AN - Hi friends! I hope that you enjoy this chapter. I think that there will be two more chapters in this segment, and I'm currently working on the next one - thanks for your support! I love getting notifications that people have followed or favourited. It means so much! J K Rowling is a genius and I'm merely a fan. Thank you for reading.

- Chapter Ten - June 21 1929 -

- Luna's Talent and Little Tom-

It was mid afternoon. The sun shone it's friendly rays in through the dusty window pane. Luna sat at the kitchen table happily painting with some supplies she had found in a kitchen drawer. She loved the tranquility that painting brought her.

During her time at Hogwarts, Professor Flitwick, her head of house, strongly encouraged her to pursue the arts. His repeated claims over the course of her years at Hogwarts were quite insistent. He believed that she was truly gifted and that made her want to follow his advice. If the war hadn't ravaged their world, she might have become a freelance painter. She wanted to use her talent to bring to light the beauty of all the misunderstood creatures in the wizarding world.

It was study period, a class that all fifth years took advantage of. Most students snuck off to snog or laze about by the lake; Luna, however stayed inside today in the study hall to paint. It was a fun activity that kept her hands busy while her mind could wander.

Ginny Weasley strode in flanked by a couple other Gryffindor girls and grinned at her friend. "Hey Luna! Are you going to catch the game tomorrow? Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff. You know those tossers won't win against us," she grinned at Luna and tossed her red hair back with a short laugh. Ginny and her friends walked past Luna to a rather large table in the middle of the study hall.

Luna smiled over at her friend. Ginny had always been exceptionally kind. She made frequent fun of the Hufflepuffs, but Luna could see some fierce loyalty and beautiful kindness in her red haired friend that would do well in the offending house. Luna had always admired the traits belonging to the badgers.

She continued painting. It was a picture of the Forbidden Forest. A snapshot from the edge of the clustered grove that she had remembered from when she was visiting Hagrid. It was splayed across the page in dark ink and well-placed watercolour.

Professor Flitwick came up from behind her and exclaimed in his usual exuberant manner, "Oh ho! Look at this fine piece of work! Miss Lovegood, you keep getting better and better."

She turned to smile at her head of house, "Thank you Professor. I really enjoy painting. My favourite one I've done this month is of the elusive Blibbering Humdinger. They are known to-"

Professor Flitwick politely cut her off and spoke in his squeaky voice, "Well, Miss Lovegood, the visual arts are a highly underrated craft in the wizarding world, you know. You would do well to continue your pursuit of painting. I would be very proud. Very creative, very Ravenclaw indeed."

The short man patted her shoulder happily before heading off to the next student. He left Luna with a smile on her face and an idea in her head.

After being kidnapped, Luna was cut off from the outside world. She had no idea who out of her loved ones survived and who had perished. The thought of her best friend Ginny; that vivacious witch couldn't have died, could she have?

She pushed the completed project away from her elbows to dry and rested her head in her hands. Luna's head spun when she thought about all that she had missed whilst being locked up. She tried to clear her thoughts and focus on the present. Her silvery eyes opened and she took a deep breath.

The table was perfectly placed in her opinion. Luna loved to be by a window when she was inside; it was her way of pretending that she could still feel a breeze on her face and dirt between her toes.

Luna was eager to finally meet Tom. This meeting was going to be a pivotal moment in their adventure to the past. She did hope that little Tom would feel at home here, at least until the time turner was fixed.

Hermione and Justin had left a little less than an hour ago to pick him up from the orphanage. They had come back to the manner yesterday with the glum news that they had to wait for the muggle paperwork to be filed at the registry. It would only take one business day, so this morning they had set out early in search of the boy.

She didn't know where, or perhaps when, Hermione was planning to take them next. Luna thought that she would be interested in traveling to any time in the past. It would be interesting to live a double life that only the time turner could allow.

It was difficult not to think about the ramifications of the quads' actions. Their collective absence was sure to cause a kerfuffle. Did their timeline still exist? As Luna thought more, she realized that their future would not even exist anymore as soon as Hermione and Justin brought Tom home. Would that affect them? Surely not. Hermione planned all of this, she would know exactly what to plan for. Luna trusted the brilliant witch with her life.

Draco sulked into the room still clad in his pajama bottoms and a sleep shirt. He looked dreadfully tired. The bags under his eyes were more pronounced than usual and he had a slight sag in his shoulders. The ginger hair he had sported the last while was reversed back to his platinum blond, but remained a messy mop. Luna wondered when his last haircut was. She wondered briefly where he got his hair styled. Then she almost laughed at the idea of a pompous pureblood barbershop quartet that sung about being wizards.

He grabbed a glass from the cupboard and headed to the sink. His haunted grey eyes met Luna's as she dutifully watched him. "G'morning Luna." He croaked out as he rubbed his tired looking eyes.

"Good afternoon Draco." Luna gently corrected him with a small smile. "Hermione and Justin should be back soon with little Tom. I must admit, I am quite excited to see him."

"Mmhmm." Draco left the room and headed upstairs.

Luna turned to her paintings. Her piece from yesterday was dry and looked absolutely marvelous. Draco might not have had the intention of helping her create a masterpiece, but the way her paintbrush landed yesterday led to a great layering effect. The bleeding oranges on her painted sunset cast a summery haze over the field in her picture. She would have to make sure to give it to him as a thank you gift.

After a while, the door creaked open announcing the new arrivals. Luna leapt off her chair and headed to the front foyer. Her bare feet padded across the ancient woods as she ran swiftly to meet Tom. The feel of the oak boards on her toes produced an earthy memory only her feet could remember.

When she reached the door, Luna gasped. Tucked in the arms of a smiling Justin was the tiniest two and a half year old she had ever laid eyes upon. Little Tom Riddle had a peaceful expression on his pale face. Dark lashes tickled his cheeks as he slumbered on in Justin's embrace. There was no trace of Voldemort on this little boy's features.

Her eyes trailed over Justin almost subconsciously. He looked quite attractive holding the young tot in his arms. Luna felt a slight flip in her stomach as if a herd of Blast-Ended Skrewts were tromping through her insides. Justin matched her gaze and smiled widely at her.

Luna shifted her gaze to her other friend. Hermione's eyes were focussed on the little boy with an expression of pure joy. The first part of her plan had worked, but Luna was sure that was not even a thought crossing the curly haired witch's mind at the moment.

"He's beautiful."

A young man's voice murmured from behind her. She turned to see Draco dressed and groomed with the first genuine smile on his face that Luna had seen for years.

Justin turned to his brilliant friend when he felt the rippling of the anti-Apparation wards. They had walked for half an hour to reach a spot in which they could safely travel. With the prospect of what was to come, it had felt like an eternity. Justin couldn't contain his excitement; he had dreamed of having children since he was young, and although this was a completely unorthodox situation, he was just as enthusiastic.

Hermione grinned up at Justin with her blue eyes and blonde hair. She said, "I am eager to reverse these charms. As much as I complain about my unruly hair, it's weird to look so different in the mirror." Justin couldn't agree more.

After spinning on the spot and landing near the orphanage, Hermione continued, "Really though, what I am most excited for is behind those acrid doors." She set off in an uncharacteristic skip towards the the imposing building still clasping Justin's hand.

He skipped along with her only to humour the witch. Justin knew Hermione was still dealing with an incredible grief upon her shoulders. He would support her in any shred of happiness she could find. Desperately hoping that Tom would give his friend a sense of purpose, Justin grinned when Hermione burst into a fit of giggles at their childlike display.

Once all of the formalities were completed and they thanked the ancient woman waving at them through the door frame, Justin couldn't wipe the grin off of his face. He and the others weren't just adopting a child, they were saving many innocent lives in the future. The Hufflepuff was thrilled.

He looked over to Hermione once more and asked, "Ready to Apparate?"

She was clutching the young tot in her arms with an expression similar to his own. She nodded emphatically and moved towards him. Justin wrapped both of his arms around the witch and held onto her tightly.

After checking that they were secure and another twisting in his gut and pull of his navel from the Apparation, he landed in the field with Hermione and Tom still in his embrace. Justin stretched his arms out and did a little dance.

"When we get back, we should celebrate!" He whispered to Hermione who still held onto Tom.

Little Tom, who must've felt the Apparation roused slightly and opened his peepers to the brightness of day. Immediately scrunching his face and closing his eyes, he snuggled deeper into Hermione's willing arms.

She looked up at Justin and whispered back, "We should. This is all so very surreal." Worry flashed through her blue eyes. In their future, the little boy she was holding would become a rampant murderer. Justin was determined to change little Tom's fate.

Justin pulled out his wand and muttered the reversal spell for the glamour charms Hermione had taught him yesterday. Then he did the same to himself.

As he felt himself shrink ever so slightly, Justin turned once more to Hermione. "Here, let me hold him for the walk back. No offence Hermione, but you look tired." She gratefully handed the little one over to him.

Justin adored the way the toddler felt in his arms. He couldn't help himself from thinking of a little blonde, silvery eyed child resting in him arms. If Hermione noticed the blush creep up on his features, she didn't let on.

Once he and Hermione reached the odd manner, Justin felt a little shoot of excitement travel up his spine. Now that they had Tom, all they had to do was travel to the next time and establish a new life there. He could work on the time turner tonight and see what needed fixing.

Hermione opened the door and Justin heard the padding of bare feet heading their direction. Luna came into view shortly after. The look of wonder in her eyes made Justin's heart tingle. He clutched little Tom tighter and allowed himself to get lost in the little boy's slumbering presence. He grinned at the pretty witch.

Draco stepped into the foyer and Justin looked up at the wizard. He looked tired, but weren't they all? Justin smiled over at him.

"He's beautiful." Draco said in a voice barely over a whisper.

The group stood in the doorway for a long time. They remained in a trance until Tom woke up to gaze around at four strangers with wide brown eyes.