Journey of Time
Breea
DISCLAIMER: All Harry Potter characters are property of J.K. Rowling, plot based off her books and also Timeline by Michael Crichton. And you never know when a quote from Buffy the Vampire Slayer might jump in.
A/N: This is not altogether historically accurate. I did as much research as I thought was necessary but I didn't want to over burden that aspect, as this is only a fan fic.
Chapter 3Ginny gasped audibly when she saw Malfoy. He was the last person she expected to see. He stared back at her mutely, not a flicker of recognition to be seen. Actually, he looked rather angry at her presence. Then he seemed to realize she recognized him. He looked at her strangely but before he could speak Isabel broke the silence.
"Mum, Da, Damien, this is Ginny," Isabel introduced. "She is lost and without her memory. I offered for her to stay with us until she can recall where she's from," She continued, explaining the situation. Ginny couldn't seem to tear her eyes away from Draco. Or was it Damien? Confusion was a familiar state by now.
Isabel indicated to Ginny where to sit. Ginny took her seat, still looking at Damien. He stared back at her, gaze steady. She searched his face, looking for any bit of the familiar sneer she was used to. His eyes were rather blank, which struck Ginny as unusual before she reminded herself that he wasn't Malfoy.
Conversation around her was a blur. Food was served in rapid succession; she barely started on what was in front of her before it was replaced by the next course. Ginny had never witnessed such large portions, either. She had to keep reminding herself that she was in some other time, an earlier decade.
Isabel's parents were both polite but Damien didn't say a word to her, only glared scornfully. After dinner, Isabel got up, preparing to leave. Ginny followed suit, figuring Isabel was an example to follow. The men stood as the girls got up. Ginny had to smile. She wished chivalry was more prominent in her time, she could get used to this.
On the way to their rooms, Isabel chatted freely about her parents and her brother, Damien. Ginny wasn't really paying attention; she was still amazed by how much Damien looked like Malfoy. She had been certain it was him.
Isabel stopped in front of a door. "Your room," she pointed. Ginny thanked her, causing Isabel to grin. She turned to leave Ginny but stopped, glancing over her shoulder. "You know," Isabel said slowly. "I always wanted a sister. I hope you can stay a while," She smiled shyly before hurrying down the hallway.
Ginny pushed the door open and surveyed her new room. It wasn't very large but compared to her room at the Burrow it was enormous. A four-poster bed was in one corner, covered in a thick green down comforter. Lying on top was a gown Ginny could only assume was to be her nightgown. There was a small stand under a high arched window that held a basin of steaming water and on the wall opposite the bed was a fireplace with a small, glowing fire. Ginny shut the door behind her, glad to finally be alone and have a chance to think.
Using the water in the basin, she rinsed her face as best she could before putting the nightgown on. She sat crossed legged on the bed, staring into the fire, head in her hands, elbows resting on her knees.
Her brain was finally accepting that she was in another time. Though all logic was against the idea of time travel, somehow she was in Hogwarts castle before it was Hogwarts castle. But how did she get here? And more importantly, how was she to get back?
The Tarot card, she suddenly remembered. That's how I got here. The small hope the thought had given her was dashed quickly, however, when she realized two things. One, port keys don't work in reverse and two, she no longer had the Tarot card in her possession. It must still be on the hill with the ring of stones. A lot of bloody good it would do her there.
Another thought nagged at the edge of her mind. Why was she here? What purpose was there to bring her back to this time? There had to be some reason. Maybe once she figured it out it would give her a clue on how to get back to her time. A glimmer of hope threatened to swell up. Ginny suppressed it, not wanting to get too optimistic. Nothing was predictable in this situation.
Yawning, Ginny suddenly realized how tired she was. She crawled under the blanket and felt her eyes close immediately. At least she had a warm bed to sleep in. The last thought that plagued her mind before she fell into a deep sleep was about Damien. Why did he look so much like Draco Malfoy?
* * * *
Ginny felt herself slipping
back into wakefulness. She lied still, keeping her eyes closed, listening to
the birds singing nearby. She remembered everything. She was hoping to wake up
and find it was all a dream. She wanted to delay opening her eyes as long as
possible.
She was startled by a knock on her door causing her to sit up and open her eyes. Unfortunately, it hadn't been a dream. Ginny surveyed her room and found it much the same as when she went to bed, although now the fire was out and the water in the basin was sure to be stone cold. Heaving a large sigh she called to whoever was knocking on her door, "Come in!"
Magilda burst through the door, barely shutting it behind her before bustling around the room. She had a new set of clothes thrown over her arm and a fresh basin of steaming water in her arms. Deftly, she switched the two basins and headed back toward the door. "I'll be back in a moment, child," She smiled quickly at Ginny before leaving in as much of a hurry as she came.
Ginny set one foot on the ground, suddenly very thankful for the fur rug next to her bed. The stone floor looked cold. Wrapping her arms around herself for warmth, she hurried over to the basin and began splashing the warm water on her face. There was a washcloth hanging over the side, Ginny supposed it was for bathing. Actual baths must be less frequent without running water, she figured.
Magilda returned shortly, pleased that Ginny had already figured out to use the basin. She helped her dress quickly, this time in less under garments and a much plainer dress. Magilda mentioned something about riding with Isabel but never elaborated. Ginny, still afraid of saying the wrong thing, just nodded and murmured sounds of agreement when necessary. Magilda pulled Ginny's hair up again, this time all in one bun at the top of her head. A few unruly curls escaped on their own but once again, Ginny was amazed at what the woman could do in such a short amount of time.
Isabel came in shortly after Ginny was ready. Grabbing her hand, Isabel led her down the hallways and outside of the castle. "Do you ride horses where you are from, Ginny?" She asked lightly, still leading her by the hand.
Ginny shook her head. Truthfully, she had never ridden a horse. This struck Isabel as peculiar and she told Ginny so. "Most people can't get places without riding horses. Do you ride in carriages then?" She guessed. Unsure how to answer, Ginny nodded. This seemed to please Isabel, causing Ginny to sigh with relief.
"Well, Ginny, I never miss my morning ride." Isabel smiled secretively at her. "Although my Da must never know I do it every day. He feels horses are dangerous for women. I think differently," She winked. "But you already know that,"
Ginny giggled and nodded, thinking Isabel was very brave for dressing as a boy and sneaking off into the woods. A thought struck her and she was about to ask her about the men that chased them when they reached the stables. Isabel let go of her hand and ran toward the stalls. Ginny jogged after her.
"This is my horse," She pet the side of the chestnut mare's neck and stroked its muzzle lovingly. "Jehanne, named after Jehanne la Pucelle," Isabel didn't notice Ginny's blank look at the mention of the name. Her gaze had gone distant as she stared past her horse into memories only she could see. "Although my father does not know that either. It is still unacceptable for women to have any public power, even after everything she did for her country…" Isabel trailed off, petting her horse absently. Ginny was silent, still not knowing what to say.
Luckily, Isabel seemed to snap back into reality. She smiled at Ginny. "You do not mind if I go riding for a few? You could watch the horses in the pasture or walk the gardens just south of the castle while you wait," Isabel looked hopefully at her.
"I don't mind, Isabel," Ginny replied softly, causing the other girl to smile. "I'll find something to do, don't worry about me." Ginny returned the smile.
Isabel ran off gleefully to have her stable boy help her saddle her horse. She was off and riding before Ginny could think of reconsidering. Ginny watched her ride off, realizing how alone and vulnerable she felt without Isabel nearby.
She turned to head toward the gardens, hoping this new day would give her more insight on her predicament. Ginny went through the door and ran into someone coming in. "Oh, sorry," She mumbled, backing up and looking up to see who she bumped in to. Damien's cold eyes stared down at her. Ginny felt uneasiness sink into her stomach. He didn't seem pleased to see her.
"Just who I wanted to see," He said, grabbing her arm and dragging her out of the stables. Ginny's eyes widened in surprise, at him grabbing her arm and his voice. He sounded just like Malfoy. The similarities were just too uncanny. This must be one of Draco's ancestors.
"Let go of me," Ginny protested feebly. His grip was like a vice and her arm was beginning to go numb. He ignored her and dragged her toward a nearby tree on the edge of the forest. There he finally let go of her, throwing her in front of him.
"Let us get one thing straight," He said, taking a menacing step toward her. "I don't take orders from a girl, much less from someone I don't know," His eyes were filled with fury. The one difference she could see right away was that Damien didn't keep his emotions in check, he let them show freely in his eyes, unlike Draco.
"I wasn't ordering you around, you were hurting me, I wanted you to let me go," She replied angrily, suddenly having a sense of de ja vu. It was like arguing with Malfoy all over again.
"I do not trust you, Ginny," He continued as if she hadn't even spoke. "If that is truly your name. You've befriended my sister and bewitched my servants into thinking you lost your memory but I can see in your eyes that you are lying." His own eyes narrowed suspiciously. "You are a spy for de Ferrers, are you not?"
Ginny frowned at him, making sure her expression was confused. "de Ferrers? I don't even know what you are talking about," She replied, trying to keep from sounding angry.
He roughly shoved her back up against the tree behind her, stepping closer to her. "Do not lie to me," He growled. "de Ferrers would do anything to get my father's land,"
Ginny pushed him away, only causing him to take one step back. "I don't know who this de Ferrers person is, except your sister told me his men where the ones who tried to kill us yesterday. I'm not a spy," She insisted, trying to keep her voice even.
He stared at her waiting for her to finish. Ginny didn't know what else to say. He already showed he had a hot temper, if she told him she was from the future would he even believe her? From the look on his face, her answer was clear. No.
"And I did lose my memory," She said a bit quieter, making her voice as sincere as possible. "I don't know where I am," She told him truthfully.
Damien continued to glare at her, sizing her up. She could hardly seem a threat to him; she was half a foot shorter and much scrawnier. He could knock her over with his pinky finger. He seemed to come to the same conclusion. He let his breath out slowly. "I will be watching you, Ginny," He said her name with so much malice it caused her heart to skip a beat. "I still think you are lying," He added, sneering unkindly at her.
Ginny was tired of his condescending attitude toward her. It was too much like fighting with Malfoy for her own comfort. "Fine! I'm lying! Because I have so much to gain by lying to you and your family." She felt herself losing control of her anger. She turned on her heel and stomped into the forest before she would say something she would regret. She heard Damien call her name but she ignored him, beginning to run. It wasn't fair, she was in another time and she still couldn't get rid of Malfoy.
* * * *
Ginny must have run a long way. When she turned to look over her shoulder, the castle was a good distance away when she spotted it over the treetops. She felt tears spilling down her cheeks and sat down to catch her breath before they blurred her vision. The only sounds around were that of birds singing and leaves rustling in the breeze.
Hopelessness consumed her suddenly, causing her tears to evolve into sobs. She was trapped in a time she knew nothing about without any idea how to get home. Soon, the nice people that took her in would find out the truth; whether they believed it or not was another matter. She didn't know much about history but she knew if anyone got wind of her being a witch, thing could turn deadly, quick.
When Ginny felt she couldn't cry another tear she stood up shakily, brushing herself off. She supposed she should head back before Isabel began to worry about her. She headed in the direction of the castle, drying her cheeks with the back of her hands.
After a few minutes she looked up over the top of the trees, expecting to see the castle coming closer. Instead, she saw blue sky, dotted with a few clouds. She whipped her head around in the other direction; no castle.
Spinning in circles, Ginny searched desperately for any sign of the castle. The search was futile; it wasn't in sight. Ginny felt panic starting to rise. Great, she thought, feeling stupid, I'm lost.
The sun was directly overhead, indicating that it was noon but not being much help otherwise. Ginny kicked a nearby tree in frustration, immediately regretting it. She stubbed her toe, causing her to cry out in pain. She hopped on one foot a moment, muttering colorful language her brothers would be proud of, had they heard her.
Her brothers. She hadn't thought of anyone missing her back home. She wondered what her family was doing right now. A fresh wave of tears threatened to spill.
Sighing deeply, Ginny decided to continue in the direction she was going. She couldn't think about her family right now, she needed to get safe. She hobbled along, wincing every time she stepped on her stubbed toe.
Ginny felt her heart jump when she found the road. She didn't know whether to be grateful or scared, remembering what happened last time she was on the road. She began following it off to the side, under the cover of trees, just to be safe. She hoped she was going in the correct direction.
A noise ahead of her caused her to stop and look up sharply. Everything was still and quiet. Probably just a squirrel, she thought shakily, laughing aloud softly to calm her nerves. She continued walking, more carefully this time, keeping her eyes and ears on alert for anything that appeared out of the ordinary.
She never knew the blow was coming. Something struck the side of her head, catching her by complete surprise. Ginny flew into the road, landing on her side, the wind knocked out of her. She lay there, gasping for breath, trying to blink away the stars that were forming in front of her eyes. A pair of feet appeared in her vision, reminding Ginny of something that she couldn't quite put her finger on. Before she could think about it any longer, she was being pulled roughly to her feet.
"Whadda think?" A thick Irish accent asked. At first Ginny thought he was asking her but then she noticed the other guy nearby. Both were dressed in shabby, dark clothes, a few days worth of stubble on their faces. Their eyes were menacing and Ginny could see the glint of metal in their belts; they were armed.
"Git the money first," The other drawled. The first bandit smiled at Ginny, holding out his hand.
Ginny had no money. She had nothing. And these men were most likely after more than money; she wouldn't live through this if she didn't escape. She stared at the bandit's open hand, gathering courage. She took a deep breath and turned to run in the other direction.
The bandits had been ready for this, however. In two strides, the first was on her, grabbing her arm before she could get away. Ginny used this opportunity to scream as loud as she could, but it was cut off quickly by his other grubby hand clamping over her mouth. In the middle of the woods, screaming seemed futile anyhow.
Pinning her against him, holding her arms behind her back with one hand, the other hand firmly over her mouth, the bandit turned her to face his friend who was grinning madly. He began advancing toward her, tsking. "Not vera smart, are ye, milady?" The bandit asked, knowing full well she couldn't answer. Ginny's eyes widened in fear. She couldn't get away from them both.
The sound of hoof beats caused her heart to leap to her throat. Her first thought was of the riders that Isabel had told her were going to kill her when she first arrived. She didn't know if that was any better than these two bandits.
The bandit that was advancing on her stopped and stared at something over her shoulder. Ginny tried desperately to look as well but the other was holding her firmly in place. With a sudden flash of black and silver, the man in front of her was knocked unconscious, falling to the ground like a rag doll. Ginny looked up to see a man on a horse, sword in hand. Damien had hit the bandit's head with the hilt of his sword. Ginny would have dropped her jaw in astonishment, had her face not been covered by the other bandit's hand.
She felt herself shoved violently to the side, knocking her feet from under her. Ginny rolled on the ground, watching the still conscious bandit draw his own sword. Damien dismounted and readied himself for the fight that was about to ensue.
The bandit struck first, going at Damien with such sudden force that Ginny cried out in surprise. Neither seemed to hear her, Damien was prepared for the move. The sound of metal on metal rang in the air. Ginny watched, fascinated, as the two men fought. Both seemed to be experts with swords.
Ginny felt absolutely useless. She remembered reading stories of olden days when the girls would just hide and let the men do all the fighting. She had always laughed and thought them silly, why didn't they help by fighting back as well. It almost struck her funny that she was falling into that cliché at the moment.
Damien was by far the superior sword fighter, but the bandit was willing to fight dirty. The clashing of swords continued until suddenly Damien stumbled in surprise. The bandit had thrown sandy from his pocket into Damien's face. Unable to defend himself, Damien staggered backward, his sword swinging blindly. The bandit grinned, ready for the kill.
Ginny let
instinct take over, leaving caution and rational thought behind. She felt her
hand on a large rock and picked it up, standing quickly as she did so. She ran
over to the unsuspecting bandit and bashed his head from behind, knocking him
to the ground, but not knocking him out. He groaned loudly and began rolling to
his feet, causing Ginny to back away slowly, a sense of dread rising in her
stomach. What was she going to do now?
Luckily, she had bought enough
time for Damien to get the sand from his eyes. He kicked the bandit's sword
away and pointed his own at the bandit's throat. Scrambling to his feet the
bandit realized he was unarmed and at a severe disadvantage. He turned on his
heel and fled, leaving his friend unconscious and Damien and Ginny panting from
the exertion.
Damien sheathed his sword and called his dark horse back to him. He prodded the unconscious bandit with the toe of his boot, satisfying himself that he was out cold. Finally, he turned to Ginny. "Stupid girl," He hissed, eyes narrowing.
Ginny felt her face flush. "Nice thing to say to someone who saved your life," She replied hotly, offended by his words.
"I would not have been in the situation, had you not run off," He countered, voice even. "And you are lucky I was in the area, or you would be dead," He added, turning away from her.
Ginny felt suddenly sheepish. He was right about that. And it had been stupid for her to get lost in the first place. She took a deep breath, calming herself. "Thank you," She said quietly, just loud enough for him to hear.
He stopped readying his horse but didn't turn. He was silent for so long, Ginny began to wonder if he was okay. She took a step forward, causing him to face her. His eyes weren't so cruel, although friendly was not a word to describe them either. Perhaps indifferent would be a better adjective. "You are welcome," He replied hesitantly.
He offered his hand to help her onto his horse. Ginny shook her head violently. "I don't ride," She told him, afraid of looking like a fool.
Damien stared at her but only shrugged. "The castle is too far to walk on foot," He informed her. "And I will be riding with you, so that doesn't matter,"
Ginny gulped, staring nervously up at the saddle. She took his hand and put a foot on the stirrup, pulling herself up on the horse. It took a step forward, causing Ginny to stifle a scream. She had never been fond of large animals. Damien, amused expression on his face, mounted the horse behind her and urged it forward, going slowly.
They rode in silence for a while, Ginny painfully aware of how tight he was holding her to keep her from falling over sideways. Finally, unable to bear the silence any longer she asked, "How did you find me?"
He didn't answer right away. Being held firmly in position, Ginny couldn't turn to look at him so she had to be content with waiting for an answer. "Coincidence," was all he ended up saying.
Ginny made a small noise of disgust. "That's all you have to say? Coincidence?" She shook her head slightly. "You're almost worse than Malfoy," She murmured, not realizing she spoke aloud.
She felt him shift to look down at her. "Pardon me?" He asked. Ginny didn't have to see his face; she could hear the scowl in his voice. When she didn't respond, unsure of what to reply, he sighed in frustration. "After you ran away I went on my daily ride anyway," He explained, not sounding particularly happy about it. "I heard you scream, I came, and you saw the rest," Damien finished, urging the horse to trot a bit faster.
Ginny frowned. "So after I ran away, you didn't try to come find me?"
"No," He replied sharply. "I did not realize you were an imbecile and would get lost and attacked by bandits. I did not figure you would get so far away,"
Ginny's head jerked up at his
words. "I am not an imbecile," she protested hotly. "Is all you can do
insult me?"
Ginny felt him shake her
violently. "It is not an insult when it is the truth," He hissed in her ear. "I
still do not trust you, milady," He relaxed his grip on her a bit.
Ginny waited for him to finish his speech but apparently, he was already done. She rolled her eyes, thankful when the action caused her to spot the castle not far away. She couldn't wait to get away from this mean, spiteful guy, who happened to rescue her from her death. In a way, he was her hero. In many other ways, he was annoying the hell out of her. At least she saved his life as much as he saved hers. She would hate to indebted to Malfoy, or any one of his ancestors.
"I'm sorry for being so harsh," Damien said suddenly, breaking her train of thought.
"Hmmph?" was all Ginny could manage to get out, surprised as she was by his words.
"We are in a civil dispute with another Earl, the Earl of Derby, Sir Robert de Ferrers," Damien explained. "He wants our lands but dares not attack us directly, not yet. Our army is larger, our castle better defended, but he fights unfairly," He seemed reluctant to explain but for Ginny it was making certain pieces of the puzzle fall into place.
"How?" She prompted, wanting him to continue.
"He hides in the woods, ambushes unsuspecting riders and travelers. Intercepts our incoming and outgoing supplies. He figures he will bleed us dry then attack when we are weak."
"Why are you telling me this?" Ginny asked suddenly.
Damien paused, obviously thinking. Finally he replied slowly, "I do not trust you, but I do not think you are a spy for de Ferrers. I think you are lying to me and my family, but you are no spy." He admitted. The castle was within sight but now Ginny was disappointed; just as she was getting answers.
"You are not smart enough," He finished. Since her back was to him she didn't see his smirk, which would have reminded her, once again, of Draco. With a cry of impatience, she slid sideways off the horse and out of his reach, falling to the ground with a thump. Scrambling to her feet she took off for the castle, leaving Damien to watch after her, shaking his head in slight amusement.
Please Review!
Thanks to those who have: Crystal Lily, Amanda Mancini (I haven't read that story of hers but I love her stuff, I'll have to check it out), RavenFox CrimsonCat, Alizee, Stargazer, lupe silverwing (It was a great book, but I think the similarities are ending now, hehe), AdaRen, Princess Tangawine, and Krissy.
Bless you guys!