To Sleep, Perchance to Dream

Chapter Four

Steam floods the platform, fogging Harry's glasses. He wipes them off on the sleeve of his robes and tries to focus on not bumping into anyone with Lily's trolley, ignoring the flashing bulbs of the cameras as security wrangles the press to prevent them from being swarmed.

"I envy Ron and Hermione every year, living in Hogsmeade and being able to just walk their kids up to the castle," he says, jamming his glasses back on his face and casting a wandless Impervious Charm on them.

"One of us should have taken a teaching position at Hogwarts," Ginny agrees. "It would have been worth it just to avoid this."

Their children, anxious to find their friends, leave them behind. The photographers start shouting, trying to get their attention, and frantically taking photos of the two of them walking along the platform.

"Nice to see they haven't gotten tired of writing about us," Ginny mutters out of the corner of her mouth.

Harry catches her eye and grins. Somehow, it's easier to joke with her now that they're officially divorced. He would never have been able to predict that.

"They'll be writing about a backslide now that they've seen us together."

She rolls her eyes and gives him a little shove. "Not happening."

"I wasn't suggesting it!" he laughs. "Just giving you a heads up about what to expect in the morning paper."

"As if I don't have enough experience with those fuckers to—don't you dare get on that train without giving me a kiss goodbye, Albus Potter!"

Albus gives her a sheepish smile and trots back over to them. "Sorry, Mum. Love you. You too, Dad."

"I love you." Ginny kisses his cheek and squeezes him tight. "Study hard, and have fun."

"See you at Christmas, Al. Look after your sister." Harry pulls him into a hug, too. "Have a great year."

"Scorp'll make sure of that."

Albus grins as they separate, glancing over at his best friend, who is hugging his own dad. Harry glances away quickly. Now is not the time to be gawking at Draco like a lovesick fool.

Lily releases Ginny to throw her arms around his waist, nearly knocking the wind out of him.

"See you at Christmas," she says. "I'll write to you every week!"

"You'd better." Harry squeezes her back and kisses the top of her head. "I want to know about everything!"

She sees her friends Chloe and Hallie waving at her from a little ways down the platform and waves back, grabbing her trolley. "Bye, Dad! Bye, Mum!"

Harry watches Albus and Scorpius help her get her trunk and the basket containing her little tabby cat onto the train, and then they follow her inside and out of view.

His gaze catches on Draco again. Scorpius pokes his head out of the window of one of the compartments and waves, and Draco beams. The smile lights up his face, and he lifts a hand to wave back.

Merlin, he's beautiful.

Harry suppresses a smile, thinking of his conversation with Scorpius a few weeks earlier. He'd looked so intense, asking about Harry's intentions toward his dad. Nervous, too. It had to have taken a fair amount of courage to broach the subject with him.

"See you at Mum and Dad's on Sunday?" Ginny asks, drawing his attention back to her, along with a sinking feeling in his gut.

"Are you sure you're okay with—"