This fic is after the sixth book, taking place several years after the war is over and the good side won, but had many, many losses.

I know I have two other fics, but both are giving me trouble (I get a lot of writer's block). Be assured that I plan to finish them, and this one, only it'll take longer. I just couldn't not do this story :)

Chapter 1: Prologue

"Draco!" she screamed, scrambling towards him. But a powerful spell caught her, and she crashed to the hard ground, moaning loudly.

"I'm coming!" he called after her. He ran, his legs weak and trembling, his wand broken clean in half.

Smoke curled and suffocated them. Witches and wizards a like screamed and cursed and fell to the ground. It was the end of the world and all Draco wanted to do was make sure she was ok, that she was still alive and had a chance.

She can't die! he thought selfishly. We have a baby! She can't leave me!

"Draco," she whispered as he grabbed her hand, pulling her against him. But she could barely breathe.

"Don't talk," he commanded, his eyes scanning her body. Was she seriously hurt? He couldn't tell. And, without his wand, he was helpless to heal her. "Come on." He lifted her thin body easily off the ground, cradling her in his arms. She wheezed and groaned, but made no attempt to speak. They reached a clearing, the smoke slight and harmless. He set her gently on the dry ground. "Do you hurt?"

"Take care of her," she whispered, smiling up at him. "Don't let them have her."

"You're not going to die," he snapped. But he was not angry. Not in the least. He was more terrified than he'd even been in his entire life. How was he supposed to raise their daughter without her? He didn't know the first thing about kids! Let alone babies! "I'm bringing you—"

"Draco, listen to me." Her voice was harder, but not by much. She had never been an exceedingly powerful witch. "I won't make it as far as you have to take me. Your wand is broken and mine is lost."

"Damn it!" he hissed. He wanted to call for help, to yell for someone to come to their aid. But there was no one out there, lurking in the forest, that could or would help them. They were enemies to both sides, renegades. And she was dying.

"Kiss me," she said, her large brown eyes fluttering.

He leaned in and captured her lips, feeling her wet salt tears press into his skin. He knew she wasn't crying because she was afraid to die, but because she knew what she would miss out on. Their daughter was an infant, and she would never see her first steps, or hear her first word, or witness the first time she used magic.

"Love her the way you could never love me." And there was nothing insulting in her words.

"I will," he said, and right then and there his life changed forever. "I promise."

She smiled and closed her eyes.

The war couldn't have been more horrible, disastrous, more bloody or more victorious. The side of good had prevailed, but as such a great and terrible cost. Voldemort was gone, but so were so many others, so many brilliant and powerful witches and wizards. It had been Harry Potter, as prophesized, who delivered the final blow, sending Voldemort into the afterlife once and for all. All Horcruxes gone, all traces of him blown to the wind and beyond.

Life was unstable for more than a year after the war (which had lasted nearly three years), with homes and lives destroyed. Everything had to be rebuilt from scratch. And some very important muggle ties had to be re-formed. The Ministry lost very valuable assets, and so the young new graduates of Hogwarts took varying positions.

Harry and his closest friends, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, were to name a few. Throughout the war they had studied their subjects—being practically forced by Hermione and Mrs. Weasley—and when the war was over all they had to do was pass their N.E.W.Ts and they were able to obtain Ministry jobs. And all three decided to pursue careers as Aurors, being some of the top of their class with all their wartime experience.

Jobs were also—unfortunately—given to some less than deserving members of the Wizarding World. Those who fought on the losing side, or newly "switched over". But it wasn't like they had a choice. They were too many positions and not enough people. In the end the "winners" had to bite their tongues and accept their co-workers with a smile.

Since their years at Hogwarts, the "Golden Trio" has grown and matured a great deal. In the three years of the war, Hermione and Ron started seeing each other, and subsequently got married. But when the war was over, and they were alone in their room at The Burrow (having little to no money for their own home after the war), things began to change. It didn't take them long to realize that they made a mistake in marrying, and a few months later they got a mutual divorce. Mrs. Weasley was devastated to say the least. But she couldn't stay mad for long, seeing how much happier they were as just friends. And besides, she had other things to celebrate. Harry and Ginny got back together and were now in the process of planning their wedding.

"God fucking damn it," the blond-haired man swore, climbing out of his too-big bed. He rubbed his face, then shook his head to clear his mind. Would he never be free from his haunting dreams? From those horrid memories? It was not only a reminder of the death of his wife, but that he was now on the "good" side, persecuted night and day by both the winning side and the losing, for there were still many around.

"Daddy!"

He turned sharply towards the door to find a small dark-haired, olive-skinned girl no older than six. She had eyes like both him and her mother, a mixture of brown and gray that created a creamy light brown. She was gorgeous.

Before he knew it, she was in his arms, her tiny hands in his hair.

"What happened?" he asked. She was trembling.

"There's something in my dresser," she cried, clinging to him harder.

He sighed with relief. It was probably just a boggart or something.

"Do you want me to get it?"

She leaned back, tears in her eyes, and nodded.

"Wait here, alright?"

"Yes, daddy."

He walked out into the hall, closing the door softly behind him, and then let out a long string of curses. Not that he didn't want to make his daughter feel better, to ease her fear, but today was supposed to be a day of relaxation. He had no work (though he worked from home) and Farsiris, his little girl, was supposed to be picked up by a babysitter, leaving him alone and in peace all day. But, with the way things were looking, she wasn't going to leave his side for long, let alone the whole day.

"Stupid fucking boggart," he grumbled, pulling out his fairly new wand. He gave the dresser drawer a tap and a swirling mass leapt towards him, falling to the floor, where it took on the shape of a little girl with olive skin and dark hair, her small chest still as she was not breathing. "Issa!" He dropped to her side before he could stop himself, the limp form of his precious daughter too much to handle.

"Hello?"

He extinguished the boggart with a flick of his wand unsteady, then stood on shaky legs to answer the door.

"Is it gone?" his daughter asked, hugging a stuffed dragon to her chest.

"Yes, Issa, it's gone."

Halfway through breakfast there was a knock at the front door. And, seeing as he'd given any and all servants and house elves the day off today, he was forced to answer it himself. It couldn't possibly be the babysitter, for he'd already owled her, telling her to stay home. He'd even sent her pay for the inconvenience.

"Who the hell…" he muttered, trudging for the door. It seemed his day couldn't get any worse.

He yanked open the door, a glare set for whoever dared disturb him.

"What the—" But he stopped short, unsure of what to say or do, because standing before him was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, with silky brown tresses that curled perfectly and mesmerizing chocolate-colored eyes. She wore a fashionable black pinstriped suit with a matching skirt and plain black high heels. In one hand she carried a briefcase, in the other a roll of parchment.

"Hello, Malfoy," she said with a stiff, forced smile. And that's when he realized who she was. He knew she looked familiar!

"G-Granger?"

Well that's my first chapter. I know I didn't give you a lot, but it's only a prologue, the reason it's so short. Hopefully the next chapter will come soon.

REVIEW for chapter 2 :)