Matter of Time
by EMPG22HoPe

As time shifted and shaped into the pressing unknown, Luna Lovegood thought this was the most airy feeling in the world. But she mustn't dabble on her dizziest daydreams. She needs to concentrate, even as the swirling colors were enticing. Time-travelling can be so very heightening in all manner of emotions and sight.

And when time seems to have taken her where it needs to, Luna landed with a thump in an alleyway between two apartment houses. Standing before her, emanating with sapphire swirls surrounding him, was Theodore Nott.

"I should have known they'd be daft enough to send a filthy half-blood to "rescue" me." Theo grumbled before he turned at last to meet Luna's gaze, wand aloft. He was dressed in dark Death Eater robes, and looked very sullen but also hopeful. "You can't stop me, Lovegood. I've got it all set out."

"In convincing the Dark Lord not to pursue Harry?" Luna asked gently despite the menacing way she threateningly pointed her wand at Theo. Her feet moved forward to get closer to Theo. "Haven't the Ministry already dealt with that conundrum with Delphini?"

"She failed considerably with the help of those two stupid Slytherin boys!" Theo snapped, his eyes aflame with disgust and anger. He didn't seem to notice their distance, and how Luna was slowly closing in on him. "But she didn't have what I have."

Theo waved his hand that wasn't holding his wand as the sapphire swirls around him moved to the motion of his hand. Behind him, Luna heard the sound of children playing and trick-or-treating.

They had gone many years back in time, to October the 31st 1981. The day Voldemort disappeared. The day the wizarding world would come to know about the boy who lived.

"I control time itself, Lovegood. I've spent years practicing it… developing it… shaping it… stopping time… rewinding time…" Theo trailed off, relishing in the enigma of his powers. "I held time at the palm of my hands for three days straight, back then, even! Nobody moved an inch. It was just me and the world at full pause around. None of you even noticed!"

Theo laughed aloud this time. "The Ministry always was a bit backwards with most things, even with that filthy mudblood Granger as Minister. They never considered the existence of wizards like me… time manipulators. That our bloodline lives on in secret should we ever feel the need to shift and change the fabric of time."

The golden time-turner around Luna's neck ticked and tocked, indicating the amount of time she must have left. Or perhaps the contraption simply did that because it was, indeed, like a clock in hourglass form…

"What makes you think that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named would spare your father, Theo?" Luna asked dreamily, almost disregarding the full reveal of the powers they only recently learned Theo possessed. "Would you like me to tell you what would have happened if he lived and had not decided to pursue Harry?"

Theo sneered at her in disgust. "What the bloody hell do you mean—"

"Theodore Nott Sr. had not been in a good place during the time You-Know-Who attempted to pursue the Potters. Your father failed a mission and was about to be punished… had he not better things to do." Luna explained even as Theo's glare became more menacing, the swirling mists of sapphire around him moving erratically in unrest. "He would have killed your father if he was still alive. He would have tortured your mother. And you…"

A vein seemed to throb on Theo's neck. "You're wrong!"

"Am I not?" Luna asked as she slowly lowered her wand. It was a terrible idea. But she had to do something to make him trust her. "Would you ever forgive yourself if you knew you were the reason behind your parents' death?"

Theodore Nott hissed angrily. Luna merely had a split second reaction before she shielded herself from an unknown curse.

Hexes and jinxes flew within the alleyway. It came as a surprise to Luna that none of the muggles outside that small space saw the flashing lights of their spells. They most likely assumed it to be Halloween décor for the evening.

In their duel, Luna received a nick of a hex at her ear, but it didn't stop her from pursuing much more powerful spells—spells Harry had never even taught her in Dumbledore's Army. After a strong Stupefy at an angle Theodore Nott didn't see coming, the Slytherin man stumbled and fell on his back.

Luna bound him in iron-like chains before he could make another move.

She towered over him, watching him struggle. "I know you're a better man than this."

Theo laughed without humor. "How would you know, Lovegood?"

"Who could ever forget the first boy that helped her find her missing shoes on her first day at Hogwarts?" Luna asked solemnly as she lifted Theo's bound figure with her wand to stand him upright.

Something shifted in Theo's features, but Luna had not given him much time to say anything on the matter. She held the time-turner in her hand, turned it thrice, grabbed a hold of the chains that bound Theo before they were sent back into their own time.

With a loud thud, they landed on the floors of the Astronomy tower. Luna saw Theo turn green.

"I bloody hate heights." Theo choked just as he shook his head. "Is that why you're helping me, then, Lovegood? You think I've got a fair shot at a pardon?"

"If I'm being quite candid, the best they can do is give you a brief sentence in Azkaban if you surrender now… willingly." Luna said as she stared up at him. "I don't want to imagine a world with the Dark Lord, and I know neither do you now that you know what would have happened to your father…"

"My father is in Azkaban!" Theo snapped.

"But he's alive."

Theo clipped his mouth shut before he avoided Luna's gaze.

They soon began to hear footsteps making its way up to the Astronomy tower. Hermione, Harry and Draco must be in their way, then. Luna looked down at the time-turner Draco provided. It was such a dangerous thing, time… and yet, they knew to trust her with it to stop time from warping into something nobody wants…

"And you're alive." Luna went on. "Because I'm quite certain that if you did stop the Dark Lord from killing Harry, he would killed your father, your mother… and then you."

Theo's eyes flashed considerably before the door of the Astronomy tower opened to reveal the trio she had been expecting along with a group of Aurors.

Luna was shaken as she watched Harry and the Aurors drag Theodore Nott away. He could have been a good man, and she knew deep down he was despite all his faults. She simply wished she could have done better to have saved much of him when she could back then.

Fanfiction Writing Month - July: 1,168 words
Pinata Club: Hard Pinata (Trio Era)
Eastern Hogwarts FunFair: Ferris Wheel #2 - (trope) time travel
Southern Hogwarts FunFair: Hedge Maze - Southern Corner: (word) heights
Northern Hogwarts FunFair: Sophie's Ice Cream Stall: Banana Cream Pie and Tiramisu (Theodore Nott and Luna Lovegood)

Insane House Challenge

133. Pairing - Luna/Theo

365 Prompts Challenge

339. Trope - Time Travel

Writing Club - July:

Character Appreciation -3.(Blood Status) Half Blood

Trope of the Month - 2. Colour/Item: Sapphire

Shannon's Showcase - 4. (Ability) Time Manipulation (stop time, rewind time) *

Showtime: Hamilton -46. Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story - (word) Time

Count Your Buttons: Characters - 1. Theo Nott

Ami's Audio Admirations - 6. Who uses fax machines? — Write a TimeTravel!AU [BONUS]

Emy's Emporium: France - 3. The winding streets - (setting) alleyway

Lo's Lowdown: Les Miserables - 3. Combeferre: write about a Ravenclaw

Bex's Biscuit Barrel: Rich Tea - 1. [word] Wrong / 2. [Character] Theodore Nott / 3. [Emotion] Disgust

AN: This event takes place, give or take, about a year after Delphini was arrested for using the time-turner she stole from the Ministry with the help of Albus and Scorpius. There isn't much explanation about Theo's ability to manipulate time, but I know for certain that such witches and wizards could exist, but their powers need time to develop and grow. Hence why it's taken him this long to finally have the courage to use his powers and go back in time when he didn't have a time-turner with him.

I suppose that's all the extra info I needed to add. Thank you for reading!

EMPG22HoPe