People have always told me that I was beautiful. I don't know, it was some sort of thing that people had to say to me every time they saw me. "Oh Maleah, you are so pretty. You're going to be a beautiful woman." It seemed as though no one cared about what I thought. You know the saying, "pretty girls are to be seen not heard," and all that crap.

Except one. My mum. Katia. She cared. She always did. Of course, by the time I was old enough to actually form an opinion she was gone. But I loved the time we had together. My father was always working. When he was home he either taking Mama out or holed up in his office. That's not to say he didn't love me or spend any time with me; it was usually in the company of my mother, as though he were afraid to be alone with me.

My father was an heir. He inherited tons of money and ran the family accounts as heads of both the Potter and Black family. Then he dabbled in real estate and sports. He partly owned two quidditch teams, Puddlemere United and the Holyhead Harpies. He owned properties in every continent, except Asia, but that was due to change evenutally. And that's not counting the places he inherited. But whatever.

So back to my abhorrence to being called beautiful. Growing up I was so used to be people telling me how pretty I am that once it stopped I felt as though my life had stopped. I had not realized that I relied on those compliments to get my father's attention. I didn't get his attention until way past the time I needed it, but I suppose better late than never at all, right?

"So then your dad came up to me and said 'you have the phatest ass I've ever seen in my life!"

At age five, Maleah found that to be the most hilarious thing her mother, age 29, could say to her. She rolled on the ground of her pink and white bedroom until tears of laughter fell from her eyes. Her mother followed not long after.

"Mummy!" Maleah admonished. "That's a bad word!"

Katia Potter rolled her eyes. "I grew up in a free country, so I can speak my mind."

Maleah rolled her eyes. "Mummy, England is not a free country."

Katia formed a disgruntled line with her mouth. "Since when did you become so smart, Miss Smarty Pants?"

Maleah shrugged. Katia sighed and rolled onto her back dragging her daughter on top of her. "You know what baby?"

Maleah sighed contently. "Yes?"

"Life can't get any better than this."

"You want what?" Katia shouted later that night. She stood in her husband's home office and stared at the man before her. He grew well. At age 31 he was still as attractive as he was at age 24 when she first met him. But he'd hardened over the years, only warming to her, and it seemed as though even she couldn't melt him these days.

"I want a divorce," he said calmly.

Katia breathed heavily and tried to stop tears from coming to her eyes. "It's her, isn't it?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about the whore that's taking you from your family, Harry!" Katia shouted.

"Calm yourself this instant!" Harry demanded standing to his feet. Katia held her ground. Harry's anger never fazed her before and she damn sure wasn't going to let it now.

"What about me and Maleah?" Katia asked wearily. "Your daughter, Maleah, or have you forgotten about her?"

Harry sat back down. "The child will be well cared for as will you."

"The child?" Katia scoffed incredulously. "You think I want your money, Potter? Think again, I don't want a damn thing from you," she spat. She walked to the door of his office. "You go and marry that little home-wrecking skank, but you will never ever see your daughter again. I hope you love the child Ginny's carrying more than you loved mine."

Harry looked up in surprise before letting out a resigned sigh. He should've known that Katia would know. She knew everything that went on with him whether he told her or not. It was part of Katia's abilities as an Empath. Her powers were growing apparently.

"Kate," Harry pleaded. He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes wearily. "I'm so sorry."

Katia began to cry. "I can't believe you did this to me," she said quietly. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Once a cheater, always a cheater. I'm done, Harry. You've been cheating on me for months now and I've ignored it. You think that I didn't notice the waves of guilt falling off of you? You think I didn't notice the way you would always hold yourself off from me? I thought you would just come back and be the husband and father I know you can be, but, I thought wrong.

"Now she's pregnant," Katia said through tears. "And the only thing you can do is dump me and marry her. My goodness, Harry!" Anger swept through. "Have you heard of fidelity! You son-of-a-bitch! I hate you!"

She swung around and swept out of the room with her raven hair flying. Harry put his head on the desk wondering what mess he got himself into. He hadn't bothered to correct her; it had only been once.

Katia ran through the manor into her daughter's room. She grabbed one her daughter's Mara the Charmstress suitcases and summoned and packed as much clothes and toys as she could fit into the bag. Then she ran into the room that she had shared with Harry for six years and grabbed one her own suitcases and threw as much clothes as she could into it.

She levitated the bags behind her as she carried her sleeping daughter down the stairs of the only home she'd ever know. Without notifying Harry, Katia placed Maleah in her car seat and got behind the wheel after dumping the bags in the back. Then Katia took off.

It wasn't until a mile out of the manor's gates that Katia stopped so she could cry. Her husband was leaving her. Her husband was leaving her for Ginny friggin' Weasley. Her cheating husband was leaving her for his pregnant mistress. Where was she supposed to go now? What was she supposed to do now?

Half an hour later, Katia drove down to the lesser priced area of the English countryside to her cousin's house. She took her daughter and knocked on the door. Loudly. Katia waited impatiently as she waited for the door to open. It did a moment later and Katia gave her cousin a moment to take in her frazzled state with her sleeping daughter.

"I'm leaving Harry before he serves me the papers to leave me," Katia said later as her cousin made them both some tea.

"I can't believe this," her cousin murmured. "You guys were so in love."

Katia looked down. "People change, Ayanna. He changed and wanted more. I can't keep condoning his actions to keep my sanity. If anything, it is making me crazier faster."

"You love him," it wasn't a question.

"With all my heart," Katia didn't bother lying.

"And he?"

Katia shrugged.

"Maybe he panicked?" Ayanna suggested.

"What part of 'I will not condone him behavior anymore,' did you not understand?" Katia snapped.

"What about little Maleah?"

Katia began crying again. "She and Harry aren't that close. He never took the iniative."

"You're welcome here as long as you like, you know that, right?"

Katia nodded but put her head down. "I just-I'm so screwed."

"Don't let him win," Ayanna said urgently. "You cry at home. You, especially, don't give that tart the satisfaction of knowing she got to you. Keep your head high."

"Yeah," Katia agreed. "I will."

This is my new story! I didn't want to keep doing fanfiction, but this plot came to me and I couldn't ignore it. Harry is not a bad guy, so before you start flaming me, remember that. He will be redeemed. Ginny will seem like a bad person (so I did it on purpose, sue me) but she will be redeemed too.

Mara the Charmstress was my magical version of Dora the Explorer, you gotta love her! Well, actually, I like Strawberry Shortcake better but… Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy the new story and I hope to get it update at least once a week. I've already got a few chapters written!

Oh, they have cars…because I want them too. Harry grew up in a muggle environment, so… plus, Katia is pronounced Kaw-T-uh and Maleah is pronounced Muh-Lay-Uh. Ayanna is A-yawn-na. Katia's powers and her history will Harry and everything will be revealed. But this essentially, Maleah's story about finding herself. I could make it an original fiction, but the magic is important and it's just easier to use the magical world J.K created. Plus a bit of stuff I get from movies and t.v.

Speaking of, I do not own Harry Potter and blah, blah, blah. I am not making money off of J.K. Rowling's imagination. Promise.

Review!