A Hero's Duty

Summary: A hero will always be on duty, even when he has a family who needs him.

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and co. belongs to JK Rowling.

A/N: First shot at angst fic. Reviews are much appreciated but flames always hurt.

Rating: PG-13 for swear words.

Young James Potter knew something was wrong. His father had been shifting uncomfortably in his seat during the whole course of dinner, avoiding his mother's questions. After the dishes were cleared, Dad had ushered Mum straight into their bedroom, placing a Silencing charm on the door. Curiosity had got the better of James as he now stood in front of his parents' room, focusing his magic as he attempted a wandless "Finite Incantatum". True to the spirit of being the Harry Potter's heir, he succeeded.

"What is it, Harry?" asked Ginny Potter once the door was closed. Harry led her to the bed and motioned her to sit down.

"Gin, promise me you'll listen to whatever I have to say. Don't… Try not to interrupt me or anything, just try to listen to the whole story first."

"What is it?" repeated Ginny with a sense of forebodingness, it was unusual for Harry to be so nervous and tentative around her, even with her temper as bad as his.

"The Dark side has risen again," stated Harry simply.

"What? You mean all those rumours in the Daily Prophet are true?"

"Yes, I'm afraid they are."

"But… But how…"

"Please, Ginny, let me finish… You remember Malfoy? My arch enemy in Hogwarts? He decided to follow his old master's path to evil. He hasn't really forgotten how we got his father during the Final Battle. Remember how he vanished without a trace after that? He actually went off and hid himself in muggle London. Can you imagine that? Malfoy living with muggles, the kind of folks whom he hated most," laughed Harry bitterly.

"So what's with him now?" spoke Ginny with a slight alarm in her voice, obviously startled by Harry's melancholic laugh.

"Well, he's back. Like what Voldemort did all those years ago. Malfoy is more powerful and evil than before. And he announced his return by…" Harry broke off, his face black with fury and his fists visibly shaking at his sides as he tried to control his anger.

"By what, Harry?" prompted his wife as she pulled him to sit down beside her.

"By taking children in an orphanage as hostages! That bastard." Ginny winced, it had been so long since Harry cursed.

"A muggle orphanage?"

"No, it's St Theo's." Comprehension dawned on Ginny's face. Harry was the ambassador for St Theo's Orphanage. After the Final Battle and with everything finally normal in Harry's life, he had pledged himself to continue helping others. Being an orphan himself, Harry had helped St Theo's Orphanage financially and physically in all their functions. By choosing St Theo's, the couple knew that Malfoy was challenging Harry directly.

"What does he want?" asked Ginny, though she already had a general idea of what the answer would be.

"He wants to duel with me. He said he'll start killing one child every hour starting from tomorrow. Until I turn up, that is."

"Why isn't this on the news yet?"

"The Ministry doesn't want to blow the thing up. They're hoping to resolve it as soon as possible, hopefully without any bloodshed," said Harry wearily.

"So you're the one to sacrifice again?" spoke Ginny sharply, her face livid upon hearing the Ministry's decision. She stood up, looking uncannily like Ron for a moment, having the same red face before blowing up over something

"Gin, you don't understand…"

"Oh yes, Harry James Potter, I do understand. It's you again, isn't it? It boils down to you again, isn't it? It's always you to save the Ministry's ass! Why can't they dispatch the Aurors to handle Malfoy?"

"I'm an Auror," stated Harry.

"Yes, you are. Their best Auror in fact. So excellent that they pushed the most dangerous job to you again."

"It's not only about the Ministry, it's about St Theo's too."

"Don't you interrupt me, Potter. I know what's it about. It's about the "Boy Who Lived" and the "Man Who Defeated The Dark Lord". It's about you being the great almighty, invincible Auror!"

"You know that's not true, Ginny! Malfoy picked St Theo's to challenge me. It's me who killed his father. He will not rest until I stop him," said Harry, his voice now rising with his wife's temper.

"You would go even if it's not St Theo's! You knew it, Harry. You and your 'saving people' complex!"

"Yes, I would go. What's so wrong about my 'saving people' thing? You have no problem when I saved you from the Basilisk!"

"That's not the point, Harry!"

"Then what's the point, you tell me? Isn't it one of the reasons you fall in love with me? Or have you forgotten what you told me?" said Harry, his eyes now flashing with rage as he failed to make his wife understand the mission.

Flashback:

"You know, Harry, I never had a chance to thank you for saving my life," said Ginny as she lied next to him on the Quidditch pitch on her last day in Hogwarts. Harry had taken leave from his Auror training to attend her Graduation Ceremony. He had finally confess his love after surviving the Final Battle and they had been a couple ever since that day.

"You mean at the Chamber?"

"Yeah."

"Is that why you fall in love with me? That I saved you?"

"Well, it's one of the reasons, your 'saving people' complex …" Ginny stopped abruptly seeing Harry's expression. "Hey, I'm not with you out of gratitude."

"You aren't?"

"Of course not, you prat. I've love you from the day my parents told me about the "Boy Who Lived". But it started as a crush then, you know, those kind of 'hero worshipped' thing. But it slowly became something more as I get to know you, you know, not as your title, but as who you really are. That incident in the Chamber definitely helped a bit. But I guess it's your character which really make me fall in love with you, that insecure, insensitive, thick, hot-tempered…"

"Right, right." Harry said as he silenced his girlfriend with a kiss.

End flashback.

"Damn you, Harry," she cursed at her husband, seeing no other way to argue with him. Harry smiled inwardly. He had won the argument, that was Ginny's way telling him so. Hot-headed like him, she would never admit to defeat out loud.

"I'm sorry, Gin. But I have to go." Harry stood up and started towards her but she moved away.

"No, don't come near me."

"Gin…"

"Why do you always have to do this?" choked Ginny as her eyes now filled with unshed tears. "Haven't you have enough saving people from Voldemort? Aren't you tired, Harry? Aren't you?"

"Gin, please don't cry," said Harry helplessly, running his fingers through his jet black hair in frustration as his wife stepped back from him again.

"I'm not crying!" His wife answered as she tried to look away from him. "You don't have to go. You don't have to. Just ask the Ministry to send the Aurors," pleaded Ginny with tears now rolling down her cheeks. Harry's heart ached.

"You don't understand, Gin. Malfoy is more powerful than before. I don't know how he did it, but apparently, those Aurors who were at the orphange said it was as though Voldemort is living again. He knows his magic well. They need me there," reasoned Harry.

"But you haven't been on duty for so long! You might not be able to defeat him, Harry."

"His magic is the same as Voldemort, I would be able to defeat him," said Harry as he tried to inject some confidence in his words. Ginny was right, he had not been to many missions after James was born. He had told the Ministry that he wanted more time with his family and given the merits Harry had earned himself when he defeated Voldemort, the Ministry had accepted his request. He had not met Malfoy for years and had only heard reports from the surviving Aurors when they attempted to capture Malfoy at the orphange; it was difficult to gauge Malfoy's power and it was a question whether Harry could defeat him.

"What if you can't, Harry? I wouldn't let you go."

"Ginny, please. You have always understood before, why can't you understand now?"

"Because you have a family now, what is going to happen to James and me if something happened to you? James' only six, he needs you!" replied Ginny as she stressed on the 'family' word. "You tell me, Harry."

"Nothing is going to happen to me. I'm a qualified Auror, I know how to take care of myself. You know I'll never forgive myself if all those hostages are killed."

"And you know I'll never forgive myself either if I let you go and something happens to you."

"I'll watch my back, right? I'll come back to you, I promise. Besides, Ron's going to be there," said Harry as he hoped that the presence of her brother in the mission would reassure her of his safety.

"What? Isn't Hermione's pregnant?"

"Yes, but all the Aurors were called. We'll watch out for each other, don't worry."

"How can I not worry?" muttered Ginny as Harry pulled her into a fierce embrace. "We didn't have a family then. Hell, I weren't even your wife or girlfriend. If… If something had happened, perhaps it would have been easier for me to move on… Not knowing that you love me and all…" She whispered against his chest, tears soaking into his shirt.

"Shh…" said Harry as he tried to comfort her. "You can remarry, you know? I wouldn't mind," he joked as he tried to lighten the mood.

"Harry!" said Ginny as she pushed him away from her, before noticing the small smile on his face. A moment later, Harry grew serious again.

"Look, Gin, I really have to go. We need to prepare for the mission. I'll…"

"Let me come with you." His wife finally relented, knowing that there was no way to change his mind.

"No. Who's going to look after James if both of us are gone? He needs you, the family needs you."

"And we need you too!"

"Please, Gin, please, don't start again. You know I have to go, you know I will go, whether you like it or not. I love you, I really do, and I don't want you to be sad. But this 'saving people' thing, like you said, it's in me. I can't just sit back and wait for Malfoy to kill all those innocents. You know you'll go too if you were me, just like the way you cover my back in the Final Battle. But you can't go with me now, James need you, and if something happened to me… I promise, Gin, I will come back, I will come back to you and James. Believe me."

"I… Alright." With a final kiss, Harry began to walk towards the door.

"I'm going to tuck James in bed before I go. Take care, Gin, and remember my promise."

Outside the room, James Potter sobbed uncontrollably into his hands. He knew he should not be found eavesdropping on his parents but his legs stood rooted to the spot. That was how Harry found him a second later.

Fin.