They got out of the car. It was busy, with a steady ebb of people flowing in and out of the station. Ron carried Rose and Hugo's trunks to the door, light in his hands thanks to Hermione's lightening charm. Her mother then fetched them trolleys, onto which they loaded their luggage. Rose held Athena who seemed calm this morning, quietly surveying the scene with her wide yellow eyes. As ever, the family gathered many stares as they cut through the crowds towards the barrier. Several young girls laughed and pointed at Hugo, wobbling along while Dusty, his Sooty Owl, fluttered wildly in her cage. He blushed as red as his hair.

Rose floated quietly through the station, her warm hair neatly tucked into a bun. She was muggle-attired, her enthusiasm to wear her school robes having faded dramatically over the years. A smile touched her lips, the first time she had smiled in this station since her very first journey here. And for the first time since then it seemed buzzing with life, with excitement. Every now and then another strangely-dressed teenager would wander past, or an owl would hoot in the distance, and Rose found it exhilarating. Never had she felt so privileged to be part of this great secret. And the muggles wandered by so unaware…

And then they were at the barrier. Hugo, still slightly unsure, ran at the barrier, his expression screwed up with the anticipation of impact. Rose walked calmly towards to wall between Platforms 9 and 10 and slipped through with ease. On the other side was the great scarlet engine and the usual steam swirling through the air. An enormous wave of sound hit her. Parents and sisters and brothers whirled around in the smoke, half-seen. Rose could scarcely discern a face, spare Hugo's beside her.

Then a pair of arms flew out of the mist and wrapped around her. Rose felt the hair against her face and knew who it was.

'We barely spoke all Easter!' came the sweet voice. 'Until that letter the other night I thought you'd forgotten me.' Violet faced her now, her wide turquoise eyes glowing.

'Of course not,' said Rose and smiled.

'I suppose you had other concerns,' said Violet knowingly, and Rose grinned despite herself. 'I knew it, I always knew you'd get together eventually. And I frequently told you.'

'And you and Fred?' Rose asked, recalling Violet's grief prior to the holidays.

'Ok now, I think,' she shrugged, though did not look upset. 'I guess we'll see.'

Violet soon left to re-join her family, and Rose turned to find hers vanished into the smoke. She cut through the people, again searching for a face she recognised. It did not take long to again catch sight of her parents, having finished loading Rose and Hugo's luggage, stood next to Ginny and George, for Harry and Angelina were working. Albus stood in front of the four alone, while James, Fred and Lily were absorbed in each other's conversation.

'Hey, Rose,' said Albus as she approached. 'It just hit me that we do our OWLs this terms. It's weird.'

'It's terrifying,' muttered Rose, again regretting her lack of revision over Easter.

'But apparently they're going to teach us the Patronus Charm before our exams! Mum said something about a special guest coming in to talk us through it.'

'Wow,' said Rose, to the children of the Order, the Patronus Charm had always seemed to staple of a good wizard. 'What's your Patronus again, Dad?' she asked Ron.

'A great, brave wolf,' he replied, pushing out his slightly podgy chest.

'It's a Jack Russell,' whispered Hermione and they all laughed.

'Can all wizards do Patronuses?' asked Albus, and the older wizards exchanged a look.

'Not necessarily,' it was George who replied, his jovial expression somewhat fallen. 'Sometimes, if something really bad happens, something that makes you lose a lot of hope, you can't do it anymore.' Rose and Albus knew about whom he was talking. Ron's hand was on his brother's shoulder.

With a swish of red hair Lily had skipped from James and Fred towards Rose.

'If you're looking for Scorpius, I think I just saw him arrive,' she said, and Rose caught a glimpse of Ron rolling his eyes, and Hermione elbowing him. 'He was on his own, so he can't have gone back home.'

'Thanks,' said Rose, her heart speeding up in her chest. Again Rose scanned the crowd but could not see him. 'Back in a sec,' she murmured to the others, before wandering off into the smoke.

She caught sight of Percy and dodged to avoid him; then Louis, Bill and Fleur, with whom she exchanged smiles; then the McLaggen siblings: burly, harsh-looking Callum, beautiful, confident Lauren and the smiling and more timid Jason; then the Longbottoms, Frankie was scanning the crows and Rose wondered if she was looking for James, while small, blond Alice followed behind her elder sister; and then Scorpius. He looked tired, with dark circles around his icy eyes, and his pale hair ruffled and messy. His clothes were scruffy too, and even Cronus looked surprisingly rugged for an owl. He looked at her and smiled faintly, and she noticed the ghostly tone of his skin.

'Have you been eating?' she demanded instantly upon reaching him. 'You look exhausted. Thank god we're going back to Hogwarts to be looked after properly.'

'Shut up, Rose,' he said, half-smiling. She did. He held her hand and pulled her away from the crowd, though Rose pulled his trolley along with her, for fear of Cronus going missing. They reached a corner shaded by a great stone pillar and without a word he kissed her, fiercer than before with a kind of abandon as he pulled her towards him, his hands tight across her back. She felt her pulse thudding through her, her cheeks hot against his face. She allowed her own hands to roll through his hair and down the back of his neck.

'…Rose?' came a quiet voice and she pulled away instantly. To her displeasure, Hugo stood just behind them, his face distorted into an expression which clearly said yuck. 'Dad said to tell you the trains about to leave,' and with that the boy turned on his heel and left.

'Hugo' snarled Rose, running forward to grab her brother, 'Hugo!' But he had already vanished into the steam, and with a glance upwards Rose saw that it was indeed 11.58. She and Scorpius both hurried to load his luggage onto the train, before leaping on just as the train lurched into motion. She caught sight of Ron and Hermione on the platform and waved – had Hugo been able to impart his news to them before getting on the train? There was no sign of anger in Ron's face.

The pair wandered through the busy carriage, before Roxanne and Lily appeared, they too apparently in search of a compartment.

'Want to sit with us?' offered Rose.

'Sorry,' replied Roxanne, 'Some girls in our year have saved us seats.'

'Should probably hang out with some people my own age,' smiled Lily, and the two girls again vanished down the corridor.

Rose and Scorpius walked and walked to little avail. She saw James, Louis and Tommy sitting together, each boy accompanied by Frankie Longbottom, Lauren McLaggen and Aoife Finnegan respectively. Rose was happy to note Frankie and James' reconciliation and wondered why Fred was not with them as he usually was.

The answer to this question was revealed quickly, when they came across a compartment in which Violet, Fred and Albus. To Rose, Fred choosing Violet over James seemed a crucial relationship development.

'Mind if we join?' asked Rose.

'Of course not,' said Violet and the others smiled in agreement. Rose perched herself next to Albus, and Scorpius next to Violet.

'So,' said Fred, 'Ron know about you two yet?' Rose shot Violet a look.

'Sorry, but I had to tell him. I couldn't resist.' Violet blushed slightly and entwined her fingers around Fred's. Scorpius looked mortified.

'No need to be shy, Scorpius,' grinned Fred, 'the whole school will know soon, and then it will be embarrassing.'

'And you best not be the one to spread it,' warned Rose, but Fred's only answer was a mischievous wink. Violet hit him.

'I don't really see what the issue is,' said Albus, 'is it really worth all the gossip there'll be?'

'Harry Potter's niece with Draco Malfoy's son?' smiled Fred, 'Best gossip they've had since James started school.'

'Great,' said Scorpius through gritted teeth.

'I wouldn't worry,' said Fred, 'if anything it'll make you look better. Show you're perfectly fine with mud-bloods and blood-traitors and all that, in fact, more than fine.'

'I hate you, Fred,' said Rose, and her cousin grinned.