Title: Separate Paths

Summary: Harry dumped Ginny back in 6th year. Now, 6 years later, Ginny is married to Draco Malfoy and she hates her life. Voldemort is dead but there is dark stuff going around. Recently, she has been thinking a lot about Harry. Alternate chapters, Ginny then Harry etc.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the idea. I don't own the song in this either. Darren Hayes does.

'Author's Notes: Why I am writing this I don't know but I thought it would be an interesting development. Please read and review! Only because you're all my best friends!

Chapter Three: Harry's senses

Ginny.

Harry could sense something was wrong. He shook his head, causing his raven hair to flop pathetically over his eyes.

"No, you're just being silly. Look what happened last time you listened to your senses. Sirius was killed. You don't want Ginny dead now, do you?" he asked himself. Hearing a small thud from the next room, he turned to look through the doorway and was greeted by a slightly unusual sight. Alyssa had somehow found Harry's wand ("hmm, I was sure I had that in my pocket?" Harry said to himself) and she was currently sending all the food from the open pantry to the back door, spilling the contents of pots, pans, packets, sachets, tins and bowls all over the kitchen.

"Alyssa…umm, what on earth are you doing?" Harry asked, bewildered to the small brown-haired youngster as she proceeded to sit in a small pile of flour.

"Pwaying wiv magic woog!" she said through a mouthful of what Harry could only guess to be a tinned desert. Harry waded through a pile of fruit salad and rescued his wand from Alyssa's rather sticky grasp. Performing a quick cleaning spell, he scooped Alyssa into his hands, holding her at arms distance and carried her through to the bathroom, where he began to run a bath after double checking that he had A) kept his wand out of reach and B) locked the door so Alyssa could cause no further damage to his now half empty pantry.

Alyssa thought the bath was the best part of the day, repeatedly throwing bubbles down the side of the tub and into Harry's hair, calling him "daddy cwismas!" Harry found this extremely cute, and could not help but laugh. Alyssa then began to moan that she was hungry so Harry dried her off, found some clean clothes that Hermione had dropped off earlier that week and dressed her. She began rubbing her eyes and a small yawn escaped her, telling Harry that it was about 2 o clock, almost time for her afternoon nap. He quickly whisked her into the kitchen and placed a plate of grapes, apple and orange for her to munch on. Whilst Alyssa was quiet, he slowly walked over to the large bay window that stood at the front of the house, to see if he could see an owl, any owl, flying towards him. With much dismay, he turned to find that Alyssa had abandoned her plate, leaving half the fruit still on it, and had silently fallen asleep on the armchair in the corner.

As he slowly carried her to her fold-up cot that sat perfectly under the window, Harry had a song in his head:

Because I miss you

And this is all I wanna say

I guess I miss you beautiful

These three words have said it all

You know I miss you

I think about you when you're gone

I guess I miss you

Nothing's wrong

I don't mean to carry on

Harry gingerly sat in a stool in the kitchen, alone in the world again.

"This won't do." He said to the silence as he turned to begin cleaning up. Whilst emptying Alyssa's unwanted food into the small dustbin next to the sink, a small tapping could be heard. Hurrying over to the window, as to not wake the sleeping baby that occupied the cot beneath it, Harry opened the highest one and allowed a tall black owl to enter the room. Ripping the letter off of the owl's leg he felt the large bird's claws scratch the skin on this lower arm. Harry hastily shooed the bird off and continued to open the letter, hoping, praying, wishing that Ginny had sent it.

Alas, no. it was just a daily prophet order form.

"Whoop. I can now order a new broom." Harry said, a disappointed tone lingering in his voice, as he screwed up the letter and threw it to a bin on the far side of the room. The bird hooted indignantly and flew out of the open window, its wings brushing against Alyssa's soft pale skin, causing her to stir.

As Harry cradled her, the fireplace began to turn the venom green that it usually did when someone was flooing to him.

"Ginny?" he asked, gingerly, stepping over to the side of the fire. The heat it let out made Alyssa feel uncomfortable, so she began to squirm. Harry sat her carefully on his hip to prevent him from dropping her.

"Nope, sorry Harry, it's only me." Hermione Weasley joked as she stepped onto the threshold that was Harry's lounge.

"Mummy!" came a loud cry from Harry's hip. Arms outstretched, she welcomed an embrace from the woman she called mother and Hermione looked at Harry.

"You look exhausted! Was she good?" Hermione quizzed.

"You could say that…" Harry began.
"I payed wiv magic woog!" Alyssa exclaimed, a large grin emerging from her small face.

"I shan't ask." Hermione decided. The look on Harry's face told her she had made the right one.

"Tea?" Harry asked. Hermione, seeing the loneliness in his eyes, kindly accepted, after setting Alyssa back in her cot to play with her teddies.

"Good day at work?" Harry asked, whilst pouring two large mugs of tea and preparing a small bottle of orange juice for Alyssa.

"You spoil that child you do!" Hermione giggled as the young child squealed as she was presented with the juice.

"I know. That's why she loves me so much as to find my wand and destroy my pantry." Harry laughed.

"You're joking! Oh Harry, I'm so sorry! Alyssa, you naughty girl!" Hermione looked so ashamed but soon turned a brilliant shade of magenta as Harry began to laugh.

"Don't fret over it, we fixed it all up, didn't we Alyssa!" Harry joked, handing Hermione her now lukewarm tea.

"Yeh today wasn't too bad. Kingsley Shacklebolt was complaining that Tonks had "accidentally" turned his office a bright blue and that he wanted it back to its standard magnolia. What a carry on it was!" Hermione drained her tea and collected Alyssa, disturbing her from yet another snooze.

"Come on you, time to go see daddy." Hermione cooed to the small child. Alyssa considered the proposal and gurgled happily, looking longingly at the fireplace. "I'll see you at work tomorrow Harry, thanks again for watching her on your day off."
"No problem, I love having her. Oh, I read all the letters that Ginny sent me. she sounds really miserable."
"So would you if you were married to Draco Malfoy," Hermione reasoned.

"Umm, are you implying that I am gay?" Harry quizzed, turning his friend red again."

"I have to go now," said Hermione, stepping into the fireplace. "Say bye to Harry, Ally!"

"GyeGye" Alyssa waved. "Why she talks with her thumb in her mouth I don't know" Harry thought to himself. He watched the pair disappear before turning to wash the used cups up.

As he was placing the last cup back in its rightful cupboard, crying, thumping and screeching bought him rushing into the living room, quick enough to see a small blue bag hit the wall opposite the now green fireplace, before splitting open, showering the room with miniature toys and clothes.

"Ginny?" Harry asked as a tall, red haired woman emerged from the fireplace.

"Oh Harry," Ginny exclaimed as she perched two small children on the floor and embraced Harry.

A/N My computer doesn't always let me reply to reviews and half the time the people never receive a reply so, just incase, there's going to be a reply at the end of every chapter with a reply…

Sidlovesnancy1979: Hmmm yeh that should be an interesting twist…I might try and see if I can get that in somewhere. I am no way gonna finish this story in 10 chapters! I'll try and lengthen the chapters for you! And that's given me a Plot Bunny… to Microsoft Word!

Hpboolover127: There's different ideas floating around, I'm debating whether Draco should find them… also, it seems I like making Ginny's life hard…. If you've read Lost Love, you'll know what I mean.

Dramaqueen07: I shall try my level best to update on a regular basis. I'm going into year 10 soon….that means mountains of coursework….NOOO!

Wolfseye1: Thanks. I am currently updating, writing chapter five.

QtWithAbOOoTeeE: Thanks. I shall do, in fact, I currently am!

Paris Lilies: Aww thanks, that really means a lot to me. I was inspired to write the Draco favouring his son because of the whole "Slytherin's Heir" thing.

Enelaya: Yeh Draco can be nice when he wants to be. In some stories he is the good guy, which is good. I have two sides of Draco. In this story he's evil but in my other one he seems quite sweet…if that's possible!