·
Almosts Lost to Time
·
A week without communication or data storage had Rynan worried. She knew that there was a chance that James had run into complications and that it might not be safe to contact her but he had never gone so long without giving her some kind of message that he was okay. She hated that Ron couldn't go with him this time. She hated that he went alone to America. She hated that she didn't go with him. They had reports that HYDRA could be operating there as their main base but at the same time, James was positive they were also operating out of Eastern Europe. They had yet to find any proof.
It passed Teddy's orientation day and there was still no word. It was time to issue the alert and accept the fact that something had happened to him.
It wasn't something she wanted to accept. They had spent two years with little problems; there was always an ickling in the back of her head that something was bound to happen, her life had been too quiet. She just wished it had happened to her or that she had went with him. If they had been together maybe they could've stopped whatever happened. At this point, she wasn't sure what had happened: if he was dead or if he was captured.
It was all Hermione could do to reassure her that they would find James. It had been years since Hermione and Ron had seen Rynan this devastated. It had been just after the war, when everyone was still recovering from their losses.
"Rynan! Just stop and think for one moment!" Hermione begged her best friend. "You have a child to think about; you can't go rushing off on a rescue mission halfway around the world!"
If there was one thing Hermione knew would always make Rynan come to her senses, it was reminding her about Teddy. She would never do anything to leave Teddy orphaned again. It was her one promise to Andromeda when she took custody of him.
Rynan settled down, falling into the armchair at Hermione's desk. She had never been the patient one, she worked best charging head in and making the plans as she went. But like Hermione had reminded her, this was an organization that seemed to thrive on secrets. They were still working on the information James had given them! HYDRA had, still is, remained hidden for over 60 years. This wasn't a mission she could go into unplanned. She could end up dead or worse, like James.
"I've wasted too much time already, Hermione! I should've looked for him when I didn't receive his first message." Her head was in her hands, threatening to pull out her black locks. "I knew something was wrong!"
Hermione approached her best friend hesitantly. While her temper had reigned in over the years, Rynan was still prone to lashing out.
"He knew the risks. We all did. But it was something he had to do." She crouched in front of the distraught woman, bringing her hands into hers. "We'll do everything we can to help you Rynan. We will find him."
Green eyes locked with brown before moving down to the swollen belly. "I can't ask you to take this risk, not when you have done so much already."
"This child…you know what it's like. I want the world to be a better place for her, not like what we had to grow up in. If HYDRA is operating and have James, I will doing everything I can to bring him home Rynan, not only because of what he means to you and Teddy but because he was my friend to."
That made Rynan pause. She had never taken a moment to realize that James had integrated so far into her life that her best friends thought of him as family.
"She right." A familiar voice spoke from the doorway. Ron had only heard the last part of the exchange but he was able to piece together the conversation. "Somehow he was able to make you smile and laugh when we had all given up hope of seeing it again. We owe him."
How she could ever doubt them baffled Rynan. These two, it seemed, would follow her to the ends of the world.
"How are you even down here? Don't you have paperwork from that Rowe raid a few days ago?" They were right, of course, she needed a level head if she wanted to be of any help to James.
Ron rubbed his head in embarrassment. "They don't know I'm gone."
Hermione marched over to her husband and slapped him over the head. "Honestly Ronald! What kind of example are you setting for your employees? You need to be more responsible."
Ron looked to Rynan for help who only backed away. They had made a pact during school: you incur the wrath of Hermione, you were on your own. "Sorry mate, you're on your own."
Her talk with Hermione had given Rynan an idea. It wasn't something she like doing but she was left without a choice now.
She was halfway down the hallway when the couple noticed she was gone. "Wait! Mom is demanding you come to dinner Saturday."
"Tell her I'm busy!"
"You can't keep avoiding her Rynan!"
"Its worked so far!" She's gone a record three weeks of ignoring Molly's invitations to dinner. It wasn't that she didn't like the Weasley matriarch, it was just tiresome batting off questions about when she was going to find someone to settle down with, start a family. She had gotten more persistent since Ron and Hermione had announced their pregnancy eight months ago.
"She invited Andromeda!"
Dammit…now she had to go. There were few things in life you don't refuse. Andromeda was one of those, especially when it involved her grandson.
A majority of the Weasley's didn't know about Bucky. They knew that she had taken someone in but not the extent, there was no way Teddy could keep that big of a secret. They wouldn't understand and selfishly, Rynan wanted to keep Bucky to herself. For those few years, they were the center of each others world. It was nice to have something like that. No expectations or favors; Bucky only ever wanted her to be Rynan and that's what she gave him.
If Molly knew the extent of their relationship, Rynan didn't doubt that she would've tried interfering somehow. That wasn't something she ever wanted to happen. She was perfectly content with her life and where she was at in it. Or at least, she had been.
With a sigh of resignation, Rynan didn't even bother to turn around. "What time?"
"We're eating outside, everyone's gonna be there. So 5:30ish." Ron had that smug look on his face, Rynan could just hear it in his voice. He loved it when his mother's wrath was focused elsewhere.
"Don't be that way Rynan. It'll be fun; besides, it's been ages since everyone's been together." Hermione assured her as she noticed her friend giving up. Honestly, the dinners weren't that bad.
Rynan let out another sigh, she had three days to mentally prepare herself for this dinner. There weren't nearly enough hours in the day for that to happen.
Waiting for the black haired woman to enter the elevator, Hermione threw her arms around her husband. They had been able to effectively distract the last Potter. Hermione knew it was wrong to manipulate her friend like that but drastic times.
"Now go contact your mother, Ronald. She needs to prepare dinner for Saturday. I'll let everyone know to come." Yes, they had lied about the dinner but it was a little white lie. If it got Rynan to come to family dinners, then did it really matter?
/
"Aunt Ry, when is James coming home?"
Rynan's emerald eyes flickered to her godson, unsure of how to answer his question. She knew Teddy had cared for James as much as she had so of course he would eventually ask about him, especially after he missed the first day of school. She had to be honest with him. She hadn't liked people lying to her and she wasn't going to start with Teddy, not with this.
Clearing her throat, Rynan knelt down to Teddy's level. "I'm not sure Teddy-bear. Remember when we told you bad men were after him, that he was leaving to fight them? I haven't heard back from him since he left. I'm looking for him though."
"Is he dead? Did HYDRA get him?" His emerald eyes reflected how terrified Rynan felt. What was more pressing was his knowledge of HYDRA. That was something James and her had sought to keep him from. When questioned, his only reply was that he heard her talking to Hermione about it one day. "Are they going to get us too?"
Cupping his face in her hands, she looked him directly in the eyes. "No one will ever touch you. You see this pendant? It's a portkey keyed into this rune." Rynan showed Teddy the back of her hand; where I must not tell lies was once scarred into her flesh was now a new mark. She had studied the Weasley clock to decipher how it knew the status of each member. After finding that out, she was able to transfer that into a run that flashed different colors to indicate his status. It was only keyed to show injuries, missing, and close to death. "If anything ever happens to you, this necklace will lead me to you."
"Why didn't you give one to James?"
How to explain stubborn adults to an eight year old.
"Sometimes we try to protect those we care about and that means letting them make their own decisions." That was the short version of the major blow up that occurred between the two adults when Rynan suggested James carry a portkey on his person. He refused point blank. If he was ever captured, that was a direct line to her anyone could exploit. "Hey, lets keep this between us for now. No need to worry Mrs. Weasley with this."
"Can I have hot chocolate every night?" Rynan was about to say no when what her eight year old godson was doing hit her.
"Every other night. You get hyper with too much chocolate and you don't need that before bed." She was stern, knowing Teddy would try to manipulate her words later. Not all of what he learned from James was good, she was coming to discover. "Now come, we have a dinner to get to."
/
Dinner wasn't as bad as she thought it would be, Andromeda had to cancel at the last minute, having come down with a case of Mumblemumps. Arriving had been overwhelming. Molly had taken a hold of her and refused to let go for 5 minutes, complaining about how she didn't visit or call. She could be dead for all they know!
"Sorry Mrs. Weasley. I just have a very busy schedule."
"Is this about that mystery man Ron has been going on about? Honestly Rynan dear, are you worried about introducing him to us? We'll be very welcoming, in fact, why isn't he with you?" Molly looked around, as if James would pop up somewhere.
Silence spread across the table as everyone waited for an answer. They too were interested in the new man in Rynan's life. To their knowledge she only ever had one boyfriend so this was big news for them.
Hermione choked on her food, not expecting Mrs. Weasley to bring James up so quickly. She shot worried glances between her husband and friend. They wanted this to be fun and reminding her of James just took all chances of that happening away.
"Mom, now's really not the best time." Ron tried to distract his mother, knowing this wasn't a conversation everyone, especially the kids, needed to hear.
Catching the tense shoulder, Fleur caught on and tried to help. "Oui, zhis converzation shoold be prevat."
"Oh, come you two. There's nothing wrong with introducing him to the family…"
"He's gone. It's complicated but he's missing." The table went completely quiet at that revelation. Molly looked horrified and saddened at her previous actions.
The silence didn't last long as every member of the family offered their support and help in the search. Rynan was elated as her heart swelled with warmth at the love she was being shown.
"There's something I actually need to talk with Percy about after dinner, if that's okay?" She didn't want to hold him and his family up if they had other engagements.
Percy nodded in understanding, already having ideas of what she might need him for.
"Now, can we please get back to this delicious dinner? I imagine it took ages to prepare?" Seeing that the conversation was over, everyone moved to defuse the lingering tension.
"I helped Grandma make the potatoes!" Victoire announced in pride causing everyone to chuckle.
A mumbling Teddy could only be heard by his godmother who struggled not to laugh.
"I set the table!" Little Dominque piped up, already trying to grab the attention from her sister.
Food was passed around and soon everyone was in deep conversations. Bill, Fleur, Percy, and Hermione were talking about the recent law amendments affecting how Gringotts operates and the disgruntlement of the goblins. Molly and Audrey were conversing over the differences between Molly and Lucy as they fed the one year old. Ron got pulled into a conversation with his father about his recommendation for promotion to Head of Magical Law Enforcement. Angelica, Ginny, George, Charlie, and Rynan were in deep discussions about the Quidditch League and what team looked to finish top. Ginny's Harpies were only a few points behind the leader but George was positive that Puddlemore was going to win the league again, especially with Wood having been promoted to first Keeper at the end of last season. The four who had played with Wood could only agree with that assessment. Teddy and Victoire were quietly discussing their favorite animals, Charlie having his dragon claws in the young Metamorphmagus.
The children were old enough to feed and entertain themselves while the adults talked. Teddy and Victoire, though two years apart, were already best of friends. Dominque, always admiring her older sister, was like glue to the six year old's side. Molly was shy but, little and outspoken Dominque could get her cousin to open up fairly quickly. Fred and Roxanne, being twins, were each others best friend. At three years old, they were already causing much mischief. Molly had to have both eyes on the two whenever they came over les they leave her a 'surprise'.
The conversations shifted as Audrey excused herself to clean up Lucy.
"Kids, why don't you go see if Aunt Angie will take you outside for a walk?" Arthur suggested. The kids all hurried to leave the table in anticipation to go play outside. Teddy moved at a more sedate pass. He was very astute and he could see that his godmother was uncomfortable.
Bless his caring soul; Rynan was seeing more and more of his parents in him every day. She gave him a reassuring smile as he let himself be led away by Victoire. Her attention turning back to the table, she had everyone's attention now. There was no way she was getting out of this, not without a massive row. Hermione set her an apologetic smile; this was not in the plan.
"Look, I took James in because he was in trouble. He had been captured in a war and tortured. He was able to escape and with the protection around my house, I figured it was the safest place for him. We weren't in a relationship, nothing like that." She stopped Mrs. Weasley's question before she could ask it.
Bill looked like he was thinking heavily. He was probably finding connections to a few questions she had asked him months ago to help hide them, mainly James.
"Teddy talked about him like crazy though. Never shut up about the man, James." Ginny decided to speak up. She was slightly hurt that Rynan hadn't told her any of this. They were supposed to be close, share secrets like this. Looking at Hermione and her brother, she could tell right away that they were in on this secret. "He made quite an impression on your godson."
It was foolish of her to assume that Teddy could prevent himself from talking about James. He may be smart but he was still only 8.
"It sounds like this young man was raising Teddy."
Rynan wanted to pull her hair out. This was exactly why she didn't come to these dinners. It ended up being 20 questions into her life! Not quite slamming her hand down, she continued on.
"Yes, he helped me look after Teddy and he was very good at it."
"And you never thought to bring him around? If someone is raising my grandson, I expect to be introduced at some point!" An offended Molly questioned.
"It's not like we were dating. He was a house guest at most. He came and went as he pleased."
"Wait-wait, what? Rynan Potter, Miss. Trust-No-One, let a stranger come and go whenever he pleased?" George teased from next to Rynan, having taken his wife's empty chair.
Ron finally spoke up to her defense. "It wasn't like that. We did extensive background checks and Rynan had him see a psychologist before she let him stay. It wasn't just a random decision."
Molly turned her attention to her youngest son. "So you knew about this man as well and never thought to say anything?"
"It wasn't our place Mrs. Weasley. I met James a handful of times. He was very pleasant and wonderful with Teddy but he wasn't capable of interacting, let alone meeting a family of this size. He was still recovering from his capture and trying to rediscover himself. It wasn't so much Rynan didn't want to but that he wasn't prepared."
"Well, I can imagine why you wanted to have a family dinner on such short notice." Molly turned from her children to console the devastated Rynan, in her mind at least. "You can always stay here if you want dear."
Hermione winced at Mrs. Weasley's words. They had been avoiding that. She didn't know how Rynan would react to the set up. Honestly, they were just trying to do what they thought was best for Rynan. She couldn't waste her life away avoiding everyone and everything. She can be very one track minded.
Rynan caught that first bit and shot a searching look to Ron, he was the easier of the two to crack. "You mean you didn't plan this?"
"No dear. Ron came over just a few days ago, suggesting we have a family dinner together. He was right, it has been too long."
A stab of anger shot through her body at the lie she had been told. She wouldn't ruin the night by acting on it though. Instead she turned an overly pleseant smile to Molly. "You're right Mrs. Weasley, it's nice to be around family."
Not giving her friends a second glance, she walked towards Percy, wanting to get the night over with already.
Her conversation with Percy went well, he understood where she was coming from and what her plans concerning the future were. He knew it was only going to be temporary on his part but permanent on hers. This wasn't a life he ever pictured Rynan having while they had been at Hogwarts. She wasn't made for this world.
Bidding her goodnight, Rynan was the first to leave.
It wasn't too late when they arrived back at their London flat so Rynan let Teddy stay up. The next day was Sunday, they didn't have anywhere to be so it was fine if he stayed up past his bedtime. Besides, she had gotten him Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, a movie he had been dying to see ever since they missed it in theaters. Popping some popcorn, Rynan charmed the room dark and arranged the blankets into a fort to watch the movie.
Looking at Teddy, she found herself questioning her recent actions. What if she hurt Teddy? What if something happened to her and she left Teddy all alone again? She found slumber more conflicted than being awake.
/
She found herself stuck in repetition. There were no leads and she couldn't do anything while an MP. Many days found her wishing to drop everything in the Muggle World and return to the Wizarding World for good; it was difficult leading two lives.
It was months later that the opportunity presented itself and Rynan left for the US to track James from his last digital location. She hoped she could gather more information with solid, tangible evidence instead of relying on the trace of his cellphone that had been disconnected the same time he vanished.
International portkey was the only form of magical transportation that was somewhat safe and fast. Apparating across almost 6,000 km of open sea was not safe and there were stories of wizards and witches who had tried and were never heard from again.
Securing a portkey was easy; a white lie never hurt anyone and it did help when the worker in the Department of Magical Transportation was a major fanboy of the Girl Who Lived. It was early morning, the sun not even on the horizon, when she arrived in New York. She would've liked to have had a direct trip to DC but according to laws, all magical being entering the country had to go through MACUSA for proper registration and permit papers, not that she planned on doing any of that. She was on a mission and the less people who knew of it the better. Unfortunately, she greatly underestimated the ability of MACUSA and someone was already there waiting for her when the portkey dropped her off. With great reluctance, she allowed the Auror to lead her to Woolworth Building where the President was waiting for her. The man exuded power and confidence and Rynan remembered him from the last ICW meeting in Britain. The International Magical Community was still on high alert even almost a decade after Voldemort's defeat. The non-magical community was growing increasingly aware of their presence and there were fears of exposure. There was only so much that could be written off and with the death and destruction wrought by Voldemort and his supporters, the eyes had turned to them.
Things had settled down since then but she remembered the President was an adamant supporter in international involvement in anything remotely related to breaches in the Statute of Secrecy. While Rynan didn't agree much with the man's view on Muggles, he seemed like a great leader.
"Ms. Potter! Welcome to America, I hope your trip was well?" President Tagarelli welcomed Rynan with a warm handshake. She took his hand with a tight smile. She hadn't known he was notified of her arrival. There went her secrecy.
"Mister President." Rynan wished Hermione was here, she was an expert at delicate conversations. "I wasn't expecting my arrival to create such a disturbance." Did that sound insulting, accusing? Merlin, she hoped not.
President Tagarelli took it in stride, laughing off her question. "When I received word that the Rynan Potter was finally visiting the States, I had to make sure you received a proper welcome!"
Rynan cringed, this is what she had been hoping to avoid. "Right. I'm sorry, I'd love to stay and talk but I have urgent business that needs taken care of in Washington D.C."
"Ah, yes. Your application was lacking a specific reason for your visit. Even well-known magicals are required to state their purpose and duration when they enter the country. It's how we keep track of the magical activity." His eyes gained a gleam when he started his interrogation. Rynan felt like she was a student again, being scolded by McGonagall. She was treading on thin ice but Rynan wasn't about to be talked down to by this man.
"I'm actually here on official business. If you remember, I am a part of the Muggle –I'm sorry, No-Maj– Parliament over in Britain. We are currently in talks with our American counter-parts to set up a joint committee for-." President Tagarelli cut her off before she could explain any further.
"Yes, yes. You joined the No-Maj government instead of taking a place in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. I can't see why when you could be a great asset in your ministry." Rynan could hear his contempt for the muggles in his voice. He was just like all the others who resented her decision to work in the muggle world. Unconcerned with his views, Rynan saw her plan working perfectly. "And how long will you be staying?"
Rynan held back a smirk. "Only a couple of days if everything goes as planned. Than back home to London." She gave him a cheerful smile, already getting a feeling that the sooner she was gone, the better.
"What a shame. Maybe your next visit can be for pleasure? I'm sure Headmaster Fontaine would love for you to visit Ilvermorny at some point, it is the greatest wizarding school in the world after all."
"I would love to but I fear we must agree to disagree with that. To each their own, right?"
Tagarelli chuckled at that and gave Potter a once over. She was not what he had been expecting. "I guess we will. If you can just fill out these Wand Permit papers, I can have you escorted out so you can be on your way." He pulled out copies from the Federal Wand Permit Office that she had neglected to fill our beforehand, as was required.
Rynan acquiesced to their request, wanting to get on with her mission. If she obliged to their rules, hopefully they wouldn't have her tailed. That was the last thing she needed as she looked for James. All she could do was hope that her reputation held some merit here in the States.
Leaving, Rynan was able to admire the beauty of MACUSA that she had missed coming in. The building was the exact opposite of the Ministry of Magic. The giant threat monitor commanded attention from her. Studying it, she was greatly reminded of the Weasley Family clock. The Auror leading her out noticed her distraction.
"It measures the magical exposure threat level. If you look, it's been oscillating between Level 3 and 4 for the past decade. There's much concern over America."
Rynan studied it more, she could make out the different levels along with the counter on the side. "Has it ever reached the Emergency Level 6?"
"We've hit a Level 5 a hand full of times this past century but only once have we ever reached a Level 6. The magical world had been exposed and it was only thanks to the help of one of your people, that we were able to get through it." The Auror, she had yet to learn his name, talked as if the event had greatly affected him but she couldn't come up with anything in recent history that would've exposed the Wizardng World. Based on her expression, her companion could tell. "It was 1926 and an Obscurus was attacking the city. Grindelwald had impersonated our Director of Magical Security and his actions exposed magic to the no-maj of the city. The ICW was present in the city at the time and everyone feared that our world was exposed and war was coming."
"The magical world is exposed to muggles and all Binns talked about was Goblin Wars?" Rynan muttered in disbelief. Since she had left Hogwarts, she had started to see that their education in the history of their world was sorely lacking.
"Mr. Scamander, with his thunderbird and an unidentified potion, was able to oblivate the entire city of their memories of magic. He saved our world from war."
That was quite a tale. She wondered why she had never heard of it considering that it was a British wizard that saved the day. Then again, they hadn't learned much about Gellert Grindelwald either. "Thank you…I'm sorry, I don't think I ever got your name."
"Kowalski, ma'am, Bernard Kowalski."
"Well, it was nice meeting with you Auror Kowalski. I really must be going now. Don't want to be late."
Bernard directed her towards the revolving doors, giving her final instructions for her stay in the States.
"Now, your permit is only good for one year. If you plan on coming back any time after, you will need to fill out new paperwork. We do require all wizards and witches to check in when they enter the country."
Rynan allowed a laugh to escape. The man was uncommonly friendly and she could tell that this was a rehearsed line. "So, just follow the rules? Rules were never really my thing, I'm afraid. This doesn't mean I'll be followed, will it?"
"Only if you don't follow the law, Ms. Potter." Kowalski replied, a twinkle in his eyes at her challenge. He knew another who never really seemed to follow the rules.
Walking onto the streets of New York, she was hit with the chilly early spring air. She had wasted an hour in there with political nonsense. Entering the nearby ally, she apparated to Washington DC. There was much to do with very little time.
·
·
·
