoke.

"I don't know mate. It just does."

So welcome back everybody. Did you miss me? Just joking around. So year seven in Hogwarts is starting then but of course Frank and Joe have left the others behind. They're already out in the 'real world'. But not to worry I won't be leaving the two of them out. I've got a plan written out (and its next to me on the desk) and the two boys are there due to be in the story (my guess is that they will be in it more than the plan says because they're pushy and will demand more time)

So I hope you like the start. Basically Mrs Longbottom had to remarry because I killed Alice's parents off and then remembered a quote from Azkaban where Neville claims to have witnessed his grandfather's death. So step up Victor Cooper, Neville's grandfather!

More soon.

Kris xx