Disclaimer: I do not in any way own Harry Potter or any of the material associated with it. They are property of JK Rowling and anyone else she's decided to sell them to.

AN: At long last! The first chapter of the third book of the Rose, the Star and the Wand! I've been working on this for a while, and swore I wouldn't post it till I started chapter two, which I did last night. There are still some plot holes I'm attempting to work out, so this is going to be slowly updated. As of right now I'm aiming for twenty five chapter and have outlines for seventeen of those. As always, please review.

Book III

The Long way Home

Chapter 1

The long years since

He had dreamt of her last night, just as he had the night the Burrow burnt, the night before his life had changed forever. He dreamt of her often these days, her warm eyes, her flame colored hair, the wafting scent of lemons that always followed her were ever she went. Setting in the window seat of his bedroom he looked out over the raging sea, the storm forcing the waves up the jagged, rocky cliff side. Sipping at the whiskey he'd poured himself hours ago he glanced over at the bed as a small huffing noise filled the room. Smiling gently he turned back towards the rain pelted window. No matter how much trouble he had sleeping on these nights Dahlia never seemed to have any trouble at all, as long as she was tucked safe in his bed and he kept close by. He had grown used to her company over the last few years, especially once Titiana had found herself a brash young Yank with whom she had chosen to devote her time. With the youngest two still in school in Salem the house on Ledger's Cliff had been left with no one but them to fill it.

Standing up he walked by the bed to make sure Dahlia was still sound asleep before exiting the bedroom and heading down stairs. Lighting the candles with a flick of his wrist he sat down at the kitchen table, pad of paper and pencil in hand. He always strived to remember the dreams, down to the very last detail, hoping there would be some clue as to how he could stop the horrible things he saw from happening. Minutes and hours slipped by with hardly any notice as he went about his nightly routine, sketching, and writing, and thinking.

A soft creak on the stairs drew his attention up from his pad. "I thought I'd find you down here." she said softly, titling her head to the side as she gave him an affectionate smile. Moving towards the stove she set about setting up the tea pot, glancing out the window at the garden as she did so. "It always rains here. I miss Romania." she whispered longingly, a far off look overtaking her eyes. Scorpius knew that when she talked of Romania what she truly missed was her mother, but he never said anything about it. Luna Scamander had disappeared from her cottage a little over a year and a half before. Dahlia had already been forced to leave the country, as her mother past political views made them both a target from more than one enemy. They had never found her body, and that, he supposed, was what hurt Dahlia the most. Without the closure that only her confirmed death could bring there was always the twisted hope that she might one day come back. Dahlia drew him out of his macabre thoughts but placing a steaming cup of tea in front of him. Humming softly to herself she took her own seat sipping gently at her own tea while watching him.

tbc.

Next: Salem