{HIATUS} Harriet Potter and The Family of Pretenders

Prologue

"Do you know the feeling of your life shattering around you?" Someone once asked.

If asked, Harriet Potter would say that she understood the feeling pretty well. After all, her life had been nothing but a long string of lies and half-truths. She had never been allowed to even try and stop the truth from being lost amidst a sea of deception and deceit. Well... up until her tenth birthday at least.

Harriet Potter was taught to never question anything her blessed 'caregivers' said. She was taught to bite her tongue and be polite even when it was impossible. She was taught to grin and bear it no matter what. And... She was taught to keep her head down and be inconspicuous.

Because that is what it takes to survive. That is what it takes to have a roof above her head. That is what it takes to avoid a beating on the hands of her uncle.

By the time she was six, she was quite adept at following those rules.

However.

By the time she was 10, all those rules meant nothing.

She supposes it all started when aunt Petunia said that maintaining her hair was, 'too much unnecessary work' and decided that cutting it off was the way to go. Obviously, by 'cutting it off' her aunt had meant 'grab a pair of scissors and attempt to shave her to the skull while viscously pulling at her hair'.

"Oh stop it you little freak!", Petunia had snarled, attempting to both restrain her niece and commit her act of cruelty at the same time, "If you remain still, it will be over soon!"

When Petunia was done she had shoved the crying and trembling Harriet to the ground and stood up, dusting her hands while smirking cruelly, "There, it wasn't so difficult was it?" She sauntered off past the crying child, "It would have certainly hurt less if you had remained still," No it wouldn't have and Petunia knew it, "Clean that up before Vernon comes or you'll be locked in the cupboard for a week!"

Harriet remembers pitifully sobbing as she picked up the remains of her once luscious locks.

Harriet remembers crying herself to sleep that night.

Harriet remembers the feeling of despair and pure unadulterated hatred flowing through her body.

Most of all.

Harriet remembers feeling empty. She remembers the feeling of icy coldness take over her body and then nothing more.

But.

When she woke up, a miracle had happened over night.

Her hair had regrown. It went from there barely being any locks left in her skull, to a complete head full of unruly bed hair.

That time, she had cried in joy.

She didn't know why, but her aunt refused to come near her after that incident. Heck, she didn't even give her any chores (which was nice for once-). Even Uncle Vernon stayed away from her, and in all honesty, at the time, it had been almost a blessing.

(Looking back at the moment now, made Harriet realize that, that was the point from which her life started to get more and more.... Complicated.)

The very next day they had 'visitors'.

And on that fateful day of August 3rd, 1990 Harriet's life was flipped upside down. I mean, it was only natural. After all, it's not everyday that you get to discover the fact that your parents are alive.

It's not everyday that you discover that you, apparently, have an identical twin brother who's been put on a pedestal while you've had to endure a life of hardships and never ending pain.

And, it's not everyday that you get your entire life torn apart at the seams. It's not every-bloody-day that you realize that everything you've went through had been nothing but a cruel, sick joke played on you by fate.

And for what? 'Not being a witch?'.

In the end...

In the end... Her life had been nothing but a lie. Everything was a lie. Everything was a filthy, piss-poor fucking Lie.

And then Harriet Potter (Was her name a lie too or what?) couldn't help but comment snidely inside the expanse of her own mind as everything was revealed at once:

'So.... This is what your life shattering around you felt like...'

*********

Harriet was gently stroking her child's platinum blond hair as she thought of everything that led to her life as it is now. As she slowly pondered old memories, happy and sad, she couldn't help but smile as her 2 months old baby yawned and stretched slightly before snuggling farther into her chest. Honestly, how she managed to reproduce something this cute and so unabashedly pure was still beyond her.

She continued to watch her baby as he slept, too caught up in her thoughts to notice the door of the nursery opening. In fact, she didn't even realize someone had entered the room until she felt someone gently touch her shoulder while calling her name.

"Harry?" A familiar voice said.

Harry jumped slightly and turned her head to left, only to be met a pair of silver orbs, practically twinkling in concern.

She smiled in relief as she gently swayed the baby in her arms back and forth, "Oh, Draco," She murmured in relief, "You startled me dear."

"Sorry about that," Draco grinned sheepishly, "I just woke up to go to the loo, but I didn't find you, so..." The man shrugged helplessly as he ran a hand through platinum blond and dishevelled hair, "I got worried."

Harriet bit her lip in guilt. She didn't like to make her husband worry, she tried to avoid it on occasion, but she honestly couldn't help it.

"Sorry Dray," She sighed as he gently brought her to his chest careful not to wake the sleeping baby in her arms, "I just... couldn't sleep I guess and I wanted to clear my mind a bit."

Draco hummed understandingly, gently nuzzling her dark locks with his face as he breathed in deeply. The war had... taken its toll on both of them. He just couldn't help the feeling of unrestrained worry and fear that takes over his body whenever Harry wasn't within his sight. It was difficult, curbing those feelings whenever his wife was out alone, but he managed. Most of the time.

"Memories?" He asked, already knowing the answer, as he gently stroked the cheek of his sleeping son.

Harry sighed, "Memories." She mumbled tiredly.

Draco gently nodded, "I see. Is there anything I can do to ease your worries? Perhaps a cup of green tea? I've heard it helps with relaxation." He suggested idly.

Harriet chuckled gently, as she slowly started to move towards the crib at the corner of the room, "No, thank you Draco," She said smiling lightly as she cautiously set her son, Scorpius, into his crib, "My mind is all cleared up now. I don't think I will be able to stay awake long enough to drink the tea anyway." She straightened up, but continued to watch her baby as he rhythmically continued to draw in breath.

"I see," Draco mumbled absently as he went to stand next to his beloved, "Well then. As you wish." Unconsciously, he grabbed his wife's petite hands as they both continued gazing at their son.

It wasn't until a particularly cold breeze had blown into the room that the couple had decided to finally head back to their bedroom. After all, they had a big day tomorrow.