Ocean's Burning

It had been years since Kitty Jenkin’s had journeyed through platform 9 3/4’s.
Nineteen years to be exact.

Nineteen years since the death of her Mother, her Father, her sisters, numerous classmates and loved ones. Nineteen years since the destruction of Lord Voldemort a name that must be said to be remembered, the destruction of Hogwarts and the beginning of all things new.
With so much trauma, death and destructions created by darkness and it’s followers, avoiding all places of tragedy and pain had been advised to her by her friends, her now adopted family.

As a young girl, she was seen as mad, wonky, delusional, odd and most out strange. All traits she would admit true, and still remaining things that made Kitty Jenkin’s her own person. A Muggle Born to experience something most would never get the chance to.

Now, thirty seven years old, with the same cropped hair, and a red cherry candy in her mouth she walked alongside friends who would never leave her side. She walked hand in hand with her favorite and youngest goddaughter, Lily Luna Potter, who were off to see her older brother James finally accompany the eldest Potter, Albus Severus to Hogwarts.

Lily voiced her concerns most anxiously about what house her brother would fall into. Albus warned his siblings he would abandon them if they ever landed in Slytherin, to which his Mother Ginny would chastise him, while his Father would recite the story again and again of the story of their own names, and their history within Slytherin house.

Kitty Jenkin’s stood to the side watching her friends, Harry and Ginny, Ron and Hermione of course, and their children who barreled over to their parents’ beloved childhood friend, berating her with questions of what to expect throughout the school year as she acted as Professor for their dear friend Hagrid, in the class of the Care of Magical Creatures.

Kitty could only smile and cross her arms, eyeing Albus who was eyeing a pair of Slytherin third years who would be in her own class with a look of distaste. “You know Albus, the last time I saw a look like that in this class, your Father was hijacked by a Hypogriff.”

Albus blushed and the Slytherin third year girls, offered a shy smile, before they greeted their Professor and walked towards their parents.

“Aunt Kitty, if I don’t make friends, can I come to your office, every lunch?” James asked her, walking away from his Father and towards his adopted Aunt, who rested her hand on his shoulder.

“I wouldn’t worry about that, but if you’re really desperate then you can.” She smiled. “That’s how your Uncle Walter and I met, you know.”

Lily laughed, the rest of the boys, Ron and Hermione’s own children, Rose and Hugo chuckled to at the thought of Kitty Jenkin’s husband, a man now at rest after fifteen years of marriage to a Muggle Born witch who had hit him with her car while learning to drive. A woman he had learned to love through thick and then, trauma and heartache, magic and Muggles. Until he drew his last breath with a lifelong battle of illness, that not even magic could have healed.

Walter never asked Kitty to use Magic, and she knew he never would ask to do so. They were so perfect and so in love, that all though they could have no children of their own, they were surrounded by the most wonderful array of godchildren, and adopted nieces and nephews.

“Your aunt will always be around James, if you ever need anything, I know she’ll be there for you.” Harry said smiling, touching his friends hand tightly. “I know she was for me, for all of us.”

Kitty smiled, eyeing Harry’s forehead for a scar that had faded and never ached again. Through thick and thin she had been there for trio and they for her. Through death and revival, love and heartbreak, dementia’s and deluded minister’s of magic, to giant three headed dogs and a Triwizard Cup, and dances and poisoned mead, nothing would tear them apart from each other.

“Isn’t that Scorpious?” Hermione asked, causing her husband to snort, earning a slap to the belly from Kitty and his sister.

Kitty’s own eyes traveled carefully through the crowd until she met two pairs of grey eyes.

“Striking resemblance, wouldn’t you say?” Ginny commented smiling, before turning to her children as the train whistle sounded through the magical station.

“Indeed.” Kitty Jenkin’s said, and smiled.

It had been seventeen years since she last saw Draco Malfoy.

Several occasions she had received calls from Muggle telephone boxes while staying with the Weasley’s, all the calls which she did pick up, but never heard another voice on the end, because as soon as she answered with a swift hello, they would hang up.
Until, she spoke first and this time answered the name of the caller, who could not deny his own name.

There was love there, between the two and there always would be. Torn apart and put together, through thick and thin, a Muggleborn and a Slytherin, a Death Eater and a member of Dumbledore’s Army. From the moment he disaperated on the broken bridge at the school that had brought them together, Draco and Kitty they knew they would always be apart, but somehow connected. There was nothing left to heal, nothing left to resolve or talk about. But when Draco called the girl who smelled of Cherry candy, she agreed to meet him in London, in Diagon Alley in front of a wand store where both of their magical adventures did actually begin.

A Muggle Born girl traveling with her parents, a blonde sneering boy with his Father, paths intertwined for a moment as they paid for their wands, both different, but both with similar purpose of creating change.
As they stood in front of the store, Kitty recollected and told Draco who could not take his eyes off of her, that that day was the first and last time he had not sneered at her until they tried and conquered friendship their sixth year at Hogwarts.

And now as Kitty looked at Draco, she saw that he was not sneering but rather observing and staring with a small smile on his face as his wife hugged her son, a first year at Hogwarts like James goodbye with all her might.

While the children would travel by train, Floo Powder or Apparating would be Kitty Jenkin’s mode of transportation back home, to school where she had lessons to plan, and creatures to mind.

They did not speak to each other and they hadn’t since that day seventeen years ago, and that would be the last time. Neither admitted their love, because it wasn’t really there anymore, only feelings and memories and a fondness.

As Draco bid farewell to his son who was waving through a train window, he eyed Kitty Jenkin’s who hugged and kissed her friends and family goodbye as the train rolled out of the station.
His eyes met hers, and they smiled.
Leaving Hogwarts had been difficult for Draco leaving a girl he loved behind and betrayed was hard and harsh.
But now knowing that the same someone who had fought so gallantly to protect Hogwarts was still there, doing the same old, odd thing with cherry candies and oddities gave him a feeling of hope and joy, something that she had taught him, was an overwhelming feeling. And with that he could leave, as he did with his wife, nodding once at the no longer odd girl, but odd woman who smiled and shot him a wink.

As the train vanished, parents began to leave, and no one was left except for Kitty Jenkins, who with no children of her own would have her hands tied with the children of her friends, and the many students of Hogwarts.

She walked towards the opening of the tunnel of the platform 9 and 3/4, stopping when the last wisp of smoke from the Hogwart’s Express vanished. With no one around, she chuckled to herself and dug her hand in her pocket until she found her wand, and a golden wrapped candy.

Popping the cherry flavored treat in her hand, Kitty Jenkin’s smiled and with a flick of her wand she was gone from the station, and all was well.