Title: Neither Can Live While the Other Survives

Chapter: Things Won't Ever Be Fine

Rating: PG-13 for premarital relations, death, and overall destruction

Genre: Action/Adventure/Drama

Main Character: Harry

Summary: A lot of things have happened to Harry since he graduated from Hogwarts. A mistake he made turned into be a blessing. Life is torn away from key players, and Voldemort is banished. But with the Death Eaters still at large, who can say that the world is still safe?

It seems like every day's the same,
And I'm left to discover on my own,
It seems like everything is gray,
And there's no color to behold,
They say it's over and I'm fine again, yeah,
Try to stay sober feels like I'm dying here,

VOLDEMORT DEAD; BOY-WHO-LIVED TO LIVE FAIRLY NORMAL LIFE

Boy-Who-Lived, Harry Potter, vanquished the Dark Lord! The world everywhere is rejoicing as young Harry goes to live the life he earned. With son, Sirius, Harry Potter has moved into his parents' old home of Godric's Hollow. Can Mr. Potter afford to be fulltime Mr. Mom? Our resources say yes. "Potter's always had money," says old friend Draco Malfoy in all honesty, "He never passes up a chance to spend it, though." So, why is Harry Potter spending so much time doting on his only son? "From the articles I've read," says Cho Chang, "He seems very lonely. Who can blame him? He loved the mother of Siri so much, and now she's gone." What actually happened to Sirius Potter's Mum? Reports have come in, some women claiming to be the young boy's mother, some declare they know exactly who she was, and that she's dead. Draco Malfoy says, "Look at the young boy's uncle and aunt. That'll tell you who the real wea— mother is." Whatever this means, the Daily Prophet won't hazard a guess. Maybe Harry Potter's old girlfriend Hermione Granger will help take care of the lad. After all, it isn't healthy for a child to be raised with only one parent.

Well, Harry Potter, you've done your job. Congratulations on saving the world. Everything's fine now, and it seems you finally get to live the good life. My hat's off to you. This is Rita Skeeter reporting for the Daily Prophet.

And I am aware now of how,
Everything's gonna be fine one day,
Too late, I'm in hell I am prepared now,
Seems everyone's gonna be fine,
One day too late, just as well,

I sigh as I think about the days ahead of me. I barely notice myself aging, but I can certainly tell little Siri's getting bigger. My heart swells with pride every time he does something extraordinary. Based on the book of children I bought some time ago, Siri is already a remarkably bright boy. He and I learn about life together; how the simple things are to be treasured, and even vomit isn't so disgusting after you've cleaned it off yourself several times. Everyone is saying that I'm living a lackluster life, full of relaxation. Don't know where they get that from. Every time I read that in the paper I think of how I'd like them to take care of Siri for a few days, see how 'lackluster' their life will be then with a hyperactive child like him. I usually laugh a little to myself when I think this. I love Siri. He means the world to me.

There are still days when memories drown me. Their delightful sounds of Christmas or birthdays, their shrill screams of battles lost, and yes, even the one time where in a single night, for the first time in our lives, we created something special. When that happens, instead of feeling happy, it feels as though I'm chained to misery. Why did those memories have to stop? Why couldn't I just stay at Hogwarts?

I feel the dream in me expire,
And there's no one left to blame it on,
I hear you label me a liar,
'Cause I can't seem to get this through,
You say it's over, I can sigh again, yeah,
Why try to stay sober when I'm dying here,

Life might be 'fine' for those who barely noticed the war, but my heart is scarred. Good and evil aren't that huge to me anymore. It's sad when I think of it. Letters come to me every day. Most of them are from the Ministry, offering a baby-sitter for Siri, if only I'd go in and fulfill my old ambition of becoming an Auror. I tell them no every time. They don't listen. The Ministry never listens to me, and that's been going on since my third year. Though I have Siri, I feel myself expiring away to nothing. Maybe I should go visit Ron, Hermione, and the rest of their bunch. My mood might lighten when I see Siri playing with little Ginny and the rest. I feel tears threaten my eyes. Ginny. I could have learned to love her. I could have discovered what made her happy. We could have made it work! Voldemort had different plans. Why couldn't I keep her? Siri needs a mum. This world isn't fair. Why would it let us create life, and then take away one half of what created it?

And I am aware now of how,
Everything's gonna be fine one day,
Too late, I'm in hell,
I am prepared now,
Seems everyone's gonna be fine,
One day too late; just as well,

And I'm not scared now,
I must assure you,
You're never gonna get away,
And I'm not scared now,
And I'm not scared now,
No…

Ron and Hermione's house was just what I needed. Though I'm far from happy, a positive outlook has been reinstated. As soon as Siri's old enough to go to Hogwarts, I'll continue with my training, and become an Auror. I will hunt down every single last Death Eater until they are all behind bars. Of course, certain ones might be a bit more battered than others, but who am I to control that? It will all be in self-defense, after all.

I am aware now of how,
Everything's gonna be fine one day,
Too late, I'm in hell,
I am prepared now,
Seems everyone's gonna be fine,
One day too late, just as well,

I am prepared now,
Seems everything's gonna be fine for me,
For me; for myself,
For me, for me, for myself,
For me, for me, for myself.

I will go on, and I will continue to take care of my son, who, by the way, just turned two. I'm going to plan a birthday party. Life is satisfying. Not fine, not normal, just satisfying. Life will never be fine for Harry and Siri Potter. Too much has happened.