Separate Lives

The cameras flashed brightly, blinding the founder of Creatrues Inc. The reporters were shouting questions, but it was hard to hear when so many voices were speaking at the same time. The young founder of the wizarding world's biggest charity turned weakly to her P.A., her eyes begging for help. It was hard to be in the public eye again. After all, last time - last time had been so tragic. But everything was different now. Things weren't the same.

"Ms Labelle will be happy to answer any questions you may have at the press conference tomorrow," Lucy Winston shouted over the noise of the wizarding press, and guided Ms Labelle towards the door.

Once inside and away from the press, Labelle sighed. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I don't know what's wrong with me today."

Standing next to the door to the main offices, Lucy looked Labelle up and down. "Well, you do need to pull yourself together," she noted, taking in the usually well-kept bushy hair, the pale face and the bitten nails. "You can't expect Creatures Inc. to be a success if you don't. The press expect you to be a professional, to be able to answer their questions."

Placing her hand on the door, Lucy began to push it open, before letting it shut again as she added, "You're not pregnant again?" as though it would be the most unprofessional thing in the world.

Labelle glared at Lucy angrily. "And so what if I am?" she retorted.

Enough was enough. She had hired Lucy to be her assistant, to help her take care of the parts of the business she couldn't look after herself now that it was so big. She had not intended on having her assistant judge her and tell her what was best for the business. As it turned out, she wasn't pregnant - and if Lucy had known anything, she would have known why.

The blonde witch raised her eyebrows. "Whatever you say," Lucy replied before pushing open the door and stepping into the office.

Labelle followed after her, surveying the office around her as she did so. Dozens of cubicles stood before her with witches and wizards opening the owl post from various creatures around the wizarding world. These people had been hired to help magical creatures that were treated unfairly. She had even hired magical creatures herself to ensure they were fairly represented in the business. The co-founder of the company himself was in fact a House Elf - the one that had started this whole business off.

But she couldn't think about that now. It brought back too many memories that she had attempted to forget. That was a past life. It didn't belong to her. Everything was different now. She was married, she was a successful businesswoman. Hermione, nee Granger, would forget Harry Potter if it was the last thing she did.

*

Ron Weasley placed his legs on the desk in front of him and leaned back in his chair, his arms resting behind his head. He smiled at the photos in front of him, the photo of his stunning wife and his just as beautiful child. Oh, it was a good life. He was getting used to being the Assistant Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports. He had a bigger office, had bought a country mansion complete with House Elves and he could now afford to pay a witch to look after his baby daughter while he and his wife were at work. Lavender had been a bit unsure about it at first, but she had got used to the idea. It meant they could both be off earning money and have their daughter put in the best care possible.

"Ah, Mr Weasley, just who I wanted to see!"

Ron smiled up at Samuel James, Minister for Magic. Samuel had been a few years ahead of Ron at Hogwarts and had been a friend of Cedric Diggory's. While he and Ron had not known each other at Hogwarts, they shared a love of the Chudley Canons, were married to best friends (Samuel was married to Lavender's friend Parvati, nee Patil) and both had a past that they did not like to mention. They worked well together and enjoyed meeting up at work when they weren't busy.

"Fancy a drink?" Ron asked, and conjured up two glasses and a bottle of Ogden's Old Firewhiskey which began to pour itself into the glasses.

"Cheers," Samuel said, taking his glass. He placed his own feet on Ron's desk and exhaled a deep sigh of relief. "Oh it's good to get out of my office," he said. "I've got a new Personal Assistant and he's doing my head in! I don't suppose you'll remember Dennis Creevey? Few years younger than you? Well he's completely incapable. I'll be talking to Elizabeth about how someone so stupid got such a good job."

Ron laughed. He remembered Dennis Creevey. He was Muggle-born and his brother Colin had been killed in the battle. But Ron didn't like to remember that. There was an unspoken agreement among him and Samuel that they would not talk about their past and the battle was the aspect of Ron's past he refused to remember.

"Anyway, I'm visiting my old mum next week, so I won't be here," Samuel continued. "Seems my younger sister's been getting into trouble - she's still at Hogwarts and Professor Snape has to constantly call her to his office for bad behaviour. It's embarrassing really - the sister of the Minister for Magic constantly being brought in front of the Headmaster of Hogwarts. Bad press." Sighing he admitted, "That's probably why she does it. Knows it's bad press." Shaking his head, he looked up at Ron and said, "Bet you're glad you don't have a sister."

Ron pasted a grin on his face. They both knew it was a lie, but it was one that he had learnt to live with. He didn't have any family. Not anymore.

*

Ginny patted her fat stomach cheerfully. She was getting bigger by the day and she couldn't be happier about it. She had been happily married now to her Hogwarts sweetheart for six months and had been pregnant for five of those. Her dark-haired husband placed his hand on her stomach, smiling at her.

"I can feel it kick," he said gleefully, his green eyes joyful behind his glasses.

Ginny didn't want to say that had he not been on-call at the Auror Office for the last few months he would have felt his unborn child kick sooner. However, he was clearly eager to make up for this now and, not wanting to cause any problems, Ginny accepted this.

"I saw Fred the other day," she informed him.

Her husband smiled warmly. "That's great! How's he doing? How's the shop coming?"

Ginny watched him as he made his way into the kitchen, still listening to her, but his attention was divided nonetheless. A few years ago, he would have given her his undivided attention. But of course things were different now.

"Doing well," she replied, biting into a carrot stick, her latest craving. "I wasn't sure how he'd do, you know, with George gone and everything, but he seems fine."

"Well, he's had a few years to come to terms with it," her husband replied distractedly.

Not the answer she had been looking for.

"But the death of your twin brother is going to take more than a few years to come to terms with," Ginny persisted. "They did everything together. They were Fred and George. You never saw one without the other."

She waited for the answer. What would he say to that? Would he blow it off like he blew everything off these days?

"Yes, well, everyone needs their independence."

Ginny sighed. Again, it wasn't the answer she had been looking for. Why was he doing this? He wasn't bothered with her anymore; he was growing tired of her. He seemed to be completely happy with her sitting on the sofa all day and doing nothing. And as for her family... well, he didn't want anything to do with them anymore. A few short years ago, he had been like a tenth member of the family. Why was everything so different now?

But deep down, she knew why. It was the war. It had changed everything and everyone. Mum often asked her why she had still married him when she knew how much the war had changed him. But he had seen so much in the war - so much that no one else could ever share. He had retreated, gone within himself, and Ginny felt a rush of sympathy for him every time she thought about it. Part of her hoped that her husband would come back one day; that he would wake up and be normal again. Maybe that was too much to ask for.

Edward Paisley had changed forever.

*

Remus Lupin woke with a start. Someone was knocking at his front door. He looked at his watch. Ten past three. Who could possibly be calling this early in the morning?

Quiet so as not to wake Nymphadora and the baby, he climbed down the stairs, his wand out. A few years ago he had been used to night-time callers. But that was back in the days of the Order of the Phoenix. The Order had disbanded now - there was no need for it now that Voldemort had gone. Harry had seen to that.

Remus sighed as he recalled Harry Potter, the son of his best friend. He had fought so bravely in the war - he had ensured the safety of everyone. Sadly, he hadn't been alive to see the aftermath, to witness the celebrations. The Muggle Queen had even declared him a Knight and the Ministry had awarded him an Order of Merlin First Class and, with no next-of-kin to speak of, given the reward money to a local orphanage, money the Ministry were sure Harry would have thought well-spent. Hermione and Ron had been heartbroken when they had been forced to return from their journey without Harry, and Ginny had been even worse.

But that was long ago. There was no need to think about any of that now.

By now, Remus had reached the front door of his small two-bed Muggle house in a normal Muggle street. Maybe something had happened to their neighbours - Mr and Mrs Jones he thought they were called.

"Who is it?" he called before he opened the door.

Silence. Then - "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."