Fathers Daughter

Prologue Part 1

The End Is The Beginning

From the front porch of his house, the man looked across his garden, sighing in contentment, a gentle smile playing on his lips. He turned his head toward the door as he heard it open and close, allowing a beautiful and elegantly dressed woman to walk outside. Taking a seat beside him, the woman asked with interest, "How is the garden doing?"

" Oh, the garden is growing marvelously!" The man answered, happiness plain in his voice. "I'm certain we are going to have a wonderful harvest this year!"

The woman smiled fondly. He sounded like a boy again whenever he talked about the garden. He always wanted one, wherever they ended up. She wasn't sure why...maybe because it offered a sort of permanence, if even for a short while. They seemed to never be able to stay in one place for much longer than a year, at most, before the Ministry lackeys or Voldermort's henchmen would find them. Then, it was always death and more running and hiding. She wondered, not for the first time, when both parties would just give up and let them be...they had slain many of both the Deatheaters and Aurors that had been sent to capture or kill them.

They both sat in companionable silence for a while, just enjoying the peace and quiet of the country, the fresh air, and the vista of rolling hills spread out before them. The house faced north, and in that direction she could just barely make out the rising hills of northern England. In that direction lay her past, and most of her regrets. And quite possibly, her future lay in that direction as well. She sighed wistfully.

"What's wrong?" the man asked.

"Nothing,," she replied. "It's just that sometimes I...I regret dropping out before I graduated."

The man smiled. "I did encourage you to stay and not come with me."

"I know."

"Do you regret it? Coming with me? You should, after all these years of running and hiding, death and loss."

She turned to look fully at him. "I don't regret a moment of the time we've been together," she replied earnestly. "Not a bit." She place her hand on his, giving it a squeeze, and they smiled fondly at each other before both turning once more to look at the beautiful vista before them. And after several more moments of silence, she sighed again. "There is one thing I regret, though. I regret how I parted from Minerva. We had such harsh words with one another the night I left to follow you. I wish I could see her again, and take back everything I said."

"She was right, you know. You shouldn't have followed me. This is no life for you, El. No life at all. Even I told you to stay and finish your schooling. Told you to stay with your friend." Remorse was heavy in his voice, and once more she gripped his hand.

"I told you I have no regrets about spending these years with you. Minerva...she just couldn't understand. She believed all the lies about you, like so many others did. But not me. I knew you were a good man. You ARE a good man. A great man!"

He shook his head. "Death follows wherever I go," he said ruefully. "So how good of a man can I really be?"

She leaned in and placed her arms around his neck, and tucking her head onto his shoulder. "You are the best and greatest man I have ever met, or even heard of!"

He chuckled and patted her hand. "So you say. I think, however, you are almost completely alone in that assessment of me." Silence descended once more. And in her thoughts she thought about how much she loved this man. It bothered her that he seemed so wracked with guilt. Nothing had been his fault. He was so horribly misunderstood by everyone! And she would do anything for him...anything! She would destroy cities and level mountains if she had to, if it meant he would be safe and happy! She had killed many to protect him, and she would do so again, without hesitation, without mercy, if the need arose!