Prologue

"James! James Potter!" Lily Potter screamed after her husband. They're vacation in the upper area of Manhattan had taken a turn for the worst tonight. As Lily watched the man she loved walk out into the cool, dark, September night she clutched her swollen belly. A soft plea followed James out into that night air.

I love you..please..

James Potter walked down the unfamiliar side walk, wand on his hip ready to be drawn at a moment's notice. He wiped stray tears from his stubbled cheeks as he searched for a place to forget the fight, to forget Lily, forget the words that had sent him into a frenzy of cruel words. He wanted a drink, firewhiskey presumably, but as he did not know his way around Muggle America well, he settled for a run down bar on the corner of a less than appealing neighborhood.

He hesitated as his hand fell upon the cold door, but his pride kept him from turning around. So, into the warmth of the bar he entered. His eyes scanned the room by habit, searching for danger was never far from his mind. America was no exception from the dangers of Voldemort. James sat at a sticky stool in front of the bar, one hand positioned over his wand. Just in case.

I left her alone..

"What can I get you darling?"

James' eyes shot up, hand tightening around his concealed wand, but quickly released his grip.

Before him stood a tall blonde, eyes the color of mist, an apron wrapped messily around her waist.

"Whiskey." His mouth went dry as the words came out habitually.

The woman moved about, delicate fingers putting together literal poison for him to inject. She placed the glass in front of him. Gently. Once again he looked at her, this time in more detail. Her hair was less of a blonde, closer to white. It gave her the wispy look of someone out of a fairytale. Not quite a princess, perhaps a fairy, or the witch in the forest.

She was everything Lily was not, except perhaps that Lily indeed was a witch, whereas this woman was not. And that made her ever more tantalizing.

"England huh?," The fairy tale girl began as James brought the glass to his parted lips, "Don't see many of you in here."

James hesitantly responded to her now-a-days, even here, personal information wasn't safe to give. Loose lipped people could bring to light accidental problems.

A soft smile spread across the blonde's lips. Too big for her face, revealing a slightly chipped tooth at the forefront of her mouth.

"Alright, no need to answer." As she turned to walk away, James stood. The whiskey glass, already half empty, clattered to the table top.

"Wait." James had forgotten the wand at his hip, forgotten his rule on making scenes in the off chance a death eater was near, and forgotten his wife, alone in the apartment he had left so abruptly just a few moments ago.

The blonde turned back, hair flipping elegantly over one shoulder as her gentle smile turned into a wicked smirk.

Four weeks later, James, suitcase in hand, walked down the stone steps of the blonde's house. He'd stopped calling her 'The Blonde' long ago in exchange for her actual name, which she had whispered to him in front of the bar the night they met and everything changed.

He knocked on her door, knuckles clenched and a deep breath held in his lungs. She opened it only a second later, as always, she knew when he was there. He followed her inside. She looked different today. Her hair was no longer elegantly splayed across her back, but instead tied into a loose mess at the nape of her bruised neck. She never would tell James where those bruises were coming from. She sat with him on her worn out brown couch, and held his strong hands in hers.

"I'm leaving today Leanne." James squared his shoulders, never once letting his gaze drop from the woman in front of him. She nodded, strands of hair falling into her face. Was that a cut on her neck or was James imagining things?

"Yes, yes, affair over. Run back to your wife now Potter. Run back to England and your fancy life." She scoffed at him, obvious disgust dripping from her tongue.

James stood to leave, and Leanne followed him to the door. He turned around as the door squeaked open.

"If you need anything, ever Lea, just let me know." James Potter placed one foot out of the door before Leanne Cromwell's words reached his ears and his life flipped upside down and spiraled before his very eyes.

"Well, child support is always welcome."