It seemed like hours had passed before Severus and Draco returned. They both landed back into the parlor where everyone had congregated. The whole room buzzed with excitement and questions.
"What's his next move?"
"What happened?"
"Have they mobilized?"
"Where did you meet him?"
The room calmed down and it got very quiet. Severus wore a grim look on his face not left unnoticed by Dumbledore. "Severus?"
"He knows that we have guests and he believes that Potter is distracted," he said, looking at Harry.
"I'm not distracted by them," Harry said defensively.
"Potter, he can still read some of your thoughts. He senses that they are getting in the way," Severus said, stepping towards him. He grabbed Harry's shirt collar and pulled him close. "Don't lie to me, Potter. Are they bothering you?"
Harry shoved him away. "I'm not distracted. I'm a little thrown off," he bit out and turned to Temima and Ezekiel. "I'm thrown off because though they seem like strangers, they seem so familiar to me. I feel like they're hiding something from us."
Severus looked at them. Ezekiel gulped. "Well, are you?" he inquired.
"Are we what?" Temima asked, eyeing him.
"Are you hiding anything? Do you have any secrets? Who are you?" he asked, walking up to them, his beady eyes piercing theirs.
Dumbledore touched Severus' shoulder and looked at him. "Severus, you're making it sound like they are trying to hurt our cause. That is quite accusatory of you," he said humbly.
"He's just concerned, Professor. What if they aren't who they say they are?" Harry said anxiously.
"Do you not trust my judgment, Harry?" Dumbledore eyed him questionly.
"No, I do sir. It's just that my life and everyone else's in this room are riding on my decisions. It's a lot of pressure. I am the one he wants and you all have come together and are risking your lives when it is unnecessary for you to do so. But yet, you all would still lay down your lives for me. I just don't want some strangers' random appearance to destroy what we have worked to achieve," he said finally and then sat down on the sofa.
Dumbledore understood his young pupil's concerns and gave him a nod. "I know you have a lot on your plate, Harry. But I would never impose or threaten your mission with people who were set out to harm you. In fact, I believe that they want Voldemort gone more than you do sometimes," he said and looked at Temima. "Am I right, Miss Malfoy?"
Temima's eyes widened and everyone in the room gasped, turning their eyes to her and Ezekiel. Draco had grabbed onto the door frame and was staring wide-eyed at Temima. Temima was awe-struck, putting her hand on her chest and grabbing her necklace. "Dumbledore..." she started breathlessly.
"Now now, Temima. This is perfectly all right. You can tell them and you will still exist after the story is over. You too, Mr. Longbottom," Dumbledore said reassuringly with a smile.
Temima cleared the knot in her throat and looked at Draco and then at Hermione and then at the floor. "My name is Temima Franca Malfoy. My birth isn't set to happen for another two years. My parents aren't even together yet. They both hate each other right now, actually," she said quietly.
"You're from the future?" Luna said intrigued.
"Yes. Ezekiel and I both are. We have come back twenty years so that we may stop Voldemort now and save all of your lives."
"What? Are we dead in your time?" Neville asked, his tone grim.
"Most of you are, yes. Only one of you in this room is still alive twenty years from now," she said sadly and looked up at Draco. "My father."
Draco cocked a brow and stared at her. "So I'm your father?" Draco said quietly.
"Yes you are. I would've thought my looks would have given it away before I had to tell you. And to be honest, I don't like you very much now or then. You are not what you think you're going to be in twenty years. You told my mum once that you never wanted to be your father but that soon changed when I was very little. It turns out that you are more concerned with pleasing him than in doing what's right."
"Who is your mother?" he said, standing up and raising his voice.
Temima looked at Dumbledore with uncertainty. His eyes twinkled and he nodded to her. "My mother is Hermione Granger-Malfoy," she said proudly and looked into his eyes. "And you are going to murder her when I am fifteen years old and you are also going to give me this." She lifted up her sleeve, revealing the white scar of her Dark Mark.
Draco stumbled back and landed on the floor. Everyone in the room stirred and looked at him, anger growing in all of them. He panted and ran his fingers through his hair. Hermione's eyes flared up and she looked at Temima. "Are you sure you're from the future? Because I would never marry that foul git. And Draco would never betray us," she said, folding her arms.
"It's all true, Miss Granger. You and Mr. Malfoy are going to fall in love," Dumbledore said. Draco audibly gulped
"And he's also going to betray us," Ron said angrily, approaching him and grabbing his arm. "Are you betraying us now, you bastard?"
"Get your paws off me, Weasley! I have no plans to betray the Order. She is lying! She's crazy!" he barked as he stood up and pointed at her.
"Watch it there, Malfoy! Temima has never lied and she wouldn't lie about this! We have risked our lives trying to stop you from destroying your family and friends. You should be thanking her!" Ezekiel yelled, storming up to him.
"And who are you, Mr. Longbottom? I can only guess who your father is. So now that we all know her story, what's yours?" Draco said, shoving him.
"My father is a great man who you will have killed off along with my mother!" he said, shoving him to the floor. Tears formed in his eyes. "My father will die at your hand and my mother will be tortured and butchered like meat by your minions. I saw it happen and I wanted to hate you. Yet here I am, fighting to protect your pompous arse so that way the world will be good again!"
Ezekiel fell back against the wall and sobbed. Temima rushed over to him and stroked his hair. She looked up at Draco who was still sitting on the floor. "Do you believe us now? Is this not enough for you to see? You are going to kill people in this room if we do not fix the world now," Temima said and looked away from him.
Everyone watched them for a long time as Ezekiel sobbed quietly. Hermione finally stepped out of the group and held out her hand to Draco and helped him up. Draco looked at her with a confused expression but she smiles at him. "I'm not going to let you kill me, Malfoy. We have to help them," she said honestly.
Draco nodded in understanding and looked at everyone else. He cleared his throat and looked at his future daughter and the future Longbottom offspring. "What do we need to do to prevent that future from happening?" he asked finally.
"Well first," Temima started and looked at Harry. "Harry, we have to save your life."