A/N Welcome to Broken Pieces, for those of you who voted on the story poll I thank you all for your input. I decided to do two out of three and hold off on the third until I finish the Hufflepuff Cornicles. Thank you for all who left a review and their thoughts and I hope you all enjoy this story. For the most part, I am going to leave it up to your imagination for the French accent as I would probably butcher it. The only concession I've made is the dropping of the h. Like always, any character or place you recognize belongs to JK Rowling and not me and I make no money doing any of this. So without further ado, enjoy the story. Also lots of thanks to my wonderful BETA Matt2Parker for helping me make this more presentable.

Ch. 1 Bottom of a Glass

Harry Potter regarded the small glass in front of him with bloodshot eyes. He had lost count of how many shots he had taken in the last hour, but he knew that it must have been quite a few since the world seemed to not want to stop spinning. Reaching forward, he picked up the shot and threw it back, drinking the fiery drink in one gulp. He shook his head and raised a shaky arm to the bar keep, asking for one more before letting his arm fall to the bar and his head fall on top of it.

Through the haze of his mind he could hear the door open and turned his head, regarding the new arrival into the dingy back alley bar that he had found a few months ago. The new arrival seemed almost familiar to Harry. It was a girl in her late teens, of an age with him, with long, silver, blonde hair. The hair was all that Harry could clearly discern though as his eyes refused to focus enough to pick out any details. But for some reason, he felt drawn to this girl, like he had known her in another life a long time ago. He shook his head and looked dumbly around the bar for his new drink. This girl brought back memories, and Harry was here trying to get rid of memories. He looked again for the bartender to ask where his new drink was, but he appeared to be busy talking with the girl.

-(=)-

Gabrielle Delacour stood in the doorway and looked around the dimly lit dive bar she had found herself in. She had tracked her prey for the better part of the day now, and he had led her here. As her eyes roamed around the dimly lit place, they fell on a familiar tuft of black hair, which was on top of a head lying on top of the bar. She saw a pair of blood shot emerald eyes peek from under the hair, and she thought she saw a flicker of recognition before they returned to their drunken haze.

Giving her head a little shake she made her way up to the bar and got the attention of the barman. "How much has he had to drink?" she asked nodding towards the black haired man.

"A lot, I was actually about to cut him off." He replied.

Gabrielle sighed quietly to herself. "Does he come here often?"

The barman nodded. "He's in here at least three times a week. He drinks himself blind and then I call him a cab. He never causes any trouble and always pays off his tab. He only speaks to order another drink or mumble nonsense. I wish all drunks were as good as him."

Gabrielle nodded and thanked the barman. She reached into her purse and pulled out a roll of bills, paid for Harry's tab, then returned the roll to her purse. She made her way over to the almost passed out man. He looked up at her when she approached and the light of recognition appeared in his bloodshot eyes again before they glazed over once more.

"Come on Harry, it's time to go home." She said as she gently took his arm.

"Don't wanna go" Harry slurred.

"Your family misses you Harry, and want you to come home" she persisted.

"No they don't." Harry continued to slur, with a hint of bitterness entering his voice. To Gabrielle's surprise though, he did get up from the stool and stumbled trying to keep his feet. She held firmly to his arm and tried to steady him as he leaned heavily into her. "First family die cus stupid old man wanted to play god, second family beat me and hated me. Third family only cared as long as I dated their cheating slut of a daughter. Can't even see my godson now."

Gabrielle was shocked. She knew that Harry had had a hard life, and that the fallout from his breakup with Ginny caused some problems, but she hadn't realized it had been that bad, or what caused the breakup. She decided that she needed some answers, but now was not the time. "You still have family Harry; Bill and my sister miss you coming around for dinner."

Harry nodded, a small smile coming to his lips. "Vicky calls me Unca Harry" he slurred. "Cute kid takes after her mother, thank the gods." Gabby nodded and started to lead him to the door, still holding his arm. When they made it outside, she directed him to a small alley and, once out of sight, tightened her grip and apparated the two to Shell Cottage.

-(=)-

Gabrielle popped back into existence on the small garden path outside of her sister and brother-in-laws home. Harry was still beside her, but now he was leaning heavily into her, and she was supporting a large portion of his weight. "Stupid apparition." Harry slurred. "I'm going to lay down here until the world stops spinning." Harry pushed himself off of her and proceeded to lie down in the middle of the path. A few seconds later, he was curled in a little ball and passed out. Gabrielle let out a tired sigh and pulled out her wand. After a quick swish and a flick, Harry was floating in front of her as she walked up the path to the house that Harry had not even noticed before falling asleep.

When she entered the house she was met by the owners. "You found him" said her relieved older sister. "Where did you find him?"

"Let's get him to bed and then we can get to explanations." Gabrielle told her.

"I'll take him to the guest room." Bill said taking over the hover charm.

"I'll put the kettle on" Fleur said and made her way to the kitchen. Gabrielle smirked at how British her sister had become in the three years since she'd been married.

Gabrielle made her way into the sitting room and took a seat on the couch, letting out a tired sigh. Her sister came in a few minutes later carrying a tea service. She handed her sister a cup and took a seat next to her on the couch.

"How are you my sister?" asked Fleur, switching to French.

"Confused and angry" she replied, but before any more could be said, Bill came back into the room, took some tea, and sat in a large winged arm chair.

"So," Gabrielle began, trying to hold in her anger. "Would someone like to tell me why I found my Harry drinking himself stupid in a dive bar?"

Bill and Fleur exchanged worried looks. Bill let out a tired sigh. "I guess we should probably start at the beginning; or at least the end of the war. We don't really know anything from before then. Two years ago when the war ended, everyone tried to rebuild and get on with their lives. Harry and Ginny started dating again and got engaged about six months later. Ron and Hermione also got engaged and married shortly before that. We all thought things were getting better. Harry and Ginny seemed so much in love."

Bill paused taking a sip of his tea. "I think the first blow came when Harry first tried to see his godson Teddy Lupin. Apparently, with the war going on, Remus was never able to file the official papers making Harry his godfather, and Andromeda flat out refused to let Harry anywhere near Teddy. Personally, I think she was still grieving from losing both her husband and her daughter, and was scared that Harry was going to take away the last family she had. I'm not sure what all was said, but I gather it was pretty bad, as Harry seemed to fall into a depression."

"We had him start coming over during the day for tea" Fleur said, picking up the story. "Bill started teaching him about runes and wards while I taught him French. He didn't seem to quite know what to do with himself anymore. Everyone expected him to join the Aurors, including his then fiancé, but he refused."

Gabby scoffed. "Well of course he didn't want to be an Auror. He had been fighting a war almost single handedly for the last seven years. Can you blame him for not wanting to continue fighting?"

"Oui," Fleur agreed. "That's why Bill started teaching him about runes and wards. When Bill told Harry about his time as a curse breaker, he seemed excited. Anyways, as you know, we soon had Victoria and Harry doted on her. He would watch her while we were at work, or anytime we needed some alone time. Sometimes Ginny would come too, when she wasn't at Quidditch Practice, but as time went by we saw less and less of her. We didn't think anything of it though, as she was busy and Harry never said anything was wrong. By this time, it was a year after the war ended; Ron and Hermione were married, and Ginny and Harry were engaged. We thought things were going well."

"So what happened?"

Bill took over for his wife at this point. "About six months ago, Harry was watching little Victoria while Fleur and I were at work. Harry was staying with us, as Ginny was supposed to be away for Quidditch. I got home early and Harry said he needed to run back to Grimmauld Place, where he and Ginny lived, for a fresh pair of pants as Vicky spit up on the pair he was wearing. When he returned it was midnight and he was piss drunk. He apparated right into the living room and when I came down to investigate he was babbling about coming home and finding his fiancé not only home, but in bed with Malfoy, looking to be having the time of their lives. He slurred out that they hadn't even noticed him standing in the doorway, and that he had apparated straight to a bar and drank himself stupid."

Gabby's scowl matched her sisters. "That little slut had been sleeping around on Harry for a while apparently" Fleur said, and Bill completely ignored the slight on his sister. "She was cut from the Harpies after her first season and never told the rest of the family. I guess that explains why she never wanted anyone to come to her games that year. The next morning when Harry awoke, he went back to Grimmauld Place and kicked her to the curb along with all her stuff. Of course, the little slag went crying home to maman and somehow placed all the blame on Harry. I still don't know how she managed that, but Molly never would hear anything bad about her little girl."

"Harry became persona non grata at the Burrow." Bill said sadly. "Ginny even went to the press and did a smear campaign against him, putting the blame on him spending so much time watching someone else's child and refusing to find a job. Rita had a field day for months, going so far as to suggest that little Victoria was a love child between him and Fleur. I think the straw that finally broke the camel's back was when Ron and Hermione took Ginny's side. I don't think Hermione believed Ginny, but Ron refused to believe that his baby sister would sleep with a Malfoy, and Hermione felt she had to support her husband; so she too stopped talking to Harry. In the end, only George and I still talk to Harry, when we can find him and he isn't drowning himself in a muggle bar. I think dad believes him also, but Dad never would go against mum and, well, Ginny is his little girl."

"So that's it." Fleur said sadly. "For the last four months or so Harry has gone from muggle bar to muggle bar, unable to step foot in any wizard place without being mobbed, drinking himself stupid. Whenever we can track him down, we make him stay with us for a few days, before he feels like he is being a burden and leaves in the night again."

Gabby felt tears roll down her cheeks at all Harry had gone through. If she had known things had gotten so bad for him she would have come to England sooner. As it was, she had had to wait until she had finished school and gone through her final Change. Now that both those had happened, she was ready to come and fight for her love, her mate.

-{}-

Harry woke up with a splitting headache. You would think with the amount of time he had spent hung over during the past few months he would have gotten used to it, but unfortunately it never got any better. For probably the millionth time he wondered why he did this to himself, and then the memories returned. Andromeda blaming him for the death of her daughter, son-in-law, and husband, and refusing to let him anywhere near Teddy; Ginny cheating on him in their own bed, in his house, with Malfoy; Molly yelling at him and blaming him for Ginny's cheating, Ron punching him, and Hermione telling him she believed him but she had to support her husband, and wouldn't be able to see him for a while.

That memory had hurt the most, and was what finally drove him to try and drown himself in alcohol. Even when everyone else was against him, he had always had Hermione. Now though she refused to see him, and wouldn't even answer his letters. He didn't really care about what the press said, as he was used to the slander and the sheep reading it like gospel; but with Hermione refusing to even talk to him, something inside him seemed to just break. He hadn't felt this bad since his days alone in the cupboard, crying himself to sleep after a fresh beating from Vernon.

Opening his eyes, he quickly shut them again, as the light flooding into the room only increased the pain in his head. While letting his head settle again, he came to the realization that he was lying in a comfortable bed. Opening his eyes again, he looked around the blurry room. The blurs looked somewhat familiar and he reached his hand out to what he hoped was a night stand that held his glasses on it. Finding them, he slipped them on his face and took stock of where he was. Pushing back the floral duvet, he sat up and looked around the now clear room. He spotted a familiar potion vial sitting on the nightstand, also with a small note saying "Drink Me", and he drank it down in one gulp. Slowly his headache faded away and he could think clearly again.

The cream painted walls and the beach wood furniture that surrounded him told him where he was without having to look outside the window at the sea, only a few yards away. "Ok Harry," he said to himself. "How did you get to Shell Cottage?" He tried to think back to the night before, but all he could remember was flashes of silver hair, a pleasant pulling feeling, and going to sleep outside. Deciding that Fleur must have finally tracked him down again, he crawled out of bed and stumbled over to the wardrobe. Glad to see some of his clothes inside, he dressed and cautiously walked down stairs.

Harry hated waking up from one of his benders in the rooms kept for him in Bill and Fleur's house or in George's flat. On one hand he felt guilty for making them worry and go out of their way to find him, when deep down he knew he wasn't worth the trouble. He also knew that he shouldn't drink the way he did and should try to deal with his problems in a better way, but he was having trouble seeing why; and when he was passed out from drinking, he didn't have to suffer the nightmares.

When Harry walked into the kitchen he saw a tiny, silver blond haired toddler sitting in a high chair eating breakfast. The small child noticed him and let out an excited squeal. "Unca Harry!" Victoria lifted her arms, indicating what she wanted, and as any person who was wrapped around a small toddler's finger would do, Harry quickly picked her up.

"Good morning Tory, how is my favorite girl this morning?" Harry asked bouncing the small two year old in the air as she laughed.

"I ate pancakes" the little girl said, showing Harry her sticky syrup covered hands.

"Yes, and your hands are still all sticky" said a French accented voice from behind Harry. He turned around and saw a familiar looking woman standing in the kitchen entrance holding a wet flannel.

Harry smiled unknowingly at the woman standing in front of him, and Gabrielle could see some light return to his dull green eyes. She gave him a beautiful smile and walked up, taking the small girls hands and wiping them down with the wet flannel. "You don't want to get Uncle Harry all sticky also do you Tory?"

"Nuh-uh Auntie Gabby" the girl replied as her hands were cleaned.

"Hi Gabrielle," Harry greeted still smiling. "It's good to see you again. I don't think I've seen you since Bill and Fleur's wedding." If he remembered correctly, she looked a lot younger then. He could have sworn she was in her early teens during the wedding, but now she looked closer to his age. He couldn't help but think of how beautiful she had become, or notice the way her blue eyes sparkled and the light reflected of her silver hair. Harry's face began to flush as he realized what he was thinking, and he dropped his eyes to the small ball of energy squirming in his arms, not noticing the small smile that appeared on Gabby's face as she guessed what he was thinking.

"It's good to see you again too 'Arry. 'Ow have you been?" Gabby asked with a concerned voice.

"Fine" Harry replied still not meeting her eyes.

Gabrielle raised a silver eye brow at his answer. "Fine? Then why was it I found you in a muggle dive bar, drinking yourself stupid?"

Harry winced. "That was you?" Harry shifted his weight from foot to foot nervously trying to think of how to answer her. He tried to think of a reasonable excuse, but his mind kept coming up blank.

Deciding that she wasn't going to get an answer now, Gabrielle decided on a different tactic. "How about we go give the little princess to her maman, and then we can go take a walk along the beach."

Harry wanted to object, saying that he should be on his way; but looking at the smiling, hopeful face of Gabrielle, he simply nodded. They found Fleur in the study and left Victoria in a small play pen. "Bon Jour 'arry" the older veela greeted, giving Harry a warm smile. "Like always, I am glad that you are here and we will talk later." She kissed him on both cheeks before repeating the process with her sister, but not before whispering something into her ear and giving her a smile Harry could only call hopeful.

The two turned and left the office and went out the back door. Harry made his way over to a small patch of raised earth with a headstone facing the water. As Harry stood there, paying his respects to Dobby, he felt a small hand slip into his. Looking down in surprise he saw Gabrielle standing next to him, her eyes full of support and comfort. She gave his hand another squeeze, and together they made their way down the dirt path to the beach.