Unofficial Portkey Archive

Darling Jo

A/N: This is where the real story begins. Ten years after Hermione's death. Brace yourselves for a very frustrating time, but don't worry, there will be a happy ending… hopefully *wink* Please R&R, I always love to hear your comments.

Here is the song that inspired the fic in the first place (in spite that it was only one part of it); you'll prolly figure the initial aim of the story after it J

CHAPTER I

A Song for Her

Slow down
You crazy child
Your so ambitious for a juvenile
But then if you're so smart, then tell me why are you still so afraid
Where's the fire? What's the hurry about?
You better cool it off, before you burn it out
You got so much to do, but only so many hours in a day
But you know that when the truth is told,
That you can get what you want or you can just get old
Your gonna kick off before you even get half way through
When will you realize, Vienna waits for you

Slow down
You crazy child
And take the phone off the hook and disappear for awhile
It's alright. You can afford to lose a day or two
when will you realize, Vienna waits for you.
That u can get what you want or you can just get old
Your gonna kick off before you even get half way through
When will you realize, Vienna waits for you
Why don't you realize, Vienna waits for you
When will you realize, Vienna waits for you

(.- 13 going on 30 Soundtrack)}

"If you don't hurry, me and Uncle Ron are leaving without you!" Harry yelled from the hall at Grimmauld Place.

"You know you can't! It's my shopping day, dad, remember?" young JoAnna Potter said gleefully from the door of her room upstairs and ran down the stairs, all dressed up in her wizard's robes.

Harry looked at his daughter and started laughing in amusement and pride. "You don't have to dress up to go to Diagon Alley, hun," he told his daughter with a smile. Harry was wearing a plain set of jeans and a navy blue neck t-shirt with a white stripe across the chest.

"Don't spoil this for me, daddy! You're so mean!" the little eleven year-old girl snapped at her father. "You have never taken me to the Alley and I want to look like everyone else there!" she protested and pouted.

Ever since "the incident", Harry had pretty much become obsessed with security and had involuntarily over-protected his only child, stepping down from the permanent alertness when Ron snapped him out of it or Jo made up her statements; which were usually almost unbeatable. She was so intelligent… just like her mother.

"Oh, Harry! You made my goddaughter pout again! You mean, mean old man!" Harry's best friend, Ronald Weasley, came from the kitchen downstairs with a pop-tart in his hand and a grin on his face. "Brilliant! These muggle things!" he exclaimed, and raised the blueberry breakfast to the other two. He took two long strides and closed the distance between him and Jo. "I think she already looks like a beautiful witch!" he called out and picked the girl up.

She squeaked happily in her uncle, and second father's arms; sticking her tongue at Harry with a playful grin, resting her head for a moment on Ron's shoulder afterwards.

Ron put a hand on her upper back and smiled softly at his best friend, a sigh escaping his lips and knowing exactly what was going through his old mate's head… Even though she had Harry's hair color and eyes; somehow she was definitely a small Hermione standing there in her robes… their own Hermione.

Despite he was married to Luna for six years now and that he had his own son and daughter, Wyatt and Keira (both names suggested by Luna), he split his time 50/50 between his own family and Harry and Jo.

Harry had to laugh and shake his head to prevent past thoughts and feelings from surfacing and went back to the mood that reigned before that little lapse. "Fine then; let Uncle Ron go and buy you all of your stuff. I'll just sit around and wait till you come back," he said and went to the sofa in the waiting room, crossing his arms before his chest.

JoAnna looked at her father and leaned her head to a side, detaching herself from her godfather and running to Harry, throwing her arms around him and kissing his cheek. "No, Daddy! Please come with us…" she said sweetly and pouted; she knew there was no losing bet when she did that.

Harry looked at her from the corner of his eyes and narrowed them. "You think I'll fall for that one so easily?" he asked and Jo's eyes widened. Harry laughed and gathered her in a hug. "It does, you're such a manipulative little brat!" he exclaimed.

"Aunt Ginny says I got that from mummy," Jo said happily but her sweet eyes revealed an unfathomable sadness and emptiness deep inside. Harry could see it, and he knew that she'd got that from him; he was almost positive that she'd learned that blankness from him ever since Hermione's-since she left them.

Harry stopped short and made a great effort to appear as if that last comment hadn't hit him at all, but Ron knew better and hurried to the couch, in hopes of doing something, but Harry gave him a quick look and he stopped.

He smiled down at his beautiful daughter; at his own eyes but somewhat Hermione's. "Well, aunt Ginny is very much right. Let's go, shall we?" he told her, taking a breath and looking up at Ron, who smiled back. "You apparate to the Cauldron and we'll join you shortly, kay mate?" he said with a reassuring nod and Ron walked over to the apparating spot in the Hall, dissappearing soon after.

Jo looked at the now empty speck where Ron had been a second ago in wonder. "I can't wait till I learn how to do that at school!" she cried happily.

Harry laughed. "Maybe we should get you a wand first…"

"Good idea, daddy," she nodded and walked over to the fireplace. She had used it many times before, but never to Diagon Alley.

Harry walked behind her and kneeled beside his daughter. "I want you to say clearly: The Leaky Cauldron, can you do that?" he asked.

Jo rolled her eyes. "Of course I can!" she protested and bounced afterwards. "I can't believe I'm actually going to the Leaky Cauldron!" she almost shouted with excitement.

Harry chuckled. "Now hurry up, you don't want to make Uncle Ron wait, you know how impatient he can be sometimes…"

Jo nodded and walked to the Floo Powder container, taking a pinch. She stepped into the flames Harry has cast a minute before, threw the powder, and clearly spoke 'The Leaky Cauldron', vanishing a minute after in the emerald blaze.

Harry watched as she disappeared and sighed deeply, looking at the ceiling. "You are the one who should be here, darling, not me," he said and entered the flames as well, disappearing a moment later.

"There you are! I thought you had got lost in the Floo Network!" Ron exclaimed, calling at them.

Jo jumped off the fireplace and hopped excitedly towards her godfather, her eyes threatening to come out of their sockets as she took in absolutely everything around her. "We're here, we're here!" she chanted over and over again.

She was usually a quiet little girl but today she was completely hyper, being this the first time she'd actually be around witches and wizards that were strangers; something she had never really understood, but that her father had always done.

Ron chucked at the excess of energy from the slender girl and looked at Harry, as to say "Didn't I tell you?", but when he opened his mouth to speak, he picked the expression in his best friend's usually calm face and sighed, kneeling besides Jo. "Hun, why don't you go look around for a bit before your dad comes. But stay in sight, kay?" he said softly. Jo nodded and skipped away, not too far from he and Harry.

"Mate? You all right?" he asked, staring at Harry's lost expression.

Harry bobbed his head in acknowledgment to Ron. "Yeah, I just-"

"I know, don't worry," Ron said sympathetically and put a hand on his shoulder.

Harry managed a small smile and looked into his friend's blue eyes. "Thanks, Ron. I really don't know what would've become of us if it wasn't for you."

He shook his head with a fond grin. "Think nothing of it. You were there for me more than once too, that's what friends are for, isn't it?" he asked.

"You're so cliché, you know that?" Harry replied with a laugh.

"You wouldn't love me otherwise, would you?" he retorted with a wink and Harry laughed back. The two walked over to where JoAnna was curiously poking at a Niffler.

She noticed the presence of the two and spoke. "What is this?" she asked.

"Just like her mother…" Harry commented affectionately.

"That's a Niffler, if I remember well," Ron said grumpily. "If I were you, I'd get my-" But it was too late; the little animal had quickly turned around and taken from Jo's thin wrist the golden bracelet with her name engraved. She'd gotten that from Hermione's parents when she'd been born.

"Hey! Give that back! You thief!" she protested angrily. The two men looked at each other and bursted out laughing at the memory of fifth year. "It's not funny!" she snapped at them.

Harry sobered. "Sorry, Jo, you're right. Petrificus," Harry said and the little animal froze in place, letting go off the bracelet.

Jo gasped and took the small creature between her hands. "Daddy! Why did you do that? It's mean!" she cried and took the bracelet, carefully placing it in her robe pocket.

Harry's mouth dropped and he looked at his daughter in disbelieve. "I thought you wanted your bracelet back!"

"Yes! But not that way!"

A plump woman, not five years older than Harry and Ron turned to the three at hearing the commotion and leaned her head to a side. A moment later, she let out a joyful screech. "Ooooooh! It's Harry Potter! Mister Potter!" she exclaimed, apparently unable to believe that she was looking at the legendary boy who defeated the Dark Lord.

Harry looked up from the heated conversation and his face fell. "Oh, bloody hell!" he muttered. "Earlier than I had thought," he finished and looked at the witch, sketching a smile. "Yes, it's me," he said softly.

"And this-is this your-?"

Harry sighed again, putting a protective arm around his daughter. "Yes ma'am, she's my daughter and I would very much-"

"Oh, she looks so much like her mother! We haven't seen her since she was a year old! She's a beautiful and perfect combination of the-"

"Excuse me, lady. Could you please keep it down? We're trying to blend in, you know?" Ron came forward and spoke. Harry was too nice to do so, but Ron had no fear and he wanted to protect his friend and niece.

"Ron Weasley! It is so nice to see you too!" the witch cried.

"Madame, please!"

The witch quieted reluctantly. "But could you?" she produced a parchment and quill. "To Coreen…" she said.

The two sighed and decided it was better to just sign the blasted woman's notepad just so they wouldn't have a million people staring and asking questions.

The past ten years, Harry had pretty much vanished from the public sphere, unable to keep on having the "How do you feel now that the love of your life is gone?" or the "Mister Potter, how do you plan to raise your daughter by yourself? Will you keep being an auror?" interviews of the press.

Jo had never been subjected to this kind of attention that she remembered, for she very seldom went out with her father. She was absolutely astonished at the woman's awe and excitement when seeing her father.

The woman finally gave Ron and Harry a hug and then gave Jo a fond smile and a caress on the cheek, which she found rather annoying but said nothing.

When she was gone, Harry groaned and turned to JoAnna. "Do you understand now, Jo?" he asked, trying to explain why he never went out with her in public; something the little girl had complained about since she was six.

She was about to smile at her father and tell him it was all right, when she remembered she was mad at him. "Hmph!" Was all Jo replied.

Harry let out a frustrated breath. "What's wrong now?" Harry asked, sagging in defeat.

"You want me to start a list?" she asked.

Before Harry could respond, Ron jumped in. "All right, all right, each to their corner. I think we have some shopping to do, don't we, Jo?" Ron jumped between the two, as he'd done so many times before.

Although Harry and Jo loved each other to no end, they had a lot of differences. Basically because of small 'treats' she'd inherited from both her parents that sometimes just unnerved her father, not to mention that they reminded him a lot of Hermione in some aspects, and that was always a delicate subject.

After the 'Incident' almost ten years ago, Harry had moved to the Burrow with Jo, not capable of being alone in a place. The first -at least- ten months after the attack, Harry was an empty shell: He didn't talk, almost didn't eat, barely took showers and he definitely couldn't bring himself near his daughter at risk of completely losing his mind.

It was true; if Mrs. Weasley, Ron, Luna and Ginny hadn't been there, the two would've probably died. When he had finally got over that, they moved to Grimmauld Place with Remus, but Hogsmaede had, unfortunately, become a pretty much forbidden subject and place for him and JoAnna.

Jo looked up at her red haired Uncle and smiled. "Right, let's go," she said and left the animal on the table, throwing her father one last glare.

Harry slumped. "Jo! Maybe he'll need tending to, why don't you take him with you. Maybe he can become your pet?" he tried in hopes to make things right, at least for the time being.

Jo looked up at him, eyes full of hope. "Really?"

He shrugged. "Sure! As long as you train him not to go inside any room and destroy everything, and as long as you feed him and all that…"

She nodded excitedly. "Yes, yes, yes I will!" she said breathlessly, her previous anger vanishing instantly.

Harry grinned at her: mission accomplished, he congratulated himself. "Then what will you name him?"

"Is it a him? Wait! Unparalize him!"

"Oh, right! Finite Incantatum," he said with a wave of his hand and the little animal stirred and tried its short legs. "Yes, females are slightly brown so they can camouflage better in the ground," Harry told her.

"I didn't know you liked Magical Animals so much," she said with a smile.

"Yeah well, I had a great teacher," he glanced at Ron. "And I actually paid attention to the class," he chuckled.

"Hey! I did too! Just-not as much," he replied sheepishly, taking a hand to the back of his neck and rubbing it, his ears turning pink.

"That's why I was Head Boy and not him," he told Jo with a laugh.

"But I was prefect and you weren't," Ron defended and stuck out his tongue at his friend. The three burst out laughing and the little Niffler cuddled closer in Jo's hand.

"I think his name is Mukie," she said and the Niffler snuggled even more in her hands.

"I guess that's a yes from him…" Ron said with a smile.

"Well, let's go!" Harry ushered them and they walked out to the back alley, where the door was located. "Brace yourself, Jo," he started and pulled out his wand. "I present to you." He tapped the respective bricks and the wall started moving and opening up. "Diagon Alley!" he exclaimed as the entrance opened completely to reveal the crowded little boulevard.

She looked at the scene with open mouth, her eyes scanning the Alley from east to west as far as her pretty eyes let her. Harry looked at Jo's expression and smiled when remembering his first experience in Diagon Alley, when he was about her age.

They did the tour each had done when they were eleven. Gringott's, Madame Malkin's, the Apothecary shop, the School Supplies store, and finally Ollivander's. They entered the small shop and immediately the smell of old wood hit them, and Ron wrinkled his nose. "I never liked the smell of the place," he commented.

"I kinda like it," Jo chimed. "It smells like old and wise…" she said idly and Harry looked at her; sometimes she was too much like Hermione… way too much.

From the back, an old man, Harry and Ron were sure was a vampire or something, came out slowly, studying his customer, not noticing the two adults on the other side of the store. He frowned after a moment and then his eyes widened. "Miss Potter! How good to see you! I have been expecting you!" he exclaimed.

Jo took a few steps back and turned to her father and Uncle with fearful eyes. Harry laughed and came to his daughter. "It's all right, Jo. He's Mr. Ollivander," he introduced.

Mr. Ollivander looked up at Harry warmly and smiled. "Mr. Potter, I'm quite pleased to see you're all right."

"I am pleased to see you too, Mr. Ollivander," Harry responded with a respectful nod.

After a few store-blasting waves with several wands, Jo ended up with a 12 ½ inches, Ash, Dragon's heartstring wand that had a beautiful cherry wood handle. The moment Jo's little fingers had touched the hand-carved handle, the store had started shaking and a growing aura had surrounded her.

At first, Jo had been scared out of her knickers -like Uncle Ron used to say, much to his wife's dismay- but then her smile grew wider and with one single wave of her new wand, all the boxes and things went back to their respective places. She turned to Harry and nodded.

"How curious," Mr. Ollivander mused and looked up at Harry. "Mr. Potter, I daresay your little lass has got the best of both her parents," he said obviously pleased.

"I think she got the best, and more from her mother," he thought out loud with a faraway look.

"So, how much was it?" Ron quickly asked Mr. Ollivander, throwing him a glare, which didn't seem to have the least -if any- effect on him, for he just went to the back and got the box and the wrapping paper.

A moment later, he came back and smiled at Ron pleasantly, turning to Harry afterwards. "It would be twenty three galleons and twelve sickles."

He nodded and pulled out a small bag that was now not-as-loaded as two hours ago. "Here you are, thank you very much, Mr. Ollivander," he said, shaking himself from the mental lagoon.

They came out of the store and Harry checked everything in the Hogwarts list. "That's it!" he exclaimed, putting a check with a movement of his finger next to the last thing in the parchment. "So, all we have left now, Jo, is have fun!" Harry said animatedly.

"Yay! Can we have Ice Cream? I want to taste that flavor granddad invented."

"Of course we can, why don't you go ahead and order the Unicorn Blood… or the L/J special, whichever name you prefer, my dearest."

Jo squeaked with joy and skipped off to the Ice Cream Parlor. She had heard the oh-so-romantic tale of the glorious day in which her grandmother had finally agreed to go out with him, only after he brought her this special ice-cream he'd created with the Ice Cream man for Lily, so she was obviously eager to know the flavor that had provoked the change of heart of the woman that used to hate/love her grandpa so much.

As she ran off to the shop in the corner, Ron looked at her and sighed nostalgically. He then turned to Harry. "So?"

"So."

"What's it gonna be now, mate?"

"I have no bloody idea."

"You'll be there 24/7. Are you sure this is what you want?"

"I have no other choice. Besides, she always wanted me to properly teach DADA. You remember how much of a pain in the arse she was when we graduated and Dumbledore asked me to keep up with the DA?"

Ron laughed. "The blasted woman wouldn't stop it!" he laughed as they reached the store and Jo came out with a huge plate in her small arms. "Jo, do you need-Oh, Merlin!"

"Wingardium Leviosa!" Harry reacted so quickly, not even a drop of the enormous ice cream fell to the floor. He laughed and flew the thing to the table. "You sure you'll eat it all?"

"Daddy! I could've managed to do it meself!"

"What? You were about to drop the whole-"

"I would've managed!" she retorted angrily.

"You've got to be kidding me!"

"Well, I'm not!"

"Would you two please? The L/J special is here so let's bloody enjoy it, shall we?" Ron interrupted annoyed. "Geez, you two!"

"Sorry, Uncle Ron," Jo said looking down.

"Yeah." Was all Harry said and Ron glared at him, which he conveniently ignored and tucked in without another word.

"Qui-dditch, Qui-dditch!" Jo was chanting nonstop after they'd just finished the ice-cream.

"Argh! Please shut her up! Take her to the darned shop already, for crying out loud!" Ron cried, placing his hands over his ears after about five minutes of the same hymn form his niece.

Harry laughed out loud at this and ran to get Jo. He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her up, swinging her around. Jo squeaked in surprise at first and then in amusement. "You'll drive your godfather crazy if you keep up with that!" he exclaimed as he put her down.

"Daddy!" she cried with a grin. "Qui-dditch! Qui-dditch!" she continued and stuck her tongue out. Ron made a move as to rip it away and she screamed and pulled back quickly, with almost seeker-like reflexes.

"Guess she got that from you…" Ron chimed as Jo ran off to the QQS shop.

"Guess she did…" Harry echoed and hurried after her. After a moment, he stopped and let her wonder around the shop. He was planning on buying her a broom anyways, she had always used Harry's old ones, but now she was starting school and she definitely had to have her own. He slowed down and let Ron catch up with him.

Ron stayed silent for a while and then gathered enough courage to tell his best friend what had been bothering him since Harry had agreed he'd be the new DADA teacher for Hogwarts as soon as Jo got in school. "Harry, pal, can I ask you something?"

Harry turned his attention fully to Ron and smiled softly. "Sure, what is it?" he asked, kind of knowing where this was leading.

"Uhm... well, you'll be at school, and so will Jo. How do you-?"

Harry exhaled soundly and looked away. "I know I haven't exactly been the closest parent, but…"

"You'll be together all the time, Harry. How do you plan on dealing with that? Not to mention that she'll be surrounded by people just like-?"

"Just like I was when I was her age," he turned his deep green gaze back at Ron. "You think that doesn't scare the living daylight out of me? Mate, I have no bloody idea how I'll be dealing with a teenager that is involuntarily famous. For crying out loud! I have no bleeding idea how this all is going to turn out… how she is going to turn out, if she's gong to change. I don't know what tune I'll be playing with her from now on!" Harry cried in frustration.

Ron sighed; exactly what he'd feared. "I guess I could drop by every once in a while…"

He stopped dead in his tracks and made Ron trip a little. "Ron, I think I have to do this one on my own. Please don't believe for one second there that I do not appreciate everything you've given us or nothing of that sort… But I reckon this is something I must do on my own, unfortunately I can't ask you for this tune…" he said heavily.

Ron looked at his friend, so fragile and insecure. The once said to be all-powerful and unbeatable, was pretty much crumbling at the sole prospect of facing a teenager, none less than his own daughter. He placed a hand on Harry's shoulder when they were standing at the door of the QQS store and looked deep into 'the boy who lived''s eyes. "Well, you know I'll-we'll always be here, right?"

Harry's lips curled into a genuine smile. "I know… I know Ron. Thanks so much," he said sincerely and entered.

A/N: That was it for the start, I kind of like how it turned out in the end and have good expectations, to be honest. To clear some of your doubts, as I said at the beginning of the prologue, this is not a story that deals with H/Hr directly… it is about Harry and his daughter, but of course there will be some ship… but way later.

Please R&R and you are cordially invited to join me, AmyNoelle and MetroDweller at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BrainstormQuill