Darling Jo

Darling Jo

A/N: This fic –at least so far- is not centered on Harry and Hermione per se. It is centered in their child, JoAnna Potter. This idea came to me when I was remembering the song from 13 going on 30 –which lyrics I'll post in Ch.1-, and I just couldn't NOT do it.

Be cool, the infamous Rosali doesn't have a two-timeline plot for this story. Maybe an occasional flashback, but definitely not as many as in WWB or What is Love? Lol. I don't really know what to expect from this cause the outline is very rough right now, but still. Happy Reading! And please R&R.

PROLOGUE

Peaches, Cream and a Scream

And I'd give up forever to touch you
'Cause I know that you feel me somehow
You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be
And I don't want to go home right now

And all I can taste is this moment
And all I can breathe is your life
'Cause sooner or later it's over
I just don't want to miss you tonight

(Iris by Goo Goo Dolls)

---

Little Jo had been put to sleep about an hour ago and Harry and Hermione lay exhausted on the big couch in front of the fire. After five years of marriage, the legendary couple, that shared a love story worthy of a fairytale; had taken the next step, and nine months later, JoAnna Jane Potter had been born. Despite her young age, one could tell that she held her grandmother's fine composure and bright eyes, her mother's simple and captivating beauty, and her father's unruly dark hair.

Their life was now complete, and quite often, there was no amount of Dark Wizards or daily life difficulties that could take their happiness from them… at least that's what they thought.

Hermione rested her back on Harry's muscular but thin body while he stroked her hand softly, placing kisses on her head every once in a while and taking in her scent. There was something about the feeling of her being close to him that could make the whole world vanish and give him a peaceful sensation. It had pretty much always been like that; even when they were at school, she always seemed to have the right words to calm him down or bring him back to earth.

He stared at her brown wavy head and sighed contently; if it hadn't been for her… and Ron also, he definitely wouldn't have been able to get through everything. And by everything, he meant everything: school, daily life, battles… even the last encounter with Lord Voldemort back in seventh year. Even though he hadn't gone for good –just like last time-, Lord Voldemort hadn't shown any true actions in the past seven years.

They were twenty-five now; Harry was quickly climbing positions in the Auror Department, while Hermione worked in an independent research association. She had gone to Auror Academy as well, but never with the intention of staying with them. Every so often, she would help Harry and the aurors in a mission, but that wasn't her priority... Not since Jo had been born, a year before.

Their daily life was very much settled when it came to schedules. Jo usually got up at six in the morning to be fed; Harry and Hermione would take turns in that (ever since Hermione stopped breast feeding) to let the other sleep an hour more. At seven, their day would start: Going out for a twenty minute run while Dobby took care of the baby, come back for a shower and get ready for work.

The two started at 8:30am; that gave them at least forty five minutes to have breakfast and spend with Jo before leaving her in the magical pre school of Hogsmaede, where they had a big enough and comfortable chalet.

Hermione got off work at five o'clock, picked Jo up, and went home, to wait for Harry, who got there usually at little past six. Every now and then, instead of her husband coming home, she would see Harry white owl, Hedwig, bringing her a note saying he'd gone on a mission or would have to work late. She didn't quite like it but there was nothing she could do about it; she understood because she, herself, also stayed late at work sometimes.

Harry and Hermione had lived in Grimmauld Place since they left school until their first two years of marriage, while the whole world calmed down from the Second War. Ron on the other hand, had stayed at the Burrow with his family for three years until he decided to settle down with his current partner… none less than Luna Lovegood. They weren't married yet, but that was only a formality because the two had been together ever since seventh year at Hogwarts; a year after Harry and Hermione had discovered their feelings towards the other and got together.

When they finished Auror Academy, the two decided to move out from Grimmauld Place; leaving it all to Remus and the Order. The honeymoon they had had to postpone finally came, and they took off for a year, to travel around the world and know new places. Eventually, Ron and Luna both took two months off their jobs; it was the season break from the Chudley Cannons, and since Luna was now the editor of her father's magazine, she told her assistant to take control and express-owl her if anything came up.

They visited all of old Europe, some of Asia, Oceania and most of America, and they had the time of their lives… they enjoyed it for the first time without worrying about war, Death Eaters, their loved ones or anything. They couldn't ask for anything more.

Finally, Harry and Hermione had decided that it was time to settle down by themselves and chose the place they'd always dreamed of, having grown amongst muggles… a place full of magic: Hogsmaede.

Harry got a parcel in the outskirts of town and they built their dream home with the help of the two most renowned post-modern magical architects of the moment: Their former enemy, Draco Malfoy and their old classmate, Seamus Finnegan.

A year went by and life was good, they couldn't ask for anything more. They had jobs they loved, they had each other, they had wonderful friends, and a loving extended family. There was only one thing missing; and it was their very own family. There couldn't be a better time to raise a child than this, and more calm would just be impossible, given their past and jobs. So they took the chance and never once regretted it.

Harry spaced out for a moment, and Hermione noticed. She leaned her head back to be able to look at her husband. "Harry? What's the matter?" she asked.

He was pulled back to reality and blinked a couple of times. "Huh? I—nothing, I was just thinking."

"About?"

"Us… our life," he stated, still in a slightly faraway voice.

"What about us? Don't you like our life?"

"No! Exactly the opposite, it is almost too good to be true. You think this could last forever?"

Hermione gaped at him for a moment and sighed, returning to her original position. "Why wouldn't it?"

"Well, for a start, I think this is too perfect to be true. And we—at least I have never had such a long and happy time…" he vented out his thoughts.

"I hardly think we are perfect. We fight, we have difficulties at work, at home… nothing is perfect," she reasoned matter-of-factly, ignoring the last part of Harry's statement.

"Oh, you know what I mean, Mrs. Know-it-all. Once a know-it-all, always a know-it-all, right honey?" Harry responded with a chuckle.

She laughed as well. "You wouldn't love me otherwise," she retorted with a superior tone.

"I wouldn't want you any other way!" he said and kissed her, a moment later, he pulled away. "See? That's what I mean."

She flinched a little in surprise. "What are you talking about? You're going mental, my dearest," she teased.

"I mean, it's hard to believe that after the series of unfortunate events that our lives have been, that we—"

"Precisely what I'm trying to tell you. Balance, Harry. Do you, by any chance, happen to remember the classes of Universe Forces in Seventh year?"

"Uhm—a little. I was a bit more concerned on other things, weren't you?" he said and rolled his eyes.

"Yes, Harry. But some of us also paid attention to class. For every bad thing that happens, a good thing follows. There is no light without dark, there is no happy times without angsty ones."

Harry listened to her and pondered about it… maybe she was right, maybe they did deserve every bit of this after all they'd been through. It comforted him, though somehow, a part of him was still uneasy. He let it go and kissed his wife deeply, pulling her into a warm embrace. "I love you so much, Mione. I doon't know what I'd do without you," he said honestly.

She returned the kiss with equal intensity and then responded. "Oh, Harry. You would find a way, I am not that necessary as much as I like to take that credit."

"You're completely mistaken! I would probably—" he started a little anxiously.

Hermione put a finger on his lips to stop him from talking any further. "No matter what, I will never leave you, all right? I will always be with you in one way or the other, so stop it."

Harry's mouth curved against her soft finger and he took her hand and started kissing it. "I'm glad," he whispered and kissed her again.

"Merlin! It's midnight already!" she exclaimed when she heard the chiming bells of the clock in the small entry hall of the house. "And tomorrow is my turn to get up at six," she whined and pouted.

Harry chuckled at this. "I am not that much of a gentleman…" he grinned wickedly. "We should head upstairs."

"Let's go," she agreed and started getting up. A moment later, she slumped on top of Harry once again, knocking the breath out of him, with a playful smile. "Me no wants to part," she said in a baby-ish voice.

Catching his breath, Harry laughed. "You not have to…" he said with a smile and in one swift movement, he was up on his feet with a giggling Hermione in his arms. "Me is taking you up." He kissed once more and a couple minutes later, he was depositing her on the big four-poster bed they shared and while panting, kissing her all over.

She wrapped her hands around his neck and kissed him back just as passionately as he worked his was down her chest, slowly pulling her shirt up. "Harry!" she cried happily and started taking his black t-shirt off. "I thought you were tired," she exclaimed and laughed as the t-shirt flew across the room.

"Harry not tired, Harry feeling naugh—" he stopped when a small cry echoed from across the hall, and he groaned.

Hermione stopped her giggling as well and sighed. Jo very seldom woke in the middle of the night, so whenever she did, one of them went to check on her. "I'll go," she said. "You just hold that thought," she smiled and kissed him softly. "I'll be right back."

Apparently, Jo had been having a terrible nightmare involving Hermione; she figured as much because of the way the little girl clung to her mother. Fifteen minutes later, she managed to soothe Jo and she was coming back to their bedroom.

With a naughty grin, she started towards the bed, ready to jump on top of him, when she heard a soft snore. She slowed down and peered at her husband. Indeed, he was fast asleep. She sighed and watched him sleep for a moment… he looked so peaceful like that.

She leaned forward and placed a kiss full of love on his scar and smiled. "I love you forever, my dearest Harry," she whispered in his ear and was greeted by a content sound from him. Even in his sleep he knew Hermione and he knew she was as close to him as possible; not physically but in spirit as well, she observed.

After putting one her nightgown, she laid next to him, cradling her face on his shoulder and putting a protective arm on his chest. Soon enough, she dozed off as well next to the man she loved… for the last time.

---

That night's sleep was particularly troubled, she kept waking up thinking she'd heard JoAnna cry or some sort of noise downstairs. She jumped a little every time and when realizing there was nothing wrong, she would fall asleep again, looking at Harry with a strange longing sensation that was disturbing.

She jumped awake once again and luckily, Harry hadn't waked. Harry was usually a light sleeper, but when he'd had a long day at work, he could very well be confused with a log; the whole blasted building could fall down and he would still remain asleep, undisturbed. Hermione thought it was rather cute… most of the times but just now she wished he'd wake and make her fall asleep in his arms. But she wasn't about to do that, it wasn't as often that Harry was so tired, so she was just going to swallow it and go back to bed.

Hermione was about to close her eyes for the trizillionth time, when she heard a rumble downstairs. Frowning, she listened closely, and indeed there was someone downstairs. She gasped and started shaking her husband. "Harry… Harry! There's someone in the house!" she whispered alarmed.

Harry made an unintelligible noise that sounded something like 'get rid of the flying cow', but didn't open his eyes.

Hermione groaned, she couldn't very well cast an alarm spell on him because that would alert whoever was down there. She shook him again, this time with more force. "Harry! Wake up!"

He shook his head slightly and slowly opened his eyes. "What's the matter Mione? Isn't today your day to tend to her?"

"Yes, but it's not six yet," she cleared.

"Then why do I have to get up?" Harry whined, focusing on her at last.

"Because there is someone inside our house!"

He did a double take and his eyes widened. "What? How did they—Let's go!" He took his hand to his bedside table for his wand, but it wasn't there. "Bloody hell! My wand!"

Hermione winced at this and sighed. "You took it to the third room for service. Go get it and I'll go first."

"No, you—"

"Don't start that again, I got rid of the last burglars very easily," she said with a frown.

"Seal Jo's door and get your wand, I'll go downstairs."

Harry sighed resignedly. He could very easily do wandless magic, but only with the simplest spells. "Be careful," he told her and kissed her forehead.

"Don't worry, hurry." And they parted ways

---

He hurried down the hall to JoAnna's room and touched the Mahogany door. "Colloportus!" he said and continued his way to the third room. It was the wand and broom tending room and it was designed so no magic could come from the outside, so he definitely had to walk all the way, open the door and then get his wand.

He was about to take it an apparate downstairs when he heard a muffled voice and Harry could make out the word 'Mudblood'. He gasped and his eyes widened. "Fuck! A Death Eater!" he cursed and took the wand.

A scream.

A pop.

Another scream, the scream of a destroyed soul.

A jet of red light.

And darkness.

---

A/N: How was that for an ending, huh? This was the Prologue, I'll work on next chapter soon. Sorry to What is Love? And Was and Will Be readers, I'm having a rather hard time getting back to the two. Hope this is good while you wait.

Please R&R and you're welcome to join us at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BrainstormQuill

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
Your doin fine
You can’t be everything you wanna be before your time
Although it’s so romantic on the borderline tonight, tonight
To bad that is the life you lead
You’re so ahead of your self that you forget what you need
Though you can see when your wrong, you can’t always see when your right
You got your passion, you got your pride
But don’t you know that only fools are satisfied
Dream on! But don’t imagine they’ll all come true
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