Welcome to the first chapter of Holly's adventures in Hogwarts. This is the sequel to Effervescent, please read that first but you don't have to you should still be able to understand the story without reading it. But I would appreciate some love for Holly's origin story.
Holly stood in front of the wall-length mirror in the middle of her walk-in closet. She had worn her plain black work robes that were the basis of the Hogwarts uniform and adjusted the brim of her pointy hat that sat on her head.
"I can hardly imagine any of the students wearing these in class." Holly turned as she observed her reflection. While Holly had an elegant room that she kept clean, without the help of her house elves, it was her walk-in closet that she was the proudest of.
Before she had been given her study, Holly had squished all of her books in half of her wardrobe, lining the shelves that were meant for clothes with her various books that she had owned ordered or bought the few times she was out of the wards.
The walk-in closet was large, almost the same size as her bedroom. It was a large rectangular space created by an expansion charm the older Holly got and the more clothing that she amassed over the years.
The door to the closet took up an entire wall, and flanking the door were two large cupboards that held her shoes in one, and her winter robes in the other. The remainder of the walls were a set of drawers on the lower half and a hanging rack, filled with clothes hangers and the robes and dresses that she would often wear.
The wall to her left had been cleared out of her clothes and her books had lined the walls instead. Holly had gotten the elves to install shelves so that she could arrange her books accordingly. The wall facing the door, however, was taken up by a large wall length mirror, with two shelves on either side. Displayed at the top of the mirror was Holly's practice broom and the Nimbus 2000, Holly kept them polished and beautifully sleek and shiny.
Now that Holly had rearranged her books in the various shelves in her study, she had an entire wall of shelves for her to keep her extensive collection of clothes. Now that she had much more space, her clothes didn't look as compressed as they had been.
Behind the mirror was a secret room that her father had built when Holly was a baby. It was to serve as a panic room should the Manor ever be attacked. Layers upon layers of spells had been woven upon the mirror.
So much so that the only ones with access to the room were the Potters and the house elves in their employ. Holly had been tasked to making sure that her panic room was fully stocked and well maintained at all times. Her parents had a similar room in their own walk-in closets that they kept well maintained.
It was a Potter secret that even Neville and her Aunt Alice and Uncle Frank were not allowed to know. When Holly had first learned of the room, she had been but a toddler, only four years old and being shown the magic room that was hidden from everybody except her eyes.
Now that she was older, she understood the need, even if she believed her father to be overprotective. Yet Holly could not deny how useful the room would be should a siege ever happened.
The panic room was twice as large as her room and closet combined. It was barren of decoration yet it was filled to the brim with non-perishable foods. Holly estimated that if she was alone, she would have been able to survive for almost an entire year.
But now that she had found her soulmates, she had wanted to show them the room. In case of an emergency, she wanted them safe. Holly had wanted to add her mates into the wards that protected the room. After shopping in Diagon Alley, the twins returned with the Potters and Longbottoms to Potter Manor.
Neville and Holly were discussing expenses, trying to make sense of who owes whom how much. The two had sequestered themselves in Neville's room The twins went to their shared room, opposite Holly's that they had claimed for themselves all those years ago.
The parents went to do whatever it was that parents did that Holly wasn't interested enough to know. She assumed it was for her Uncle Frank and Sirius to give their reports from their assignment today. That meant that the twins would have to face her fire-breathing father for daring to kiss his precious daughter.
Holly frowned at the thought, which caught Neville's attention.
"Uhm, Holly?" Neville reached a hand out to place it on top of Holly's, which was clenching around a couple of sickles. Holly made a non-committal sound from the back of her throat. Looking at her brother she noticed the concerned look on his face, Holly blinked and dropped her tensed shoulders.
"What's on your mind now?" Neville questioned his sister, pooling the coins to the side as he shuffled over to sit next to Holly. Leaning into her brother's warmth, Holly could only breathe and appreciate the stability that he provided her.
"What do you think of the twins?" Holly asked as she fiddled with the copper coin in her hands. Neville hummed as he thought about it. "I meant generally when it comes to me?" Holly didn't look at him as she waited for her brother to come up with his answer.
"They love you." Neville answered certainly. "I'm sure they've been in love with you for ages now. The anxiety they both shared while waiting for your birthday, especially after the Birthday Ball, even a blind man could have seen it." he admitted easily.
"Do you think they love me, only because of the bond?" Holly asked, with the coin gripped tight between her fist. "Holly James, you put those negative thoughts away right now. Those boys have been following you around ever since our first birthday party." Neville huffed as he chucked a crumpled piece of parchment at his sister.
"If they ever hurt you, Holly." Neville started, staring right into his sister's eyes with grim determination. "There is nothing in this entire world that would stop me, Uncle James, Uncle Sirius, Aunt Lily and my mother from plotting revenge."
Holly smiled at the image. "Even if we're all in Hogwarts' protective wards?" She asked while batting her lashes at him.
"Your parents and my mother would raze Hogwarts to the ground if anyone ever tried to hurt you. Not to mention Uncle Severus would probably already cursed them stupid." Neville nodded.
"What about your dad?" Holly asked as she once again resumed her fiddling but now there was a smile across her face.
"Well someone has to keep all of them out of Azkaban." Neville shrugged, making Holly laugh heartily. "I assume, Uncle Remy will be the poor sod forced to post bail?" she gasped out. "Do Wizards even do bail?" Neville asked with a raised eyebrow.
Holly hummed, "Well, I supposed not."
A knock interrupted whatever it was that Neville was about to say in response. Looking at each other, Neville called out, 'come in' and the door opened to find the Weasley Twins with a worried expression on their faces that was immediately replaced by one of relief once they spotted Holly next to Neville.
"Gave us a bit of scare there Hols," George joked "Thought we'd lost you." Fred chimed in.
Holly only rolled her eyes at their antics, turning to Neville and cocking her head in question, Neville only nodded once and pushed the coins further away. They would settle the money later. The twins took it as permission to enter the room and left the door open.
James Potter had just stopped by their room a minute ago to warn the boys that there would be no closed doors if Holly was in the same room as them. It was a first of a long list of rules the twins assumed James would be establishing. The boys had only nodded their heads in unison and tried to reassure the irate man that they would never do anything untoward to his precious daughter.
James had glared at them, and really Fred and George had been used to the glares from their mother, and even that one time from waking Bill up. But it didn't compare to the promise of pain should any harm befall his daughter's head.
"Want to play some exploding snap?" Fred asked as he held out a deck of cards in his hand.
"Or we could play poker," George suggested as he also held a deck of muggle playing cards.
"What about blackjack?" Holly chimed in with a smile.
"I have a better idea," Neville added in, he shuffled over to his backpack and pulled out a large rectangular box.
"Sweet Circe, where did you get that?" Holly choked out in awe. Fred and George exchanged looks and Neville passed the box over to the twins.
"Monopoly?" They asked in unison.
"It's a game to destroy friendships created by the devil." Holly shuddered. The one time her daddy, Paddy, and Remus had been playing with Uncle Frank. They had decided to use real money and Holly only watched in awe as Uncle Frank held total domination and left the Potter Manor fifty galleons richer.
Holly had never seen her Uncle Remy turn such a furious shade of red as Sirius slumped over the table despondent to the world. Her daddy had only frowned and his eyebrows furrowed so deeply, Holly wondered if new wrinkles would appear.
"I nicked it from Father's office." Neville said with a shrug. "The aim of the game is to get as many properties and have the most money. The loser is the first to go bankrupt." The twins opened up the box and started to take out the board.
Holly huffed and helped them to set up the board while Neville sorted out the cards. "We'll teach you along the way. Or you could read the rules." Holly offered the little booklet for them. The twins tossed the piece of paper away and huddled on either side of Holly.
Neville narrowed his eyes slightly at the twins but kept his mouth shut.
"I'll be the banker." Holly declared as she tucked her skirt underneath herself in an attempt to be more comfortable. The twins had settled themselves on either side of her and she leaned against Fred while George placed a hand on her leg.
The twins grinned at each other over Holly's head, a muggle game couldn't be that bad.
X
After a consecutive fifth round of defeat, the twins had retreated to their room to sulk. Holly was lounging on Neville's bed laughing as Neville kept its pieces. Rolling over to her side, Holly's long dark hair spilled out from behind her and she just knew she would have a multitude of knots to comb out later.
Neville and Holly had taken turns to be the banker and between the both of them, the twins had suffered a crushing defeat. The twins were intelligent and caught on to the rules fairly quickly, it was only their terrible luck that somehow managed to land on all of their houses and hotels consecutively.
Holly had only hidden a grin behind her hand as she bought another property for her devilishly handsome twins to land on.
"Neville, which house do you think you'll be sorted into?" she asked as she stared into the distance. Personally, Holly thought Neville would be a wonderful Gryffindor but she couldn't deny that yellow and black would suit Neville well.
"Gran thinks I'll end up in Hufflepuff." Neville sighed, leaning his back against the side of the bed next to Holly. She reached out a hand and played with her brother's hair. "I think any house would be lucky to have you, Neville." Holly murmured in encouragement.
"Personally, I wouldn't be surprised if the hat put me in Slytherin, though I think Daddy might have a heart attack." Holly admitted softly. "Well, I guess we can be disappointments together." Neville threw back his head and let out a laugh. Holly blinked at her brother with wide eyes before joining in his laughter.
No matter what, Neville would always have her back. Holly appreciated his support. "I guess Draco would be glad for the company." Neville hummed, trying to picture cheerful and outgoing Holly in the snake pit.
An image of all of Slytherin house bowing at her feet entered his head and Neville couldn't help but laugh out loud. Holly raised a questioning brow but Neville waved it off. "I want to sleep here tonight." Holly declared suddenly as she sat up, wild dark hair tumbling over her shoulders.
"Alright, I'll leave the door unlocked. I'll go take a shower." Neville pushed himself up from his position on the floor. Making his way to his closet. It was a simple walk in closet without an expansion charm, most of Neville's belongings were in his own home after all and it was only a floo call away.
Neville didn't have an en-suite bathroom like Holly had, though the Potters had generously offered one for him. He didn't feel like he should have intruded on their home more than he already had. Though he already thought of it as his second home.
X
Standing in her school robes, Holly jumped when identical faces appeared behind her. She turned, her robes whipping behind her and glared at the twins with their matching smirks.
"What's the matter Hols?"
"You had something you wanted"
"To show us?"
"Well, yes. I wanted to show it to you while Neville is still in the bathroom." Holly nervously tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "Give me your hands please.' She requested, holding her own hands out for them to take. They placed their hands in hers without question.
"Do you trust me?" Holly asked and she received looks which seemed to say 'did you have to ask?' and Holly only shrugged in response.
"I call the Magic of House Potter, listen to thy Heir, bestow upon my mates the protection of Potter blood." It wasn't a spell but Fred and George could feel the magic from the very room, from the house itself gathering in their joined hands,
Holly had her eyes closed as she concentrated on being a conduit for the magic. And when she opened her eyes, they were glowing an unearthly green and her dark hair was flying in the magically charged wind that had swept into the room.
"State your names." Holly wasn't looking at them, it didn't seem like she was looking at anything in particular, her gaze far away as if looking at the Magic that cloaked the room.
"Fred Gideon Weasley"
"George Fabian Weasley"
"Fred Gideon and George Fabian, you have been granted permission to enter the Potter Heir's panic room. With this information granted, you will protect this secret with your lives. Do you understand?"
"We do."
And suddenly the magical wind had died, though the magic lingered on their skin and the twins felt something warm wrap around their minds and they turned questioning gazes to their mate.
"It is ancient magic to protect the secrets of House Potter. Should the information ever be threatened, it will erase itself entirely from your memory." Holly explained gently as she rubbed a thumb over the fleshy parts of their hands.
"So, what's this big Potter secret?" George asked uncertainty, somewhere during the ritual he had held on to Fred's hand as if it was nothing wrong and had yet to let go. "Tadah!" Holly let go of both of their hands to present them her mirror.
"Your mirror?" Fred asked with a raised brow. Holly only rolled her eyes at her mate. "It's what's behind the mirror that's the secret." And by pricking her finger on a pin that had somehow appeared, though Fred and George could have sworn that they have never seen it before in their lives.
The mirror seemed to melt away and disappeared and the entrance to another room appeared in its place. Fred and George could make out a large bed and a living room. A door that they assumed led to a bathroom or a storage room and a large shelf of food stood next to the sofa.
"What you see before you is my personal panic room. Should there ever be a war or unrest or Potter Manor is attacked and our wards are broken, this is where the three of us will go to hide." Holly explained solemnly.
"Hide?" George gasped
"All three of us? We can't help with anything?" Fred asked incredulously.
Holly only gave them a sad smile. "Yes George, it is for us to hide." turning to Fred Holly gave him a look which made him shut his mouth before he could stuff his foot in it. "Fred, I am heir to House Potter and House Black. If anybody wanted to kidnap me for ransom or as revenge, two prominent houses will die out with me."
"That doesn't mean all three of us have to hide away." Fred frowned.
"Silly, when we get married, both of you will be heirs as well." Holly gave him a small smile as she pulled on his hand. "M-married?" George stuttered as he blushed, reaching a hand out to interlink his fingers with Holly's free hand.
"Well. if you didn't want to marry me…" Holly pretended to look crestfallen and dropped her head to show her dejection. "No! Of course, we want to marry you! It's been Fred's dream!" George rebutted, face flaming.
"Oi! You've been dreaming of walking Holly down the aisle since we were ten!" Fred elbowed his brother, his own face a matching red. Holly giggled at their antics and the door/mirror reappeared behind her, looking like it had never melted away into nothingness not two minutes ago.
"Thank you for joining me for this, Fred, George." Holly raised herself up on her tiptoes and barely managed to kiss each boy on the cheek. "Please leave so that I can change out of these robes." She teased as she pushed them out of her closet.
Slamming the door shut behind them, Holly could only lean against the door and slide to the floor. Her fingers on her lips as the tingle had yet to leave them. She hadn't planned on kissing the twins goodnight, but now she couldn't say that she had regretted the idea.
X
It was the day. Lily woke up early, her husband already dressed for the day. They would be sending Holly off to King's Cross Station and their little girl would be leaving for nine months of the year.
Once again Lily rubbed at her cheeks in an attempt to stop the tears from forming. She turned to face her husband who was looking at a photo album, one of many, that was filled with photographs of Holly as she grew up.
Currently, James was looking at the one where Holly was a couple of months old and was just getting used to opening her eyes. Her blue eyes that eventually darkened into the magnificent green that they were today.
"Our little girl is all grown up." James allowed himself to cry as he looked at the pictures in the album. Lily got off the bed and hugged her husband from behind, resting her head on his shoulder as she joined him in reminiscing.
James was an intimidating man, tall, almost 6ft 3", he towered over many wizards. Despite his simple circular glasses, years of chasing down and apprehending criminals had developed James into a man that could strike terror with a single glare. His magical powers were known by many far and wide, befitting of the man who was the youngest ever appointed Head Auror.
At work, James Potter was impeccable and professional. Never allowing anybody to witness weakness upon himself. He stood tall and proud. His magical aura strong as if he wore it like a cloak. James was known for his explosive temper when somebody (usually a criminal or a power-hungry diplomat) threatened those that he cared most for. But otherwise, the stern demeanor of the Head Auror and Head of the House Potter rested on his broad shoulders.
It was only at home did he ever allow himself to drop his facade. To be the best father that he could possibly be to his daughter. The best possible soulmate and husband to his Lily flower. James was born late in his parents' lives and he was spoilt and loved beyond measure.
He had wanted to share the same amount of love for his daughter, even though she had too much of a good head on her shoulders to be spoilt rotten as he had been. That was all Lily right there, he thought fondly.
"Come husband mine, our princess shall be awake soon." Lily kissed his shoulder and left his presence to change herself in a robe and get ready for work. James, having been fully dressed, turns to capture his wife's lips once more before making his way out of their rooms.
"I shall go wake up our princess, take your time in joining us." he says as he closes the door behind him. Lily brushes a finger over her still tingling lips, pleased with the affections from her husband. After sending Holly off, Lily would have to apparate directly into her school grounds while James made his way to work.
A small movement caught her eye and Lily turned to look at the album that had been left open. Holly was taking her first steps in the photos and Lily gently brushed her fingers on the cherub cheeks of her daughter.
"It felt like it was just yesterday…" Lily whispers to herself in the empty room. Closing the album shut Lily shrinks it and fits it in the pocket of her robes. There would be time for reminiscing later, hopefully with Alice and a bottle of butterbeer.
James knocked the door to his daughter's room, he could faintly hear rustling coming from the twin's room, sure that those devil twins were already up and ready to cause mischief. In the month that they had been staying with the Potters, James had been pranked no less than eight times.
While it had been amusing at first, it got old rather quickly and James was glad that the twins would be leaving for Hogwarts. It was just too bad that his baby girl would be leaving him as well. He wondered how Frank was handling saying goodbye to his own son.
Entering his daughter's room, he wasn't surprised to see it in total darkness, the curtains drawn had prohibited even the weakest of sunshine to enter her Holly was a deep sleeper and preferred to sleep for as long as she possibly could whenever she could.
"Prongslet, wake up princess." James cooed. His daughter had terrible sleeping posture. Taking up the entire single bed, her hair was in a messy braid and her stomach was exposed from where her sleep shirt had ridden up. Her blankets were a tangled mess at her feet and her mouth was open with soft snores and the slightest hint of drool on the side of her lips.
James laughed at the endearing sight and gently shook his daughter awake. Dark lashes fluttered and sleepy green eyes blinked the grogginess away. Smoothing the hair away from her face, James continued to watch as his daughter once again joined the waking world.
"Daddy?" Holly mumbled as she nuzzled her father's hand.
"Hey there, princess. It's time to get up." It was with great fascination that James watched his daughter as her brain caught up with her. Bleary eyes were now wide alert and a smile split her cheeks.
"It's Hogwarts day?" she asked even though she already knew the answer. James could feel the need to cry choking him, not trusting himself to cry all over his Prongslet, he could only nod in response.
Holly only sat up to hug her father in her tiny arms. He wrapped his own arms around her, treasuring her warmth for as long as he could before she would leave for her own adventures. He truly wanted his daughter to stay at home, where it was safe, safe from the world and pain and anything else unpleasant that he had heard of and encountered over the years as an Auror.
But his daughter needed the freedom to grow and be her own person, and she just couldn't do it if she was under his wing forever. "Let's get you ready, Prongslet, I'm sure your twins are waiting for yours. We'll have breakfast and then you can do any last minute packing before we leave."
Holly allowed her father to carry her, she was tiny and her father was strong, he wouldn't have any difficulty carrying her. "Your mother will be by soon. To play with your hair. We will be traveling to the Longbottoms and head to King's Cross from there." James added as he carried his precious bundle to her closet.
Setting her down gently, James could only brush her hair away from her face with gentle hands, admiring her smooth unblemished skin. In another world, in another lifetime, there might have been a Holly that lost her parents on that fateful Halloween night all those years ago.
But this Holly had been raised by the loving care of James and Lily Potter. Thus an entirely different Holly that would be greeting Hogwarts on the morrow. Kissing her forehead, having to bend comically low, James left his daughter to get ready.
Closing the door after him, James frowned at the closed door opposite his daughter's. There was something he needed to settle before he can make preparations for breakfast. Narrowing his eyes, James pulled himself to his full height and sharply knocked on the door to the twins' bathroom.
Half an hour later, Lily was found seated on Holly's bed as the girl was on the floor, braiding her daughter's hair that had been spelled dry from her morning shower. "Now remember, the school provides toiletries but I've packed you some of your favorite shampoo and conditioner to last you the term. Owl me for more."
"Yes, mummy" Holly hummed. "Owl me when you get sorted." Lily continued as she made quick work of Holly's braids. "Of course, mummy." Holly soothed. "At least one letter a week, young lady." and Holly giggled at her mother's stern concern.
"I'll miss you so much. You and Daddy both." Holly admitted, bowing her head so her mother wouldn't be able to see the tears that were pooling in her eyes. "We'll miss you too, sweetling." Lily sniffed, trying desperately not to cry on her daughter's head. .
Soon the family was gathered for breakfast, with Remus and Sirius joining them. While James and Lily had made valiant efforts not to show their tears in front of their daughter, Sirius had no such reservations. Fred and George only stood awkwardly behind their seats.
It was amazing to see Holly being loved by so many people. It humbled them, that their soulmate was someone who had so much in their lives, could have done better than just the middle children of a Pureblood family that had lost its social standing.
They had spent many a night, wondering what it would take, to make themselves into someone who was worthy of their mate. Holly was a prodigy, a genius even, even at a young age you could feel her magic was much stronger compared to her years.
Her brain absorbed knowledge like a sponge and she didn't have a mean bone in her body. She was short-tempered, just like her parents before her, willing to stand against injustice or in defense of those that she loves. A prankster through and through, often times on par with themselves, even if they had two years ahead of her.
When James took his seat at the head of the table, was when Sirius finally realized that his goddaughter needed air to breathe and food in her belly. So with great reluctance, he released the small brunette who frowned and tried to fix her hair. Holly sat on her father's left, while her mother sat on James' right.
The twins took the seats next to her while Sirius and Remus took the seats opposite them. Severus had already returned to Hogwarts to make the preparations for the coming year. Seeing that the head of the house was already seated, the twins quickly took their seats, Holly giving them a questioning glance at how quiet they were.
Breakfast was quiet, especially if you ignored Sirius' loud sobbing and the occasional sniff from James and Remus. It seemed like it was only Lily and the children who had the only dry eyes in the room.
Holly was trying her best to be strong, she knew that if she were to break down and cried, told her parents how she really didn't want to leave them behind, her father would do everything in his power to remove her from Hogwarts and continue a homeschooled schedule they had once talked about when she was much younger.
Though their bond was only a month old, Fred could already feel the distress that Holly was feeling, partly because she was seated right next to him but also because he had known her for so long that he had come to recognize the dip in her shoulders and the furrow in her brow.
Holly's distress echoes faintly at the back of his mind, belatedly Fred wondered if George could feel it too. It felt different compared to their twin bond, where they just knew what the other was thinking.
Reaching his hand out, he gently clasped it with Holly's who turned to look at him with a watery smile. George even leaned forward slightly so that he could give Holly an encouraging smile. Holly was well loved and had only known the sanctuary of her home. It was understandable that she would be unwilling to leave.
"We'll be with you the entire train ride, Hols." George soothed.
"You won't be left alone." Fred cooed.
The small smile Holly gave them, the gratitude in her eyes, made their hearts ache. Added in that they could feel her appreciation at the back of their heads added to the endearing image their mate was.
X
Holly stood in her room, making sure that it was clean and neat. Pierre was lounging on her bed, sulking. She had had an in-depth conversation with her snake but it had ended up hissing angrily at her as it hid its heads in its coils..
All three heads were unwilling to part with their walker. She hadn't asked for anything from them and they had only been treated like the great snake that they were. Even the dark man who smelled like spices treated them with respect when asking for poison or their shed skin.
Now their walker girl was leaving and they would only be able to see her when the season turns once again. Holly, her name was a plant that represented great perseverance. What if she lost interest in them and abandoned them back in the forest where they had met.
Now that Holly was leaving, for they knew it would be today, the taste of change in the air was almost nauseating. Hiding its heads in its coils Not wanting to speak to the small walker girl but suddenly there was a dip in the bed and their coils were wrapped in warmth.
Such familiar warmth that one of its head poked out to scent it with its tongue. Holly draped herself over her snake because even though the snakes thought nobody could read their mind, it was obvious that they didn't realize that had been hissing their thoughts out the entire time.
"I will most definitely miss you the most, Pierre." Holly cooed/hissed/tried to offer some measure of comfort to her snake. One head tickled her cheek with its tongue and Holly could only nuzzle the top coil in an attempt to offer some affection to the grumpy reptile.
"I'll see you again for Yule, Pierre, be good while I'm gone and don't scare Daddy so much." Holly kissed a head that had fully revealed itself. "My closet has a stasis charm on it if you miss me you could always hide in there." Holly offered with a small smile. Another head appeared from its hidden depths
Holly kissed the top of that head too. And confirming that Holly was indeed sharing affection, the third head appeared and demanded a kiss, making Holly giggle. Soon all three were fighting for Holly's kisses, knowing that this would be the last time that they could scent their walker.
Fred and George stood at the doorway of her room, unwilling to interrupt them. They could feel Holly's love for Pierre, echoing at the back of their minds. And Holly could feel the twin sets of amusements echoing at the back of hers. But the twins were content to leave their mate to say her goodbyes to her snake, took either end of her new trunk and left the room to give the girl some privacy.
They walked past James' who only nodded in acknowledgment at the twin devils before continuing with his purposeful stride to his daughter's room. Watching the three snakeheads biting at each other and lunging to Holly's face made the fear of Merlin freeze his heart.
It was a common sight, though it wasn't something that James ever wanted to see ever again. Because with a single accidental bite, Holly could have been poisoned and died before he could even administer an antidote to her. Calming his frantic heart, James knocked on the open door, announcing his presence to his daughter.
Four pairs of eyes turned to face him and he expertly hid his anxiety when angry hissing came from the three heads of Holly's snake. "It's time to go Prongslet." Holly only blinked at him before giving her snake three more kisses and walked to her closet to grab a traveling cloak.
"I'm ready, Daddy." Holly said determinedly. Her father clasping the cloak around her collarbone for her as she held her hair out of the way. James lowered his head and kissed his daughter on the forehead and held his hand out for her to take.
"Let's go."
X
The Potters (and by extension the Weasley twins + Sirius + Remus) floo-ed into the Longbottom Manor and were met with a sniffling Alice who held on tight one of Neville's potted plants tightly in her arms. Frank and Sirius were dressed in their Auror robes, they were going straight to work after the train pulled out of the station.
Frank had a sad smile as he held on to one of Neville's shoulders. The boy looked like he had cried very recently with his red eyes and flushed cheeks. Forcing a smile in greeting, Holly could only give him an equally sad one in return.
Holly quickly went to hug the Longbottom parents before standing by her brother's side, holding his hand firmly in her own. "Alright, let's go."
The large group arrived on the platform early, before most of the other families would be arriving. They would be meeting with the Weasleys so that Molly could bid all her children goodbye. The twins immediately broke away from the group to look for their parents while the Potters and Longbottoms were giving their last goodbyes.
"Remember to write to us, Princess." James kissed the top of his daughter's head once again
"Do well in your classes, sweetie." Lily chimed in as she elbowed her husband away.
"Cause some mischief with your two boys." Sirius winked as he hugged his goddaughter.
"But not too much mischief." Remus gently chided as he took his turn to hug Holly.
"If you need anything, look for Severus." Alice kissed the top of Holly's head after enveloping the small girl in a suffocating hug.
"Do not be afraid." Frank bloomed a hollyhock and tucked it behind Holly's ear before hugging the small girl.
Then it was Neville's turn for the tearful goodbyes.
"Remember to write to me every week! No excuses!" Alice insisted.
"Take care of yourself and your sister." Frank gave his son a firm pat on the back as he hugged him close.
"I'm quite sure you'll have your hands full looking out for Holly but make sure to take care of yourself first." Remus hugged the small boy while Sirius stood nearby waiting for his turn. "If you need any advice with the ladies little buddy, I'm always available for consultations." he had winked and Alice whacked him over the head.
"Ignore him, sweetie, you won't be having any trouble." Lily soothed as she rubbed his head while James laughed at his best friend's expense. "You tell me the moment anybody treats you wrong, alright Nev?" James gave the boy a concerned smile.
"Of course Uncle James." Neville smiled. "Good lad." James said as he patted Neville's shoulders.
"Holly!" A shrill voice called out and Holly was almost bowled over by a streak of ginger hair. Looking down in surprise, Holly found herself with an armful of Ginny.
"Ginny dear! We do not run on the platform!" Came the loud voice of Mrs. Weasley as she hurried over to their group. Her gaggle of children following close behind her with her husband in tow. Holly could only wave in greeting as she tried to pry off the younger girl.
"Oh, I'll miss you, Holly. Please remember to write to me!" Ginny blinked large brown eyes to the only other girl that she had known all her life. An elder sister in all but blood, which wouldn't be too far off considering that Holly would one day marry her brothers.
"Of course I will take care of yourself and the school while I'm gone." Holly smiled kindly as she rubbed the top of Ginny's head.
"Oi Gin, get off of Holly!"
"Let the girl breathe, Gin"
"Oh come off it, you'll have her for the rest of the year." Ginny blushed hotly as she glared at her twin brothers. Holly giggled loudly, bringing her arms around Ginny and hugged the younger girl flush against her body. While Holly was a year older, she was petite and Ginny was already catching up to the dark-haired girl in terms of height.
"Are you jealous of your baby sister boys?" Holly teased. Neville let out a laugh and stepped forward to hug both girls in his arms. "Are you jealous?" He sang and the three of them laughed when the twin's grins dropped immediately into matching frowns.
Percy coughed and cleared his throat, his prefect badge shining on his robes that he was already wearing. "I believe we should board before all the compartments are taken." He gave a respectful nod towards the Potters, Blacks, and Longbottoms before quickly hugging his mother goodbye.
"What a git." A low voice muttered.
"Holly, Neville, I'm sure you remember Ron." Molly sent a glare to her son who winced. Holly only smiled kindly at the boy in greeting, followed by her brother who waved and offered a soft 'hullo'.
"Lord Potter, Lady Potter, I was hoping we would run into you." everyone turned to see Lucius Malfoy striding towards them, the distinct tapping of his cane signaling his arrival. Draco had his hair slicked back in a mirror image of his father. Narcissa bringing up the rear with a polite neutral smile as she discreetly eyed the Weasleys.
"Lord Malfoy, Lady Malfoy." James greeted, reaching a hand out for the blond to shake. Draco turned to his mother for a moment, who nodded and he hurried over to Holly and Neville. Eyeing the twins before hugging his cousin.
"Holly, looking forward to a new year?" Draco greeted with a confident smirk. Holly could only blink before another smile stretched on her lips. "Are you trying to impress someone, Draco?" Holly asked as she eyed her cousin.
To his credit, there was the slightest pink on his ears but Draco's face remained unaffected by Holly's remark. "You look like a miniature version of your father, Draco." Ron piped in and Draco only scoffed at the redhead.
"Ignore him, Draco. I think you look great." Neville patted Draco's shoulder and gave him a reassuring smile. Holly noticed the twitch of a grey eye and a moment of stiffness before Draco gave Neville a charming smile.
Ah, Draco was trying to get over his heartbreak, the revelation hit her startling clarity. Afterall, Malfoy's wouldn't be second best and Neville wasn't his soulmate. Holly decided to keep an eye out for her blond cousin. It was strange, usually, Neville would be the one who was aware of the emotions of those around them.
Holly supposed the only reason why she could understand Draco so well was because she had been around him since they were mere toddlers. There was no way Holly would have been able to understand the emotions of the general public.
Catching Draco's gaze, she raised a single brow and tilted her head in an attempt to convey her concern to the blond. Draco only kept her gaze, before nodding and breaking away from the group. As he was about to walk away, Holly grabbed his arm and gave it a firm squeeze.
A warning? Maybe. Holly was sure that Draco was hurting, deep down, even she wasn't blind from the longing looks that the blond had sent her brother when she thought she wasn't looking. Holly who buried her nose deep in books and hardly came up for air unless she was conducting experiments, spending time with family or plotting pranks.
Draco scowled at his cousin, roughly yanking his hand away. Of course, Holly would be on Neville's side, he thought angrily to himself. Sharing terse goodbyes with the other children. Fred and George once again flanked Holly and both shared matching frowns at Draco's sudden hostility.
Narcissa stepped away from the adults and hugged her son goodbye. Lucius patting the boy on the shoulder as he wrapped an arm around his wife. "Make us proud, son." James wondered if Lucius repeated that every single time he ushered Draco off to school. It sounded too rehearsed and repetitive.
"Alright children, time to board before all the good compartments are taken." Sirius began to usher the children up to the train. Holly gave one last kiss to her parents, standing on the very tips of her toes
"We love you, Holly." Lily whispered. "Do your best." James whispered into her ear. "I love you Mummy, Daddy. Take care of Pierre, he'll be grumpy for a while." Lily laughed when James only shuddered and forced a smile.
"Holly, let's go." Fred called out.
"Neville found a compartment!" George added.
"Coming!" Holly whirled around and waved goodbye to her parents.
Schoolbag in hand, she leaves home in the early morning
Waving goodbye with an absent-minded smile
I watch her go with a surge of that well-known sadness
A minute or two later, the warning whistle for the train was shrill in the air. And at the front of the train, Holly's thick head of hair stuck out of a window, with Neville's right next to her though it looked like he was trying to get her back into the compartment.
Lily hurried over, her robes billowing behind her as she tried to reach her daughter. She could feel James tailing her, and she was sure that Alice and Frank were not far behind. Sirius and Remus took the rear, walking at a more sedate pace.
A great billow of white steam blew in her face and her eyes watered. Lily raised her hand in an attempt to protect her face but the heat from the steam was relentless. Tears falling, Lily continued to hurry down the station in an attempt to catch her daughter's smile for one last time.
And I have to sit down for a while
The feeling that I'm losing her forever
And without really entering her world
But the train had begun to pull away from the station and Lily for the first time felt like her heart was being ripped from her chest. A loud sob escaped her lips and suddenly Lily was wrapped in strong arms.
I'm glad whenever I can share her laughter
That funny little girl
Slipping through my fingers all the time
James had managed to catch up to his wife and held her in his arms. Burying his head in her thick red hair and breathing in her scent. He could feel the sudden loneliness and despair that was overwhelming his wife, it echoed painfully at the back of his own mind, mixing in with his own sadness and longing.
I try to capture every minute
The feeling in it
Slipping through my fingers all the time
Alice could not catch up with Lily and she stood next to her husband, tears slipping down her cheeks as she buried her face in her husband's strong chest. The rumbling of the train getting softer as it chugged further and further away from the station. He ran a warm hand through her blond hair, allowing her to release the sadness that had welled in her chest.
Do I really see what's in her mind
Each time I think I'm close to knowing
She keeps on growing
Slipping through my fingers all the time
Arthur Weasley held Molly's hand in a firm grip, it wasn't their first time sending their children off and it wouldn't be their last. Ginny stood between her parents she didn't understand why Headmistress Potter and Deputy Headmistress Longbottom were crying, Ginny hardly remembered crying for any of her brothers when they left for Hogwarts.
Sleep in our eyes, her and me at the breakfast table
Barely awake, I let precious time go by
Then when she's gone, there's that odd melancholy feeling
And a sense of guilt I can't deny
Narcissa and Lucius would never allow themselves to display such emotions so blatantly in public but the same pain had Narcissa place a palm over her chest as she tried to soothe the ache at seeing her son go off to school. Lucius only tightened his grip on his wife's hand as he valiantly tried to maintain his composure.
What happened to the wonderful adventures
The places I had planned for us to go
(Slipping through my fingers all the time)
Well, some of that we did but most we didn't
And why, I just don't know
Sirius sat next to Remus on one of the many benches that were placed in the station, while his mate tried to control his emotions. This was Holly's first time going off to school and they wouldn't see her until Yuletide. Already they missed her so much. Ignoring all the other parents who were either equally emotional or already about to leave now that the train had departed and it was only a single red speck in the distance.
Sometimes I wish that I could freeze the picture
And save it from the funny tricks of time
Slipping through my fingers
Slipping through my fingers all the time
Song is called Slipping through my fingers from Mamma Mia the Movie, by Abba
I've always wanted to write to this song and this story actually allowed me to imagine a goodbye scene from the parent's point of view.
Please show some love to the first chapter and leave a review! I appreciate them all!