Chapter Text
Harry Potter had every right to be relieved, the day Voldemort finally died. From then on, he would be able to put that whole Boy-Who-Lived curse behind him. Without the weight of a prophecy promising certain death as the only conceivable horizon, he was free to live his life as he chose, far from people’s expectations, free to find love, have children, then proudly watch them grow and fully realise their potential. He had earned his right to peace, happiness and anonymity, and no one, neither friend nor foe, was going to deprive him of it.
Draco Malfoy's feelings were understandably mixed, the day the Dark Lord was defeated. On one hand, the life he had always known was being snatched away from him. Everything he had been raised to believe had crumbled to dust and his future had taken the form of a terrifying interrogation mark. Whatever was going to happen to him from now on, he would have to face it without back-up, hoping courage and perseverance would be enough to see him through to a point in his life where he could find some kind of inner peace. Hoping for anything more would be foolish. But on the other hand, he was free. He no longer had pre-established paths to follow, family loyalties to abide to. He no longer needed to pretend to fight for a cause he had long ceased to believe in just because it was the only way he and his parents could hope to see another day. Whatever the future had in store, it was bound to be better than that.
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This story begins almost twenty-five years after Voldemort’s death. It is centred on two fathers and two sons. Through these characters’ memories, thoughts, words and actions, the reader will be given a glimpse of how things turned out after the War. The hopes and fears of Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy after the Great Battle of Hogwarts might seem far away now, like distant memories of an irrelevant past, but all contributed to shaping their lives and making them the fathers they are now, which in turn allowed their sons to find one another.
Some might complain that nothing much happens in this story. It’s easy to think that only by actions can one change the world, for better or for worse. And indeed both Harry and Draco had good reasons to believe it in their teenage years, because theirs was a troubled time, a time for decisive action and courage.
Fortunately, newer generations can sometimes benefit from the victories of the previous ones. This is the situation we find ourselves in as this story begins. It contains no arch-villains; there is no political intrigue at the highest level, no fight to the death against the forces of injustice and oppression. These characters’ actions are not awe-inspiring feats of bravery and determination, their struggles are mostly internal, and when conflicts arise, they usually don’t stem from evil intent and can be resolved by negotiation and mutual understanding.
Sure, it’s not glamorous, but do these characters you’re going to read about live less of a life because of it? To believe so would amount to throwing away the legacy of their mothers and fathers. These individuals suffer, cry, laugh, love and dream just the same as anyone else. They live their life every bit as intensely as King Arthur, Merlin, Dumbledore or a young Harry Potter lived their never-forgotten hours of glory.
Besides, it can take more courage to make the choice of baring your most private thoughts and dreams to someone you care about than to go to war when there is nothing else left to do.
This is a story about courage.