"Daaddy, why can't I go!" Victoire Weasley complained, stalking around shell cottage, her wavy silver hair bouncing along as she strode past her father.

"You're not of age, Vicky," he said patiently, smiling to himself. It was always funny seeing Victoire worked up.

"Urgh! It's not fair!" Victoire threw her arms in the air and collapsed into a chair. Victoire Weasley was tall for a 9-year-old, with a delicate, pale heart-shaped face and bright blue eyes.

Victoire's mother waltzed into the room, as usual. "Mon amour, don't worry! You time weell come," she assured her daughter, pushing red hair out of Victoire's face.

"BUT I WANT IT TO COME NOWWW!" Victoire sulked angrily, pulling a cushion over her face.

Fleur Weasley caught her husband's eye and winked.

Victoire's younger sister, Dominique, sidled into the room, her bright red hair cropped short. "Victoire, why're you angry?" the 5-year old asked, innocently looking around.

"Ask Daddy! He'll tell you." She pointedly glared at her father, as if it was his fault she wasn't allowed in Hogwarts. Bill pulled Dominique onto his lap, thinking this was going to be a tough year.

A week later:

Andromeda Tonks bustled about the house, her grey hair in a tightly wound up bun. "Teddy, are you alright?"

An eleven year-old boy with a bright shock of turquoise hair rose from the sofa. "I'm ready Gran. I've packed everything. It's alright. Just sit, for once," he said, his hair flickering between black and mouse-brown. He got up and walked towards his Grandmother and pulled her down on her seat.

"Oh I'm sorry Teddy I'm just worried!" she lamented, gazing up into her Grandson's brown eyes that looked so much like hers. "Now that you're gone as well…"

"Hey!" Teddy cried, kneeling down on the floor before his Grandmother, who was beginning to tear up. "I'm only going to Hogwarts! I will come back, Gran. There's Christmas! I'll write to you every week. Not too often though, otherwise everyone'll think I'm a bit of an idiot" - Andromeda smiled - "But I'll write. Don't worry Gran! You know the Weasleys and Uncle Harry'll always be around! And if you ever get bored you can always entertain yourself with Dominique and Lucy and Louis, and James, Fred, Roxanne and Rose, and Al, Lily AND Hugo… Victoire mighn't appreciate your crooning though, but she loves having you around! I think Molly'll be too busy reading to do anything else, though…"

Andromeda laughed.

Teddy got off his knees and his Grandmother hugged him tight. "You're such a blessing, you know that?" she said, letting go of him and wiping away her tears.

"Eh, it's old news," Teddy said, returning to his usual playful tone. His hair turned bright turquoise.

Andromeda choked back a sob. "Come on, Harry should be arriving soon," she said, placing a hand on her Grandson's back as they walked out of the house. With a wave of her wand she sent Teddy's trunk flying out the door. Teddy picked up his owl-cage, in which a tawny owl sat, snoozing lightly. 'Pooky' as Dominique had named it, woke with a start and hooted indignantly.

"I'm sorry Pooky," Teddy muttered in an undertone. "But we have to go! This is it! We're off to Hogwarts!"

Andromeda turned around to find her grandson having a covert conversation with his owl. "Teddy?" she called, uncertainly.

Teddy looked up with a start. "Right. Sorry. Owl." He smiled awkwardly.

She shook her head. "You've got your wand?" she checked.

"Yeah. It's right here!" Teddy whipped out a wand. "Holly, Hippogriff tailhair, 13 inches!" he exclaimed excitedly.

"Right. I heard Victoire is coming to see you off,"

"Really? Well that's good. Well not really. I hope she doesn't punch me at the platform."

"Why would she punch you?" Andromeda asked, surprised.

"You see, I think she's rather upset about my going off to Hogwarts and all. I mean, only because she can't go when I do. You know what I mean? She's been quite moody these few weeks."

Andromeda suppressed a smile. "Well, we'll see how it goes."

As they reached the platform, Teddy walking with Harry – Andromeda having bade Teddy another teary farewell at their doorstep – and jabbering animatedly. As they walked, Harry noticed Victoire, Dominique and Bill walking in the opposite direction, coming to see him off.

Harry patted Teddy lightly on the back and said, "Look, there's Victoire," softly. Teddy's face lit up, and his hair turned an even brighter shade of turquoise, if that was possible.

"She came!" he exclaimed.

Teddy waved excitedly to Victoire, murmuring to Harry in an undertone, "Although, she might be angry with me,"

"Why?" Harry asked.

"You'll see," Teddy said darkly, watching them approach.

Victoire stomped forward to Teddy, leaving Bill and Dominique several metres behind.

Teddy smiled. "You made it!"

Victoire grunted. Then she punched him in the stomach. "Why're you going before I am!"

Teddy winced. "I'm… I'm older, you see."

"It's so stupid!" Victoire exclaimed.

"It is." Teddy agreed.

"Arghh!" Victoire cried, looking frustrated.

"Hello Victoire." Harry said, bending down to her height.

"Oh, hello Uncle Harry!" She said, seeming surprised Harry was even there.

"Don't worry! 2 years'll pass before you know it," he said, smiling benignly.

Victoire huffed. "Easy for you to say! You've got work! You'll be all distracted!"

Harry laughed. "Well maybe you could come along with me one day," He winked.

"Reallly? Oh that'd be brilliant, can I, Daddy?" Victoire asked, excitedly turning around to look at her father, who was just approaching.

"Sure, as long as you-"

"THANK YOU SO MUCH!"

Teddy smiled, inwardly thanking Harry for distracting Victoire.

An hour later, after Harry insisting upon treating the whole lot of them to lunch, the 5 of them stood on platform 9 and ¾.

"Merlin, I miss this place," Harry said, staring out at the gleaming red train in wonder.

"Never thought I'd be returning as a father," Bill chuckled.

"Neither did I, actually," Harry said, reminiscing about the old days.

Victoire looked at Teddy carefully as Dominique fussed over Pooky the Owl. "So you're really going then," she said, glancing over at Teddy's trunk.

Teddy smiled at her sadly. He hesitated, then blurted out, "I'll miss you."

Victoire hiccoughed and looked down.

Teddy shrugged. She'd come around eventually. As the scarlet train roared and everyone began to board, Teddy looked down at her flaming red hair and said, "Well, this is it. Bye Victoire,"

Victoire looked up slowly. "Bye Teddy."

Harry hauled Teddy's trunk up onto the train and stood before Teddy smiling. He saw worry in his Godson's eyes and bent down before him. He gave Teddy a big hug and ruffled his hair.

"Don't worry Teddy. You'll be alright. I'll see you for Christmas in abit, you'll be wondering how time's passed so fast!"

Teddy laughed. "Maybe," he smiled.

Harry nudged Teddy forward, and couldn't help feeling proud. It was like he was sending off his own son – in a way, he was.

As Teddy turned around and beamed at them all, waving, Victoire pushed herself out from between her father and Harry. She bounded up to Teddy and encased him in a hug.

Almost falling backward, Teddy laughed at Victoire's ferociousness.

"I'll miss you too Teddy," she whispered.

"I knew you would," Teddy grinned.

Victoire let go of him and smacked him on the arm. "Well, have fun!" she cried, waving, trying to ignore both her father and her Uncle Harry's smug grins.

"Bye Victoire!" he called, boarding the train, just as it started to move.

"Bye Teddy! See you for Christmas!

"You bet!"