Harry Potter settled easily into life as a single father after Ginny had left for training camp. It was a welcome novelty to have the entire house to himself, with just James and Kreacher for company. Up until now, there had always been people around: the Dursleys, his Gryffindor roommates, and the Weasleys, so Harry felt spoiled to have all this unscheduled time to himself, for a change. It was an exhilarating feeling for the young man to do whatever he wanted each day, without having to worry about what others thought about it.

Despite having his time being his own for the first time in his life, Harry continued with his work at the orphanage. At first a necessary obligation in order to create the right image prior to filing for divorce, Harry found that he enjoyed spending time there. After spending the last several years fighting against Voldemort and his minions, it was refreshing to do something that created something positive, rather than destroyed, for a change.

Narcissa Malfoy had turned out to be a good friend to him, and a valuable source of information for parenting tips. And, unlike Molly Weasley, she waited for Harry to ask before she offered any advice. As the Malfoy matriarch got closer to her own due date, her pleasure in assisting Harry care for James increased.

And as the weeks passed, Harry had found another reason to look forward to his days at the orphanage. Not long after he'd started volunteering there, a couple of other volunteers began as well; among them, a pretty dark haired woman a few years older than Harry with arresting blue eyes. He'd fallen immediately in lust the moment he'd first laid eyes on her.

As Harry was getting James ready for another day at the orphanage a few days after Ginny had left, his mind wandered back to the first time he'd met Arabella Tavington Nott, widow of Tiberius Nott, who had been Theo Nott's older brother.

"Harry, there's a new volunteer I'd like you to meet," Narcissa told him one morning shortly after he'd arrived. She indicated a raven-haired, blue-eyed woman about five years older his senior. The young woman had a toddler girl with her, who was a miniature copy of her mother.

Oblivious to Harry's intent gaze, Narcissa continued, "This is Arabella Tavington Nott and her daughter, Samantha. She is Theo Nott's former sister-in-law." Turning to the young woman, she said, "Arabella, this is Harry Potter."

"Pleased to meet you," Arabella said in an accent that faintly betrayed her origins in the American South. "Narcissa speaks highly of you." She was just as taken with Harry as he was with her.

"Glad to meet you, too," Harry responded automatically. Catching the trace of her accent, he asked, "You're American?"

"Yes, though I am of British ethnicity through my father. He descends from a British squib, Colonel William Tavington, who fought in America during the Revolutionary War," she explained. "He managed to father a son out of wedlock with an American pureblood women before getting himself killed at the Battle of Cowpens in 1781."

"Arabella is also Lucius' distant relative, as William Tavington is also his several-times great-grandfather through his British wife," Narcissa explained.

"I think I've seen Tavington's portrait at the penthouse when I've visited Hermione," Harry recalled. Looking at Arabella again, he noted, "You've certainly got his hair and eyes, that's for sure."

"That's what everyone says," she laughed. "My family has a portrait of him as well, hanging in our home in Charleston."

"So, how did you end up married to Theo Nott's older brother," he asked, curious.

"I was a student at the Salem Institute," she explained. "Tiberius had come over there to take advanced classes in Rune Magic. We married right after my graduation, when we moved to England."

He had later learned that Tiberius Nott had been murdered by Voldemort shortly before the last battle for refusing to join the Death Eaters. The Notts were an old Slytherin family with decidedly mixed loyalties. Some had become Death Eaters, but others, lke Tiberius, had preferred to take a neutral stance and simply try to mind their own business.

Harry and Arabella had hit it off right away and had spent many hours working together at the orphanage getting to know one another. It was refreshing to have someone treat him simply as Harry -- just Harry -- instead of as The-Boy-Who-Lived. Because she'd grown up in the United States, Arabella was thankfully free of the starry-eyed hero woship that was depressingly common among British witches of his generation. Arabella wanted to know him for himself, not for the status he could confer upon her by association.

Her little girl, Samantha, had taken an immediate shine to Harry, following him around asking all sorts of questions about everything under the sun.

Harry smiled as he thought of the lively little girl with the intense blue eyes; Hermione had no doubt been just like Samantha when she was a little girl, always full of questions that she had demanded answers for.

As he stood in the front of the bathroom mirror shaving after getting James ready, Harry's mind wandered again to Arabella as it had been doing often in the last several days. Staring at his reflection in the mirror, he smiled in anticipation of the fact that he'd be seeing her again in less than an hour.

And today was the day that Harry was determined to ask her out on a date. He'd been thinking about it since two minutes after meeting her, and now that Ginny was gone, he was determined to finally act on his intentions.

Not counting the brief misadventure with Cho Chang, Ginny had been the only real relationship Harry had ever had. Before he committed irrevocably to divorcing her, he was determined to experience a relationship with someone else, as he wanted to make absolutely sure that she was the problem in their relationship and not him.

A few minutes later, Harry was ready to go. After telling Kreacher what to make for dinner, he and James apparated directly to the orphanage.

He'd arrived early, before any of the other volunteers. But no sooner had he started walking to the front door of the orphanage, than Narcissa Malfoy materialized behind him.

"Harry!" she called out, following him to the door. "You're here rather early." Noting the happy expression on his face, she correctly guessed, "Could your early arrival possibly have something to with a particular young lady?"

Narcissa had noticed the complete transformation of Harry's demeanour since he'd met Arabella and had subtly done all she could to encourage the relationship. She'd made sure that the two worked together as much as possible, as well as calling attention to each of their virtues to the other as opportunities present themselves to do so. She believed the mature young woman was a much better match for Harry than the petulant, peevish Ginny Weasley.

"How did you know?" Harry asked as they entered the building.

Laughing softly, Narcissa replied, "Oh, Harry, it's so obvious how you feel about Arabella. Your face simply lights up every time she enters the room, and you've also been quite a bit more cheerful since she started volunteering, even when she's not around. You're like a completely new person around her."

"That obvious, huh," Harry said, chagrined. He'd actually thought his interest in her had gone unnoticed by other orphanage volunteers. Looking shyly at the older woman, he admitted, "I'm trying to build up the courage to ask her for a date. Now that Ginny is gone, I'm ready to move on with my life."

"I'm thrilled for you, Harry," Narcissa said. "And I happen to know that Arabella is interested in you as well." Regarding him with a serious expression, she continued, "But let me offer you a word of advice. I'd wait until your divorce from Ginny is complete before risking being seen with her in public away from the orphanage. You don't want to give the Weasleys any ammunition to use against you in court. It's important that you retain the image of the innocent, injured party."

"I'm getting to the point where I don't care what the Weasleys think of me," Harry grumbled. "I'm ready to live my life without worrying about what others think about it."

"I understand where you're coming from," Narcissa replied patiently. "But you must think of James -- I know that you don't want the Weasleys to get custody of him."

"I didn't think of that," Harry said quietly. "But I really would like a chance to get to know Arabella better, away from the orphanage."

Noting his crestfallen expression, she quickly added, "But I can help you there. I'll simply ask Arabella to dinner at Malfoy Manor and you can join us there. If all turns out well, you can meet her there any time you like, without anyone being the wiser. After your divorce is final, you can take it public then, or remain private; whichever way you prefer. And if it doesn't work out, you won't have to read about it the next day in the Daily Prophet."

Giving her a grateful look, Harry told her quietly, "I really appreciate it, Narcissa. You don't have any idea how tired I am of the press writing about every move I make.""Oh, I think I have a pretty good idea," she replied with a small smile.

"Yeah, right," Harry said, grinning. "I suppose you do."

"Does Thursday night suit you?" Narcissa asked.

"Any night is fine," he said. "Whatever night is convenient for Arabella will do."

"It's settled then," she said, smiling. "I'll let you know what date she decides on."

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