Beta(s)/Alpha(s): Nixied, Capitu
Artist(s): digthewriter
Word Count: ~50k
Rating: R
Pairing(s): Harry/Ginny, Albus/Scorpius, Harry/Draco
Other key characters: Ron, Rose, Hugo, Hermione, James, Lily
Era: Canon compliant
Content: Major character death(s) and emotional infidelity.
Summary: Harry and Ginny's marriage has been in trouble since the beginning, but they had the kids to raise and careers to keep them busy. Now the kids are all at school, except James who's starting his own career, Harry is at a desk as the Head Auror and so is Ginny while working for The Daily Prophet. They're working on problems they've been brushing aside for years. When Scorpius Malfoy, their son Albus' best mate, goes missing from Hogwarts. Harry is torn between finding Scorpius before it's too late, and keeping his falling-apart family together.

Harry's head pounded. He tried to open his eyes, but they were dry and crusted-shut. He swore to himself as he rubbed them that he'd never drink like that again. Taking deep breaths, he held his head in his hands and willed his headache to go away. What had he been thinking?

There was a tapping on the window behind him, and he groaned in frustration. Why couldn't the owl find Ginny! Harry never read the bleeding newspaper. The owl was persistent, and eventually Harry got his eyes to open and searched for money to pay it with. When he let the owl in he saw that it wasn't the newspaper. The owl dropped a rolled up parchment on his desk and flew out the window again.

As he unrolled the parchment, the night before came back to him and his stomach lurked. He barely made it to the waste basket before he vomited. He checked the time on his way back to his chair and saw that it was almost noon. His solicitor had already rewritten the divorce papers Harry had sent him the night before. He tried to read it, but his head was still pounding. Instead he opened his bottom desk drawer and hid the contract beneath the stack of papers there, and then locked it with a spell.

He ran a shaky hand through his hair and then summoned a glass of water.

There was someone in the kitchen, so Harry went out to see who it was. James was looking through the cupboards trying to find something to eat. Harry rubbed his eyes again. He hadn't been to the store all week. James wouldn't find much of anything unless Ginny thought to go, but as more cupboards opened and then closed Harry figured that she hadn't.

'Sorry,' Harry said. 'I've been a bit out of it recently.'

James turned around to face Harry. 'Yeah, I've noticed,' James said trying to make light of it. 'Helen called; there is no emergency,' he added quickly at Harry's worried expression. 'She just wanted to know if you planned on being in today. I told her you were sleeping and we both agreed that you needed your rest.' He dropped his voice, even though no one else was there to hear them. 'I didn't mention that you hadn't even made it to a bed.'

'Thanks.' Harry laughed to himself. James was really growing up. 'I'll go in now just for a hour or so and then I'll pick up some food on the way home, yeah?'

'That would be brilliant.'

Harry cast a few spells to make himself semi-presentable as he grabbed what files he had at his office at home, and even though it wasn't an emergency he took the Floo to his office. He came out to ask Helen to gather all the Aurors that were in right then for a meeting, then went to organise all the files off his desk. He had a lot of rearranging to do.

Once everyone was gathered Harry began, 'I'll be changing a few of your assignments. Longfellow and Daniel, you'll be heading the Scorpius Malfoy case from now on. Roberts and Jenkins will take over anything you have opened at the moment. The schedules to watch Malfoy Manor and Riley's Owlery will stay the same, unless Longfellow and Daniel make any changes to them.

'What, if anything, has turned up from Lucius Malfoy's testimony as it pertains to Scorpius's case?' When no one spoke up, Harry continued, 'It was a long shot . . . I am going to be on leave while I take care of some family matters.' Harry couldn't look at them as he said this. 'Anyone can Floo me at any time if there is an emergency, but I will be out of the office.'

He looked up at them then. Their expressions were solemn. It must have looked like he was giving up. So Harry said, 'I'm not giving up. I trust you to be able to take care of this is all. I should have trusted you to begin with.' He wasn't giving up on Scorpius, but he wasn't giving up on his family yet either.

Once he had handed out all the files that were on his desk to different Auror partners, he nodded goodbye to Helen and left. He took the long way, exiting the Ministry from the front because he had shopping to do. He also had a few things he needed to figure out, which meant he needed advice. He couldn't go to Draco, because one of the things he needed to figure out involved him and his question: iwhy are you here, Harry?/i

It wasn't just that it was an easy escape. He could have gone to Ron and Hermione's like he always did in the past, or visit George when he didn't feel up to seeing his best friends share worried glances over the state of his marriage. It was partly because Draco had been so inviting and never turned him away. It helped that for the most part all they ever did was drink and share their fond memories of Scorpius. He should have felt the most guilty talking about him around Draco. He was his father. But it was the opposite. He felt guilty around everyone else. As though if he said the name their thoughts would be on why hadn't Harry found him yet.

The Weasley's shop was busier than it had been in a long time, and Harry saw in the window on his way in that George had new merchandise. George was down stairs and engaging with customers as Harry approached Ron by the cash register.

Ron shook his head fondly at his brother smiling and joking around with the kids in the shop.

'What's the new stuff?' Harry asked as he pointed to the window.

'It's a whole new line, if you can believe it.' Ron pulled out one of the candies and handed it to Harry, who hesitated. 'It's alright; it's not going to hurt you.'

'Does it taste awful?'

Ron laughed. 'No.'

The candy was sweet and chewy, which made Harry even more weary before the effects kicked in. It started as a warmth in his stomach and then slowly it spread through him, making him feel . . . good. More awake, refreshed, and brilliant.

'Is this like a love potion?' Harry asked. Though he didn't feel light headed nor was he suddenly obsessed with anyone, he did feel very good.

'They're medicine balls,' Ron said, laughing at Harry. 'I just gave you some Pepper Up. You looked like you could use some. This new line is the opposite of what Fred and George used to cook up. Instead of taking pleasant experiences and making them—awful as you put it—George took things that were awful and is trying to make them pleasant.'

'Pepper Up?' Harry nodded. 'Thanks, mate. I see George is doing well.'

George had been depressed for years after Fred's death, but he eventually married and things began to look up for him. The business did well, even if he couldn't bring himself to invent new products. He had a son he named Fred II who made him smile like he was a kid himself again. It made a sort of sense that once he finally got an invention to work it was the opposite of what he and his brother used to make. He was a very different person then. Everyone was. They say wars change people, and Harry believed they did, but people also grew up.

As an adult, the jokes of their youth never seemed as funny to Harry either, but these new products seem to have parents in mind. He would have loved to have been able to give his kids candy instead of foul tasting potions when they were kids.

The customers left and George came over to greet Harry.

'These are brilliant,' Harry said. 'I think I'll buy some Pepper-Up.'

Ron grabbed a box for Harry as George insisted that he didn't pay, and then handed it over to Harry with a caution not to get addicted to them.

'I won't; it's just been a stressful month.'

'Nothing new in Scorpius's case?' Ron asked.

'No,' Harry said, 'and I've decided to take your advice and I handed it off to my Aurors. I'm going to take some time off to be with my family. I don't know what I'm going to say to Albus, and actually that was why I stopped by: from some more advice.'

Ron nodded toward George. 'I already gave you that advice. You should have had him talk to George.'

'Talk to me about what?'

Harry was hesitant to say it, so Ron spoke up for him.

'Though we've all lost people close to us, you're the only one who's lost someone . . .' and then Ron couldn't finish either.

'Scorpius isn't dead,' Harry pointed out. 'This is different than just losing him. Albus is losing his mind with worry and he's angry with me, because I haven't found him yet. It's not that simple and I know he knows that, but I'm not sure he'll be as forgiving once he finds out I'm no longer on the case at all.

'I think I was hurting the investigation more than I was helping, and Ginny is about ready to give up on me altogether. I know this is the right decision. I'm going to talk to Ginny tonight and work things out with her, and then we can go get the kids tomorrow. We should be together through this, not miles apart. Supporting each other; like the Malfoys are.'

'How are they taking it?' George asked.

'They're refusing to let it tear them apart.' Harry almost smiled thinking about it. 'They're taking is about as well as anyone can take it. Upset and worried, but trying not to spend all day thinking about what is happening to him. Lucius even came out of isolation and is now spending time with them for the first time since he was released from Azkaban. They trust that we'll find him. If things keep going like are, we'll have plenty of time. I'm more worried about Albus.'

More customers came in and George went off to greet them as Ron thought a moment and then said, 'If the Aurors find Scorpius, you won't have to worry about Albus anymore. Just get him home, try to get him some rest, and reassure him they'll find Scorpius if you are sure they will.'

'I'm sure they will. The next few weeks will be hard though. I'm sure you still read the paper and know all about the case?'

Ron nodded, so Harry continued, 'They wait a few days in between each drop, and they have plenty more they could send before . . . sorry, this is morbid. You quit the Aurors for a reason.'

'The morbid talk wasn't the only reason, but yes I don't miss cases like these.' Ron studied Harry. 'How are you doing being not on the case?'

'Well.' Harry quickly checked the time. 'I handed it off less than an hour ago, and here I am discussing it and trying to figure out their next move with you. How do you think it is going?'

Ron backed up and grabbed a different box of candy for Harry. 'Calming Draught.'

'Thanks.' Harry took the box. He'd certainly needed it to get through dinner with Ginny without mentioning the case, which he desperately had to do if there was any chance in him saving their marriage. 'I—' but Harry stopped himself. He couldn't talk to Ron about his nights with Draco, either. 'I—' but Harry stopped himself. He couldn't talk to Ron about his nights with Draco, either.

#

Harry was greeted with a 'Only a couple of hours, you said,' from James as he came through the front door. His arms were loaded with groceries.

'Sorry.' Harry handed off a few of the bags to James who began sorting through them looking for something to eat right then. James groaned as he found nothing satisfactory in the bag. After Harry set the rest of the bags down, he pulled out the take-away he'd got for James and handed it to him. 'I figured you wouldn't be able to wait.'

'Brilliant!' He opened it and dug in straight away.

'I also figured you hadn't thought to go get anything yourself while you waited.'

James scoffed. 'I couldn't leave. I was waiting for an important call.'

'I know Sonja is important, James, but I don't think she'd blame you if you went on a quick run for some food.'

'It wasn't Sonja.' James smirked at Harry's surprised expression. 'You know I was waiting for news on that job, and he'd said he'd let me know sometime today.'

'Why specifically today?'

'Dad, focus—'

'You know it's attention to details like that—'

'That make you a good Auror.' James rolled his eyes. 'He wanted to make sure he had enough time to review all the applicants, and I wanted to make sure I didn't miss the call. So we agreed on a day: today.'

Harry laughed. 'I take it from the way you are bouncing around that you got the job.'

'Yes! I got the job!'

Harry laughed again, glad to see his son so excited. He began sorting through the food, making a pile of what he needed for dinner and putting the rest away.

James finally taking note of how much Harry brought in asked, 'Why'd you get so much?'

'I'm going to talk to your mother tonight about going and getting Albus and Lily from Hogwarts for a little while.'

'Until Scorpius is found?'

Harry nodded.

'I think that's a good idea. It'll be nice to have them home.'