New Romantics | Hermione Granger Book IV

|26| Chapter Twenty-Six

T W E N T Y  S I X 

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There had been times when Saffron had wanted the Summer to stretch out a little longer due to the fear of drifting apart from her siblings over the school year. However, this year above all, Saffron found herself wishing that the Summer would go on for several more months. As she truly was having the time of her life in the Gill residence, to the extent that she wished she and her siblings could spend the year with Sage, Siris and Noah as they were going to attempt to fit all of the years that they missed together as a family into one. 

In the two weeks that they had from the end of the Quidditch world cup to the start of term, the Mitchells and Harry all agreed that they were living an out of body experience. Sirius wasn't lying when he said that he was going to make their time with him as fun as humanly possible, as every single day was spent laughing to no end. From partaking in daily swims in the lake to going to an amusement park, to being told stories of when all of their parents were in school, to the three girls going to get a dress for whatever event was going on in school (Saffron got a silver and red one that really did compliment her, according to Sage who showered them with compliments), to just spending nights in eating sweets. It really felt like they were living the life that their parents had planned for them. Although it had come quite late in their lives, relatively speaking, the saying 'better late than never' most certainly applied. As the Mitchells and Harry truly appreciated what they were getting considering they had never gotten it before.

The only thing that would have made it better would have been if Remus or Amanda visited them. But neither came. Sage and Amanda were still very decidedly not on speaking terms which was disappointing. Saffron tried not to bring them up too often, not wanting to annoy Sage or Sirius and hoped that they would resolve their issues privately. It certainly left her curious though. Curious about what actually happened between them to cause such a great divide and why didn't anybody talk about it? She kept her curiosity on the low though and just enjoyed the time she got to have, as she was well aware that it was soon going to come to an end.

And it did. September 1st either came about in a flash or at a marathon pace and this year it most certainly was the former.

Sage, Sirius and Noah all escorted the Hogwarts students to Diagon Alley via the Floo network and from there they made their way to Kings Cross station. They didn't say much as everything had already been said in the two weeks that they spent together. Their silence symbolised that they were going to miss each other and that if they could gell so well in the space of two weeks, their bond as a newly formed family could only get stronger. They still had so much to look forward to and Noah was at the centre of so much of that. So many of his firsts were going to be in the presence of them all, such as that day, as the boy was going to walk through Platform nine and three-quarters for the first time.

"Is this some sort of a joke?" Noah started across at the brick wall, horrified. 

"Yes, we want you to get a concussion and to break your nose," Sirius said to Noah, rolling his eyes at his son playfully. "Of course not, come on, you'll be fine. Just take it at a run and go right into it. I'll go with you if you want,"

"No," said Noah, shaking his head adamantly. Though, Saffron felt he would have accepted that offer had others his age weren't standing around him. "I got it...I got it.."

With a large breath, Noah ran to the wall and Saffron smiled, thinking he was about to go in, following Maya and Harry, who had demonstrated before him. But he retreated only three steps before the wall.

"Go with me," offered Rachel kindly. She had a trolley that was holding her trunk. She moved  over to make room for him beside her. "It's much easier if you're not the one actually running into the wall,"

"Thank you," Noah was hanging his head in shame, blushing and looking like he wanted to just disappear into the ground, or, well, the wall ideally. 

This time Noah didn't back down and with Rachel by his side, he made it through the platform. 

"As dramatic, as ever," Sage shook her head, chuckling. She then set off at a run to go through the platform and the others followed her swiftly.

Once at the platform, the realisation that they were going to actually have to say goodbye now dawned on them and nobody was quite sure where to start. They just looked at each other for a few moments before Sage decided that she would start off.

"I'd say to you all that we'll see you at Christmas, but I doubt you'll want to come to us given what you'll find out is happening at Hogwarts," Sage said to them brightly. Saffron could see that her eyes looked rather teary. It was evident that having them all in her care meant a lot to her too, as she was finally, after all these years, fulfilling the obligation that she felt she had to her late friends. Saffron hoped she knew that they were grateful for it and truly didn't hold any ill-will, not anymore now that they had gotten to know who they were as people and that they understood why they hadn't been there for them earlier. "But hopefully we'll see you before the year ends," She looked at Sirius, who nodded. "I think we'll find a way,"

Sage smiled at them all as Maya took her into a one-armed appreciative hug. The woman then remembered something.

"Oh, before I forget, Saffron," Saffron watched as Sage took something out of her pocket. It was a slip of parchment that didn't ring any bells for Saffron. "As your Godmother, I'm allowed to sign this for you,"

Saffron's jaw dropped. It was a Hogsmeade permission slip. Squire had refused to sign hers the year previous. Maya had managed to get hers signed, whilst Rowan convinced the elderly woman to sign both his and Rachels. But Saffron hadn't received the same courtesy. Until now, that was.

"I hadn't even thought about it," said Saffron breathlessly, staring down at the slip in disbelief. She too was now becoming overcome with emotion. She took her Godmother into an embrace "Thank you,"

"No, thank you," Sage whispered to her softly. She looked at the others all of whom were now saying their goodbyes. "This was all because of you. Without your bravery, I never would have gotten Sirius back, I never would have gotten my life back,  you did that. And I know for certain your parents would be so proud of you, there wasn't anyone who knew them better than I did. So you can know that for certain, I feel it,"

The first tear shed out of Saffron's eye and she was determined to keep it that way. The whistle blew for the students to get on the train a second later and Saffron hugged both Sirius and Noah, giving and receiving thanks to both of them too. She didn't feel that it was because of her that they had managed to get to this wonderful point in their lives. It was thanks to each and every one of them, she was just one small part of it. One small part of their new family and as she waved them off as the pistons rung out and the Hogwarts express set off towards its destination, she was going to miss all aspects of her life outside of school. 

That feeling was so strange and so unusual but so special and real. To the extent that she thought she was going to wake up from the dream any second now. When she thought about it, maybe Hogwarts was that awakening. Or, contrasting every other year, maybe the ride on the Hogwarts express was the transition from dream to nightmare.