So, here's another long fic from me. Yay!

Please read the notes below before reading. Pretty please?

IMPORTANT NOTE IS IMPORTANT AND SHOULD NOT BE IGNORED:

Okay, so this was written for the hd_smoochfest over at LJ. The theme was a Media Remix: Take a pre-existing work and turn it into an Harry/Draco story. Clearly, this is the sort of thing I live for because I wrote a 95k fic for the How I Met Your Mother prompt. These are just a few things I think everyone should know before you start reading:

This is very, extremely AU. Lots of canon divergence and in some cases, OOCness is to be found. I'm really sorry, that couldn't be helped. Combining How I Met Your Mother and the Harry Potter books was very tough. These are very well defined and extremely complex characters and I had to smush all of them together. In case I got something very, very wrong, I apologise. Please know that I did my level best.

Secondly, in keeping with the spirit of the show, the Harry/Draco pairing is going to take a while. This is not so much a Harry/Draco story as it is a story about all of them. Harry, Draco, Ginny, Blaise, Ron, Hermione and all the other characters that make an appearance. This also means that Harry is paired with other characters as well: specifically Harry/Ginny and Harry/OMC. It's a lot about how they get there rather than what they are at the end, and I hope that's okay.

Thirdly, this disregards the HP epilogue and the HIMYM season finale. The fest called for a happy ending, as does my muse. There is no, I repeat no character death in this story.

Fourthly, I have been told that this works as a standalone fic as much as it does a remix of the TV show, but I do feel you'll enjoy it more if you have an idea about How I Met Your Mother. For your reference, the character matches are as follows: Ted (Harry), Barney (Blaise), Robin (Ginny), Marshall (Ron), Lily (Hermione) and Draco (The Mother).

Lastly: This is a long fic. Very long. It spans 6 years and I am going to do my best to keep it to less than ten chapters. This means 10-20k chapters. Updates may not be as fast as usual, but I promise to update this every 3-4 days, or at most a week. You have my word, lovely readers.

And finally, if I haven't ruined this fic for you yet, please enjoy the very short prologue and we can get to the good stuff ASAP

As always,

Thank you to all of you from a humble writer.

James Sirius was quite sure he had never run this fast in all his sixteen years. He sprinted down the street, nearly skidding on the frosted sidewalks of Godric's Hollow. His sides ached and there was a distinct burning sensation in his chest which could not be good, but still he ran as fast as he could. He was almost there. Now, he could spot the little cottage in the distance as he hurtled past a small, peaceful cemetery he'd visited every year since he was a little boy. Despite his haste, he paused for a second at a familiar spot — panting and out of breath.

"Hi Grandma, Grandpa. Can't talk now, there's an emergency. Be back soon. Okay, bye!"

Alright, so maybe it was a silly habit but he liked to talk to his Grandma Lily and Grandpa James every now and then. Big deal. Nobody needed to know that little detail — not even his siblings. Scratch that. Especially his siblings.

The thought of said siblings brought his current situation back to mind. James clutched the piece of tattered parchment in his fist and resumed course. Scorpius' note hadn't said much, but then again, neither did Scorpius. This is what he'd deigned to tell James in that little missive:

James

We've got a situation. Come home now.

We need you.

Scorpius

The little blighter. He knew just what not to say to make James presume the worst. Now he wouldn't be able to relax until he was sure the kids were alright. Angela hadn't been happy at being abandoned on their first actual date, but she was a sporting sort. James would make it up to her later.

Finally, he was running up the small driveway and to the house.

It was calm. Frost lined the windows and a soft, welcoming light shone from inside. Snow drifted down gently, lining the rooftop and dotting the trees. The winter scene brought a certain sense of peace to his mind. It was soothing. Quiet and tranquil.

Those were not phrases James usually associated with his family.

Whatever this was, he would bet his Firebolt that it was not good.

He padded down the driveway filled with a sense of foreboding. As usual, he had to jiggle the door a little to open it, but it gave way without protest. James stepped inside, padding down the familiar hall to the family room.

Scorpius was the first to spot him. "Thank Merlin!" he exclaimed in relief. He was sitting on the sofa with Al and Lily on either side. Lily waved at him and Al greeted with a cheerful grin, beckoning him over.

"You made it!" he cheered. "We were wondering when you'd show up."

James approached, frowning suspiciously. This didn't look like an emergency. No, this looked like a set up.

He knew it!

"What's going on?" he growled.

Scorpius blinked innocently. "Didn't you get my note?" he asked.

"You said there was an emergency," James informed him shortly.

"Did I?" Scorpius cocked his head and tapped his finger against his chin, frowning for added effect. "No, I believe I used the word 'situation'. Completely different, don't you know? But I see your point. What an unfortunate misunderstanding." Lily stifled a giggle and Al coughed, apparently trying to hide a snort of laughter.

James was going to hex someone. Three someones, to be specific. "Seriously?" he spat indignantly. "What the hell, guys? I was on a date!"

"Family comes first," Lily announced primly. "Besides, we didn't want to do this without you."

"Do whatwithout me?" James demanded.

"In a word, suffer," Al replied. His green eyes glinted as he regarded his older brother, his expression uncharacteristically grim.

James frowned, trying to make sense of this. "What are you..."

Oh no.

He trailed off and his eyes widened. Slowly but surely, he came to a very foreboding conclusion.

Oh for Godric's sake, not this again!

"I'm leaving," James blurted, shaking his head frantically and backing away. "I was never here. You never saw me!"

"Don't you dare!" Scorpius snapped, getting up abruptly. Albus followed suit, advancing on his retreating sibling. "If we're going to suffer, you'regoing to suffer! That's how it works!"

Oh, hell no.

"Good luck!" James yelped, making a run for it. He dodged Albus and made for the door. His hand was on the doorknob and he just a hair's breadth from freedom when...

"James?"

Damn it.

James sighed in defeat and turned around. "Hi Dad," he mumbled. Dad smiled welcomingly and ushered him over. James' shoulders slumped and he trudged back, allowing his father to pull him into a half-hug.

So close.

"I thought you had a date tonight," Dad said, ruffling his hair affectionately. James tried not to squirm away on general principle.

"I do, actually," he replied, sensing an opportunity for escape. "So, I'll just..."

"Call it off and stay here with the family," Scorpius finished smoothly. He had managed to sidle over to the door, the sneak. He held James' gaze meaningfully as he locked it. James scowled and made a mental note to get even later. Maybe hide the git's hair potions...

"Well, I'm glad you're here," Dad said, leading him back inside. "I didn't want to tell this story without you."

James suppressed a groan and joined his siblings on the sofa, making sure to shove Al out of the way. His brother just grinned and sprawled on the other side, planting his legs on Scorpius' lap. Lily curled into Al's shoulder comfortably. Dad settled on his favourite armchair across from them, nursing a scotch. James wondered if he could angle for a small glass if he promised to sit tight for another one of these stories. He was almost of age. Then again, probably not. Father would hit the roof if he found out...

"This is a very special story," Dad began, twirling the glass in his fingers. He always did that when he was getting ready for a nice, long talk. "This is the story of how I met your father."

The atmosphere of the room shifted abruptly. James could almost sense the relief pouring in.

"Oh, we've heard that one," Lily chirped.

"School rivals, Gryffindor versus Slytherin," Albus added, edging away subtly. "Lots of duels and pranks and witty banter..."

"A dragon or two, overcoming differences," Scorpius put in, taking his brother's example and trying to make a break for it. "Great story, Dad. Positively riveting. So if you need us, we'll be..."

"Hold it."

The younger boys groaned and slumped back on the sofa. James hid a smirk. Amateurs. Dad never told the same story twice. They were always different. Always new. Always long.

Just so long.

"Your Father and I were together at school," Dad agreed. "But that was just part of the story. This is the story of how it all came together. How I met him again." He paused and smiled softly, his green eyes glinting in the firelight. "And how I fell in love with him."

"Oh," Scorpius muttered bleakly. "How...wonderful."

"Yay," Al deadpanned.

James smirked maliciously. "If I suffer, you suffer," he stage whispered to them. Scorpius scowled and dug an elbow in his ribs.

"I want to hear it," Lily protested, frowning at her brothers. "I like Daddy's stories."

"Of course you do," Al grumbled. "You're eleven."

"They're romantic!" Lily shrilled, pushing him angrily. James sighed and pulled her over before they could start scrapping. Lily stuck her tongue out at Al before snuggling into James' shoulder. James grinned fondly and ruffled her hair. Oh alright, so maybe it wasn't that bad.

"Okay Dad," he conceded. "You got us. Tell the story. But do you think you can make it a fast one?"

Dad grinned in a manner that didn't reassure him at all. "I'll do my best," he promised. "It all started twenty years ago. The war was over and I had just finished Hogwarts, ready to face the world with a bright and shiny new future. Of course, I wasn't alone. I was sharing a flat with your Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione. It was the best time of our lives. We were young, drunk on our hopes and dreams. It was a wonderful time to be alive..."

Next Up: Year 1, a look into how it all began.