Disclaimer: You know already, all HP characters don't belong to me.

To flamers: Back off, if you know what's good for you.

Author's Note: "Crime of Passion" is now available in Spanish! Go to my profile for more details.

Thank you all for your reviews! Sorry for not updating for a long time, I got a huge writer's block, again! This story is getting very hard to write…

Chapter 19: 19th of September 2004

William spent the next few days, working madly in his office, just because he wanted to get his mind off his problems.

However, when a Malfoy was getting married, he or she would take all chances to brag whatever he or she was going to do for the wedding. Almost every day, William could see an article featuring the news about the upcoming wedding of Aidoneus Malfoy and Mary Lestrange.

And everytime he saw one, William felt a dull pain in his heart and wanted to crush the daft of the article. But then his boss would kill him if he did that, so William controlled himself and continued to edit the article.

One evening, when William stepped out of his house for a walk, he bumped into the last two people he would want to see on Earth.

Aidoneus Malfoy and Mary Lestrange.

Aidoneus had his arm around Mary's waist. Both of them were wearing expensive dress robes. It was like they had returned from watching a play or something. Mary even had a large diamond ring on the third finger of her left hand.

Mary looked at William and then turned her head away awkwardly while Aidoneus smirked. "Well well, if it isn't the bastard of Potter and Granger."

William scowled.

Aidoneus pulled Mary closer to him. "Are you going to try to take Mary away from me?"

William didn't respond.

"Come on, I dare you." sang Aidoneus.

William didn't move. He knew what would happen if he hit a Malfoy. His name would hit the headlines tomorrow and he would probably get fired.

Seeing that William had no response, Aidoneus sneered. "Just as I have expected, you are just a coward. I have no idea what Mary sees in you… are you sure you are a Potter? Maybe you are some kid that bitch Granger gave birth to by sleeping with another guy…"

That did it.

William threw himself on Malfoy and both of them ended up fighting on the ground.

"Stop it, you two, stop it!" screamed Mary.

Malfoy pushed William off him and he got up, taking out his wand. William got up and took out his wand too.

"I dare you to call my mother a bitch again!"

"I'm right! Your mother is a bitch!"

"Well your father is a bloody wimp!" snapped William.

"Crucio!" roared Malfoy.

William lay himself flat on the floor to avoid the spell.

"I will kill you for saying that!" said Malfoy.

William got up angrily. Fire was in his eyes. Right now, he didn't care about anything else, all he wanted to do was to kill the person in front of him. "Not before I kill you first! Avada…"

That's when Mary stood in front of Aidoneus.

"Mary!" said William in horror.

"William, don't do it, please!" pleaded Mary.

Looking at Mary and Aidoneus, William lowered his wand. "You do have feelings for Malfoy, that's why you shield him from me, isn't it?" said William quietly.

Mary looked as if William had accused her of killing someone.

"No, I…" she started.

William turned and left.


When William got home, he stood for a while before he threw his wand aside, then he picked up everything he could reach and threw them all over the room. He just wanted to break things to express his anger and frustrations…

A minute later, William had done throwing and all his items were on the floor, all in pieces. He went to his sofa and threw himself onto it.

Why did Mary shield Aidoneus from him?

Was it because she finally developed feelings for that git?

But then the look on her face when William asked her about her feelings for Aidoneus…

William closed his eyes and turned over his body before opening them again.

And saw the diary.

William closed his eyes, not really wanted to read the diary. He had read it and so far, he gained nothing except misery and sadness…

However, William could hear the diary calling for him, wanting him to open it and read his father's entries…

It was like half an hour before William finally gave in.


19th of September 2004

Diary,

Today is Hermione's birthday.

Knowing that she had to work on her birthday, I went to Flourish and Blotts this morning and stayed there, all because I wanted to accompany Hermione the whole day.

Hermione was delighted to see me at the bookshop. Her boss, Calliope, however, wasn't pleased, because I kept on hanging around in the shop and not buying anything.

Evening came. I was flipping through a book on Quidditch and taking glances at Hermione, who was doing some accounts at the counter.

Hermione looked up and smiled at me. Our eyes were locked for a moment before Calliope threw up her hands and said, "Oh I give up! The sight of you two here is making sick! Granger, if you want to spend your birthday with your best friend, go ahead, I'm giving you a day-off!"

Hermione closed her account book with a snap.

"Really!" she said in delight.

"Yeah, now get out of here." said Calliope impatiently.

Hermione smiled and said, "Oh thank you! Don't tell my family about this, I don't want them to know that I have a day-off."

"Whatever." said Calliope.

Happily, Hermione put on her hat and made her way to me. Putting my arm around her shoulders in a friendly way, I led her out of the shop.


To avoid our friends, Hermione and I went to muggle London. Holding hands together, we just strolled down the street with no worries.

We then went into a café for a bit of drink and ice cream. As usual, I ordered one vanilla ice cream with chocolate chips for Hermione and one glass of mocha for myself.

"Where do you want to go after this?" I asked cheerfully after Hermione fed me with a scoop of her ice cream.

"I don't know. You?" asked Hermione after she took a sip of mocha from my glass.

I shrugged. "I don't know either."

"Look Dan, isn't that Harry Potter?" asked someone from a few tables away. "And that… isn't that Hermione Granger?"

I went pale, so did Hermione. Then immediately, I searched for my pockets for my wallet. Hermione kept her head as low as possible.

"Miss, I would pay the bill…" I said to the waitress.

"Oh come on, Emma, you know that Harry Potter isn't real." said another voice.

I stopped searching for my wallet and slowly turned to the young couple sitting nearby. Both of them were looking at me with amusement.

The girl giggled and said, "I know that. It's just that they look so much like the characters."

The boy grinned and said to Harry, "Sorry, Sir. My friend is crazy."

"I'm not!" said the girl in protest and pouted.

Dan laughed and said, "All right, we better drink up our coffee, they're getting cold."

I sighed in relief and turned back to the waitress. "I will pay later."

Hermione just looked like she was going to pass out.

That was close! I thought that Hermione and I have been recognized by some witch or wizard…

But after that tiny incident, Hermione and I had no mood to stay any longer, so I asked the waitress back so that I could pay for our orders.


After we stepped out of the parlour, we walked for a moment when Hermione said that she would like to go to see some baby stuff.

That made my heart stopped for a moment. For a while, I thought Hermione was pregnant again, but then she told me that she just wanted to see them so that if we ever get William out from the orphanage, she could give them to him.

So I said 'okay' and we went to the nearest shop that sold baby accessories.


Once we stepped in, the salesgirl asked us if we wanted anything. As I told that her that we were browsing, Hermione had already left and went to look at the row of baby clothing.

I went to her and saw her looking, no, staring at the neat rows of baby shoes.

"Look at this, Harry. Aren't they adorable?" asked Hermione, smiling and showing me a pair of dark blue shoes with yellow stars on them.

Smiling, I nodded truthfully.

"I wonder what will William be like when he starts to walk." said Hermione, looking at the pair of shoes fondly.

She then put them back before walking off again. I followed her.

Hermione was smiling as she looked through all the baby boys' accessories. I believed that she was picturing William having those stuff when he's older.

When she was finished with the boys' section, she saw the dresses at girls' section and her smile faded.

"Julia would love to have those." she muttered, looking at the dresses.

For a moment, I pictured Julia wearing a pretty dress and calling me 'Daddy'.

I sighed and placed my hand on Hermione's shoulder. Hermione looked at me and smiled slightly before she made her way to the prams section.


It took us a long time to finish browsing the shop. When we decided to leave, Hermione suddenly went to the boys' section again and picked up the pair of shoes we saw earlier.

"I want to give this to William when he starts to walk." said Hermione, smiling.

Isn't Hermione the best mother in this world or what? She won't stop thinking about William, even though they have been separated. Today is her birthday, but instead of buying a gift for herself, she decides to buy a gift for her son.

Hermione headed straight to the counter and took out her purse, wanting to pay for the shoes. But then I told her that I would like to pay for the shoes.

If the mother chooses the gift, let the father pay for it.


Hermione just loved those shoes. She was hugging them as we stepped out of the shop, as if William had already wore them and she hugged them to feel William's presence….

Hey, what am I writing? I write as if William has died… Touch Wood!

Anyway, as much as Hermione loved the shoes, she couldn't bring them home, because the Weasleys would ask questions if they saw her bringing back a pair of baby shoes.

So she left them with me. We went for dinner at a lovely Italian restaurant before Hermione decided to go home.


There you go, Diary, this is how Hermione and I celebrate Hermione's birthday. The shoes are now in the box that comes with them. I'm going to put them in my bedroom later.

I took them out just now to have a look and each is as big as my palm (minus the fingers).

I have to admit, the shoes do look very cute.

Can't wait to see William wearing them.

Okay, I'm going off to bed.

Harry


William immediately put the diary aside and dashed upstairs. He went to his father's bedroom and opened all drawers and cupboards for the shoes.

Tossing everything out of their places, William didn't stop until he found a shoebox in the small cupboard under his father's desk.

He got it out and opened it.

There they were, the first and only shoes that his parents gave him. They looked old but still in good condition, since no one had ever worn them.

Taking them out, William looked at them with fondness. No wonder his mother loved them. If he was still a baby, he would love to wear them too, because they looked beautiful. To William, this pair of shoes was the best one he ever had.

"Thanks Mum. Thanks Dad."