Child

Albus is seventeen. He is an adult.

Or so he says. He still has his seventh year of education at Hogwarts to go through.

Waiting of the Hogwarts Express at the almost empty Platform 9 3/4, no matter how silly it sounds, is easily one of the best parts of the school year. The steam engine arrives precisely at 9, leaving students two whole hours to board the Express. No need to worry about missing the train and having to drive a flying car to school. Yes, Albus thinks, his Dad and Uncle hadn't really thought that one through.

But this year Albus looks his wristwatch, groaning in annoyance.

It's only half past eight and his last shift of the summer ended merely half an hour ago. He's been working past months in a 24/7 shop, the small one owned by muggles near the King's Cross Station, much to his family's distaste. Not distaste because the owners are muggles – their family is very pro-muggle, thank you very much – but because of his insane working hours.

Albus took all the shifts he could. A part of his Slytherin-y ambition, his brother James had said jokingly after Albus had come home after his first night-shift. And Albus knew he could work all hours of the day, with a little help of few simple potions, though he doubted his parents would really allow that. And after all, by muggle standards, he was still underage. So no completely working around the clock. Yet.

The reason Albus had started working at the shop at the first place hadn't even been that his parents wouldn't give him money. It had been more about making his own. About being able to support himself and buy the newest broom model in the showcase at Diagon Alley without having to ask for permission or money first. To be honest, he doesn't even like working there. Not that he would admit that to James or anyone else.

Albus sits up from the bench and flexes, dreaming about a cup of coffee. If he has over two hours to pass before the train will even leave the station, the hell no will he just sit there and wait. So he walks, for once paying attention at his surroundings.

There are many magical brick walls to go through at the King's Cross Station, he muses, running through the wall that separates Platform 9 ¾ from the muggle station. He goes through that very same wall twice a year so of course he knows what it feels like.

But then again, he has never gone through the other passages and seen the other platforms. Would they be different, or very similar? Where would those trains take him?

His curiosity surpasses his craving for a good coffee and he pushes through the brick wall between the platforms 8 and 7. It isn't a mistake, to be honest, but the experience isn't pleasant.

The horrible feeling you get when you're sleeping and suddenly you feel like you're falling, mixed with all the squeezing and twisting and your limbs being pulled apart you experience when you apparate with someone (bonus points if you weren't ready to apparate because that's just awful, Albus adds sourly and rubs his neck) and make the whole thing slow motion. No wonder people run rather than walk through the wall.

The platform is quieter than expected since besides Albus, there is only one other person to be seen. A girl in pink dress – about Lily's age, Albus notes – sits on the bench alone, staring at the flagrantly purple and yellow coloured train with a small frown on her face. Her hair is red, like his sister's, but shorter and more effortless, reminding Albus of the cartoons he sometimes watched with James and Lily. They had all been young then. On the girl's lap is a book, thick and old, but Albus can't see the cover – the girl is covering it with his hands.

"Problems?" Albus asks out of politeness and curiosity. He had never seen her before. Perhaps she was home schooled, or he just hadn't noticed her at school. After all, he barely knew people outside his own circle of friends.

"I was going to spend my last day of vacation shopping and picking up some potions before returning back to my training," the girl says when Albus sits next to him. "But I boarded the wrong train. This isn't Twilight Town." She pouts but it's clear she's holding back a grin.

"This isn't Twinkle Town either but close enough," Albus chuckles. The girl tilts her head in confusion – apparently not understanding Albus' subtle High School Musical reference – but she smiles nevertheless. Albus shakes his head and grins. "I'm Albus," he says, offering his hand. "Albus Potter."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Kairi." The girl shakes hands with him happily. "Where are you heading Albus?" she asks, folding her hands back into her lap. "If you don't mind me asking?"

Albus runs his hand through his hair and grins. "Nah, it's fine," he says. "I'm going back to school. For my seventh year."

Kairi lets out a small sigh of awe and Albus quickly shakes his head.

"But soon that'll be over, and I don't lie, I'm gonna be kinda glad about it," he mutters. "I can finally get a real job. People will stop treating me as a child."

"There's nothing wrong in being a child," Kairi says gently. "Nor is there anything wrong in being an adult. I read once that childhood isn't just from birth to a certain age – the line between child and adult is in fact very thin."

"Don't you sound mature for your age," Albus teases, trying to diffuse the tension.

Kairi smiles and pats Albus' knee before getting up. "One day, you will be old enough to start reading fairytales again," she says in all seriousness. "Be honest with yourself, Albus." She places the book in Albus' lap. "It was nice to chat with someone for once, but now I need to go. Yen Sid will get worried." She grins. "He has formed a soft spot for me."

Albus glances down his lap and back at Kairi, who is walking towards the train.

"What about your book?" he splutters but Kairi just giggles at him.

"Keep it," she says, her eyes twinkling. "You need it more than me."

She boards the train before Albus has a chance to say anything more. There is a high whistle and before Albus even knows it, the purple and yellow train has flashed away from the King's Cross and is nowhere to be seen.

Flabbergasted Albus walks through the wall, this time not paying attention on experience. The other platforms are full of people boarding their trains and leaving the platform. It's quite a rush time after all.

"Al!"

Albus turns to see Lily running towards him and the petite redhead huffs in annoyance when she reaches him.

"Where were you? I was looking everywhere for you!" she hisses at Albus. Her hair matches her angry red cheeks as she stares up at his brother. With a quick glance at his watch Albus understands Lily's rage: it's almost ten to eleven.

Albus finds it a little difficult to utter words but in while he starts explaining: "I went to Platform between 8 and 7 and–"

That is when Lily cuts him off. She rolls her eyes. "Don't be ridiculous, Al! There isn't a platform between 8 and 7," she scoffs, her brows knitting together. "You could've just told me you were taking a nap somewhere. No need to lie to me." She groans at her brother's expression. "Just come on, I don't want to miss the train."

Albus doesn't follow Lily immediately. Instead he pats his hand against the wall, surprised by the sudden solidness of the bricks. His hand doesn't go through it. It's as if there never was a passage to the platform where he had met Kairi just minutes ago.

For some reason Albus can't stop staring at the copy of The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, the only real evidence he had been there. That their encounter had been real.

He smiles. Maybe he could be a child a little longer.

QLFC Round 12 – Blurring the Lines

A/N: So I needed to write a crossover between Harry Potter and a game of my choice. I picked Kingdom Hearts but that turned out to be more difficult than I had expected. Set during Next Gen (beginning of Albus' seventh and Lily's fifth year) and between KH Dream Drop Distance and KH3 (when Kairi was training to be a Keyblade master). No beta this time because I wrote this so late and I'm already on extension. Oops.

Prompts:

2. (quote) 'One day, you will be old enough to start reading fairytales again.' - C.S Lewis, Chronicles of Narnia

8. (word) honest

14. (setting) King's Cross Station