A/N: This was written for the HMS Harmony Discord Drabble Tuesday for the following prompt:
Holly Potter was just like her mum: brilliantly keen and interested in ALL of the classes Hogwarts had to offer. So, it was no wonder that Headmistress McGonagall gave her a time-turner to help her cope with her fifth-year schedule. Unfortunately, a late-night Quidditch practice (for Holly was like her dad as well) may have made her turn the time-turner a couple more times than necessary... landing her years before she was born, when mum and dad were still in their fifth-years too! Mum was so going to kill her.
It was nice to finally have a bit of alone time to relax. Taking thirteen OWLs (three more than her mother did, including the new Healing and Restoration subject that her father pushed to be included in the curriculum) took up a lot of Holly's time and energy. Thankfully, thanks to the very helpful time-turner tucked beneath her Quidditch jersey and armour, time came in abundance.
Darting above the Quidditch pitch in search of the elusive Golden Snitch was Holly's favourite pastime. As Gryffindor Seeker, she did a lot more individual training than team-training, and practiced alone late in the evening, like now, more than she did with her team under her Captain and Keeper Thalia McLaggen.
Holly spotted a glint of gold just above the Slytherin stands and dashed towards it, her Velox III broomstick more than capable of getting her to her goal. If only she wasn't so focused on the Snitch, she would've noticed the Bludger flying straight towards her from below.
As the Bludger struck her straight and hard in the chest, all Holly could think was that her father would never let her hear the end of this.
Winded and barely hanging onto her broom, though incredibly thankful for her Quidditch armour, Holly sent a stunning spell to the Quidditch Storage Box, hoping to hit a rune and cause the Snitch and two Bludgers she'd sent out to return to the box.
Only the box wasn't there. And neither were the Bludgers or Snitch darting around the pitch.
Odd, but certainly not out of the ordinary. Peeves must've been around when Holly was distracted and winded.
Flying back down to the ground, and taking a moment to catch her breath, Holly hoisted her broom over her shoulder and made her way back up to the castle. It was a little bit past curfew, but the Head of Gryffindor House, also known as her father, had given her a note allowing her out after curfew for Quidditch practice, so there was no need to worry about being caught by patrolling prefects. Even so, she'd rather avoid them just to not have the conversation with them about what she was doing in the first place. Though she was a prefect herself, only patrolling prefects could be out after curfew, and today wasn't her day.
Entering the corridor to the Gryffindor Common Room, Holly saw just ahead of her a mess of bushy brown hair, similar to her own, and a mop of red. Prefects, it seemed, but none she recognised. Weird.
The two seemed to be in an argument (hardly becoming of prefects, they should be working together, not against each other), and Holly hid behind a corner to listen in.
"...And I said that we should keep the stuff we confiscate so we can use them against Umbridge!" The curiously familiar male voice heatedly whispered, "I don't understand why you're so against it."
"I've told you a million times," the worryingly familiar female voice snapped back, "We're prefects, we have a duty and responsibility to set an example and follow the rules we enforce. If we break those rules, there's nothing to stop others from doing the same."
"You're no fun," the male huffed.
"Being a prefect isn't meant to be 'fun', Ron. You need to get that attitude out of your system."
Ron? As in, Uncle Ron?
That must mean that she's… Mum?
Oh no.
Holly reached through the top of her jersey and pulled out her time-turner. It was spinning manically, and looked a little cracked. The Bludger had hit it.
Oh no.
"Come on, we should head into the Common Room," Holly's Mum continued, "Harry should be back from his detention and I need to prepare some more Murtlap Essence for his hand."
Harry. Her father.
As the footsteps of the pair echoed through the corridor, Holly came back around from the corner and followed them, though not before silencing her feet.
As they approached the portrait of the Fat Lady, Hermione stopped in her tracks.
"Um, Ron, you go ahead, I need to… I need to check something."
Uncle Ron looked curiously at Hermione, but shrugged and entered the Common Room. Hermione instead went down a side-corridor. Holly hurried to follow her, catching a glimpse of Hermione's robes entering an abandoned classroom (one that in her normal time, she'd spent more than a little 'alone time' with her best-friend Eliza Jordan, daughter of Katie and Lee Jordan).
Hermione had left the door a little ajar, so Holly could peak inside and listen to what she was doing.
"Ok, Hermione, nice and simple. Right. Hi, Harry- no, no, too cheerful. Hi, Harry, do you want to go to Hogsmeade with me- no, too direct, I'll look desperate… Hey, Harhar, I- no, no, definitely not. No. Oh for goodness sake, Hermione, just ask him out, that's all you have to do!"
Mum was… going to ask out Dad? She sounded so nervous, but Holly had never seen her Mum be nervous before, especially not this much.
"Ok, this is the one. Hi, Harry, there's a new bookstore with an accompanying café opening up in Hogsmeade this weekend. And then he can put two and two together and realise I'm asking him on a date! Brilliant, Hermione!"
Oh no. Mum's going to mess it up!
She had to do something, but the laws of time dictated that she couldn't reveal herself… However, since she's been sent back to this specific day, she must've been here the first time round as well… Therefore, whatever actions she takes now have already happened in the future… Therefore, so long as she doesn't physically reveal herself, since neither of her parents had ever mentioned seeing her before she was born, she can help get her parents together!
Thinking incredibly quickly (thank goodness for those insane genes from both her parents), Holly pulled out her wand and muttered a few words, followed by 'Expecto Nuntium', a spell invented by her mother, isolating the messaging aspect of a Patronus allowing for short-distance verbal messages.
A wisp of air entered the classroom and hovered above Hermione.
"Be confident and direct, Hermione. Being subtle won't help. Partly because Harry won't want to make a mistake and misinterpret your advances, and partly because he's a little slow."
"God, I'm hearing voices again," Hermione groaned, "I need to sleep more, but house-elves won't be freed if I don't make enough clothes! At least the voice gives good advice. Very convenient."
Whilst it was very fascinating (and weird) to be observing her mother from twenty-five years ago, Holly was certainly a little worried for Hermione's mental state at this time.
"Ok, Hermione, one more practice run. I'll give Harry the Murtlap Essence and help him soak his hand, Ron will go to bed early, and then I'll ask Harry out just as the voice told me to" she cleared her throat, "Hi Harry, do you want to go to Hogsmeade with me this weekend? Just me, I mean, without Ron. A date."
Good!
"Oh, I can't do this! He'll reject me and I'll have ruined our friendship!" Hermione moaned.
Not good!
Holly whispered a few more words into her wand, and another wisp of air escaped.
"You can do it, Hermione. Harry feels the same about you as you do about him, but you need to make the first step."
"He feels the same way?" Hermione gasped, "But he… no. Trust the voice Hermione, it's never failed you before."
Well, he kind of felt the same way. He may not have realised at the time, but Harry had told Holly about how blind he was to Hermione, and how she needed to take that first step to romance and he only then realised just how much she meant to him.
Holly now realised that she would be the one to cause that first step. Their child would get them together in the first place.
Time travel was weird.
Holly dashed around the corner just as Hermione exited the classroom and entered the Gryffindor Common Room. Holly followed behind and, thankfully, the Fat Lady didn't take any notice of her as she chugged a bottle of wine.
Holly hid behind another corner as Hermione stepped towards the sofas by the fireplace. She heard the famous Trio engage in short discussion, and Hermione fussed over Harry's hand.
Uncle Ron left for bed shortly after, and it was just Holly's parents alone (well, as far as they knew).
"Thanks for this, Hermione," Holly's Dad muttered, "You're a lifesaver, honestly."
"That's ok, Harry," Holly's Mum shyly replied, "I… I did want to ask you something."
"Oh?"
"I was wondering if… if you…"
Come on, Mum.
"Do you want to go to Hogsmeade with me this weekend?" She rushed out.
"Um… yeah? We go together anyways, you don't need to ask."
For fucks sake, Dad.
"No, no, I mean, without Ron. Like a… like a date?"
There was a moment of silence, and Holly's heart started beating against her chest.
Come on, Dad, say yes.
"A date… a date sounds good, I think. Me and you. Yeah, let's go on a date."
YES!
Holly let out an excited squeak.
"What was that noise?" Harry asked.
"Probably a house-elf finding one of the hats I left out," Hermione didn't sound all that bothered about the noise, in fact she sounded utterly joyous, "So I was thinking we could go to the new bookshop that's opening this weekend. They have a café and patisserie and…"
But Holly heard nothing more. There was a hand tightly gripping her shoulder and all of a sudden she was spinning away, though not moving from her spot in the Common Room an inch.
"Miss Potter, follow me." Headmistress McGonagall said, "Leave your broomstick here, one of the house-elves will put it back in your room."
Holly was too stunned by what was happening to argue back. The Velox III slipped off her shoulder and she automatically followed McGonagall in the direction of her office.
The journey was silent, and Holly could barely remember the journey to the door she was now stood in front of.
The Headmistress opened the door and ushered Holly through.
"Holly Jasmine Potter!"
Oh no.
Minister Hermione Potter stood up furiously from the chair in front of the Headmistress' desk. Defence Professor Potter looked at Holly with amusement.
"Do you know how worried I've been, young lady? Your father saw you vanish into thin air when a Bludger hit you from his office and asked for me to rush here from the Ministry as soon as possible. Minerva told me that future you told her to go back and rescue current you from twenty-five years ago! You cannot misuse the time-turner, Holly. Do you understand how dangerous that is?"
"Bit rich coming from you…" Holly muttered, quietly enough that her mother didn't seem to hear.
"You could've been trapped in the past! What on earth were you doing twenty-five years ago?"
"It's not my fault!" Holly snapped back, "The Bludger struck the time-turner."
Hermione sighed. Harry laughed.
"Your father's a terrible influence," she said, glaring at Harry. He beamed at her.
"Right, so what did you do twenty-five years ago, then? Anything we have to worry about?" Harry asked, a grin on his face.
Holly wrung her hands together nervously.
"Do you remember hearing a voice, Mum?"
"Excuse me?"
"Twenty-five years ago, you heard a voice."
Harry began to look at Hermione curiously, but jumped out of his seat and pulled her into his arms when he saw how rapidly pale and wide-eyed she'd become.
"Holly, what voice?" Harry asked urgently.
Two pairs of green eyes made contact.
"Mine."
"T-that was you?" Hermione gasped, tears quickly forming in her eyes. She slipped out of Harry's arms and rushed to Holly, wrapping her up in her own, "Oh, my baby!"
Holly embraced her mother. Her warmth. She felt her mother shuddering against her.
"Thank you," she choked out.