Chapter 1 – Time
Hermione sighed to herself as she plopped down onto the grass, sitting Indian style as she placed her book on astronomy onto her lap. With a look of total concentration, she flipped open the pages, skimming through to her homework assignment due the following week.
It was the perfect time to be outside; the middle of the night and everything was peaceful and calm as she hummed quietly to herself, enjoying the sounds of the lake swishing this way and that every so often.
Of course they always did say that you have the calm before a storm hits and unbeknownst to Hermione, a storm was indeed brewing, a very big one.
Lucius Malfoy narrowed his piercing grey eyes at his old friend, awaiting for him to led the way into the castle so he could begin his search for the little mudblood bitch that Voldemort had assigned him to.
"Open the bloody door already!" He growled in annoyance, his patience wearing thin as he tried not to think of how bad his day and now night was going.
Severus smirked at the blonde man before turning and quietly opening the door to the entrance hall.
Once they made it inside, Severus looked around cautiously as he spoke to the older Malfoy. "Be sure you are not seen by anyone! All you need is to blow you cover and show up empty handed to the dark lord."
Lucius shuddered at the idea. "Not to worry," He began; his arrogant self taking over. "I will retrieve the time turner for our lord and I think I shall get a little action for myself while I am at it." He grinned evilly at the Potions Master as he turned on his heel, disappearing into the shadows of the barely lit corridor leading to the grand staircase.
Luckily, he seemed to miss the glint of worry that shone in Severus' eyes at the mention of getting some 'action', immediately without another thought, Severus walked as calmly as he could to his office to floo the headmaster; hoping the old man would listen to him for once and call of this ludicrous farce of a plan.
After what felt like hours, Lucius found himself back in the entrance hall where he had started at. He gritted his teeth in frustration as he tried to think of places he hadn't checked; he knew the stupid chit had to be there somewhere…it suddenly occurred to him that he hadn't thought to look outside, though why the little goody two shoes girl would be outside in the middle of the night was beyond him.
He made his way back outside; his irritation growing rapidly as he cursed under his breath, wondering why the dark lord had made him go after the stupid mudblood when he could have been at home by now sitting next to the fire with a glass of his finest whiskey in hand.
He found his thoughts interrupted as his sharp eyes noticed movement near the lake. As silently as he could, Lucius made his way over, crouching down in the bushes so as not to be seen. He smirked as he peered through the leaves, his eyes focusing his target as he silently moved closer.
"Tell me, what is the head girl doing out here in the middle of the night all by her self?" He inquired; his voice silky smooth.
Hermione let out a startled yelp and jumped up to her feet, dropping her book in the process as she peered into the darkness. "Who's there? Show yourself!" She demanded, drawing her wand and aiming it at the bushes in front of her.
"No need for violence my dear, you have something I want." Lucius Malfoy stepped out of his hiding place, smirking at the hint of fear that shown in her brown eyes as she watched him. "Just give me the time turner and you shall live."
"The headmaster is on his way down here right now…h..he is coming to escort me back inside." She lied, praying he could not tell.
Lucius smirked, knowing she was lying to him. "A word of advice.." He spoke slowly as he walked closer towards her. "Never lie to a death eater!" With a sneer, he lashed out at lighting speed, grasping her arm in his hand, forcing her to drop her wand.
Hermione struggled against him as he brought his other hand up, brushing it alongside her face before trailing it down towards her blouse. She let out a growl of anger, her other hand grabbing his just as he managed to pull her time turner out from her shirt. "Let go!"
"Make me." He snarled, his silver eyes glistening with malice as he yanked on the time turner, tightening his grip around her other hand.
Hermione fought back tears of pain as she grasped the chain around her neck, pulling back from him at the same time.
"I will make you!" She yelled out in reply as she pulled back on the chain; neither realizing that while they fought over it, the hourglass within the turner had begun spinning.
Lucius growled at her; how dare she speak back to him, a mere mudblood. "Let's do this the hard way then!" He yelled out angrily as he began to utter the cruciutis curse.
Hermione closed her eyes, awaiting the pain but it never came. She opened her eyes slowly, hearing a startled yelp from the elder Malfoy. Looking around, she realized that their surroundings were changing rapidly and fell to her knees in a moment of lightheadedness. Her eyes widened as she looked down at the time turner, watching for a moment as it slowed down its spinning.
"Where are we mudblood?" Lucius yelled as he grasped her by her robes, pulling her to her feet as the spinning stopped to reveal Hogwarts grounds as it was before they left.
Hermione struggled to get free of him, resorting to slamming her foot down on top of his, tearing out of his grasp and taking off on a run.
Lucius glared at her backside as he winced in pain. The mudblood would pay for her insolence that much he was sure of as soon as he caught up to her. Without another thought, he sprinted off in her direction, his long blonde hair falling out of the ribbon he had it tied in as he tried to catch up to her.
With an angry growl, he realized he had lost sight of her. Somehow she had managed a disappearing act. He scanned the area, wondering where she could be hiding. As he looked around, a lithe form hugged against his body, arms wrapping around his neck.
Lucius snarled and grasped the hand around him tightly, dragging the stranger off of his person and in front of him. A startled looking Hermione stared at him with a confused expression as she tried to remove his hand from her arm. "Lucius, what's wrong?" She asked him.
The blonde aristocrat stared at her as though she had grown two heads, he blinked a few times and promptly decided the little know it all was attempting to trick him somehow. "Do not call me by my given name you filthy little mudblood!" He growled at her. To his surprise and complete dismay however, her face contorted, it was almost as if he had…hurt her feelings….
He watched as her expression changed from near hysterics to anger.
"How dare you!" She yelled at him, rather than drawing a wand and trying to kill him, she raised her hand. A loud slap echoed throughout the school grounds, an angry red handprint covering Lucius' right cheek.
With an angry look, she turned abruptly on her heel and headed back towards the castle. "You can bet where you are sleeping tonight Lucius Abraxsas Malfoy!" She yelled out over her shoulder.
Lucius stood frozen in his place, unsure of what had just taken place, one hand rubbing the side of his face throbbing in pain….had the chit really just slapped him? And why was she dressed differently, her skin clean of the dirt and blood that he'd seen on her moments before.
What the bloody hell was going on?
Hermione ran inside the nearest open and empty classroom she could find, slamming the door behind her, her heart racing wildly as she leaned against the door, trying to catch her breath, eyes shut as she tried to control her breathing.
"Professor Granger? What brings you in here?"
A deep silky voice brought her abruptly out of her thoughts, eyes flying open as she recognized the voice. "Sir! Oh thank merlin you're here! Look I know you hate me and I'm just an insufferable know it all to you but please here me out! Lucius Malfoy has infiltrated the school! He's after me, he tried to kill me and he's here on Hogwarts grounds searching for me right now! We have to tell the headmaster, he must know what's going on!" She spoke at a fast pace for fear of the potions master cutting her off before she got to tell him what was happening.
Severus blinked…once…twice…three times…what on earth had gotten into the bloody woman? He took a second look at her, she seemed…younger…a lot younger from what she had looked like the previous day…strange…very strange. "Hermione…" He tried again, studying her face as she looked up at him for the first time, her eyes widening.
She must have been dreaming, surely this was all just a dream that she would wake up from any moment now…yes that must be it, she was just dreaming everything and would wake up in her room in Gryffindor tower to the knocking of her two best friends at her door. She got a good look at the potions professor, realizing with a start that one, she could have sworn he called her 'Professor Granger', two, his hair looked longer than it was the day before… could just be a potion though, and three he had just used her first name…boy was she confused, so confused that she missed what he had said to her, only catching the last part of his sentence.
"…husband is looking for you; he came by here earlier asking if I knew where you were at."
"Excuse me…husband?" Hermione asked, even more shocked than before.
Severus opened his mouth to speak once more but found himself interrupted as the door to his classroom flew open behind the bushy haired Gryffindor.
"I can't find her Severus, I've search…" The blonde haired wizard trailed off as he stared at the backside of his wife. "There you are Hermione; I've been looking all over the place for you." He took a few steps towards her, attempting to grasp her shoulders when she whirled around to face him.
Her face was mixture of complete horror and shock at this new development.
With a gasp of horror, Hermione shook her head frantically as she backed away from him, from what she assumed must be the future version of Lucius, his blonde hair even longer, flowing over his broad shoulders like a waterfall.
"What's wrong my dear?" His face contorted in a worried expression as he made to step towards her once more.
"GET AWAY FROM ME!" She finally managed to choke out, slipping her wand out from beneath her robes, "Expelliarmus!"
The spell caught him off guard, sending him crashing into the wall behind him with a loud thud. Not even bothering with the professor, she ran out, her bushy hair bouncing around her shoulders as she took off in a blur.
Severus merely stared out after her, a mixture of emotions crossing his face as a light bulb went off in his head. He quickly tore his gaze away from the backside of Hermione running down the corridor to help his old friend to his feet, the blonde man groaning in pain as he blinked, staring in complete bewilderment at the raven haired professor.
"What the hell was that about Severus? You did see what just happened right? My own bloody wife attacked me!"
Severus nodded, still trying to figure out what the bloody hell was happening.
Standing outside on the school grounds, Hermione took a deep breath, trying to grasp hold of the situation with a semi clear mind. She could tell they must be in the future but it just didn't make any sense. She didn't understand, how could the future consist of Malfoy being nice to her and calling her dear? She shuddered slightly, she had to get back to her own time and go straight to the headmaster about this.
Hermione grasped her time turner with trembling hands as she attempted to turn the hourglass backwards in a panic to get back to her own time without Malfoy.
As she fiddled with the little wheels inside, she felt a hand clutch her shoulder tightly. "Do not move mudblood." The voice of Lucius Malfoy instructed her as he grasped her shoulder even harder. "I should kill you where you stand for your impudence and audacity to think you could call me by my given name let alone touch me. Know that I do not desire having your filthy little hands on me at all." He sneered at her as he forced her to face him.
Hermione looked up into his grey eyes, confusion narrowing at his angry ones. "Excuse me?" She damn near growled at him. "I never nor would I ever touch you voluntarily Malfoy; nor would I ever call you by your first name you arrogant bastard!"
Lucius opened up his mouth to speak when Hermione suddenly grabbed his shirt, hauling both of them into the bushes. "What the bloody…"
"Keep your voice down or your future self will hear you!"
"Futu..wait…you traveled to the future? We are in the future?" Lucius asked as he peered out of the bushes.
"Yes now keep quiet!"
"Do not tell me what to…."
"Shhh! Look!" She let out a gasp, her breathing slowing down to where she was sure she would faint.
Lucius made a mental note to find out what was going on and then kill the infuriating Gryffindor once they got back to the present as he peered out of the bushes once more.
An older looking Hermione stormed outside of the castle obviously in search of someone, an angry look crossing her features as a man approached her; a silver cane tapping along the ground as he walked, his blonde hair flowing freely down to the middle of his back.
"How dare you!" The older Hermione shrieked as she drew her hand back.
Older Lucius caught her hand before she could slap him, scowling at her. "How dare I what? I should be saying the same thing to you wife."
At this both Lucius and Hermione blinked a few times, wondering if this was all a dream. "Must be that stupid marriage law that the minister was trying to pass." Hermione mumbled under her breath as she looked back at the scene.
"It has to be." Lucius spoke while watching the interaction between the future versions of themselves. "I would never marry a mudblood unless that dimwitted arse for a minister forced me into it."
Hermione glared at him, tempted to just hex him right then and there, the voice of herself shaking her out of her vengeful thoughts as she turned back to the scene in front of her.
"…..and you called me a mudblood!"
"My dear, I haven't called you a mu…that name since the final war."
"Then who did? Are you telling me someone is going around in polyjuice form as us?"
"I'm not sure but I will find out Hermione."
The older Hermione nodded her head and embraced her husband. Older Lucius let go after a moment and grasped her hand in his own. "Come, we will speak to the old man about this at once." He brushed a kiss over her knuckles before walking hand in hand with her towards the school.
"Let's get Severus as well my love."
Older Lucius smiled at his wife and nodded silently as they disappeared inside the castle.
Wow. Was all Hermione could think at the moment, the scene replayed itself in her mind and she still couldn't understand what was going on. More questions swam in her mind. Where were her friends? How had she and the potions professor gotten on good terms? Which side won in this future? And why in the bloody hell did she marry the most insufferable pureblooded bigot who was also a bloody death eater and seemed to like or….gulp…possibly love him?
Her mind screamed out different questions but no answers, she gritted her teeth in frustration as she tried to make heads or tails of the situation.
Lucius stared at the spot where his future self had been, unable to speak as his thoughts went wild. Why in Merlin's name was he with the Granger girl to begin with? And where the hell was his son at? He also found himself wondering if by 'old man' it means that Dumbledore had survived the war, which also made him wonder who the hell won then.
He slowly stood up, moving out of the bushes as Hermione followed suit. "Well get us back Granger, as fun as this trip has been, I have business to attend to." He smirked as he awaited her to work her magic with the necklace.
Hermione fought the urge to land a punch right in that perfectly chiseled jaw of his and instead, busied her hands with continuing to turn the time turner's wheels.
As she made to turn it another spin, the hourglass suddenly began spinning on its own. Lucius held onto the chain and watched as the scenery changed once more.
After what felt like forever, the spinning came to a sudden stop, revealing what looked to be a war zone. Hermione's eyes glazed over as she watched smoke billowing out of Hogsmeade.
In the distance, a loud voice could be heard speaking but she paid no attention as she noticed bodies littering the ground. A cry of horror escaped her lips as she fell to her knees beside the body of her best friend, his emerald eyes dull and lifeless as he stared up at the sky.
Lucius made to strike her when he suddenly heard his own name being called out. He cast one last glance back at Hermione before heading off in the opposite direction, assuming they were back in the present.
"My Lord, is this really necessary?"
"Do not question me, do as I say and you will live. Disobey me and I will kill both of you instead my faithful servant." The voice of Voldemort commanded in commanding tone.
Lucius crouched down in some nearby bushes, parting the leaves and staring through them. His eyes widened in shock at the scene that played out in front of him.
A ragged looking Lucius Malfoy stood next to the Dark Lord, kissing his hand before turning to his son. Draco's usually well groomed blonde hair had a mixture of dirt and blood in it, his face beaten and cut to a pulp.
"Just do it father." He rasped out in between wheezing, his body shuddering at each rumble of a cough. "I forgive you."
Lucius bit back the tears that threatened to spill as he watched himself casting the killing curse on his own son; his future self bowing to Voldemort as his son fell to the ground, lifeless.
Voldemort congratulated him and announced that he was now his second in command, praising him for a job well done as two younger looking death eaters drug Draco's body out of sight.
Finally after what felt like forever, Lucius tore himself away from the scene and went to find the mudblood who'd gotten them into this mess in the first place.
Hermione managed to stand for a moment before her knees buckled beneath her at the sight of her headmaster and two other best friends. Ginny and Ron lay on the ground, their eyes open in horror; bruises and gashes covering their arms and faces. The headmaster lay next to them, his face a saddened expression.
She openly cried, her body shaking from her sobs as she blinked rapidly, trying to convince herself that it wasn't real, that the only magical family she had wasn't truly destroyed, even as the smell of death hung rank through the dense air.
Unknown to her, a lone death eater walked amongst the dead bodies searching for any live death eaters or Dumbledore's army members. His cold blue eyes suddenly fell upon the sobbing girl, a wicked grin crossing his nasty features as he raised his wand, quickly ensnaring her in a dark binding spell.
Hermione yelped as she felt her body freeze, only able to blink as she fell to the cold hard ground. She listened as the sound of footsteps grew closer, her eyes widened in horror as the ugly face of Fenrir Greyback stared back at her, his lips drawing back in a sinister smile. "Well, well, well….what do we have here? The last of the Golden Trio still alive?"
She opened her mouth to scream only to find it being covered by his filthy hand as he lifted her off of the ground. She found herself dangling helplessly in the air, Fenrir's stench filling her nostrils as she realized the binding spell had worn off.
Fenrir leered at her suggestively, eyeing her clothed body as he spoke. "The dark lord will reward me greatly for delivering you to him but I want to have a taste of you first." He let out an inhuman growl as he thrusted her against the backside of a tree.
Hermione groaned in pain, struggling against him to no avail. He grasped her shirt and in one feral pull, he tore it from her body. She let out a loud scream, praying someone would save her.
"Fenrir! Leave her to me!"
The werewolf turned from his prey to see Lucius Malfoy walking over. "Not a chance Malfoy, she's mine!"
Lucius sneered at this and slipped his wand out, stunning Fenrir. He watched for a moment in satisfaction as the ugly creature fell to the ground, dropping Hermione in the process.
Quickly, he raced over to the trembling form of Hermione Granger; he grabbed her shoulder and hooked an arm under her legs, hoisting her into his arms. Without another thought, he took off for the cover of the bushes nearby so as not to be seen by anyone, especially his future self. As he stepped through said bushes, he felt the mudblood's hands wrapping around his neck, with a snarl of disgust he shoved the young woman away from his person.
"Get us out of here!" He growled at her as he brushed off his robes as though her touch had contaminated them.
Hermione balled her hands into fists, shaking in anger as she moved closer to him. "If you don't shove a bloody sock in it you can bet your arse that I will leave you here!"
Lucius stared back at her, his eyes narrowing in rage as he whipped his cane out, catching her shirt with the snake heads teeth and dragging her towards him. "Never talk to me as though you are my equal you filthy little mudblood! Now get me out of here or I'll just kill you on the spot and figure out how to get back to the present by myself!" He spat each word out, laced with venom.
That bloody bastard! How in the world could I have even considered marrying him much less act happy about it in the possible future? Her thoughts echoed through her mind as she threw his cane off of her, enjoying his look of pure anger spreading across his face as he bent to pick it up. She quickly pulled out her time turner and began fiddling with the wheels, trying to get it to send them back in time once more.
Lucius watched the bushy haired Gryffindor in anger, wishing nothing more than to strike her dead then and there. Insolent little bitch, thinks she can say whatever she wants to me! Nasty little mudblood chit. He found himself practically yelling in his mind as he continued to watch her as she placed part of the chain in his hand as the time turner began to spin.
Minutes later they both found themselves on Hogwarts grounds once more, everything seemingly back to normal.
Lucius immediately placed his wand to her head and growled, "Time turner now."
Hermione glared at him and threw the turner in his hands. He smirked and pocketed it before moving away, becoming invisible as he ran towards the forbidden forest.
She stood, shocked that he hadn't resumed trying to kill her and finally came to her senses, running towards the castle to talk to the headmaster at once.
