Empty Nesters

Disclaimer: The Harry Potter universe and characters belongs to J.K. Rowling, unfortunately not me.

Summary: Harry and Ginny are excellent parents, but it turns out they're not as good at being a couple once all of their children are out of the house. Mentions of HP/GW and past DM/AG, primarily HP/DM. Rating may change eventually.

A/N: This is the first story that I've attempted in quite a few years. I want to see how people feel about it, and if I should continue it or not. All feedback is encouraged!

Chapter 1

Harry Potter stood next to his wife, Ginny, taking in the chaos that is Platform 9 ¾ and King's Cross Station on September 1st. Their two oldest children, James and Albus, were alternating between yelling greetings to various friends and trying to console their little sister. It was Lily Potter's first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and to say that she was nervous would be an understatement. She was a reserved girl by nature, and the commotion on the platform was not helping her adjust to the idea of leaving her parents for the first time in her life. In the past, when sending her brothers off to school, she had always been excited for the day she would get to go with them, but now that the day had come, she seemed to have lost some of her nerve.

"C'mon, Lil, you'll have loads of fun at Hogwarts, and it'll be Christmas before you know it!" Albus encouraged, somewhat exasperated by his sister's demeanor.

"Your brother is right, honey. You can write to your father and I anytime you want, and all of your cousins will be at Hogwarts with you. You'll have so much fun you won't even notice we're not around," Ginny responded tenderly, pulling her daughter into a hug. "Now, go on, it's just about time for the train to leave." She kissed her daughter on the forehead before releasing her and giving her a nudge towards her father. Ginny pulled her two sons in for a quick hug, knowing that that was all they would allow with all of their friends around.

"Everything will be alright, Lily-Billy," Harry whispered to her as he pulled her into a bear hug. "I bet by October, I'll have written you so many letters, you'll be begging me to leave you alone." Harry loved all of his children dearly, but he had a particular soft spot for his one and only little girl.

Lily giggled against her father's chest and squeezed him back. "Not possible, Dad." She reluctantly let go and gathered her things, ready to get on the train.

Harry turned to his two boys, and knowing they would die of embarrassment if he tried to hug them, he gave them both a pat on the shoulder, mussing Albus' hair affectionately. "Look after your sister, and stay out of trouble!"

"Yes, Dad," they intoned in unison as they did every year, before getting on the train and completely ignoring his warning. Harry knew he really had no right to tell his children to stay out of trouble, what with all the trouble he had gotten into during his years at Hogwarts, but he still tried every year. Overall, his kids were good kids, but they had certainly inherited their father's knack for getting into trouble, James more than Albus. Much to everyone's surprise, Albus had been sorted into Ravenclaw when he started Hogwarts two short years ago, and he had immediately befriended none other than fellow Ravenclaw, Scorpius Malfoy, son of Harry's former school rival, Draco Malfoy, and his now ex-wife Astoria Greengrass. The Malfoys had divorced quietly a little over a year ago for reasons unknown to Harry, and he had only found out when Albus spoke of his friend splitting his holidays between his estranged parents.

Harry and Ginny waved to their daughter, as Lily stuck her head out of the window of the Hogwarts Express as it began to pull away. Harry slipped an arm around his wife and pulled her closer, placing a chaste kiss on her lips. "And then there were two," he said with a chuckle.

Ginny smiled up at him and giggled like a schoolgirl. "Whatever will we do all alone in that big house of ours?" Harry and Ginny had moved into the old Black family house that Harry had inherited from his godfather, Sirius Black. It had taken quite a lot of work to make it inhabitable and less dreary, but they had made it a cozy home perfect for raising a family.

"I can think of a few things," Harry whispered wickedly in his wife's ear, making her giggle more.

Harry grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the barrier between Platform 9 ¾ and the rest of King's Cross Station. He was eager to enjoy a relaxing evening at home alone with his wife. It was a rare occasion that the two were alone since their children were born, and they were both looking forward to the coming months to reconnect as a couple. In their excitement to get home, Harry did not realize that he almost ran right into another parent also trying to walk through the barrier. Had the other person not stopped abruptly, the couple would have collided with the figure.

Harry looked up, alarmed, and stopped as well. "Malfoy," he said with a curt nod. They had matured since their Hogwarts days, but they still weren't friends by anyone's standards.

"Potter, Mrs. Potter, I was hoping to run into the two of you, although not quite so literally," Malfoy replied with a slight smirk. It didn't hold the same malice as his smirks had in the past but was tinged with amusement.

"Sorry about that. Ginny and I may be a little overexcited to have the house to ourselves for once," Harry answered with a chuckle. "What can we do for you?"

Malfoy gave them a look that Harry couldn't quite figure out how to interpret. Harry realized too late that maybe rubbing in his happiness was not the best plan while Malfoy was clearly here on his own to see of his son. From what Albus told him, Malfoy and his son were very close which would explain the slight slump in Malfoy's shoulders and the look in his eye as Harry continued to speak. He wished he could take it back, but there was no way to do that without further rubbing it in so he stayed quiet. "Oh nothing important. Far be it for me to stop you from enjoying your first night alone with your lovely wife. I'll owl you later on this week." Harry thought he had detected a hint of bitterness in his tone, but he brushed it off quickly. He really did want to get home as soon as possible.

"Alright, if it's not urgent. Have a good night, Malfoy."

"You too, Potter." And with that, he slid through the barrier.

Harry and Ginny followed close behind, but Malfoy was already out of sight when they emerged on the other side. "I wonder what he wanted," Harry mumbled distractedly.

"We'll find out soon enough, I'm sure. Now let's go home," Ginny replied with a wink. She didn't have to ask Harry twice.

It was a little over two hours later when the happy couple arrived home. They had stopped to pick up some ingredients for dinner, as well as a couple expensive bottles of wine. They planned to thoroughly enjoy their first evening alone without the kids.

"Hey, Gin, why don't you pour us some wine while I set everything up to make dinner?" Harry called, making his way into the kitchen.

"Alright, honey," Ginny called back, following her husband into the kitchen. She poured each of them a generous glass of wine before they set about cooking.

Harry and Ginny spent the next half an hour or so in the kitchen sneaking kisses as they cooked, the kisses turning more heated the more wine they each drank. When dinner was ready they sat down to eat. A comfortable silence fell over the couple as they savored the meal, as well as more wine.

As they finished up, Ginny went to clean up their plates, but Harry stopped her. "I'll clean up. Why don't you take our wine glasses out to the porch, and I'll meet you in a minute?"

Ginny smiled up at him before kissing him tenderly. "A quiet evening on the porch sounds lovely, dear."

Harry set to work, charming the dishes to clean themselves as he opened a second bottle of wine. He brought it out to Ginny, and he settled next to her on the small bench that they had purchased when the children were young so they could sit on the porch and watch their children play in their front yard. Now it seemed like the perfect place to enjoy each other's company, as well as the gorgeous weather they had been having the last couple of days.

Harry slid his arm around his wife, as she snuggled up to his side. They both sipped their wine in silence and watched the sun slowly sink beneath the horizon. Ginny couldn't help but think about how romantic the whole thing was until her husband broke the spell by saying, "You know, I think I might send an owl to Malfoy and see what he wanted earlier."

"Seriously, Harry? We're sitting here enjoying a romantic night together, and you're thinking about Malfoy?" Ginny scoffed.

"I'm just curious, is all. Plus, he looked so dejected. I feel bad for blowing him off earlier."

"Harry, dear, I know that you have a hero complex, but I am sure Malfoy is fine. He said he'd owl with whatever he needed. Stop worrying about it."

"I suppose you're right, Gin."

"Of course I am. I'm your wife, which means I'm always right," she responded, playfully nudging him in the side. "Now, as your wife, I demand that you take me to bed and have your way with me." She batted her eyelashes, giggling.

"Well, I think that can be arranged," Harry answered, scooping her up as she shrieked in surprise. With the help of some magic, he carried his wife up to their bedroom, threw her on the bed, and made love to her without the fear of interruption for the first time in years. Harry wasn't sure if it was the wine or if maybe he had built the moment up too much in his head, but it just wasn't as satisfying as he expected it to be. Just before he dropped into sleep that night, arms wrapped around his wife of 19 years, a fleeting image of Draco Malfoy floated across his closed eyelids with the same puzzling look he had worn at the platform earlier that day. Had Harry stayed awake just a few seconds longer, he may have been able to interpret that look as restrained jealousy mixed with a dash of longing.