InsaneJournal

Harry Potter: NextGen Era: Ginny Potter/Astoria Malfoy
Title: Broken Home
Completion: Complete
X-posted: nextgendarkfest@lj
Words: 1536
Rating: NC-17
Pairings: Ginny Potter/Astoria Malfoy, hints of HD
Author's Notes: Written for nuclearsugars at livejournal.com


“That’s not the point!” A shriek echoed from the family sitting room to Albus Severus’ open doors, causing him to squeeze his eyes shut and wish the words would go away. Always yelling. There was so much yelling in the Potter home these days, and it always ended the same way. Harry Potter, father of three and saviour of the wizarding world, would sit down on the couch and listen as his wife screeched at him. Ginny Potter, wild as a banshee, would pace the room, roaring accusations as her husband sat silently on the old plaid cushioned couch, his face taut with the stress of the situation, unable to control his wife. He could control the end of the arguments though. He did control the end of the arguments, because they always ended the same way. The wooden front door of their cottage slammed shut and sobs echoing through the silent Potter home. Silent, only because the children knew it was best to keep quiet. It was best to pretend nothing happened, because then they could keep up the charade that they were a happy family for the world to look at.

“I am tired of pretending. We are going to divorce.” The words had hit Astoria like a cold glass of water to the face. The effect was only worsened since Draco Malfoy had calmly announced it over breakfast as he took a sip of his morning tea. The house-elves were sent into a mad scattering as the tea cup in Draco’s hand shattered, shards falling into the omelets before him.

Down the length of the table, Scorpius’ face went briefly pale before he took up the proper mask, returning to the interesting activity of trying to mix strawberries into his orange juice. The house-elves had chilled the juice just for him and he found a nice diversion of trying to catch some of the icy orange juice on the tip of the strawberry. If he focused on his task enough then maybe he would not have to hear his parents fighting.

“May I be excused?” His voice breaks the silence as his parents cast cold looks upon each other. Scorpius is quite sure they may kill each other if he leaves them alone. At least then he could be alone. He would have a big party and invite all his friends from school. He would invite Albus to stay with him, because what is the point of a manor if only one person lives in it? No, he would invite all of the Potter children, even those who teased him. Then they would have to like him. They would be eternally grateful for sparing them the arguments Albus often wrote of.

With daydreams in his mind, and plans on where he could situate the other Potter kids so he could have the most alone time with Albus, Scorpius left the table. He could only hope his parents killed each other.

Ginny was not sure why her head was pounding so loud, but she guessed it might be related to the glass of whiskey in her hand. She let her head fall backwards against the back of the couch, the cushion threatening to lull her into sleep. Her brown eyes squeezed shut with the effort to ignore the pounding. She was allowed this one night of relaxation, wasn’t she? The ceiling shook above her bright red head, causing her to sigh. The sound of the door opening made her jerk, made her body turn to see if he had finally returned.

“Harry.” The sound came out as a whisper as she regarded him with his hair mussed and bruises forming on his neck. As if to create doubt in her mind she noticed his clothes were all perfectly clean and pressed. She knew otherwise though, because his clothes were too perfect. His collar was too straight; his shirt was much too wrinkle-free. Everything was perfect. Hurt brown eyes met defiant green ones, as if daring her to say anything, daring her to call him out on it. Maybe even to create another shouting match, but it would wake the children. She did not register the fact they had probably heard it all before.

“Goodnight,” was all he said as he turned from her, calmly moving up the stairs.

A sob formed in her throat, but she wouldn’t cry. She refused to cry any more. No, she needed to get out. She needed to leave this house of lies. This was supposed to be a house of love, but he ruined everything.

Not trusting herself to use magic in the circumstances, Ginny moved to pick up her summer jacket from the peg by the door. She needed to be anywhere but her home. If she could call it that. Opening the door, her brown eyes cast one final look of longing at the stairs where Harry had disappeared, as if the young man she had loved might appear. It took thirty seconds to realize he was not coming back. He was gone.

It was an absolute downpour plaguing London and the surrounding area. Astoria’s lips twitched into a smile as she held her umbrella over her head, enjoying the odd looks of the muggles around. She was perfectly dry thanks to the water-repellent charm cast upon her umbrella. The night sky seemed to be even darker than usual as a crack of thunder made her realize she may need to put her umbrella away. It would only please Draco if she were to be struck by lightening on the night he announced he was leaving her. Then again it would prove him right if the situation would cause the media vultures to take a closer look into Draco’s sordid life.

Another crack of thunder sent Astoria into the nearest pub, her umbrella snapping loudly shut, though it was missed among the noise of the pub’s inhabitants. Her calm blue eyes scanned the crowd, noting with disgust the large group of men puffing cigars on the right side of the room. Her pale nose crinkled as she edged towards the left side, her eyes finally turning to the red beacon sitting by the window. The small redhead had her chin propped in her hands, her face turned to reflect in the window. The woman seemed to be entranced by the raindrops as they splashed upon the glass.

“Ginny Weasley.” Astoria did not raise her voice as she neared the familiar figure. Her eyes raked over the dry, freckled arms of the girl. She had gained a bit of weight, finally, but it was most likely the work of childbirth. Astoria’s pink lips pursed at the thought. Ginny was too good for childbirth. She had been too good for childbirth.

The woman seemed to finally regard her, brown eyes locking on her own with defiance. “It’s Ginny Potter.” The way she spoke made Astoria wonder if the Golden Boy, as Draco had once called him, had broken the news to Ginny tonight as well.

A Cheshire grin graced Astoria’s face as she raised her hand to rest on the freckled cheek, her thumb stroking the soft skin. She adored the way Ginny’s eyelids fluttered to a close, her face turning to nuzzle the hand, almost in remembrance of lost times. It had been brief during Ginny’s fifth year, but Astoria remembered it well enough. The times they snuck off to the top of the Astronomy Tower, their forays into Hogwarts grounds late at night. Astoria doubted she would ever forget the smell of the tall grass that surrounded them, or the way Ginny’s long red hair had spread out to mix with the green, the only light being the full moon above them.

Astoria brought herself back to reality when the redhead pulled away from her. Brown eyes looked up at her, wide as if in shock at the woman’s own physical response. “For how much longer do you think that name will last, darling?”

Ginny did her best to hold back the mix of hurt and shock on her face as she regarded Astoria. Astoria Malfoy. Astoria Malfoy had just asked how long she would keep the name ‘Potter’. Her mind was hazy enough from drink, but this was too much. A flash of light appeared outside the window and she turned to watch the storm outside. A delicate hand circled around her wrist, trying to bring her back to the present. How could she do that when the presence of Astoria itself was a reminder of time past? Of things lost?

“Ginny.” A shiver went down her spine. She always loved how the blonde woman had said her name. Her mind wandered to all the previous times it was said. In anger, fear, annoyance, with a sultry tone, and as a throaty moan in the moonlight.

“Ginny.” Astoria repeated her name as she settled down on the bench next to her, the heat of her body pressing against her own. A source of warmth was pooling between Ginny’s legs.

“What do you want, Astoria?” She tried to control her voice, make it as calm as possible. A thumb caressed along the vein of her wrist, bringing bumps of anticipation in its wake. The petite blonde raised Ginny’s wrist to her mouth, the silk lips just barely moving over the blue lines hiding under freckled skin. Ginny gasped as the wet tip of Astoria’s tongue trailed across her wrist and then up her arm. There was so much chaos going on around them, Astoria probably felt it was safe for such actions.

The redhead shook her head, pulling back sharply and wincing when her spine collided with the windowsill. A throaty laugh was drawn from Astoria and Ginny looked up angrily, glaring at the cocky smirk on her former lover’s face. “I don’t know what you want, Stori, but leave me alone. I listened to your lies once, I’m not doing it again.” She raised herself as if to leave, but realized Astoria was blocking her way. She could always slide under the table, but that would call attention to them. “Excuse me.”

“No, I do not believe I will. Sorry, darling, but I am not ready to let you leave yet. Not until we speak.” Astoria smiled up at her, the type of smile that said I know something you don’t.

“Fine. Speak.” Ginny refused to sit down; afraid if she did Astoria would attempt to distract her again. She might have been drunk, but not that drunk. Harry was the cheater, not her. She would not give him the satisfaction of knowing she returned the favour for him.

“You do realize who your dear husband has been sneaking around with, do you not?” The blonde’s hand moved under the table. Ginny’s body jerked slightly as she felt nails gliding lightly up the skin of her legs. A throb between her legs made her realize just how hard this conversation would be.

Ginny looked anywhere but at the blonde beside her, her brown eyes moving over the face of every pub patron. Her body jerked when a pinch was made on her upper thigh. A blue eyed man with a notepad looked towards her out of the corner of his eye and she frowned before sitting down. Ginny brushed away the blonde’s hand on her thigh as if it was nothing. “Not here.”

Unfortunately, that seemed to have given Astoria the wrong impression because her perfect blonde eyebrows were raised. “Why, Ginny, here I was thinking you were playing hard to get.”

Ginny wanted to slap that smirk off Astoria’s perfect little lips. Face. Yes, she meant face. Her face heated up and she knew the hue was darkening. “We’re being watched, you idiot. If you want to talk, we can do it or private. Or you can bloody well leave me alone.”

The petite blonde seemed to think on the matter for a moment before standing up. It was disgusting how graceful she seemed even when sliding off the bench. All Ginny could do was watch when Astoria moved across the room, speaking with the owner. She watched as money was placed into the man’s hand and vaguely wondered if Astoria often went out in muggle cities. She also wondered, after seeing the smile of the man and the ease of the transaction, if Astoria visited the pub often. It figured she would choose the one pub the witch attended regularly.

“We have a room upstairs. I suppose it will not be of the highest quality, but it will do for our conversation.” Ginny’s face flushed with the wink that accompanied those words. She made simple talk sound positively sinful. Then again, how often had they had a conversation which did not end in… The redhead shook her head, dispelling images of the past. Not this time. They would just talk.

Astoria’s arm wrapped around her own, the embrace one of girlish friends. At least it would make the situation look less tawdry to outside eyes. Ginny could feel the man’s eyes on them as they made their way up the stairs. Only when they were out of sight did Astoria let go, walking slowly in front of her. Feeling somewhat at ease, Ginny found herself focused on the sight before her. The swaying hips of Astoria as she seemed to glide up the stairs was a sight to see.

“Enjoying the view?” Astoria had stopped and turned her head, the familiar mischievous, sultry smirk on her face.

Once again the heat crept onto Ginny’s face. “Just keep walking. I can easily turn around and leave, you know.”

“But you won’t, will you?” Astoria had crept down to the landing with such speed Ginny had backed against the wall in shock. The blonde was pressed up against her, their faces so close Ginny could feel Astoria’s breath tickling her own lips. “You want to know the truth about where your husband goes every night. Why he leaves you alone. You want to know what has happened to the great saviour you had grown to love, don’t you?” Ginny was vastly aware of Astoria’s breasts against her own and had to wonder when they became so plump. When Astoria moved her hips against Ginny’s the redhead realized the blonde was certainly not petite anymore. A sigh escaped her mouth just as Astoria’s pink glossed lips closed over her bottom lip. It was only a ghost of a kiss, but enough to scare the redhead.

Ginny pulled back and hit her head on the wall behind her, but at least it was enough to bring her to her senses. “You said we were going to talk. So we’ll talk, but that is all. My husband is the one who can’t control himself, not me. Those days are gone, Astoria. Now. Lead the way.” She slid out from under Astoria’s hold and watched the blonde’s mouth scrunch up in disappointment. No words were said for the rest of the trek up to their room, creating an awkward silence. It was all Ginny could do to keep her eyes on her footing and not on Astoria.

Astoria could not understand how she was so lucky with circumstances. To think she had left the manor angry, wanting revenge on her soon-to-be-ex-husband and his lover. What did fate do? It threw Ginny Weasley in her direct line. An old lover from Hogwarts and the mother of Harry Potter’s children. Astoria believed she had the best luck.

The newly lit fire crackled, providing illumination to the dark room. Astoria refused to turn on the lights. The false lighting of muggle electricity did not do justice to either her or Ginny, but the light of the flames were something entirely different. The room was a small one, meant for sleep only and even then it was not the best of accommodations. Ginny sat on the edge of the bed, her eyes focused on her feet, and Astoria was not sure if the red in her face was entirely the fault of the firelight.

“So, talk.” Fierce brown eyes looked up at Astoria through a veil of bright red hair. The fight was still in the other woman, pleasing her. She had been attracted to Ginny Weasley for just that reason. She never backed down from a fight. Even now, when she was obviously losing the man she had adored, she did not seem to give up.

Astoria crept over the dirty carpeting like a predator, her blue eyes focused on Ginny, the prey. A gasp came from the figure on the bed just before the redhead was pushed back onto the bedding. Not the elegant seduction Astoria would hope for, but it was enough. Freckled hands gripped her pale arms, the strength surprising at first as her prey struggled. She would not win though. Astoria dipped her head down, capturing Ginny’s lips with her own, her tongue caressing those chapped lips as they sought passage.

Astoria raised her body onto the bed, kicking off her stilettos in the process. Her pale body pressed down upon the darker figure of Ginny, Astoria’s legs straddling the other woman on either side. “Stori.” Her voice held a note of warning even as she spoke Astoria’s pet name. However, it did open her mouth and that had been the primary goal of the Lady Malfoy. Soon tongues were fighting for control, rubbing against one another in an attempt to claim each other’s mouths. Astoria would have smirked if she could, feeling those strong hands gliding down her arms, along the outside of her breasts, and finally bracing themselves on her hips.

Ginny raised a leg to the crevice between Astoria’s legs just as she pulled back, attempting to sink into the hard mattress. “Get off me.” A defiant smirk had made its way onto the ginger woman’s face and Astoria realized the leg resting against her throbbing nether area was meant as a threat. She had to smirk at that. Apparently Ginny had spent too much time with Potter. Over twenty years seemed to have made Ginny forget that was not much of a threat to a woman.

“No, I do not think I will.” Astoria pressed against the threatening leg, her tongue darting out to lick her lips as she moaned. Her head fell forward, burying into the darker skin of her ex-lover. No, her current lover. Her lips closed over her lover’s clavicle, teeth biting down upon the skin and eliciting a low moan. The hands on her hips attempted to push her away even as the leg pressed up against her, moving in a way that was not threatening at all. It seemed the redhead did not know what she wanted after all. That was okay. Astoria was more than willing to make the decision for them both.

“I do not see why you hesitate. Hasn’t he been unfaithful? Several times? On a regular basis? Ginny, Ginevra, make him pay. Make him suffer. Get even. Be mine.” She pressed a series of kisses over the plump breasts before her, round and full from the three children she had born. They were gorgeous. Astoria licked over the skin of Ginny’s tank top even as she peeled the summer jacket off. Her teeth bit down on the areas with the most freckles, wanting to cause a mark so dark it would been evident to all. The blonde was not sure when Ginny had precisely given in, but she was sure it became evident when her summer dress was pulled over her head. Astoria pulled back to let Ginny admire the purple satin undergarments beneath.

“Stori. Shut up.” Ginny smirked up at her, her hands undoing the clasp of her lover’s bra and letting it fall. Her hands cupped each breast, thumbs caressing each nipple to a peak. Astoria let her head fall back, long blonde hair cascading over her pale body as Ginny worked a leg against the thin fabric over her knickers. This was what she wanted. To lose control. To have Ginny again. To get revenge on their husbands.

“Tell me what you want, Stori. Do you enjoy riding my thigh like a whore? Or would you like me between your legs, my lips bringing you to the brink of orgasm?”

“Fuck. Ginny.” She knew the ginger woman was laughing, could hear the tinkle of her laugh even as a heated mouth was raised to her shoulder, teeth biting down upon the skin. Astoria cried out, realizing a little too late she was losing control. She would not be a whimpering ninny under a Weasley’s caress. Ginny was the one to be claimed, not her.

She grasped her lover’s wrists, pinning them above the firey hair which had splayed over the dusty bedding. The warm mouth was continuing its trail along her shoulders and she gasped as it finally tilted upwards to kiss the wrist that was trapping it. Ginny’s tongue flicked out, tasting the saltiness of her skin before biting softly over the veins, marking Astoria. They belonged to each other. Ginny would be sure to make that evident to the noblewoman.

Astoria shimmied down as far as possible without giving up her grip on Ginny’s wrists. The leg which had been working against her wet cunt was pressed down. A sad loss, but a necessary one. She bit down on the bottom lining of cloth from Ginny’s tank top, using her teeth to peel the shirt off as she raised her head again. In the end, one hand had to be spared to pull the white cotton off the redhead’s body and undo her bra. Astoria reluctantly released her grip as she tossed the offending garments aside. Ginny raised her body up to press against Astoria’s, pale breasts and freckled ones meeting as both women wrapped their arms around each other. Neither wanted to give up her claim, both working to master the other.

Ginny was the one to give in, Astoria’s bites upon her neck proving to be too much.

“I’m going to fuck you, Ginny. My darling.” The blond whispered the words in her lover’s ear as she pressed her body down. It was unfair really. She was clad only in satin purple knickers while Ginny still wore her pants and sandals. “Truly though, you are vastly overdressed.”

The zipper of Ginny’s pants was undone easily and Astoria tugged down the jeans, pulling off the offensive sandals in the process. Only a pair of blue cotton knickers remained on the beauty, a garment which showed how long ago Ginny had given up on her husband. The garment one would wear when there was nobody to impress anymore.

“How cute.” Astoria smirked as her fingers hooked under the cotton, taking off the panties and soon they joined the other clothing on the floor. Her blue eyes focused on the red hair resting between the freckled thighs, glimmering with wetness. “You’ve been wanting this, haven’t you? Even when saying no, your body reacts to mine.”

Her pink lips glided over the freckled skin of Ginny’s thigh, her mouth closing over the skin every other moment so she could bite down upon the salty flesh. Pale hands caressed up and rested just at the junction of her legs. Astoria traced a finger down Ginny’s slit, the tip of her fingernail creating a shiver and bringing on a moan.

“Now, you tell me what you want.” Her fingers parted the lips hiding in the redhaired bush. Her breath ghosted over the freckled thighs as she spoke. Her blue eyes flicked up to capture Ginny’s brown eyes, dark and lust-filled. Astoria dipped her head forward, her tongue dragging along the inside of the lips.

“Stori,” Ginny gasped out, her hands sliding to twine in her lover’s blonde locks. “Please.”

Astoria lapped at the wetness between Ginny’s thighs, calmly counting to ten in her head before pulling back. She licked the pink gloss off her plump lips and cast a smirk upwards. “Please what? Lap all the wetness from your pussy until you cum? Tongue fuck you until you orgasm?”

Ginny shivered, goosebumps rising along her skin as she listened to the dirty words falling off the elegant Lady Malfoy’s lips. She let out a cry as a tongue was thrust into her hole, moving in a circle as if to lick every wall inside of her. Her fingers tightened their hold, pulling her lover’s head closer and urging her on. “Oh, fuck me Stori. Fuck me hard.” She cried out again as the tongue moved in and out of her like a piston, pushing deeper and deeper with each thrust. Her breasts tingled with each movement, her nipples hard and in desperate need of attention. A thumb worked against her clit and Ginny bucked forward, crying out and filling the silent room with her moans.

“Faster. Stor-Storia.” She raised her own hands to her swollen chest, pinching and rubbing at her nipples with fervor. A whimper fell off her dry lips as Astoria seemed to stop for a moment. “Astoria,” she hissed, her cunt throbbing in need. The blonde had pulled back to admire her body and the redhead shot a glare at her.

“Problem, darling? You didn’t tell me what you want?” Her lips were twitching as she smirked, obviously holding back a laugh.

“Fuck. Me.” A flash appeared in Ginny’s brown eyes as she ground her teeth in need. She pulled her lover close and crushed their lips together, tasting her own juices upon and ravaging the blonde’s mouth before pulling back. “And I’ll fuck you.”

“Deal.” Astoria breathed out as a hand slid into her knickers, long fingers gliding easily inside her hole thanks to her wetness. Ginny always knew what she wanted. She always knew what she needed. Her own fingers caressed the red locks between her lover’s thighs before two slid inside the wet hole. Their bodies rocked as they pistoned their fingers into one another.

Astoria cried out at how Ginny’s fingers curved inside of her, always seeming to hit the right place. Two fingers replaced one, easing her open, then three, then a slightly painful four. Her muscles contracted around the invading digits with each thrust and her mouth claimed Ginny’s in an attempt to lessen some of their noise.

Ginny’s own body was thrumming with pleasure, the walls inside of her pushing against the long fingers of her lover. Unlike Ginny’s own clipped fingernails, Astoria kept hers long and they tore against her insides in the most amazing way. A thumb rubbed against her clit, eliciting moans. They pressed their bodies together, a plump freckled body against a pale thin one. Their hands were a whirl of motion into one another’s cunts. Astoria’s free hand wrapped around to claw at Ginny’s back while the ginger woman bit all along Astoria’s chest and throat, depriving her of oxygen and making her lose her breath.

The bed creaked beneath them as their cries mingled, both bodies finally falling limp. Their juices mingled as they withdrew their fingers. Almost as if they thought with one mind, fingers were raised to their mouths and licked off all the liquid. Astoria let her body lie on top of Ginny’s, soft butterfly kisses replaced fervent, lusty ones as calm overtook them.

The room was silent as their bodies curved into each other, Astoria finally moving to rest on the dirty bedding. Ginny pressed against Astoria’s back, spooning her lover and watching the last of the fire begin to fade.

“Draco’s asked for a divorce.” Astoria spoke at last, her eyes focused on a spot on the wall.

“Harry hasn’t. Not yet.” Ginny spoke plainly, like they hadn’t been separated for years. Like they were simply having a calm talk over a cup of tea. “He will soon though. He always has had a habit of letting everything fester inside until he explodes.”

Astoria turned in the bed and wrapped a leg around her lover, pulling her close. Long red hair and long blonde locks intermingled on the dark comforter. “I’ll be taking the manor, you know. So when he does ask for a divorce, you’re more than welcome. I will never leave you.” She pressed a kiss on the scratched raw shoulder. “Not again.” A kiss was pressed on Ginny’s neck. “Not ever.” Her lips brushed against her lover’s as the last of the embers was lost in the fireplace.

It was not normal for Albus Severus Potter to be awake with the first rays of late. It was also not normal for him to lie in bed, waiting for the creaking of the floor boards to signify his mother arriving to wake him up for breakfast. He smiled fondly, thinking on all the treats she would have ready for them to eat. It was usually toast, eggs, and sausages with orange juice the morning after one of his parent’s arguments, almost as if a balanced breakfast was the way to glue the pieces of their family together.

Albus waited for what seemed like forever, though it may have only been five minutes, and his smile faded with the sound of feet running down the stairs. His siblings were rushing to the smell coming from the kitchen, but he just could not figure out why his mother had not woken him. She always woke him first, letting him get first pick of the plates before James breathed in all of the food.

The absence of Ginny Potter was not mentioned as the family sat down to breakfast. Albus glanced at his father, smiling as he dished out the sausages and let Lily pick from the first batch. It was the same fundamentals behind the actions, but something was not right. He frowned and they ate on, ignoring the empty chair even when Harry asked who wanted seconds. The front door opened slowly, contrasting the speed in which all the Potter children turned to watch their mother make her way into the house. Her hand covered her face as if to block the sunlight from the morning light that streamed in through yellow curtains in the kitchen.

“Coffee?”

All the children were silent as they refocused their attention on the food before them. A silent agreement was made at the table to ignore the one word of truce offered by their father.

“Thank you.” The words were a murmur as Ginny slid into the chair by Lily. Mother cast a sad but loving smile at her daughter as Lily attempted to see how many pieces of toast were humanly possible to enter her mouth at the same time.

Never had breakfast in the Potter household lasted so long. The only sound which filled the room was that of clinking forks against plates.

“More juice, Harry?” Whatever tiredness which had plagued Albus’ mother seemed to have left with the departure of her children. Albus shoved Lily to the side as they kneeled on the landing. James pressed down upon both of them, stopping their squabbling as they peeked through the wooden bars into the kitchen.

Ginny lifted the pitcher, a smile contrasting the saddening redness of her eyelids. Green eyes met brown over the glass pitcher, Harry showing shock even as he nodded his head in affirmation.

“So when were you going to ask for the divorce?”

Lily let out a squeak and James had to clamp his hand over her mouth, ignoring the wetness which trailed down her cheeks. All Albus could do was tug his siblings back, urging them back to their rooms. James had to wrap his arms around his little sister, swinging her up and carrying her to bed. Albus followed, his head drooping even as he shut Lily’s bedroom door. He spread his body out along the floor by her bed, glancing up to watch his older brother pet Lily’s long hair. This silence - the calmness which had overtaken his mother at breakfast - was something none of them were used to. It was different and therefore made Albus wonder if everything would be okay. He closed his eyes to block out the image of his little sister’s body shaking with silent sobs. His hands tightened into fists even as the water welled up behind the dam of his eyelids, a feeling of helplessness overtaking him.

“I hope it was worth it.” Albus’ words dripped with hatred even as Lily snored softly against James, the poor girl too tired to cry any more.

Downstairs, the sentiment is echoed by his mother as she lays down the conditions of divorce which she and Astoria had tirelessly spent the night before working on.