10 years later
Tansy watched as her daughter boarded the Hogwarts Express at Kings Cross Station on September the first. Her chest swelled with pride as she looked at her daughter in her brand new slightly-too-big school uniform. Hope's eyes shone with excitement as she clambered up into the carriage. At the top of the steps, she turned back and leaned out of the open door again to give Tansy a bear hug. Tansy felt herself tearing up slightly but she smiled brightly, wanting to be strong for her daughter.
'Go and get a seat. It's about to go. I love you.' Tansy said softly. She tried to make her arms loosen around her daughter's small frame but it was hard.
'I love you too Mami,' Hope said quietly. She wriggled and then grinned. 'You have to let go now, Mami.' Tansy smiled a fragile, bittersweet smile and felt a tear spilling over onto her cheek. She let go of her daughter and took a step back, wiping her face quickly before Hope could see.
'C'mon Hope. I've saved you a seat.'
A small boy with blue hair appeared at Hope's side. Tansy thought how smart he looked in his new robes. She glanced over to where his parents stood hand in hand next to Fred, their faces beaming with pride. Teddy Lupin had somehow persuaded his parents to bring him all the way to London so that he could travel to Hogwarts with Hope on the school train. As deputy head of the school, (under Severus Snape who had taken over headship the previous year when Minerva had retired), his father would meet him and Hope off the boats that evening when they arrived at the school.
'Have a good first term both of you.' Tansy said softly and both Hope and Teddy grinned excitedly.
'C'mon Hope – come and see, I've got a window seat!'
'Okay, I'm coming, bye Mum! BYE DAD!' Hope bellowed, waving over Tansy's shoulder at her father. Tansy winced a little at the volume and smiled to herself – Hope had certainly not inherited her mother's shyness and social anxiety. She watched as Teddy pulled her daughter out of sight into the carriage.
The whistle blew and Tansy took another step away from the platform edge as steam billowed around her obscuring her vision. She heard the carriage doors slamming and peered through the windows so that she could wave to Teddy and her daughter.
'There she is, there she is, there she is! BYE HOPE!' Four-year-old Sirius shouted, capering around and pointing at a nearby window. He ended so loudly that Tansy winced again and put her hands up over her ears.
Sirius Arthur's identical twin brother, the more serious, George Regulus was standing solemnly by his father's side, waving both hands at his older sister, through the window. Tansy smiled down at her twins, thinking for the millionth time that they looked like miniature versions of their father.
'When can I go to Hogwarts?' Sirius asked, still capering around excitedly. Tansy grabbed him as he made a break for the train door and brought him back to stand with the rest of the family.
'When you're a bit bigger, come and stand next to me and Georgie and wave now.' She said, taking his hand in case he made another break for freedom.
'Why is Ari not waving?' George asked, looking up at his other sister, who was cradled in Fred's arms, blinking solemnly and sleepily at the proceedings, having just woken up form a nap.
Tansy glanced at her youngest and smiled – Ariana Minerva Weasley, the baby of the family had alone inherited her mother's eyes and hair colouring. She'd actually come as a bit of a surprise six months earlier, sharing her birthday with her uncle Ron. Tansy and Fred hadn't been planning any more children but they had welcomed the news of the new addition and now that she was here, Tansy couldn't imagine life without her.
'She's a bit young to wave, Georgie.' Tansy explained, then, seeing his crestfallen face, 'Daddy can help her though and we can wave twice as hard, too.' She smiled as Fred gently moved the baby's hand up and down, making all three children giggle.
Tansy looked back towards the train as the guard slammed the last door and blew his whistle again. The train immediately gave a lurch forward.
'I love you!' Tansy mouthed through the glass. Hope nodded, her eyes sparkling with excitement and blew her mother a kiss. Letting go of Sirius's hand, Tansy pretended to catch it and held it close to her heart. She felt Fred's arm slipping round her waist and she leaned in to his embrace, drawing strength from his solid support.
The train began to pick up speed and Sirius started to run beside it, trying to keep up as it picked up speed. Abruptly, Fred pulled his arm away from Tansy and jogged behind his son, still holding the baby tightly under one arm. Tansy felt her eyes tearing up again and this time, she wasn't strong enough to hold back the flood and she felt them running down her cheeks. She felt George's tiny hand sliding into her own and squeezed it tightly.
'Don't cry, Mami. Hope's happy.' George had always been the most perceptive of her children.
'I know Georgie, Mami's just being silly because she's going to miss your big sister so much.' Tansy sniffed hugely.
'She'll have the time of life you know,' Remus said from behind her, 'they both will.' Wiping her eyes, Tansy looked up and gave him a watery smile. She could see that her cousin, Dora, was in the same state as she was, because she was crying unashamedly into a handkerchief.
'My baby is so grown up!' She exclaimed, blowing her nose loudly.
'Teddy isn't a baby!' George said, sounding so shocked that all three of the adults had to laugh.
'He isn't! He's this big!' George reached up into the air and jumped to emphasize his point and they all laughed harder.
'What did I miss?' Fred asked, jogging back to them. He was still carrying baby Ariana in one arm and he had a squirming Sirius under the other arm. Tansy quickly let go of her George's hand and relieved Fred of the baby, kissing the top of her head and smelling the familiar scent of baby powder that always made her feel calmer.
'Can we go and have cake now?' Sirius asked, as Fred placed him back on his feet. 'Mami said we could all go for cake after we said goodbye to Hope.'
'Yes, I did say that, Sirius.' Tansy said, turning to Remus and Tonks. 'Would you like to join us? We're just going to that little place in the park across the road. They do great coffee…'
'And great brownies!' Sirius interjected loudly. Remus glanced at his watch and nodded.
'Yes, why not? I'm not on duty for another five hours and you've got the day off, haven't you Dora?'
'Will you hold my hand as we go through the barrier, Uncle Remus,' George asked, then, catching sight of Tansy's open mouth, added a, 'please,' on the end.
'Of course I will, George.'
'C'mon I'm starving, I want aN ENORMOUS brownie!' Sirius said, capering off in front of them again.
Tansy felt Fred's arm slipping around her waist and turned to see him smiling down at her.
'You know that Hope is going to be just fine and we'll see her at half term.' He said, clearly reading the residual anxiety in Tansy's expression. The wizarding school had finally adopted the British muggle school system and had introduced 'half term holidays', a week off in the middle of each of the three school terms. Tansy was already looking forward to seeing her daughter again at the end of October.
'I'm going to miss her so much,' she sighed, leaning in to her husband's side and inhaling his familiar scent – freshly laundered robes, aftershave and just a hint of gunpowder.
'I am too, Fred said, 'but it's time we let her grow up now. She's ready for big school.'
Tansy glanced down at her other daughter in her arms and then looked over to where Remus was walking hand in hand with both George and Sirius (having somehow persuaded the hyperactive Sirius to walk stately).
'Thank you for our children.' She had no idea what made her say it but she felt Fred's arm tightening around her and knew that he understood.
Tansy smiled happily to herself. Yes, she thought, all was well.
Well, I can't believe that Tansy's story is finally over after nearly 11 years. This is quite emotional! Anyway, thank you for everyone who has joined me on this journey. For those that are interested, I have two new fanfics in the pipeline - An Even Greater Challenge and the tandem story The Unexpected Quandary, so please look out for those. Sadly, they will not contain Tansy Laverstock. The main characters will be Severus Snape and a new OC called Sophie Winterchild.