Sneaking through the empty corridors and vast hallways, the three of them finally made their way past the Gryfinndor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw common rooms. Hermione breathed a sigh of relief, feeling glad she could guide the two children with much more ease, since the chances that she would meet any unwelcome intruders was considerably lowered.
It took a little longer than she had expected to get there, but she couldn't be blamed. She had clearly underestimated the extreme task of taking two young children on a 'walk'. With Katia skipping happily next to her and singing whimsically to herself, causing Hermione's wrist to be twisted in a rather uncomfortable position, all the while trying to maintain a steady hold on the increasingly fidgety toddler in her arms, made a simple 'walk' turn into a taxing experience. Not to mention that Xander wasn't exactly light, added an extra strain to her arms.
Throughout the journey there, Katia sang an odd-sort of song, a pieced together variation of stanzas from various nursery rhymes, classic favorites like 'Twinkle, twinkle little stars', children songs and whole other kinds Hermione had never heard before. Her floaty, high singsong voice echoed sweetly in the large empty spaces, the various songs interpreted amusingly in her four-year old pronunciation and diction.
Though Hermione didn't deny that she could listen to her daughter all day and not grow tired, and the wide smile on her face didn't wane, it was tough trying to get the small girl to contain her joy and excitement and constantly try to get her to understand it was necessary to keep quiet. And it was more difficult, looking at the pure happiness on her carefree face and Hermione didn't wish to dampen her spirits.
So at last they arrived in a lonely passage and running her eyes swiftly down the stonewall, she took turns standing in front of different sections, thinking hard about what she wanted, before finally, a dark wooden door appeared silently.
Taking the handle firmly, she pushed open the door and was greatly rewarded to see a low table with small chairs, a fairly large playpen with a vibrant assortment of toys inside, and a whole lot of other wonderful things. She was left quite speechless.
Hermione quickly set Xander inside the playpen, leaving Katia to run straight for a pile of dolls at a corner, squealing with pleasure.
She took a few seconds to scan the room, before she got down to work. A small-scale bathroom was in a corner, completely equipped with all furnishings and personal toiletries. On top of the table sat an array of fruits; bananas, strawberries, apples and raisins, along with bowls of cereal, steaming porridge, to be accompanied by jugs of milk, treacle, juice and a sugar bowl. A stout pot of hot tea was there as well, plus napkins, cutlery and utensils. She spied a cupboard in a corner, side by side with a full-length mirror and a dressing table, with a colorful display of hair ties, clips, ribbons and what have you, not to mention brushes, and all sorts of magical hair potions. There were even tiny shoes on the floor!
Hermione grinned gleefully to herself. Deciding that feeding them first was best, since she didn't know how prone they were to spit their food out or take ages to swallow one mouthful, leaving whole dribbles down their clothes. She dragged over a high chair and secured Xander in it, motioning for Katia to come sit down. It didn't take her long to find out their different food preferences.
When she started to slice a banana into a bowl of cereal for Katia, she was greeted with a high-pitched whine of refusal. Initially worried that something unpleasant had happened, she soon began to discern what was truly wrong.
"I don't want this mummy…bananas are icky thingies!" she shook her head adamantly, wrinkling her nose.
Not wanting another repetition of the night before, she scooped out the yellow slices and switched to using strawberries and rasins instead.
Wiping her hands, she placed the plastic bowl of cereal in front of her daughter. "Here, eat quickly sweetheart, but chew carefully ok? Mummy will feed your brother now, try not to spill anything…here, take the spoon…" she tucked a napkin in the collar of her jumper, before leaving her to her own devices.
Preparing the same thing except in a smaller portion for Xander, she stirred it momentarily to soften the crispy cereal. Then she placed the bowl on the table that came with the high chair and held up a spoonful of breakfast to his mouth. But making a little noise of irritation and dislike, he pushed the spoon away, spilling its contents on the table, some splashing down Hermione's robes. Telling herself to be patient, she tried again, hoping he would cooperate. No such luck.
Slightly frustrated now, she mopped up the split milk on the table and soaked up the stains on her robe with napkins. She tried once more, only to achieve the same results.
Sighing exasperatedly, she looked at him helplessly. "What do you want, sweetheart?"
"Poorie. Poorie!" came his unexpected reply.
"What's that sweetheart? "she leaned in to try and grasp understanding. He squirmed urgently in his chair, wriggling. "Poorie, poorie!"
"He means porridge mummy! Xander hates cereal! Don't you remember mummy?" Katia supplied helpfully, in all solemnity, her blue eyes big and wide.
"Oh. Porridge. I see. Thanks sweetheart." She got to preparing a bowl of the said food, pouring some treacle on top, giving Xander a bemused look. She cast a cooling spell on the bowl and a watery blue, quivering matter coated the bowl for a few seconds, before Hermione lifted her wand and the coating fell away.
"Now will you eat?" she questioned teasingly, all previous feelings of frustration ebbing away as he nodded gravely and opened his mouth.
There were no more problems encountered after successfully getting Xander to partake in his first mouthful and things went on smoothly. When they were done, she waved her wand over the dirty bowls. "Scourgify."
In a flash they were bright and shiny, squeaky clean and the table cleared of all sticky residues and spills.
She bathed them quickly, Katia first, then Xander, washing their fine baby hair, having a whale of a time as they giggled and squealed under the running water and abundant bubbles. In the process, she herself got quite wet but all was solved when she opened the closet and found another set of robes amongst the piles of children's' wear.
Usually Hermione wasn't much of a clothes antic or clothes lover, but it took her extraordinarily long to pick their clothes. There were just so many, so many miniature versions of clothing for all occasions imaginable. She had a rather fun time going through the pile, hardly controlling her own girlish squeals when she chanced upon a particularly lovely item.
Finally they were all dressed, Xander in brown corduroys, a long sleeved shirt and a hooded sweater in dark red pulled over his spiky hair. Katia was dressed in black leggings, an adorable pleated skirt and a thick white turtleneck. A red ribbon was tied around her head, fashioned into a headband, something that she had intently insisted on.
She knew she really shouldn't have spent so much time on their appearance, but to her seventeen year old self, her own days of childhood and play a wistful memory, it was very much like dressing her dolls once again.
It was now seven twenty five, and rushing through the hallways once more, the cold November air snaring her senses refreshingly, she came to a halt in front of Mcgonagall's room, knocking sharply on her door. The professor didn't take long to answer, though it took much self-control on Hermione's part to stifle her laughter, seeing the rare sight of the prim professor in curlers and a robe.
"Miss Granger, is something the matter? Who are these children?" Professor Mcgonagall asked worriedly, concern in her eyes, a deep frown on her forehead.
"Oh no Professor, nothing terrible has happened, though I was hoping to come in. There have been some..." she faltered, thinking of a suitable way to phrase it, "odd appearances, and I'm not too sure how to deal with it." She lowered her voice a notch, signaling pointedly to the children with her eyes.
"Yes, yes. Certainly Miss Granger. Come in…"
She ushered the children in, eager to get them hidden out of sight before the bleary students made their way to the common bathrooms.
Professor Mcgonagall showed them to the chairs while she hurried to, according to her, 'make herself more presentable'. In an astonishing time of ten minutes, she came out of her bathroom, hair pulled neatly into a tight bun, decked primly in dark green robes.
"Now, Miss Granger, explain yourself."
Hermione recounted everything, showed her the picture, leaving out the unnecessary details of how badly Malfoy had taken it and the part about her crying and especially the part that they had slept in his room. She didn't think she'd be able look the professor in the eye if she did.
She took a deep breath, completing her final sentence and waited expectantly for an answer.
"Miss Granger…you and Mister Malfoy, I…" she began, the shock and surprise evident in her tone and eyes. Professor Mcgonagall paused before she started again, taking a whole different approach after second thought.
"Miss Granger, have you heard of a Reversus tempus before?" she paused, waiting for a reply.
Hermione shook her head, curious.
"A Reversus tempus works in a way similar to that of a port key, except it take whoever who touches it back in time, a pre-arranged time. It is very rare, for it takes one with great and extraordinary magical abilities, not to mention the right circumstances and conditions to transform an object into a Reversus tempus. It is in most cases, used as a protection or defense device. The pre-set functioning of a Reversus tempus, however, is only activated when something undesired takes place."
Hermione nodded slowly; the word undesired came with many connotations.
"I can almost surely say that this is photograph is a Reversus tempus, but most Reversus tempus come with their own individual magical differences, and each one varies according to the circumstances it was used and its maker. I'm not able to reveal more about this one without using highly powerful spells, but it's best if we go to Dumbledore." She nodded slightly to Hermione, and though she didn't wear a frown, it was the puzzled and worried expression in her eyes that didn't fool her, and the uneasy feeling of being pushed into a lion's den, left alone to her defences settled in the pit of her stomach, and an unnatural sort of pain throbbed in her heart.
As she turned to guide the children to the door, another worry taking place in her mind that by now everyone would be up and about, dashing through the freezing hallways in their robes to get a cubicle in the bathroom, she heard the professor call.
"Wait! We don't want anyone to see you yet," clearly implying the children. "I'll need to disillusion you."
Before Hermione could open her mouth and ask, she felt a sharp rap on her head with a wand and strangely enough, the sensation that something cold was running down from that point all over her body. She gaped noiselessly at herself, speechless at how she now blended into the surroundings. Her legs were the plush red couches and the top half was the cream ivory wallpaper. Whirling around quickly, she was greeted with a similar sight of the two children.
Instead of being struck into awe and silence however, Katia was shrieking delightedly at her newfound transformation, seeming to think it was the most marvelous thing in the world. It took a while to calm her down, before the four of them stepped out into the bustling hallway of shouts and bedroom slippers shuffling noisily on the stone floor.
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After Mcgonagall had muttered the password to enter- "Butter toffees" it was, Hermione watched as the stone phoenix rose up to reveal a winding staircase. They stepped into the Headmaster's office, and this time Hermione didn't need to shush the children. They were gazing reverently around, gaping soundlessly at the countless moving photographs and magical whirring objects placed about. She could understand. Anyone who had stepped into the Headmaster's office for the first time would be silenced by the invisible power and knowing that seemed to exude from the room.
Almost as though he had procured from thin air, Dumbledore appeared behind a large bookcase, with Fawkes perched majestically on one arm.
"Ah Minerva, Miss Granger, and your two guests?" he greeted them in his solemn manner, though his eyes twinkled and his lips were in a knowing smile.
She was quite amazed. It was remarkable how he knew that there were four people in the room, not just one. At the same time, she felt another hard rap on her head and this time, it seemed like hot water was flowing down her head and a tingle of fascination coursed through her as she watched as she took on her original form and color.
But to Katia, it was like a game to her. Not knowing that the tall aged wizard before her was regarded as one of the greatest wizards of all time, or was to be greatly admired and respected at all times, she squealed and clapped her hands excitedly, running towards him with a surprised but pleased "Oomph!" by Dumbledore as she flew against him.
"Ooo, ooo! Look, mummy! Look at his pretty bird! Why does his bird have such a looong tail mummy? And look at this nice robe! It's so pretty!" she trilled in one breath, her eyes dancing with estacsy.
Hermione was horrified, and she stood frozen at her spot as the precocious girl exclaimed happily. Professor Mcgonagall likewise, was aghast, too shocked for words.
Abruptly she stopped her exclamations, looking gravely with all solemnity at the old wizard, who had picked her up and sat down on a soft couch.
"I like you." She nodded her head seriously, after thinking carefully and coming to a firm decision. "Yes, yes. You're a nice old man." She looked thoroughly pleased with herself and broke out in a rapturous beam.
Hermione couldn't have been more mortified. It was then she broke out of her stupor and rushed over to the Headmaster, passing Xander to an astounded Professor Mcgonagall, who hadn't handled any child below the age of eleven in the past thirty years since she had begun teaching.
"I'm so sorry! I-I promise she won't do such a thing again! I'm so sorry!" she rushed on, grabbing Katia off, inwardly so embarrassed that she wished the floor would open up and swallow her.
Dumbledore only laughed and smiled in a grandfatherly fashion that comforted the poor Hermione.
"There is no need for apologies Miss Granger. I must say it was certainly nice to know I am a nice old man. It's been a long time since I've held a child. Children…ahh, they are the hope for our future. "He said kindly, his expressive warm voice making Hermione think of a lovely cup of hot chocolate.
He smiled knowingly at her and she let out a sigh of relief, though she clutched Katia tighter in her arms, determined not to let her run about again.
"So," he said as he settled down in his high-backed chair, with Fawkes perched elegantly by him, "What is it that you have come to me about, Minerva?"
"Yes, yes…Albus, remember the Reversus tempus? It seems that these two children have been transported back from the future to their parents as they were before. Miss Granger is their mother and Mister Malfoy, their father."
A tiniest trace of humor and triumph appeared in his twinkling eyes, but nevertheless he said nothing of it, and leaned back to allow Professor Mcgonagall to continue.
"Well Albus, according the girl's account, as Miss Granger has told me, it seems this photograph is a Reversus tempus. But I don't know anymore about it Albus, for I didn't want to try the spells before you saw it as it is first. Here Albus…" she handed to him the photograph that she had tucked safely in the pocket of her robes, giving him the same twisted expression of worry, fear and puzzlement that Hermione had seen just minutes ago.
Dumbledore looked her straight in the eye, but let no emotion or understanding slip as he took possession of the photograph. Studying it for a few moments, his eyes looked up to meet Hermione's, giving her another one of those oddly amused but understanding looks, like a kindly old grandfather who sees and knows things, but says nothing of it.
Her cheeks colored the hue of a ripe apple, she gave him a weak smile and looked away, as though she were afraid he might read her thoughts any moment.
"Ahh…a family!" he exclaimed knowingly in his soft-spoken manner, the twinkle in his eyes, if possible, growing brighter.
Taking out his wand, he pointed it at the back of the photograph. " Desino absconditus."
At once the photograph glowed a brilliant white, then it dimmed as words started to form as though it was being carved through the front, exposing more and more white light as each new word broke through. Then the light faded away altogether when it seemed that there was no more to reveal.
Dumbledore read the hidden message carefully, his eyes becoming grave and serious, thinking deeply. Then with a great sigh, he leaned over and reached out to Hermione, the photograph in hand.
"Miss Granger, I believe you'll want to see this."
Rather startled and fearful of what it read that had the power to bedim the sparkle in his eyes, she grasped the thin object with slightly trembling hands.
Running her eyes carefully and slowly across each word, not wanting to miss anything, her eyes widened as she took in more and more staggering nuggets of information till finally she slumped back in her seat, rather blown away into dumbness by all the information that had yet to be digested by her brain.
"Now do you understand Miss Granger?"
She nodded mutely, positively shell-shocked. In her wildest dreams, never had she imagined that it had all happened because of this…
Wordlessly she handed the photograph to Professor Mcgonagall, who was sitting down with Xander next to her.
"My goodness... Merlin…why…" she heard the older woman gasp and be reduced to the same state of shock as her voice trailed away.
"Do you know what this means Minerva? Miss Granger, nothing is more valuable than knowing a thing before it happens, but neither is there anything more dangerous. Can you see what would happen if this information was passed to the wrong hands? The chaos it would cause will be severe."
"Of course, Albus. But-but what shall we do? The students must never know of this, but Draco Malfoy…He is-" Professor Mcgonagall started, having regained control of her vocal cords, but stopped at the warning look Dumbledore gave her.
Hermione could have guessed what it was all about. Malfoy was connected to Death Eaters. Malfoy was related to a Death Eater. Malfoy was going to be a Death Eater. Malfoy was a Death Eater. These were no secrets amongst the students.
To her, the real cause for outroar would be if someone had discovered it was all a sham, that Malfoy wasn't in any remote way connected to a Death Eater. Now that would be the biggest joke of the century.
"We must keep this a secret Minerva. You, me, Miss Granger and Mister Malfoy. No one must know yet, until I have time to sort things out. This is of utmost importance." His gaze slid from the professor to Hermione and they both nodded silently in understanding.
"Professor Dumbledore…" she finally remembered the matter of urgency. "What about the children? Is there any way we can return them back?"
"I'm afraid not, Miss Granger. You see, a Reversus tempus works in complicated ways. It does not come with built-in magical spells as safety precautions. This is what makes it a highly risky and even dangerous protection spell, though if it succeeds, it is one of the hardest protection spells to break. You must be thankful the children ended up where you and Mister Malfoy had planned for them to. But unfortunately, there is nothing we can do now, except to wait. When things return to normal in the future, the children will find themselves back with you and Mister Malfoy in the future."
"Oh." Hermione wasn't sure what to make of this. She didn't know if she should feel glad or sad. For one thing, though she had only been with them for a day, she had already grown extremely fond of them. On the other hand, it meant she would be forced to co-operate with Malfoy and possibly exchange more than five sentences a day.
"Well, what am I going to do while we have classes? I can't take them along with me and Malfoy…well he…" she stopped. She supposed Dumbledore got the picture.
"Ahh yes. That is a problem. Minerva, is anyone available?"
"It is unlikely Albus. I'm not too sure, but we could ask Poppy, though we'll need to explain things." She said, a deep frown of concentration etched on her face.
"It is a good idea. Poppy can be trusted. In time the rest of the staff will know. Well Miss Granger," he said warmly, pausing to take a look at his clock on the wall through the half-moons of his glasses, giving him a comically wise look, "I suggest you take them now before Mister Potter and Mister Weasley miss you at breakfast. I'll explain to Poppy first. Meanwhile, I suggest leaving this here," he patted the photograph on his desk, " and I'll see you and Mister Malfoy at six." He smiled.
Crack.
And he had disapperated to the Infirmary.
Professor Mcgonagall stirred, shaking her head slightly. It was obvious her mind was still distracted by the message scrawled at the back of the photograph. Awkwardly she carried up Xander and passed him to Hermione.
"Well Miss Granger, you'll be needing this before you go." Another sharp rap on her head and the children's head and they left the Headmaster's office.
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This may come as a shock to you. If our children have been safely transported back to you, you'll probably figure things out. We decided on this time for them to be transported back as you were both past the stage of physical displays of your dislike for each other.
We won the Great War only a few years ago but there are still many things that need to be resolved and taken care of. Some Death Eaters are still alive and active, though Voldemort has ceased to exist. He is dead and powerful spells have been cast to prevent him from ever returning to life again. As the chances of us being attacked or taken away are still high, we created a Reversus tempus to ensure that our children would have a chance to be safe. We are highly trained and will do our best to return home alive; and that's when Katia and Xander will return home to us.
Perhaps you may not accept it now, that we love each other and got married, but please, please try to put up with each other for the sake of our children, your future children. Don't kill yourselves with your stubbornness. Take care and just try to get to know each other. It's really not as bad as you think.
Hermione and Draco.
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Thank you all for the lovely reviews. More than a hundred! Wow! It's better than anything I expected. Thanks once again! I hope you like this. It took me ages to write than usual. I was planning on stopping way before this, but since most of you wanted a longer chapter, I continued, though this is possibly too long! I decided to leave the message till the last bit, to just add a little more anticipation to it. Hope you like it. Also, I'm not too sure that's how the Room of Requirement actually appears, because I can't seem to find it's mention in the books. But hopefully it's correct?
Those new words that I used for spells and such are Latin, though I'm not hundred percent I used them correctly or got them right. So those who know Latin thoroughly please don't blame me! I checked it all up on a Latin dictionary, but here are just the direct translations, though some of them have more than one meaning.
reversus- means to come back, to return. tempus- is time. desino- is to cease or stop. absconditus- is hidden or concealed.
