"Guess this is the end of our summer huh? I'm so happy you joined our family Harry." Andromeda said, dropping down to give Harry a hug. "It seems like we just got you, and now you have to leave again."
"It's okay Andy. I'll write often, and I'll see you over Christmas break! I'm happy to have joined your family too. I've never really had one before." Harry said, his eyes misting a little.
"No more of that. Your parents loved you very much, and I've got to love you twice as much in their place. We're a family now. You, me, Ted, and Nym. We're there for each other. You may not be willing to see me as your mother yet, but I definitely see you as my son. So, you're going to get on this train and see your friends again, then you're writing to me as soon as you can tomorrow morning telling me that you're okay. Then I'll fret about you in between your letters until I finally get to see you again. Ted will call me crazy and Nym will say I'm empty-nesting, but it'll all be okay." Andromeda said, tightening her hug around Harry.
Andy was right of course. For as odd as their circumstances were, they were his family. Maybe not totally by blood, but family nonetheless. Harry felt sorry that he still didn't feel comfortable calling Andromeda mom, or Ted dad. He was about to speak up and tell them, when Andy's eyes told him that she already knew.
"We love you Harry, all of us. Try and stay safe this year okay? No Trolls, no evil teachers. If I hear you got hurt at all I'm tearing Dumbledore a new one." Andy said, tightening her hug on Harry once more, before loosening it.
"Well, mom got all the sappy stuff out of the way, so I'll just tell you to have fun! Oh! Remember that Charlie's little sister starts this year, can you keep an extra eye out for her? She's got four brothers there already, but it never hurts to be careful." Nym said, patting Harry on the back.
"Yeah, I'll do that. I hope Ron was just a fluke in terms of the Weasley's though. Charlie's so much nicer than he was." Harry said truthfully. While Harry's opinion of Ron wasn't as low as his opinion of Malfoy, it wasn't a terrible amount higher. Neville even agreed with him.
"Nah, the Weasley's are good folk, though maybe Ron just didn't get it." Nym said before shrugging. "Oh well, just do it."
"I will Nym." Harry said.
"Ah, now I'm all out of things I can say. Oh well. You don't need them from me. Just know that I'm here for you, son." Ted said his face plastered with a big smile.
Harry simply smiled back, giving Ted a hug before releasing.
"I'd hurry up and get on the train before mum decides to not let you go!" Nym said, pushing Harry along. Harry simply laughed and made his way through the barrier to Platform 9 3/4s before stepping foot onto the train for his second year at Hogwarts.
Making his way to the train car they had designated as their meet-up spot, he wasn't overly surprised to see that he was among the last of their group to make it. In the train car already were Padma, Hermione, Susan, and Daphne.
"Splitting up the Hufflepuffs and Slytherins?" Harry asked, taking his seat between Padma and Hermione. That had always been his seat, this was no exception.
"We've seen each other all summer, while outside of your birthday Daphne hasn't seen you at all, and I only got the shopping day on top of that. Plus, you know how Hannah is with Neville." Susan said, rolling her eyes at the end of her statement.
Hannah's crush on Neville was possibly the worst kept secret in the Sphinx Club, even Harry, who fully admitted he was roughly as dense as osmium, saw how she seemed to hang over him at every opportunity.
"Yeah, I suppose. What about Tracey though?" Harry asked, looking to Daphne.
"Just agreed to sit in that compartment with them. She and Hannah were good friends even before the Sphinx Club, so its no big deal for them to hang out together. Of our little pureblood section, Susan and I were the only two who weren't really friends before the Sphinx Club formed." Daphne said, looking over to Susan.
"Yeah, I always thought you were some kind of ice queen, turns out you're just a sass queen." Susan said, playfully sticking her tongue out at Daphne.
"And I thought you had bludgers for brains. Turns out it was twigs instead." Daphne shot back, the pair sharing a laugh.
Harry just looked at the pair, feeling upset for a moment that they were picking on each other, but relaxing when they started laughing.
"Do you guys know any of the first years coming this year?" Harry asked.
"My little sister actually." Daphne answered. "She's off with a few of her friends now, she wanted to meet you, but was still a little upset that she wasn't invited to your birthday party."
"Didn't I say she could come?" Harry asked bewildered. Daphne had talked about her sister a bit last year, and Harry thought he had told Daphne she could come along.
"Oh, you did, but mother didn't feel it was appropriate for her to come, so she didn't tell her. I think she's trying to play matchmaker with us." Daphne said, waving the fact off like it was uninteresting.
Harry flushed red at the statement. "That doesn't bother you?" He stuttered out.
"
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