Chapter 1: So it begins.

"You have a week, Aradia. That's it" Hermione stated firmly, her face so serious it was almost painful.

"Are you… are you for real right now?! You must be taking the Mickey out of me…" Aradia stuttered out, still half in disbelief.

Aradia Rose Potter, the red-haired green-eyed girl-who-lived, was apparently about to be betrayed by the adults and authorities in her life her YET AGAIN.

"Yes, Airy I'm very serious," Hermione snapped, narrowing her eyes at her best friend. "They know you have claimed all the Hallows. When you refused to become an Auror, they started to fear you, fear your power, fear people supporting you more than they support the Wizengamot, and for good reasons too. Remember the mess they made before the war even started?"

"I already told them I just wanted some time off; Teddy is only 3 months old. I was going to join the Aurors next year! I have no intention of using the Hallows again either!" she huffed, exasperated.

"I'm aware of that. They are aware of that. Please, Airy, just listen to me!" Hermione exclaimed urgently, gripping her best friend's shoulders. "They are aware, but they really do not care. They do not fear the concept of a new dark lord; they fear you."

"What? Me?"

"They believe that you will be the one to rally people against them. Because people will rally for you if you ask them. I understand it may seem absurd, but they do not want to give you the opportunity."

"They will raid your house next week. They will lock you up and toss away the key. They already plan to lay claim to all your family's items and gold. They are already talking about how to use every knut they take from you to repair the damages from the war. They are going to take Teddy away and do Merlin-knows-what with him, since he's the son of a werewolf."

Aradia's eyes went wide as she snapped her head to look behind her toward the newborn baby boy lying peacefully in his Moses Basket, down for his evening nap. Her godson. Her remaining link to Remus and Tonks. She loved that baby boy, with her whole heart. It had taken a lot to prove to Andromeda she could take on Teddy full-time. If she learned that he was in danger, she would never let Aradia see him again, let alone raise him on her own.

Now that she knew that both Teddy and she were in danger, her whole life plan needed to change. She had to talk to Andy and the Goblins, right away, maybe even stop off at Hogwarts…

"A week, Airy. You've got a week. Then you need to be gone." Hermione finished. Tears in her eyes, Hermione turned her heel and popped away.

Six Days Later

Aradia Rose Potter sighed as she dragged her tired body (but full stomach) into her muggle hotel room. She used her wand to instantly set up Teddy's travel crib and placed the half-asleep babe inside of it, then gave him his 7pm bottle. After he had been fed and burped he fell softly into a contented milk-drunk sleep.

It may have taken six of her seven days but she had done it. She had gone to the goblins to collect all of her and Teddy's gold, jewels, and magic items. She went to the room of requirement and raided it for gold, bronze, and copper, the rare items she knew were safe, as well as tons of books and tomes on nearly every subject under the sun. She also sold all three houses that belonged to them, Number 12, Godric's Hallow, and the Lupin cabin house, and went through the items that had been stored at the houses with her house elves. She kept all portraits, heirlooms, and every book that did not have a double. All the doubles she sold.

She stored everything in four magical chests owned by the Black and Potter families. The first she filled with gold and jewels, the second with their heirlooms and magic items, and the third became a magic library with every tome the two of them now owned.

The fourth was a special chest that opened with two keys. The first key would open to the regular chest where there were clothes and everything else they needed for day-to-day living. The other key opened a staircase that went down into a magic space that had been remodeled into a comfortable three-bedroom living space where they could stay when traveling and held personal items like photo albums and the like.

She had a small, secret farewell party at the Burrow. Where they said goodbye to all those who to them. Andy, Molly, their children, and Hermione in particular. She'd rest here tonight with Teddy and tomorrow she'd be on her way to Ireland.

The plan was to jump around to some more places, and lose anyone that might try to tail her, before landing in the US. She'd go sightseeing until New York, where there was a large magical population that she could easily vanish into. Even if someone bothered to come looking for her there they would have a hard time finding her. She sighed as she put her hand inside the chest with her magic items and heirlooms, taking out her Foe Glass and pulling a strange ring out along with it.

She peered into the Foe Glass just long enough to make sure all ill-meaning people were far away then quickly put it back in the chest. That done she then turned her attention to the ring.

It was rather interesting to be sure. It was made from some kind of black steel she had never seen before and on the top was a figure of a red three-headed dragon surrounded by and encrusted with rubies. It looked almost like a signet ring only it was smaller, more petite, and a fair bit prettier.

Black and Red. Steel and Rubies. This ring called to her more than it should have, even more than the Resurrection Stone on her middle finger had called when she first placed it on, though the Resurrection Stone did like silence.

She wondered if this came from the Potter line, or the Black family line. She was sure she had never seen the ring before nor the family crest that was on it. Not that she had studied the old magic family crests at Hogwarts at all...

She spun the beautiful ring in her hands as she carefully assessed it. What was that black steel? Not a goblin metal, that was for sure, she had seen plenty of Goblin made metals. It was still magical, she could tell.

It was a truly lovely ring, with feminine curves and swirls in the black steel that almost looked like… leaves? Maybe vines?

She spun the ring to the left, her eyes following the pattern all the way around. Not leaves, not vines, not just swirls unless… her mind finally made the connection.

Fire. It was supposed to be fire.

She spun it around in her hands one more time with this information foremost in her mind. Yep. It depicted the lick of flames and billows of smoke, all the way around, finally hugging the dragon, keeping it in place.

The call seemed to get louder and louder in her head as she focused on the ring. It was such a beautiful thing, lovely in a dark and mysterious way. Something about the ring just felt… right.

The goblins had already checked all the magic items, and none of them had curses or hexes so she already knew the ring was safe. She slipped it on her ring finger then held out her hand, turning her palm slowly as she admired it.

It truly was beautiful and fit her finger perfectly. And it felt… warm? It was as if she had already been wearing it, almost like it had been made for her. She decided she would wear it, just for tonight, to get a feel for it. After checking on Teddy one last time, she allowed herself to fall asleep as well.

There was nothing but pitch darkness in the room around her.

No way for her to see. Nothing in the air to smell. Nothing to hear, at least not yet.

Nothing to touch until she felt a set of hands gently and slowly trail their way up the sides of her body, caressing her like one would a glass figurine. As if she was the most precious thing. Something to be treasured. Loved. Adored.

She was wearing a thin gown and currently it was the only thing between her and that touch.

It started with his hands spanning her hips just below her waistline, going up. Then he softly started to move up the sides of her waist…

Now the fingertips were smoothly brushing pass the sides of her ribcage, lifting the satin with them as they moved slowly upwards… leaving goosebumps in their wake and lighting a hot coil between her legs.

"Skoriot emagon ao issare, ñuha dōna?" whispered a gentle, articulate voice from the man right in front of her. Even if she didn't understand the words, the tone alone made her studder. He chuckled softly as he felt her quake, then pressed his body right up to hers. It felt like his arms were the only thing holding her up.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, trying to steady herself in this dark, empty space that surrounded them. His arms held her tighter around her ribcage, pulling her even more flush against him.

"Ziry iksos jēda syt ao naejot māzigon kesīr ser, darling..." he breathed gently into her ear. He must have realized the effect his words had on her because there was no way he wasn't doing that on purpose…

Her knees became weak. The fire between her legs was starting to get painful. Pulsing, nearly matching her heartbeat.

"I'll be waiting for you…"

Aradia jolted awake, her heart racing, and her breathing shallow.

What… what the hell was THAT?! She had 'dreams' like that before, but that dream…

It was way too real, and very intense. So much so that it made her uncomfortable.

She shook her head as she started to bring herself back to reality. She looked over to make sure Teddy was still safe and sleeping in his crib before shaking her head one more time for good measure.

Perhaps a cold shower would be good for her as well.

She grabbed the covers and tossed them off, missing the small flash of magical light from her new ring.

Far across the multiverse in an entirely different plane of existence, a prince with the blood of the dragon in his veins also jolted awake, his heart pounding and his body burning.

Translations:

"Where have you been hiding, my sweet?" - "Skoriot emagon ao issare, ñuha dōna?"

"It's time for you to come here now, Darling… " - "Ziry iksos jēda syt ao naejot māzigon kesīr ser, Darling..."