Harry Potter and the Consequences of a Life Unlived

laurieisme1

Rating: PG13
Genres: Drama, Romance
Relationships: Harry & Hermione
Book: Harry & Hermione, Books 1 - 5
Published: 30/05/2005
Last Updated: 30/06/2005
Status: completed

Harry helps a friend and in the process Hermione may loose him forever. This story is about coping with the consequences of the choices we make.

Chapters

1. The Confession

2. A Great Loss

3. Chapter 3 Cannons Forever

4. Chapter 4: The will, and Harry's will

5. Chapter 5 Strapped for Cash

6. Chapter 6 Wandering in the Wood

7. Chapter 7 The Letter

8. Chapter 8 The Trial

9. Final Consequences

1. The Confession

Disclaimer: I own nothing, I make no money, I’ll put the toys back when I’m done playing with them.

A/N: Thanks to my beta, Vessy… the only thing I have to say to you is glue of the largest land mammal.

Harry paced the Room of Requirement.

It was exactly an hour since graduation.

Harry asked Hermione to meet him here when she got free of her parents, and that was over a half hour ago. He stood in the room with a comfortable couch, and a fire to light the room.

Of course he didn't stand still all that much, he paced most of the time he was in here. He wrung his hands for what must have been the fourth time that night. He wondered if he had anything that could substitute a paper bag to breathe into.

Hermione knocked on the door. Harry wiped his palms on his pants and went to the door to open it for her.

She came in and sat down with a big sigh, "I can't believe all those people! So, what did you want to talk to me about?"

Harry sat down on the other end of the couch and tried with all he had in him not to get up again and pace.

"You know how I've been doing the auror training for the past six months?" Harry put both his hands on his left leg in an attempt to stop it from shaking.

"Yes. Oh do you have some advise for me?” Her lips curled into a smile, “Instructors to be careful of?"

"No," Harry at this point almost got up but forced himself to stay seated, "I'm... Well you know how Voldemort's dead and all- of course you know Voldemort is dead, you were there. What I mean is I... I'm not becoming an auror."

"What?"

At this point it seemed as if Hermione needed a paper bag.

"I'm not becom-"

"Why? What happened? Is something wrong? Are you Dying!?"

"I'm not dying Hermione. I... it's not what I want to do." Harry exhaled deeply.

"But what you did with Voldemort and the Death Eaters-"

"Just because I'm good at it doesn't mean I want to do it the rest of my life. I've done my part, I was destined to kill Voldemort, and I did that. I don't want to become Moody, drinking only from my hip-flask because I'm so paranoid."

Hermione stayed quiet for a moment, then cautiously said to him, "But what about the rest of the Death Eaters... Even his other followers, they're still out there."

"The Order can handle it. Hermione, I'm tired. I'm tired of worrying if this is going to be my last day alive. There will always be dark wizards, there will be another 'dark lord' and more wars, but they're not mine to fight."

Hermione’s brow knitted, "So you're just going to sit back and watch as others-"

"It's what Dumbledore did.” Harry said forcefully, “It's what you and Ron did. Look, I didn't ask you to come here to fight with you."

"I'm sorry Harry, I just get a little carried away. I understand why you want to do what you’re doing, and I'll respect your decision.” She paused then said in a lighter tone, “We won’t be spending that much time together for a while, I don't know what I'll do without you."

Harry took a heavy breath, hoping Hermione couldn't see how nervous he still was.

"I wanted to talk to you about that."

"About what?"

"About spending more time together."

She looked at Harry with a raised eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

"Hermione, your one of my best friends," Harry got up and started pacing, "We've spent seven years together and well this past year... This past year I noticed that I... I noticed that I fancied you. I didn't say anything hoping it would pass, but it didn't. That's when I realized I didn't fancy you, I... I think I love you. So I was wondering, if some time, when you're not training of course, you might like to get dinner or... something."

When he turned to see her reaction he saw a mixture of sadness and pity.

"You don't feel the same." He said in a monotone voice.

"No Harry." She stared at her lap, not even trying to catch his eyes to make him understand why.

Because why wasn't the point.

"Do you think you could?" He ran a hand through his messy hair.

She hesitated, but said, "No Harry."

"Are you sure? I could... wait."

"Oh Harry..." She said in her way that Harry knew she just wanted to jump up and give him one of her overly tight hugs.

"Forget it."

He wouldn't give her the satisfaction of consoling him. He left the room and made his way back over to the Gryffindor common room.

He was almost there when he heard soft crying. He went to find the source of the sound when he bumped into Malfoy storming down the hall. Moving towards where Malfoy came from, the crying became louder and he followed it. He turned the corner to find Ginny Weasley on the floor sobbing. He kneeled next to her and tried to wipe her tears. She finally noticed him about five minutes later when she looked up in confusion, then wrapped her arms around him.

"Oh Harry!" She sobbed.

"Everything's going to be fine, everything will be all right. I promise." Harry said, meaning every word of it.

"Harry, I did a stupid thing." she choked out.

"What a coincidence, so did I.” Harry tried to laugh but both noticed how hollow it sounded, “Why don't you tell me what happened to you and I'll tell you what happened to me. We can sort it out from there."

"I'm pregnant."

"You win." He said.

They both laughed, but it was not so hollow as Harry’s earlier chuckle.

"Don't do that," She said in a muffled tone as she wiped her face on his shirt.

"What?"

"Make it seem like everything is going to be okay." She said into his chest.

"It will be, I made a promise, remember?" Harry said as he rocked her, trying anything to make her feel better.

"What did you do?" she asked looking up to him.

Harry stopped rocking her and said, "I told Hermione I loved her, she said she could never love me."

"Oh Harry... Can I kill her?"

"What?" Harry asked completely confused.

"I don't know how she could say that. Especially to you. If you let me kill her then I can take out some of my anger on her."

"I'm guessing that anger is actually toward the father that doesn't seem to be here." Harry said as he looked around the passageway.

Ginny nodded, "I can't do this, I can't go to them and tell them..."

"They wont hurt you. Your mother may act tough, but you shouldn't worry."

"I know they wont hurt me, that's not what's bothering me.” Ginny paused, trying to find the right words, “They'll help me. Don't you see how much worse that is?"

The thought of going to the Weasleys after he had done something he knew was wrong, he knew he should have never done, then having them help him out of it the best way they could was something that turned his stomach.

"I see your point. Ginny, I think I have a solution to our problems, only if you agree to it of course."

Harry stood and offered her his hand with a determined look in his eyes.

"What's the plan?" she asked as she took it and stood up, her eyes meeting his in both height and determination.

2. A Great Loss

A/N: There will be flashbacks to Ginny and Harry's life. These aren't at all meant to be shippy, the only thing I need to warn about them and the rest of this story is they don't look too kindly at the Ginny/Draco ship. If you love that ship and would hate to see Draco treat Ginny horribly then you should read no further. I *hate* putting warnings, I don't believe in them, but seeing as D/G is a Portkey major ship I feel I must. Anyway, too much talking not enough story.

Harry put the shopping bags on the counter and maneuvered the three year old in his arms.

"Ginny!" He yelled up the stairs.

"Honey, where are you?" He yelled again.

The front door opened and shut, "I'm home," A ten year old in a pink and white leotard said.

"Eve, do you know where your mother is?" Harry asked.

"No Daddy, she was here when I left for practice." Eve put down her shoes.

Eve was tall and lanky with red hair tied neatly in a bun. She looked nothing like her younger sister, Lilly. The three year old had black messy hair and green eyes. Today Lilly had clearly dressed herself. She was wearing her tinkerbell dress and ruby red mary-janes, with bright green and black stockings.

"Have fun?" He asked unpacking the perishables.

"Every minute. Did you go to work today?"

"Yes, and I had fun as well, just in case you were wondering. Will you pack the rest of these while I try and find your mother?" Harry asked.

"Sure Daddy. She probably has her headphones on again. Either that or she's mad at you, does she have a reason to be mad at you?"

"Almost eleven years of marriage, have you ever seen us fight?" Harry smiled.

"No," his daughter smiled back, "But I've seen you both very sad sometimes. Why do you get so sad?"

Harry stopped at the foot of the stairs, "for a moment... a small moment so insignificant to ever really matter, we're sorry for the things we missed, for the people you'll never get to meet." He paused before he went back up the stairs.

He turned to the master bedroom and opened the door. Seeing his wife lying on top of the covers he walked up to her.

"You should wake up now, your daughter is asking questions, we all know you're the smart one, I'm just pretty." He sighed.

There was nothing, no sound, no stirring.

"Ginny, honey?"

Harry walked up to his wife and tried to shake her, only to touch ice-cold skin.

"Ginny?"

* * *

"Mr. Potter?" The doctor came out of the emergency room and took off his rubber gloves.

Harry stood and straightened himself out, "How long until I can speak to her, is she awake yet?"

The doctor looked at Harry in disbelief, "Mr. Potter, you're wife is dead."

"Didn't you try anything? You didn't even look for a pulse did you?" Harry yelled.

"Your wife was blue when you brought her in, she's been dead for some time now. I'm sorry for your loss, I truly am, but your wife is gone. Because of her age we'll be doing an autopsy, in a couple of days we'll get the results. I want to give you the number of a grief counselor." The doctor looked up from his chart to see Harry gone.

Harry apperated to the front door and went inside his home. Something inside him reminded him it was Wednesday and Lilly had picked pancakes for dinner. As he made dinner his two daughters watched him from the staircase wordlessly. They sat there and cried silently, not wanting to say a word.

Eve knew her parents had never fought, and they loved each other very much, so how was her father supposed to live without their mother? All the fairy tales she had ever heard from her mother ended in 'they lived happily ever after' not 'they lived happily for a while then one died.' This wasn't supposed to happen. They were good people, her parents never lied, not even about Santa clause, how was it they deserved this? How was she supposed to go on never being able to talk with her mother, to fight with her mother, to be loved by her mother.

There was a knock at the door, her father didn't get it, he didn't even notice it. She wasn't bound to get it either, she didn't care about anyone out there, everyone she loved that was left was here. Whoever it was let themselves in. There were three of them, with bright red hair. A man about her father's age seemed to be trying to approaching him while the older couple stayed back.

"Harry.... we just heard." The man said.

Her father went from the fridge to the cabinets, "I can't seem to find the syrup."

"What the... who cares about the syrup?" The man said again.

Her father kept searching everywhere in the kitchen as if he were on a holy quest.

"Where's the fucking syrup?"

That was the first time she ever heard her father swear in her entire life, under the right circumstances she might have been shocked.

"Harry, dear..." the older woman sobbed.

Apparently that was a very bad thing to say, he started to tear the kitchen apart. Lilly screeched when her mother's favorite mug hit the floor. The two older people finally noticed them on the stairs and Eve rushed with her sister up the stairs.

When the commotion stopped they went back down the stairs and saw their father sitting on the kitchen floor sobbing.

The next hour was a blur, her father was given some kind of knock out drug and was lying down on the couch. Lilly crossed the room and laid on top of her father, Eve followed and laid down next to them. Hopefully these strangers would get the hint that they were neither needed nor wanted. Apparently they didn't, because they stayed, whispering to each other. Soon enough the two girls fell asleep, not realizing they were tired in the first place.

Eve woke, but where she was, was a mystery. She was lying next to her father and sister, but the room was somewhere she had never been before. It was bright orange, the words 'Chudly Cannons' written everywhere. She got up and opened the door a little, she heard voices down the stairs. She quietly followed them a little until she could clearly make them out.

"So they've been married this entire time?" one male voice asked.

"It seems that way. Did you see how old the oldest is, do you think... do you think that's the reason they left?" A different male said.

Eve turned her head in-between the banisters, there were more people here, but the same three were there too. There was a man with a ponytail with the same red hair and a woman with almost unnatural blonde hair. Another blonde woman sat at the table with the man she had seen at her house, she reminded Eve of her art teacher that was sure she was abducted by aliens.

"What exactly are you saying, that Harry knocked up Ginny and they left?" The man with the pony tail said.

"Do we have to talk about this now, my baby's gone." The older woman said.

Eve's eyes widened. She had never put the two together, she was too busy grieving her mother, but these people looked just like her, just like her mother. That was her grandmother crying over there. She had relatives, living relatives.

"Sorry mum, I guess it's not such a shock to us. I think that we all, years ago, believed they could be dead. I grieved years ago for my sister's death," the man that was at her house said.

The others seemed to agree with him, a long moment passed before the same man broke the silence.

"Do you think Hermione got the message yet?"

"Not if she was out on an assignment. How do you think she'll take it?" the weird blonde asked.

"I don't know. Let's hope she's happy to see Harry again."

Eve decided she had heard enough and quietly made her way up the stairs again. Once she shut the door to the room she saw her father awake.

"Evie..."He said.

She laid down next to him on the bed and felt the warmth of his arm around her shoulders, she felt safe as he hugged her to him. They both fell asleep again.

* * *

Hermione opened the door to Ron's old room, Harry was laying on the bed with his two daughters curled up with him. Mrs. Weasley looked into the room and sighed. Hermione shut the door and walked down the stairs with Mrs. Weasley.

"Did the doctors say what killed her?" She asked.

"No, they haven't said anything." Mr. Weasley said.

"And you gave Harry something, to knock him out?" Hermione asked.

"Of course, you should have seen him. He tore apart his kitchen complaining about some bloody syrup." Ron said.

"I'm sure the syrup had nothing to do with it." Hermione said as she sat down and drank some of her tea.

"Hermione..." Ron sighed.

"What?"

"Don't tell me that you are feeling nothing right now. Don't tell me that when you saw what was in that room you didn't feel mad as hell."

Hermione shifted in her seat, then took another sip of her tea.

"Hermione, just say what you're feeling."

Hermione sighed and rubbed her temples.

"I want to kill him... and I am so relieved he's all right."

3. Chapter 3 Cannons Forever

Harry opened his eyes and heard the door to Ron's room click open. His eyes were met by blue watery ones.

"Professor Dumbledore," Harry said.

"Harry, it's been a decade since your school days, I believe it would be all right if you called me Albus."

Dumbledore sat on a chair facing Harry and his daughters.

"How are you Harry?"

Harry's eyes began to water. He looked to the ceiling and said, "Not good, not good at all."

"I was just at your house, the doctor called. Ginny died of an aneurysm, natural causes."

Harry did not say anything, he just stared at the ceiling.

"Daddy, who's that?"

Lilly was watching Dumbledore intently.

"My name is Albus Dumbledore, I'm a friend of your mum and dad."

"He dresses funny."

Harry smiled a little at his daughter.

"I do," Dumbledore nodded, "Harry, I was wondering if I could speak to you alone."

Harry hugged his youngest daughter, "Are you going to be okay, for a little while?"

She nodded, "I can take care 'a Eve while you're gone."

"You'd do that?"

She nodded again, this time more feverently.

"Thank you very much sweetheart."

Harry got up, carefully so he wouldn't wake Eve, then walked out of Ron's room and into Ginny's old one.

It was the same as she had left it. Harry felt a pang of guilt, the same pang that hit him each time Ron's birthday passed, or Hermione's. He hated to admit it, he never wanted to, but he did miss her.

Of course at this moment he missed his wife ten times more.

"Why do we have to talk here?" Harry's shaky voice asked.

"Why not? It is, after all, a room that is empty."

Harry sighed, "All right, what is it?"

"Are you planning on going back to the muggle world?"

"What?"

"I would like to know if you planned on coming back."

"How can you ask me that? My... Ginny is gone, I don't care."

Dumbledore nodded, "Then you're staying."

"Don't do that, I never said I was staying!"

"I think it would be best, since it's only a couple of months until young Evelyn gets her letter."

Harry sat on the bed bewildered, "Eve. Eve is getting a letter to Hogwarts."

"Of course, after all she is the child of Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley."

Harry hung his head and nodded.

"Who's in here?" Mrs. Weasley entered the room and Harry felt that pang again.

"We should get going." Harry said.

"You're not leaving, are you?" tears formed in her eyes, "You don't have to go, we have enough room for you to stay a while.."

"I don't know Mrs. Weasley."

"Harry, please don't take my grandchildren from me." Mrs. Weasley was on the verge of crying.

"I'm so sorry, of course we'll stay," Harry said trying to get the guilt to leave him, "I just didn't want to inconvenience you."

Mrs. Weasley wiped her eyes, "Of course it isn't, I haven't had a child in this house for too many years."

"Harry," Dumbledore said, making his presence known again, "There was something else the doctor said... He said Ginny was pregnant."

Harry nodded, "We named her already... It was going to be a girl... We were going to name her Molly."

Mrs. Weasley made an unreadable noise, and the door squeaked open.

Lilly was standing there with her ruby red mary-janes on the wrong feet.

"Daddy, Eve's hungry."

"Okay, why don't you and Eve just wait a few minutes, I'll make you something."

"I can make them something." Mrs. Weasley said, "And you too Harry, you look hungry."

Harry was about to object, but he knew better, housework was like therapy to her. He nodded and picked up Lilly, bringing her back to Ron's old room.

"Harry, we shall talk later." Dumbledore said.

Harry didn't say a word, and with that Dumbledore walked down the stairs. Harry closed the door, and looked at his two daughters.

"I need to tell you both something. Your mother and I have kept a secret from you for a very long time. We never needed to tell you, until now. You see, magic is real. Not magic like Sigfried and Roy, a different kind of magic."

Lilly and Eve both looked at their father as if he had just gone insane, again.

Lilly was the first to speak, "You mean like Santa magic?"

"No, not Santa magic. Your mother was a witch, and I... I am a wizard."

"Are you saying we're Wiccan's now?" Eve asked.

"No I... Accio wand." Harry's wand flew to his hand which made both girls jump.

"We didn't tell you because, we didn't know how to tell you really. We lived without magic, and naturally had no use for it, so when you turned four Eve, we realized we had never shown you it, or told you anything about it, and by then we surely didn't know how to break it to a four year old."

"When were you going to bring this up?" Eve looked as though she was quite angry with her father.

"We were going to try and patch things up with the Weasley's after... the baby was born, so it would have been before then."

"The Weasley's are the people here, right? When were you going to tell us that we had relatives?"

"Around the time we were going to tell you about the magic. I know this is a shock, and I know this sounds stupid, but we were just doing what we thought was right for you. People in the magic world aren't like people in our world, there are something’s that are... not right. We didn't want you to grow up like some in the magic world do, that because something is a tradition that makes it right. We always wanted better for you."

"Great," Eve brought her knees up to her chest, "You know maybe you could ask us what we think is best for us, we can make a decision... You could have told me."

"What about me?" Lilly stomped her red slipper clad foot.

"Quite, both of you. I know how hard this is on you..."

"You don't know anything." Eve said.

"I didn't know I was a wizard until I was eleven, and any time I would do magic by accident I was punished for being a freak, I know more than you think. I'm your father and I know what's best for you, I've lived through it."

Eve wiped a tear from her cheek, "I just would have liked to have a choice."

"You do. Apparently you've been accepted to Hogwarts, the school your mum and I went to, you can choose to go there, or a regular school."

Eve looked at her father shocked, "Why did I get accepted?"

"Because you're a witch."

"So is it a biological thing?"

"Not always."

"Daddy," Lilly tugged on Harry's shirt, "Am I a witch too?"

"We don't know yet honey, you could be."

Lilly stomped her foot again, "But I want to be special too!"

"You are honey, just because your sister is a witch it doesn't make her any better than you."

Lilly stuck out her tongue at Eve, who in turn rolled her eyes at her sister.

"Now, are we ready to eat?"

The two girls nodded. Harry picked up Lilly and they headed down the staircase to the kitchen. Harry felt quite uncomfortable when he saw his two former best friends sitting at the table talking. Could he ignore them? The better question might have been should he? Harry decided not to ignore them, but to engross himself in the task at hand, feeding the girls.

Harry enchanted the chair Lilly sat on to grow so she could see over the table. Harry sighed as he looked at her shoes.

"Sweetheart, are you going to change those shoes to the right feet?"

She shook her head, "It feels funny."

"Honey I don't think that's good for your feet." Harry said.

"Yeah Lil," Eve said casually, "Your feet are going to grow wrong."

"Daddy!" Lilly said in a panicked voice.

"Evelyn Potter! Don't lie to your sister." Harry rubbed his temples.

Eve watched as her father rubbed his head. She remembered when he had done that before.

*

Eve's mum helped her into her booster seat, then put the cut sausage in front of her. She looked over to her dad and saw him rubbing his temples.

"Harry... what's wrong? Is that a headache or... a headache?" Her mother approached him cautiously.

"Just a headache."

"What's wrong? Why can't Daddy get a headache?" she put her princess fork into a piece of sausage.

"Daddy used to get really sick when he had headaches." Her mother smiled weakly.

"Is Daddy going to get sick?"

"No," she said, but she could tell her mother didn't really mean it, "The reason Daddy got sick is gone now."

Her father turned to face away from his family.

*

Eve watched as her father stopped rubbing his temples and smiled at her and her sister.

"Dad?"

"What is it Evie?" He asked.

"Why did you get sick when you got headaches?"

"Daddy's going to get sick and die?" Lilly's shaky voice asked.

Harry let out a breath, "Eve, could we please have a day where you don't scare your sister to death? I'm not going anywhere Honey."

Eve crossed her arms in front of her and began to pout. She couldn't stand it anymore, being in this room, with these people she didn't know, she ran up the stairs and was about to go into the orange room again but there was another room, and the door was cracked open.

Eve looked to the desk and saw a piece of parchment with her mother's handwriting on it; this must have been her mother's room. She went to the bed and laid down. The room smelled stale, but in the sheets there was the sent, buried deep within, of her mother. She took the pillow and brought it to her nose and inhaled deeply.

"Of all the things I wish we taught you, I wish we would have taught you more about tact."

Her father's voice said. She looked up and saw him, she didn't know why, but just seeing him standing there made her heart jump. She got up and ran to hug him. As she tried to hold onto him as tightly as she could she was able to feel his arms encircling her, making her feel better.

"I used to get sick because there was a really bad wizard that used to want to hurt me, hurt a bunch of people, but now he's gone and he's never going to hurt anyone again."

"I don't want you to leave us."

"I'm not going anywhere. So, are you still hungry?"

She nodded against him.

"Would you like to get something to eat?"

She shook her head.

"You want to keep your death grip on me a little while longer?"

She nodded and she could hear, and feel, him laugh.

"I love you Daddy."

"I love you too Evie."

4. Chapter 4: The will, and Harry's will

Harry and Eve stepped back into the kitchen. Harry watched as Hermione was talking to Lilly, his hand clenched and he tried to calm himself down.

"Get the hell away from my daughter," was the subdued statement he said.

"Harry, can't we talk? It's been ten years..."

"I don't want my daughter talking to a murderer, please refrain from speaking to her."

"Look in the mirror." Hermione said before she stood and apperated out.

"You don't have to treat her like that, you don't know what happened after you left mate."

"I'm not your mate, and I don't care what happened."

Eve watched as the man backed away, which left the three of them alone at the table, that was to be short lived though. The woman Eve knew to be her grandmother came in and set food in front of all of them.

"Now Harry, I want you to eat up. You look like skin and bones, don't tell me my daughter never cooked you a decent meal."

Eve and Lilly giggled.

"Mummy couldn't boil water." Lilly said.

"Dad cooks, it's his job." Eve said.

"Your job?"

"I'm a chef at one of London's biggest restaurants." Harry smiled.

"Head chef." Eve corrected.

"Well Mrs. Weasley is a better cook than me so tuck in." Harry messed up Eve's hair and she stuck her tongue out at him.

"Harry dear," Mrs Weasley said, "You don't have to call me that, just call me Mum."

Harry nodded, although he felt uncomfortable doing so, he would never tell her that.

"Now, someone from the legal bureau called, Ginny's will is going to be read tomorrow, and we all need to be there. Once you're finished eating you should get some rest for tomorrow."

* * *

Ginny tucked her arm under Harry's as they sat in the living room.

"Harry, I know you're not in love with me."

Harry was about to protest, but she cut him off.

"The truth of the matter is I'm not in love with you either. I love you, but I'm not in love with you."

Harry nodded knowing she just wanted his acknowledgement before she went on.

"But we're married, and I love you too much to actually think about dating any other men. Why would I try and meet other men when I have a perfect one right at home? I think it all boils down to one thing, can I have sex with a man I'm not in love with, but I love deeply? The answer, for me, is yes. So the question to you is, would you like to go upstairs?"

Harry stood up and turned back to Ginny, hand outstretched. She took it and allowed him to pull her close to him.

She looked deeply into his emerald eyes, "Over time, you'll get over her. You'll get over her and fall in love with me. I'm going to do the same. And we'll all live happily ever after, I just know we will."

* * *

Harry woke up and looked around, he was in Ron's old room. Harry detangled himself from his daughters and went over to Ginny's room. As he looked at it from the doorway he could just imagine seeing Ginny pop her head out as he, Ron, and Hermione went up to Ron's room; wanting to be included.

Harry took the pillow from the bed and sat in the corner.

'We'll all live happily ever after, I just know we will.'

Harry cried and brought the pillow tight against him.

"I'm so sorry Ginny."

* * *

Hermione sighed as she saw Harry asleep, holding one of Ginny's pillows to him, sitting in the far corner of her room. She went downstairs and went to Mrs. Weasley.

"I found him. He's in Ginny's room."

Mrs. Weasley sighed in relief.

"I know there's almost no danger now, but I still panic if I think he's out there all alone."

Hermione smiled weakly.

"Are you planning on talking to him?"

"He wont talk to me. I'm not going to try and force a reconciliation on him. And the truth of the matter is his wife just died, it would be selfish if I tried."

Mrs. Weasley set a plate in front of Hermione.

"Those girls... So headstrong..."

"Of course, they're Ginny's after all."

"I don't even know if I knew my girl. I never asked the boys about their... romantic lives, I did the same with Ginny, I didn't know to treat her differently than the boys, I never cautioned her... we never talked."

"It wasn't your fault, Ginny knew better. And it's not like she was left alone without the father."

"I just kept thinking if I talked to her about it more, maybe she would have known she could have always come to me for help, maybe I wouldn't be just getting to know my grandchildren." She said wiping away nothing from the kitchen table.

Hermione put her hand down on the table, hard, "That settles it. I'll go steal the time turner from McGonagall, I think I can take her on, now especially since she's older, and we'll go undo what was done. Eve and Lilly would be gone... actually there's a fifty-fifty percent chance they'll be gone, but we'll be happy, and that's all that matters."

Mrs. Weasley laughed, "All right, you win."

"Thank you. I think I should leave soon anyway, I don't want t be here when he wakes up."

"Dear I'm sure it was just because of-"

"I know." Hermione smiled, but it never reached her eyes.

"You will have to come to the reading though."

Hermione nodded and apperated back to her apartment.

* * *

Harry sat in the seat closest to the lawyer and tried to not pay attention to the people that came into the room. When everyone was situated the lawyer started.

"I, Ginerva Weasley, am of sound mind and body. This is not an ordinary will. I have spent the last eight years with my husband, whom I love dearly, and all my finances shall be given to him and our children. In life we shared everything so I only see fit that in death he should have to take everything I have. This will isn't about money, it's about feelings, about what some of you might have felt during our absence.

"First, to my parents. I love you as much as any child could love a parent, don't ever think that my leaving had anything to do with what you did 'wrong,' quite the opposite actually. I knew you would forgive me and help me in any way you could, you would have given me anything I asked and I couldn't bear asking the two kindest people in the world to give all of that to a person who could never deserve it. I want you to know I loved you, and I will always love you, nothing in this world or the next could ever break that.

"To my brothers. Thank you for being everything that you were. I was the only girl, but you always made me feel like one of the guys. The smallest and scrawniest, but one of the guys none the less. I love you all so deeply, and I know you won't be able to take all this mushy stuff for too long, Fred and George especially, but I want you to know you have given me so much, everything that I am is because I had you to look up/down to.

"Luna Lovegood, thank you for being ridiculous and taking care of Ron, he needs you.

"Hermione Granger. Hermione.... I don't know what to say to you. I think the one thing I can do in death is say you are forgiven. I forgive you for all that you have done, and I wish you a happy healthy life.

"My girls. I love you, nothing in life or death could ever change that. I'm sorry I've left you, it's not because I chose to, know that I would trade anything to have just one more minute with you. Be good for your father and tell him you love him every day, because you never know when you will have your last moment with someone.

"Harry. My Harry. I don't know what to say to you, you are everything. You have given me my daughters and a home I never dreamt of. You have given me everything and sacrificed your own happiness, I have never known such a selfless being and you amaze me each and every day I wake up to see you there. I want you to know, what we talked about on our first anniversary, I'm beginning to. I want you to live after I'm gone, if you don't I'm going to haunt your arse. I love you so much.

"And that is all. I just hope everyone can realize that what brought them here is love, and that is a hundred times more powerful than hate."

The lawyer shook Harry's hand and left the room. Harry wiped Lilly's cheeks and put his arms around his daughters.

"You guys okay?" He asked.

They nodded against him.

Harry watched as Luna and Hermione hugged, a site he never thought he would see, and Arthur, who was crying himself, tried to comfort his wife.

"Daddy, can we go?" Eve asked.

Harry nodded and escorted them out of the office. Once he got out there he saw something he wished he would never have to see, Draco Malfoy.

Arthur took Molly out of the office at the same time Draco Malfoy came in close and whispered something to Harry. Harry, in turn, attacked him.

Arthur pulled Harry away from Draco Malfoy, which was a feat that needed the help of all of the Weasley brothers.

Malfoy wiped the blood from his lip, laughed heartily, and walked on. While this puzzled everyone, they dare not ask Harry anything quite yet.

Mrs. Weasley watched as Harry took her grandchildren and left the building. She apperated back to the Burrow, and awaited his arrival.

Hermione and Ron shared a look, and quickly followed suit.

When they arrived in the kitchen Harry was wiping the soot off his children's clothes.

"What in the hell is wrong with you Harry?" Ron asked.

“Nothing, it was nothing.” He said as his daughters walked upstairs to their room.

Harry started to clean the kitchen table, but was stopped by Molly.

“Dear… What’s wrong?”

*** *** ***

“What’s wrong Ginny?” Harry asked as he and Ginny cleaned up Eve’s playroom.

Ginny sat down at the small plastic table and started to sort through the drawings. Harry sat beside her and began to put the Play-Doh back in its tubs.

“I… I can’t believe what I’ve done to you.”

Harry’s heart began to race, “Is… Is there another man?”

Ginny smiled sadly, “Never. It’s just with the way we had to grow up there was always the fear of death, planning afterward almost became second nature. Remember when you got angry with Ron and willed your Firebolt to Hermione?” Ginny shook her head, “I haven’t planned these things out. ‘If anything were to happen to us,’ we always had everything planned; even if something were to happen to you.”

“I don’t see where you’re taking this…”

“What if something happens to me? What if something happens to me, and a blood test is done on Evie… What happens if Draco Malfoy comes and knocks on our door? How could I live with myself if your little girl is taken away from you because of me?”

*** *** ***

“Things got out of hand… I’m sorry Mrs. Weasley, just after Ginny’s will and seeing Malfoy…”

Mrs. Weasley paused, then said, "What did he say to you?"

Harry's eyes shut tightly for a moment, then he shook his head, "I can't repeat it."

His two old friends walked outside quietly as he talked to Mrs. Weasley.

"I've been meaning to ask you something Harry." Mrs. Weasley asked as she sat down at the kitchen table.

Harry sat across from her and waited for her to continue what she had to ask him.

"Did you love my baby?"

"Of course," Harry said forcefully.

She opened and closed her mouth, then inhaled deeply, "Then why, when she was pregnant with your child, did you tell Hermione you were in love with her? I'm just trying to understand..."

Harry sat there for a while watching this woman and seeing the pain this thought inflicted on her. He wanted to comfort her with the truth, but he couldn't bring himself to it.

"Things were complicated that year. I... I can't explain my actions to you."

"Why not? She was my daughter, I loved her so much, and you stole her away from me. You took her away and I just want to know if it was worth it, if the man that took my baby away truly loved her."

"The truth of the matter, the only thing I can tell you, is I have always loved Ginny. I may have not always been in love with her... but I can tell you, I'm not worth it. I'm not worth your daughter leaving you. But *my* daughters are."

Mrs. Weasley sighed; apparently knowing that was all the information she was to get from Harry.

She stood up and said, "Harry, I know you have... reservations, but staying away from your friends is not a good idea. I would suggest you take your own wife's advice, tell them how you feel about them now, you never know when someone will leave you."

And with that she began to clean the house, letting a little happiness in with every sweep of the broom.

Harry looked out of the door to see them in the garden kicking at the dirt. Garden Gnomes wouldn't be there at this time of the season, everything was harvested already and the seasons were ready to change. Harry went outside and approached them cautiously. He stood a good fifteen feet away from them, not watching, but not advancing.

"We were just agreeing that Malfoy was a prat." Ron said, directing his voice at Harry, but not looking over to him.

Harry nodded, "Something’s will never change."

"Yeah, you're right." Ron said kicking another dirt clod, "Something’s don't. Like Malfoy." he took a small pause, "And us."

"We'll always be the trio." Hermione said softly.

Harry let out a deep sigh of relief and nodded in agreement. None of the three had looked at each other, all of them occupied but not at all.

"I've been on the Chudley Cannons for a while now, keeper." Ron kicked a dirt clod clear out of the garden, "Course, we never won anything. I might become a coach next year, getting too old to play... I hear you are the best chef in London. At least that's what Eve says."

"No, just the head of the most expensive restaurant. It's really rather shocking how good I am at it... considering all of my potions turned to soup."

"Well there you go, practice." Ron said smiling.

Harry returned it, then looked away again.

"And Hermione's a big time reporter for the NEW Daily Prophet, only printing truth now that our Hermione's there."

Harry's eyes immediately turned to Hermione, begging silently for her to look at him and tell him it was the truth. She looked to him for a moment then looked back down at the ground with a furrowed brow.

"When you left I couldn't... A lot of things changed when you left... Including me."

They stood quiet for a long while, until Harry said, "I'm sorry Hermione... Ron."

Hermione's eyes finally connected with his and she nodded, "I'm sorry too."

Hermione quickly walked to Harry and hugged him. Her hug was just as tight as he had remembered, and that made a part of him sad for having to miss his friend for so long.

"I'm not sorry for anything." Ron said shrugging.

Harry and Hermione looked at each other then looked to him, opening their arms to him.

The three of them hugged, and Harry felt happy for being given the chance to be with his friends again.

5. Chapter 5 Strapped for Cash

A week had passed since Ginny's Will had been read.

The girls had been happy enough in the days, but at night they would cry and if Harry tried to go to bed in a different room they would end up in his bed before the night was through. They were over the 'why' part, they were now onto the realization that they would not see their mother again. They had become quite sad when it would hit them again and again, so they would have to go to their father. They wanted to know he wasn't going anywhere; he was the only thing they had left.

And Harry was trying as best he could not to be angry. He knew she wasn't coming back and in every way it wasn't fair. She should be alive and she wasn't. He was mad at the universe, mad at himself, and even mad at Ginny. She had just gone and left him all alone, for no good reason. It felt almost as if she cheated on him with another man. It had been so quick... There was no time. No time to say all that was needed to, no time to even say goodbye. And what he was angry at her most for is that she wasn't at all to blame. He couldn't blame her for her death, he couldn't blame anything. He wanted a reason, some sort of cause to get angry with, but there wasn't and it all felt just useless to feel anger and have nowhere to put it.

Harry walked down the stairs to see his daughters talking with Hermione. He walked back up and listened in on their conversation.

"What was Mummy like when she was in school?" Eve asked.

"She was... Smart. And she wouldn't let you get away with anything. All the boys in the school were mad for her. And she was so brave. I wish I was as brave as she was." Hermione's eyes sparkled with un-fallen tears.

"Did she like Dad?"

Hermione laughed, "Did she ever! Her first year with us she sent him a valentine... Harry blushed for months after that."

"What was Daddy like?" Lilly asked.

"He was brave too. And strong willed... and kind-" Hermione looked as if she were to say something but stopped herself.

"What?"

"I don't think I should say." Hermione smiled sadly.

"Tell us, dad always tries to tell us the entire truth..." Eve said.

"He was... tortured. He just had bad thing after bad thing happen to him, then the people he had to live with... he had a rather hard life in that school. But you know what? He never let the bad turn him into a sour person, he was always good. The best friend anyone could ever ask for."

Before his daughters could bombard her with more questions Harry went down the stairs and joined them at the table.

"You didn't have to feed them, I was just coming down." He said to Hermione.

She shook her head and smiled, "no trouble."

"Dad, what made you fall in love with mum?" Eve asked.

"Why do you want to talk about your mum all of a sudden?"

"Because... I don't want to forget anything about her... I want to know as much as I can about her. So?"

Lilly nodded in agreement.

"So, I dunno. She was... She always had this spirit about her; no one could ever taint it. Like the world would crumble and there would still be this spark, and it would be her. She had a spark... I think that's why I loved her... because of that spark."

Harry turned to look to Hermione who was just watching the tabletop with what seemed like extreme interest.

"What made mum love you?"

Harry looked at his daughter a long while, but decided instead of giving her the fairy tale answer, he would tell her the truth. He didn't know if he could live with himself if he tainted the memory of their mother with lies.

"I... I don't know. I never thought I deserved your mother. I... I never thought I deserved anyone."

At that Hermione got up and faced away from them, breathing deeply. His daughters looked at her for a moment then looked back to their father.

"For the past ten years I just tried to make her life the best it could be, sort of like a... payment... for having to spend it with me."

They were silent for a moment, trying to think, then Eve spoke out.

"You're not a bad person, why is it such a bad thing to be with you?"

"I was never-"

"Harry James Potter you shut your mouth right now," Hermione's voices cracked a little, "don't tell them that. If you're going to tell them the truth tell them the whole truth."

She sat back down and only looked at the girls, as if she were avoiding Harry altogether.

"Your father was brought up by these people.. I use that term lightly, these people... they kept him under a cupboard for the first eleven years of his life. Punishing him when he showed magical ability, humiliating him, and generally being the meanest sort of people. Harry's not thought much about himself because of them... because that's what they told him. You're mother loved him for the same reason we all do, because he's Harry... I don't think there's any other way to describe it."

Harry didn't know how to feel. Hermione was saying things he had never told his children, he had avoided it because he didn't know how to tell them, what were the right words, or if they would even care how he was brought up.

"I'm sorry, I don't think I've ever said those things aloud to anyone."

"I've never heard them." Harry said.

"I think I should go..."

"No, stay." Harry said, "I've got to do some business. You should stay and talk with them. Apparently you're better than I am at it."

Harry went to both his girls and kissed them both, then stood in the middle of the floor and Apparated out.

He stood right outside of the Leaky Cauldron; he looked down at his watch, and went inside. He sat in a corner of the room, and trying with his best effort not to be seen. After five minutes went by someone set two butterbeers down and sat across from him.

Harry tapped the glass and did a spell to make sure there were no poisons or spells in it. He took a sip then spoke.

"Hello Malfoy."

"Potter." Draco Malfoy spat back.

"Are we going to talk, or did you buy me a drink to try to get in bed with me?"

"Speaking of getting in bed... Your dearly departed was rotten in the sack."

Harry's nostrils flared, and he clenched his jaw while gripping the table so hard he scratched the old wood.

"Talk about what we came here for or I curse you into oblivion."

"Right, now I've had a change of heart since I was seventeen. Once Ginny died and I saw my little girl; I want to get to know her better. I think I want full custody. After all, she should know her real daddy. That is... unless you're willing to pay."

"Pay?" Harry was fuming, but he tried with all that was in him not to show it.

"Everything you've got. Everything Mummy and Daddy gave you, all of the Black family estate, your muggle house, and all of that muggle money you and your wife have ever made. All of it."

Harry's heart sank. The money his parents had given him, he didn't want to part with that. Not because of how much it was, but rather, that it was one of the few things he still had of his parents. And his house. It was where they had raised Eve and Lilly, all of what he and his wife had shared in that house would be gone because of this... person.

"Why?"

"Because I can't kill you, and it's the one thing I can do to ruin you. And my Father will be so happy to hear that you have nothing left, all because of me. What do you say Potter?"

"Can you give me a day to think about it?"

Malfoy smiled, "I'll give you two."

Malfoy left and Harry sat there for a few moments, feeling rather numb.

* * *

When Harry finally made it back to the Burrow he went up the stairs to Ron's old room and watched as his daughters slept. He watched Eve, and how her small breaths were making the sheet move up and down.

He thought back to the time when she came home from the hospital. Ginny had gone to sleep, she was quite tired, and he sat in the rocking chair next to Eve's crib and watched as she slept. He was sitting there for many reasons. One, SIDS, and if she woke up in the middle of the night he would be right there to take care of her. He heard the soft noises she made when she breathed, and watched her tiny chest move up and down with every breath.

And that night in the Burrow it was the same as it had been then. She was so small, so vulnerable. He had to be there in case she needed anything, and he needed to be there in case she was hurt.

And he needed to be there to be her father.

Memories of his wife would be nothing if he didn't have his daughters.

* * *

Draco Malfoy set two butterbeers down and sat across from him. Harry shoved the butterbeer back to Malfoy.

He set two Gringotts keys in front of Malfoy and shoved two papers over as well.

"Every cent Ginny and I have ever made is in my parents vault."

"Thanks ever so much Potter. Glad to do business with you." Draco was smiling from ear to ear. The satisfaction in his accomplishment seemed to ooze from every pore.

Harry did not wait a second longer. He apperated out of there and back to the Burrow.

As luck would have it, he apperated right next to Molly Weasley.

"We may have to stay a while, I'm a little strapped for cash."

A look of confusion went across her face, "that's all right dear. Stay as long as you like. I've missed cleaning up after children."

Harry nodded and went upstairs to Percy's room. Somewhere he was sure no one would look for him.

6. Chapter 6 Wandering in the Wood

A/N: Some were a bit... well some misunderstood the last chapter. I've studied the law (it was my major at one point) and the only way for a biological parent to *not* get custody is if the parent is found to be a detriment to the child's physical or mental well being. It doesn't matter if they aren't involved in the child's life; Especially Draco's case where he never signed over custody. If he wants to take her, he can, Harry knew that, then did what he did.

"Strapped for cash? With the Black family estate, and well everything his parents had given him... there's no way he could be out of money..." Ron whispered.

He, Hermione, his father, and his mother all sat at the kitchen table.

"Maybe he doesn't want to spend that money. I mean after all it would be quite a nest egg if Eve got the Black estate and Lilly got the Potter's money when they got older." Arthur suggested.

"But he makes so much money as a chef... it doesn't make any sense." Hermione said.

"He could have a gambling problem." Ron said.

"Not Harry, besides, do you think Ginny would allow that sort of thing?" Hermione asked.

"I never thought Ginny would be the type of girl to marry a guy who was in love with another girl, I guess I was wrong..." Ron said.

"Ron... We don't know what happened then. We can't judge." Hermione said.

"Considering you were the girl he was in love with, one would think-"

"I don't care. This isn't about that. Something's been troubling Harry, he keeps mumbling strange things under his breath."

Just as they were to go on with their conversation on what must be wrong with Harry, they heard a noise come from the stairs, they all sat still for a while, when they heard nothing else they continued.

Once they had spoken more than they ever wanted to, they decided that telling Dumbledore of the situation was the only thing to do. They were cleaning the table when Harry entered the house, didn't say a word, and went upstairs. They were in the middle of saying their goodbyes when Harry ran back down the stairs.

"Where are they?"

"Who Dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"My daughters. They aren't in any of the rooms upstairs." Harry said, the panic rising in his voice.

Arthur shook his head, "Surely-"

"They aren't there." Harry said forcefully.

Hermione quickly walked out of the house and started to scream their names. Harry followed her, yelling loudly.

"Didn't you notice they left?!" He asked.

"No, we didn't hear anything from them, we were at the kitchen table." Hermione walked quickly into the woods that surrounded the house, wand at the ready.

They frantically looked around the wood, which seemed to take an eternity, until they saw Lilly sitting on the ground in the middle of the forest floor.

"What's wrong with you!" Harry yelled, "Where's your sister?!"

Lilly seemed to not want to talk to him at all, but after he stared at her for a few moments, she pointed to where her sister was walking away.

"EVE! You stop right there!" Harry ran after her as Hermione stayed with Lilly.

"I don't want to talk to you, I HATE you!" She yelled as she walked on.

"I don't care! You're coming back home where it's safe." He said as he got to her and stood in front of her.

She screamed loudly and kicked him and hit him as hard as she could. Harry just stood there taking it until she was finished. When she tired herself out she plopped down on the forest floor.

"You didn't deserve Mum." She said angrily.

"You'll find no argument from me." Harry said as he sat down on the ground across from her.

Lilly approached and sat down next to her sister. Hermione stood by, her wand still in her hand.

"Why did you come out here?"

"We were running away!"

Harry nodded, "Okay, and why did you feel the need to run away?"

"Cause we hate you!" Lilly said.

"Ahh, well that's a good reason. You mind telling me if there's a reason as to why you hate me?" Harry said, he was still panting a bit, but was trying to catch his breath.

"Because you didn't love Mum." Eve said, her eyes seemed to be fixed on a spot on the ground.

"How could you say that?" Harry said genuinely hurt.

"They were talking, they said you were in love with Hermione and not mum. How could you? She loved you!"

Harry looked up to see Hermione's eyes grow wide with a look of horror on them.

"Girls I love you very much, and I hope this will be the only time I have to say this. Shut it. You know nothing of what you are talking about. Hell they don't know what the fuck they are talking about. You want to know the truth, the painful harsh truth? When your mother married me, she wasn't in love with me."

They both shook their heads, looking rather pale.

"Your mother wasn't perfect, I'm sure as hell not perfect. We weren't in love when we got married. That's the truth. You want to know another truth, we did later. Later we grew to love each other. And if there were any way I could give my life for hers I would do it in less than a heartbeat. I know that you want your mother here. I know that you wanted it to be me instead of her. To tell you the truth I wish it were me too. I wish I were dead an you had your mother. I wish I were a better father. I wish I could mean half of what she means to you. I can't. I can only be me, I can only be your father. I'm sorry I can't be what you need. But I love her, and I love you."

"What about her?" Eve said, suggesting Hermione.

Hermione was standing there, away from them, silently crying.

Harry looked down to the spot his daughter had found so interesting before, "I'm not perfect. I'm sorry."

Lilly wiped the tears from her eyes and hugged her father tightly.

"I love you daddy. I'm sorry for running away."

He held her, sighing in relief and nodded.

"I'm sorry too." Eve whispered. She then hugged him and said almost silently, "I'm glad you're here."

Harry exhaled deeply, and let a lone tear fall from his face.

* * *

In order to heal you have to hurt. It's an idea Harry once thought stupid, brought on by masochists to give meaning to their lives. He now found it to be truth. His daughters were not over their hurt, they would never get over the loss of their mother. But a great amount of pain had to be brought on for them to get to where they were.

They were sad at times, especially Ginny's birthday, or their anniversary, but the majority of the time they were happy. They were getting over the fact that they would not see their mother, and instead being happy that they were able to be with her for as long as they had. Memories of their mother, and his wife, were no longer sad to look on, but happy. They felt happy when they remembered her, and sadness rarely crept in.

It had been four months since the woods, and four months since Harry saw Malfoy last.

They were still living in the burrow, but they weren't alone. Hermione had since moved into Bill's old room, after her house exploded. She had the habit of writing negative things about Voldemort, and up and coming evil wizards who wanted to be like him. Which would be fine, but one or two found out where she lived and blew it up to make a statement. Luckily she was no where near the building when it happened. She was chasing after Crookshanks who was chasing after a mouse. Once Crookshanks got lucky, and the mouse didn't, she carried him back home. As he licked his chops quite satisfied with himself she turned the corner and saw a pile of rubble where her house should have been. Molly wouldn't take no for an answer, and forced -er- asked, Hermione to live at the Burrow. At least until they found the parties responsible.

Eve had decided not to go to Hogwarts. It just about killed Mrs. Weasley to hear it, she actually had to be subdued, while Harry just smiled and nodded. She instead decided to go to a muggle boarding school, called Tumesbrild Academy. Her favorite subject there was math, and she was surpassing all of the other girls her age. She wrote, and was written to, every day. She wrote to her father, and to her sister, although the letters to her sister were much shorter.

Lilly had decided at the ripe old age of three that she would be going to Hogwarts. She even had an extensive conversation with Dumbledore about it. Of course most of the conversation consisted of 'can I sleep where mummy slept' and 'when do you serve chocolate cake?'

Harry was just having a wonderful time of getting to know one daughter through letters, and the other through playtime. There were times he missed Ginny so much he could hardly breathe, but those would pass, and time would go on. And he was getting to know Hermione and Ron again. Ron and Luna had amazingly enough stabilized each other's craziness. And both were looking

forward to the winter, when Ron would start coaching and they would start trying for a baby. The thought of Ron as a father used to frighten Harry, but he now welcomed the new crazy addition to the Weasley clan. Hermione, Harry had learned, was in three or four very serious relationships, but they would soon end when the question of marriage would come up. Apparently Hermione had found it hard to commit. But she was happy because she had her job of reporting the truth, and Crookshanks to come home to. And Harry found that he was happy when his friends were happy.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were very happy. Not only was noise back in there house, where it belonged, but they got to play 'adventures' with Lilly. Lilly would decide they needed to go on a quest to find the Broom of Purpenhugen, and they would go around and find clues and fight off monsters until they found the Broom of Purpenhugen, which looked amazingly like Mrs. Weasley's kitchen broom. They were finally Grandparents, and they wouldn't give it up for anything.

Harry's life wasn't going to change entirely, it had always been a formula. He would find happiness, and something would come and make it all come crashing down.

7. Chapter 7 The Letter

"Harry!" Hermione screamed as she entered the Burrow. She clumsily tried to take off her many layers quickly, but failed miserably.

Harry came out from under the sink and asked, "What?"

"Harry!" Hermione jumped not expecting him to be there, "Harry, you have to see this!"

She shoved the newspaper into his hand.

"Malfoy... he's lying to one of the independent presses, the Prophet is going to print an article stating that he's bold faced lying, but these seem to be everywhere. I don't know what to do."

Harry read the headline:

Potter stole my baby!

The article said something to the effect that after Ginerva Weasley's death Draco Malfoy tried to see his daughter (Eve Potter) but Harry Potter wouldn't allow it and that independent sources said he was abusive to the little girl.

"I've never hit... I've never even thought about hitting Evie." Harry said.

Hermione just stood in front of him wide eyed, "Well of course! Didn't you see the OTHER lie he told, about Eve being his DAUGHTER!"

Harry paused, not knowing how to say it properly, then deciding to just say it would be best, "Hermione, if the Prophet wants to say Malfoy is lying, then the only part they can talk about is the insinuation that I would ever hit my daughter."

"Harry!" She said exasperated, "He..."

Hermione trailed off as the realization hit her.

"He's her father?"

"Only biologically. I've been her Dad since before she was born." Harry said.

Hermione rubbed her temples and sat down across from him, "I don't understand anything anymore. Why did you- why did she- what happened our seventh year."

"You turned me down." Harry said plainly.

Hermione's cheeks turned red, "I remember that part."

"After that I was going to the common room when I heard Ginny crying, I asked her what was wrong and she said she was pregnant with Malfoy's child and that he wanted nothing more to do with her. She needed to leave, she didn't want to have to face her parents and I- well my heart was broken. I didn't see any need to stay."

"Oh, Harry." Hermione said as she held on tightly to his hand.

"What happened that night gave me my kids, I'm alright with it. But this... I gave Malfoy every cent I had. I gave him my parents money, the Black Estate, every cent Ginny and I ever made, our house... I gave it all to him so he would leave us alone. The deal was he would take the money and he would never bother Evie again."

"I think we need to take Mr. Malfoy to court in that case."

Hermione and Harry both turned when they saw Dumbledore flanked by Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

"Court?" Harry asked.

"Yes, court. You made an exchange, and he should honor it. Besides I heard word that his next step is to bring you to court, I think we should even out the playing field and YOU should take him to court."

Harry looked to everyone in the room, then shook his head, "I couldn't put Eve through that, we have to find another way to-"

"She will be in school. And as for the truth of who her father is, she deserves to know."

"But I'll never win." Harry said weakly.

"You will win," Dumbledore said matter of factly, "You have been her father for her entire life, that counts as something."

And with that the Prophet took a counter attack. Saying not only did Malfoy not want Eve when Ginny said she was pregnant with her, but was also given a lot of money to give up parental rights. Before that happened though, Harry, or rather everyone forced Harry, to sue Malfoy for 'breech of wizard's agreement' or something of that sort.

Once all that craziness started, Harry had to write to Eve.

Evie,

I don't know what to say. I don't know how to tell you something so important... and yet something so unimportant to me. It's rather complicated.

It's how you came into this world.

Your mother and I were great friends. She was with me on the front lines with Ron and Hermione. You see, this 'bad man' that wanted to hurt me was the most evil wizard for a century. I was prophesized to be the only one to get rid of him... and I did, with the help of your mother and my friends. When Hermione said she was brave she wasn't using the term lightly, your mother faced certain death, and did it with a smile on her face because she knew it was the right thing to do.

During this time she fell in love with a boy by the name of Draco Malfoy. He made her believe he was in love with her, that he was a good person, that he would be fighting on our side when the war came to an end. He ran away when things started to get heavy, and came back saying something along the lines of he had to protect his mother.

And your mum bought it. She wanted to believe there was good in him. So the night after the battle you were conceived.

And I was in an entirely different part of the castle, asleep.

Then graduation came up and the night of graduation she told Draco Malfoy the news, that she was pregnant.

He laughed at her and told her 'good luck with that.' When she asked him 'aren’t you in love with me?' he gave her a disgusted look and said that he could never love someone who associated with (insert filthy word here).

She started to cry, and as he left, I heard her. You see, that night I poured my heart out to Hermione, I told her I loved her and I wondered if there were a chance she could grow to love me. She told me no in the best way possible, and I took it rather badly. When I happened in on your mother crying and she told me what was bothering her, and why she couldn't go to your grandparents for help, I decided that we should go and I would help her raise her baby. Soon enough we got married, thinking it the only proper thing to do, and a short time later you came into our lives. God I loved you when I first saw you... I just saw your eyes open up and look bewildered at me and I couldn't help but love you. I stayed with you that night as your mother slept, and every night after that until your mother told me to stop it, saying you'd get a complex.

I feel the need to tell you something more, when our first anniversary came, we made a promise to each other. That we would get over the people we had loved before and fall in love with each other. It would be best for us for two reasons. One, cheating wasn't really an option for either of us. And two, because we deserved it. We all deserved to be a real family.

And we are. I love you just as much as I love Lilly, you are in every sense of the word MY daughter. I know this is a lot, and you're young, but I need to tell you because it would kill me if you had to hear it from somewhere else.

Feel free to hate me, I will be here for you always,

Dad

The reply he got made him quite happy. It was:

Dad,

I'll be home for Christmas.

Eve

It was all he could have hoped for, and it got him ready for the trial that was soon to come.

* * *

Harry sipped his glass of water, and listened as Hermione talked.

"What Ron fails to see is though Luna is a reporter she reports on things that... don't exist. While I tell the absolute truth about everything I see. Even if it makes Dumbledore look bad."

She sipped her coffee. They were sitting in at the kitchen table in the Burrow at one o'clock in the morining. She had to get up early to cover the trial and Harry couldn't sleep. They both found their way down to the kitchen in search of something to eat, but instead made themselves something to drink.

"How did you make Dumbledore look bad?" Harry asked.

"Five years after you left someone wrote a book on their experiences of having to be in school with THE Harry Potter. They insinuated that while you had to go after the philosopher’s stone and... Well just about everything we had to go through, Dumbledore stood by and did nothing. I had to report the truth, so I said while Dumbledore was not at all inactive in these matters, through inconvenient events, you did have to go through many things without his help."

"Who would write rubbish like that?"

"Zacharias Smith. I know, I know, but he does talk about you rather fondly. More fondly than I remember him being. I guess that's what he had to do to sell books."

Harry didn't care at all. He never cared much about the way the world looked at him, and that book would be no different.

"So, why didn't you write a book? That would have sold millions, 'How I lived through Harry Potter' by Hermione Granger, Forward by Ronald Weasley."

Hermione suppressed a laugh, "You don't know how many offers there were for me to write a book like that. I could never write something like that. It just wouldn't be right. Ron on the other hand had to be talked out of it by the entire Weasley clan."

Harry laughed, "That, I believe."

"Why haven't YOU written a book? It would be one way to make money, besides you could embellish it as much as you want. 'I Harry Potter took the wand out of Voldemort's hand at the age of one, and killed him. Then I moved England to the Bahamas and made the universe'... Everyone would buy it."

Harry shook his head at the grinning Hermione, "If I were to embellish anything it would be you... all of you. 'Hermione Granger killed Voldemort while Ron Weasley, Ginny Weasley, Neville Longbottom may he rest in peace, and Luna Lovegood got rid of all of the Death Eaters and I sat in the fetal position on the floor.'"

"I hate that we had to do that... To go through all of that, we were too young." Hermione said sadly.

"As were my parents, as was anyone who had to defeat a dark wizard." Harry said a bit more cheerful than Hermione seemed to be.

She sipped her coffee and tapped on the table, "I don't think I've ever asked, how's fatherhood?"

"Great. I recommend it to everyone. Being a parent is the most frustrating, and happy, thing you could ever do. You should do it."

Hermione smiled but shook her head.

"Come on, I'll give you one of mine as a starter kit. You can have the one that wants to be nothing like her father and will soon be unable to deal with because soon enough... boys will come into the picture. I'll just have to kill myself. So, to save my life, take her and I'll keep the one that can never wear the shoes on the right feet."

Hermione couldn't help but laugh, "You're on your own Potter."

Harry snapped his fingers and looked at her in mock disappointment.

He realized then that Hermione wasn't the same girl he had left so many years ago. She was this different woman. One that was almost like his Hermione, and yet not. She didn't talk to herself when she had work to do, nor did she work so hard as he remembered. She was more confident, happier, and in many ways she had calmed down. He was glad for the change, it suited her. She was everything positive about Hermione Granger.

But he longed for the old Hermione. The one that would get so emotional she would cry in the wrong moments and somehow make a bad day worse. The one that would nearly break his arm in two every time she got frightened. The one that would study too much and start talking to herself, about past lessons.

He wanted the old vulnerable Hermione back.

"What are you thinking about?" Hermione asked.

"You." Harry said taking another drink.

Hermione's eyes widened a bit, "Me?"

"Yeah," Harry leaned over the table and whispered, "I miss you."

Hermione had leaned with him and as he said those words her cheeks turned pink.

"I'm right here Harry." She whispered back.

"I mean the old you. You used to be so... guarded with everyone else but me. Now you're guarded with me, and no one else. Why?"

"Because your wife just died." Hermione said.

She was about to lean back into her chair when Harry placed his hand on top of hers and stopped her.

"That's not it." Harry whispered.

"Don't push it Harry." Hermione said seriously.

"Why not?" Harry said just as serious.

Hermione sighed as if she were giving up the fight.

"Because I don't want you to hate me. Ever since you left I though that you would grow to hate me."

"I could never hate you," Harry then smiled, "You are after all my bestest buddy."

Hermione smiled at this lighter turn of events.

"Bestest buddy? Really?"

"Of course."

8. Chapter 8 The Trial

"I just thought I could change him." Ginny said.

She and Harry watched as Eve played on the beach, chasing the waves and running on the beach when they approached.

"Why would you want to?" Harry took his eyes off of Eve for a moment to look at his wife.

Ginny's eyes did not connect with his, and she stared at the ground, "He told me he liked me... I thought there must have been something good, something deep down, that wanted someone to come along and tell him he didn't have to be hard to be liked. "

"He never deserved you." Harry paused for a long moment, "*I* don't deserve you."

Ginny smiled and laughed lightly, "I don't see how anyone can resist you. You make it very hard not to fall in love with you Mr. Potter."

"Likewise Mrs. Potter." Harry took the water he was drinking and splashed it on her.

She laughed and have him a shocked, 'you did not just do that... you'll pay' look. Before she could do the same to him Harry had run onto the shoreline and when Ginny got up, used his daughter as a human shield between him and his wife.

Ginny promptly shoved him in the water.

* * *

"This court is now in session. The honorable council on parental affairs is presiding." A sickly looking man at the corner of the room said.

The council's group of desks at the head of the room stood at least six feet tall, and each one of them looked sever. The entire room seemed to be made of wood, a dark foreboding colour. Harry noticed on one side of the room sat Malfoy and his mother, both pretending to look pained, with a young witch lawyer at their table.

On his side the entire Weasley clan, minus Percy, and all people who had married into the Weasley family, as well as Hermione, and Dumbledore sat with him. Harry had no lawyer, only Dumbledore.

The middle judge, an older man with small glasses that did not fit his face, looked at both sides then coughed loudly.

"No reporters Miss Granger, this is a case involving a minor, you know the rules..." He said in a gravily monotone voice.

"I'm here for moral support; I'm here as a friend, not a reporter." She said from her seat behind Harry.

The old man turned to the sickly man in the corner, "Have Miss Granger sign a confidentiality agreement."

The sickly man got up and walked lazily over to a door on the other side of the desks.

"Exciting, isn't it Harry?" Dumbledore said rather happily.

Harry felt like bashing his brains into his desk.

"All right. So the plaintiff of the case, Mr. Potter, says that Mr. Malfoy made a verbal contract so as to Mr. Potter would get custody of the child, Eve Potter. Mr. Malfoy is suing for full custody of the child, is that it?" The old wizard asked.

"Yes it is." Dumbledore said.

"Yes," said the Malfoy's lawyer said.

"Mr. Malfoy, what happened in your own words?" The old judge's monotone voice rang out in the large empty room.

Malfoy faked holding back tears and said, "It's true, when I was young I didn't look on fatherhood as a favorable thing, but over the years... I wanted to be a father, I wanted to find my child and get to know her, be the father she never had-"

At that Harry gouged the wood of the table with his fingers, trying to restrain himself.

"I wasn't able to find her mother, and when her mother died... I tried to talk to Mr. Potter about seeing her, but he threatened me. Finally when I did talk him into seeing me, he tried to give me money but I refused. Then I heard rumors that he had hurt my Eve, I only want to see my daughter..."

Both his mother and his lawyer came in close, trying to comfort him.

"Mr. Potter, in your own words..."

Harry had to take a couple of moments to collect himself so he wouldn't maim Malfoy.

"Ginny and I talked after he told her, 'good luck with that' when she told him the news of her pregnancy. She was heart broken, so we went away. When Ginny... passed, and we went to the reading of her will, Mr. Malfoy approached me and said a derogatory thing about my late wife, then asked if 'his' daughter was anything like her. I admit I acted rashly, but after I had cooled down Mr. Malfoy contacted me about Eve. I went to see him and he told me if I didn't give him every cent I had he would take her away from me. I gave him all my money, then the article came out."

Harry tried to make his voice stay as monotone as the old man's, but wasn't able to hold it the entire time.

"I would like to submit these," Dumbledore took out some manila folders and levitated them over to the lead judge, "they are Eve Potter's medical records. They show the times she went into the hospital, and that more than once Mr. Potter brought her in when she could have just stayed home. This hopefully shows the council that he has always been a very cautious father, that his daughter's health means a great deal to him, and that the allegations Mr. Malfoy brought to the court are erroneous."

"Both sides shall submit all their evidence to the council, we will deliberate and tell you our judgment when we find one."

The group of judges exited through a side door and Harry was looking from their retreating figures to Dumbledore. Once they were out and people started to get up Harry stood and banged his fist on the table.

"That's it?! That's the entire case?"

"Of course Harry." Dumbledore said, looking too happy to be where he was.

"But aren't we going to bring up witnesses, or I don't know, something more!" Harry yelled.

Every one of the people on his side of the room, minus Dumbledore, were trying to quiet him down, but failing rather badly.

"These are how things are done Harry," Dumbledore said calmly, "The council tries to bring as little emotion into the matter as possible."

"Emotion is all I've got! I don't stand a chance if you don't bring the way I feel into it, the fact that I'm her dad! Without the emotion you've just got a father fighting to see his daughter, and on the other side someone who is known to have killed at least one person!"

"No really Harry," Dumbledore started, "that's going a bit far don't you think? Counting Tom as a person..."

"Harry, don't worry about it mate," George said.

"We'll kill the whole panel if they rule against you-" Fred added.

"And just keep killing council after council-" George interjected

"Until one of them votes your way." Fred finished.

"Thanks," Harry said feeling rather hopeless, "That really helps me."

He sat down and put his head on the wooden table. He could hear people behind him talking in whispered hushes, and he heard Malfoy laugh at least twice. His hands were sweaty, he felt as if the beating of his heart would break his chest. A cold sweat covered his face, he was sure he was having a heart attack. He felt the sudden urge to yell out 'I'm coming Ginerva!' but fought through it.

He felt a warm hand touch his and he lifted his head to see Hermione crouching down next to the table where he was. She looked worried, which usually meant that she was awake, but it was more so this time.

"How are you Harry?" She whispered in a soothing tone.

"Dying of fright, you?" He said in a whisper, but the most forceful a whisper could be.

"Harry, he can't harm Eve, if he tries the Prophet will expose him, we'll follow him night and day, go through his garbage, everything. Not that we'll need to of course, we'll win, I just know it."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because, well, you're Harry Potter."

* * *

"Yes I am, and you just happen to be Mrs. Potter, don't you?" Harry said smiling.

Ginny couldn't help but giggle and curtsey in her overalls. Hanging wallpaper in the new home they had just bought seemed a lot more troublesome then they thought it would be. Ginny was six months pregnant, and not allowed to do any real work, just putting the wallpaper in the water.

She seemed to watch him for a long moment, then smiled to herself, and seemed to try to shake the thought away.

"What was that smile for? Dreaming of me in a tutu again?"

She laughed out loud at that, but shook her head.

"No Harry, just... Well it was so easy for me to fall for you the first time... what does it take to catch the eye of Harry Potter? Why did you fall in love with Hermione?"

Harry failed to see the lighthearted part of this conversation; he stopped smiling, and went back to trying to get air bubbles out of the wallpaper on the walls.

"I don't know." He said, even surprising himself with the fact that he was indeed going to talk to her about this.

Their conversations before had been kept as lighthearted as possible, none of them really wanting to feel what they had just gone through.

"She was always there, she always wanted what was best for me even if I didn't."

Ginny laughed, "that would make her more your mother than a potential lover."

"But no one ever cared about me before enough to worry about me. If someone was worried it was for their sake, not because of me. I thought that, well I was under the mistaken idea, that she loved me. That was the reason why she would go to all the Quidditch games, or why she did everything to make me safe, or made that awful green stuff after my detentions with Umbrige. And that when she believes in something she goes into it full force, ready to take on all that oppose her. I also... It's stupid but I liked the way when she was really frightened she would grab my arm. She's a smart witch and could have done any of that stuff on her own, but she would grab *my* arm..."

He turned to Ginny who was looking at him big eyed and lip quivering. She crossed the small space and hugged him to her. Harry didn't feel he need a hug, but gave in anyway.

And after a few moments realized, he did need that.

* * *

"The council had reached a decision!" The sickly looking man's voice rang out in the open room.

The council came back in and everyone looked the same, except for the monotone old man. He looked rather determined.

"Well now," his voice was finally sharp and resounded some emotion, "As for this case... I should tell you that we can see everything you do when we are back in chambers. And while Mr. Potter seemed to need medical attention, Mr. Malfoy found comedy in the experience of having to fight for the custody of his daughter from a man, who he believes abuses her."

His hand went up as Malfoy tried to speak.

"You know you are not allowed to talk as we are ruling."

Malfoy looked positively mad, and Harry didn't care. He just wanted him to get on with it. Stop talking and just say whether he got to keep his daughter.

"The evidence of the child's marks in school show good grades throughout, and the letter to the court from the child professes that he is the most qualified father she could have."

Harry wondered when Eve had written the court, but pushed that aside as the old man went on.

"And we have to agree. While this court usually sides with the biological parent, we see that only as a determent to the child to try to put her in that situation. We award custody to Mr. Potter. We also are giving him his property back, all of it, and the court would like to remind Mr. Malfoy that selling one's daughter is illegal. The case of the matter is now closed."

Harry felt as if his brain and heart were dancing the tango in celebration, he didn't know how exactly to let out what he was feeling. So he went down the line of Weasley's and hugged each one of them with a silly grin on his face. When he got to her, he picked up Luna and twirled her in the air, then kissed her on the cheek. She was the only one who seemed to share his enthusiasm. Harry then without thinking hugged Dumbledore who muttered, 'that's quite alright... anytime..' He got to Hermione and hugged her tighter than he had hugged anyone else and she gave out a 'Harry... need air... need breathing!'

He let go of her and looked to the rest of the group, "I... Right."

He walked off heading home to Lilly, and as he passed Malfoy he felt that nothing could make this day any better.

9. Final Consequences

Harry and Ginny walked through the doors as if they were going to their execution. Ginny sniffled every other minute, and Harry nervously tried to keep track of what the realtor was telling them.

"Now all of these floors are hardwood, rather beautiful, and the walls... well there was some water damage, so you're in luck, you're starting fresh. Really this house is a barging for the location. The couple selling it wants it to go to another family just starting out."

"We have... Just started out." Harry turned to Ginny, then back to the realtor.

She smiled and 'awwwed' then went on to show them each room in such detail Harry thought he would know more about this house than he ever would on Hogwarts grounds. When the tour was over and the woman looked to the couple for an answer, Harry turned to Ginny to see if she liked it, but she just sniffled.

"We'll take it." Harry said, being lead by the realtor into the kitchen to sign some paper work.

* * *

"So, the floors are hardwood, the walls... they're... walls. Really, I suggest doing whatever you want with the place, it should be yours, your memories." Harry said, one hand on the banister.

The couple standing in front of him looked all around. They were holding hands and looking very much in love. She was at least six months pregnant and looked rather bright and happy.

"This place... well it's amazing." the woman said, "Do you... I don't mean to be rude, but what's the catch? Why so cheap? Murders..."

Harry laughed, but shook his head, "Nothing like that. When my wife and I bought this place it was marked down considerably as well, when we asked the realtor said it was because the couple that lived here before wanted it to go to a young couple, just starting out. I thought, why change it? Besides, I have enough money, I don't need to charge a high price."

"Your wife is alright with you selling at this price?" The woman asked.

Harry smiled, "I'd like to think so." The couple looked a bit confused so he continued, "My wife passed recently."

"I'm so sorry-" The woman started.

"Don't worry about it." Harry waived it off, "I decided after a while that... me and my daughters should move from here so we can... build a new life, with new memories. To live here and have the memory of their mother haunting them... it would feel too empty. It's time for change." Harry cleared his throat, "but this place, it's good for making memories, it's good for razing kids."

"We'll take it." The woman smiled to her husband who nodded in agreement.

* * *

Mrs. Weasley walked down the stairs of the Burrow to see Harry circling something in the newspaper, quill in one hand, glass of milk in the other.

"What are you doing up so late Harry dear?" She whispered as she took a seat at the table.

"I should ask you the same thing, I'm sorry, am I keeping you up?"

"No, of course not. Arthur's been working through the night, and I could never get rest while he was gone."

She tried to clean the spot in front of her at the kitchen table but it had already been cleaned earlier, which gave he a sour look.

"I'm just looking for houses." Harry gestured to the newspaper.

Mrs. Weasley looked heartbroken. Harry tried the quickest way to make her feel better.

"I've been meaning to ask, I know that this is sort of an imposition, but I was hoping that you and Arthur could baby-sit. When we get to the new place I'll have to go on job interviews, and then work, and doing it by myself-"

"Say no more," Mrs. Weasly tried to hide how happy she really was, "We'll find the time."

"That's great, thanks." Harry said smiling.

They were both silent for a long while, Harry reading his newspaper and Mrs. Weasley trying to not watch the clock of Weasleys on the wall.

When she couldn't take it anymore, Mrs. Weasley spoke out, "Harry... I... I never told you."

"Never told me what?"

Harry didn't know what he expected her to say, was he making marks on the floor with his shoes that just absolutely drover her bonkers? But of all things he never expected what she said next.

"Thank you."

"For what?" Harry asked genuinely perplexed.

"For taking care of my daughter. I don't think... I never had as much respect for you until I overheard that you weren't Eve's biological father. You took care of my girl when I couldn't, thank you."

Harry didn't feel like he should be thanked, he felt quite the opposite of the situation. He was the one that took her away. He should have made her confront her parents with the news; his choice cost them ten years of their daughter's life.

"Sure." was the only thing he could think of saying.

She got up, hugged him, then went back to bed.

Harry didn't know what to think of Mrs. Weasley anymore. He expected her wrath and got a hug instead. Either she was loosing her touch or he had done something right.

That next morning Harry went out looking for houses, not really sure whether he should get one in the muggle world, or the wizarding world.

Moving into Grimmauld place was out of the question, it held too many sad memories for Harry, and in some ways it would always feel like a prison.

And going to the property that was once his parents home just didn't seem right. That was Lily and Jame's dreams, their beginning, and with what happened to them there, it would seem morbid to build a house on the property where both of his parents died.

So the house he ultimately decided on had three bedrooms too many, and the entire house looked like it was a museum, but Harry knew that he could change that. It was nice, and all of the corners were round, and he knew he wouldn't have to wallpaper or paint the place, which was good.

He gave the news to the Weasleys who were more indifferent than anything else, they were just glad they would still be able to see their grandchildren.

"I'm sure it will be great. It's a muggle house you say?" Arthur asked.

Harry nodded, "You can come and look before we move in, see a real muggle house."

Arthur brightened at that, nodding and saying, "Will do. That sounds great."

"What sounds great?" Hermione said from the doorway.

She was just coming through the doors and little snowflakes were still in her hair. She at the moment only seemed interested in the post she had in her hands.

"I found a place. We'll be moving there in about a week." Harry said.

Her head finally moved up and she looked at Harry shocked.

"You're moving?"

Harry nodded and smiled. Although the situation seemed to get much more awkward with Hermione, he tried to make it as normal as possible.

"Oh." Hermione said, then turned her attention back to her letter, but she seemed to concentrate on it even harder than before.

She went up the stairs with not another word said.

The week went by quickly, until it was their last night at the Burrow. Mrs. Weasley made a cake, and Lilly was overjoyed to be going to a new home. Not that she didn't like the Burrow, just that she missed having a room that was her own, and a sign on the door to prove it.

Hermione seemed less enthusiastic about the move, or rather she wasn't enthusiastic at all. She ate her piece of cake, but mostly used her fork to move it around the plate.

When the evening ended and Harry had tucked Lilly in, he volunteered to clean up and the rest of the house decided it was time for bed.

Just as Harry dried the last dish he heard footsteps coming down the stairs, and just when he was turning after putting the last dish away he found Hermione right next to him.

"Er- Hello Herm-"

Harry was cut off by Hermione's lips capturing his. He didn't allow himself to feel anything; he just tore her off of him.

"Hermione, I don't want that."

She looked utterly horrified and terrified at the same time. She walked away from him and began to pace.

"We just fail to realize, we fail to see it." she said, her voice in a frantic tone.

"See what?" Harry asked genuinely confused.

She then stopped pacing a good five feet away from him.

"The consequences of the choices we've made." she said sadly.

Harry said the first thing that came to his mind that made any sense, "You can't sum up all choices as bad, there are many good to outweigh the bad."

"But the fates don't see it that way. Maybe it's predestined."

Harry was seriously worrying about Hermione's mental health at that point. He didn't understand a thing she was trying to tell him.

"What is?" he asked trying to see if she had truly gone off the deep end.

"Our lives." she said emphatically, "That we are meant to live one life, one that is already woven out. But our choices are still our own. What if we make the wrong choice? What if we make a choice that sets us on a path where we don't belong. Not a bad choice, just the one we weren't meant for. There would have to be consequences for those actions, for going against fate. The consequences of the life we didn't live."

Harry feared where she was going with this, so he tried to bring sense to her, "Hermione you're-"

"What if I was supposed to say yes that night? What if my choice was not the one... What if we were all supposed to lead different lives and I screwed it up? "

"Hermione, I have no regrets for the life I've lived. You're decision, while hurting me severely, didn't kill me."

She then looked like she was about to cry, "Yes but I never wanted this to be my life.” she said pointing to herself.

"What's so wrong with your life?"

"I'm being punished for my decision, in true Greek tragedy form.", she harshly wiped the tear that was going down her face.

"Hermione-" Harry tried to say as soothing as possible.

"Harry," She cut him off, "For the longest time since you left, I didn't see it at first, but it was the reason why I could never commit, it was the reason I was never serious about any relationship. I was in love with you. And I am still. I love you just as I did then, but more if it is even possible. And it's too late. I can't be with you because I had my one chance and I screwed it up and it's gone and I can't do anything to get it back. "

"This is not a consequence," Harry said forcefully, "The life we are supposed to lead is the one we do. I was supposed to fall in love with you, I was supposed to marry Ginny and have the two best children in the world. It... Was her time to go... and this is the time we've had to move on."

"Please," Hermione said desperately, "Answer me, just this one question. When did you stop loving me?"

"About the time I got to know you again. I know I acted angry before that, but that was because I wanted to hate you, but I couldn't. And after I got to know you again I wasn't in love with that old Hermione anymore." Harry said trying to use as little emotion as possible.

Hermione looked quite hurt but managed to say, "Thank you for being so honest." She turned and moved for the stairs, but was stopped by Harry's voice.

"I started to love you at that point, the new you. And soon enough, I was in love again. Do you know how odd it is for me to hear the word love coming from my mouth so many times, when it doesn't have to do with my daughters? Hermione, sometimes we are just going through life at a different pace than we anticipated. Maybe we just need to know when to play our notes."

Hermione turned to look at him, to gauge his emotion and how she should respond, but was stopped from doing any of that by his warm lips on hers.

There was no question here, no laziness, they weren't lavishing in the love they shared. They were exploring each other's mouths with hunger and need, it all laid dormant for too long and it was coming out quickly, and without hesitation.

They had maneuvered so Hermione was up against a wall and most of their bodies were touching. Harry unceremoniously moved his hand in her shirt and when he grabbed her breast she let out a moan that made Harry's brain not function anymore.

Her skin was soft, and when he felt her nipple harden when he put his hand on it he moved grinded himself into her hip which caused another moan from her.

She moved her mouth away from his, which made him groan in frustration, but she smiled imply to him and put her hands on his shoulders, then wrapped her legs around his waist. He moaned her name and captured her lips once more, and she forced her tongue in his mouth.

She positioned herself so that between the wall and him she could grind her center into the erection that filled his pants. She swirled her hips and Harry felt as if he were about to burst.

They parted their lips and tried to tug Hermione's shirt over her head.

"Daddy?"

They both stopped and looked around.

It was Lilly's voice, but the could not see her.

They then heard soft knocking on a door then her voice again, "Daddy?"

She was knocking on his room door, up the stairs.

They detached and tried to straighten themselves up as much as possible.

Hermione was still straightening her skirt when Harry went to the staircase and said, rather softly, "I'm down here Lil,"

She came down in her rainbow coloured footy pajamas and rubbed her eyes.

"I need a glass of water." She said.

"Sure thing." Harry said smiling to his daughter.

He got her tinkerbell cup and filled it from the tap, then went over and picked her up.

"I'll take you back to bed. You need to get your sleep, we're going to be moving tomorrow. "

"Goodnight Lilly," Hermione said.

"G'night 'mione." the sleepy toddler replied.

Hermione stood there, waiting, not really knowing what to do. She thought, what would Parvati do? But decided against doing anything she would do. She thought about taking her shirt off and going back against the wall, but that wasn't the best idea. Considering if given another minute a three year old would have walked in on something really shocking. Or worse, one of the Weasleys. Getting naked and going into his bed crossed her mind, but then what if he was waiting for her in her room? What if he was naked waiting in her room? But then if she went to her room and got naked there would be the same problem of him being naked but in the other room. And naked does rather rush the act, since there is nothing to take off. Hermione thought that ripping off Harry's button down would be rather fun, with the buttons flying everywhere. But then that would ruin that shirt, and Hermione really fancied him in that shirt. But with the pace they were going at before it didn't seem logical that they would take the time out to unbutton the shirt properly. Maybe he could just take it off over his head.

As Hermione determined the shirt's fate Harry finally made his way down the stairs. She waited for something, anything.

"Hi." was the only thing she could muster saying which was odd after what they were intending on doing.

"Hermione I don't think-"

"We could go up to your room. Or my room. My room might be best..."

"Hermione, I don't know if we should."

Hermione's heart sank to her feet, "Why not?"

"I'm a father, first and foremost. And... Evie and Lilly just lost their mother. I don't know if I can ask them to accept this. And, if I did ask and for some reason it didn't work out, it would break their hearts. I have to think of them first, before I ever think of myself."

"Harry," Hermione said in a shaky voice, "I can't be their mum, I'm not Ginny and I could never compete. But I love them, I do. I love the way that Eve always wants to know the whole truth, no matter how much it may hurt, and the way that even though she doesn't want to admit it she needs her daddy and needs to be loved by him. I love that Lilly will always march to the beat of her own drum, and I want to help her to stay that way because there's a whole world out there that will want her to change one of the best things about her. I don't think I could ever be their parent, like you are, like Ginny always will be."

She paused. Harry felt as if she were just agreeing with him, that cooler heads had now prevailed.

But Hermione went on, "But I'd like to try to be some sort of parent, the best I can be. And if that means shacking up with you then so be it."

Harry smiled at her joke, and tried to speak but was cut off again by Hermione.

"I love you Harry, every part of you."

She then took his hands and led him to a chair at the kitchen table; she kneeled in front of him.

"Harry James Potter, will you marry me?"

"Say yes Daddy!" Lilly ran down the stairs and stood beside Hermione.

"What are you doing up? I've put you to bed twice tonight."

"You did it wrong the last time. And I decided I needed milk instead." she said, shoving the water in his hand.

He was about to get up but was stopped by his daughter tugging his arm down.

"You got to answer first. Tell her yes."

"Why do you want me to say yes?" He asked her.

"Cause Hermione's nice. And I like it when she's in the same house cause sometime she makes oatmeal with strawberries for breakfast. And she's really good at playin' adventure."

Harry thought about how much his daughter said, and how much he wanted to. But she didn't understand as much as she thought she did, she didn't really know what being married to someone meant. And he still had to consider Evie, and how she would feel about this.

But then he thought that maybe he was overanalyzing this entire thing. He wanted to be with Hermione, she was an amazing person, couldn't it all be that simple? Couldn't they just be together because they loved one another?

He stood up and as he did disappointment crossed over his daughter's face as well as Hermione's. But he helped Hermione up and kissed her, no fire, just simply kissed her, then put his lips close to her ear and whispered quietly, "You put her to bed and I'll put a silencing charm on Bill's old room."

When they stood apart from each other Lilly had her hand over her eyes, then peeked a look.

"Come on Lilly, I'm going to put you to bed, then you're Daddy's going to put me to bed."

* * *

Christmas came and so did Eve. She came to the new home and although she was quite uncomfortable with Hermione at first, once she realized Hermione was going to treat her as she had always she began to talk more easily with her.

Harry and Hermione opted for a justice of the peace, an office, and the Weasleys as witnesses. Hermione wasn't about to have fifty or more people staring at her, and the ceremony wasn't really what mattered. The reception was at their new house and every Weasley, and faculty member from Hogwarts was there.

Harry decided to take the job of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, that Dumbledore offered, and Hermione insisted he take. Which meant a portkey back to his home every night, and having to share a faculty room with Snape. Which Harry rather liked. He felt like Buggs Bunny to Snape's Elmer Fudd.

At the reception Professor McGonagall had to excuse herself multiple times, because, to Harry's amazement, she kept on crying because she was so happy.

Of course Harry refused to remember catching her and Dumbledore kissing in the pantry.

And the night wouldn't have been complete without a marriage proposal, from Fred of all people.

"You know Angelina and I are getting married." He said proudly.

"She said yes?" Hermione asked in amazement.

"What?"

"Have you even asked her?" Harry asked fearing the answer.

He seemed to think about it for a moment, "You make a good point... Oy! Angelina! You want to get married?"

"With who?" She yelled back across the room.

"Me!"

"Yeah, alright."

Harry turned to Hermione, "What could be more romantic?"

She shook her head, "I haven't heard of anything, especially coming from you... Ouch! You are not allowed to pinch me there in front of compa- Ouch! Ron! Help me!"

Ron's voice rang across the room, "You're the one that married it, you deal with it on your own!"