Chapter 2

The Battle of Hogwarts

The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. - OSCAR WILDE, The Picture of Dorian Gray

Time engraves our faces with all the tears we have not shed. - Natalie Clifford Barney, In George Wickes, The Amazon of Letters, ch. 10 (1976)

2 May 2012

The sunset was about an hour away before Theo, his professor tweeds traded for a leather jacket–he was getting ready to willingly throw himself into one of the bloodiest days in recent history–and the time turner in hand and ventured to the hallway where he knew he had been at this exact time fourteen years before and backed himself into an alcove. He said a prayer to whatever deity was listening and spun the time turner.

He focused on the spinning of the hourglass, watching his charm working flawlessly brought a spout of pride to his chest before he took a deep breath steadying himself and shoving away any fears. Success was the only option, fear had no place in his chest as time shifted around him. He watched out of the corner of his eye as the dark hall changed, the repairs of the last ten years slowly disappearing, the destruction suddenly disappearing as the time turner came to a stop.

2 May 1998

Suddenly, Theo felt the soulbond snap into place. They were still alive. He wasn't too late. He could feel where each of them were. Draco. Mia. Fear. He barely choked back a sob, pushing down all emotions, later. He would be able to deal with those later.

The hall was filled with running students–their screams telling of the horrors around them–and then he saw his younger self, looking lost, his wand clutched in his hand as he tried to decide which of his soul mates to seek out. Theo sent a well placed stupefy to his back and walked forward, taking his younger self gently and putting him in a nearby broom closet. He pulled out a pendant that was the focus of a shielding charm he had been working on, and activated it. Placing it around his own younger neck, Theo was confident that it would keep him safe even if this part of the castle collapsed, which it hadn't in the original timeline. He couldn't help but smooth some of the curls out of his own young eyes and look at the face that had once been his.

Fuck. He didn't have time for this. He had a little over an hour to find both of them. Hermione first. Draco had died saving her. Theo had to get to her first.

He found her with Weasley emerging from Myrtle's bathroom, her cheek bloody, her lip split. Even with her injuries, she'd never looked so beautiful. So alive. Perhaps he'd never appreciated her vivaciousness the first time around. Weasley took her hand and the redhead didn't notice Hermione's protest as she tried to tug it away, only gripping to her even tighter. He felt her indignation in the bond and then Weasley then had the audacity to lean over and try to kiss her, this time causing Hermione to push him away.

"This isn't appropriate, Ron," Hermione scolded, her eyes narrowing at the weasel.

"Not the right time, is it?" He rubbed the back of his neck, still missing her silent rejection. "That's okay, I'll kiss you later, then, but let's get these basilisk fangs to Harry." He didn't wait for her response, running down the stairs, leaving .

"Ugh," Hermione let out a huff in frustration and fiddled with her invisible wedding ring, then suddenly she felt one of her soulmates there behind her. "Theo?" She whispered, starting to turn, but Theo stopped her before she could.

He grabbed her from behind, "Mia, I need you to trust me, we have to go."

"Who are you? Let me go!" She cried out as she began struggling against his hold.

Theo flipped her around and looked into her face, Hermione's eye widening in surprise as she took him in. "It's me! Theo," his voice desperate trying to make her understand. "Your bloody husband, and I need to get your Gryffindor arse to safety."

"I have to help Harry! He will never figure out that–"

"He's a horcrux?" Theo ended her sentence for her, "He knows. He's going to win. The only thing you have left to do tonight is die and I didn't come back fourteen years to have it happen a second time."

Hermione struggled to free herself from his grasp, but Theo held onto his wife, his grip so tight that he was afraid he might bruise her arms. He had to tell her the truth, make her understand, so she wouldn't do something idiotic like run into an Avada.

"Salazar, I forgot how frustrating you could be." Theo cursed as her kick made contact with his shin.

"How do I know you are who you say you are?" Her eyes still wild with fear as she continued her struggle.

"Bloody stubborn witch," Theo was tempted to shake her, but he didn't think that would go well, and he remembered the answers to their security questions anyway. "Go on, ask the security questions, Mia. Time is limited though if we want to save Draco as well which I assure you I intend to bloody do."

"Who was the witness at our wedding?"

"Blaise, although you obliviated him right afterwards. Next?" Theo raised his eyebrow, still not releasing her.

"What was the first thing you ever said to me?" Hermione scowled as she continued to twist in his grasp like a wild animal trying to escape.

"Weasley is a right prat. One more?" Theo breathed slowly, they didn't really have time for this. If they didn't hurry along, Draco would die and he'd never forgive himself if he weren't able to save them both.

"What's Draco's favourite muggle book quote?"

"You will always be fond of me. I represent to you all the sins you never had the courage to commit. And it's from Portrait of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde who I am still convinced was either a squib or one of his lovers broke the statute of secrecy. Is that enough proof, Mia?" Theo released her only to hold up his hand, his wedding ring prominent in front of her face. "It's a bit beat up compared to yours and Draco's but I've never taken it off in the last 14 years. Can we save our husband now? Please, my love, I can't let him die again." He was tempted to lower his trousers so she could see where he'd had the image of her engagement ring tattooed if she still didn't believe him.

The scepticism had left her face, being replaced by awe as she reached out with a trembling hand to stroke his bearded cheek, searching his stormy blue eyes. "You came back in time for us? Where's 1998 you?"

"I tucked him somewhere safe, I promise you, I won't die tonight.." Theo revelled in her touch on his face for no more than a breath, "Come we have to go." This time, Hermione held his hand tightly as they ran through the chaos of the battle, past the rubble, to find their husband.

Today is only one day in all the days that will ever be. But what will happen in all the other days that ever come can depend on what you do today. It's been that way all this year. It's been that way so many times. All of war is that way. - Ernest Hemingway, For Whom the Bell Tolls

Theo could feel Draco was down in the dungeons. Thank Salazar, he hadn't yet made it to the Room of Requirement where he had died in the original timeline, saving Hermione from the Fiendfyre only for her to die just a few minutes later.

The path to Draco, if Theo timed this correctly, should take him right by the Lupins, and when Theo had told Narcissa of his plans, she'd had begged him to save her niece–even if Theo had to throw her stupefied over his shoulder to get her to safety. Theo raced down the hallways that he knew so well in the future, Hermione's hand clenched in his as they followed the bond. He cast several notice-me-not charms over them and, not for the first time, cursed that Potter's invisibility cloak had been lost in the aftermath of the battle.

They turned down another corridor and ahead of them, he saw the pink hair of the Metamorphmagus that he was searching for, faced off in a fierce duel against Dolohov. Just as they neared enough to see what was happening, Bellatrix was suddenly behind her niece, the Avada striking before Nymphadora even knew what had hit her.

Theo cursed and he heard a sob choke out of Hermione next to him, but he didn't slow as he ran with her by Bellatrix as she cackled, little Teddy Lupin's mother's dead eyes staring at them as they passed.

"How much time do we have left?" Hermione asked as they dodged yet another group of students running for their lives.

Looking down at the time turner, Theo sighed, "About 35 minutes and 24 seconds give or take," not pausing, continuing to run closer to where he could feel his husband. Draco.

They ran past where a wall was starting to come down near where three Weasley brothers were duelling a Death Eater. It looked as if they would all be killed, but as the large stone began to fall, Hermione threw up one of the largest Protego shields that Theo had ever seen, effectively saving the brothers. Theo imagined that the obelisk in the future may have a few fewer names when he returned, but he shoved the thought to the side as he felt Draco drawing nearer.

Rushing around another corner they found him, wand out, conferring with Crabbe, Goyle and Zabini. As the four of them turned to run off towards what was supposed to be Vince and Draco's deaths, Draco was momentarily at the back of the group and Theo let go of Hermione's hand, grabbing Draco around the waist and pulling him into an alcove behind them.

Not unlike Hermione, Draco struggled in Theo's grasp, and as Draco drew in a deep breath to scream, Theo covered his mouth with his hand.

"Draco, it's me, it's Theo," Theo whispered in his ear, enjoying having his arms around his young husband much more than was probably appropriate. The way he held the blonde was so much more erotic than his confrantation with Mia had been. Theo bit down a groan as Draco's arse rubbed against his crotch. He needed to keep his mind on the matter at hand. "Draco, calm the fuck down. Hermione is here too and if you don't stop kicking you might hit her."

The words finally seemed to sink into Draco's adrenaline surging body, and he stilled. Theo took this as a good sign and dropped the notice-me-not charms from himself and Hermione and set them over the entrance to the alcove itself.

Theo released Draco enough that he was able to spin around, and as he looked at Theo, the confusion was evident.

"Theo, why do you look different? Did you take an ageing potion?" His hand ran over Theo's jaw not unlike how Hermione had done. Theo bit the inside of his cheek, how could he ever think they would still want him when he looked like this. He was almost twice their age now, already having lived for so long without them. He felt the tears welling up, but forced them down, because there was still a battle raging right outside.

"No, no my love," Theo murmured, pressing his forehead against Draco's and just breathing in the apple scent of his skin that he'd missed for so long, "I used a time turner to come back for you. You both died tonight, and I–" Theo paused, gazing into the silver depth, "I couldn't live without you," Theo whispered the words, his deepest confession, his greatest sin, the willingness to risk the fate of the wizarding world for his own happiness. Draco exhaled raggedly and looked up into Theo's eyes, in equal parts terror and wonder, and Theo could feel the emotions going through both his spouses in his chest.

"Theo," Hermione whispered urgently, "how much time do we have left?"

Theo looked down at the time turner around his neck and cursed again. "Twelve minutes and 10 seconds. We'll have to apparate into my office. Thank Merlin the wards are down, there's no way we could run through the castle in time. Grab hold of me, we can't risk being separated." He didn't even wait for the inevitable questions, but used his broad shoulders and long arms to his advantage, gathering his spouses to his chest. He apparated into the office that was now Flitwick's but in fourteen years would be his. The changes in the office really were minimal and it had no damage during the battle itself, another reason that Theo had chosen it for their jumping forward point.

There were only minutes left, so he put the time turner's chain around all three of their necks, and kissed each of them lightly even though he desperately wanted to do more, but they were almost out of time, and the way they both froze under his touch made him feel ill. This was no time for self-pity, he needed to focus.

The sand was almost drained, and Theo looked at both Draco and Hermione–the nervousness evident on their faces. "Here we go, my loves," he warned them both, "this got me here to you safely, and it will get us back home. It takes a few minutes to go fourteen years. So just hold onto me. Mia, I know you are familiar with the time turner, it's the same as when you used it, it's just going to take longer to go so far into the future." At their nods, and as the last of the sand fell in the hourglass, Theo spun the device in the opposite direction sending them back to 2012. He tried to ignore the gut-wrenching pain of the apprehension and uncertainty that he felt from both of them was stirring inside him.