"Come on, time to get up," Aurora says, shaking me awake. "Mum, come one! Leo is already in the kitchen trying to make breakfast but he burns the bacon like dad."
I get another jolt from my nine-year-old. I resist the urge to roll back over and go to sleep. We've only been home a few hours after catching the Portkey back from a Quidditch game. Maybe it makes me a bad mum, still working, but it's what my mum did. Writing about the sport I love, but we go to games as a family. I call it a win/win.
"I burn it one time," Scorpius says, rolling over and grabbing our daughter, pulling her onto the bed and snuggling her, her long blonde hair making a halo around her.
"Dad," she says haughtily, "You always burn the bacon."
I can't help but laugh before Scorpius and I both sit upright to the smell of something burning. We both jump out of our bed and raced towards the kitchen to see Leo coughing and trying to flip something on the stove.
Scorpius runs over and turns off the stove as he uses his wand to get rid of the smoke in surrounding us.
Leo has his shoulders slumped as he looks towards the ground. His strawberry blonde hair is shaggy, since he refused to let us cut it shorter, as he wanted to be like his grandpa. "I was up early and I thought if we all ate, then we could get to the train station early."
I hold back a laugh and look at Scorpius. "Why don't we go out to breakfast, yeah?" Scorp says. "Go into London early. Got your trunk packed?"
Leo nodded eagerly. He's had it packed for three weeks.
"Go get on your muggle clothes, you two." I told them.
They both run out of the room and up the stairs. I walk over to Scorpius, who's using magic to scrub the burnt pan. I put my arms around his waist and kiss his shoulder.
"If he takes after me on this, that must mean he'll be in Slytherin for sure." He tells me, turning around, wrapping his arms around me before kissing my head.
I look up at him and shake my head. "No way, he should be in loads of trouble for being in here without us. Gryffindor all the way."
Scorpius laughed and kissed me before the kids could come back and tell us how gross we are. We still live in the same house. The same calmness next to the beach.
"I can't believe he's going to Hogwarts. Are you sure you don't want another?" He asked me, kissing my neck again, as if it will convince me.
"You're the one who didn't want children in the first place," I smirked at him.
"I didn't know what I was missing," he said, pulling away from me.
"Mum! Dad! Get dressed! Maybe Blake can join us!" Leo yells from upstairs.
Scorpius and I both shake our heads, laughing. Blake and Leo were like me and Hugo. Best friends and cousins. "I'll go floo Hugo, see if they're up like we are."
"Might as well floo the whole family. James sent an owl yesterday about breakfast as well to the Leaky Cauldron. Looks like the Potter, Lupin, Weasley, Malfoy clans will be taking over London sooner this morning," he said through a yawn as he's walking to the stairs.
It has been traditions. Every year since Remus, Teddy's son started Hogwarts. And with all of my nieces and nephews that followed. It was a never planned but always happened sort of deal. It was, however, the one of us who had a first year going to Hogwarts that started the chain of floos to get everyone there. As if we weren't prepared. Before I could stick my head in the fireplace, Hugo's alert gaze met mine.
"Leo already up too?" He asked.
"And dressed and packed. Ready to go." I said with a sigh. "You call your sister, I'll call my brothers?"
"Yup. See you at the Leaky Cauldron at nine?" He says, drinking a cup of coffee.
"James already made the reservation," I said with a smile.
The entire clan crossed onto Platform 9¾ in chucks. Aurora and I go first, followed by Scorpius and Leo, who is turning pale. All of his excitement is was washed away the second he saw the train.
"Go on to Grandma and Grandpa," I tell Aurora as she rushes over to Scorpius' parent, who always join us on September 1st. She rushes over to them, both chatting away with my Uncle Percy.
I turn back to my husband and son, who looks like he might toss up his breakfast.
"What's the matter, honey?" I ask, putting my hands on his shoulders.
"What if—one of you will hate me if I'm not in Gryffindor or Slytherin," He whispered.
"Leo," Scorpius said, leaning down to be eye level with him. He was tall, just like his dad.
"No, you're not going to be happy if I'm in Gryffindor and mum will be upset if I'm in Slytherin. I don't want to disappoint either of you."
"Do you think Uncle James was upset when Olivia was sorted into Slytherin? Or Uncle Teddy when Tonks and Remus were both in Hufflepuff? Or Aunt Rose when Jean was sorted into Ravenclaw?" I asked him. "Your dad was in Slytherin. Does that make me love him less?"
"But—" He sighs.
"The only way you will disappoint us is if you don't try your hardest at school. You do the best you can do. No matter where the sorting hat puts you." Scorpius says.
"Your house doesn't define you. You do." I tell him. "We will love you no matter what."
"Promise?" He all but whispered.
"Always," we tell him at the same time.
Scorpius pulls him into a hug, and I wrapped my arms around him too. We finally let go of him and he walks onto the train with Blake, both looking excited and nervous.
Scorpius wraps his arms around Aurora and myself as we watch the train go, leading the Malfoy's into the next adventure.