Harry Potter One Shots (Vol. I)

Maturing Taste (Albus Severus Potter)

It's been a while, but I've sorted through all the requests and things should be picking up again ~

____________________

FIRST YEAR

Regardless of how many times I insisted otherwise, Mum hated that she had to leave me alone. The Easter holiday was almost over and mum was supposed to take me to Diagon Alley to get some more parchment and other things that I needed before heading back to school, but she needed to leave. There had been a letter waiting at home for us when we got back from a day out, and something about the letter and the super official looking wax seal on the back had mum freaking out - even if she tried to hide it.

No matter how much she protested, I knew it was something important that had her packing my bags in preparation for returning to Hogwarts, even if there was almost an entire week left before school started. It had to be something important for mum to have fallen so unusually wordless and to have decided to ship me off to the Potters. Mum and Mrs Potter, who apparently had never been good friends whilst at school, began being friends after they shared the same room to recover from giving birth to their daughters. That was the story they told Lily and me when we asked them a few years back. They'd bonded in that room, and because of how often we were around each other, Lily and I had become quick and easy friends.

Even now, as we stood at the doorway of the Potter home, we were both grinning at the idea of a week-long sleepover. I knew mum was stressed out about something that was taking her out of the country, but that concern didn't lessen my happiness at being around Lily for so long. Mum and Mrs Potter stood in the front door, talking and we, Lily and I, stood silently beside our mums. Not that we needed to say anything - we did all our talking through our excited exchanges of eye contact.

"Don't worry Parvati," Mrs Potter said softly to my mum, reaching out to clasp one of mum's hands between both of hers. The tone she said it in threw me - why was Mrs Potter worried as well? I looked between the two women, who didn't so much as glance at me. Even when Mrs Potter extended her arms for me and brought me into the house.

Reaching Lily's side, I couldn't look at her when she linked our arms together. I was too busy looking at mum who I realised was frowning for the first time today. I'd never - mum had never frowned so deeply.

"I'm really sorry about this, Ginny," mum was saying gently, giving me my bag and I took it without a word, wondering how I hadn't heard the waver in her voice before.

"Everything will be fine, Parv," Mrs Potter said finally. Then, she added more softly, "You should go before you miss your portkey."

"You're right." Mum leaned down, reaching out her arms towards me and I went willingly into them. I didn't know what was going on, or why mum was clinging so tightly to me, but I held her just as tight. It was like I couldn't get the words out, so I just nodded against her shoulder as she spoke, "I've put the money for your Diagon Alley trip into your bag and your pocket money for the term is in your trunk - if you need any more owl home. Make sure you're good."

Finally, drawing back from mum, I managed, "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too." Trying her best to smile, mum could only offer me a watery one. What was going on? She kissed my forehead, murmuring, "I love you."

Then she was standing, picking up her own bag and waving at me before she walked away from the Potter house. I leaned out to follow her as she walked towards the apparition point and kept my eyes on her until she disappeared out of sight.

Before I could even begin to miss my mum, Lily was there again, with a sunshine smile and warm hands to usher me into her home from where I'd stepped out again onto the doorstep. Finally walking into the house, I looked up at Mrs Potter who offered me an older version of the same sunshine smile as she shut the door behind me.