James Potter pressed his face to the window in an attempt to maintain eye contact with his parents for just that little bit of extra time, but all too soon, the train turned the corner and they were lost from sight.

Sighing, James turned to face the compartment, and looked at the family members that were still with him.

"How long - " he began, but was immediately cut of by Dominique Weasley.

"Do not even finish that question James" she stated warningly, before bidding her brother and sister goodbye, and heading off to find her school friends.

Moments after she had slammed out of the compartment, Louis rose from his seat, taking his sister's departure as a signal that it was okay for him to follow suit, and go and catch up with the people he hadn't seen since last July. With a murmured goodbye, he too was gone, admittedly with less flamboyance than his elder sibling.

Chuckling, Teddy Lupin pulled the eldest sibling towards him, and turned to James. "So," he said, "I take it you're looking forwards to starting school then?"

Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say. Both Teddy and Victoire instinctively shrunk away from the small boy opposite them, as a verbal barrage of excitement began to pour from his mouth. Nodding bemusedly, Teddy tried desperately to keep up with what his little brother in all but blood was saying.

"…and I'm really hoping I'll be in Gryffindor, but Dad says not to get my hopes up too much in case it doesn't happen, and I'm really looking forwards to starting the lessons, but Mum says I'd better not behave like Dad did otherwise they might not let me go back after I go home for Christmas, and then I was talking to Uncle Ron about what to expect at Hogwarts, and I might have mentioned that I was worried that I might get lost, and then he mentioned something to me, so I went and investigated and - " Here, James finally took a deep shuddering breath, " – look what I stole from Dad's office."

Teddy had just enough sense to jerk out of his stupor to accept the piece of battered parchment that was being thrust towards him.

"What is it?" he asked cautiously. He had had enough experience with Ron to know that he was prone to testing out new joke products on his young nephews and nieces (although, markedly never on his own children…)

"It's a map. It was written by - " in typical James fashion, he froze, and looked around in an over-cautious manner, before dropping his voice to a stage whisper. " – the Marauders."

Teddy looked excitedly at James. Like all Weasley children – because, despite varying surnames, everyone in their family was considered a Weasley – he was only too familiar with the Marauders and their links to the family. "Really? How does it work?"

"Well, you see…"

By the time the boys had finally tired of the map, the train was nearing Hogwarts, and the other students were starting to move up and down the train, returning to their compartments in order to get changed into their robes.

Whilst Victoire was out in the corridor talking to a friend, James took the moment to talk to her boyfriend in private, to voice the problem that had been troubling him all afternoon. Teddy was his confidante, his advisor, the one he turned to when he couldn't talk to any of the adults.

"Teddy," he began, fiddling nervously with the hem of his new robes. It was a sign that showed how nervous he really was, despite whatever bravado he put on. Teddy, having been raised in such a large family, was well attuned to traits like this, and instantly recognised that now was not the time for jokes, or teasing.

"What is it James?" he asked, concern colouring his usually calm voice.

"What - " James paused, as though considering his question. "Why do people keep staring at us?" At me. "Every time they walk past our compartment, they slow down, stop talking, and just look. I mean, I'm used to it when I'm out with Mum because people always recognise her from the Harpies, but that doesn't explain why they're all staring now…" James looked up at Teddy; clearly that was as conclusive as his question was going to get.

Teddy swallowed nervously. He really wasn't the person to answer this question. He remembered a time six years ago when he'd been in exactly the same position. He remembered what he'd felt when he finally learnt the real reason why people always stared at his Godfather, why everyone knew his name.

For a long time, he had questioned Harry's decision to keep his story secret from the new additions to the family, but recently, after many deep conversations with his Gran, Bill, and Harry himself, he had come to appreciate the reasoning behind the decision. By keeping his young relatives in the dark, Harry ensured minimal disruption their childhood. He was giving them the childhood that he never got to have.

Teddy raised his gaze and met James' worried eyes. He had to tell him something, anything.

In a feat of eloquence his own father would have been proud of, Teddy managed a garbled "um".

Luckily, he was saved from having to say any more by the shrill whistle announcing the trains' arrival in Hogsmeade.

And so, as the two boys were swept away, and separated, by the crowd, one heading towards the thestral-drawn carriages and the other towards the small boats, James' question went unanswered, but not forgotten.