A/N: Here is a new story for all of you! This first chapter essentially explains what the story is about. Of course it will be a Drarry eventually :) Please let me know what you think. Enjoy!
Chapter 1
It had been ten years since the demise of Voldemort and the disbanding of the Death Eaters. There was finally peace in the Wizarding world and people who were directly involved in the war were able to move on with their lives albeit without a lot of their family and friends present.
Harry and Ginny married shortly after completing school. They had two kids named Jamie who was seven and Liliana who was four. They had started their life at Grimmauld, but found that it wasn't exactly safe for them anymore as Kreacher decided to reveal their location and secrets right before Voldemort died. Just as well seeing as the place was rather dreary and held horrible memories for everyone. They lived in a nice estate in Somerset that belonged in the Potter family. It was heavily protected and only those close to Harry knew where it was. Their nearest neighbors were five miles in any direction thus giving them further privacy. It was a big plot of land with a Quidditch pitch and horses. It was set against a forest that allowed many different creatures to grace their property.
Harry worked out of the home writing stories for the Muggle world. Ginny played Quidditch semi-professionally for a local league in Somerset. Jamie and Liliana attended muggle schools during the school year and learned about the wizarding world in their off time. They both inherited Harry's curly hair, but Liliana took after her mother and had dark auburn hair, not the bright Weasley red, but still red all the same. She had amber colored eyes with flecks of green throughout. Jamie on the other hand was the spitting image of his father aside from the freckles that dotted his nose and the flecks of amber in his eyes. They were content in their life and enjoying the peace and quiet of solitude and calm.
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Ginny dropped her gear near the doorway and looked around her home. She felt like something was missing in her life and she was sure that Harry felt it too. They had gotten married rather young and had children shortly thereafter. They settled into life as a married couple and parents with little time for themselves. Harry had become distant over the years and they often did things separately. They had weekly family time, but there was no couple time. They loved each other and were the best of friends, but they were no longer in love with one another and Ginny felt deep within her heart that it was time for her and Harry to have a serious talk.
She knew the kids were already sleeping as it was rather late and she had gone out with her teammates after practice before heading home. Odds were Harry was working on his latest book in his office completely tuning out the world. She walked down the hallway and knocked lightly on the door to Harry's office. He let out a grunt in response and she opened the door. Sure enough he was crouched over his muggle computer typing away frantically. Ginny entered the room and took a seat on the couch behind him and waited patiently for him to finish his thought process. After a few minutes Harry stopped typing and turned around.
"Hey Gin, how was practice?" Harry asked as he stood and kissed the top of her head and took a seat next to her on the couch.
"It was good. We went out for drinks afterwards. How's the book coming along?" Ginny asked returning the kiss to his cheek.
Harry glanced over at his blank computer screen and shrugged. "I suppose it's coming along rather well. Liliana got into a bit of mischief today at school," Harry told her.
Ginny sighed. Liliana was sneaky just like her Uncle George and her late Uncle Fred. She was constantly getting into trouble. "Canary creams or puking pastilles?" She asked.
"Actually it was the fainting fancy ones. She gave one to her unsuspecting muggle teacher and had the whole school in an uproar of what could have possibly caused the teacher to faint and not wake up. They were afraid that they were going to have an outbreak of something until Liliana went and secretly fed her the other half and she got up like nothing happened," Harry explained.
"How did you find out?" Ginny asked clearly amused with her daughter.
"Jamie felt like he was 'protecting' his sister by telling me what she had been up to. Sometimes I wonder if that boy inherited some of Percy's genes or something because he always seems to know what everyone's doing and when they're doing it and getting others in trouble. I think he's the ultimate sneak though," Harry said with a chuckle.
Ginny laughed and nodded. They sat in silence for a moment and then she turned to him and took a deep breath. Harry knew that something important was coming. He gave her a questioning look and she reached out and took his hands in her own. "Harry listen I think we need to talk about something," She began. Harry stared at her in confusion. "I want to play Quidditch professionally," She said.
Harry turned away for a moment. "That's going to take you on the road a lot and the nearest team are the Harpies and that's miles away. You'd be gone from home a lot. From the kids and from me," Harry responded looking a bit worried.
"I know that Harry. I've been offered a position with the team and I want to take it," She replied.
Harry's mouth dropped open in shock. "Are you leaving me and the kids?"
Ginny looked down at their joined hands and nodded slowly. "Harry, we've been drifting apart for years. We never have any time alone together and we don't even spend that much time as a family. We are more friends than lovers and I just want more out of life."
"Why did you marry me in the first place if it wasn't what you wanted?" Harry demanded. He pulled his hands from her grasp and stood up going to the window.
"Harry, I was in love with you and it was expected of us to get married. I'm grateful that we did because if we hadn't we wouldn't have Jamie and Liliana. You can't deny that we haven't drifted apart these past few years. We are like roommates raising two kids together," Ginny replied.
Harry sighed and reluctantly nodded his head. "You're right we have been drifting apart for years. I just… you just want to leave us and never look back? What are the children going to think?"
"No Harry of course I don't want to leave you all behind and never look back. I am going to spend as much time as possible with the kids. I've wanted this for a lot of years Harry and I don't want to deny myself from it anymore. I think its better this way. The kids will have a parent around constantly instead of being ushered from one babysitter to the next with me. Please Harry I need you to understand that I still love you I just don't want to be with you anymore," Ginny tried to explain.
Harry turned to her, tears in his eyes. "So that's it? You've already made up your mind?"
Ginny let a few tears fall as she nodded her head. Harry hung his head and nodded in agreement. He knew this day was coming but he didn't realize it would be so soon. He had felt himself and Ginny drifting for years as well, but he didn't want to give up. He couldn't break up his family no matter how much he didn't want to be with Ginny anymore. Ginny stood and walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him.
"You're my best friend Harry and you always will be. Promise me you'll take care of our kids and that you'll be happy," Ginny said.
"I promise," Harry said quietly. Ginny nodded and stood up on her tippy toes to kiss him on the cheek. He smiled sadly at her as she turned and walked out of the room to pack and floo to the Burrow before leaving for Holyhead.
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Draco Malfoy stood on the balcony of his home that was located on the grounds of Malfoy Manor. He looked across and watched as his only son trudged across the lawn from his grandparents' house. He had schooling with Narcissa while Draco worked in the Department of Mysteries. His wife Astoria spent most of her day in and out of shops in Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade. Supposedly she was scouting for her own store ideas, but Draco found it funny that every time she came home she had several bags floating behind her.
Draco sighed wishing that he had a different life. There were three things that were great in his life; his seven year old son Scorpius, his relationship with his parents, and his job. He didn't much care for his wife for she drained the life out of him every day. He didn't understand how she became this way for when they first got married they got along splendidly and Draco wasn't worried that he was going to hate being married to her. That changed in the past two years or so.
"Draco! Where are you?" Astoria yelled in her shrill voice that grated on Draco's nerves. He didn't want to respond because more than likely she wanted to complain about her day and how her feet were killing her from walking around so much not realizing that her spiked heels might be the culprit. "Oh there you are darling. What are you doing?"
Draco rolled his eyes at her endearing words. "I am waiting for our son to come home like every day. What are you doing?"
"Well, I just returned from this fabulous boutique in France. It was just to die for. My feet are killing me though. It's amazing how…." Draco rolled his eyes again and tuned her out. She really gets on my nerves, he thought as he watched Scorpius sprint the rest of the way after catching Draco's eye. Draco grinned down at him and turned around and left Astoria on the balcony babbling on about her sore feet. He ran down the stairs and made it to the front door at the same time Scorpius opened it. His son ran into his waiting arms and gave him a big hug. Scorpius was the light in Draco's life.
"Father I learned the best stuff today! Grandmother told me so much about the war and…." Scorpius went off in rapid speech about his day, Draco hanging on every word. When he was finished he took a deep breath and smiled at Draco.
"It sounds like you had a wonderful day son. What would you like for dinner?" Draco asked as he led his son to the kitchen. He caught Astoria's annoyed expression at the top of the stairs, but ignored her. It wasn't his fault that his son was far more interesting to him than she was.
"Oh, I almost forgot, grandfather wants to see you before the evening is out," Scorpius added as he watched Draco whip up some spaghetti. Draco nodded absently wondering what Lucius wanted him for. His father ran their family business out of the home and rarely left for there were still loyal people to Voldemort out there who didn't like the choices he had made after the war.
"Alright. Well then let's eat before it gets cold and then it's time for your bath and getting in bed," Draco said.
Scorpius nodded and dove into his spaghetti. Draco ate very little as his nerves were fried from his annoying wife and wondering what his father needed him for. After sometime the dishes were cleaned and put away, Scorpius was clean and getting into bed carrying a chapter book that Draco was beginning to read again to Scorpius. It was written by a muggle author who simply went by HJP. The author mainly wrote adult novels, but he had written a couple of chapter books for younger children about magic and wizards and witches. Despite growing up in that world Scorpius still found HJP's stories fascinating and read them over and over.
"…and so the school bully made fun of the new wizard named Leo who was completely new to the world of wizards and witches…" Draco read. Scorpius was paying very close attention even though by now he could recite the story word for word. Draco found himself thinking about how this story reminded him of his relationship with Harry in school. It was interesting how similar it was, but Draco figured that all bully/victim relationships were the same so this story wasn't an exception. He glanced down at Scorpius to see that he had fallen asleep. He chuckled silently to himself as he slowly got up from the bed and placed the book on his nightstand. He leaned over and kissed Scorpius on the head before he turned the lights off and left his room.
He walked downstairs to his private study and opened the door. His father was sitting in a chair across from his desks looking slightly frazzled. Draco shut the door behind him locking and silencing it with the strongest spells he knew. "Good evening father and what do I owe the pleasure of your company?" Draco asked as he sat down in his chair behind the desk. He looked closely at his father and noticed that his face was lined deeply and he looked tired. Draco instantly felt on guard.
"Draco, there's something you need to know," Lucius began. Draco sat up straighter in his chair, but didn't allow his emotions to show. He nodded curtly at Lucius and waited for him to continue. "Some loyal death eaters are banding together to get back at me as you've known for some time. I've learned through reliable connections that they have a plan that will surely bring me down and if they knew I was warning you I would be dead," Lucius explained.
"What sort of plan do they have?" Draco asked his voice slightly breaking.
"They plan to take you and brainwash you into becoming one of them and turning you against me. They want you to reveal all that you know about me and our family," Lucius replied.
Draco shook his head. "Father, they cannot touch me. There is no way they could do anything to me in order to make me turn against you. Nothing."
Lucius hung his head and shook it. "They would have leverage son," Lucius replied.
Draco felt his stomach tighten and his heart begin to beat faster. "What sort of leverage?" He asked not masking his fear any longer.
"They plan to use Scorpius to get you to do what they want," Lucius replied quietly.
Draco felt his body slack and his stomach drop. My son? They are going to use my son to get what they want? Draco thought fearfully. He looked up at Lucius. "Fine then, I'll give in and that way they won't have to involve Scorpius at all," Draco said making up his mind quickly enough.
Lucius looked up in alarm. "No! There is another way that both of you can stay protected, but you can tell no one about it," he exclaimed.
Draco looked at him incredulously. "What do you mean?"
"Take Scorpius and go into hiding. You need to go somewhere that they would never find you. At least stay there until we can get the threat under control. I haven't contacted the ministry yet because I want more solid evidence then what I have right now. Draco this is your only option to keep everyone safe," Lucius insisted.
"What about Astoria? She'll want to know where her son is. No matter how much I can't stand her I don't want to take her son away. Where would I go? Find Potter and stay with him and his Weasley infested family?" Draco responded with a sardonic laugh. Lucius eyes brightened at his suggestion.
"That is exactly what you should do," He replied.
"No way! I'd rather hide out in a dry hut in the desert instead of with Potter. You're mental for even thinking that. Besides, they can't get to me here," Draco responded.
Lucius gave him a hard stare and reached into his cloak and pulled out a packet of pictures and tossed them on the desk in front of Draco. Draco looked down at them his eyes widening as he examined each and every photo. Most were taken on the very grounds that he lived on. Draco realized with each picture that Scorpius was in danger and he nearly ran for his room to grab him and floo away right then when he saw the last picture of him and Scorpius reading their bedtime story together. That was too close for comfort.
"But how could they have gotten on the grounds?" Draco asked.
"The Dark Lord had many traps and secret passages that he created on our land. I knew of many and those are all gone now, but there are still some left that only he knew about or so we thought. Do you see why you need to take Scorpius and go into hiding? It's dangerous," Lucius replied.
Draco nodded and glanced through the pictures again. "How in the world am I going to find Potter and who's to say he'll even help us?"
"Go to his friends and see if you can find out where he is. I'm sure he'd take you in. He does have a hero complex after all," Lucius suggested.
Draco chuckled. "I suppose that is right. What about Astoria though?"
"She isn't in danger. Again the least amount of people who know where you are the better. Leave tonight after she's gone to bed. This needs to be done quickly. Find a place in a muggle hotel and then find one of Potter's friends. This is very important son," Lucius stressed.
Draco nodded and stood from his chair. He piled the pictures back up and handed them to Lucius. His father embraced him, "Be careful," he whispered before he stepped away and turned on the spot to apparate back home. Draco left his study and checked in on Scorpius who was sleeping soundly. He peeked in on Astoria and saw her reading Witches Weekly. He turned back to his room and silently packed a bag and then waited until he knew she'd be asleep.