Authors Note: This is my first time publishing fanfiction in almost three years so please go easy on me. I think I have matured as a writer, but my summaries still suck. Before I write about Hogwarts I am going to have chapters introducing readers to all of the important characters. There is a slash pairing but it will not surface until the characters have been at Hogwarts for several years

Nov 1959

The Prewetts lived in a modestly-sized house in a very small village in England. Mr. and Mrs. Prewett had a 10-year-old daughter Molly, no pets, and an immaculate lawn.

All three Prewetts were obsessed with cleanliness. "A place for everything and everything in its place," seemed to be their motto. Once a dish was used, it was cleaned immediately and put right back in the cupboard. When mud was tracked in (which did not happen very often as shoes were always taken off outside) the offender immediately cleaned it up. For this reason, the Prewetts did not have many guests.

Mr. Prewett and his brother Ignatius both had menial desk jobs at the Ministry of Magic. They both had wives from good pure blood families (not that it mattered to them). They had grown up with the same parents, in the same house, less than two years apart. Yet even Ignatius did not understand his brother's compulsion. He was surprised that the two of them had even had a child. It didn't seem fair to him, really, that his brother had a daughter when he and his wife Lucretia had tried so hard. Not that he particularly wanted a child like Molly.

Molly Prewett had been a quiet baby. She had potty-trained herself as soon as she was old enough. She had never argued with her parents about cleaning up her toys. Soon enough, her parents realized they didn't have to ask. She was cleaning up after herself. At five-years-old she made the rule about leaving shoes outside. Mr. and Mrs. Prewett were dumbstruck. Why hadn't they thought of that? She was the perfect child for the Prewetts.

The Prewetts were happy with their lot in life – but all that was going to change.

Mrs. Prewett was frantic – how was she going to tell her husband? It was an accident, just one night. They had both been drunk. Maybe she could blame it all on him. Sometimes that worked with men, especially her man. He would be so flustered that he would forget to ask her what she could have done differently. Maybe this wasn't such a bad thing, though. The first time it had happened it had turned out alright. Molly was such a lovely girl.

You see, Mrs. Prewett was pregnant. In the Muggle world there are two reliable contraceptives that are easy to use and widely available to the general public: condoms and the pill. In the Wizarding World there are over one hundred. About ninety of these spells and potions are for women, the other ten for men. Both Mr. and Mrs. Prewett used a contraceptive, just in case the other's wore off or wasn't set properly.

Mrs. Prewett was still thinking of what to tell her husband when he walked in the door.

"Lucy! You'll never believe what Weasley said –" began Mr. Prewett.

"You idiot! You complete imbecile! You've ruined everything! Nothing is ever going to be the same. We've been so happy for so long but it's all going to stop, it's all going to change!" Mrs. Prewett wailed.

Mr. Prewett was flummoxed. He'd left for work at six in the morning and wasn't sure what he could have possibly don't to make his wife so angry.

"What are you going on about? I haven't done anything!"

"Yes, you have done something. Remember your brother Ignatius's party a month ago when you drank half a bottle of firewhiskey?"

"If I remember correctly you drank the other half," Mr. Prewett said, amused.

Mrs. Prewett was fuming. "How can you make jokes at a time like this?"

"A time like what? I don't even know what you're talking about! I came home and you just started yelling at me! I haven't even been accused of anything yet!"

Mrs. Prewett suddenly stopped yelling and looked down at the ground. Mr. Prewett heard her sniff. When she lifted her head up he could see tears in her eyes. He was stunned. His wife was not an emotional woman. She took after her father in that respect. Mr. Prewett shuddered. He'd always thought there was something off about that man. It had been a relief to him when he died. That had been a few years ago and was the first time he had seen Lucy cry in all the time they'd been married. She hadn't even cried at their wedding –

"William," Mrs. Prewett said before letting out another sob.

Mr. Prewett started. He'd spaced out a bit there.

"I'm pregnant."

Mr. Prewett was so moved he immediately took Mrs. Prewett into his arms. "Oh Lucy. I'm so sorry. This is all my fault! If I hadn't gotten so drunk –"

"It's alright. I forgive you. It was just a dumb mistake. We can get it aborted and then it will all be over."

Mr. Prewett stiffened and pulled away from her. "Why don't we keep it? Maybe it'll be another Molly."

"Do you really want another child? All those diapers and baby clothes to deal with."

"No. I don't want another child. But –" he hesitated. "Please Lucy. We can't just throw away our child like it's a piece of trash. We have each other and that baby is half me and half you. Together we can find a way to love it. Besides, I'm sure Molly would love a baby brother or sister."

Mrs. Prewett opened her mouth to argue, but stopped. She never knew what stopped her from just getting rid of the child and saying she had a miscarriage. William was wrapped around her finger and would never question her. Years later she would look back and regret the decision to keep the baby – but what's done is done.