Thomas Prince sat on the lawn near his parents but a bit away from them. This wasn't completely new behaviour for him. Ever since they knew he wasn't going to run right into the Black Lake, or do something stupid that would cause him to fall into it. Well, they let him wander the area a bit. He imagined they'd do the same with Char when she got old enough.

Today he wasn't in the mood for wandering or climbing nearby trees.

He plucked a blade of grass and tried to make it whistle as his father had taught him to do years ago. He wasn't as good at it as Dad was, but he could usually get it after a few tries.

Today was no different.

Hogwarts.

Today it was his home, as it had been all of his life. Well, he slept here and did his schooling here. They had a home away from here where he spent a lot of time with his mum.

She'd taught him all sorts of things growing up: how to milk cows and goats, how to help deliver a breech calf (and a few other animals), how to harvest corn (and the difference between feed corn and edible corn), how to gather eggs, how to pick apples, and how to shear sheep among many others. The past two summers he'd been responsible for mowing their lawn that was visible from the road.

It wasn't until two summers ago that he found out no one else could see their property. Mum's friends in the area only knew the smaller yard and house. Magic was truly amazing, being able to keep something as vast as Mum and Dad's property from being seen by passersby.

He liked working outdoors summers with her. She let him go without a shirt and he got as dark as a muggle penny by the time September rolled around. He liked it, even if she lectured him about taking breaks and drinking water. And to not stay out in the sun for hours and hours at a time.

His favourite, which was going to be his chore from now on during summers starting next year, was to ride along their property's various perimeters to check the fencing and such for any repairs that needed to be done. Some of the repairs Mum and Dad could fix with magic, some needed to be done the muggle way. He'd get to help them do those now.

Wednesday they'd leave Hogwarts and spend the night at the house. The week before school they always stayed at the castle. Mum would go home with him tonight if he wanted to spend the week at the house, but he didn't mind spending nights here and he got this week with his dad while Mum went between the house and Hogwarts. She was always busier than dad was this week because she helped pretty much everyone on staff do the things they asked her to. He didn't go with her much anymore, but he used to. He was pretty sure he knew exactly how the healer liked the infirmary beds made. On Thursday, Thomas would ride the Hogwarts Express by himself to come to this place, that was home, as a student for the first time.

He was … excited and nervous.

Excited because he'd finally get to learn more about magic. Yes, his parents had taught him some and answered his questions. He'd helped his father with some brewing. He was ready to learn more, though.

Nervous.

Well, Uncle Albus, who he'd have to call Professor Dumbledore now, had told him for years he expected great things from him.

What if he didn't live up to that? What if he wasn't great? He'd also told Thomas how brave his parents were, which he'd never gone into detail as to why they were, but what if they were disappointed in him?

It was a lot to think about, which was why he was sitting here by himself looking over the lake in his favourite spot, and his parents had chosen to allow him a little distance. They were pretty intuitive and seemed to know he needed the space while still wanting them nearby.

His dad had taken him to Diagon Alley weeks ago and gotten him everything he'd need to start school at Hogwarts. His trunk was packed. It was weird for him to think that essentially he wouldn't be living with his parents anymore. Sure, he'd be with them summers and breaks (unless he elected to stay in his dorm), but it wasn't going to be the same.

He glanced over at his parents, his little sister and brother, Charlotte and Philip. Charlotte was five now and would take over Thomas' spot in the little classroom off the library. Philip was just two, but would probably be with his mum and Charlotte the same as Char had been when she was that age.

His dad had been right, once she got over crying and started talking like a real person she wasn't so bad. She wasn't squeamish about doing things around the house either. In fact, she could probably gut a fish faster than he could!

He and Char were the only ones that knew he was going to be a big brother. Again. Philip was too little to understand. Around his dad's birthday his mum told him. Another brother.

He was pretty sure they were sitting on the same blanket they used to sit on with him. He felt his eyes prickle and get itchy, knew he was on the verge of crying.

Was it wrong that he wanted to stay at home? His dad had said that was perfectly normal and that they weren't going anywhere. He knew that. He believed him and yet…

He wiped his eyes with his sleeve, shaking his head.

He was not going to cry like a baby. He'd known since he could read pretty much that September 1, 1938, was the date he'd start on his life as a wizard.

A wizard.

He was a wizard.

"Are we going to Hogsmeade today?" he asked.

"We are. Do you want to come with us?" his mum asked. "You don't have to, but of course we want you to."

He nodded.

Yeah, he wanted to go.

He liked his parents. He didn't know many other kids away from those he knew at Hogwarts to know if that was strange or not, but they'd never treated him like a child. They had always explained things to him as if they knew he'd understand what they were saying.

And he usually did.

And more importantly, and seemingly different from the norm based on things he overheard other professors say, his parents seemed to legitimately like one another. Their annually hosted game nights were the stuff of legend now. Groundbreaking is what Uncle Albus had told him about the first one. He'd never before played cards in mixed company is what he'd told Thomas.

Why not? Why didn't men and women play cards together? No one ever told him. He imagined it was one of those things "he'd find out".

His mum had Philip in a carrier-like thing she said she'd come up with the idea of when he was a baby while he walked (slowly) beside Charlotte. Their parents tried to keep a slower pace, too. His dad held his mum's hand and he held Charlotte's.

He couldn't recall a time his parents didn't hold hands. That they didn't talk quietly amongst themselves as they walked. He didn't understand what they had to talk about all of the time.

"How old was Mum when you met her?" Thomas asked. He had no idea where the question came from. He supposed he knew some people met their husband or wife at Hogwarts. His parents hadn't gone to Hogwarts, though. They'd never told him how they met that he could recall.

His dad glanced at his mum and she shrugged.

"Your age," he said from ahead of him. He didn't sound … happy about saying that. Thomas frowned a bit wondering why. And then it dawned on him what he'd said.

His age. He had no idea.

"She was eleven?"

"Actually, she was weeks shy of twelve, but yes. We met at the library because in our spare time we both enjoyed reading muggle books."

They did like to read. Their home library wasn't going to rival Hogwarts' by any means, but it was pretty elaborate. Muggle and magical books. Fiction and nonfiction. Books for kids and ones obviously not meant for them.

"Did you like her?"

"At first I did not, no," he said. His dad chuckled in that way that told him whatever he was thinking was a private joke. "She was quite annoying."

"When did that change?"

His dad stopped walking then and turned to face him. His eyes were bright with amusement. As bright as his eyes could get anyway. He liked when his dad laughed. He didn't do it often.

"Oh, she's still annoying, Thomas."

"Erik Magnus," his mum said, but laughed. She obviously wasn't mad. That was good. He'd never heard his parents actually argue. He imagined they had, just never in front of him.

"In truth, Thomas. She stayed. I liked being alone. She didn't let me scare her off as I did everyone else. She kept talking to me. As annoying as she was, she actually said things that made sense and made me want to talk to her."

"Begrudgingly," his mum said, followed by a laugh and his dad shaking his head. It was one of those inside jokes they had.

He squeezed his mum's hand, bringing it to his mouth to kiss the back of it.

"Most importantly, she loves me for who and what I am. She knows my story and wanted to ensure what was told once she came into my life was very different from my beginnings. She has succeeded. It started with her, but then there was you." He tilted his head then, regarding Char and Philip. "And here we are."

Thomas listened as they talked the rest of the way to Hogsmeade. They talked about the house and the work Mum had to do this week to prepare for her days to be occupied with the library again. They talked of Dad's potions and the latest article he'd published. He liked listening to them talk, and they never tried to hide what they were talking about around him.

He loved coming to Hogsmeade. It seemed as if everyone knew him. He supposed they did because he'd been coming here with his parents since he was born. A thought occurred to him when they got to town.

"I won't be allowed to come here with you anymore, will I?"

"Not during the school year, no, but on breaks and summers, of course you can still come here."

"Oh, good," he said.

"Until your third year."

"Right."

"I've already addressed with Headmaster Dippet that I will be abstaining from being chaperone once you're of age. Unless there is some sort of emergency that requires it of me."

"Thank you," Thomas said. That relieved him. He liked his parents, but he didn't want them with him! Not when other students didn't have their parents around.

His mum laughed and his dad smiled at that. Was that wrong to say? He didn't think so, and they didn't seem mad. He couldn't help but think that any other student wouldn't think that way. That was kind of the point of those trips from what he'd seen.

"You are welcome."

He took full advantage of being able to be here today, and his parents seemed to indulge him. They always bought sweets from Honeydukes, but he noticed his mum had them add a few extra of his favourites. It was weird to think he wouldn't be able to come here again for a while. His mum didn't come here really at all once the weather turned and she had more work to do at the house so he doubted he'd be coming here again until next summer. Maybe breaks with her.

Faster than he thought it could or would happen, it was Thursday morning. His mum made all of his favourites for breakfast. She also inspected his clothes closer than he'd seen her do in a while. Uncle Albus was watching Charlotte and Philip so that Mum and Dad could get him onto the Express alone.

The platform thing was tricky, but he got it. He knew his parents wouldn't let him run into a wall. Soon enough they were right behind him and there was the Hogwarts Express. He'd seen it, of course, but never from this end. It was always at Hogsmeade when students were coming to, or leaving, Hogwarts.

"Just remember you aren't the only one this is new for. You have an advantage, too, in that you at least know where you are going. Most others have never even seen Hogwarts, let alone been inside of it."

He nodded. He knew that was true. Obviously, that wasn't true for anyone who was a second year or higher.

"Be nice and be respectful."

"Yes, Sir," he said, watching his father. It was usually his mum who said these things, so he was sort of surprised to hear him say them.

"Just be yourself, Thomas, and you will make friends. We are very proud of you, and more than excited for you to start your education. You are a natural. Just remember that. We will see you at dinner."

"I know," he said. He wasn't sure if that made him feel better or not.

Dad held out his hand, which Thomas took and shook it the way he'd been taught to do.

His mum then slipped him a handful of galleons with her handshake. "For treats," she said. "It's a long ride."

"Thanks," he said, eyes widening a bit at the amount she'd given him.

Did she even know how long the ride was? She'd never ridden the Express that he knew of. He supposed she heard students talk about it over the years.

"Oh goodness," his mum said, wiping her eyes and sniffling. "I promised I wouldn't cry, but look at you! You're growing up. I'll blame hormones," she said, setting her hand against her abdomen.

"Marie," Dad said. His voice sounded more as if he was teasing his mum than really mad at her. "You're going to embarrass the wizard."

"I know," she said, rubbing her cheek against his dad's shoulder. "I'm sorry. Can your mum get a hug?"

He closed the distance between them and hugged her. Yes, this was familiar. Years of hugs, and it didn't matter that Charlotte or now Philip needed some, too. There had always been enough hugs.

"Oh, thank you, Thomas. I'm not going to embarrass you. Or myself. I'm going to miss you. You're my boy," she said, stroking his hair. She pulled away, kissing his forehead.

"I'll be fine, Mother."

"I know that you will be. Now, go, have a good train ride. And I will try not to be a mother hen, worrying."

He smirked then, running toward the train. He knew many of the students, most anyway. He found a group of second years he recognized and stood in line behind them waiting to board, turning then and saw his parents still standing there. His dad had his arm around his mum and she was really crying now.

He wasn't sure what to make of that. He'd never really seen her cry, and he'd seen her get hurt pretty bad at home.

Was she mad?

No, she didn't seem mad. He'd seen her mad. She was quite scary when she was really mad. This wasn't that.

He'd have to ask his father another time what it meant. Why was she sad about him going to school? She'd been teaching him for years, and never seemed bothered by the idea that he would be a student here at Hogwarts when he was eleven.

For his dad's part he didn't look upset or concerned. So it must just be one of those Mum things.

He waved then, and they both waved back. His dad kissed the top of his mum's head.

"Oh, that's so romantic," a voice from behind him said. "Are they your parents?"

He realized then that she was talking to him, and turned then to look at the girl … witch.

"Uh, yeah," he said with a shrug.

"Does he always kiss her like that?"

"Yes," he said. Was that not normal?

"I'm not sure I've ever seen my parents kiss," she said.

"Really?" he asked with a slight frown.

He glanced back at his parents, saw that there were others watching them, too. That happened a lot, he noticed it both at Hogwarts and Hogsmeade. He never understood what was so special about his parents. He should maybe be embarrassed that they behaved so differently than other mums and dads apparently did.

He wasn't though. He wasn't sure if he'd ever get married, but he sure wanted to like his wife as his dad obviously liked his mum. Why wouldn't people want others to see that?

"I think it's sweet," she said with a sigh.

He had learned to recognize that sigh, it was one he'd heard witches around Hogwarts give around or about wizards they liked.

"Thank you," he said.

"I'm Antonia Potter."

"Thomas Prins," he said, bowing his head politely.

"You're a first year?" He nodded "Are you excited?"

"I am. You?"

"Yes, I can't wait."

Eventually, they made their way onto the train. Thomas found a car and was surprised when not just Miss Potter but three other witches and a wizard joined him.

"This is Penelope, Millicent, Florence, and Abraham. Thomas Prins."

"Nice to meet you," he said.

They all obviously knew one another before getting on the train. They talked familiarly, but they did seem to go out of their way to include him.

He bought some treats when the cart was pushed by their car, ensuring he had enough to go around for everyone. He wasn't the only one who bought things, so they put it together into a community pile of treats. The witch, Millicent, hadn't bought anything he noticed and she was eyeing a chocolate.

He used his wand and levitated it to her.

"Oh, no, thank you," she said.

He knew she wanted it. She was just trying to be polite. Likely embarrassed, too, she had nothing to contribute to their stash of treats.

"You'd be doing me a favour, though, really, I didn't ask for it. She probably put it there by accident."

"You don't want it?" she asked, incredulously.

He'd had plenty of them before. In fact, he just had one last week, and knew that his mum and dad would get him another one if he asked for one.

"Not particularly, no," he said.

The chocolate hovered near her hand. Finally, she turned her hand palm up and, with some concentration, he moved it there with a slight nod of his head. Her eyes met his, and he saw gratitude there. He looked at her again, closer this time, then looked at the others in their train car. Her robes had obviously been worn before, an older sibling maybe?

He didn't ask, and it was honestly none of his business. His parents had told him that the whole world had just come out of some tough times and that not everyone could afford things like new robes and books. His dad was very adamant that no one should be treated differently because of such a thing that was not their fault. Even without tough times, not everyone was able to afford the same things. He nodded again then, returning his attention back to the other wizard in the train car.

There were lulls in conversation between the six of them. He and Abraham talked sometimes, Abraham was the oldest of three as well. He hadn't admitted to any of them that his dad was a professor and his mum was the librarian at Hogwarts. He wasn't ashamed, but he wanted people to talk to him for him, not because he'd already been to Hogwarts. He was pretty sure all six of them dozed for a while at one point.

Eventually, they were there. The gameskeeper met them as his parents' told him they would. He didn't know about the boats, though. He smiled a little at that with a shake of his head. Of course his parents would want him to get the actual experience the same as the rest of the first years.

The six of them were able to fit into two nearby boats and Thomas had to admit it was a pretty impressive way to see Hogwarts for the first time.

They were led inside where Uncle Albus greeted them, leading them to the doors to the Great Hall. He wasn't the only one who was nervous. He could see it in the eyes of those around him. His dad was head of Slytherin. Would he expect Thomas to be placed there? He didn't totally understand how it happened, he'd know soon he knew, but he knew that the students were placed in houses. They didn't choose.

He knew enough about all four houses to know that he thought he'd be a good fit for any of them. His parents had never indicated they thought he'd be placed in one over the other. He'd never heard them say they wanted him to be in Slytherin versus the others.

Finally, his name was called. Antonia had been called right before him, expectedly given her last name was Potter. Millicent still hadn't been, so her last name must be after his he realized. He took a deep breath as he walked through the doors, surprised and yet not when more than one older student waved or acknowledged him somehow.

He gave the professors and his dad at the head table a slight nod. His mum wasn't there, she didn't usually go to the opening feast since she wasn't a professor he knew. He'd always assumed she'd done it so he wouldn't miss his father, wondering what he was doing at dinner that night. The opening feasts always seemed to take so long, and his mum had always entertained him.

Now he no longer had to wait. He was here, about to find out what house he would be in and get his first opening feast. Charlotte and Philip were the ones who had to wait.

He spotted Antonia and Penelope at the Gryffindor table, Abraham was at Ravenclaw's and Florence was at Slytherin's. So, he might not be with any of them! If he was sorted to Hufflepuff.

Uncle Albus beamed at him with a twinkle in his eyes that always seemed to be aimed exclusively at him as he approached him with the Sorting Hat. He'd seen it in Headmaster Dippet's office a few times and wondered what it was. He'd always been told "he'd find out" as with many things over the years.

Evidently now was the time he'd find out about at least one of those things.

"Welcome," he whispered and Thomas nodded, knowing he was talking to him as Uncle Albus, not as Professor Dumbledore. That calmed him, and he relaxed a bit as he took his seat on the stool so the hat could be set on his head.

"It will be fine, Thomas," Uncle Albus said and Thomas nodded. He knew it would be. And then Uncle Albus set the hat on his head.

It was dark.

And quiet.

Was it supposed to be? Was he supposed to say something? He hadn't been told to.

Well, hello.

Oh, this is interesting.

Hmm.

Someone has done a very good job with you, haven't they?

Yes, he thought in response.

Exactly. Yes, not what I was expecting at all.

Interesting indeed.

Well, I know that you will do great things. Yes, very interesting indeed to see what you can become.

Thank you , he thought. What was he supposed to say to that?

All right. No preferences? No thoughts on where you want to be?

He thought on that for a moment and then shrugged his shoulders. No, not really. I'm just glad to be here. I'm ready to learn to be a wizard.

Where you belong. Yes. Hogwarts is home for you, and I know that you will treat it with the respect that it deserves. Well, then, here we go. Best of luck to you.

Thank you .

"Ravenclaw," the hat shouted out and it was pulled from his head. He saw Uncle Albus glance at the head table, presumably to his father who he saw give a simple nod.

"Good job, my boy," he whispered with a wink before Thomas left and sat next to Abraham at the Ravenclaw table.

Millicent was all the way toward the end with her last name being Zonnger. She joined Abraham and him at Ravenclaw.

Soon, Headmaster Dippet made a welcoming speech, talking about the upcoming year and general rules that Thomas already knew about, like the Forbidden Forest being off limits. He'd been there before, potion ingredient collecting with Mum and Dad. He had been told all along, though, under no circumstances was he to go in alone and never as a student was he to break the rules in place. They'd imparted on him that while magic was a wonderful tool, just like with any other tool they could be used for good but also for bad.

He'd heard about Gellert Grindelwald. He didn't know much about the situation, but he knew his parents didn't agree with the wizard. He was a bad wizard, though, someone who used his magical abilities to do bad things.

The rules were in place for a reason. For protection. Not just for the students but the others that called Hogwarts and its grounds home. Just because he was familiar with things other students were not, did not give him the right to break the rules in place. Breaking rules could lead to expulsion and forfeiting his wizarding education.

He absolutely did not want that to happen!

And then the tables were full of food. Thomas glanced at the Gryffindor table where Antonia and Penelope were and their table had just as much food on it as his. They all did! And his mum chose to eat meals with him every day? She had a meal in the Great Hall with his dad once in a while, but it was rare. She never made it seem as if she was sacrificing or felt as if she was missing out on anything either.

Abraham, Millicent, Thomas, and the rest of the first years were following the Head Boy and Head Girl, Palmer and Constance, to their dorm. Thomas knew the direction they were going, though he'd never been in any of the dorms except Slytherin because his dad was head of that one. He'd spent more than one evening with his dad while he did office hours or had a meeting.

Palmer fell into step beside Thomas.

"We're really excited to have you in Ravenclaw, Thomas," he said.

"Thank you." He was pretty excited, too, truthfully. And was glad that the older students wanted him here.

"Your dad isn't disappointed, you don't think?"

"Why would he be?" Abraham asked.

"Because he's head of Slytherin."

Millicent, Abraham, and a few others were staring at him now.

"Uh, no," Thomas said. His father had never said, but Thomas was pretty confident that his dad didn't really care where he got sorted. "I don't think he'd want to be my head of house."

"Your dad's a professor here?" Abraham asked.

"Only the best potions professor Hogwarts has seen in decades if not ever," Palmer said. "And not to boast, but he's tops among all the wizarding schools."

"Really?" This was Abraham, sounding very intrigued. Huh.

"Uh yeah."

"So this isn't your first time in Hogwarts then?" another first year, Karl or Kurt he was pretty sure, said.

"He grew up here. I mean, your dad's been teaching here since before you were born, right? And your mum's been librarian for like ten years."

"Your mum works here, too?"

"Uh, yeah," he said.

"She's the librarian?" Millicent asked.

"Yes."

"Would she give me a tour, do you think?"

"Uh, I can ask her, sure, she loves showing the library off."

"Oh, that would be wonderful. I've heard so much about the library."

Eventually, conversation moved onto things other than his parents, thankfully, but he saw a look of not just respect but interest from more than a few of the first years as a result of what Palmer had said.

Soon, they were shown to their rooms. His roommates included Abraham so he was good with that.

"You've really grown up here?" his roommates asked when they were settled in and in bed for the night.

"Yeah," he said.

"Impressive," a couple of them said.

"I mean, we have a house and everything that we go to during summers and on breaks."

"Yeah? You probably miss Hogwarts, though," one of the roommates, Luke said.

"Actually, no. Our house is pretty nice. Mum has crops and livestock, there's fish in the ponds on the property, and gardens. She works them all around her schedule here."

"You mean your elves do," another roommate, Scott said. Obviously trying to start a rift between Thomas and others or something.

"No," he said, getting defensive. "I mean my mum. Yes, she has a few elves that work the fields and stuff, but she does as much work as they do."

"Oh," Scott said.

"Mum would never do that," Thomas said, adamantly.

His mum had never said so, but he knew she would never take advantage of their house elves that way. He knew that was not always the practice, but he was pretty sure their elves thought of his mum as family, too.

"What's that?" Abraham said when there was a thump on Thomas' bed.

"My cat," he said.

He smiled a bit at Boots as he made himself at home on Thomas' bed, kneading the covers by his hand.

"I didn't realize he could get in here, but he sleeps with me every night."

He was the son of his mum's cat. He'd been able to pick one from the litter before last. There'd been four kittens. For some reason, Boots was his choice. His face was more smooshed than Crookshanks' was. He wasn't sure how that worked exactly, but Thomas didn't care. Boots was his. His mum had kept a second kitten from the litter before the one Boots' was part of, too. Charlotte and Philip had one, too, now from this most recent litter.

"Soon I'm going to be outnumbered by familiars," his father had said when Philip also wanted to choose a cat. A second cat had been kept from the litter, though, so obviously their father hadn't really minded.

"Will keep any mice out at any rate," Scott said.

"Yeah," he said.

He let his hand run over Boots' tail once he'd gotten comfortable. He was not at all disappointed that his cat had come to say good night to him on his first night in his dorm. He figured eventually Boots would wander off to do his nightly exploring (hunting) or spend the evening with his dad or siblings.

He'd come, though. His first night in an unfamiliar room, with unfamiliar boys, he had Boots.

It was about a month before he brought Millicent to the library to meet his mum. She hadn't pestered him about it or anything, but she had reminded him earlier in the week that she'd still like a tour if his mum would be willing.

He brought her up when they both had a free period on Friday morning. He, Abraham, Millicent, and Luke all had the same schedule so had become partners and … friends. At least he thought they were friends. He'd never really had any before now to know. Sure, as he had gotten older some of the first and second years would play with him and stuff, but he'd never really considered any of them friends.

"Mum," he said, forgetting until he saw Charlotte in the same room he'd done his schoolwork in until this year that she'd be here, too, since she started her studies this year.

"Is that your sister?" Millicent asked.

"Yeah, Charlotte," he said. "And the little one is my brother, Phillip."

"Oh," she said. "And another one soon it looks like," she whispered.

Thomas nodded simply, glad she hadn't announced it. They weren't hiding it, but his parents weren't the type of couple to make a big deal out of such things. His mum, in particular, didn't seem to really like attention being paid to her. She told Thomas once that there were people who couldn't have babies or who couldn't carry a baby so they didn't like such attention when they knew others viewed it as a bittersweet moment. It was one of those "you'll understand when you're older" things his mum had told him.

"Hello, Thomas. Miss Zonnger, how nice to see you again."

"You, too, Madam Prins."

"Hi, Mother. Millicent was wondering if you'd give her a tour of the library."

"Oh, well," she said, glancing behind her at the room where Charlotte and Philip were.

"I can watch them," he offered.

He knew how much his mum loved to show off the library, and she rarely got the chance to anymore because all of the professors had seen it by now, and most of the students just didn't care. That seemed to bother her. Thomas admitted he understood her love for it. Books could be read at any time and anywhere. Books were friends, but more than that. They were knowledge. They were the key to learning about different worlds.

"Are you sure?" she asked. He saw she was excited, though. He nodded. "Yeah."

"Sure," she said.

He went into her office area then, watching as his mum and Millicent walked away. His mum was already talking excitedly and Thomas chuckled before turning his attention to Charlotte.

He hadn't seen her in a month. He missed her he only now realized. She drove him crazy and everything, but she was pretty all right for a little sister he supposed.

"Hey, Char," he said.

"Tom!" she squealed. He reached down to hug her, shushing her. "You'll wake up Philip. And this is a library, you're supposed to be quiet."

"He sleeps all of the time," she said with a roll of her eyes.

"You did that, too, when you were that little. Sleep and cry. Play a bit, but mostly sleep and cry."

"Really? Did you?"

"Well, you'd have to ask Mum and Dad as I don't remember, but I'm sure I did. I think that's what babies do."

"Oh," she said, scrunching her nose as they both regarded the baby in question. And likely thought of the new little brother they'd be getting in just a few months' time.

Philip was like two years old now he supposed. He didn't do anything besides play with baby toys, which if he recalled was about all Char did at the same age. He remembered being her age, all excited for a little sister and someone to play with. Only it took forever for him to be able to actually do anything with her. And then for a while it was baby toys, but eventually she liked to go out and kick a football with him and about a year ago she'd wanted to try getting on a broom. Philip would get there, too.

Thomas had been in heaven then. To him there was little better than flying. He still wasn't allowed to go very high or anything, but he had every intention of making the Ravenclaw quidditch team next year. He hadn't even bothered trying out this year. He knew most of the school brooms were rubbish and he wouldn't have been allowed his own. He did go to the tryouts, though, and watched so he would be prepared as to how well he'd have to perform next year in order to be considered.

He'd love to be a chaser like his favorite player Joscelind Wadcock, but he'd watch the games this year and go for whichever position he felt they were weakest in. He knew Mum didn't care for quidditch much, but Dad seemed to like it. Thomas knew despite being head of Slytherin he'd help Thomas over the summer. As long as Thomas had done the homework to present to his father why he felt he should go for that position.

"She'll be back in a few minutes," he said to someone who came to his mum's desk. "She's with another student. If you see her out there she can help you, otherwise she'll be back."

"Thanks," the older student said. "Thomas, right? Madam Prins is your mother?"

"Yes," he said. "This is my sister Charlotte," he said, gesturing to Char. She seemed to miss him, too, as she hadn't left his side yet.

"I'm Adrian, glad you were picked for Ravenclaw."

"Thanks," he said, smiling.

He recognized Adrian but didn't know him well or anything. That wasn't unusual. There were like a thousand students here, he couldn't know them all!

Eventually, his mum came back and Millicent had a look in her eyes that he'd only ever seen in his mum's before. Oh, his dad loved books and knowledge, but his mum really was born to work in this library. Although he thought his mum could probably do whatever she wanted. She and his dad were real smart. She was still doing her tutoring sessions he knew. Other students raved about them and the fact she knew everything about pretty much all of the subjects. No one asked him why he didn't go.

He would never!

"Thank you, Thomas," Millicent said.

"Yeah, sure. Thanks, Mum," he said.

"You're welcome. It was my pleasure."

"Did, um, Adrian find you?"

"He did and we found what he was looking for."

"Good." He turned his attention to Millicent. "Are you ready to study then?"

"Yes," she said.

He leaned down, hugging Char. "Be good for Mum. Do your work."

"Bye, Thomas," she said, sounding so sad. He'd have to try and get up here during the day more often than he did.

They found a table big enough for the two of them plus Abraham and Antonia. Florence and Penelope didn't join them very often, but sometimes they did.

He blushed profusely when he caught his mum watching them. She had that Mum look in her eyes. So she was looking at them as his mum, not as the librarian. There was a difference. He recognized that.

"So, uh, Charms," he said.

"Oh yes," Millicent said.

And they went to work.

Story ©Susan Falk/APCKRFAN/PhantomRoses.com