It was Saturday afternoon. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny were sitting in Harry and Ginny's backyard, drinking lemonade and watching their children play with the Crup (magical dog) on the grass. Luna, who was now the editor of the Quibbler, had a lot of work to do, so she had to stay home.

"Hermione, how's Daniel?" Harry asked. He was watching as Daniel was rolling on the grass and laughing with the Crup barking playfully. "He looks great. Why did you say he's troubled?"

"I don't know..." Hermione sighed. "I just feel he's depressed."

"He doesn't look depressed," Ginny commented.

"I know. But I just feel it. Lately, he's been staying home all alone almost every day. I asked him why he doesn't call Ryan, but he said he likes to be alone. I'm getting worried."

"Do you want me to be with him until you come back?" Ginny suggested. She was a national Quidditch player and played for Puddlemere United, but now she didn't work because she was pregnant. "I can come every day with Emily and Alyssa. What do you think?"

"That would be great. Thanks," Hermione smiled. She then called Daniel: "Hey! Daniel, can you come here for a second?"

Daniel came running, panting and still laughing. "Yes, Mom?"

"Listen, I've just settled it with Ginny. You're not going to be alone anymore in the afternoons!" Hermione exclaimed. "Ginny is going to come over every day with her daughters, and she'll be with you until I get home. What do you think?"

Hermione knew Daniel more than anyone else in the whole world. Therefore, she noticed immediately he didn't like the idea. He didn't say anything for a moment. Then he tried to smile and said: "Okay, that's great! Thanks, Ginny!"

"Are you really happy about this?" Ginny asked.

"Sure!" Daniel replied, grinning at her. Then he ran back to his friends as if nothing was wrong, but Hermione, who was watching him intently, noticed he was much more quiet.

She was right. Daniel was furious. He liked to be alone; he liked to have time to think on his own, without anyone around expecting attention. He knew that if Ginny came every day, her daughters, Emily and Alyssa, he would have to pay attention to them all the time. He liked the girls, but being with them three or four hours every day was way too much. And Ginny, too. She would probably want him to do his homework all the time or sit and talk to her. She wouldn't let him be alone.

How could his mother do this to him? She could have asked Ryan to stay with him, why did she have to ask Ginny to do that?

With that thought, Daniel ran back to his mother.

"Mom – listen," he said, "I just thought. Maybe Ryan could stay with me instead? I mean, he's probably not as busy as Ginny, and I don't want to waste Ginny's time like that."

"Ryan's got a new job," Ron said. "I received an owl from him today, he's going to work in the Ministry of Magic, in the Department for Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. That means he'll be much busier from now on, I guess..."

"Besides, you're not wasting my time at all, darling," Ginny said, stroking Daniel's hair. "I would love to spend my afternoons with you – that way I won't be bored. Don't worry, I won't interrupt you," she added, smiling.

Daniel was so disappointed, he almost didn't manage to hide it. He just swallowed hard and nodded.

"So, see you Monday afternoon," said Ginny, and Daniel returned miserably to his friends.

----

After putting four-year-old Emily and two-year-old Alyssa to bed, Ginny went back to the hall and noticed the door to Daniel's room was closed. She stepped closer and knocked on it quietly. There was no answer. She knocked again.

"Yes?" Daniel's voice cried from inside.

"It's me. Can I come in?"

"Sure," Daniel called. Ginny turned the doorknob and got inside. Daniel was sitting near his desk, doing homework.

"Do you want some ice cream?" Ginny asked.

"I have homework," replied Daniel quietly.

"So what? Can't it wait for fifteen minutes?"

"Mom doesn't allow me to eat ice cream before I'm done with my school work."

Ginny grinned. "Okay, kid. Just come when you're finished."

"I don't really feel like eating ice cream."

Ginny stared at him for a while. She understood how he felt. "I'm not going to force you to do anything you don't want to do. I'm not your mother, I'm only here to give you some company, if you want. But if you don't, it's totally okay." She didn't sound offended, but it made Daniel feel guilty nevertheless.

When Ginny left the room and closed the door after her, Daniel kept staring at it for a long time.

----

"He's not a happy boy," Ginny said.

It was one evening, a week later. Hermione had already come back home from work. Daniel was in his room, apparently doing his homework, and Hermione and Ginny were in the kitchen.

"What do you mean?" Hermione raised her eyes from the bread she was cutting into slices.

"I've noticed it. It's hard not to notice, Hermione. Daniel can sometimes be in a good mood, especially when he's with friends. But almost all the time he's gloomy. You know what I mean? Not sad, not miserable, just not happy."

Hermione sighed and said nothing.

"He's not acting like a normal ten-year-old," Ginny went on. "He's young, he should be cheerful. When a kid behaves like Daniel does, it means something's bothering him. Something he doesn't know how to handle himself."

Hermione frowned.

"I once took a course in psychology, just for fun," Ginny said apologetically.

"I know he's not happy," Hermione said quietly, "I just wish I knew why!"

"Maybe..." Ginny hesitated for a moment, then mentioned the man Hermione had been warning everybody not to mention in her ears for the last ten years: "Maybe he needs his father."

----

Ron and his five-year-old son, Sean Weasley, had a nice afternoon together. After going to the zoo, they both went to Diagon Alley to buy Sean a Puffskein in the Magical Menagerie.

"Which one is cuter?" Little Sean asked in his small voice, taking Puffskein after Puffskein in his hands and petting it.

"Sean, you be careful with them," Ron warned. "They're not toys, they're living creatures."

"I know, I just asked which one is cuter." Sean took another Puffskein and lifted it. "How about this one – "

"I don't believe it," said a voice. "Ron Weasley?!"

Ron turned around quickly. There, right behind him, stood a wizard about his age, which was twenty-eight. The wizard had wavy, white-blond hair, gray eyes and a stunned expression on his face.

"You – "Ron's jaw dropped. "Draco?!"

"Yes, that's me!" the man said excitedly. "It's – it's great to see you!"

"You too," Ron stammered. "Wh – what are you doing here?"

"Well, you probably aren't going to believe it," Draco said proudly, "but I'm back."

"Huh?"

"Yeah. I finished my project in the US, and my boss said that now, after I proved to be good at the searching, they would love to let me search in England. It's much more difficult, of course – almost nothing to look for. But I was glad to come back. I really missed it here."

Ron nodded, still unable to speak from the shock. Meanwhile, Draco's eyes fell on Sean. "And who is this?" he asked.

Immediately, Ron felt a shiver of panic. SEAM MUST NOT MENTION DANIEL! He thought desperately. Hermione doesn't want Draco to know anything. But how do you explain this complicated situation to a five-year-old? And besides, Draco was standing right there, and Ron knew he would not be able to do anything about it.

Hoping for the best, Ron cleared his throat, and placing his hand on Sean's shoulder, he said: "This is my son, Sean Weasley. Sean – this is Draco Malfoy, an old friend."

"Hello there," Draco said to Sean, who nodded shyly.

"And like all the Weasleys, he has that hair," Draco commented, motioning to Sean's fiery-red hair, just like his father's. "Who is the mother, may I ask?"

"Luna Lovegood," Ron replied.

"You married Luna?! Boy, I wish I'd been there to see it. Any other special events I've missed?" Draco asked.

"Well," Ron said carefully, "Harry and Ginny are married, too. My brother Fred married Angelina Johnson, and George married Katie Bell. Bill and Charlie are also married."

"And what about Hermione?" Draco asked, and Ron could tell he was trying to sound merely curious, but in fact, he was worried. "Has she gotten married?"

Ron paused to think. He couldn't tell him about Daniel! He had to make sure Draco didn't suspect anything... "No, she's still single," he answered.

"Hey, how about I buy you and your son a drink at the Leaky Cauldron?" Draco suggested. "You know, it's so great to meet an old friend after ten years. I can't say goodbye so soon."

"Sure," Ron replied, still very worried. He turned to his son. "Have you picked your Puffskein yet?" he asked.

"Yes," Sean replied. Ron paid for the Puffskein and they left the shop.

Walking down Diagon Alley towards the Leaky Cauldron, Ron started feeling much more relaxed. Seeing Draco again was really nice. They had gotten along very well the last year before he went to America, and Ron kind of missed him.

However, this feeling was only temporary. As the three of them stepped into the Leaky Cauldron, a tall, blond woman came toward Draco. "Where have you been? You said you were gone for a minute, and it's been twenty!"

"I'm really sorry," Draco apologized. "I met an old friend. I want you to meet Ron Weasley, and this is his son, Sean." Sean smiled, but Ron hardly nodded. His stomack was lurching uncomfortably. Who the bloody hell was this lady?

"And Ron, this is Christine Sweetin," Draco said proudly to Ron, who was starting to feel weak at the knees, "my fiancee."

----

A/N: Aha! A cliffhanger. Sorry for doing that to you, but I really must study now. I hope you'll understand – I'm doing my best to update as often as I can. And you know me, I'm not that kind of writer who abandons stories and never update them, unless I really don't like them and then I take them off the site. And as usual, please review!