Hey everyone,
I know last chapter was a bit of Hurt/Comfort and I am sad to say that this kind of genre will be continuing for a few more chapters as the next few will be divided into small parts of how everyone other than Hari go through their day and come to term with all that has happened to them, both their losses and their own deaths.
It really won't be easy and I am most looking up against the part where Fred and George get their chance to truly reunite after losing one another little under a week ago, mostly because – like Hari, Snuffles and Lupin – they are some of my absolute favorite characters and definitely my two favorite of all the Weasley family.
I did some checking of last chapter and we currently have 7 people that will spend time in the garden – except for Neville and Hendros, who will be visiting the Royal Green-Garden – 10 people who will be staying in their own rooms or sharing a single room and 4 people who will be out and about inside the castle itself.
This has made me decide that I will probably divide it all between 3 and – sorry – 6 chapters, though seeing the groups and pairs that are together, is the chance higher that it will remain three. Personally, I hope to cover one person in the garden, one in the rooms and one in castle over the course of these chapters.
Wish me strength,

Venquine1990
PS. Inspiration comes from Leonette. Check out her content.

Chapter 12
Lovers, Twins And Hidden Bugs

24th of December 1976
In the gardens, Ariador
Sirius' POV

"How'd it go last night?" Is the first question that Lupin – my Lupine lover – asks me after we have managed to separate ourselves from the rest of the group that traveled to the gardens with us and personally, I can only declare my relief that a large section on the right of the castle is dedicated to this entire place.
The reason for this is because, while the gardens are enormous, there are also a lot of areas that are cut off from others through either trees or large high fences or bushes, yet none of these look like the hedges that made the maze of the Third Task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament, something I'm sure Cedric probably appreciates.
I really feel for the boy, having come back to life after dying so unexpectedly and personally I feel glad that the King ordered for us to have at least one Garden Security Elf with us at all times, even if they don't have to be privy to what we are doing – though I'd bet Grimmauld Place that Cedric will use the guard to vent.

Yet I don't let this distract me from the question asked for long and say: "It didn't. Hari had a nightmare right when midnight struck and he didn't even wake when I changed form or when the others, from the doorway, started shrieking their worry and discomfort. He woke, but – he obviously had a rough nightmare."
"A memory, perhaps?" Lupin asks and while I hate how I have to call him by his last name, do I push that dislike away as I shake my head and say: "No, he was dreaming of being captive and held back. I don't know what happened after my death, but I know he never saw anyone hurt while stuck like his body showed while sleeping."
"He was dreaming of you, wasn't he?" Lupin asks and while part of me hates how the man seems to know our cub so well, even though I also know that he always kept the contact limited and while part of me wonders if this continued after my passing, do I also take comfort in the assurance that my Alpha radiates with his wisdom.

I nod at the man and he holds me close as he says: "That event – I – I don't think Hari ever got over it, Snuffles. Not – not really, at least." Yet it's the way that he hesitates as he speaks that makes me ask: "And you?" The man cringes, yet also pulls me closer, which I already take as a bad sign before the werewolf continues and says:
"I had – some help. As you know, I – I was reluctant and – and fought her tooth and nail, but – but her character – it –." At this I nod and then the man sighs and makes me worried for him again as he says: "That doesn't mean that, seeing Hari so involved and so often endangered, didn't make Moony terrified on a daily basis."
And while I can only imagine how it must have been for the werewolf to fear, not just for the last member of his original pack, but for the first cub his pack ever had, do I ask: "Lupin – my Lupus – tell me something. Can you – these people – do you think you can – that we can –." Yet the man silences me and says:

"With time, I think I can, Snuffles. I just – I need a true bond with Hari first and – and I need you to form that. Moony is desperate for some solidness and right now – even Jaurion and Lindilwen feel strange and unknown to the wolf. He just doesn't recognize them from the pack members he lost so long ago.
To him, they're strangers – loyal and close to Hari, but strangers. You – you, Hari and Teddy are the only things Moony recognizes and you are the one Moony is closest to. I'm sorry, my love, but I'm going to need you to lead the way to forging true bonds, not just between those Moony recognizes, but those he doesn't as well."

Yet while the man apologizes for this, do I just smile at him and kiss him on the lips, secretly glad that Hari isn't here as I really want some time alone with my Lupus and then whisper: "Why apologize, when you know how much I love being needed by those I care about?" And against my lips, I feel my Lupus smile at me.
"How long will we keep this secret?" He then asks and this makes me hate my earlier relief as he says: "Remus is definitely aware that we're not as close as we used to be and I know Arthur gave him a good explanation for that, but –." And I sigh as I already know what the intelligent being wants to say and finish for him:
"Hari isn't stupid and either he will find out or – sooner or later – Jaurion will lose himself to his own unknowing and confusion and pop the question about why we're not like our past-selves – other than the fact that we are our past-selves grown up." And while the man smiles, does he still whisper at me: "Exactly, so – how long?"

I sigh again, hating how I am going to do exactly what I had been preaching we shouldn't do for a full year and then realize that I'm not that kind of person and say: "We won't." The man looks shocked and I stand up, my head motioning for him to come along and as we walk out of our secluded little nest, do I start my search.
My eyes roam through the luscious looking garden, all the beautiful trees, flowers, plants and other forms of flora and how all kinds of tropical and gorgeous birds and other highland and woodland creatures flutter and flitter about and then spot the two people I had been looking for, making me move over to them.

Sirius and Remus – as crazy as it sounds to think like that – sit on a bench of their own, but then a bended one that is on one side of a gorgeous fountain – one the fountain at the Ministry can only be jealous of for not being as majestic – and the two are almost attached at the hip as they are softly muttering together.
I take my seat at a bench to the side of theirs and Lupin follows me before drawing their attention and asking: "Did you tell him?" But Remus shakes his head and says: "I told him it was awful, unjust and that you obviously didn't deserve it and that it caused more of a separation than Voldemort ever could, but nothing else."
"Not that I didn't try." Sirius then adds and I sigh: "Trust me, you're better of not knowing. It'll come up in a few days, anyway. It's practically all that Hari's third year was centered around. And before you ask why not second – I didn't have the tools I required to be properly motivated – at least, not all of them."

The younger teen looks confused, obviously wondering why I would need tools to be motivated and I say: "I know what you're thinking, but the last I had been told before making my mistake that landed me where Remus knows was that Albus would watch over Hari and we both know how much Albus cares for the Valivial line."
The younger teen nods and I then take a deep breath as I say: "Okay, let me get down to business. I'm sure you've noticed that Lupin and I – we're not half as close as you both. Or at least not as openly, publicly close as you both. There are two reasons for that; one is the whole motivation thing – the other is Hari."
The two look confused and I say: "Hari never saw us as that and – after I got my motivation and got back in his life – there had been many years that would take a lot of time for Lupin and me to get back to where you guys are now. And, as much as I'm sure he'll hate hearing this, Hari and his needs just didn't give us that allotted time.
He needed us, you only need to look at him now and you can see that much, and so, because after I got back in his life he only saw us as close old friends, we kept what we truly felt for each other behind closed doors; even if the whole motivation gone wrong was also a solid reason for us to hide this from public view.

No, I'm not giving further detail on how it went wrong, just know that, when it did, I almost lost all chances of ever being near Hari again, almost." The two nod and Remus asks: "So, are you still going to hide it? And does that mean that we have to as well?" But while my younger self looks crass at this, do I happily say:
"No. I actually want you to try and act as if what has been going on since fourth is only just starting to develop. It will give us a righteous reason to get back to that as well and – when Hari feels better, we'll tell him the truth. It may be a wayward way of getting things done, but I know Hari well enough, so trust me.
He'll find this a lot more acceptable than if we were to further keep it a secret until a certain point in any of the books such as Valentine's day or Christmas." And while the two had looked worried at first, do they nod, proving me that they believe that – regardless of my years of separation – they truly believe I know Hari just fine.

In their room
Fred's POV

"Hello, Minister! Did I mention I'm resigning?" I whisper at my brother as he holds onto me like he did last night when we had found our room and had been almost abhorred to find two beds – that is, until the magic of the castle itself changed them into one doubles bed – and I say: "That is the last thing I actually remember.
I don't remember the explosion or the curse that hit me or anything else. I just remember his joke, me commenting on it in amazement and then – arriving at that incredible field. Is that bad, Georgie?" I ask, even though we actually had this exactly same conversation, down to the letter, just last night and George repeats:
"No Fred. No, it's wonderful. It truly is." And just like last night, do I feel a small smile bloom on my face, yet this time there is a little more peace behind my smile as George sounds more choked up, proving that the repeated conversation is having its desired effect; George is letting go of the pain he felt when I passed on.

And that is exactly what I want to do; help my twin get over something that – now that we are in the past – can no longer affect us, at least in no other way than the emotional trauma it could have left behind, but which I can, with my presence – help to make my brother – and later the rest of my family – forget about.
And yes, I know that by reading the last book we will probably relive the whole thing and I will have to hear how my brother moved on after my passing – as I'm quite sure that this time loop won't be covered by the books – and then George seems to pull himself together like he always does and asks a very vital question:

"What are we going to do about past Gred and Forge?" And already I know that he means the twins that will be born in about four months from now and who we – thanks to what Merden told Colin – know for certain will be born as they are just the most vital to us both, even if we do care for Lee and Angy and I say:
"There's not much we have to do, brother mine. As long as we read the books and find out what it was that Hari did when we were hidden and broadcasting, we'll be able to keep the Tournament from ending the way it did and all will be good for them. They'll have their jokeshop, be successful and marry the girls of their dreams."

"I'm gay." George then suddenly says and this shocks all the thoughts I had been previously having out of my head and makes me look at my twin in shock, yet George's eyes show that he means his words and is truly serious and then I do what I always do – the same thing I did after hearing of his accident a year ago.
"First your ear, now your preferences. Forge, do you want mum to be able to tell us apart?" And just like that does the seriousness leave my brother's face, only for a shocking sense of relief to show in his smile and my own eyes widen as I realize something: George has known of his preferences for much longer than he let on.
"When did you realize?" I ask and my twin answers: "After the Yule ball. I had a blast, yet, part of me felt I could have had such a more enjoyable evening if I had done something different. It just – took me a while to realize what I should have done different and – it was Hari needing us that helped me come to terms with it.
I just – I didn't care if it set us apart or no longer made us identical or if I would fall for someone who was like the mirror opposite of Angelina and your crush on her. I cared for Hari and – and I knew a war with Voldemort would just make me an even bigger target if I showed it so I just – stopped dating with the excuse of our dream."

This story definitely shocks me, yet I can definitely understand where my twin is coming from and say: "Hari won't like hearing that." But George shakes his head and says: "I think he will. Hearing that his trauma helped me settle a personal issue, I mean." This makes me smile at my twin and say: "How right you are, Forge."
Before I cuddle back into my brother's arms, the boy's eyes widening for a fraction of second before he happily starts holding me close again, obviously grateful that I don't feel like using this fact about him as a reason to no longer be close to him or offer him the comfort he needs. "Ha, as if. I'm still older, remember." Is my mental answer to that.

Around the castle
Ron's POV

"You sure are trying a lot of strategies." The guard who King Merden assigned me after showing me the ancient looking chessboard says and I sigh as I say: "It's more – well, my own way of coping, really?" The guard raises an eyebrow as he stands just far enough into the distance that I have my privacy and I say:
"I'm sure you noticed that each of these games ended with at least one figure falling off, resulting in me redoing the whole scene over and how I never started the game like one usually does?" The guard nods and I say: "They're my way to replay the events that killed those I care about. Like – like my – my brother."
The guard thins his lips as he hears this and says: "I guess I should have expected such a thing. Any luck?" But I shake my head and say: "Some scenarios definitely could have been avoided, but – not the ones I wanted most." The guard nods, while part of me feels personally relieved that I don't have to speak in detail to him.

And this isn't just because I fear that I will ruin the story or endanger the future – as the former makes the latter a useless excuse – but also because it proves me that the guard respects the differences between our stations; something I barely ever let it matter to me, especially where Hari or Hermione was to be concerned.
Yes, I know darn well that our continued contact, friendship and even unions with Muggleborns is what has kept the title Blood Traitor attached to the name Weasley and that my parents' marriage, while arranged, turned out to be a dumb bout of luck as the two of them actually found true love with each other as they grew closer.
I also know that – even without his royal status as Prince of an Elven World – Hari was in title way out of my league as well as that of my family, but that is partially why I hate Malfoy so much. He, even at the age eleven, insisted that other eleven year olds follow up with regime and protocol, instead of their teenage youth and heart.
This is also another reason why the Malfoys and the Weasleys never truly saw eye to eye with each other as they both always vehemently put such strong belief and determination between either of the two factors – Malfoys protocol and Weasleys youth and heart – that it clashed between each and every generation since.

"Yet now Draco Malfoy got invited alongside us to go into the past and he and his father are hiding a secret that, in the future, signed Lucius Malfoy's Death Contract even after the war had ended. This should aggravate me and I should want for the blonde to be open so – why aren't I storming his room, demanding answers?"
Goes through my mind, yet I shake it off, already knowing the answer. Yes, back in the old days Malfoy was like the epitome of all evil to me, just like Voldemort had bee proving himself for years, yet after the latter returned, did I start to view Malfoy as the lesser of the two evils and that made my interest in his diminish.
"Even if that diminishing interest really should have started doing so in my seventh, not my sixth." My mind whispers at me, yet I shake my head again, having long since grown past that childish belief that Snape killing Dumbledore was partially my fault and then the guard pulls me out of my thoughts as he says:

"You have a bug near?" Yet, as unintentional as it may have been, does this instantly set me on alarm and I jump out of my seat, draw my wand and shoot furtive glances all over where I sat and the area around it, my eyes squinted to make sure I don't miss on a single detail, yet at the same time ignoring the startled guard.
Not seeing anything, but not taking any chances either do I wave my wand around and shoot the Homenum Revelio spell as well as the Animagus Reversal spell, yet both of them come up empty, making me lower my wand with a relieved sigh and the guard catches my attention finally as he moves over and asks:

"Something I should know about?" And while part of me wonders if the guard knows of his prince and prince's friends being Animagus, do I say: "Rita Skeeter, a horribly nasty piece of reporter work, is a dung beetle Animagus and I wasn't sure if she hadn't followed us when we had been brought here by Merden yesterday.
I just didn't think of it until now because everything else kind of – overwhelmed me." The guard nods and says: "I'll have our Earth and Wind Guards search the castle and surrounding area. If this witch is found she'll be brought before the King and either arrested or put under severe contracts. And trust me, the arrest is the more lenient option."
And while this makes me slightly shudder as it reminds me of the Goblins and how they must – at this point in the future – be feeling, do I ease back into my seat and reset the pieces into yet another scenario similar to one of the events I had to go through with my friends and start to, again, ponder for different ways of victory.

Well, that's that.
Sorry folks, but this is definitely going to be a little mini-arc of itself. Each title will be different and it will revolve around the characters involved, but I am going to stick with the 1 on the grounds, 1 in the rooms, 1 in the castle routine. The lucky part of this; a lot of characters joined in on each other's activities.
So, if I were to have Draco in one chapter, it would instantly include Severus and Lucius as well. If I were to have Neville in that same chapter, it would involve the king with him. And just like that, the amount of chapters might not even be half as much as I imagined, though there are still several groups, thus several chapters.
Also, what did you think of Snuffles's idea, George being gay and Rita being – possibly – a side-along traveler. To be honest, the last of the three wasn't even planned, I just wanted to prove that – regardless of the war being over for almost a week – the readers are still very much wary of their new surroundings.
You like,

Venquine1990
PS. George will probably fall for an OC male Elf, though he might not – I need to recheck my Story Notes to see if I had plans for him or not.