𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐋𝐘 𝐉𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐎𝐔𝐒 - 𝐃.𝐌.

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 158

7 years later...

"Are you nervous RaeBae?" Draco asks.

"Dad!" Hiraeth cringes. "Don't call me that in public."

Draco laughs. "I'm sorry, you're still my baby though." He says, pulling her in for a hug. "Seriously, are you nervous?"

"What if I get sorted into Hufflepuff or something?" Hiraeth says.

"You won't." I say. "I know my daughter. Trust me, you're a Slytherin. And even if you get sorted into a different house, we'll still love you all the same."

"Unless it's Hufflepuff." Draco says.

I smack him in the arm. "Well no wonder she's so scared."

"Hufflepuffs suck. I think you'll fit in just fine." Sterling says.

"Sterling stop being such an arse!" Hiraeth scolds.

Serenity starts laughing at the both of them. She's four now, and she's starting to catch up with their banter.

Draco leans over to me. "We should've left them with my mother." He whispers.

I nod.

"Sterling." I say. "Don't bother your sister."

"But it's so much fun." He whines.

Sterling's at that age where he's starting to realize how much fun it is having a sibling. He mostly likes making her mad.

Serenity on the other hand, is still my baby. I'm completely fine with that.

Hiraeth being eleven is really hard for me to even process. Time went by so fast. I can't believe she's starting school.

I take her face in my hands and kiss her forehead. "I love you, darling."

She hugs me tightly. "I love you too."

"You better write to me everyday. I wanna hear about anything and everything."

A group of girls the right of us are giggling and pointing at Draco. Of course he's completely oblivious to it.

I tap him on the shoulder. "You've got some sixth years checking you out."

"Who cares." He says.

I stare at him for a second too long.

Sterling makes a gagging noise. "Stop, stop, stop!"

"I have to go." Hiraeth says. "I really don't want to. I'm gonna miss you guys so much."

"I promise you'll love it." Draco says.

She hugs him, cramming her eyes shut. "I love you, Dad."

"I love you too, RaeBae." He says quietly, so he won't embarrass her again.

He kisses the top of her head.

"Hug your sister. You won't see her for a while." I say to the other two kids.

Even though Sterling may argue with Hiraeth a lot, he does love her, and she loves him. At the end of the day, they're family. "I love you." He says. They hug each other goodbye and I can even see Sterling look a little sad. "I guess I love you too." Hiraeth teases.

Then Serenity hugs her, wrapping her tiny arms around her as far as they can go.

"Bye Renny, I love you."

"I love you toooooo." Serenity says.

Hiraeth hugs me one last time, grabbing her trunk, looking like she's on the verge of tears.

I place my hand on her cheek. "Hey, I was just as scared as you are when I was going into first year." I tell her. "Write to us, I mean it. It'll help."

She nods, and begins to walk towards the train.

Here come my tears.

"She grew up so fast." I say.

Draco wipes the tears from his cheek. "She'll always be my little girl."

I hug him, watching Hiraeth take her seat inside the train. She sits with a group of girls, they seem pretty welcoming.

The train begins to move, and I put on a smile while she looks at me with that nervous look on her face, but as soon as she's out of my sight, I cry even more.