Chapter Two
Old Tappan, New Jersey
He rented a car and got a map. He decided on a town called Old Tappan, not really thinking about living but just surviving until he could sort himself out. He was thankful he had learned how to drive and drove for a while before reaching a Bed & Breakfast in the small town called Old Tappan. He slept for nearly twenty-four hours before rising and dressing in a Muggle fashion. He looked through the local newspaper and found several jobs openings in the area. He called the places and arranged for appointments. He dug out his Muggle-Excuse forms he had obtained after graduating Hogwarts. They gave him a college education in law enforcement and other needed excuses.
He cruised the town for flats and found, instead, a small house up for rent for a relatively low cost. He had exchanged his pounds for dollars at a bank earlier in the week. And, after living there only three weeks, he had a small, three bedroom house and a job as the manager of a security personnel company making fairly good money. He wasn't exactly happy but this new transition would be hard.
He ventured into New York City often and found shops and places of all sorts. He visited all the famous Muggle sites on the weekends and loved to eat dinner in Little Italy. Slowly, time passed.
Ginny had read the letter and had cried for hours. She understood why he needed to leave; she just didn't want him to go. She explained this to her family and Hermione. They were as devastated as she. She kept from them the information that they had been on a date when the phoenix arrived. Ron wondered why he hadn't called upon him during all this but Ginny's explanation was simple: he was not an Auror. He was the second-head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports.
She continued with her life the best she could but she could not say she was happy. For months, it seemed, life was an endless hole; she was not living, just existing. But slowly, time brought her spirits back to life and she was able to live again, just a little at first and more, slowly.
A year passed for them both. It had been the longest year either had endured but they had survived apart. Harry's spirits were rising again, too. He had friends, though none of them British or wizards. He became accustomed to the Muggle, American way of life. It was strange but it did have its benefits. New York was lovely; the beach was great fun with his friends; driving around did have the benefit of seeing things. He still missed them all with every bit of soul in him but he couldn't go back. It didn't seem right. He didn't believe that he belonged there anymore. He had done what the prophecy said; now it was his turn to make a decision. True, his decision had been made depending on Ginny but he had made it without help from a Seer or a crystal orb or the greatest evil ever on earth.
It was November again when a young woman, perhaps twenty-four, came into his office looking for a job. She did not have a college degree but had earned a GED for high school. She seemed bright and very professional. Harry saw no reason not to hire her as the new secretary for the department. The job paid somewhat well but was not an outstanding number, only about 30,000 a year. He soon met her daughter when she came in to pick up some files late on a Friday. The little girl was quite pretty. She was six and in the first grade. Her eyes were a very deep blue and her hair was nearly golden. Her skin was dotted with freckles and her smile never faded.
Surprisingly, on this day, Lisa, the secretary, was called in by the boss for a few moments regarding the paperwork of a certain file. Harry was asked to entertain this little girl in the meantime. Adrienne was a talkative child and very bright. She was amused by Harry's British accent just as much as he was amused with her East Coast American one. He showed her how to play a card game while Lisa was talking to the boss. Finally, she came out looking relieved.
"Hey, sweetie! You ready for pizza?" she asked, swinging the little girl up into her arms.
"Yep! Can Harry come with us?" she asked. Harry was just as taken back with the request as Lisa.
"Would you like to come, Harry?" asked Lisa. Harry agreed and grabbed his coat.
Dinner was pleasant. Adrienne was delightful and very polite. Harry helped her play a game of pinball. There was something about this little girl that captivated him. After she had eaten her pizza, she fell asleep with her head resting in her mother's lap.
"She's a cute little kid, Lisa," Harry complimented.
"Yep, she's my Adri. I think she's a bit too smart for her own good though," Lisa laughed.
"No such thing as being too smart!" he returned. She nodded in agreement.
"She wants to be a teacher when she grows up, along with a writer and a violin player." He was surprised with Adrienne's big dreams. Someday, he knew, she would get there.
Not long after that, Lisa and Harry began to date. He was still aching for Ginny and they both knew they would never marry but had fun. Adrienne usually went with them. Harry became very attached to this small child. But what surprised him the most happened the following May, at a fair. Adrienne had gotten an ice cream cone and was eating it eagerly. Suddenly, it began to fall. Lisa wasn't looking but Harry was. Just as suddenly as it had begun to fall, it was back in Adrienne's small hand. She looked confused but did not say anything.
Is she a witch? Harry wondered.
"Ginny, may I come over? I need to speak with you immediately," said Dumbledore from the fireplace of Ginny's flat in Diagon Alley.
"Of course, come in," she replied, setting down her book. The old man entered and took a seat in the armchair. "What did you need?"
"Well, this may come as a surprise to you but the Malfoy's were found dead mere hours ago. Well, Lucius, Narcissa, Draco and Pansy were all found dead," he explained. Ginny was confused. That was four, wasn't that all of them.
"Well, that's all of them. Why should there be a problem?" Ginny asked. Everyone had known for years that these four were Death Eaters, and they were the Death Eaters that wanted revenge for what happened to their Lord.
"Draco and Pansy's one-year-old son is now an orphan," he finished. Ginny's heart opened to the little boy. "He's at Hogwarts right now and I can think of very few people I would trust to raise him without prejudice..." he continued but Ginny didn't even hear.
"Albus," she started. Since her graduation, he had demanded she call him by his first name. "Are you asking me to adopt him?"
"Yes, Ginny, I am." Ginny smiled at the thought. She would have to move to a bigger place but she could afford it and the child was only one; he hadn't been poisoned by his parents yet. He was only a little helpless boy, like Harry had been once.
"Then, yes! I would be more than happy to...adopt him," she replied. Dumbledore's face lit up.
"Wonderful! His name is Sean Thomas Malfoy but we'll have his last name changed to yours. Would you like to come visit him at Hogwarts? I know your not quite ready to have a baby boy in your flat yet."
"Absolutely, let me just grab my cloak." She rose and slipped on her cloak. It had been the one she wore the night of Voldemort's defeat.
They took Floo Powder to Dumbledore's office. There, sitting in a conjured bassinet by Professor McGonagall, sat a little baby boy with blonde hair and deep blue eyes.
It was the night of Adrienne's seventh birthday. She was having the party the next day. Harry had stayed for a special dinner and she begged Harry to tuck her in. He agreed without a fight and went in to tuck her in.
"What do they call daddies in England?" she asked.
"Daddy."
"What about mommies?"
"Oh, they're called mummy," Harry explained.
"Can I call you Daddy, Harry? 'Cause I don't have a Daddy and I think you should be my Daddy!" she exclaimed. Harry smiled, feeling honoured.
"I think that would be a good idea, kiddo," Harry replied.
"Yay!" she smiled. "I got a daddy for my birthday!"
"Well, you'll get lots more tomorrow if you go to sleep!" Harry told her joyfully.
"Okay," she replied, turning on her side. Harry kissed the top of her head. "Good night, Daddy."
"Good night, Adri."
Adrienne's birthday passed and after three months, she entered second grade with the reading level of a fifth grader. Ginny quickly adjusted to being a mother and fell in love with Sean within a matter of seconds. She moved them into a house in a wizarding town called Alton, just an hour away from Ottery St. Catchpole. Her family loved the new addition as well. He loved them, too. He always giggled and soon started calling Ginny 'Mummy.' It was his first word.
November came and went with the second year anniversary since Voldemort's defeat and Harry's leave. Adrienne was getting excellent grades. Lisa and Harry weren't really dating anymore but still remained the best of friends.
Lisa had become a mother at barely eighteen. Adrienne's father had left the moment he discovered Lisa was pregnant. She struggled in New York City for a while before renting a flat in Old Tappan from a friend for a low price. She and Adrienne had always had what they needed but rarely much more. Harry couldn't help but spoil Adrienne whenever he got the chance. For Christmas that year, Harry and Adrienne decided it was time for Adrienne to start her dream of becoming a violinist. Together, they got her a violin and lessons. She fell in love with a single bow stroke.
Sean had turned two and was very talkative. He loved to be outside and adored all his cousins. He and Ron were both obsessed with Quidditch, and even at his young age he liked to ride on the play broomsticks. He didn't even remember the Malfoys anymore; it wasn't his life anymore.
Ginny was happy being with him too. Now, she didn't have so much free time to wonder about Harry. Sean gave her more pleasure than she had imagined. Sometimes, at night, she would watch him sleep and smile. He was so sweet and peaceful.
Old Tappan, New Jersey
He rented a car and got a map. He decided on a town called Old Tappan, not really thinking about living but just surviving until he could sort himself out. He was thankful he had learned how to drive and drove for a while before reaching a Bed & Breakfast in the small town called Old Tappan. He slept for nearly twenty-four hours before rising and dressing in a Muggle fashion. He looked through the local newspaper and found several jobs openings in the area. He called the places and arranged for appointments. He dug out his Muggle-Excuse forms he had obtained after graduating Hogwarts. They gave him a college education in law enforcement and other needed excuses.
He cruised the town for flats and found, instead, a small house up for rent for a relatively low cost. He had exchanged his pounds for dollars at a bank earlier in the week. And, after living there only three weeks, he had a small, three bedroom house and a job as the manager of a security personnel company making fairly good money. He wasn't exactly happy but this new transition would be hard.
He ventured into New York City often and found shops and places of all sorts. He visited all the famous Muggle sites on the weekends and loved to eat dinner in Little Italy. Slowly, time passed.
Ginny had read the letter and had cried for hours. She understood why he needed to leave; she just didn't want him to go. She explained this to her family and Hermione. They were as devastated as she. She kept from them the information that they had been on a date when the phoenix arrived. Ron wondered why he hadn't called upon him during all this but Ginny's explanation was simple: he was not an Auror. He was the second-head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports.
She continued with her life the best she could but she could not say she was happy. For months, it seemed, life was an endless hole; she was not living, just existing. But slowly, time brought her spirits back to life and she was able to live again, just a little at first and more, slowly.
A year passed for them both. It had been the longest year either had endured but they had survived apart. Harry's spirits were rising again, too. He had friends, though none of them British or wizards. He became accustomed to the Muggle, American way of life. It was strange but it did have its benefits. New York was lovely; the beach was great fun with his friends; driving around did have the benefit of seeing things. He still missed them all with every bit of soul in him but he couldn't go back. It didn't seem right. He didn't believe that he belonged there anymore. He had done what the prophecy said; now it was his turn to make a decision. True, his decision had been made depending on Ginny but he had made it without help from a Seer or a crystal orb or the greatest evil ever on earth.
It was November again when a young woman, perhaps twenty-four, came into his office looking for a job. She did not have a college degree but had earned a GED for high school. She seemed bright and very professional. Harry saw no reason not to hire her as the new secretary for the department. The job paid somewhat well but was not an outstanding number, only about 30,000 a year. He soon met her daughter when she came in to pick up some files late on a Friday. The little girl was quite pretty. She was six and in the first grade. Her eyes were a very deep blue and her hair was nearly golden. Her skin was dotted with freckles and her smile never faded.
Surprisingly, on this day, Lisa, the secretary, was called in by the boss for a few moments regarding the paperwork of a certain file. Harry was asked to entertain this little girl in the meantime. Adrienne was a talkative child and very bright. She was amused by Harry's British accent just as much as he was amused with her East Coast American one. He showed her how to play a card game while Lisa was talking to the boss. Finally, she came out looking relieved.
"Hey, sweetie! You ready for pizza?" she asked, swinging the little girl up into her arms.
"Yep! Can Harry come with us?" she asked. Harry was just as taken back with the request as Lisa.
"Would you like to come, Harry?" asked Lisa. Harry agreed and grabbed his coat.
Dinner was pleasant. Adrienne was delightful and very polite. Harry helped her play a game of pinball. There was something about this little girl that captivated him. After she had eaten her pizza, she fell asleep with her head resting in her mother's lap.
"She's a cute little kid, Lisa," Harry complimented.
"Yep, she's my Adri. I think she's a bit too smart for her own good though," Lisa laughed.
"No such thing as being too smart!" he returned. She nodded in agreement.
"She wants to be a teacher when she grows up, along with a writer and a violin player." He was surprised with Adrienne's big dreams. Someday, he knew, she would get there.
Not long after that, Lisa and Harry began to date. He was still aching for Ginny and they both knew they would never marry but had fun. Adrienne usually went with them. Harry became very attached to this small child. But what surprised him the most happened the following May, at a fair. Adrienne had gotten an ice cream cone and was eating it eagerly. Suddenly, it began to fall. Lisa wasn't looking but Harry was. Just as suddenly as it had begun to fall, it was back in Adrienne's small hand. She looked confused but did not say anything.
Is she a witch? Harry wondered.
"Ginny, may I come over? I need to speak with you immediately," said Dumbledore from the fireplace of Ginny's flat in Diagon Alley.
"Of course, come in," she replied, setting down her book. The old man entered and took a seat in the armchair. "What did you need?"
"Well, this may come as a surprise to you but the Malfoy's were found dead mere hours ago. Well, Lucius, Narcissa, Draco and Pansy were all found dead," he explained. Ginny was confused. That was four, wasn't that all of them.
"Well, that's all of them. Why should there be a problem?" Ginny asked. Everyone had known for years that these four were Death Eaters, and they were the Death Eaters that wanted revenge for what happened to their Lord.
"Draco and Pansy's one-year-old son is now an orphan," he finished. Ginny's heart opened to the little boy. "He's at Hogwarts right now and I can think of very few people I would trust to raise him without prejudice..." he continued but Ginny didn't even hear.
"Albus," she started. Since her graduation, he had demanded she call him by his first name. "Are you asking me to adopt him?"
"Yes, Ginny, I am." Ginny smiled at the thought. She would have to move to a bigger place but she could afford it and the child was only one; he hadn't been poisoned by his parents yet. He was only a little helpless boy, like Harry had been once.
"Then, yes! I would be more than happy to...adopt him," she replied. Dumbledore's face lit up.
"Wonderful! His name is Sean Thomas Malfoy but we'll have his last name changed to yours. Would you like to come visit him at Hogwarts? I know your not quite ready to have a baby boy in your flat yet."
"Absolutely, let me just grab my cloak." She rose and slipped on her cloak. It had been the one she wore the night of Voldemort's defeat.
They took Floo Powder to Dumbledore's office. There, sitting in a conjured bassinet by Professor McGonagall, sat a little baby boy with blonde hair and deep blue eyes.
It was the night of Adrienne's seventh birthday. She was having the party the next day. Harry had stayed for a special dinner and she begged Harry to tuck her in. He agreed without a fight and went in to tuck her in.
"What do they call daddies in England?" she asked.
"Daddy."
"What about mommies?"
"Oh, they're called mummy," Harry explained.
"Can I call you Daddy, Harry? 'Cause I don't have a Daddy and I think you should be my Daddy!" she exclaimed. Harry smiled, feeling honoured.
"I think that would be a good idea, kiddo," Harry replied.
"Yay!" she smiled. "I got a daddy for my birthday!"
"Well, you'll get lots more tomorrow if you go to sleep!" Harry told her joyfully.
"Okay," she replied, turning on her side. Harry kissed the top of her head. "Good night, Daddy."
"Good night, Adri."
Adrienne's birthday passed and after three months, she entered second grade with the reading level of a fifth grader. Ginny quickly adjusted to being a mother and fell in love with Sean within a matter of seconds. She moved them into a house in a wizarding town called Alton, just an hour away from Ottery St. Catchpole. Her family loved the new addition as well. He loved them, too. He always giggled and soon started calling Ginny 'Mummy.' It was his first word.
November came and went with the second year anniversary since Voldemort's defeat and Harry's leave. Adrienne was getting excellent grades. Lisa and Harry weren't really dating anymore but still remained the best of friends.
Lisa had become a mother at barely eighteen. Adrienne's father had left the moment he discovered Lisa was pregnant. She struggled in New York City for a while before renting a flat in Old Tappan from a friend for a low price. She and Adrienne had always had what they needed but rarely much more. Harry couldn't help but spoil Adrienne whenever he got the chance. For Christmas that year, Harry and Adrienne decided it was time for Adrienne to start her dream of becoming a violinist. Together, they got her a violin and lessons. She fell in love with a single bow stroke.
Sean had turned two and was very talkative. He loved to be outside and adored all his cousins. He and Ron were both obsessed with Quidditch, and even at his young age he liked to ride on the play broomsticks. He didn't even remember the Malfoys anymore; it wasn't his life anymore.
Ginny was happy being with him too. Now, she didn't have so much free time to wonder about Harry. Sean gave her more pleasure than she had imagined. Sometimes, at night, she would watch him sleep and smile. He was so sweet and peaceful.