Forgive me, this is an introductory chapter, not much of anything. It explains most of the Weasleys and where they are now. (sort of) Also, at the bottom of the page I will explain things you may be unaware of/ give expanations for other things. Cheerio!
Ara closed her eyes as she passed throught the illusion, reopening them as the sounds of the muggle world faded. Spread out before her, like a majestic sphinx, lay a gleaming train, puffing out pale smoke that partially obscured the platform and swirling around the legs of the throng of waiting witches and wizards.
She must have stood there for several moments bewildered at the intense beauty of the massive train, actually entertaining the idea that her time at Hogwarts might not be so bad. Her father's voice floated back to her, "Ara?"
She closed her mouth, which she hadn't even noticed had opened of its own accord at her amazement, probably causing her to look like a fish out of water she thought with a grimace. "Coming," she called to the misty form of her family, tearing her eyes away from the glorious maroon train. She hurried forward and knotted her hand into the material of Draco's iron grey trench coat.
Draco looked down laughingly, "Almost lost you there," he said chuckling. "I remember the first time I saw the Hogwarts Express. And," he patted her head,"I almost got hit by someone going through the wall behind me because I hadn't moved." He raised an eyebrow. "Wouldn't want that to happen would we?"
"No," she replied with a wince, remembering the woman who would have been glad to "accidentally" run her over with the cart. Or maybe she was just being paranoid. She gazed up at him. "It's just, kind of bigger than I expected." He smiled at that.
"Let's hurry so you can find a good seat," her mother chimed in to their conversation, already heading in the direction of one of the coach cars.
Farther down platform nine and three quarters, James Sirius Potter was gazing in utter rapture at the gigantic maroon train before him, gold letters emblazoned across the side, proudly declaring it the Hogwarts Express. Next to him was his brother Albus Severus Potter, a good two years younger and several inches shorter, his green eyes as wide as saucers, as he stared up at the train admiringly, his face mirroring his brother's.
James adopted a smirk and nudged his brother roughly. "You look like a bug with your eyes popping out like that."
The little boy was forced to take a few steps to the side to avoid falling and turned to his mother. "Mom, can't I go?" he whined up at Ginny Potter, his eyes pleading.
She gave a sympathetic smile to her son," It's not your turn yet. But don't worry," she continued, as he gave her a hurt look, "It'll be here before you know it and then you can join your brother and cousins." She gave him a reassuring smile.
"Speaking of which..." she didn't finish her thought, instead glimpsing the telltale sign of multiple red-haired individuals coming their way. Ginny gave a friendly wave with the hand not being tugged on by her daughter Lily and the clan of a dozen or so Weasleys returned it, creating a sea of waving arms, causing stares all down the platform. The Potter boys rushed towards them in anticipation of seeing their family.
"Oh Ginny! It's good to zee you again," Fleur Weasley, the first to reach her, said in a rush, her French accent surfacing momentarily.
Fleur Weasley looked stunning, as per usual, her hair done up in a bun at the nape of her neck and twin circles of rosy color showing in her cheeks. She grinned at Lily, who echoed her mother's ginger hair and bright brown eyes. "And Lily! You're as pretty as a flower." The little girl beamed up at her aunt, showing a missing front tooth.
Bill strode forward, his arms laden with an owl cage and gave Ginny a one-armed hug, planting a gentle kiss on her cheek. "Sis," he greeted, looking around through the haze of smoke.
"Where's Harry?"
"Oh, he's putting James' luggage in one of the train carriages." She gestured to one of the cars and Bill instantly strode off, the cage in one hand, and one of the girls' suitcases in another.
Victoire and Dominique Weasley, daughters of Fleur and Bill, appeared on their mother's left side, both obviously gifted with the stunning allure of their quarter Veela mother.
Victoire, or Vicky as the family had come to call her, was returning to Hogwarts for her 5th year and her stawberry blond hair was almost to her waist. Dominique, or Minnie as she preferred, was beginning her 2nd year and her golden blond hair was cut appropriately short in preparation for the quidditch season (she had been raving about tryouts for months). Both girls exhibited the breathtaking blue eyes both of their parents possessed.
"And Louis?" Ginny questioned, not seeing their youngest child.
"Oh," Fleur began handing a suitcase to each of the girls, who accordingly trudged over to the waiting Express with their luggage. "He's at his grandparents. Keeping them busy no doubt." She gave Ginny a helpless shrug. "He'z a boy. He rather enjoys it when the girls are gone. At least Molly and Arthur will have ze company."
Harry had returned, flanked by Bill who helped Fleur with the rest of the baggage. Ginny clasped her husband's hand in her own. He squeezed it back in a comforting gesture, his green eyes staring into her brown. "He'll be fine," he whispered so only she could hear. After being married for more than 14 years, the man could practically read her mind.
"I know, but I can't help but be worried," she confessed quietly, her eyes wandering to where James was talking animatedly to Freddie Weasley, another first timer to Hogwarts. Not far off was George Weasley and his wife Angelina, their former schoolmate and fellow DA member.
Angelina, originally Angelina Johnson, was similiarly being tugged on by her daughter Roxanne, much as Ginny was being tugged on by Lily. Their eyes met and both gave an understanding smile before Angelina knelt beside her daughter and Ginny followed, kneeling to her own daughter's level.
Lily was the spitting image of her mother, much like how Albus was the mirror image of his father. Her hair was a vivid chestnut against her fair, freckled skin. Her eyes were pools of a pretty color, like a leaf in autumn that had dried and lost its color, only to become the soft, natural brown of the earth. And, at that particular moment those eyes were brimming with tears.
Harry joined his daughter and wife, kneeling so as to see eye to eye with the little girl. "Lily?" he asked gently, "What's the matter?"
She blinked at him, a tear rolling down her cheek. "I don't want James to go," she sputtered quietly.
Pulling her into his arms, Harry stood up, cradling her to his chest. "I know Lils, I don't want to let him go either, but one day it'll be your turn and you wouldn't want us holding you back, would you?" She shook her head glumly, another tear following the first. "Tell you what," Harry said, putting her back on her feet. "Let's go find that brother of yours and see if we can give you a little tour of the train. It's a quarter till 11, so I think we have plenty of time." He held out a hand which she took, a small smile dancing across her features.
Ginny watched them disappear in James' and Fred's direction, before she turned to look for Percy, the last brother with kids of the Hogwarts age whom she hadn't spied yet. Looking around, she spotted a family of blonds and almost gasped out loud.
Draco Malfoy appeared lightly aged, less magificently dressed, and far less superior than he had from his childhood. At least from a distance. She had heard that the Malfoy family had reformed their ways and that they had come across bad times. Few slytherins would interact with them, viewing them as traitors, and few in the other three houses wanted to associate with the ex-death eater and attempted assassin. She had heard rumors that he had had to subject himself to the muggle work market and had raised his family almost as if they were muggles themselves.
She shook her head disbelievingly. She hadn't believed the rumors. There was no way that the boy she had known in Hogwarts could or would ever be a muggle sympathizer. And now, looking at the family of five, she saw the thread of truth she had never fully inspected. Among the wizards or witches milling about and telling their families goodbye, theirs was by far one of the most normally dressed. Unlike the magical community who tried, rather unsuccessfully, to impersonate the muggle world, the Malfoys could have been any family out on platform nine or ten (or any normal number) and blended in perfectly.
A lot had changed in the last decade and a half she realized.
Her eyes swept over the family, noting Draco Malfoy, his wife Astoria who had been in her year, the boy Al's age with hair as blond as Draco, and their other son, the boy younger than Lily whose hair was already turning dark in contrast to his family's signature color. But, what drew her attention the most was the girl. A pale, sickly complexion paired with long, gently waving platinum blond hair framed her heart-shaped face, causing her to look a bit ghostly. She had a straight, if rather pointed, nose, a thin set of pale pink lips, intelligent smoky green grey eyes that were downcast at the moment, and a stubborn, pointed chin.
She couldn't have looked anymore like her father unless she had been born his son rather than his daughter. That, and the green-grey eyes (which Ginny guessed she had gotten from her mother's emerald ones and her father's grey) were the sole difference between the two.
Feeling eyes on her, she realized the youngest boy, the one with dark hair, had been watching her and she nervously smiled at the little one before resuming her search for Percy.
She spotted him in the distance with his wife and two daughters and began walking over. Audrey, his muggle-born and non-magical wife waved excitedly to her, grinning, before mouthing a quick "hello" and then "goodbye". She then picked up a suitcase in each arm and began walking towards the looming train with the eldest daughter Molly trailing after her with an owl cage.
Ginny couln't help but grin at her sister-in-law's antics. She had liked Audrey right from the get-go. She loosened her brother up and relaxed him. She was kind, humurous, friendly, and pretty to boot.
After the second wizarding war and the death of his brother, Percy had broken down, blaming himself for Fred's death. Audrey, a muggle whom Harry had explained worked in therapy (some strange muggle practice of talking out one's demons, which really hadn't make any sense to Ginny, although she had to admit it had worked for Percy), had helped him through the tough times.
Almost a year and a half after his last treatment, he had asked her to marry him. She had eagerly said yes and had been warmly welcomed by Arthur and Molly Weasley, of whom the former always bombarded her with questions of muggle inventions and concepts. Besides being openly welcomed by the parents of the groom, she had also been welcomed into the magical community and had taken the drastic changeover quite well.
Percy had noticed his wife's behavior and his attention shifted onto his sister. "Ginevra!" he cried, wrapping her in a hug as soon as she was witin reaching distance. Oh yeah, Audrey had definitely changed Percy for the better. Or maybe he just took on more Freddish characteristics after the Battle of Hogwarts. Either way, she liked this Percy better than the stuffy, rigid, and overbearing brother she had once known.
"It's good to see you too," she said, pulling away after a few moments. "And," she turned to Lucy, their daughter, "It's good to see you too. You know, next year it'll be your turn."
Lucy had the red hair of her father, bright pumpkin orange, and his bright blue eyes as well. Freckles danced across her darkly sunkissed complexion as she smiled. "I can't wait," she responded eagerly, her eyes lighting up as if someone had lit a flame behind them.
Molly, their oldest daughter was arm in arm with Fleur's daughter, her cousin Minnie (Dominique), a fellow second year. Unlike Lucy, Molly had few of her father's features, her hair a deep auburn brown like her mother's and her eyes an almost matching shade of russet brown. In contrast to Lucy's myriad of freckles, Molly's tanned skin was completely freckle-free like Audrey's as well.
Molly and Minnie, while close before Hogwarts, had become best friends the year before. The cousins were alike in personality, and both were looking forward to Gryffindor quidditch tryouts, having practiced all summer long and talked of little else. They reminded her of herself, and Ginny smiled at the pair.
The whistle of the Hogwarts Express sounded the two minute warning, and Ginny hurriedly waved goodbye to her brothers' families before going in search of Harry and her kids.
Author's notes/trivia--------importanto to read, just takes a moment and is kind of interesting
~Charlie is not seen here because according to a Rowling interview about the next gen, he alone didn't have kids. Go figure. (who needs kids when you can have dragons?) ;) ~Ron and Hermione are not seen here because their kids, Rose and Hugo aren't old enough. Sorry, but the epilogue of DH takes place in 2017 and its Rose's 1st year. She older than her brother, and my fanfic takes place in 2015, so there's no way either kid is old enough yet. You may see them later, hint hint. ~The Weasley grandparents aren't here because I'm lazy. And they're old. X). We may see them later though. ~Yes, I made Percy's wife a muggle. I'm sorry, don't kill me. She is canon though (not the muggle part). Rowling stated Percy marries a woman named Audrey and they have two daughters, Molly and Lucy. Her background is unknown, so I thought it'd be fun to throw the muggle bit in. She and her daughters are canon, I repeat, canon, so don't kill me because she isn't Penelope Clearwater, his girlfriend when he attended Hogwarts. ~Victoire, Dominique, Louis, and of course Fleur are all canon as well. Not in books (for 2 of the 3 kids), but in next gen interviews. ~Teddy Lupin is not present because he lives with his grandmother (canon and in epilogue), who I have decided has moved to Hogsmeade. Can you blame her? Her daughter, son-in-law, husband, and most of her family (the Blacks) like Sirius, are all dead. She has one person left, and that is Teddy, so when he goes to Hogwarts, she moves nearby to see him on weekends and such. And... according to an interview with Rowling (I have lots of those up my sleeve hehe), not everyone takes the train. Kids who live in Hogsmeade just walk up to the castle. You'll see him sooner or later, don't worry. ~And yes, George married Angelina Johnson. Completely canon, so don't bother hating me. Just imagine that the two bonded over their love (in a friend and brotherly way) of Fred and that brought them together. And, their kids Roxanne and Fred are canon as well, accordingly to Rowling interviews and such. Sorry I didn't describe them well yet but you know Angelina, and out of all the Weasleys who attend Hogwarts, Fred is the only one in James' year, so you'll have lots of descriptions later because he is one of my main characters, unlike the others who are secondary characters.
~Lastly, I hope you enjoyed it a bit, ;) ................through brainwashing! and bribes! lol
