the war lasted years, that much was always known. people didn't know who to trust or who to slowly shy away from. it impacted everyone one way or another.

for james potter, it gave him an aching heart. after years of pining, lily finally seemed to return the feelings he had for her, but the war seemed to be getting in the way. at the young age of 18, she was too scared to fully commit to anything, she was also a muggleborn and therefore a prime target to the ongoing war and she didn't want to put james at risk despite his protests of being able to fend for himself. so they made the decision to separate, they both knew it wasn't the end for them but due to the circumstances they needed a pause.

for julianne kepner, it cursed her with grief. her parents divorced when she was only 14, and her father took custody of her. they left their home in france to return to his birthplace in the city of cambridge, england. her father had always been her bestfriend, so in the midst of the war, when a death eater attack in diagon alley snatched him for her life, she was sent into a downward spiral.

a bar.

that is the thing fate had used to bring the two together and intertwine their lives.

two aching souls trying to find comfort anywhere where it could even be found.

the leaky cauldron was a mediocre bar at best, but that didn't matter when you want the hurt inside to just go away. it started with solely small talk and a few drinks but one too many drinks later, james and julianne stumbled into a run down room in the upstairs of the leaky cauldron, both just looking to forget.

upon waking up, julianne noticed the lack of clothes she had, then the room which was not hers, and after feeling the bed shift slightly, a body next to hers still sound asleep. the dread she felt came rushing in all at once, and she made the decision to leave before facing any embarrassment. she left too quick to check for any forgotten items, and didn't notice the bracelet she left behind.

when james awoke no later than thirty minutes after her departure, he was confused, mind fuzzy on the events. when he sobered up a little, he remembered everything, from the small talk, to the close distance between them, to the night they shared and he didn't know what to make of it, so after a while he simply forget it. he never told anyone. he moved on, the only reminder he had of that night was the diamond bracelet julianne left behind. and though he knew he did nothing wrong, something about it left him feeling guilty. he never knew what it was but thinking about that night always made him uneasy.

and 13 years later, he would find out the exact reason.

-the potters are alive but others like the prewetts, marlene, dorcas, mary, and emmeline are sadly not

-voldemort was defeated the first time and he is not coming back but i have a villain in mind ;)))

-this does not follow the Harry Potter Book timeline or events although there will be many of the scenes, quotes, people and events

-no one from the HP series dies in this book (I think, I haven't decided if im gonna kill anyone off yet) but there will be a death or maybe multiple deaths for some of my oc's