Title: Love, Lies and Secret.

Pairing: Harry / Hermione

Rating: R

Genre: Romance/ Angst

Summary: Twenty-one years ago James Potter did something to help a friend. Little did he know that it would destroy his own son’s happiness. A story about secrets, forbidden loves and lies. Slightly AU. Post-Hogwarts.

Warning: Spoilers from the six books. Rated for sex, language, and adult themes. WIP.

AN: I know...I know…another story?! But I just couldn't take it off my head!

Thanks to Jonathan for the first look on this chapter and Michelle Moonshine for the beta!

Disclaimer: I don’t own Harry Potter

I have a tale to tell
Sometimes it gets so hard to hide it well
I was not ready for the fall
Too blind to see the writing on the wall
A man can tell a thousand lies
I've learned my lesson well
Hope I live to tell
The secret I have learned, 'till then
It will burn inside of me
I know where beauty lives
I've seen it once, I know the warm she gives
The light that you could never see
It shines inside, you can't take that from me
The truth is never far behind
You kept it hidden well
If I live to tell
The secret I knew then
Will I ever have the chance again
If I ran away, I'd never have the strength
To go very far
How would they hear the beating of my heart
Will it grow cold
The secret that I hide, will I grow old
How will they hear
When will they learn
How will they know

Live to Tell –Madonna

Chapter 1 / Prologue: James Potter’s Daughter

County Hospital, London
September 1979

James Potter was sitting in a chair in the waiting room watching the Muggle doctors walking back and forth. It was amazing, really, the way they could do things with machines—without any magic. As a pureblood, he couldn’t totally understand Muggles. They were so strange—unique! Of course, his wife, Lily, had explained some Muggle things to him, but still! It was really amazing.

“Merlin,” he thought to himself, “I am starting to sound like Arthur Weasley!”

“James?” A female voice broke through his thoughts.

James shook his head to snap himself out of his reverie and then gazed at the owner of the voice. He smiled genuinely.

“Star! You came! Please, have a seat!”

The woman smiled at the nickname. Only James called her that. Even her husband didn’t know. It was their little secret. A little inside joke that they loved. Star was a longtime friend of James Potter. It was really amazing how good their relationship had always been, despite the fact she was almost ten years older than he.

She nodded at him and sat in a chair by his side. Star was a very beautiful woman with long black hair and deep dark eyes. Her long and thin fingers were playing with the hem of her Muggle blouse, and James could see she looked a little cautious—and anxious.

“I am glad you came, Star.”

“I simply couldn’t say no, James. You did so much for me and—”

“Star, dear, I did nothing special—but let’s not talk about it. I registered the baby. I mean—” James ran his fingers through his messy hair. “I am now her father; legally speaking.”

Star put her hands on her knees and took a deep breath.

“I suppose you didn’t tell Lily.”

“Of course not!” He looked at his friend as though she was mad. “I just can’t tell Lily! She—we—are going through a not-so-nice phase. This last false alarm—well, she became very depressed after that.”

“But she’s okay now, isn’t she?”

“Yes, she’s better. But you know how she is. She wants a baby more than anything, and—well, she thinks it’s some personal failing. I’ve tried to tell her we’re still young, that’s there’s no need to hurry, but you see, that’s why I can’t tell her! I can’t tell her that I have a daughter. Okay, the baby girl isn’t really mine, but still!”

“I still think you should tell Lily. She is a kind and intelligent person, James. I’m sure she will understand.”

“No, I can’t. I can’t risk it, because of Mary . . . and the baby. What if she says something? No.”

“You know very well that won’t happen. Lily isn’t the type of woman who just goes around saying things, but it’s your decision. Humm, what about Remus?

  James seemed a little uncomfortable.

“What about him?”

“For Merlin’s sake, James!”

“Okay, sorry. No, I haven’t seen him. You know very well he hasn’t wanted to see me for a long time.”

“James, you know how these times have been difficult for him. This new law about werewolves, it—just destroyed any dreams he ever had.”

“Yes, I know! But he was supposed to be our friend! Lily even found work for him. Okay, it’s in the Muggle world, but it’s something! I know very well he doesn’t like that Sirius, Peter, and I help him. He is too stubborn to accept it. What I can’t understand is why he keeps disappearing. He even missed some Order meetings! And—and after Jane’s—” He couldn’t continue.

“James, I’m sure Peter misunderstood…”

“No. Peter can be a little, er, slow—" To this, she snorted. “But not so much that he would misunderstand something like that. He saw Remus talking to Greyback, and then less than twelve hours later—well you know what happened. Jane was attacked—and killed by that monster. It was lucky that Mary wasn’t there at the time. Just lucky.”

Star nodded but didn’t say a word. She knew how Jane Adam’s death had touched James’ and Lily’s life. Jane was Muggleborn like Lily. And also like Lily, she had a Muggle sister—Mary. But Mary was everything Petunia wasn’t. She was caring, lovely, and friendly. She loved her sister, Jane’s magical world. In fact, she even started to see a wizard intimately.

It was really a surprise when James came to see her a few days after Jane’s death. He had acted so serious that Star thought he was pranking her; James Potter was never that serious. However, there were no pranks. He told his friend that Mary was pregnant and afraid for her life. Star didn’t need to ask who the father was. She just knew.

Despite the situation, she smiled. James Potter. He was really a good friend—a good person. So young. with so many responsibilities. He knew that if people found out the truth about the father of Mary’s baby, the baby could be taken. Or worse, killed. To him it was simple. There was only one thing to be done: register the baby as his.

“Star?” asked James, looking at his friend in concern.

“Huh? Oh! Sorry, I was lost in thought for a second there. But tell me, what’s your, er, daughter’s name?"

James smiled and replied, “Hermione Jane. Hermione Jane Potter.”

*******

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Kisses

Sweet Lemmon