A/N: I'd just like to thank everyone for their lovely reviews of the story. I'll keep this brief because I don't want to waste time when people are here to read lol. This story is so personal to me, since my parents went through a divorce recently and each character's struggle is based off a family member of mine (maybe a little magnified hehe). Definetly keep the angst in mind though- there are a lot of surprises to come. So thank you everyone for your time and happy reading!

James woke up bright and early on the 8th of August. It was his eleventh birthday and it fell on a Friday. Thankfully. If it had been just a day later, it would have fallen on Dad no Harry's day for having them. And no excuses Mum would have given him on an eleventh birthday would have made that lame owl fly.

When James got downstairs Mum, Aunt Hermione, Uncle Ron, and Uncle George were sitting around the dining room table.

Mum smiled happily.

"Happy Birthday, Jamie," Mum sang out. "Want your presents?"

There were a bunch of presents from Mum: Muggle jeans, new trainers, books, magazines, candy, even a new mini-wireless with a permanent sticking charm that was supposed to get even overseas stations. Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron gave him books; although not all of them were educational. And Uncle George gifted him a variety of first-run pranks.

There was a small parcel from Dad.

It was empty. Only a sheet of old parchment.

"Oh," Aunt Hermione looked like she was about to cry. "He's given you the Map, Jamie."

Even Uncle Ron and Uncle George, who had said all sorts of awful things about Dad, looked sorry. They both sighed deeply.

"It doesn't do anything."

"It's a map," Uncle George said in the serious voice he sometimes used when talking about the War. "It shows you were everyone in Hogwarts is at at any given time. Your grandfather designed this map, James Potter. Along with Sirius Black, and their friends. I think this is why your father chose to give it to you, Jamie."

Even Mum bit her lip. "Your father doesn't have much from his family, James. I hope that you'll fire call him today."

"Alright," James said stiffly.

Aunt Hermione beamed.

"I'll show you how to use it," Aunt Hermione smiled. "But you must also be very careful with it as well."

By the time his Hogwarts letter came, James felt it was just another useless piece of Muggle paper.

Mum decided that it would be a good idea to go shopping that same day, since Lily needed new shoes for primary school as well.

The press were there as always. James hated them. Hated how they watched, and the questions they asked: Is it true Mrs. Potter that you and Mr. Potter divorced due to infidelity? How does it feel not to have custody of your middle son? Mum's face always got a hard, grim line around the press, as though she was facing a dark lord. It was awful.

Their first stop was Gringotts, which wasn't bad at all, since Uncle Bill and Aunt Fleur worked there as curse breakers. Uncle Bill's workload tended to fluctuate and he could be anywhere at any Gringotts-today they were told by an assistant that he was in Russia working on a cursed painting.

"Potter vaults," Mum said to the goblin as they made their way to the front of the line.

"Madam does not have access to the Potter vaults," the goblin snorted. "Next please."

A dumpy witch and her thin husband took a spin in a cart which was supposed to be there's.

Mum's jaw clenched.

Another goblin walked by. Mum walked right into it's line of vision.

"I need to access my account."

The goblin, which looked no different than the other goblin manning the counter, pointed to the line.

"Right," Mum sniffed. "But I went up to the goblin behind the desk, and he told me I don't have access."

"Then you don't."

The goblin moved to continue walking. Mum stood in it's way again. The goblin grunted. "Keys?"

"I don't have my keys," Mum sounded very much like Lily at that moment. "I've never needed them before. It's a private vault, and my family's very famous, I just-"

"No keys, no admittance," the goblin said firmly.

Mum looked around desperately. "Is Curse Breaker Weasley here?"

"Only Fleur Weasley."

The goblin pointed to a large corner office. New Accounts.

Aunt Fleur was seated behind a heavy oak desk, reviewing paperwork. She did not look very amused for the intrusion.

"Ginny," she sighed. "Eet is you. I do not 'ave much time, I am on zhe clock, as you verry well know."

Mum and Aunt Fleur had never been close.

"I am sorry," Mum swallowed around the words as though swallowing her own wand. "But it's a real issue, Fleur, or I wouldn't have bothered you. I didn't know you even dealt in new accounts."

"Occasionally," Aunt Fleur's lips pursed. "Eet is not my favourite work, but some of us do work, you see. Wat do you need?"

"I can't access the Potter vaults," Mum sighed. "I don't understand why."

Aunt Fleur nodded. "Did you speak to zhe goblin behind zhe front desk?"

"He said I have no access."

"Zhen it is quite clear zat you do not."

Mum glared, and Aunt Fleur sighed. "I am only doing zhis as a favor to my 'usband and Molly. Give me a moment."

After a few moments of Lily and James playing with the photos of a smirking Louis, Victoire and Dominique on Fleur's makeshift desk, Aunt Fleur returned.

Her eyes were sparkling.

"I seem to 'ave discovered to reason for your predicament, Ginny. You 'ave been removed from 'arry's vaults as cosigner. Zhis seems to be effective immideately following your divorce."

Mum looked sick. Then violent, just as she had right before she had spanked James and Albus for telling Lily you could catch worms from eating any veg since they lived in grass and grass was green.

"Who's on the vault, now?"

Aunt Fleur didn't look superior anymore, she just looked sorry for Mum. "I am not supposed to tell you zat, Ginny."

"Do it."

Aunt Fleur picked up the piece of parchment she strolled in with. "'arry Potter, cosigner, Draco Abraxas Malfoy, cosigner Albus Severus Potter effective age 11, cosigner, Scorpius 'yperion Malfoy age 11."

Mum looked sick. "Good god. He put his son on our vault!"

" 'e can put whoever 'e whishes. Zhose sort of old family vaults are not considered community property. 'e is giving you alimony?"

"A pittance," Mum snorted.

"Zat is life," Aunt Fleur gave a gallic shrug. "Perhaps you can ask him for somezing more?"

"I'll never ask him for a knut," Mum hissed. "Never."

Again Aunt Fleur shrugged. "Zat is your affair."

When James got home, Uncle George, Uncle Ron, and Aunt Hermione were there again, with Hugo, Rose, Molly and Fred.

James ignored the Birthday! charmed to the ceiling, and the sparks of their wands, and the birthday cake. He rushed into his room and slammed the door.

A few moments later, Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione came in. They looked sad and disappointed. Clearly someone had already told them what had happened today.

"Who did Aunt Fleur tell?"

Uncle Ron gaped, but Aunt Hermione grinned.

"She told your Uncle Percy. He's working on a few things for your mum. Everything will be fine, Jamie. I'm just sorry that it had to ruin your birthday."

"Me too," James said bitterly. Even his mouth seemed to taste like acid.

"Aunty," he finally said. "Who is Draco Malfoy?"

"Good Gods," Uncle Ron swore. He looked ill.

"Go downstairs," Aunt Hermione hissed. She didn't even try to make up a lie like 'go help Ginny cut the cake'. No wonder Uncle Ron called her the bossiest witch of an age.

When the door was shut behind Uncle Ron, Aunt Hermione sighed. "Draco Malfoy is a . . . a particular friend of your father's. "

"Why haven't we ever met him, then?"

"Hmm," Aunt Hermione thought. "Many reasons. Draco Malfoy's family and the Weasley family have never been close, and your father and Mr. Malfoy had a falling out as teenagers. They only became close again very recently, and Jamie, even I'm not sure exactly when."

James thought about it.

"What does he have to do with Mum not being able to get money out of her vault?"

"Jesus," Aunt Hermione muttered to the Muggle god. "There are a lot of things I can not tell you, Jamie. Some things you have to ask your father. When your parents divorced, the money in that vault, which belonged to him from his father, went back to him. It wasn't ever really your mother's in the first place, and honestly I don't agree with her getting so upset. Money comes and money goes. The reason she is mad is because your father chose to give some of his money to Mr. Malfoy. But what your father does with his money and his time is really not our place to judge. And if you want to know, Jamie, you're going to have to ask him. Okay?"

"Okay," James smiled back.

Just as Aunt Hermione was about to help him up, James added:

"Aunt Hermione?"

"Yes, Jamie?"

"Albus is on that vault, but not me or Lily."

For just a moment Aunt Hermione's lips pursed and then they smoothed out again. "I'm sure that's just because Albus lives with your dad. Come downstairs for cake, your grandmother and grandfather are coming soon."

Albus has a vault full of money and you have a rowdy house of family and cake. Lucky you.