Summary: Little more than a decade after the Battle of Hogwarts, a chance encounter between Harry Potter and a long-lost friend uncovers a secret concerning the two unlikeliest of people. [EWE? DH compliant]

Chapter 1 - The Missing Friend

It was a slow day in Diagon Alley, with thankfully not too many witches and wizards about. A pair of bright green eyes glanced up at the darkening skies and was briefly relieved he'd gotten everything done before the weather got any worse. The threat of heavy rain, possibly even a storm, was looking less of a threat and more like an imminent certainty. With a sigh, the owner of said green eyes lowered his gaze back to the cobbled street of Diagon Alley.

They'd been invited over to the Burrow for dinner that evening and since Ginny was already there with their children, he meant to Apparate directly. Remembering he'd nearly run out of ink at home, Harry stopped by a small shop for writing utensils on the north side, near the entrance to Knockturn Alley. He far preferred these smaller and less crowded shops, even if people didn't stare as much as before – well that wasn't exactly true, they still stared a bit, but at least they seemed to be a little more polite about it.

Whilst absentmindedly walking past the entrance to the ill-famed and far less crowded alley so he could Apparate, Harry's eyes fell upon a figure in long dark robes looking into the glass window of another small store in an even darker corner.

The figure was that of a woman and, in truth, there was nothing particularly noteworthy about her. Yet what caught Harry's attention was her hair. Long, brown and a bit bushy – so much like hers.

His chest tightened at the thought.

Many would say Harry Potter had finally found happiness. Countless magazine and newspaper articles delved into the hero's "perfect life" and, in a sense, they were right. All in all, Harry Potter was a happy wizard; no Dark Lord plotting to kill him, a beautiful family and finally living a normal life working as an Auror. Well, as normal a life one could have being a wizard.

However, his happiness had one major hole in it: Hermione.

Despite all the good things that came their way, neither Harry nor Ron ever got over losing their best friend. It had been years since he last saw her and Merlin, how he missed Hermione. Losing her after the war was over – when he thought they were finally all safe – nearly became his undoing. Nothing could compare to the utter helplessness Harry felt after she went missing... not knowing whether she was hurt or even alive still haunted him.

Of course, Harry and Ron searched for her, using all their pull in the Ministry and Auror division to investigate her disappearance. Never giving up and ignoring those who insisted she was dead; month after month, even years, they searched and hoped.

But Hermione Granger had simply vanished.

Harry fixed his attention on the woman standing only a few paces from him. He couldn't really tell from behind but she seemed to be around his age. Also, couldn't fail to notice she was about his friend's height and that hair was so much like Hermione's it frightened him. It wasn't quite as bushy as it had been back in school; Hermione had learned to tame it eventually, making it more curly than bushy. Yet it never completely lost all of its unruliness.

Harry blinked as the witch surreptitiously pulled her hood back up.

It wasn't until then that Harry noticed the little girl – 5 to 6 years old at most – holding on to the witch's hand.

How had he not notice the girl before?

The woman had an admirably good figure for a mother, though, he thought fleetingly. And slowly he began noticing more and more things about her... she kept tapping her right index finger against the handle of her bag and looked somewhat edgy, turning her head and occasionally shooting furtive looks down the street. On one of these turns, her hood fell back again and Harry drew a deep breath, shocked after having caught a glimpse of her face.

It couldn't be.

Maybe his own deep wish to see her had indeed boggled his mind after all this time. Without even thinking he quietly but surely drew nearer.

"Mum? Can you buy me an ice cream before we go home?" Harry heard the young girl say.

"No, darling. It's nearly dinnertime."

"But I really want one," the girl whined pulling on her mother's wrist.

"I said no, Lyra."

"Please?" she begged and after a short pause - in which she got no response - added, "Mum, you're looking very pretty today..."

The woman laughed. "You should try being more subtle."

As if struck by lightning, Harry found himself rooted to the ground, his mind going blank yet erupting with an array of unintelligible thoughts at the same time. And before he knew it, he'd propelled himself forward with incredible swiftness, reaching the woman and her daughter in a couple of long strides before extending a hand to grasp her own arm.

The brown-haired witch whirled around with eyes wide in surprise and confusion. Her face paled visibly whilst her brown eyes widened even further as they locked onto his green ones. Unable to control himself, Harry gripped her shoulder a little too tightly without meaning to.

She was clearly just as shocked; however, while Harry Potter was stunned with disbelief, she looked utterly horrified.

"H-Harry?" her strangled and slightly quivering voice called out in barely more than a whisper.

"Hermione?" he finally managed with a choke.

Harry could not describe the wave of emotions assaulting him in that moment and by the looks of it, she felt exactly the same. For what seemed like an eternity but was probably no more than a second both of them just stood facing each other; Harry still gripping her arm, green eyes locked on brown until she let out a long gut-wrenching sob before launching herself at him, pulling him into a fierce and desperate hug. Harry clung to her just as tightly... there really wasn't much else he could do. He was almost afraid this was all in his head.

After a few seconds, minutes, or even hours – he couldn't really tell – they broke apart. Hermione wiped her eyes with the sleeves of her robes as Harry wiped his, having not even realised he was also crying.

"Hermione, what... where have y – Merlin! We thought you were dead! What happened to you!?"

"Oh, Harry, I'm so sorry! Gods, there is so much I need to tell you! I was so terrified and at last – coming home!" Harry almost grinned at her babbling.

Her already puffy eyes began to water again and this time, Harry recognised the guilt in them. A sudden realisation hit him.

"Sorry? Why would you be sorry? Unless…"

It all made sense. The sneaky behaviour from before he confronted her and her current guilty demeanour... Hermione had run away. She had never been missing or kidnapped or attacked. What had she been running from? But what hurt the most was how she had not trusted them. She had not trusted him.

"No, listen! Listen to me, Harry! There is something you must know first!"

"Bloody hell! I... I never—"

"Mum?" a small voice unexpectedly cut in hesitantly.

Merlin, they had both forgotten the child.

When Harry looked down he saw her standing closely by Hermione, gripping her mother's robes – for she was without a doubt Hermione's daughter. The young girl had the same brown hair, worn in two loose braids, and her face was much like Hermione's except for the eyes. The girl's eyes were a remarkable pale grey. They struck Harry as oddly familiar.

"Mum? Why are you crying?"

It wasn't just the eyes. Looking more closely Harry began to notice a few differences in their features. Her face was a bit pointier and her teeth weren't as large as her mother's had been when she was a girl. The girl's manner and bearing were also very different from Hermione's but yet again, still familiar. He watched as her chin tilted up and her eyes swept over him. A rather beautiful child and her grey eyes contrasted magnificently with her hair. She seemed curious and by what he'd overheard previously, probably more than a little bit bossy and clever, like Hermione. But there was something else about her – the way she held herself, so obvious and yet Harry couldn't place it.

"Oh, darling, I'm not sad! This—this is Harry, my friend Harry. You know who he is," Hermione explained before turning her gaze back at Harry, her eyes wide and pleading. After all those years of friendship, and being a father himself, Harry understood what she was asking of him, of course. Not in front of the girl. With a surprising strength of will Harry managed to calm himself, or at least appear to. They would certainly have a very long conversation later and Hermione damn well better explain everything then – he'd make sure of it.

Harry looked down at the small girl. "I'm Harry. Harry Potter... I'm an old friend of your mum's –"

"Harry Potter? Then you're my Uncle Harry," Harry was thrown off balance as she grinned up at him. "I wanted to meet you so much! And Uncle Ron... Where is he? Mum talks about you two all the time!" she gushed, obviously trying to get it all out at once. It was quite endearing really and Harry found himself immediately smitten with her. "—all about Hogwarts and says you two were her best friends! Father, though... he says you two were nothing but a couple of baboo—"

"Lyra, I believe that's enough," Hermione interrupted sharply. Silver eyes flashed at Hermione in annoyance but the witch ignored them. "Harry, I'd like you to meet my daughter."

Harry kneeled down, in order to be eye-level with the kid. "I'm very pleased to meet you. And, I suppose you will get a chance to meet Ron," he said with a fleeting glance at Hermione who nodded from above. "So, your name's Lyra then?" He felt Hermione stiffen slightly, though he couldn't for the life of him understand why. Then again he seemed to hardly know her anymore, perhaps he never had. Especially now that he had an inkling of what she had done.

"Lyra."

Hermione loosened up in relief causing Harry to give her a discreet puzzled look. There was definitely something fishy going on with her.

The girl kept talking, obviously excited and quite oblivious to what was going on with the two adults beside her. "It's an atho—astromi—No. Uhm… bugger." Harry smiled as the girl huffed in frustration while the correct pronunciation evaded her. "It's a star name," she finally said with some relief. "Like my father and almost everyone else in my family."

"Your father?" Harry raised an eyebrow and looked back at Hermione who was now looking downright petrified.

"Yes. He's gone out with Scorpius," she explained before pausing with a frown, "You know, Scorpius said I couldn't come because I'm a girl!" she cried out the last bit, clearly angry. "So now I'm mad at him and won't play with him anymore!"

Harry was very confused now. Who was this Scorpius? And, more importantly, who was this girl's father?

"Harry?" Hermione's voice broke through his musings. "This is why—I had little options. I had to protect myself, I had to protect her."

"Why, Hermione? What happened?"

"It's such a long story... and complicated. But I'll tell you everything, I promise. Merlin knows you deserve it! You and Ron both deserve it."

"Alright," Harry gritted out, his mind such a jumble of thoughts, questions, and accusations that he couldn't get anything out coherently.

She sighed heavily.

"Lyra, why don't you go into the Magical Menagerie? You can watch and pet the animals while I talk to Harry. Yes? Very good, dear. Don't go anywhere else! Just that store, mind you, I can see you from over here." Hermione sighed once again as she watched her daughter leave before turning back to Harry.

"Harry, you know how it was all those years ago... even after Voldemort was gone."

Of course, he knew. Harry remembered it all too perfectly. Hogwarts was in ruins, the Ministry was a complete mayhem, and there were still a few Death Eaters who'd escaped after the battle. The Ministry and what remained of the Order tried hard to catch the surviving Death Eaters and even uncover all the other followers and people who shared his ideals. Programs and propaganda were established to discourage any who still might have favoured Voldemort. New departments were set to rebuild what was lost while others were also made to raid and investigate.

"Yes, Hermione, but I don't understand how—"

"Harry, just – just listen." The-Boy-Who-Lived grudgingly decided to comply so she continued. "After I finalised my last year at Hogwarts I too began working at the Ministry remember?" Harry nodded. "I was still dating Ron but you know I wasn't happy. You know I was still feeling a little lost... It wasn't fair to Ron—"

"Hermione, I know all this! I want to know how and why you disappeared!" he hissed angrily.

Hermione decided to ignore him. "It wasn't fair to Ron," she continued on stubbornly, making it quite clear she was going to do this her way. Even now she wanted to take the high ground and it offended Harry immensely. She was the one that had wronged him. "Besides I—I started having feeling for someone else. I'm so sorry, Harry!" she said looking at her feet, shaking slightly. "I didn't mean for it to happen! I never told anyone. He—let's just say I had to work close to him. I got to know him better and discovered he was – he was... just as lost as I was. We formed a tentative friendship, for lack of a better word, and before I knew it, it became more."

Seeing Harry's look she hastily added, "I didn't cheat on Ron. I had already been thinking about breaking up with Ron, I suppose that recognising my feelings for another person just cemented my decision and I took action." She glanced worriedly at Harry but went on when he said nothing. "That's when all the trouble began—"

"He didn't do anything to you? I swear I'll kill the bastard—"

"No! Nothing like that! Er… remember how we kept receiving threats from the escaped followers? Well, it got worst for me. He was also in a very unfavourable position with those lunatics and they found out, somehow, about us. Somehow they figured it out, I suppose they had been keeping tabs on us and well, our relationship enraged them."

"Why would it matter to them?"

"Because of who he is; what he and his family were and had done…" she trailed off. She was hesitant and Harry had a growing suspicion that she did not want to reveal this man's identity. "It was horrible, Harry," she said in barely a whisper it was clear she did not wish to elaborate. "Of course, the fact that it was me, Harry Potter's Muggle-born best friend who also fought against Voldemort's, made it all the worst," she finished off bitterly.

Harry was stunned.

"He became set on hiding until it was safe until the Ministry managed to restore order but I was reluctant. I was scared but you know how stubborn I can be, deep down my pride wouldn't let them force me into running. We fought over this."

Hermione sniffled and Harry took her hands in his. In truth, he felt awful. Merlin knows what those fanatics may have tried to do and he — her best friend, the bloody Chosen One— hadn't known. Harry felt sick and angry.

"When I got pregnant, my decision was made for me. I made myself disappear, went into hiding and I've been away until now. It was for Lyra... and I would do it again!" she defended fiercely. "I would have done anything to keep those monsters from her."

Harry could now feel the rage building inside him. He felt hurt most of all and lashed out angrily.

"And during all these—these… happenings you were unable to tell me or Ron!? What were you thinking Hermione? Didn't you trust us? Didn't you think we would—would… I don't get it! Why would you keep this from us? Haven't we been through enough together so that you'd know we'd be there for you?"

Tears were streaming down Hermione's cheeks; she simply stared down at her hands, knowing she deserved this.

"You have no idea how much all of us suffered! Trying to find you—never giving up while everybody else thought you were dead! And you —you didn't even care enough to tell us! How could you, Hermione?" Harry finished hoarsely.

"I'm sorry, Harry... I can't begin to tell you how much I regret not being truthful from the very beginning. I was so scared of your reaction, and the longer I waited, the harder it became to tell you. Then it all happened so quickly I had no time! Besides, you had enough on your plate. If they caught even the smallest hint that you knew something— I could never forgive myself if something happened to you. Furthermore, the fewer people knew the better. They could track us down through you. I had to protect my daughter. I know you might never forgive me but I truly missed you and Ron so much! And felt terrible all these years! I'm so sorry, Harry. I am sorry you had to go through this."

Harry looked at his feet stubbornly, to angry and upset to speak. He was afraid he might say something he could never take back.

"Harry?" Hermione said in a tentative voice. "There is one more thing, something very important I left out… I don't even know how to begin to say this—"

"Mum!"

Hermione's eyes snapped upwards, fixing themselves on something behind Harry who turned just as fast.

"There's this really big owl," she said gesturing with her arms so to show just how big the bird was.

Knowing exactly where this was headed Hermione stopped her daughter before she could set her mind on the idea.

"That's nice, Lyra, but why would you want an owl? You'll get one when you're old enough and leaving for Hogwarts."

Lyra looked displeased but nodded nonetheless which is when she noticed something odd.

"Mum? Are you crying again?"

"Yes, but don't worry, darling. These are happy tears! I'm just so happy to see Harry after such a long time."

Lyra nodded in understanding, clearly accepting her mother's words without question.

"Say, Lyra," Harry cleared his throat, "how old are you?"

She held up five fingers making Harry smile down at her. The minute he laid his eyes on her he knew he would love her almost as one of his own. He couldn't help but smile at how much her attitude reminded him of Hermione's. She probably would be a bossy know-it-all at Hogwarts. Get top grades as well. Harry knew then he wanted to know her better. He wanted to be in her life and Hermione's. Hermione was like a sister, like family to him. It was a conundrum really. He wasn't sure how he could ever forgive her, yet he didn't want them to become estranged either, not now that he knew she was alive and safe.

"So what sort of things do you enjoy?"

"Oh! Tons of things! Playing in our gardens, playing with Scorpius, flying –"

"Flying?" She definitely didn't inherit that from Hermione.

Lyra nodded. "And reading; I love reading! Father says I'll be the bestest student at Hogwarts," the girl drawled, chin up whilst she poised herself with rare grace for a girl so young. She was looking quite smug and Harry could see what a confident child she was.

"The 'best' student, Lyra. Not bestest," Hermione corrected.

The little witch frowned to herself thoughtfully. Partly storing the lesson for the future and partly peeved at having been corrected at all. As Hermione turned back to Harry she was interrupted yet again. "Mum, can I have an ice cream now?" Lyra asked unexpectedly. Harry wondered whether this recent irritation reminded the girl of the previous squabble with her mother.

"No, you cannot. We've already discussed this, Lyra."

The girl stomped her foot angrily. "I don't care! I want one now," she demanded, echoing her previous argument.

"I will not tolerate any tantrums—"

"Mother."

"Whine all you want but you know very well it will absolutely not work with me."

What the girl said next had a chilling effect on Harry. This time that feeling of familiarity with her mannerism resurfacing like a roaring beast.

"My father will buy me one," she drawled so that Harry was struck cold by how she pronounced those first two simple words. "I'll ask him to bring me back here after dinner," the girl went on. "Father says Malfoys always get what they want."

AN: Phew, finally out there! XD Wrote this a long time ago; shortly after Deathly Hallows came out. Recently went through some of the older stuff on my computer when I found this along with some other stories so I thought, why not? and decided to upload after doing some spellchecking and a little fixing. Sort of testing the waters here so not sure whether to continue.

English is not my first language so I apologize for any errors. I consider myself quite fluent but the occasional word choice and sentence structure slip-ups do happen. Constructive criticism is much appreciated so feel free to point them out!