Banish Them Back!
"Ron, if you'd actually paid attention to the league this season, you'd know that the Cannons are tied last!" fourteen-year-old Ginny Weasley slammed her fist against the table, in the middle of a heated debate with her brother.
"Yeah … but they're still …" Ron trailed off, a defeated look on his face, while his sister wore a smug one.
"Stuttering there, Ron?" Ginny smirked, while Hermione looked on, also smirking at Ron's face.
Harry nodded. "She's right, mate," he said, reluctantly agreeing with the girls.
"Some mate you are," Ron grumbled, his head lying on this crossed hands, which were on the slightly worn kitchen at the Burrow, where Molly was currently whipping up a sure to be delicious Sunday dinner.
"Sorry. But you've gotta look at the facts, Ron. It's unfortunate, but it looks like the Magpies are set to win it again," Harry said, shaking his head in disapproval at this turnout.
A dull 'thunk!' indicated that Ron had hit his head off the wooden table. "Ouch," Ron whined, rubbing his forehead, which was now rapidly turning red thanks to the impact of the wood hitting his head.
"That's what happens when you hit your head off a wooden table, Ronald," Hermione said unsympathetically, turning back to her copy of The Standard Book of Spells, Grade Five, which she had purchased yesterday, thanks to the usual annual trip to Diagon Alley.
Ginny pushed her hair behind her ears, still scowling slightly. She turned to Hermione, and sighed. "It's Sunday, Hermione. Can't you lay down the book and have some fun, before school starts again?" Ginny pleaded, sitting down beside Hermione and trying to tug the book away from her hands.
"Fun! How can you even contemplate having fun when OWLs are just around the corner?" Hermione screeched, her voice getting higher with every word she said. "Especially you two! You should be studying! I've already skim-read all of my first year notes. I really should be making a start on my second-year ones, too. I don't have any time for fun!" Hermione was practically hysterical, and Ginny looked like she really wished she hadn't asked.
Harry and Ron glanced at each other, obviously seeing the signs of over-exertion in Hermione; they nodded, and Harry walked calmly around the back of Hermione and held her arms while Ron yanked the book of her hands, banishing it upstairs.
"RONALD!" Hermione screeched, jumping up looking as though she was ready to attack Ron.
"You've got the Banshee impression for practical DADA down pat, I see," Ron said, rubbing his ears, before his voice grew more serious. "You're going to make yourself ill," he said bluntly, as Harry nodded frantically to convey is approval at Ron's words.
"Make myself ill? I don't think so. I'm merely prepared," Hermione said, scoffing at Ron's words, rolling her eyes.
Molly walked into the kitchen, overhearing the teen's conversation. "You will, Hermione dear. Please, just rest for today, no books. Then you can study as much as you like, but your poor brain can only take so much," she said, repeating words she had should have said to Percy a long time ago when he was studying for his OWLs, while his brothers played Quidditch and Wizards' Chess. She desperately didn't want Hermione to turn out the same as Percy had that year, basically becoming a hermit in order to studying and pushing away his brothers and friends to study as well.
Hermione looked shocked that Molly agreed with Ron, and that she was encouraging her to stop studying, when usually when the trio came back for the holidays Molly was constantly nagging Harry and Ron to study, and including Hermione as well, even thought the latter didn't need nagged.
"Oh … 'kay then," Hermione stuttered, sitting down at the table as Molly went about preparing a typical Sunday dinner. Ron stared at his mother as well, but Ginny just beamed.
"The four of you, can you lay the table? And set out plates. Fred and George as well, they're coming to dinner for once, instead of working at the shop. That's all those two seem to do these days …" she trailed off, shaking her head as she placed different foods on the table as Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione set out place settings.
Five minutes later and the table was groaning under the weight of all of Molly's cooking. Fred and George bounded in, in tandem with each other as always, closely followed by Bill and Charlie, who was home for the summer.
"Smells great, Mum," Fred said, beaming as he took his place.
"Right said Fred," George said, looking at his twin. "Nice to see you set out places for us, Mum. Always treat your next door neighbours like this?" he asked, continuing a joke that had started with the arrival of the kids' Prefect's letters earlier on in the week.
Molly shook her head, not answering them as she also tucked into the well-deserved meal she had prepared for her children.
Chatter started up immediately, along with the clinking of knives and forks. Fred and George were telling the story of a trial experiment of a new product gone wrong.
" … And Fred disappeared! I couldn't find him anywhere, however hard I looked, although I could hear his voice as plain as day. I found him fifteen minutes later, in the refrigerator!"
Everyone roared with laughter, even Hermione and Molly, both of whom usually tutted loudly whenever the subject of Fred and George's shop was brought up.
A louder 'pop' of Apparition brought silence over the group. Everyone stopped eating, including Ron, his fork halfway towards his mouth. Voices from the living room made everyone jump, and Arthur, Harry, Charlie and Bill made their way through to the living room, while Fred and George made their way around the back of the house to check for Death Eaters who may have broken the wards.
"Jamie! I told you not to touch the thingy-ma-jig!" A young girl's voice was heard scolding 'Jamie', who replied,
"But I didn't! I only pressed this button!" 'Jamie' thrust the gold object under her nose for her too see. The two suddenly caught sight of Arthur, who was watching them intently.
"Grandpa!" The little girl gasped, turning to him, her eyes wide. "Honest, I didn't do anything! It was Jamie! How come we're here and not at home?" She voice become quiet, and she ran to Arthur, clutching his trouser leg. "Please believe me, Grandpa."
At the sound her husband being referred to as 'Grandpa', Molly had burst her way through the wall of men and come face to face with people she hadn't expected in the world to be there; two children, very young children. One was a boy, obviously 'Jamie', with messy black hair and mischievous brown eyes; the girl, that looked the same age as the boy, had long red hair that was so familiar and sparkling green eyes. She took one look at the boy, and then the girl, the former calling out "Grandma!", before she fainted, out cold by the shock.
Arthur detached the little girl from his leg, and rushed over to his wife. At the same time Fred and George came in the front way, also gasping at the sight.
"Why is everyone looking at us?" The little girl asked, the voice she used when scolding 'Jamie' gone, and replaced with a timid voice. Bill, Charlie, Harry and Hermione filtered in, and were met with gasps.
"Daddy!" The little girl was shocked, and then tears began to well in her eyes. "I promise Daddy I didn't mean to, it was Jamie, he did it, I only said it look pretty, he touched the button, I didn't do anything!" she cried dramatically, running towards Harry like a speed-train and ran slap bang into his legs, wrapping her small arms around his legs, much to the shock of the boy who legs they belonged to. Ginny wormed her way around Hermione to get a better view of the drama unfolding in the living room, when suddenly she was hit by a small boy, who had the same blazing look she herself had had many a time.
"I didn't do it, Mum. It was Lily. She's the one who wanted to see the necklace!" he said, not crying like his sister, merely looking determined that it wasn't his fault.
"Who are you?" Molly asked, now standing up shaking, holding on to Arthur's arm for dear life.
"And what are you doing in our living room?" Bill injected, wearing the small puzzled look as everyone else in the room, sans 'Jamie' and 'Lily', were wearing.
The two children just looked shocked and confused, and both seemed rather upset. "Don't you know us?" the girl said fearfully, tears swimming in her green eyes.
"Yes! Of course we do," Molly assured the two children, as Harry and Ginny stood stock-still, staring at the two children. "Why don't you sit down, and tell us what happened, dears?" She said, ushering Fred, George, Charlie and Bill out of the room, leaving Ron, Hermione, Harry, Ginny, Arthur and herself, all of whom took a seat, still in shock, waiting for the children to start their story.
"Well …" The boy started, but the girl looked sharply at him then started talking.
"Well, Jamie woke me and Rose up, saying that Daddy and Uncle Ron wanted to play Quidditch. So we got dressed and went down for breakfast and Uncle Ron had burnt his hand –"
"OK, love. Just tell us what you touched," Arthur said, who had now regained his composure.
"Well I went into Daddy's study to get the Quaffle and gloves and saw a shiny necklace on a shelf. Jamie went up and got it and pushed a button, I grabbed his hand to get his finger off the button, and then when I looked around we were here. If it wasn't for him, we wouldn't be here. Why are we at the Burrow, why aren't we at home with Rose?" The little girl looked confused and lost, and Ginny's heart went out to her. Ginny was started to see what had happened, and what that meant.
Hermione gasped, realizing what they were. Ginny connected with Hermione, and they nodded. "Mrs. Weasley, can you give the children something to eat?" Hermione asked, as Molly nodded and went into the kitchen, coming back through with four cookies and two glasses of milk. She placed them in front of the children, who thanked her, and watched as Hermione put a strong silencing spell on the children.
"I think these children are from the future," Hermione said bluntly, as Ginny nodded.
"It's the only explanation," Ginny added, closing her eyes and taking deep breaths. 'I get married to Harry! And have his kids!' she thought, that mantra repeating itself over and over in her mind.
"You know what this means, don't you?" Hermione teased, but a warning look from Ginny stopped her short.
"So are you trying to tell me that those are my kids, my kids with Ginny, from the future?" Harry asked, disbelief evident in his voice.
"Is that so impossible?" Ginny challenged, looking at his with the same look in her eyes that her 'son' had had not moments ago.
"Well, up until around a minute ago, I thought that I wouldn't live past the age of eighteen, at the very most," Harry replied, glancing at Ginny, who had turned away from him and was looking at the children.
Nobody spoke, taken aback by Harry's words.
"What are their names?" She asked softly, not taking her eyes off the two as they ate.
"I think we've established that the boy is called 'Jamie'," Ron spoke for the first time. "And Jamie called the girl 'Lily' when he was talking to Ginny." he concluded.
"I think," Ginny said, her voice still soft and quiet so that many had to strain to hear her, "That 'Jamie' is short for James."
Hermione nodded enthusiastically.
"They're finishing up now. Maybe we should see what exactly they touched in the first place, so we can get them back to their own time," Arthur said, nodding at the children. "Harry, Ginny, I think you should act as if you are their parents. We don't want to unsettle them more than we already have done. They already think that their own family has no idea who they are."
Everyone nodded, including Harry and Ginny.
"Wait a minute," Fred spoke, just as Molly was about to end the silencing spell. "Both children mentioned another, 'Rose'. Who's Rose?"
"We'll have to ask them that, as well. Please do it subtly, remember, they're just very young children," Molly said to everyone, and removed the silencing charm around the children just as Jamie declared himself done.
"OK, then, children. Come and sit down," Arthur said, and both children settled themselves down beside him, one on either side. "What exactly did you touch?"
"I don't know," Lily said, shaking her head, making her red ponytail bob with the movement. "All I know is that it was gold and shiny and it was like a necklace. It had a globe-y thing on the end of a gold chain."
Both Harry and Hermione gasped, both realizing what Lily was describing.
"That sounds like a Time Turner to me, don't you think, Hermione?" Harry said, looking at Hermione, whose brow was furrowed.
"I thought Time Turners only went back hours, not years," she said, one finger to her chin in thought, "But maybe in the future they make them so they do go back years."
"Have you got the chain with you, kids?" Harry said, crossing over and kneeling down in front of his children.
Both shook their head no. "I dropped it," Jamie said in a small voice. "Lily took my finger of the button and I felt myself move, and I dropped it. It's still in Daddy's study at home."
"So someone should find it and be along to collect them any time," Ron said, before putting his hand to his mouth, aware of the mistake he'd made.
"Who's coming to collect us?" Lily said in a small voice, much the same as Jamie's, her eyes once again rapidly filling with tears.
"No-one, Lily," Ginny said, rushing to her and kneeling down beside Harry. "You're with us, you're not going anywhere," she said, as Lily flung herself into Ginny's arms, resting her head on her shoulder.
"So I guess we have to look after them until someone does find it," Harry whispered in Ginny's other ear. She nodded, her maternal instincts kicking in and she pressed a kiss into Lily's hair.
"I think we should take them outside, away from the family," Ginny said, whispering as well so Jamie or Lily did not hear. "And see how much information about them we can get. Maybe it'll be the key to them getting home safe."
"I don't know how to care for kids. I've never been around any before in my life," Harry said, biting his lip.
"Don't worry," Ginny replied, smiling. "By the sound of things you're an excellent father to them, so it'll come naturally."
Harry smiled, encouraged by Ginny's words, and crossed the room to Jamie, who was still sitting on the sofa. He whispered something in the boy's ear, and then picked him up, carrying him outside to join his 'mum' and sister.
Once outside, Harry sat on the bench with Ginny while the two children ran around playing tag, burning off energy from the cookies.
"It's eight o'clock," Ginny mentioned, glancing at her watch. "I imagine they'll be expecting us to send them to bed soon."
Harry nodded, then turned to Ginny. "I don't think this should change us," he said, turning his body so that he completely faced her.
"What do you mean?" She asked, mirroring his movement so she as well was facing him.
"Obviously at some point we get together, and have them."
"Stating the obvious there, Potter."
"That's why I said 'obviously'. Anyway, like I said, it's going to happen. But I don't think that we should get together because of this."
Ginny nodded. "Me too. I totally think we should get together on our own terms, not because of something that forced us together."
"I agree," Harry said, nodding, and smiled. "Twins. God, this time yesterday I still thought I was going to die soon!"
"I know." Ginny said, laughing as well. "I didn't know what would happen, if I'm honest. I mean, I hoped that everyone would survive, and we still don't know who does and who doesn't," She said. "At least we know Ron survives."
"Yeah. I don't think we should ask them who died."
"Nah. That'll unsettle them a lot."
"They're coming back over," Harry said warningly. "They look shattered."
James and Lily trooped up to them, both dead on their feet.
"C'mon, time for bed, I think," Harry said, picking up Lily as Ginny went for Jamie.
Lily shook her head. "I'm not tired," she said, but that statement was ended with a yawn.
"I can see that," Ginny laughed softly, smoothing down Jamie's messy hair that he had obviously inherited from Harry. "But we still have to go to bed."
Lily nodded, resting her head on Harry's shoulder and closing her eyes.
"Where shall we put them down?" Harry whispered to Ginny as she came up beside him, careful now as both children were asleep.
Ginny contemplated this for a moment. "Put them in my room. I've got my bed and Hermione's in my room, and it's a bit bigger than Ron's," she said, hoisting Jamie further up on her hip.
"Do you want me to take him?" Harry asked, nodding in the direction of Jamie.
"Nah, I'm fine." Ginny said. "But thanks, for asking."
"You looked like you were struggling." he said, shrugging his shoulders, then wincing as Lily stirred, but thankfully she fell right back asleep.
"I was not!" Ginny said, saying it as forcefully as she could when she was whispering. Harry laughing softly, as the small family trooped up the stairs.
Harry pushed open Ginny's door with his hip, and placed Lily on Ginny's bed as Ginny tucked Jamie into Hermione's. Harry felt a rush of affection for both of them, who looked almost identical as they slept. Pressing a light kiss to Lily's head and crossing to repeat the action with Jamie, Ginny doing to the same as Harry.
"Night, kids," Ginny muttered, flicking off the light and leaving the two of them asleep, so that they could recuperate for the next day when, hopefully, their rightful parents would be along to take them back to their own time.
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CHALLENGE LINES USED;
"If it wasn't for him/her, this …"
"You definitely know what this means, don't you?"