“Yes! That was great. You should have seen your face. And if I got it just right, we will see you running through all squinched up and then looking around like a moron when you realized that you were here.”

“Here?” Hildy asked, bewildered.

Chase just jerked his thumb upward as he stowed his camera. Hildy looked where he gestured and saw the sign for Platform Nine and Three Quarters. Letting out a relieved laugh, she sighed and moved out of the way as her Grandmother and Matty came through the barrier. Matty was smiling like a fiend and his eyes eagerly scanned the crowd of students and parents that was gathering. Hildy and Chase handed their carts off to the Express attendents to be stowed in the cargo cars, though Hildy kept Rolf tucked in her arm under her cloak.

Walking down the platform, their grandmother gestured to students boarding the train. “You two should go and get a compartment now before it gets full.”

“Wait!” came a call from down the Platform as two large, muscular men came through the barrier, jogging down the Platform to see them. Uncle Gideon and Uncle Thayer were smiling broadly and ran right up to each wrap her and Chase in a tight hug.

“You didn’t think you would get to leave without seeing us did you?” Asked Uncle Thayer comically as he squeezed Hildy tightly, little Rolf rawring and climbing irritatedly onto Hildy’s shoulder to avoid being crushed. Despite the sadness of the day, she found herself smiling broadly and she would have hugged him back if her arms where being smashed down to her sides.

“Ugh, come on Gid, there are girls around.” Chase grumbled as his uncle easily over powered his struggles to hug him. The two large men released them and stepped back, smirking at their now lovingly bruised niece and nephew. Gid turned to Hildy and come over to sweep her up in another tight hug while Chase got away with a punch in the shoulder from Thayer.

Stepping back a little so he could look at her, while holding her close, Gid spoke lowly, “As soon as I find anything out, I’ll write you. I promise. But otherwise, I want you to try to move past this. I know that it is hard and sad, but this is your first time to school. This is a happy day. Despite everything awful that has happened and I would never have traded your mother for anything, I am happy that I get to know my niece and nephew now.”

Hildy’s eyes watered but she blinked back her tears as it was her turn to give her Uncle Gideon a crushing hug.

“Hey, I didn’t get that!” joked Thayer.

Laughing, Hildy wiped at her eyes and turned to hug Uncle Thayer as tightly as she could manage. Playing around, he gave a strangled cry but his muscle was unyielding under her arms. It was no surprise that he tracked, captured and sometimes killed rouge, dangerous werewolves. Despite his serious job, he was so sunny and happy and carefree, Hildy wished that she could take him to school with her to keep her spirits up.

Their Grandmother stood back and watched the interaction with Matty, Hildy thought she might have seen the ghost of a smile on the old woman’s lips but it was gone as soon as she noticed Hildy watching her. Despite the fact that they hadn’t gotten along so far, Hildy stepped up to her Grandmother and reached her hand out to shake. “Thank you for everything Grandmother.”

Her Grandmother stared at her proffered hand for a moment like it was something strange and offensive before surprising Hildy by stepping forward and wrapping her free arm around the girl, she gave her a soft hug and kiss on the cheek. “You have your mother wherever you go, you look so much like her.” She whispered in Hildy’s ear and stepped back. Her face back to the usual emotionless mask, or maybe it never broke at all, as she picked at lint off of her sleeve.

Hildy stood in shock for a moment and then forced a small smile and nodded at her grandmother before turning to Matty. Rolf was still perched on Hildy’s shoulder, not a fan of all of this smashing that his human seemed to enjoy doing. Gathering him off of his perch she held him out to Matty, “Give him some love to last him until Christmas.”

Matty smiled, shakily now and took the kitten. He murmured some soothing words as he stroked it gently and hugged it to his face. Rolf was already very attached to Hildy, but no animal could resist Matty. He just had a way with them, something that made Uncle Thayer quite sure that the lad would follow in his footsteps. Crouching down, Hildy held out her arms and her little brother looked at her with a trembling look before throwing his arms around her, Rolf hopping back up to her shoulder as if sighing disgustedly, Gah, more smashing.

Matty’s little voice was shaky, “Don’t forget me.”

Hildy rubbed his back like their mother used to when they were sad and crying, shushing him. “Matty, how could I forget you. I’m going to write you a letter first thing as soon as I get to my room.”

“Promise?”, he asked teary eyed as he stepped back and nestled against his grandmother.

“Promise.” Hildy said, more cheerfully than she felt. Looking back, Chase was getting a lecture from Uncle Gid.

“…and I have told you, just because I work at the Ministry doesn’t mean I can pull strings if they want to kick you out. So keep things as calm as possible for me, alright?”

“Of course, Gid.” Said Chase with a smile that was anything but trustworthy. Hildy and Thayer laughed as they both noticed this. Chase turned and joined Hildy and they both boarded the train, pausing just inside the door to turn and wave at their family gathered on the platform. Two young people headed to school and neither of them had parents there amongst all of this family. But if Chase could do it, so should she. Waving one last time and bring Rolf down to cradle in her arms as she weaved through the crowd, they headed to find a cabin.