Hello, and welcome to my newest story. As you can tell I deleted my last story off my profile because I couldn't bring myself to finish it. this one is nearly finished on my computer. I've got about twenty five chapters saved and I hope to be done at thirty. I wrote this first chapter a few years ago and its been sitting on a hard drive ever since. I stumbled across it thinking it would make a good story. So hopefully you enjoy it.

In this story, Hermione's parents still remember her and live in London, she has a son and (I'm never good at writing Draco evil) Draco lives a changed life.

The title I will most likely change later on.

A/N: I do not own Harry Potter or the characters. Only the plot.

Be faithful

to that which

exists in your life

-Andre Gide

I sighed as I lightly shut the door to my son's room. The past couple of months had been hard for me. It seemed as if I was a single parent. Even though I was married it was far from happy.

I was married six years ago to Ronald Billius Weasley. A year into our marriage our son Justin was born. We were ecstatic. A month later Ron received a big promotion at work, it couldn't have come at a better time for us.

I led a pretty busy lifestyle. From being a mother, the minister of magic and inventing a new system of sending and receiving letters. On some days I thought that I was busier than Ron, but I still came home to my son and cleaned the house. I didn't understand what kept him at the office so late. And on frequent occasions he wouldn't come home at all.

We were the perfect couple up until a few months after Justin's second birthday. Ron started to work later and later. The first few months were understandable but when it started to become more frequent I started to get frustrated. Justin kept asking where his daddy was and why couldn't daddy tuck him in that night or read him a bed time story.

I tried to confront him but Ron went into his typical defense mode and would leave the house for the night.

Ginny being the good best friend that she was just told me the truth about Ron just hours ago. Ron was sleeping around with his secretary. Obviously I wasn't about to sit around and let this happen so I made a decision.

I was going to break things off. File for divorce.

I headed downstairs to clean for the night. Ron hadn't gotten home yet, though I had no idea if he was even coming home tonight. I headed into the kitchen and turned on the sink water. A soft hum came to my lips as I gracefully started to wash the dishes. Even though I was capable of having magic wash the dirty dishes, I felt as though cleaning things by hand kept my mind off the things that had been going on lately.

The front door creaked open and then a few seconds later I heard the click of the lock. I knew it was Ron by the heavy footstep. I turned my head around just as he entered the kitchen. He had a bouquet of flowers in his right hand and his jacket in the other. He draped his jacket over one of the kitchen chairs and headed towards me.

"Hermione," he went to hand the flowers to me but I didn't take them. Instead he set them down on the counter next to me. "I've been an idiot. Lately and I haven't been home for you or Justin. I've been more preoccupied with work. I promise you that it will all change."

I turned off the water faucet and dried my hands off on a hand towel. I didn't say anything because I wanted him to continue.

"I don't want you to be mad at me anymore and I want to help you raise our son. I want to be there for him when he goes to play little league Quidditch and I want to be holding your hand waving goodbye to him on the platform as he leaves for his first year of school. I want to make more babies with you." He took my hand and pulled me towards him. I didn't resist but he noticed that I was still frowning. "Right now." He added softly.

That was when I backed away from him. "Is that the only reason you are apologizing to me?" I placed both hands on my hips. "To fuck me?" We both couldn't believe that word came out of my mouth. I wasn't the one to use vulgar words. "What, did your secretary deny you tonight? Is that why you're home? You thought that if you brought me flowers and apologized I'd jump your bones?"

Ron was taken aback by what I was saying to him. "After all I have done for you! After all I have done for this family! I put a roof over your head and food on the table and you accuse me of having an affair?" He raised his voice.

"It's not an accusation, Ronald. It's the truth." I hastily replied

"And where did you hear this bullshit?" He spat

"Never kiss and tell, Ronald. You let it slip to Harry one night when you were drinking. And husband and wife tell each other everything. Well, he's married to Ginny and you very well know that she has a big mouth."

Ron was now fuming. He had been caught and he had no idea what to do. I noticed he glanced at the back door and then back to me, was he going to leave or was I going to have to? "Get out." He growled

I glared at him and picked up the flowers he brought home. "My pleasure." I then proceeded to set the flowers on fire with my wand. I stormed up the stairs to pack my things and Justin's. There was no way I was going to leave my son with his so-called father. I walked into my closet and with a flick of my wand all my clothes shrunk themselves and put themselves away in a suitcase. I shrunk the suitcase and then headed to Justin's room using the same spells.

I lid a gentle hand on Justin to wake him up, there was no way I could carry him down the stairs. He stirred awake and he tried to focus on my dark silhouette. He must have sensed something was wrong because he immediately jumped from his bed and pushed on his slippers.

We arrived at the top of the stairs and there he was: Glaring from the bottom step up at them. "Give me my son."

"No, if you want him then you should have been around for him." I snarled careful not to raise my voice so I didn't frighten Justin. "If you really want him then fight for him." I pushed past Ron and out the door.

I set a brisk pace, Justin was running to keep up, and walked down the street clutching Justin's hand. I kept stealing glances back making sure that Ron wasn't following me. Exhausted from how my night went and from my fast pace I found a nearby bench and took a seat. After a moments time I then outstretched my wand arm summoning the knight bus. In a split second a purple triple decker bus screeched to a halt in front of us. The doors hissed open and out stepped a man a few years older than I was. He was wearing a purple uniform much like the color that was painted on the bus, he was tall and skinny with quite large ears. I recognized him from a previous ride I had taken with Harry and Ron.

"Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. My name is Stan Shunpike and I will be your conductor for the night." He stepped off the last step "Where can we take you?"

"Hello Stan." I attempted to smile politely. "London please. Any hotel will do."

"Well hello Hermione." He smiled back at me "I don't mean to pry, but why are you going to a hotel?"

"Stupid people." I allowed Justin to get on the bus first as I pulled money out of my pocket. "How much?"

"Eleven sickles."

I handed him the amount he asked for and then headed inside. The bus was just like it was years ago. Inside, the Knight Bus had beds that weren't bolted down, curtained windows, and candles burning in brackets beside each bed. The bus did not seem to have much in the way of safety features; I remembered being thrown around like a rag doll and being hit with luggage during its haphazard maneuvers.

I took a seat down on one of the beds and immediately grabbed a hold of the wrought iron headboard I tightly grasped Justin with other other arm pinning him to my side. I had no idea how he would react and I hoped it would be a quick trip.

Stan stood near the front of the bus conversing with the driver as the bus started on its way. Our bed was thrown backwards and I gripped the headboard tightly. I didn't prefer this kind of travel but it was better than apparating with Justin.

Justin giggled and squealed enjoying the bus throwing him and me every which way. I looked down at the happy child under my arm and I couldn't help but smile. "Glad someone is enjoying this night."

It only took the bus five minutes to get us to a decent hotel in London. We thanked Stan and the driver before slowly stumbling off the bus. I was feeling nauseous from that horrible bus ride but Justin on the other hand was still giggling as he waved goodbye to Stan. I turned to look back at the bus but it was gone in a flash, as if it had apparated away leaving a small cloud behind.

The doorman greeted us with a tip of his hat and opened the door. I led Justin inside and headed to the front desk. "I need a room with one bed please."

"How long will you be staying with us?" The lady behind the counter asked. She was an older woman who had grey hair poking out of her horribly died red hair, her glasses were at the edge of her long beaked nose and she stared at me as if she hated that I came in so late.

"Just for the night." I would have gone to the Potter residence or my parents but I figured they would be all asleep by now and I would of felt bad to wake them.

"Running away are we?" She continued to glare at me. She didn't budge for a room key or a pen to write down anything.

I returned the evil glare to the woman "Does it matter?"

"Ah, husband issues." The woman continued "I know it when I see it. I've been in your position."

I was done talking to this lady. My personal life was nobody's business. That was why when I became minister I set strict rules when it came to the Daily prophet, the quibbler and the other newspapers and magazines. "May I have my room key please?" I tried to ask politely

I pushed money across the counter to the lady and in return the lady pushed a room key in my direction.

"Thank you." I forced a smile before heading to the lift. I let Justin push the lift button himself since he was so eager to push a button that lit up. I showed Justin the lights above the door that told them what floor the lift was passing and he giggled in excitement. They finally stepped into the lift and headed up to the third floor.

I led Justin down the hall and to our room for the night. He was eager to put the card key in the door so I of course allowed him to have his fun.

I put him to bed immediately and he fell asleep in an instant. I found my pajamas and quietly slipped into bed next to him carefully trying not to wake him.

So? Did you enjoy this first chapter? I'm posting the second one in Draco's POV in a few minutes.

KKB