This chapter was so long I had to eventually cut it down into two sections, part one and part two. I hope you like this chapter however angsty it may be…In my opinion, I believe it to be a good bit of angst! Thank you so much for all of the feedback! Once again beta'd by the wonderful Harryandhermione'sdaughter (Steph) Bit of song inspiration from one republic - stop and stare….
"It is the fear of middle-age in the young, of old age in the middle-aged, which is the prime cause of infidelity, that infallible rejuvenator"
- Cyril Connolly (English critic and editor, 1903-1974)
Chapter title: Catching Infidelity Part one
After seeing Hermione to the door, Harry quickly set about cleaning the kitchen and routinely washing the dishes muggle style. Hermione's situation had brought about a sense of unsettlement within him and he sighed at her unhappiness. Magic worked wonders for about mostly anything, but for Hermione, magic could do nothing to repair the recent damage. Knowing this, Harry felt saddened; the magical world had failed them once again. However, the more he thought about it the more he felt as if Hermione had a chance to move on.
The situation with Hermione had not dismissed the fact that Ginny hadn't returned last night and he used the dish cloth to wipe the dishes more vigorously. The water began splashing onto the countertop as he vented on his anger. The constant disappearances were scratching away at his patience, creating disquieting circles in his stomach. She had been slowly disappearing into the background of family life, neglecting her parental responsibilities. It was still caught in his mind that Hermione had been more of a motherly source for Lily since Ginny had lost her communicative skills.
Refusing to dwell on the matter and deciding to talk with her later, he continued with the household chores .The silence was calming until he was disturbed by a rather irritated Lily.
"I'm bored!" she huffed, sitting ungracefully onto a kitchen chair. Harry shook his head knowingly- she couldn't last five minutes without Hugo.
"When is Hugo coming back?" she asked curiously. Her legs dangled from the chair, too short to meet the kitchen floor.
"Soon." Harry replied, placing the kitchen towel onto the side of the sink
"Daaaad!" Lily whined.
"I said soon, Lily."
"Fine!" she huffed angrily. Slipping from the chair she left the room and ensured that Harry knew of her whereabouts by stomping on every step as she ascended the stairs to her bedroom.
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After calming Lily and explaining that Hugo would return home soon, Harry managed to persuade her into accompanying him for a father-daughter day out. He felt guilty knowing that Ginny rarely spent time with Lily as well as James and Albus. Tomorrow would bring another day of work as a head auror so he wouldn't have the time to entertain her, meaning that today would be the last for a few weeks that would be entirely devoted to her.
"We have to make a quick stop to my work before we go to Diagon Alley, we'll be five minutes tops, then we'll go straight there ok?" he asked Lily. She nodded quietly and grabbed her coat before side apparating with him.
Once the sickening feeling had stopped and Lily had gained composure, the pair set off for Hermione's office in search of Seamus Finnegan.
"Seamus? You here, mate?" Harry called as he knocked on the office door.
"Yeah, one minute!" came a distant reply. A loud shuffling could be heard before the door to the office quickly opened and Seamus arrived.
"It looks like we had a break in here last night." Seamus motioned towards the office. Harry cared to take a quick glance and met the destruction caused by Hermione's rage.
"Catch the culprit?" Harry asked quickly, Hermione had enough to deal with, without being reprimanded for the fact that she had ruined ministry property.
"No, looks like they searched Hermione's stuff though, don't know why- it doesn't look like they took much, thought it's hard to tell at this point…" Seamus explained. Harry nodded accordingly and sighed.
"Well, Hermione got a bit sick last night and so she's out of action for a few days, possibly a couple of weeks. She'll be back soon though, I'll take on any extra workload she has to complete though, and it's only fair on you then." Harry told him.
"Weasley got her pregnant again?" Seamus asked jokingly.
"No, of course not!" Harry replied almost angrily. If Seamus knew anything about what had happened last night, he definitely wouldn't be making jokes as of now.
"Ok, ok!" Seamus responded with his arms raised, "I'll take it as a sign never to joke with you again."
"Sorry, just a bit stressed…" Harry apologised quickly, Lily pulled at his sleeve and motioned with her head to the exit.
"Don't worry, Harry, I'll see you at work tomorrow then, I suppose?"
"Sure, bright and early." he tried to smile happily, breaking through the tension he had unintentionally created. With a small nod from Seamus and another valiant tug on his sleeve form Lily, Harry quickly pulled her into his arms and apparated them to London.
The shops were relatively quiet for October and Harry was left in peace to browse the various shops of Diagon Alley without being disturbed for an autograph. Lily enjoyed grabbing his hand and dragging him to different corners of each shop, blissfully unaware of her father's inner turmoil.
"What about these?" she asked sweetly whilst producing a pair of keepers gloves from the shelf.
"Al will love them." he smiled as she placed them in his loaded arms. As a child he was devoid of any presents, a life he wished his children would never have to live.
"I think we have enough now, Lilybee." Harry addressed her with her newfound nickname. Where Hermione had come up with the nickname he had no idea, but it was awfully catchy.
"Ok."
After paying for the various presents, Harry took his daughter to one of the shops he was most fond of as a child: Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. After the shop was boarded up in his sixth year and Mr. Fortescue had disappeared, Harry feared that he had abandoned his shop permanently. After the war he was greatly relieved when Mr. Fortescue returned and made it one of his missions to indulge in one of the biggest sundaes he could buy.
"Chocolate?" Harry asked Lily quickly, receiving a nod he left Lily to read through her Quidditch book at the table and returned with two small bowls of ice cream. Lily tucked in immediately and he held back for a few seconds to admire her happiness.
Picking his spoon up from the table Harry quickly began to dig in and devour his ice cream along with Lily. He watched as people busied themselves around him, and it brought him a sense of ease as he thought about the downfall of Voldemort. Raising another spoon-full of ice cream to his lips he immediately halted as a flash of red met his eyes. Casting his gaze beyond Lily's small figure, he squinted in the sunlight to observe the red headed figure. He immediately recognised it as his wife and made to call out, however the presence of an unknown man at her side caused him to furrow his brows. He reduced himself to stop and stare as she passed quickly through the streets with the man at her heels. He felt his eyes following the pair and lost coherent thought when their hands joined.
Time seemed to slow as he observed his wife and her actions, Lavender's Party? He thought confusedly. Lavender wasn't even near the vicinity. He was soon pulled from his thoughts as a dollop of ice cream fell into his lap and he cursed inwardly as he cleansed his pants with a flick of his wand. Dropping the spoon to his half-empty bowl, he grabbed Lily and immediately apparated home.
"Dad! I wasn't fini-"
"Lily, go upstairs." Harry cut her off.
"But-"
"No buts, Lily, go upstairs!" he replied with a sterner tone. She hesitantly agreed and scurried upstairs as he pounded his fists on the wall as he had done all those years ago in his Privet Drive bedroom.
For all he knew, the man he just saw could've just been a friend- but wouldn't he have been acquainted with him? Why did she have to lie about her whereabouts? And so far the 'just friends' analogy was losing against the 'affair' analogy.
Who was this guy? Harry had to admit that he looked somewhat familiar, but he just couldn't think of the name. Giving in to the thoughts of Ginny having an affair, he began to piece together the evidence he had for such an accusation. It would definitely explain her absences, the reason for her male company, Teddy's irrational comme-TEDDY! Harry cut himself off drastically.
This would certainly explain his behaviour and the unwillingness to tell him of the secret behind his words. Determined to find out, Harry quickly scribbled a note and demanded that Teddy make an immediate trip to the Potter household. Sending Altair to deliver the message, Harry paced the living room with an air of discomfort to his step. His auror senses started to surface as he debated with several pieces of evidence and scenarios that would support his theories. Still pacing, his eyes once more averted to the photo of his wedding. The image clearly stated the tension within his marriage and he bit his lip pensively. He had never been educated on the behaviour of magical photos but by the look of it, it seemed to pose itself as another deeming piece of evidence.
His pacing halted as the resounding echo of apparition met the unadulterated silence, and it seemed the silence was the only untainted substance in his life. His choice of step had resulted in him having his back turned to his godson and he couldn't seem to find the courage to turn as he voiced his question.
"You knew?" he chastised himself for making it sound more like a statement than a question and awaited the all important answer. Putting his godson on the spot certainly didn't help the situation, but he had to know, he had to affirm his thoughts.
An almost whisper caused him to wince as the soft word "yes" reached his ears. Teddy knew there was no use in pretending and so answered albeit with a painful hesitation. Harry slowly turned and let his godson see the lone tear that escaped his emerald orb and shook his head slowly.
"You didn't think to tell me?" Harry asked softly. He noticed the deep grey that overtook his godson's usually blue eyes and sensed the pain he was unwillingly causing. Teddy merely nodded and quietly repeated his apologies, wringing his hands together in sheer worry.
"James, Albus, L-Lily, they didn't deserve this. They don't deserve to have their family torn apart by the likes of me. I didn't want the blame." Teddy whispered gently.
"I couldn't do it." he added whilst wiping the stray tears from his eyes. Harry watched as his godson slowly broke his resolve in front of his very eyes. In the nineteen years that Harry had known him, he had seen the anger, jealousy, sadness, happiness and the other emotions Teddy had possessed. However, seeing his godson on the verge of breaking point was a sight that truly made him lose any resentment he held due to his failure to tell him about Ginny's infidelity.
"I'm sorry, I couldn't I-I just couldn't." Teddy stuttered through the few tears he dared to show.
Harry quickly shook his head and embraced Teddy in a fatherly hug, "I'm sorry that you've had to live with this." he added to his godson's words.
Releasing Teddy, Harry ran a hand through his hair and exhaled loudly.
"Who is it?" Harry asked slightly hesitant.
"He works at the Holy Harpies, that's where I found out. He goes by the name Zabini." Teddy replied. Harry's face contorted at the name of the mysterious man and he cursed.
"Blaise, fucking, Zabini?!" he shouted, not at Teddy but as a statement to himself.
"How long?" Harry snapped his head towards Teddy and locked his eyes with him.
"I've known for about a month." Teddy gulped. Harry winced at his godson's revelation and threw a frustrated punch at the wall. A voice in the back of his head nagged as he fought the thought of Ginny and Blaise together, isn't this exactly what you wanted?
No! He hadn't wanted it! He was confused and upset, alone and desperate.
"Harry!" Teddy's voice penetrated his thoughts and he snapped his head upwards as a sign of response.
"Lily is still here, I'm taking her to The Burrow. I'll get back as soon as I can, Lily doesn't need to hear this." he spoke with responsibility. Harry simply nodded and watched as Teddy vanished with a thoroughly confused Lily.
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Hermione Granger sat in the living room of her parent's house and rubbed her temples as her parents discussed her current situation in front of her.
"I knew this would happen!" Adam Granger shook his head in an 'I told you so' fashion.
"Dad." Hermione begged frustrated.
"Adam, dear, let's just calm down." Jane Granger inputted as a way of calming her husband.
"This is the reason I refused to accept his offer for your hand in marriage." Adam told his daughter bluntly.
"You agreed dad, that's why we ended up married." she retorted confusedly.
"Actually, I refused the first time, he asked me again and I had to relent, you looked so happy." he sighed disappointedly, "I should've refused again."
"You refused to let him marry me?!" Hermione asked her father dumbstruck, "why didn't you tell me?" she asked demandingly. Her father looked away for a moment and then met her eyes.
"He wasn't good enough for you." came his simple reply, although she sensed that there was something he still wasn't revealing.
"Did you know about this?" Hermione turned to her mother and awaited her answer. Jane Granger nodded sheepishly and Hermione threw her hands up in annoyance.
"My own parents disapproved of my marriage and they didn't even tell me!" she cried out frustrated. She was glad that Hugo was playing with the next door neighbor's son and rubbed her eyes.
"Immature." Jane spoke and Hermione grimaced in confusion.
"For two people educated to such a high degree, one worded answers don't reveal all." Hermione spoke. Jane gave her a sympathetic look and continued.
"We thought him too immature, hot tempered and slightly arrogant." she told her daughter. Hermione stared at her parents disbelievingly and bit her lip in thought, how could they keep this from her?
"I can't believe this!" she fumed. Glaring at her parents she threw her head into the pillows on the sofa and stared at the ceiling. Since she had arrived she had done all but cry, her crying had stopped at Harry's and she had been unable to cry any further.
"Is it wrong that I can't cry anymore?" she asked to no-one in particular.
"No dea-"
"Is it wrong that I feel slightly relieved?" Hermione cut off her mother's assurances.
"Hermione, darling, it's wrong that you had to had to wait so long, until you realised that you made the wrong choice." Her mother told her lightly.
"Why didn't you tell me?!" Hermione asked her parents in exasperation. Why couldn't they tell her? Didn't they want to prevent her from making a big mistake?
"We thought you would've been clever enough to figure it out Hermione, we thought you would've realised that Ronald Weasley wasn't the only hero in your life." Jane Granger spoke before rising to her feet and motioning for her husband to follow, all the while leaving a thoroughly confused Hermione in their wake.
To be continued in part two……
Ps, this story is not finished yet, so we have a few more chapters still hanging in there! As to how many?- That's debateable!