CHAPTER 10: 16 Years Later

"Who would've thought, Draco," Hermione Malfoy mused as they packed their children's trunks, "That we would last beyond Hogwarts?"
"I did," Draco purred, kissing her temple.
"And now we're sending our own kids to Hogwarts! Isn't it amazing?"

Draco thought it was amazing.

"I wonder if they'll find the kitchen's like we did," Draco said. Hermione smiled.
"If they do, I hope it's not until they're older. As in, Fourth year older," Hermione said quickly. "I can't imagine Rose going through everything I went through to see if you..." she blushed. "Well, never mind. I just hope she doesn't have to... oh, forget it," she said, giving up.
Draco hugged her. "You don't want her to repeat your experiences at an early age," he said. Hermione smiled and nodded.
"Yes, exactly."

They had almost finished the trunks when Hermione sighed. She was holding up two wands.

"Oh, I hate it when I can never remember whose wand is whose!" she exclaimed. "Call the kids, please?"

Draco went to the door and took a deep breath. "OI! KIDS! COME HERE!" he yelled. His voice echoed down the newly-painted white walls ("To make the house seem less sinister," Hermione had said). In a flash, his two kids were standing in front of him.

Rose looked almost exactly like her mother; she had soft waves of brown hair falling down to about mid-back, a rounded face and light freckles across her nose. She had narrowed pale grey eyes and stood tall and proud. She was smart and didn't like getting in trouble, but had an excellent poker face.

Scorpius looked like Draco; he had silky platinum-blonde hair, pale skin, and a stance exactly like Draco's. His eyes were cinnamon brown and he had a kind personality, even if he didn't like to show it. He enjoyed playing tricks on people and had perfected lying when he was six.

Hermione looked at the twins sternly, noting the wands they held in their hands. "Are these from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes?"

It was almost comical how the twin's faces went blank at exactly the same time.

"Guys," Draco added in sternly. "Answer your mother or we'll be late for the train."
Rose, typically, cracked first. "Uncle George said you wouldn't like us having them," she said quickly. "But he said that we'd have lots of use for them in Hogwarts!"
Scorpius groaned. "Rose, shut up!" he muttered.

Hermione smiled at them both. Against her will, she placed the wands in Scorpius' trunk. Everyone gaped at her.

"What?" she asked curiously. Rose and Scorpius pointed at the trunk, then at Hermione, then back at the trunk again in shock.
"Oh, Merlin," Rose whispered. "The world is ending."
"Our mother is encouraging us to prank people," Scorpius whispered, equally quiet.

Draco couldn't help it; he burst out laughing. Quickly he shrank the trunks and Hermione put them in her bag.

"Come on, or we'll miss the train," he chuckled.

The twins went down the stairs first, chatting animatedly to each other.

"Oh, I hope I find the kitchens!" Rose said loudly. "Maybe I'll have a romance, just like mum and dad!"
Scorpius tripped her on the last stair. "They didn't have a romance in the kitchens, Rose. Merlin. They made it up."
Rose picked herself up, dusted off her clothing and glared at him. He didn't look fazed.
"No they didn't, Scorpius. It's true."
"Romance's just don't happen like that! Romance takes time, and sensitivity, and a whole lot of other stuff mum and dad didn't have."

Draco looked amused when he spoke. "Are you mocking the way I made your mother fall in love with me?"

Hermione hit him on the arm and he opened the front door for everyone.

"It's not mocking if it's true."
"Smartass," Draco muttered. "So how will you make your future wife fall in love with you?" he demanded. Rose turned to her brother curiously.
"Oh, I dunno. Something simple and smooth. No kitchen meetings or anything like that."
Draco ruffled his son's hair. "You're wise beyond your years, Scorpius."

Scorpius glared and patted his hair down.

"Take a deep breath," Hermione advised, taking Scorpius' hand and turning on the spot.

They landed outside Kings Cross station and the twins gasped for breath.

"I hate Apparating," Scorpius grumbled. "I much prefer flying."
"Apparating is much more useful, though," Rose said logically as the family headed towards Platform 9¾. "You can fall off brooms. You can't fall off Apparating." She snorted at the stupidity of it.

"No, you just splinch yourself," Hermione said coolly.
"What's a splinch?" The twins asked together.
"Never you mind," Draco said quickly, pulling them through the wall that led to the Hogwarts Express.

The twins could barely contain their excitement while Draco and Hermione returned their trunks to their original sizes.

"Oi, take these to the train," Draco told the twins. They dragged them towards the train and were lost in the steam.

Draco and Hermione turned on the spot for familiar faces and nearly ran into the Potter's.

"Hermione!" Ginny squealed, hugging her tightly. Draco and Harry shook hands, grinning.

When they broke apart, Ginny hugged Draco and kissed him on the cheek and Hermione did the same with Harry. Just then the twins found everyone.

"The train is so beautiful," Rose said. "I never imagined it would look like this!"
"Rose, stop being so rude and say hello," Scorpius said, nudging her in the ribs with his elbow. Rose pushed him back, then realised who he was talking about.
"Aunty Ginny!" she cried, and barrelled into her. Ginny laughed.
"Uncle Harry," Scorpius said very formally, holding out his hand. Hermione and Draco snickered.

Harry, not wanting to be rude, took his hand. They shook and Scorpius waited calmly for the effects to take hold. In the meantime, he pushed his sister out of the way and hugged their favourite aunt. Ron and Luna appeared out of the steam with their daughter, Annora, by their side. By a weird twist of genetics, Annora had wavy jet black hair and green eyes.

Draco nudged Scorpius. "Is that the girl you're going to fall in love with?"
Scorpius' face went blank. "We'll see."

Draco snickered and straightened up to shake Ron's hand.

"Hello Harry," Luna said dreamily. "I like your hair. Is it new?"

Harry patted his hair frantically, but didn't find anything wrong with it.

"Huh?" he wondered.

Everyone burst out laughing, Scorpius more than anyone.

"Invisible Handshake Appearance Changer," he gasped out. "From Uncle George." Harry groaned and got his wand out, waving it awkwardly in front of his face. "It's irreversible," Scorpius added slyly, admiring his handiwork.

James strode out of the steam looking exactly like his father, but without the pink and purple hair.

"Are you trying to kill me of embarrassment?" he asked, moving to stand next to Rose who immediately put her poker face on. He grinned and winked at her. Rose smiled back. Hermione and Harry shared a look just as the train sounded.

Everyone rushed to give their kids last minute advice. "Now Annora," Ron said, "Stay away from those Malfoy boys. You know what I've told you about them." Annora rolled her eyes at her father's protectiveness.

Harry squatted so he was at eye level with James. "Take care of that Cloak," he said seriously. "Don't get it lost or anything."
"And please don't get expelled!" Ginny begged, hugging him. James rolled his eyes.

Hermione and Draco regarded the twins very seriously. They stood side by side, equally excited.

"You'd better be Sorted into Slytherin," Draco said seriously. Hermione hit him over the head.
"Draco! It doesn't matter what house they're Sorted into. Just get good grades," she said, hugging them both goodbye.

One by one the parents let their kids onto the train. Draco, Hermione, Harry, Ginny, Ron and Luna all waved goodbye to their kids until the train was out of sight.

"I hope they have the same experiences as us!" Ginny said wistfully.
"I don't really fancy my kid having to face down a Dark Lord, thank you," Harry said immediately.
"You know what I mean," Ginny said, leaning her head on his shoulder.
"Maybe they will, Ginny," Hermione said softly. "Maybe they will."