The Potters had always been favored by Death. Descended from the Peverell line, all Potters felt no fear of dying. They lived their lives with no regrets until the very end. It was why almost all of them ended up in Gryffindor.

This fact was why, after the premature death of two Potters to save a third, Death showed himself to a fourth who was cradling the youngest of the line.

"My child, you must leave here," the primordial being said softly once the dark haired woman noticed him. "I cannot tell you why, but both you and the child are in danger in this realm."

She frowned before looking back at the baby in her arms. She only thought for a moment before nodding and looking back up.

"Where will you take us?" she asked.

"To the place where you will find happiness and safety." He nodded his hooded head towards her left arm where her soulmark resided. The blue and yellow image stark against her pale skin.

"You will take me to my soulmate?"

Death nodded and held out his hand.

The invitation was clear. And the woman didn't even hesitate as she stood, child in her arms, and took the offered hand.

~MotP~

The small island Death had dropped us on was almost covered in jungle, a small port town one of two residing there. I had been confused at first, the bright sun a sheer contrast to the cloudy night I had been in moments before. Then the being had explained what he had done.

Dementional travel was a strange concept, but not unheard of. There were books that mentioned it. Spoke of people whose soulmates were from strange places not known to wizards or muggles. It made sense to me.

Death had told me everything I would need to know in order to survive, giving me an enchanted bag with the Potter fortune inside and a small boat. The latter helped with a good cover as to how I ended up there with a baby. The money system was interesting but easy enough to remember. What held my interest had been the explanation of Devil Fruits, pirates, and Marines. No magic like back home, but the world did have ambient magic to tap into. I would just have to do wandless, wordless casting. The being said it would be a lot easier now.

I had tried it out by changing my outfit. My black and green robes traded in for jeans and a green blouse and my heels for sandals. I now looked like I would fit in. Thankfully, my little nephew was in a plain red onesie, so I had no need to change his clothes as well. That would've woken him up.

Now that Death had left, I made my was to the small town, noticing a pirate flag hung up at the end of the port with writing below it.

'Under Protection by Whitebeard'

I tilted my head at that and hummed to myself. Whitebeard, from what I had been told, was known as the strongest man on the sea. Why leave us on an island under his protection? Very interesting.

Was one of his crew my soulmate?

I adjusted Hadrian in my arms and kept on my way. I was tired and needed to rest. The past few days had been...difficult to say the least.

There was a small inn just inside the town, and I let a small sigh of relief leave my lips as I entered, thankful that I had some money to get a room.

"Excuse me," I asked the man at the desk. "I need a room, please."

He looked over at me and frowned when he noticed Hadrian. Was it strange to travel with a small child here? I would need a convincing story.

"Of course, miss. May I ask why you sailed here with one so young? The seas are dangerous in the New World, you know."

I bit my lip and looked down at the mop of black hair in my arms. Well, the best lies are always veiled with a little truth.

"My brother and his wife were killed a few days ago. Fighting was rampant on the island, so I took my nephew and fled so that he could live. Had we stayed, we would've met the same fate."

I felt tears in my eyes, but refused to let them fall. Not in front of a stranger. I was, for all intents and purposes, Lady Potter, head of House Potter and Peverell. While my title meant nothing here, I was still raised to not show weakness to anyone.

"Oh! You poor dear! Come, let me get you a nice meal before going to your room. My wife will be fine with you borrowing our son's old crib while you're here."

The man quickly led me through a door near the desk and called out to someone else. I was a bit weary but didn't dare refuse. Old habits to question freely given kindness warring with wanting to rest.

~MotP~

Two years.

We hand been on the island for two years and I was very thankful towards Michisu and Deanna for helping me find a suitable place to live. The small, one bedroom house was perfect for the two of us at the moment.

We had been having dinner together most evenings, and it was nice. Others in the town had also helped out after hearing how we had ended up there. Especially when I had told them that I had no time to pack more than a set of clothes for us, my coin purse, and minimal food before fleeing. No other questions had been asked. They just helped by providing clothes for Hadrian and inviting us over for meals those first few weeks. The invites were still open, but I was able to get a job at the local bakery to make it seem like money was no longer an issue. Even if it had never been thanks to Death's enchanted bag.

It was all very different from what I had been used to.

It was after waving to Choko, the owner of the bakery, and making my way to the inn to pick up Hadrian that I noticed a few new faces walking around. The town was very small. Only maybe seventy people lived there, so it wasn't hard to notice the influx of foot traffic. It made me slightly nervous.

I walked into the inn and over to Deanna, who was manning the desk today. She seemed to be speaking with a tall man in a white chef's coat sporting a very tall, ginger pompadour.

"Ah! There she is! Commander Thatch, I'd like you to meet the newest resident of our town, Elizabeth D. Potter. Lizzie, this is Commander Thatch of Whitebeard's fourth division. I was just telling him about you."

I felt my cheeks warm up slightly and looked at the man before me. He smiled kindly and held out his hand for me to shake. He seemed very nice at first glance, and I had heard nothing but good things about the Whitebeard Pirates since I arrived, so I gave him a smile back and shook his hand.

"Very nice to meet you, Commander Thatch," I said. I noticed a slight glint in his eyes that reminded me of James. The glint of a prankster. It caused my heart to clench a little with grief.

"You as well, Elizabeth. I hope you're enjoying it here. It's one of my favorite islands in our territory." He gave a laugh filled with mirth before I noticed his eyes looking at my left arm. He seemed to laugh even more after seeing my soulmark. Strange. "Sorry. Sorry. I'm not trying to be rude, but that's a phoenix on your arm, right?"

I frowned and raised my eyebrow. Why was my soulmark so funny? It made me a bit defensive.

"And if it is?" I asked, my voice gaining a slight edge to it. I crossed my arms over my chest and knew that my face now looked unamused. It was the same look that I used to give James when he and his friends did something stupid back in school.

"Ah! No harm meant! It just...reminds me of someone." Thatch put his hands up in a surrender motion and seemed to calm down a little. "would you like to meet them?"

I huffed and looked at Deanna, who was staring at me with wide eyes. Had she not noticed my soulmark before? I did my best to keep my irritation off of my face, but I could feel my eye twitch at the stares from the two. So annoying. But...I did want to meet the person Thatch associated with a Phoenix. It couldn't hurt.

I sighed and looked back at the man, tilting my head to the side slightly.

"Sure. But, I have to check on my nephew first. Why don't you bring them here and I'll meet you at one of the tables?"

While I was interested in meeting the person, my first priority was Hadrian. I had left him with Michisu while I had my shift at the bakery. I missed him already, even if I had only been gone for four hours.

"Oh, little Hadrian will be so happy to see you," Deanna said. "I think they did some coloring today after he played with those blocks."

As if he had been summoned by his name, Hadrian came running out of the back room, clutching a piece of paper in his hand.

"Aunty Liz! Look!"

I smiled softly and picked him up, settling him on my hip. His green eyes were so bright as he started to babble about his day while waving the paper at me. He was just too cute.

"Oh! So pretty! Did you have fun?" I asked, starting to make my way to one of the tables after giving Thatch an apologetic look. I settled him on my lap and played with his hair.

"Uh-huh! I make this for you!"

I laughed as he shoved the paper in my face and took it gently. It was mostly just a bunch of scribbles in different colors with vague looking stick figures, but I loved it just the same. At three years old, it was the best he could do on blank paper.

"Thank you, my little kit. I love it." I noisily kissed his cheek, causing him to let out a giggle. Damn, he was just too precious.

I listened to him babble on about his day, all but forgetting the previous conversation with Thatch. The little ball of energy in my lap had my full attention. He was all I had left of my baby brother. His messy, black curls so much like his father's while his eyes, a bright emerald, were all Lily. He was too young to understand that they had died. He just knew that they were gone. That mommy and daddy weren't with us anymore.

We had been sitting there for a bout twenty minutes, Hadrian clapping his hands every time I let my magic flare up. I didn't do anything showy, not wanting to attract attention, but I knew he could feel it as I let the energy flow in soft waves over us.

"Your Haki is very strong, yoi."

I jumped at the sudden voice speaking behind me, my magic flaring again in my surprise. I pulled it back in and turned my head, looking up at a very tall man, about a foot taller than myself, with a frown. His blonde hair was short, styled with an undercut, teal eyes showing a mix of interest and suspicion, and stubble lining his jaw. I looked him over subtly. His purple shirt hung open, showing off a simplified version of Whitebeard's flag on his chest, a brown and gold belt hanging off of a teal sash, capri pants, a small band made of straw on his left calf, and sandals seemed to complete his look. Just by looking, I could tell he was a pirate, and he was quite muscular. Very handsome all around.

"Sorry, yoi. I didn't mean to startle you."

I cleared my throat and stood, Hadrian looking up at the man now with wide eyes. "It's fine," I started, noticing Thatch watching from the door of the inn. "I'm guessing you're the person Commander Thatch spoke of. My name is Elizabeth D. Potter. A pleasure." I held out my let hand, my right holding Hadrian on my hip.

The man nodded and took my hand, not letting it go. Instead, he turned it so that my soulmark was facing up at us. I tried to read his expression, but he kept his face calm. His eyes did seem to light up though.

"Marco. First Division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, yoi," he said, looking into my eyes after a moment. I could see different emotions cross those teal eyes; interest, longing, relief, and something. Akin to attraction. The look made a tingle run down my spine.

"Woah! He's tall!"

I blinked at the shout in my ear and looked at Hadrian as he stared at Marco. I couldn't help it. I laughed. It was such an innocent statement said with so much enthusiasm.

I heard Marco chuckle, which reminded me that he was still holding my hand. His hand was larger than mine, warm and callused against my own smooth skin. It was like they were made to fit together. It was nice.

"Yes, my little kit. He is quite tall," I told Hadrian with a smile. I turned to look up at Marco. "I'm sorry about Hadrian. He's excitable around new people."

"It's alright, yoi. My siblings are the same and they're much older than him."

I gave another laugh and finally pulled my hand away, adjusting the toddler on my hip. "Must be nice to have such a larger family around. They tell me that Whitebeard treats his crew like his children. Very unconventional for pirates." I motioned to the table and sat back down with Hadrian on my lap. He was now playing with the ties on my blouse while singing some made up song to himself. Just adorable.

Marco sat down next to me and gave a lazy smile at my comment.

"It might be unconventional, but it works for us. Oyaji is great and gives us the love and support of a parent that a lot of us never had." He looked at Hadrian for a moment before looking back at me. "Is he..."

"No," I said, shaking my head. "He's my nephew. My brother and his wife were killed two years ago. He's all I had left, so we fled. We would've been killed too if we hadn't." I frowned and looked to the side, trying not to remember the sight of lifeless, brown eyes staring up at me. To not see red hair spread out on a toy covered floor.

"I'm sorry, yoi."

I waved off his apology with a sigh and turned back to him. There were other things that needed to be discussed.

"I must say, I'm a bit surprised that Commander Thatch was reminded of you the moment he saw my soulmark. Why would that be?" I asked with a tilt of my head.

He chuckled and leaned back in the chair. "It's because of my Devil Fruit. The tori tori no mi model phoenix. Your soulmark is almost a perfect image of my full phoenix form."

"Oh." I blinked and then felt my cheeks warm slightly. "Can...can I see your mark?"

He nodded and rolled up his right sleeve before holding out his arm. My breath hitched slightly. On his arm was a pure black fox with white fur at the tip of its tail and grey eyes looking out. A perfect image of my animagus form.

I felt Hadrian move in my lap at he too looked at Marco's arm. He then giggled and pointed at it excitedly.

"Look! It you as fox!"

I smiled as my face flushed more. I often used that form as a way to cheer him up. Of course he would recognize it. But how was I supposed to explain it to Marco? My abilities did not match that of a Devil Fruit. And I could still swim. But...could I tell him the truth?

"Are you a Devil Fruit user too, yoi?"

I bit my lip and looked around. There were too many ears around. I then looked at Marco and sighed.

"This is not the best area for this kind of conversation. Walls tend to have ears in my experience."

The man frowned but nodded, standing up. "Why don't we go somewhere more private then, yoi? My room on the Moby should work. If you're comfortable with that, yoi."

"As long as Hadrian can come with us, yes."

I stood up, placing the toddler on my hip, and motioned with my hand for Marco to lead the way. We walked through the town and down to the docks where a huge ship sat, the front resembling a whale and Whitebeard's flag flying high. There were others milling about, obviously part of the crew, and a few called out to Marco as we walked up the ramp that lead to the main deck. I noticed a few look at me curiously, but I didn't pay them any mind. I was used to stares from others. Being the first Potter to be sorted into Slytherin had seen to that.

I held onto Hadrian tighter as he wiggled in my arms, obviously excited to be on such a large ship. I didn't really want to put him down, but he was starting to get heavy.

"Aunty Liz! This ship is huge! So cool!" he yelled in my ear.

He kept wiggling until he dropped out of my arms and ran off. My heart stopped for a moment before I hurried after him, worried that he might fall off. I could hear Marco following me as I tried to catch the excited toddler before he got hurt.

I finally caught up to him as he stopped in front of a very, very large man with a big mustache and yelled like only a child could.

"Woah! You're huge!"

I quickly grabbed him by his arm and looked up at the man with an apologetic expression.

"I am so sorry, he doesn't mean to be rude. He's just very excitable," I said just as Marco came up next to me.

"Gurararara! No harm done! Marco, my son, care to introduce your friends?" The man was loud, his voice seeming to attract the attention of the others on the deck. However, his eyes spoke of curiosity, understanding, and joy. Like he already knew the answer but wanted to hear it from Marco.

"Oyaji, I'd like you to meet my soulmate, Elizabeth D. Potter," the smaller man said, placing his hand on my back. "The child is her nephew, Hadrian."

I could see the interest gleaming in his eyes at my name, almost like he knew about something that others didn't. How curious.

"Gurararara! Congratulations, my son!" The man, who I now realized was Whitebeard himself, clapped his hand on the arm of the chair he sat in. I could also hear the cheers and exclamations from the others on deck around us.

I relaxed a bit as Marco rubbed my back, coming to the conclusion that these pirates were good people. A rambunctious crew, but good.

"No need to introduce yourself, Captain Whitebeard," I said with a smile. "I've heard many good things about you and your crew from the people in town."

"Brat, welcome to the family! We'll celebrate tonight! I've gained a new daughter and a grandson today!"

More cheers sounded around the deck and Hadrian stared wide eyed up at Whitebeard. I hadn't expected the man to welcome us like that so quickly.

"Thank you. The welcome is surprisingly comforting." My smile widened as my nephew cheered loudly.

"Yay! I gots a grandpa, Aunty Liz! One that's here and not just stories!"

I ruffled his hair and tried to not let the small hint of sadness show. "My little kit, our loved ones are always with us. Just like mommy and daddy, they never truly leave as long as we remember them."

"I know! They visits with the candle!" he exclaimed with a smile. "Mr. Grandpa! Can I tell them 'bout you and the ship?"

I tried to hide my chuckle behind my hand. Hadrian was just too cute as he looked up at Whitebeard with one of the biggest smiles I had ever seen.

"Gurararara! Sure thing, brat! Now, I'm sure you have better things to do than talk with me. Go on."

I looked up at the man and nodded to him like I would a Lord back home. A show of respect. I then looked at Marco who was smiling the same lazy smile as before. He took my hand and started to lead us across the deck as Hadrian called out to Whitebeard.

"Bye grandpa! Let's play later!"

The man's laughter followed us as we left, and I couldn't help but chuckle myself. Leave it to a three year old to not be bothered in the slightest by the situation.

Marco led us into the ship and to his room, not letting go of my hand. It was nice. I liked the way his larger hand fit in mine. Mine were soft and delicate thanks to my magic and his were rough and calloused thanks to living on the seas. Very nice indeed.

Once in his room, I let go of Hadrian's hand and looked around. It was a nice, simple room with a bed, wardrobe, and desk against the walls. Papers covered the desk along with books, and a map was hung above it with a string running across. Most likely their current route of travel.

I watched my nephew look around and jump onto the bed, laughing. It made me smile that he was so comfortable on the ship.

"You can sit down, yoi."

I looked over at Marco, who gently pulled me over to the bed, and smiled as we both sat down. Guess it was now or never.

"Hadrian, I'm going to tell Marco a story. Come settle down and you can listen, too," I told the excitable toddler.

"Story!" He stopped bouncing on the bed and settled between Marco and I.

I used my free hand to ruffle his hair before I looked over at Marco. That lazy smile of his was pulling at his lips and it caused my stomach to flutter. He really was handsome.

"As my soulmate, I'd like for you to know the whole truth. It will be hard to believe, but I promise that what I say is true."

"I don't see why I wouldn't believe you, yoi." He ran his thumb over my knuckles, relaxing me a little.

"Well, I'll start with a question. Do you believe in magic?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: First chapter of my new story that I'm working on. it is also posted on Wattpad, so please don't try to say that I stole this story from someone else! EmMarie3 is my Wattpad account. Anyway, please let me know what you think! love y'all!

~Em