Prologue

The fall was passing quite nice for the Wizarding world. School had started without a hitch unlike years before. The weather had been pleasant most days, allowing the professional Quidditch league to be played everywhere. There wasn't any life-threatening situation that the world had to deal with. No high-profile criminals had unsurfaced in Britain. Old ladies could go out and chat on the streets for hours and not worry about getting hurt. News stories had been slow, even with the one article about her niece that had the top gossipers chatting for days. All in all, this fall was quiet and slow, just the way most people liked it.

However, nothing is ever as it seems.

For while this seemingly quiet and peaceful autumn had been passing, the air felt heavy, like it was just waiting to explode. Not everyone could feel it, but some could. Those people could feel dark storm clouds quickly descending into Earth's gravitational pull. Before the end of this year, something was going to change. And that change came in the form of a letter.

It was a seemingly harmless letter, but the contents were clear. Dark forces were once again targeting someone very near and dear to the recipient's heart. The instructions were also clear. As were the consequences. There was no doubt what this letter meant. Already, the air felt burning and dense. In the end, it was a simple choice on her part. Even if this had happened years ago, her answer would have been the same.

[-**-]

"Harry?" Ginny Potter voice rang out in their quiet, two story house the few days after Halloween. "Could you please come down here? We need to talk."

"Can this wait, dear?" Harry shouted down to her from his at-home office. "I trying to catch upon some work."

"No. Please come down here." She knew her voice sounded strange, but she couldn't help it. She was terrified about what Harry was going to say.

"I'll be right there," Harry called down.

Ginny sat down stoically on their family couch in the living room. Picking up a photo from the coffee table, she glanced at it. It was from a couple summers ago, the year before James was in sixth year. The family had taken a trip America to tour the many schools they had. Harry had been assigned to go and the routine check-up on all North American wizarding schools. As a treat, Harry had brought their whole family to see the States. Yes, he had to work at lot, but the kids and she had fun without him. This picture was from the school in Wisconsin. Harry had his arms wrapped around hers and was kissing the back of her head. James was standing with his floppy hair parted to the left. His arms held Lily, who looked so young. Al, grinning, stood next to Harry like they were twins.

She set the picture face down. It would be too hard to say what she was going to say while her happy family was staring up at her. She could hear Harry shuffling his papers around as he moved in his office. She just wished he would hurry up and come down. Waiting here felt she was waiting for her judgment day. Upstairs, she hear a door slam and footsteps walking down the stairs.

"What is it Ginny?" Harry asked as he walked into the living room.

"We need to talk."

"About?" Harry asked as he sat down on the chair opposite her.

This was the hard part. She knew it wasn't going to be easy, but she didn't think it would be so hard to get the words out. Ginny had practiced in front of her vanity mirror leading up to this, but now, she froze. The skin on her hand felt cold as ice even though the blood pumping through it was hot and heavy. Her hair felt limp and dry, as if she hadn't taken a shower in days. A frog in her throat kept her from talking, but she had to say something. This announcement had been planned for days. She couldn't back out now.

"I," she started, looking at her husband. Even now, after his youthful prime, Harry still appeared to have child-like features on his face. His dark black hair was still unruly, but it was tamer than before. Lily Evan's eyes still could pierce her skin and make her feel like an eager school-girl. Looking at him reminded her of all the reasons she fell in love with him. Ginny looked at her hands and began again, every once and a while glancing up.

"Harry, these last few years have been really hard on me. With you staying at work late and the children not being here. I just feel like I don't get appreciated enough."

"Okay," Harry sad, his eyes narrowing, like they always did when he thought about a case. "I can see how you feel that way. I just don't see how…"

"It's not your fault," Ginny interrupted. She had a speech, and she was sticking to it. She couldn't afford her husband interrupted her. "Now this has been something I've been thinking about for a while. I just want to say that this isn't a spur if the moment decision that I sometimes make. I have thought out all the pros and cons of this choice. This is the only thing I can really do to make me happy again."

"Wait, hold on here Ginny," Harry said, his arms crossing as he sat back in his chair. "Take it from the beginning. I can tell that you are trying to say something, but I have no idea what. I can't read your mind."

"I don't want you to think this is just you," Ginny said. "I've changed just as much as you have. And I know the kids won't be able to understand, but we can cross that bridge when we get to it. I know I have to do this for me. I can't always think of putting others before my own needs. I matter too."

"Ginny, I don't understand what…"

Ginny interrupted, hating herself and wishing there was another way. "I want to get a divorce."